have you, will you

mary jane dodd

pick a word for the upcoming year?

by lolamonkey

by shimmercreek

by madebyaiza

nascent has been an important word for me - i chose it for 2 years in a row... 

i invite you to share your words with us here - on the 3rd, i will post the responses!

The Love of Art Jewelry...... Featuring Karen McGovern

MaryAnn Carroll

I'm not sure when I was first asked to create discs for fellow artist Karen McGovern. Quite some time ago, she wrote to me and asked if I would make some discs similar to others I have sold, but with the holes in the center. If you recall in a recent post, I was having issues with punching center holes. I had drilled the first order, but had some problems with that method. I did solve that problem and opted for the Neiko hole punch. So far..... so good. Thank-you to everyone who helped me make that decision.

Back to Karen..... She is definitely a one-of-a-kind talent. She took the discs (similar to those pictured here) and created some incredible art jewelry.

.....starting with this very cool cuff.....

She has a recent blog post with the unique pendant pictured below.....

complimented with.... the beauty of rings......

Her imagination is unstoppable.....

Karen recently taught a cold connecting class in Traverse City, MI. These beauties are the results from that class.

And... lastly.....as they say...... 

"A picture is worth a thousand words!"

Before finishing up, I would like to share a few words that I took from Karen's Etsy shop regarding her other passion:

"Every day is Earth Day at Beadkeepers. The art and jewelry you see here is inspired by nature and created to raise funds for wildlife conservation through the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation.  Life is too short for boring jewelry!"

Check out Karen online:

http://beadkeepers.etsy.com

http://www.beadkeepers.com

http://www.beadkeepers.blogspot.com

http://www.rarespecies.org

As always, thank-you for supporting those who create handmade with handmade,

MaryAnn

Setting Goals and a Series

With the new year approaching, new work is on the menu. I wanted to find a way to keep myself challenged, and have fresh new work each month for the gallery I am selling in. 

 

So I am committing to my first, real deal, year long, series.  (thanks to this post from Barbara for the nudge )http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2012/12/working-in-series-as-jewelry-artist.html

 

The Sun in the Stars- a zodiac and birthstone inspired series.

 

I will make a couple pieces each month for the gallery.  Each one will have the symbol of that months zodiac, the name of the brightest star in that constellation (to remind the wearer to shine brightly) and the birthstone from that month (covering all month / zodiac combo's).  I am also creating each piece with with the characteristics of that horoscope. 

 

Here is the information I used to create my first piece:

 

January / Garnet / Capricorn

 

 

The wire work in the piece is the Capricorn symbol

 

The charm at the end of the chain has the brightest stars name and a sterling silver star on it.

 

Characteristics of Capricorn that I used in this piece were consistency, ambitious, and that they slowly but surely climb to success.

 

 

 Now I am heading back to the studio to make another piece in in this combination.  Then an Aquarius in garnet, and then Aquarius with Februarys stone, Amythest.  So, this challenge of a series should keep my plenty busy, and thouroughly challenged.  I am so excited about this year long project!

 

 

Wish me luck!

 

And if you are in Allentown New Jersey, check them out in person at the Copper Frog Gallery.  There are some wonderful artists in there!

 

Six more days

There are six more days left in 2012.                                                                                        Julie Holmes

A day to tidy my studio like Simone Walsh's.

A day to update my Facebook page with scintillating information about my fabulous year.

A day to test drive a Ferrari and then tell the salesman that I'm really looking for something with a little more "pizazz".

 A day to lead on Channing Tatum and then dump him for Liam Neeson.

A day to learn a totally new (to me) and awesome art form like quilling.

A day to skydive for the first time.

Or....

Almost a whole week to spend reflecting on and being grateful for the people I love, the roof over my head, the food on my plate and my little ordinary life.  Yeah...now that sounds like a plan...

Happy New Year to my jewelry loving friends!

and here we are -

mary jane dodd

i can only speak for myself here, but i am guessing that many of you make gifts for your loved ones, for teachers, for friends or loved ones to give as gifts themselves, etc... 

and your gifts for giving? well, they get left until late in the game -

so here we are... 

i just wanted to talk a bit about how i package - it has taken me awhile to find what sings for me, but i did... 

i used to package in old jeans - the ones i couldn't donate... i still use the denim, but not for this... 

i love yogi tea - and once i noticed the inside of the box (immediately) i knew it was what i wanted to use...

open the flaps on each side and cut along the top of the back

now open it up and turn it over

gorgeous, right? how can this not be reused?

trim the box - make little tabs at the top of the long side 

(there is actually already one there, you just have 

to peel off the extra) and trim the flaps

save your cuttings! i use them for earring cards

you know the filler that comes in gift baskets? save it!

a little goes a long way and it makes a great cushion

fold in your tabs, then the sides one over the other and

viola!

get yourself some beautiful silk straw or sari ribbon

(this is the only new thing i use for these and mine comes

from lisa jurist

my thanks to the shop assistant who tirelessly watches 

day after day and keeps me on task

these are beautiful highlighted with some colored pencil - but there usually isn't time - i like to think that maybe the person receiving it will feel like they got a grown up coloring page!

and there are wonderful tags on the bags with beautiful sayings - i often tape one to the outside of a shipping envelope... 

enjoy this weekend - 

in the midst of rushing about (which i hope you don't have to do a lot of) take some breaths, treat yourself to a nice coffee or tea... 
(my favorite blend is one bag of yogi rejuvenation, one bag anti-oxidant, a bit of sugar in the raw and silk french vanilla creamer in one of these tea bowls - it is a nightly ritual i treasure.)

and if you can, shop local or fair trade - 

be well - 

Joyous is the Season

by Staci L. Smith

 

Amid the last minute shopping, or gift making.....or in our case, sick kids and a dog with an issue I won't go into, during the rushing and stress........... I would like to take a moment to wish you the joy of the season. 

ladybugspot

Sing along with me...................

 

We wish you a Merry Christmas

 

 

bekahjennings

 

We wish you a Happy Chanuka

 

 

lenasgreetingcards

 

We wish you a Joyous Kwanza

 

 

designsbytenisha

 

and  a Happy New Year!

 

karmabee

 

 

Whatever you celebrate, my wish is you celebrate it with loved ones this year.  With joy in your heart and gratitude on your lips.  May your blessings be many, and your troubles be few.

What is Hill Tribe Silver?

by Julie Holmes

I love Hill Tribe silver. It has an ethnic feel to it, and a spiritual quality. I've seen the name around for a while, but didn't understand why it was called "Hill Tribe". ...so, I've done a little research and found this good information here:
Hill Tribe Silver Beads Story

The Karen tribe (Kariang or Yang in their native language) is the largest of the five more prominent hill tribes in Northern Thailand, where the largest city is Chaing Mai. As many as 500,000 members of 20 hill tribes in the region are known for a variety of skills, and most support themselves as farmers in this mountainous area. Early in the last century, these tribes were formed when people from Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Tibet, and China, emigrated to start a new life. Their numbers still grow slowly as people leave behind their previous homes for various social and political reasons.

The Karen hill tribe people have made a name for themselves with their expert skill as silversmiths. This craft is a generations-old art that in the 1960s was recognized and promoted by Thailand’s king at the time. Once channels for production and marketing were opened, it was only a matter of time for the particular appeal of these hand-crafted, pure silver creations to raise significant interest. Karen tribe members produce beads like these that are now sold through many avenues worldwide. These pure silver pieces have a natural, rustic-refined personality that draws quite a following. A few distributors have built personal as well as business relationships with the crafters, and take pride in these positive connections.

Hill Tribe silver is a fair-trade product, so the artisans are paid a fair wage for their work. This rate of pay is often called a “living wage,” since it allows for a healthy and sufficient lifestyle in the culture. As part of the fair-trade arrangement, the crafters are also required to meet international conservation and environmental-protection standards

Look at this beautiful Hill Tribe Silver ring from Overstock

And this beautiful bracelet by Mary Jane

Hill tribe silver is more "pure" than sterling, therefore it's softer and more malleable, but will also tarnish less quickly. You can buy it at Artbeads , and many other internet stores.

If you use Hill Tribe Silver in your work, please post your pictures on our FB page! We'd love to see it!

Adding on to Stacie's Post!

I loved Stacie's post on how she sets up her photo "studio". I too love to pinch a penny and have a couple more things to add to her great ideas.

First is a link to a great place to get gradient images. When I take pictures for entering into a fine art show I find that it's best to take it on a gradient image. It is pretty standard. To buy a photography sweep (which is what they call them in photo language) it can cost up to $100. So I send these images to my local print shop and have them print it out for me on large glossy paper. Easy.

 In addition to Stacie's idea of the photo box you can also add some more lighting by using some simple items. This link has a great how-to and it cost next to nothing.

It does take a while to get used to your camera and how it works. I didn't feel really comfortable with my pictures until I started getting some good feed back from others. 
I think that good photos on your website or Etsy site can make or break you. Take the time to play around and try several ideas.
Thanks so much to Stacie for starting this great discussion. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

our hearts and prayers go out -

to the victims of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, their families and their community.

This horrific and heart-rending shooting has left the world stunned and mourning.

Let's all take a moment to remember them -

Plastic Bin Photography Light Box

Hello everyone...wow, these weeks are sure going by fast! Christmas is almost here and I know everyone is cranking out some fantabulous jewelry as this is our busy season.

A couple of days ago, I posted a photo of my homemade photography lightbox on Facebook and it generated a lot of comments. I want to share with you what my process is for photographing my jewelry for the web and print work.

I'm a frugal kind of gal. I try to make do with what I have around the house before I go out and spend money on something already fabricated.  So here is the gist of my system.

I use a clear plastic storage bin as a light box. I take single sheets of copy paper and use clear tape to enclose the box as shown below. This acts as a diffuser, and allows the light to bounce around the bin in a more uniform manner.

I position my light box in front of a window, or depending on the weather and light situation; I take it outside and put it on my porch.  I love taking jewelry shots in a bright, overcast sky. Direct light is not the best, as it tends to wash out your subject matter. As you can see, this is pretty much the set up. It's portable, and I have plenty of room to put my props in.

I keep my props simple. I want people to focus on the jewelry, not the props. I have been using light backgrounds and I have a collection of rocks that I use from time to time to add a little pizazz to the photograph.

Here is the editing process I do...

First, I take the shot.  As you can see, the photo below is the raw image. No editing at all so far. With the light box, that is still a pretty good raw shot. The lighting is nice and diffused. But I need to gussy it up a bit. I usually shoot much closer then this, using my macro setting on my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150. I use the automatic setting usually, and it automatically puts it in Macro. If you have a digital camera, your macro setting should look like a flower on your choice of buttons. It's a point and shoot camera that I've had for a few years now. Still does the job and it only cost me 200 bucks. 

I upload my photos into www.photobucket.com. It's free to use, and I really love the photo editing software. It's easy. Just mess around with it and you will get it down pretty fast since it is very straightforward.

Once it is uploaded, I then edit it. I have developed my own sort of preferences as far as styling my photographs. I like the torn paper look as far as a frame. They have loads of options, so again, just play around and do what appeals to you.

The photo below is the same one as above, but I have just processed it so it's ready for prime time. I prefer to crop square because I know I will using my photos on Etsy, and since they crop square, it's just easier for me to do it before I upload. I use the Contrast button, never the Auto Adjust in Photobucket. Auto Adjust nine times out of ten looks terrible. I may brighten it up a bit, then use the Contrast button to make it pop. Again, I usually get in really close so I don't have to crop it so much, but I wanted you to really see what you can do with a raw photo using a light box.

This is usually how close I get in...and for post earrings, I find photographing them with a sandwich board piece of paper shows them off the best. 

Now, for collages, like the one yesterday, I download the photos onto my computer and then go over to www.picmonkey.com and use their collage feature. Sometimes I use collages on my blog, and Picmonkey has a great Facebook and Pinterest collage that is really fun to use too. Their Facebook collage is made to fit perfectly on your Facebook Page and I use it on my Soul to Substance and personal Facebook  both.

I hope this helps you some as far as figuring out your photography issues...you don't have to have an expensive set up at all to photograph and distribute your work.  If you have more questions, I will be back on here tonight. I will be out today, helping my father buy a river boat!

Working in Series as a jewelry artist.

By Barbara Bechtel

Working in series is not a new concept in the process of art making. Artists have long worked in series to develop ideas in their work such as color, composition, style, subject matter. The repetitive nature of  making many things organized around a central theme or style brings a cohesion to your work and may help you better find your own personal style or aesthetic.

If you're a jewelry designer or artist and are perplexed about how to work in a series as it relates to your own work, consider some of the following ideas:




1) Design collections based on the season or theme.

If you're passionate about selling your jewelry, it may help you to design collections with closely related themes or components or colors. Focus on coming up with several designs in earrings, bracelets, or necklaces that can be replicated easily with varying components or even the same pieces.

a collection of sea glass earrings by Staci Smith

2) Use the same components or style continuously.

By always using the same or similar components, you will build a body of like pieces. For example, focus on building many pieces with tiny variations but using the same materials. Perhaps for several weeks or months, you will only make pendants with bezel set cabochons. Or design chandelier style earrings. Or make as many earring components in one style as possible.

a collection of post earrings by Stacie Florer

3) Develop signature designs.

If you have a popular technique or item that always receives complements or sales, consider developing this piece further by offering the same item with variations.



4) Name or sign your series.

If you're designing work around a specific theme, consider naming your series. If you're inspired by a specific element, use this name whenever referring to those pieces. Signing your work with a hallmark or or specially designed tags also.

Beautifully Hallmarked Jewelry by JJ Papke

What ideas do you have for working in series?