Art and Clasp

What I've Been Up To - Sewing!

2011-01-03T20:43:00.000+13:00

I have never been a sewer. I am almost 30 years old and I am never quite sure if I actually know how to sew on a button correctly. However, my new-found love of trying new things in the past year has started to change that. I think I can now add "sewer" to my list of new self-descriptors, along with "runner", "swimmer", and "artist", even if they all come with "amateur" in front of them :)

I took a couple of great classes at The Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica last year, where I learned to make a pillow and a clutch purse. I don't own a sewing machine, so hadn't done much since then, until in a sudden rush of blood to the head, my mother decided to buy one. My sewing skills are inherited, if that explains anything...

In my unemployment (and with the ridiculous price of books in New Zealand, I can't understand why they cost so much!), I also have a great appreciation for the library, which is where I got my hands on Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang.

This is a really good instructional book, especially for new sewers like myself. There are clear explanations of all the kinds of machine and hand stitches and embroidery techniques. I am in love with ladder stitch!

Here is my first project from the book. In the book, she is called "Patchwork Penny", as she has a patchwork strip on the front of her dress that matches a little quilt. I wasn't feeling that ambitious (or keen to buy multiple pieces of fabric to make the patchwork and quilt), so I just gave her a plain dress.

I learned a lot making this doll. She could use a little more stuffing in the neck to make her head sit up a bit better, and her hair is a little thin (because I used 8-ply wool instead of worsted weight which I think is 10-ply, and didn't think to increase the number of strands). But still, she is cute and I'm very proud of her!

It's been pretty hot here at night, so I was in need of some more summer-weight pajamas. So I bought a pattern (after first trying to construct my own pattern from a pair I own, total disaster), and first made these 3/4-length pajama pants:


Recognize this material?

The same material as the doll's dress! I just love the pattern and the color. I think that gentle teal color is probably my most favorite color in the world.

And then I found this very lightweight cotton in quite a loud print, but it has birds on it (love!) and the shapes remind me of the work of Flora Bowley, my favorite artist (who I just found out is holding a painting workshop in Sydney, Australia in March! I HAVE to go).


LOUD colors and pattern, suitable only for pajamas. Or maybe a shower curtain.


Flora Bowley-esque bird shapes.

MUCH fun. I hope to tackle more adventurous projects over time too. Three more weeks of unemployment to go!

Xmas Feast Recipes

2010-12-30T20:42:00.001+13:00

Sorry to re-use a photo...

I got most of the recipes for our Xmas Feast from my mother's old issues of Cuisine magazine -- and wouldn't you know it, they're online too! The oysters came from the lifestyle section of the newspaper, and they are also online, you're in luck :)

Oysters, crispy bacon, avocado, and champagne vinegar (I couldn't find champagne vinegar so used a tiny bit of white wine vinegar).

Salmon and mushroom tart

Grilled asparagus, tomato, and feta bruschetta

Prawns, avocado, and pink grapefruit with rocket and dill aioli

Roasted potatoes, capsicum (bell pepper) and baby carrots with rosemary

Go forth and cook! The best thing is that all these recipes are very easy -- I love to cook for a crowd, but I'm also kinda lazy...

The Holstee Manifesto - Words To Live By

2010-12-30T20:22:00.000+13:00

Holstee

2010 Reflection

2010-12-29T23:02:00.000+13:00

Some of 2010's highlights

I've seen a few bloggers summarizing their experiences of 2010 and intentions for 2011 in a word (or five). Here are mine, good and bad, with brief explanations:

Positive:
1. Friendship - DAMN I have some amazing friends. Seriously. The kind that I can really say are "my people." Most of them are scattered around California, though I have reconnected with a couple of wonderful friends back in Auckland. And of course the fabulous women I met through the Flying Lessons e-course and through blogland in general.
2. Creativity - it's been quite a year of it. I've made jewelry, painted, taken classes in sewing and needle-felting and soap-making (I think I did them all this year at least), knitted a scarf, made cards, baked and decorated cakes, taken photos...
3. Activity - I trained for and completed a half-marathon with two of the aforementioned amazing friends. I also feel like I can finally say , age 29, that I can swim (albeit only 25 yards at a time).
4. Discovery - Through training for the half-marathon, I discovered discipline I didn't know I had but have always wanted. I also discovered new interests and enjoyment in all the crafts I tried.
5. Fun - all of the above! I also saw some fantastic concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, had some great nights out dancing, and a hundred other days and moments of fun throughout 2010.

The other kind:
1. Clusterf*ck - the year started off with a clusterf*ck of epic proportions on the work front. Somehow, I survived what felt unsurvivable. Enough said.
2. Upheaval - the move back to NZ. I have had several years in a row of upheaval, I guess generally of my own creating. I'm ready for that to stop.
3. Frustration - again mostly with the move back here, the difficulties in getting jewelry supplies, pulling out of the craft show, and then my feelings on the jewelry I made this year also.
4. Boredom (periodically) - this cropped up throughout the year, despite all the fun and activity. It looms overhead now too during this period of unemployment, but I've been keeping it at bay this last week by sewing. More on that to come...
5. Stress - the move again. Since that took many months of planning and consideration, I felt like much of 2010 was overshadowed by this.

What I want for 2011:
1. Discipline - I loved experiencing this during my half-marathon training this year. I have always thought of myself as quite an undisciplined person that can't finish anything. I love that that's changing. I've signed up to start a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Management via extramural study, so I'm going to need discipline to juggle that and the new job with everything else I want to do in 2011.
2. Peace - more tea-drinking, more yoga, more meditation. More mindfulness and pausing and calm. More acceptance and letting-go of those things that really need to be let go of already!
3. Fun - again! In 2010 I think I gained a better sense of what I find fun -- physical challenges, creativity, learning new skills, the occasional night out -- and a better sense of what I don't -- going to events out of obligation, spending time with people that I don't really connect with. I'd love to improve my swimming enough to complete a mini-triathlon. I also want to do the Tough Guy/Gal Challenge (extreme mud-run!) and am contemplating the full Auckland Marathon. I have this strong urge to try Stand-Up Paddling. I also want to keep learning, and keep taking art/craft classes and workshops. Last but definitely not least, I want to continue to meet more of "my people" who will join me in all these adventures.
4. Comfort - hopefully around May 2011, I'll be in a position to find Kenzo and I a new (rented) home to call our own. I have to pretty much start over with acquiring all new household furniture and items, so I want to really create a comfortable haven for us.
5. And now, I need your suggestions. I can't think of a fifth that doesn't fit in with one of the others. What would you suggest?

Xmas Feast

2010-12-29T21:46:00.000+13:00

My Xmas plate

As promised, here are the photos of the Xmas lunch I cooked for my family. Err yes, there were only five of us...


Oysters with bacon, avocado, and chives


Sourdough bruschetta with basil, tomatoes, asparagus, and feta


Shrimp, grapefruit, and avocado salad


Salmon and portobello mushroom tart


Roasted potatoes, red bell peppers, and baby carrots with rosemary


Fruit mince tarts, and chocolate-dipped strawberries (forgot to take a photo of the pecan pie)

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T21:07:00.000+13:00

It's Christmas Eve here... we are not of any particular religious persuasion in my immediate family but we have always done Christmas with a tree and presents and good food. There's just my parents, my brother and I in our little satellite family unit in this corner of the world. My brother's girlfriend will be joining us also, bringing our total to 5 plus little dog and big dog.

Since I am unemployed this year, my gift to everyone is doing all the cooking and baking for our get-together. Today I made pecan pie, fruit mince tarts, and chocolate-dipped strawberries in white chocolate (to cater for the caffeine-sensitive) and dark chocolate (for the lactose-intolerant)... Tomorrow's menu has been compiled from five separate issues of Cuisine magazine and is anything but traditional. I'll take pictures and post them. Let's hope I can pull it off!

Happy Chrismakwaanzakuh to you and yours from me and mine :)

Rolled Fabric Flower Bib Necklace

2010-12-20T11:00:00.007+13:00

Here's another flower bib necklace I made, using strips of fabric rolled into rosettes and glued onto a felt backing. I already had all the materials for this one in my stash, it's so satisfying not having to buy anything!

I googled "rolled fabric rosettes tutorial" and found a variety of instructions. Most tutorials produce rosettes that show the raw fabric edge, like this from mama monster:

Very cute too but I prefer them without frayed edges, so I was just extra careful when folding my fabric stripes to keep them tucked under.

I love how it turned out!


Another bathroom mirror/iPhone photo

If you'd like to make one, here's a tutorial from Tortoise and the Hare. Enjoy!

New Zealand Handmade Holiday Ornament Swap

2010-12-19T18:43:00.000+13:00

I am a terrible swapper, I just realised I forgot to post about the ornament I received in the swap organised by New Zealand Handmade!

My swap partner was Debbie, a nurse in Surrey in the UK. How cool to swap with someone overseas, kind of reminds me of having a pen-pal as a child. Debbie has a blog that she first started when she was still studying to be a nurse, called Student Nurses Allotment.

For some unknown reason, I did not take pictures of the ornament and card I made for Debbie! Good grief. But hopefully she will take some :)

Here are the darling little ornaments she made me (two! how lucky). They are about 5cm (just over 2") across. They are cross-stitched, which I am super impressed by as I have absolutely zero cross-stitch experience.

I really enjoyed the swap experience, it's the first one I've ever participated in. I'll be looking for more!

Lace Flower Bib Necklace

2010-12-19T17:01:00.000+13:00

Since attending the Auckland Art and Craft Fair, I've been itching to get my craft on... I spotted this guest post tutorial for a lace flower bib necklace by Little Miss Momma over on Tater Tots & Jello.

It's super cute and very easy. The first couple of flowers I made didn't turn out well though. My lace had a raw edge instead of a nice tidy binding like the kind she used in the tutorial, so I think that's why the "petals" kind of stuck straight up like a cup instead of a flower shape. Also, the blue pearl beads I used looked small and kind of lost. Then I tried pleating the lace as I glued it down, and it turned out much better!


Bathroom mirror/iPhone photo

You know you must enjoy something when you burn the crap out of your fingers every ten minutes with hot glue, but keep doing it anyway...

Auckland Art & Craft Fair

2010-12-12T16:50:00.001+13:00

Yesterday was the second Auckland Art & Craft Fair, which if you follow my blog you know I was supposed to be partaking in but had to pull out of (sulk). Anyway, I put my big girl panties on and hopped on the bus to go check out what I was missing.

I ran into a friend there and got so wrapped up in things that I of course forgot to take photos. I did however swipe a business card from everyone that I admired.

You also probably know how broke I am, so it was somewhat torturous, although I did lay down a whole $3 for this bookmark from Honey Design:

Some of the other wonderful vendors were:

I also got to meet the lovely Jessica from Foxes, at whose table I was ogling the wonderful work of Devon Smith:

It was a nice big space, plenty of room for everyone, vendors and customers alike. I was very impressed with the quality of goods for sale! I'll definitely be hanging onto those business cards for when I start receiving a paycheck.

I hope it was a very successful day for everyone involved, I heard that the next fair is planned for May 2011, so maybe I will have quit sulking and figured out how to source supplies and wrangled with my other artistic crises in time for that one...

DIY Holiday Gift Tutorials

2010-12-08T09:28:00.000+13:00

This holiday season I find myself on quite a tight budget! I spent some time yesterday scouring the internet for DIY holiday gift tutorials that wouldn't break the bank. Here's what I found:

Book Purse Tutorial from Country Living

Map Coasters Tutorial from Martha Stewart

Teacup Candles Tutorial from Design*Sponge

Vintage Card Wallets Tutorial from Country Living

Marble Magnets Tutorial from notmartha

Cocoa Mix In A Jar (and several others) from Sunset

And a gazillion other project tutorials from Design*Sponge, that would all make lovely gifts.

Do you do DIY for the holidays? What's your favourite DIY gift to give?

Decisions

2010-11-15T18:12:00.000+13:00

Thank you SO much for the kind words of support about my last post, I am incredibly grateful to each of you.

Those long-awaited supplies finally arrived today. My blood boiled when I saw the mailing date on the envelope - November 10th, a full 3.5 weeks after I had paid and after the seller had almost immediately marked the item as "Shipped" on Etsy. I would understand if it had been mailed within a few days after I paid and it was just the postal service or customs' fault for delaying delivery, but that wasn't the case. The actual delivery only took 5 days from the U.S. to Auckland.

My business cards and labels also arrived -- they look AWFUL. The image is unsharp and dark and the business cards are flimsy and cheap. Thankfully Vistaprint have a satisfaction guarantee and have refunded my money.

A good friend emailed me, suggesting that by wanting to give up now I appeared to be choosing pessimism and putting roadblocks up to my own success. I've been pondering this, the source of my willingness to pack it all in when only a few months ago I was so excited to devote the next year to really giving Art & Clasp a shot. I have had some personal situations that have left me feeling like I have few resources left to deal with frustration. Additionally, a big part of it is financial - I am struggling on my very low, very part-time paycheck. After paying for gas, which I seem to constantly be putting in the car, my handful of monthly expenses, and assorted Kenzo-related costs, there is not a lot left. Living with my parents, far from everything, is proving to be much more difficult than I anticipated. So my recent experiences with wasting money on sub-standard supplies has really hurt.

But mainly, I think the problem is that I am not proud of the jewelry I make. I feel like it is assembly work with pre-made charms and images that anyone could do. As you probably know, I don't make those pretty images in the pendants myself, I buy them on Etsy - and I am always acutely embarrassed when someone thinks I do make them myself. A hole punch, a bit of glue, choosing a few charms, some opening and closing of jump rings, what is talented and creative about that? Even some of the lovely comments you left, using words like "unique" and "lovely" and "beautiful" -- I feel like they are not warranted. If I made those images (and I have tried unsuccessfully), or handmade the charms, I would be proud of my products. But as it stands I feel kind of like a sham, gluing a few pieces together and calling it "handmade" creativity.

This (and my last post) are NOT an attempt to fish for compliments or encouragement. I just want to explain where my head is at, and not appear like a child stamping my foot and throwing everything away because something isn't immediately going my way. So for now, I have decided to put my Etsy shop back on vacation, while I figure out my next steps.

What I really want to do is work on my painting so that I can eventually put those into pendants. There are a couple of painting workshops in the new year at universities here in Auckland that I would like to take (there are some wonderful workshops online, but after signing up and paying for one I discovered the internet connection at my parents' house is too slow to handle the videos for it...). In the meantime, I've accepted that I need to find fulltime work in order to find a place to live and to fund any future creative attempts.

Wow, this is a long post. If you read this far, thank you! I am so very grateful to have my online friends and community. Thanks for being wonderful!

Major Frustration, and Contemplating Closing Up

2010-11-13T12:56:00.000+13:00

As I posted on Facebook this morning, I have decided, with a very heavy heart, to withdraw from the Auckland Art & Craft Fair. My current inventory is very low, and I have been waiting for the supplies I’ve ordered from the USA and Hong Kong to arrive. I’ve searched and searched for New Zealand (or even Australian) suppliers, but the very small handful that I’ve found have limited inventory and rather steep prices.

I have had three very frustrating situations with ordering supplies since I have moved back to New Zealand. Firstly, one lot of pendant settings and cabochons I ordered from a US supplier almost four weeks ago still hasn’t arrived. I was hoping to check the quality of these and then order more to make necklaces for the craft fair if I liked them, but it’s too late for that now.

Secondly, I ordered some 20 inch silver snake chains from another supplier on Etsy, only for them to tell me that they didn’t have any in stock, they only had 18 inch chains. I told them I didn’t want the shorter ones, but they didn’t respond and sent them anyway, as I found out when they arrived two weeks later!

Finally, I received one lot of brass charms that I ordered off an Etsy supplier a couple of days ago, and I am very disappointed with them. The photos on the supplier’s Etsy store are lovely, but the actual charms are very lightweight and cheap-feeling, and I’m not happy using them.

It costs too much and takes too long to send the supplies back from NZ to the USA, so not only was it a waste of time and money, I still don’t have the supplies I need. I have been searching frantically for more (using up my limited internet data allowance), but realized I will still have the same problem – the long wait for the supplies to arrive, and the uncertainty of their quality. The craft fair is only four weeks away, thus my decision to withdraw.

These frustrations are also leading me to consider closing up shop entirely. I don’t have the funds to be throwing at supplies that take weeks to get here and may or may not be usable when I can’t feasibly return them. The exchange rate and the cost of postage to have them sent here is also difficult to justify.

I’m so sad and disappointed. I have spent several hundred dollars on the business in the last few weeks. I returned the printer I bought (a miracle, given how difficult it is to return things in New Zealand if you just change your mind, thank you Bond & Bond), so at least that’s $300 back in my bank account (albeit briefly, the dog needs a growth excised from his gum and tested, to the tune of $500…) My regret at returning to New Zealand is mounting.

Anyway, watch this space, since I could well be announcing a closing down sale soon!

The Cost Of...

2010-11-08T12:43:00.001+13:00

New stickers

New Canon printer and 5 x ink cartridges: $300

Business cards, stickers, return address labels, and banner: $179
Domain name re-registration: $10
Starting to feel like I am getting on top of my to do list: Priceless.

Craft Markets, Displays, Business Cards -- Money!!

2010-11-01T09:10:00.000+13:00

The Aotea Centre, venue for the Auckland Art & Craft Fair on December 11th, 2010

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you might have seen that I was accepted as a vendor at the Auckland Art & Craft Fair on December 11th. I am thrilled about this – the Fair ran for the first time in July of this year while I was still in the U.S. and I was so excited to see this sign of the growth of the handmade market in New Zealand. The venue where it is being held (the Aotea Centre in downtown Auckland) is very nice and of course being two weeks before Christmas is prime gift-shopping time.

With this excitement though has come some major stress! December 11th is only six weeks away. My stocks are dwindling and I can no longer source the same copper pendant bezels I have been using. I have been thinking about making a move into making brass and silver items as well, so there is my push to do that. However, that means sourcing and buying whole new “sets” of supplies in each metal – chain, clasps, jump rings, and bezels. I ordered a small amount of silver supplies from a supplier in the States on Etsy but it has been two weeks and they still haven’t arrived.

I also need to create (read: buy and make displays for) my table at the fair. I didn’t have room in my baggage to bring anything with me, so I am starting over from scratch. There are several Flickr groups of craft fair displays so I have been perusing those and found some ideas, but when it comes to materials I have nothing!

On top of this, I am out of business cards and need to order more. I am in the middle of trying to focus my branding (hence all the new photos), so need to redesign my business cards, stickers and address labels. Also, the website (yes, I’m going ahead with that idea), so that I can put the address on the business cards, and packaging/little freebies for the craft fair. When in the States I used Vistaprint and then Moo for my cards, but I don’t think that’s going to be the most time or cost-efficient option for me now. Any Kiwis have any recommendations?

It’s all money, money, money. I haven’t started getting paid yet for my part-time job and well, you saw what happened with the money I earned from Emily. I am waiting on some U.S. cheques for my apartment security and car insurance refund to clear but they take 21 BUSINESS days to clear, so essentially a month after I put them in. It’s very frustrating to see my available balance today is $19 when my account balance is much higher but I can’t touch it!

Six weeks. Can I do it all?!

In Which Averil Spends More Money Than She Has

2010-10-30T20:20:00.000+13:00

First off, let me say that I really appreciate the thoughtful comments on my last post. Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your feedback and opinions on websites and blog posts. You guys are wonderful!

Ok so today -- after Emily and I delivered and set up for two weddings,she suggested we peruse the vintage and secondhand clothing stores on Karangahape Road in the central city. All in the name of business, of course – I was supposed to be looking for vintage brooches to incorporate into the wedding jewelry line that I am contemplating starting.

Well, ahem… let’s just say I got a little distracted at The Paper Bag Princess (everything is $20 and under!) and spent most of the money I had just earned by working for Emily. Never mind that I had been complaining all morning about how I had to decide between buying dog food and groceries for myself (guess who won…) While we were out though I got an email from Etsy that I had sold two items, so that makes up for it. Hooray!

But look, the two pretty cream shirts I bought serve a double purpose --- as props in my new jewelry photos! It was quite fun taking these photos, I felt like a fashion magazine stylist.

The trench however, well, I just had to have that ($20!). It looks new and feels so, so soft. I am a total sucker for tactilely (is that a word??) pleasing clothing. You can’t really see it in the photo but it has kind of a bubble hem which is quite unique. And look at the belt! So pretty. Now I just have to wear it ALL THE TIME or Emily will make fun of me for buying it.

When I moved back to Auckland last month, I had to be pretty ruthless in deciding what I was going to bring from my clothing and shoe wardrobe (which was actually already pretty meagre as a result of moving between Auckland and L.A. 3 times previously in the past 5 years) in order to keep my baggage to a reasonable amount. So I feel that these purchases are somewhat warranted, despite the state of my bank account (I know Emily will be laughing at me as I write this, that I am still trying to justify this several hours later...)

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend as much as I am!

Flying Lessons: Round Two Part Two and Questions for You!

2010-10-28T20:05:00.001+13:00

Another one of my new photos.

Back to Flying Lessons!

In the second week, the lessons concerned developing an internet presence: websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc. I have all these, sans the website. My wonderful friend Emily, besides being an amazing florist and my #1 creative-biz cheerleader, is handy with web design and has offered to build me my first website. She gave me an assignment -- find some websites I really like and pinpoint the elements I like about them. Surprisingly, this has not been an easy task. I realized that I mostly look at blogs, not actual websites, so I had to go hunting for them. And honestly, it was difficult to find some I was impressed by. Do you have any favorites to share?

I have been thinking about my blog (and Facebook and Twitter too). I feel like I should be writing more "high-value" posts (I can't remember where I saw that terminology, but I mean posts that give something to my readers that they value). I have such lovely readers/friends and I'd love to hear your feedback - what kind of posts do you enjoy reading (here or on other blogs)? What draws you in?

Sneak Peek -- New Photos

2010-10-26T09:08:00.000+13:00

I have been working hard to re-style my jewelry photos for Etsy with a little more deliciousness. It is a lot of work and a definite learning curve (with help), and I have a LOT more to do! Here is a sneak peek:

Updated Blog Roll And Links

2010-10-25T09:29:00.000+13:00

I just spent some time updating my favorite links to other blogs and crafty inspiration sites in the sidebar. I added a new list for "Creative Biz Links" (blogs or sites full of inspiration for those in creative business), removed a few dead or less relevant links, and added some of my new favorites.

New additions:

Blossom Wedding Flowers -- new blog!

I have the pleasure of now working part-time with Emily of Blossom Wedding Flowers. As I wrote about in this post, Emily and I have known each other for going on 12 years. Emily is an incredibly talented floral designer here in Auckland (as evidenced by how busy she is this wedding season!). She has just started a blog for Blossom Wedding Flowers and I highly recommend you take a peek at her beautiful bouquets and the other wedding and floral inspiration she is posting over there.

Craft Gawker

Craft eye candy. Craft p0rn. Call it what you want, it's heaven.

Creativity Is Happiness

You all know by now how much I heart Jenny Lee Wentworth by now, right? Not only is she one of my favorite customers, I really think this girl is the sweetest thing on the planet. Read her blog, she's adorable.

Erin Carver

Erin is a fellow Kiwi and self-taught mixed-media artist. I love her work and her writing. I am going to treat myself to something from her Etsy store as soon as I get a paycheck!

Indie Handmade

More eye candy, giveaways, craft book reviews, and general yumminess...

Pipi La La

Goodness me how I love Michele from Pipi La La. Michele is another Kiwi artist-in-bloom and she is so lovely and authentic on her blog. I adore her work and am the proud owner of one of her pieces. I also have my eye on another piece in her Etsy store and I check it daily to make sure it hasn't sold yet ;)

I think that's it for the new additions to my links, I hope you take and look and enjoy them as much as I do!

Etsy Favorite Finds: Baby Animals!

2010-10-19T21:26:00.000+13:00

It's springtime here in New Zealand and it's a lovely time to live in the countryside - baby animals abound! Here is a collection of Etsy finds inspired by the season :)

Top row, L-R:
Duckling Glass Tile Pendant by thelittlefox
Vintage Inspired Bird Nest Eggs Gift Tags by bljgraves
Mommy And Chicks Print by joojoo

Bottom row, L-R:
Belle And Her Little Lamb Blank Greetings Card by belleandboo
Tiny Pig Print by acageybee
Ball Bunny Print by Thalitadol

Top 5 Craftypod Podcast Episodes

2010-10-19T09:28:00.000+13:00

I love the Craftypod podcast put out by Sister Diane (nope, she's not a nun, but I wondered that too...). Every couple of weeks, Sister Diane puts out a new podcast of 'crafty goodness' aimed at the crafty biz crowd, and often including interviews of some of the craft world movers and shakers, like Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl and Kari Chapin, author of The Handmade Marketplace.

The back catalogue of Craftypod episodes is so vast (my iTunes has episodes dating back to 2005!) that I have yet to listen to them all. That said, here are my Top 5 Craftypod episodes (so far) for crafty biz inspiration:

1. Why Your Story Is Everything, with Tara Gentile

2. Making Ideas Happen with Scott Belsky

3. Engagement Marketing For Your Crafty Business

4. Craft Blogging: What Should You Write About?

5. Why Should You Plan Your Blog Posts Ahead?

Enjoy! You can also find more crafty biz inspiration in my post of my Top 10 Craft Business Blog Posts.

If you have any other crafty podcasts you recommend, I'd love to hear them in the comments. Now, I think I need to go and re-listen to numbers #4 and #5....

Terrible Pieces

2010-10-14T08:32:00.000+13:00

Recently I posted about my desire to make a living from art, and my simultaneous fear of the learning process and of making mistakes (thank you for the encouraging words you left in the comments! :) ). I figured one way to get over this hump was to give myself permission to make fifty terrible pieces of art (maybe that's a LOT of terrible art, but I figured better safe than sorry...) Fifty pieces of technical mistakes, smudges, bad color choices, weird composition, flat faces, uneven facial features, give-up-in-the-middles... And it helped.

As proof to you, here is Terrible Piece #1 (in background) and #2 (in foreground), both still in progress:

I really am horribly impatient. I can't wait for paint to dry (even acrylic paint), so I end up smudging lines and smearing colors and tearing holes in paper. Funny, because when people would hear what I used to do for a living for seven years (working with children with autism), they always exclaimed "Oh, you must be SO patient!" No. Absolutely not. Not me. Not in any aspect of my life. I open the oven too soon to check on the cake. I flip the pancakes before they are ready. Maybe this explains why I like all my food a little under-cooked.

Home Is Where The Art Is

2010-10-08T18:54:00.000+13:00

So, currently, (and for the foreseeable future) I am back living at my parents' house. I get huge pangs of missing my adorable little house in L.A. I moved into that place when my marriage broke up, and it really was my sanctuary for two years. It was all mine, just Kenzo and I, and although the rent is probably the reason why I have come back to NZ with basically nothing to show for four years of a decent-paying job, it was worth every penny.

This is not the house I grew up in either, so I doubly have that sense of not feeling at home. I've been pondering how to rectify this (on a part-time budget). I think some New Zealand art might be a good place to start - here is what I am eyeing:

Erin Carver

Sleep And Her Sisters


Pipi La La

Flying Lessons: Round Two

2010-10-07T08:47:00.000+13:00

A few months ago, I participated in Flying Lessons, Kelly Rae Roberts' first (and fantastic) creative biz e-course. Flying Lessons was so packed with amazing and valuable information that it was difficult (if not impossible) to really absorb it in the moment while the e-course was running. Almost every day, Kelly posted tons of information, and then the comments! Wow. Over 500 comments most days. Half of the fun was "meeting" the other course participants and checking out their blogs and websites and beautiful work.

Now I found myself voluntarily sans full-time job, with a little more time on my hands. I've decided to start working through Flying Lessons again. In the first week, the lessons cover goals, commitment, fears, and several days on the art and logistics of blogging. Phew!

The "fears" lesson is particularly speaking to me right now. If I am honest, I spend hours daydreaming about making a living creatively -- reading books and blogs and making grand plans. And then I avoid actually creating anything like the plague. I realize that I do that because of fear -- the fear that I will find out that I am actually not creative or talented at all, and then I will have to give up the dream. While I don't make anything (and fail at it), I can still live in my fantasy future. I also know that there is a learning curve to anything -- while I don't expect my first knitting or sewing attempts to be professional, saleable quality, for some reason the thought of making art or jewelry that I'm not thrilled with makes me want to give up before I even start. Ridiculous, I know. Does anyone else relate to that??

Art & Clasp - Back Up And Running!

2010-10-03T09:35:00.000+13:00

Hi all,

So, I survived the move back to Auckland, and this morning I re-opened my Etsy store. Shipping was readjusted, my policies and listings and announcement all modified. I went through my inventory and checked everything was there (currently minus two pieces, so those listings were deactivated, I hope they show up...)

Thank you all for your kind words of support while I put things on hiatus. It's nice to be back!

Hiatus...

2010-09-06T16:59:00.000+12:00

This is just a short note to say why the blog has been so quiet and let you know that I'm putting it on hiatus for a little while. I am preparing to move back to New Zealand in two weeks, after living in L.A. for almost the past four years. This it taking a lot of mental and emotional energy in addition to the logistics of it all. I've been feeling guilty for not posting, so I've decided to officially put the blog on hiatus until things settle down.

My Etsy store is still open right now -- moving Kenzo back to New Zealand is costing me about $USD5000, so every sale helps!

Back in a bit...

That Guy

2010-08-13T14:25:00.000+12:00

Kenzo had a haircut today, so to capture him in the 10 seconds it takes before his fur grows out again, I took some pictures:

New SALE section

2010-08-10T07:54:00.000+12:00

I just finished adding a sale section to my Etsy store, please check it out! Here are some of the listings currently on sale:

Summer Bloom Bracelet $27

Butterfly Earrings $14.50

Hot Air Balloon Earrings $12

(Un)inspiration

2010-08-09T12:38:00.000+12:00

I've been feeling a little... uninspired lately. I don't have any of my necessary jewelry supplies left, and I'm hesitating on buying more when I feel like I should see if my current stock shifts, since my Etsy store has been so quiet lately. So without anything to make, I've felt a bit disconnected and creatively flat. I also feel less inspired and motivated to engage with others on the creative front and work on other aspects of my fledgling creative biz.

I have other things I can create with, of course. I have needle-felting materials, wool and needles, paint and canvases. Instead, I've been wasting time watching TV shows which I think makes me feel even more creatively stagnant. So I think I might go on a TV fast this week, and make sure I'm spending my time in the evenings on creative projects.

Today I made a start on breaking my creative drought by visiting the local farmer's market and baking a blackberry-apple pie from scratch, pastry and all:

I just had a slice and I think it turned it well! Here's to the rest of the week being a little more inspired and productive. What are your favorite methods for getting out of a rut?

Customer Interview -- Jenny Lee Wentworth

2010-08-04T07:09:00.000+12:00

My first customer interview -- the adorable and very sweet Jenny Lee Wentworth!

Hi Jenny! Tell us a little bit about yourself:

     Ok, well...I live in beautiful Oregon with my husband, two kiddos (one boy one girl), and two kitty cats. I'm a dental receptionist/assistant by day and an artist by night. I began my love affair with arts and crafts just the last couple of years by doing primitive stichery with simple store bought patterns and then began designing my own stitching patterns. Before I knew it something kindled inside of me and I was experimenting with new mediums, materials, and techniques, and reaching out to the creative community for support and inspiration. I was experiencing an artistic awakening and being able to express myself in these creative avenues has really made me feel fulfilled. Making art for the walls of my home and for friends has been a real joy for me. It sounds corny but I've never felt happier.

How did you find out about Art & Clasp?

   I found Art & Clasp through an online class we both took and I'm so glad I did, Averil is a sweetie and I love her jewels!. Her pieces are so unique. They are made with love by a kindred spirit, and you feel special when you wear them.

What Art & Clasp pieces do you own?

    I own the fabulous bicycle necklace that I won on the blog giveaway and the bold red bird necklace which I am wearing right now. I will definitely own more in the future.

Tell us about a time you wore one of your Art & Clasp pieces recently.

    I was in Paris this summer and I had my portrait drawn by a local artist there. I was wearing my bicycle necklace and the artist leaned in to get a closer look at it. She said it was, "C'est magnifique!" Honestly, I get compliments every time I wear my art & clasp jewelry. I think I should keep a stack of business cards with me at all times. Seriously Averil, if you send me some business cards I will hand them out when people comment on my necklaces. :)

Where can readers find out more about you?

    Visit me at my blog anytime at http://www.jennyleewentworth.blogspot.com/. You can also find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JennyLWentworth and on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Wentwortharts.

Thank you so much Jenny! Your compliments give me warm fuzzies :)

If you're an Art and Clasp customer and you'd like to be interviewed for the blog, please get in touch!

Music To Craft To

2010-07-29T13:54:00.000+12:00

I like to have music on when I make jewelry or other crafts. Recently I have been searching for some new music, and last night came upon Will Stratton's new album, New Vanguard Blues. I am in LOVE with this album, every song on it is beautiful. After downloading it I was listening to it in the background and realized it deserved my full attention. I turned the lights down, lay on the couch and listened to the whole thing from start to finish. It has been a long time since I've been moved enough by an album to just sit still and listen. Will Stratton is offering it for download online for only $8, and you can listen to every song before you decide to purchase.

Other favorites to craft to:

Hoping that brings you a little inspiration :)

Jewelry, Purse and Organic Kid's Clothing Party in L.A.

2010-07-21T01:34:00.000+12:00

Art & Clasp, Stars at Noon, and 31 Gifts Party!

As I have mentioned, moving my dog/best-friend-ever Kenzo to New Zealand is costing me a small fortune. A friend suggested I hold a "jewelry party" to try and make some more sales/fundraise. Just the thought of it made me uncomfortable -- inviting my friends over to try and get them to part with their hard-earned cash? I shuddered at the thought of them feeling obligated to buy something. Still, with the next round of vet visits and payment to the pet exporters looming, I decided to suck it up and do it.

I put it up as a private event on Facebook and invited about 20 women I know. Then, the same friend (she's full of good ideas) suggested I join forces with another friend of hers that sells purses and gifts through the 31 Gifts line. I also thought of Norma from the Flying Lessons e-course who I met on the weekend, who had mentioned that she had some stock of her awesome organic kids apparel that she wanted to shift.

So it became an event! It's now going to be held at a business location in Woodland Hills, next Wednesday July 28th at 6.30pm. There will be wine and appetizers, yum :) If you're in the L.A. area and available, we'd love to see you! Please check out the event page on Facebook and RSVP.

Flying Lessons Meet Up

2010-07-20T04:51:00.000+12:00

On Saturday I was fortunate enough to meet up with three of my classmates from Kelly Rae Roberts' Flying Lessons e-course: Kathryn, Norma, and Monica. We spent two hours at a cafe and talked about everything creative under the sun!

Kathryn Hansen coordinated our meeting. Kathryn is an incredible artist and is moving into photography. You can see some of her work on her website.

Norma launched herself into the creative world by making hand-dyed, organic kids shirts. These shirts are super cute and have great messages on them (and inside them!) Norma has a great website you can check out here.

Monica is a creative whirlwind, or as she calls herself, The Creative Beast! Monica has lots of exciting projects going on that she blogs about here.

It was so great to meet up with these inspiring women. Artistically, Kathryn's work just blows me away. The way Norma got herself into the creative business world through her own hard work and figuring things out is so inspiring and motivating to me. And Monica is a fountain of knowledge about creative people and opportunities and really puts herself out into the creative world, attributes I really admire and hope to emulate. Thanks for the wonderful time and conversation ladies!

Adding Facebook and Twitter Share Buttons To Your Blog

2010-07-18T17:21:00.000+12:00

I just did this, as you can see below each post, yay! Here are the tutorials from Blogger Sentral where I found out how to do it if you would like to do it for your blog. Easy peasy.

Adding a Facebook share button

Adding a Twitter share button

Enjoy!

How I package my jewelry

2010-07-06T16:08:00.000+12:00

Since I was packing up an Etsy order tonight, I thought I'd take some pictures of the process and show you the way I send out my jewelry. I've had a few nice compliments on it, though I imagine this is something that will change and evolve over time. There are so many great threads in the Etsy forums about packaging, the options are endless.

First, I pull out a page from this book, that I bought from a secondhand store. At first, it felt a bit sacrilegious to tear pages out of a poetry book, but I've desensitized to it by now...

Then, I fold the page into a little origami envelope:

Which I learned to do from this video:

Then I put each piece of jewelry into its own plastic bag, unfold the envelope, and put a business card and the jewelry inside:

I then fold the envelopes back up, and seal the backs with an Art & Clasp label:

The finishing touch is a birds-egg blue ribbon, tied in a bow:

Finally, for mailing, I put them in bubble mailers, with an Art & Clasp address label (blurred out for the photo!):

That's it! Doesn't take long, now that I've mastered the envelope folding. Fairly cost-efficient too! How do you package your wares?

A Beautiful Video -- PS22 sings Phoenix

2010-07-06T11:05:00.000+12:00

I've lost count of how many times I've watched this video, but it still brings happy tears to my eyes:

How I decorated my Planner Pad

2010-07-02T17:12:00.000+12:00

Inspired as usual by Kimberly Wilson, and prompted by my increasing pile of goal lists and to-do lists and post-it notes, I ordered myself a Planner Pad.

Planner Pads generally arrive looking like this:

Not so exciting...

But there is plenty of inspiration to pretty them up a bit, which is what I spent this evening doing, resulting in this (in the background are fabric circles cut out for hair flowers to be made this weekend):

You might recognize the images along the top and bottom -- those are the ones I use in my necklaces!

Do you use a planner? How have you prettied it up?

Cassie Boorn's Twenty-Something Self Letters Project - Must Read for All Women!

2010-07-01T14:29:00.000+12:00

Heart in the sidewalk outside my local CVS Pharmacy.

I heard Cassie Boorn being interviewed on NPR yesterday. Cassie is 22 years old and sent a call out into the blogosphere asking women to write letters to their 20-something selves to help her in her own search for wisdom as a young woman and a mother. The responses are incredible. All women need to read these and think about this for themselves. Pass it on!

Networking for Women

2010-07-01T03:41:00.000+12:00

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Val Gals Networking Dinner. This is a monthly event for women that meets in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles (hence the "Val Gals"). The dinners are held at restaurants and organized by Katy Tafoya, whom I met at Kimberly Wilson's book-signing on Friday. Anyone (female) is welcome to attend, Valley resident or not, entrepreneur or not.

This was the first networking-type event I've attended and it was quite enjoyable, even though socializing with strangers is not always my favorite thing to do! I handed out a stack of business cards, met website/graphic designer and a massage therapist (two professionals I've been thinking about searching for), and gave a business card for my day-job company to a psychology major looking for a job. I brought a friend with me who is currently a stay-at-home mom, and she met a woman who owns a nanny agency. Another woman at the table found a potential job lead for her husband. Everyone was very sweet and open and the conversation was flowing.

If you are a female entrepreneur, I highly suggest you check out events like this in your area. And if you're in L.A. and would like to come to the July event, let me know and I can pass on the information!

Creativity Quotes for Inspiration

2010-06-30T07:41:00.000+12:00

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
~ Scott Adams

There's room for everybody on the planet to be creative and conscious if you are your own person. If you're trying to be like somebody else, then there is isn't.
~ Tori Amos

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
~ Maya Angelou

Art is not a thing; it is a way.
~ Elbert Hubbard

Every artist was first an amateur.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.
~ Erich Fromm

When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college - that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?"
~Howard Ikemoto

Flying Lessons Classmates

2010-06-29T10:30:00.000+12:00

Follow Your Dreams by artwithallie

I have been participating in Kelly Rae Roberts' creative entrepreneurship e-course for the last four weeks. My classmates are an amazingly talented (and huge!) bunch of artists and creative women and men of all kinds from all over the globe. Here is just a snippet of some of their work. Enjoy!

Lady Has A Heart by NatashaMay

I just want you to know who I am by Sleep and her Sisters

Hold Onto Love by Pipi-La-La

Epiphany by MiraArt

Waiting Birds by vivaphotography

Tranquil Inspiration

2010-06-28T11:54:00.000+12:00

Me, Kimberly Wilson, and social media strategist Katy Tafoya

On Friday evening I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Kimberly Wilson and hearing her talk on infusing a little tranquility into every day and her latest book, Tranquilista. Kimberly supplied Sprinkles cupcakes and wine, mais oui!

Kimberly is an entrepreneurial spirit of many talents. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I discovered her podcasts in 2007 (originally named Hip Tranquil Chick, now Tranquility du Jour) and have been a huge fan of her work ever since. Kimberly founded Tranquil Space yoga studio in Washington DC (and now also Arlington, Virginia), which was named among the top 25 yoga studios in the world by Travel + Leisure, has her own line of organic bamboo clothing named TranquilitT, and founded a nonprofit, Tranquil Space Foundation. In addition to the free podcasts, Kimberly blogs and has written two books, Tranquilista as mentioned above, and her first book, Hip Tranquil Chick. Phew! Not bad for a woman who has no formal business training! My favorite thing about Kimberly is that she describes herself as an introvert at heart, which I do too, so that gives me encouragement that big things are still possible even without being a natural social butterfly.

After the talk and Q&A portion, Kimberly spent time talking to individuals, and gave me a ton of encouragement and even a new idea for my pendants. It was such a delight to meet her and I'm so glad I had the opportunity before I leave L.A. I highly recommend all her products (I wish I could have made it to DC to visit Tranquil Space, but alas, I don't think that's going to happen), including the lovely bamboo clothing, as modeled by yours truly below. Best thing about bamboo -- gentle machine wash and no ironing!

The book signing was held at a wonderful store in L.A. called Happy. I hadn't visited Happy before but it's a wonderful store full of unique gifts. The owner gave 10% off anything in store after the event was over, and I was delighted to find this:

Photo from the Happy website

My wallet has been broken for a while so I could justify the purchase. I am absolutely in love with it, it's so perfect I feel like someone designed it just for me.

The whole evening was absolutely inspiring and fuelled the rest of my weekend. I spent a lot of time this weekend working on my creative biz and am looking forward to stretching all of this energy into the coming week. If you're in need of a little inspiration of your own, I suggest you hop over to Kimberly's website, download some Tranquility du Jour podcasts on iTunes, and check out her books!

Goal Update

2010-06-24T04:06:00.000+12:00

Rumi Quote Necklace - Available in my Etsy store

On March 13th, I wrote a post about my first business goal -- 50 sales through my Etsy shop by September 13th. At that time, I had 13 sales already, so needed 37 more. I'm now halfway to my 6 month deadline, and my Etsy sales total is 26. That means I've made 13 sales in the past 3 months, so my average sales per month have increased slightly -- it was just under 3 per month at the time I set my goal, and now it works out to just over 4 per month. I've also sold a few things off Etsy but I'm not counting those (unless it gets to September and I get desperate ;) ).

So I'm still hopeful I'll meet my goal, hopefully the sales-per-month curve keeps growing. I'll keep Facebooking and Tweeting and creating. Next on my list is an off-Etsy website.

What are your three- or six-month goals and plans for your creative biz?

Monkey cake!

2010-06-23T16:27:00.000+12:00

Exploring other avenues of crafty goodness:

For a wonderful friend's monkey-themed baby shower, another friend and I made this super-cute, super-easy, and super-delicious chocolate peanut-butter cake.

Comes pretty close to last year's Where The Wild Things Are cake (this was MUCH more difficult! We had no idea what we were getting into with fondant icing...) Note the same cake plate, I have only one...

Not sure where we got the recipe/directions for that one. Tell me -- what gamut do your crafty urges run?

Perspiration = Inspiration

2010-06-22T17:28:00.000+12:00

Loving this quote and posting it everywhere at the moment!

"If you do creative work, there's a sense that inspiration is this fairy dust that gets dropped on you, when in fact you can just manufacture inspiration through sheer brute force. You can simply produce enough material that the thing will arrive that seems inspired." -- Ira Glass

Alice in Wonderland Pendants - Sneak Peek!

2010-06-15T16:19:00.000+12:00

I am so excited. When I first started making these pendants, I bought supplies to make round ones and oval ones. For some reason, every single oval one I attempted was riddled with blemishes and unusable, but the round ones were working out ok, so I figured it was because of the shape and gave up on it. The ovals sat in my materials drawer and taunted me with their yuckiness.

Recently I switched from acrylic cabochons to glass and so I bought a pack of oval ones just to try again. I pressed some Alice in Wonderland images yesterday afternoon, looked at them when I got home from work today, and oh happy day, they came out GREAT! I used a longer chain length for these ones too. I am so excited about them.

Above is a sneak peek of the pendants I'll be listing on Etsy... I even got brave and took photos of myself and actually left my face in the pictures (at least part of it), horrors.... I hate having my picture taken, I swear I am the most unphotogenic person on the planet. Luckily a bit of soft-focus in Picasa took care of the worst ;)

Here I Am

2010-06-14T16:37:00.000+12:00

I've been neglecting things (Etsy, blog, creating, housework...) a bit. Feeling a little disheveled and not sure where the time has been going this past week. This weekend has been one of those where you have to spend $520 on maintenance for a car you hate, you go to two stores and your (and only your) make-up shade is out of stock, and you unwrap a Laughing Cow cheese only for it to immediately fall on the floor.

Anyway, less complaining...

Last weekend was much happier. On Saturday (the 5th) two of my wonderful friends and I ran the See Jane Run women's half-marathon in Alameda, CA (near San Francisco). It wasn't easy, much too warm for my liking (I hate running if it's more than 60F), and the last two miles were the longest of my life, but we finished. Here we are afterwards with our medals (that's me in the middle!):

After the race (and much-needed showers), we headed to Viansa winery in Sonoma, where my friend is a member so we could taste as much wine as we wanted, for free! Bliss.

Creatively, I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed this week. I've been trying to keep up with the Taking Flight e-course and there is just SO much information, it's hard to read and take it all in, but it's all such gold I don't want to miss a thing. I've also been trying to visit the blogs of other class members and show some support (and have received some wonderful comments and compliments in return). The e-course also reminded me that I have been neglecting Twitter and I could definitely be doing a better job on my Facebook page also. Sigh.

I've also been having trouble with the adhesive I use to make my jewelry, which was very frustrating and resulted in a lot of wasted materials, but I think I've figured out the problem. I have one thing finished (one! but there are a few more near completion), photographed, and ready to list on Etsy, finally. I haven't listed anything new for ages, tsk tsk. Here's the owl ring I will be listing shortly:

Hope you all had enjoyable weekends and your cheese didn't fall on the floor. I will be more productive this week!

Music

2010-06-14T07:43:00.000+12:00

Music does funny things to me...

Here's what's floating my boat as I create today - Swing from Zero 7 (there's no video for it, just the lovely song):

My favorite.

2010-06-08T14:57:00.000+12:00

I'll be back with your regularly scheduled programming soon, but to tide you over, here's my favorite quote/poem/saying:

If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,
If you can overlook when people take things out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can do all these things,
Then you,
Are probably,
A dog.

Crafty Weekend Recap (and Giveaway Winner Announced!)

2010-06-02T14:40:00.000+12:00

Here in the U.S. it was a long weekend, so I took a vacation day on Friday and turned it into a four-day-craft-extravaganza! It was bliss. I felt like I was bursting with creative energy, I was totally excited to get up each day.

There was raspberry-blueberry-almond-cake-baking:

Much circle-cutting for fabric-flower-making:

A new adventure in card-making (swoon, new obsession), and the aforementioned flower-sewing:

Painting for the Spill It! Workshop I am taking online with Carmen Torbus (a post about this is coming soon):

A couple of other little (unfinished) friends I am working on:

Two Etsy sales! Yay!! Here they are packaged up for mailing:

And a winner of the necklace giveaway! Congratulations Jenny :)

Necklace giveaway ends midnight May 31st! (USA PST)

2010-05-29T17:56:00.001+12:00

I'll be drawing the winner of the necklace giveaway at the end of the month, which is almost here! To enter, please sign up for my brand spankin' new newsletter. I promise not to email you more than once a month (ok maybe twice if there is something really, really special). There'll be discount codes for my Etsy store for newsletter subscribers too.

To sign up, just email me -- click the link in the sidebar under Contact Information.

Thank you for your support, I really appreciate it! Right now your odds of winning are very, very good ;)

Flying Lessons with Kelly Rae Roberts

2010-05-26T14:28:00.000+12:00

So as much as I should not be spending money right now, I signed up for Kelly Rae Roberts' brand new e-course titled Flying Lessons: Tips and Tricks to Help Your Creative Business Soar. Sounds like just what I need, right?! If you haven't come across her yet, Kelly Rae is an amazing mixed media artist and beautiful blogger. I also relate to her because her background is in social work, not art, and she didn't begin exploring art as a career until her 30s. After completing a half-marathon, no less. Sound like anyone you know...?

Class starts May 30th, I'm very excited. I did hesitate on the cost, not because I think it's not worth it, it undoubtedly will be, but just because I have a lot of expenses hovering over me right now. I knew I'd sincerely regret it if I didn't sign up though. There is still time to sign up if you are interested, just hop on over here.

Fabric Flower Tutorials

2010-05-23T12:58:00.000+12:00

I had fun today! After my original plans went out the window, I devoted the majority of my Saturday (after a trip to the dog park) to making fabric flowers. I picked up a cute fabric flower headband at a Shecky's Girl's Night Out this week and it gave me inspiration. Finally a way I can indulge my fabric arts craving without a sewing machine!

Google supplied me with a range of tutorials to choose from. I ended up meshing this one from Pink Paper Peppermints and this one from Sew Ritzy Titzy to make the tan and cream flower and the black flower, and meshing this one from Design*Sponge with tips from this one on Still Dottie to make the red one.

I've put pin backs on all of them so I can attach them my tops and cardigans, elastic headbands, purses, etc. I'm thinking about adding accessories to my Etsy store. Whether this eventuates or not, it was a lot of fun and there will be many more to come!

Daily Photo Project Update

2010-05-22T13:29:00.000+12:00

Well, I haven't been perfect at taking a photo every day, there's been several days where I've totally forgotten to do it. Here's some highlights from when I have remembered though!

A couple of donut/pineapple-shaped chips from a bag of Trader Joe's hawaiian bbq flavored chips.

Finger-painting is good :)

My beautiful sleep mask from Etsy seller BibBon

Another new needle-felted friend.

Bake caking :)

Sewing Tutorials

2010-05-18T13:36:00.000+12:00

One of the crafts I really want to learn is sewing. I have taken two classes at The Urban Craft Center (where I made a pillowcase and a clutch), but I don't have my own sewing machine so haven't gotten much further. These tutorials are so cute and look easy enough even for me!

Little Lamb Pillows from The Purl Bee

Quilted Notecards from Made: A Creative Collection

Fabric envelope tutorial (doesn't have to be a love letter!) from LucyKate Crafts

Goal Update

2010-05-14T16:31:00.000+12:00

Kimberly Wilson of Tranquility du Jour makes it a habit to create goals at the start of every month, and review her progress at the end of every month. I was thinking about this wonderful habit when I realized that I had blogged about a goal I had for myself exactly two months ago. On March 13th, I wrote that I had sold 13 items through my Etsy store, and within 6 months I wanted to have sold 50. Today, on May 13th, my Etsy sale total is up to 21, which leaves me with 29 to go in four months. I have increased my average sales from three per month to four, so that is hopeful, but I need to increase that to just over 7 per month to hit 50 by September 13th.

I have also made more sales off Etsy (thank you work colleagues!) I still have hope I'll meet my original goal. I have more items to list over the next few days, a couple more rings, and two new necklaces that I just need to take photos of them being worn before I list them on Etsy.

Do you set goals for yourself or your business? And do you remember to do regular check-ins?

Silver and Copper Vintage-Look Rings

2010-05-10T09:03:00.000+12:00

As promised, here is your sneak peek at the new rings I will be putting up in my Etsy store next week. All bands are adjustable so one size fits all/most. The copper rings are smaller than the silver-colored rings.If there's anything that strikes your fancy, send me an email (artandclasp [at] gmail dot com) or an Etsy convo and I will create a reserved listing for you. There's currently only one of each though!

P.S. Don't forget to email me to sign up for my new newsletter and enter the draw to win a necklace! Drawing is at the end of May.

Craft Show Recap

2010-05-09T12:32:00.000+12:00

As mentioned, last Sunday I participated in a mini craft show with the Etsy Los Angeles Street Team. Here's what I ended up taking:

Fold-up table
Fold-up chair
Fabric to cover table
Bed-risers (to make the table taller and minimize shoppers' need to bend down to look at items)
Mirror
Jewelry stands and small dishes to display bracelets and ring
Business cards and magnets
Newsletter sign-up sheet on clipboard
Scissors
Price tags
My tools and some materials (ended up making a few things while I was there, and selling one of them)
Pens
Stapler
Gift bags prepared with A&C sticker on the outside and business card inside
Cash float
Apron to hold cash and cellphone
Camera
Water and snacks

Didn't bring but should have:
Sunscreen (we ended up setting up outside)

As you can see from the photo, the black jewelry bust I made out of foam-core board didn't make an appearance -- I tried setting it up but the first gust of wind blew it over. So that will be an indoor prop only.

The first few hours were very slow, only a trickle of people came through. It picked up for the last few hours and I ended up selling 5 items -- not enough to recoup my outlay for the table, stands, etc but I was terrified I would sell absolutely nothing so at least that didn't happen!

The number one thing I learned from this experience was this -- when choosing a craft show to vendor at, consider the location and targeted audience of the craft show carefully. The people coming through this one seemed to have a very particular look and my jewelry didn't really fit in with it -- hence why I was happy to make any sales at all.

I just finished taking photos of the new rings I have made. These were my most popular items at the craft show (though that may have also been the lower price point). I'll post a sneak peek of these tomorrow before beginning to list them on Etsy on Monday.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

GIVEAWAY! Be in to win a necklace.

2010-05-06T15:28:00.000+12:00

Next on the Art-&-Clasp-takes-the-craft-world-by-storm agenda is the creation of a monthly newsletter. To entice you to sign up, I will draw a winner for one of the round pendant necklaces at the end of May. So far your odds are excellent! LOL.

Promises!: I will email you no more than once per month (well maybe twice if I have something super duper special to tell you. Like another giveaway. Or a sneak peek. But that's it. Promise). And I will NOT give your email address to ANYONE. Promise.

To sign up for the newsletter and enter the giveaway, please email me at artandclasp (at) gmail dot com (take that, spammers...)

Thank you so much for your support!

Craft Show Preparation

2010-05-02T13:03:00.000+12:00

I did a practice set-up of my craft show display today to see how it's going to look (sorry for the photo quality, I'm a bit lost without my light box).

I picked up these two stands on sale at Pier One this week, very cute:

Here are rings (new product! Not on Etsy yet!) and bracelets:

Still got a lot of little tasks to do tonight (price tags, put labels on bags, etc) and will hopefully make a few more pieces as well. Hope to see you there!

Come see me at the DIY Gallery in Echo Park this Sunday!

2010-05-02T03:00:00.000+12:00

As you've heard me mention, I will be participating in my first craft show ever this Sunday. Sounds like it will be pretty cool -- the poster above is a bit blurry but it says:

The ETSY LA Street Team invites you to an UN-COMMON POP-UP SHOP filled with vintage clothing, accessories, handmade jewelry, and much more from LA based designers and brands...

Shopping + Booze from 11am-6pm
BBQ + Booze + Music from 3pm-11pm
FREE to get in all day

DIY Gallery & Jelly Roll Clubhouse
1549 W Sunset Blvd Echo Park 90026

BBQ! Booze! Music! Not your ordinary craft show. A few of my friends have been asking where Echo Park/Silverlake is:

View Larger Map

If you are in the L.A. area and have no plans this Sunday, I would LOVE to see you there! Today I need to finish getting my display together, will post pics of that later.

Craft Show Necklace Display Project

2010-04-30T12:45:00.000+12:00

I am doing my first craft fair at the DIY Gallery in Silverlake this Sunday, as part of the Etsy Los Angeles Street Team. It's been a very long time since I've been to a craft fair, certainly since before I started making jewelry, so I really don't know what to expect. I've been studying the Etsy forums and Flickr groups about what to bring and how to set up a display. Some common advice is to avoid having too many items laying flat on the table. While searching for ideas on how to do this, I came across this project on DIY Sponge. I was very excited until I saw the required materials: wood, a jig, sandpaper... And worse, the template link is broken.

Luckily, thanks to Google, I found this much simpler version, constructed from foam core board. The title of the article is "Make a $1 DIY jewelry bust" -- my black foam core board cost me $5 at Michaels, but nevermind...

Still though, it linked to the DIY Sponge project with the broken template, so what I did was print out this image. Then I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to enlarge it on the photocopier, so I placed the small image on my board, traced around it with a white pencil, then drew around that a little bigger, before finally biting the bullet and drawing the size I wanted to cut out. You can see the evolutions it went through on the back of the finished product:

I then cut it out with an X-Acto knife (not easy on the hands...), cut out a triangle from the remainder of the board, and taped it onto the back to make it stand up. And it worked! I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, what do you think?

Spring and Summer Jewelry

2010-04-27T15:20:00.000+12:00

With the weather warming up slowly in California, I present for you some of my jewelry with a spring and summer feel... (ok really, I just wanted an excuse to make another collage in Picasa, I made one for my Twitter background and it's so fun):

Shortbread!

2010-04-26T16:22:00.000+12:00

Sunday baking seems to have become a habit for me again recently. Today's venture was shortbread. I've never been a big fan of shortbread, but for some reason it felt like a good idea. And it was. The shortbread I made is thin and delicious. I am a tea addict and shortbread is the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of freshly brewed tea.

Shortbread (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' (icing) sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:\

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, beat together the flour, baking powder, salt and confectioners' sugar. Stir in the butter, milk, and vanilla, and mix until a dough forms.
Form dough into a log and roll in plastic wrap. Chill until firm.
Cut dough log into slices 1/4" (just over 0.5cm). Place on a baking sheet at least 0.5" (1.25cm) apart.
Bake for 12-15mins minutes in the preheated oven, or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool partially while on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.

I iced mine with the lemon icing I usually put on lemon melt-away tea cookies. Frickin' fabulous:

Lemon Frosting::

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and powdered sugar; stir until well mixed.

Mmmmmmmmmmm.... enjoy!

Los Angeles Street Team Treasuries (East)

2010-04-23T15:29:00.000+12:00

A "Treasury" on Etsy is a highly coveted thing. Etsy members vie for a chance to create one of these short-lived member-curated galleries of twelve items of their choosing. The Etsy admin often choose a whole or partial Treasury list to promote for the even more highly coveted front page of Etsy. There are a limited number of treasuries allowed at any one time (well, over 300, but the list is often full and it is a matter of timing your pounce when the list opens up), which is the source of their exclusivity.

However, Etsy recently debuted "Treasury East", which allows any member to create a treasury at any time. These treasuries do not expire, and still have the chance of making it to the front page. I recently joined the LASTeam (Los Angeles Street Team) on Etsy, so I decided to make two treasuries for the team, one featuring vintage sellers, and one featuring handmade items. I don't think either of these galleries are front-page fodder (those that make it to the front page are usually highly thematic, which just wasn't possible with such diverse sellers), but they were fun to make and I hope it helps to promote my fellow team members. Please check them out and enjoy!

LASTeam Vintage Sellers Treasury East

LASTeam Handmade Sellers Treasury East

In and Out of Love... Or, I am Sometimes Fickle (with jewelry materials).

2010-04-22T02:09:00.000+12:00

Amethyst and peridot earrings, still for sale in my shop, 25% off!

I began making jewelry because I love jewelry, but had a hard time finding pieces that I wanted to wear and could also afford. So, I taught myself the skills required and began creating wire-wrapped jewelry with glass, semi-precious and precious gemstones. Creating this type of jewelry was rewarding in that I loved using dainty amethyst, peridot, and citrine briolettes to create brilliantly colored earrings and necklaces. On the downside, wire-wrapping is pretty labor-intensive and there was often a lot of cursing involved as yet another little gem or tiny gold jump ring slipped out of my pliers’ grasp and rolled under my couch.

Although I still love and am proud of the wire-wrapped jewelry I created, I started to feel drawn to a different style of jewelry. I have one necklace that I absolutely love, bought in New Zealand that I have never found anything similar to. It is a heavy copper double chain with purple-mauve beads of different shapes and a large bell-shaped charm. This one necklace really felt like “me”, so I set out to create jewelry in a similar vein. I have also started noticing a lot of brass and copper necklaces with charms that I adore, so I recently began incorporating more charms into my pieces. I like to put charms together that could have meaning for someone. For example, I think this necklace would be a great gift for a good friend who is leaving -- the hot air balloon signifying the journey and the heart representing your love that is going with them:

Or perhaps you need a little luck in love, or you have been very lucky in love and you want to express your gratitude for it with this heart and horseshoe:

This style of pendant can have meaning too -- love is a scary thing, and perhaps you need a reminder to be have courage and be brave. Or perhaps you already are, and that is a wonderful thing:

What messages would you wear around your neck (and on your sleeve)?

Weekend Fun - Blueberry-Lemon Muffins and Necklaces

2010-04-19T15:29:00.000+12:00

Another productive Sunday. First, I ran 7.5 miles (12km). This is the furthest I have ever run, but not the furthest I will ever run. On June 5th, bar unforeseen horrible circumstances, I will be running the See Jane Run Half Marathon in Alameda, CA. Wish me luck.

After the run, I went back to sleep. That is the only reasonable response to running 7.5 miles.

Later: I was very excited when I thought I came across a recipe for blueberry-lemon muffins on the blog "Musings of a Gem" recently. I say "I thought" because it's actually a recipe for blueberry OR lemon muffins, so I decided to adapt it to make the combination. They are light, puffy, sweet, and completely devoid of nutritional goodness (bar the blueberries). They should definitely be eaten warm with lashings of butter. Everything is better with butter. (And bacon. And sour cream. Though feel free to disagree with me on any of those).

Blueberry-Lemon Muffins (adapted from Musings of a Gem)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 medium egg, whisked
1 cup of milk
1 cup blueberries (I used 1/2 cup. It needs more).
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (could increase to 2t if desired)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F (180c).
Lightly grease a 12-muffin pan.
In one bowl, combine the melted butter, whisked egg, and milk.
In a second bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine.
Add the blueberries, lemon rind, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Fill 3/4 of the way (or more!) to get nice big muffins.
Bake for approx 20-30mins, or until golden brown and a knife comes out clean. Mine took 23mins.
Cool in the pan on a rack for 15mins, then turn out onto the rack.

So I ate ~~three~~ four muffins today. Purely so I could be sure this recipe was good enough to post. Oh shhh...

Later still: I made more necklaces, and re-photographed some I already have up on Etsy. I also took some more photos of me wearing them. This is an interesting process. I will spare you the extremely low-tech details. They are not wonderful, but I think people want to know what the necklaces look like when worn, because giving measurements just isn't enough. What do you think?

Daily Photo Project Update

2010-04-18T09:00:00.000+12:00

I have managed to keep up with my daily photo project without missing a day since I missed Day 5. Here are a few of my favorites since the last update:

3/29/2010: The number 1 fell off my mailbox and I have yet to glue it back on. It's been sitting here on my counter for oh, at least six months...

4/1/2010: The blossoms in the park near my house continue to amaze me with their perfectness.

4/5/2010: A glass of water by my bed, sitting under the lamp for too long.

4/11/2010: The park in the morning after a rare L.A. rain.

Etsy Favorite Finds

2010-04-17T12:38:00.000+12:00

On Etsy, you can "heart" particular sellers and items. These are kept in separate lists for you so you can revisit them (and purchase, if you so desire), and it lets the seller know that someone likes their store or that particular item. Here are a few of my favorite items that I have hearted recently:

Donut Soaps from Especially 4 U By E and T

Carried Away Print by DwellDeep

Linen Top from Colorada

Looking for Love Print from Irene Suchocki

I am a Thriving Artist Print from Creative Thursday

Who do you heart?

Lavender Cupcakes , Mais Oui!

2010-04-16T18:06:00.000+12:00

Lavender cupcakes

I have had a productive Thursday evening...

I have had it in my head for a little while that I would like to make lavender cupcakes. I found some culinary lavender at Whole Foods, and finally tried it tonight using this recipe and a basic buttercream frosting.

I'm not sure what I think about the results. They are very, well, lavender-y. We'll have to see what the verdict is at the office tomorrow. I did double the recipe but perhaps I shouldn't have doubled the lavender.

I also received some more supplies in the mail when I got home from work tonight, so I made and listed two new necklaces on Etsy. I'm on a French kick with the jewelry, as you may have noticed...

Paris Romance

French Bird Necklace

Now, to bed, so I can get up and run in the morning. It's almost the weekend!

Creating – The Journey So Far

2010-04-15T16:00:00.000+12:00

I have always had a creative streak, which has alternately come to the forefront of my life and been deeply buried. After leaving high school, I worked as a florist for a couple of years. It feels so immodest to say, but I think I was fairly talented, and I had an eye for color and balance in bouquets. While I felt very creatively fulfilled in this field, I felt like the left side of my brain was starting to rot. I was working for an employer so had little to do with the running of the business, so eventually the lack of left-brain challenge got to me and I left to go to university. There I completed a BA in Education with a minor in Biological Anthropology, and eventually went on to get a Master’s degree. During this time, and in the 9-5 working life I've been in ever since, I didn’t seek a lot out of creative activities, and it’s only been in the last year that the urge really struck me again. I've been having a lot of fun with this -- baking more, dabbling in mixed media art and collage, learning to knit (well, just the one type of regular stitch, and made one scarf that I love, lumps and holes and all), sewing,needle felting, and soap making classes at the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica (and many more to come, good lord I love that place), as well as teaching myself to make jewelry. I am a terrible clock-watcher in most areas of my life, but in crafting I've finally found one realm in which I don't notice the time passing. I can't wait to see where it takes me.

Super Fun Weekend Part One

2010-04-11T18:08:00.000+12:00

I am a big fan of Joy Wilson's baking blog, and On the Lamb Food and Beverage, Joy's joint venture with Whitney Adams and Rachel Humphrey. Today these ridiculously talented ladies held a free demonstration of strawberry deliciousness at Surfas in Culver City.

Whitney Adams, Joy Wilson, and Rachel Humphrey. How cute are they?!!

First up was a fantastically refreshing strawberry-basil drink, that I am definitely going to make when the suffocating San Fernando Valley summer kicks in. Next came strawberry and black pepper biscuits (scone-type things for my South Pacific readers) that were quickly inhaled along with a simple but delicious strawberry-arugula salad. Finally, Joy's strawberry-banana cream pie (served as super cute mini-tartlets) was amazing, lactose-intolerance be damned...

How awesome is the setup at Surfas?! The TV screen and mirror are positioned so you can see exactly what's going on on the stove and counter.

The ladies of On the Lamb have all sorts of upcoming shenanigans that I highly recommend you look into. Just don't take my spot...

Before and after the demonstration, I was busy at my workbench making eight (!) new necklaces, two pairs of earrings, and a bracelet. I am so motivated by the new supplies I bought, including some awesome hot-air balloon charms and Eiffel Tower charms that I hope you're going to love. Here's a sneak peek, I'm aiming to get all the new pieces listed on Etsy tomorrow:

Hope you had a great start to the weekend also! Tomorrow brings more crafty fun -- I'm going to learn to make hot-process soap, I've been wanting to do this for a long time. Can't wait!

One of my inspirations - Blossom Wedding Flowers.

2010-04-08T02:47:00.000+12:00

The theme for We Scout Wednesdays over on Scoutie Girl is "Share a favorite" so today I'm introducing to you to someone who inspires me. Emily Sweden is a floral designer in Auckland, New Zealand. Emily and I first met as teenagers 11 years ago. I was about to leave my first florist job (unable to take my evil boss anymore) and Emily was the poor soul training to take over from me. After also being driven away by the evil boss, Emily went on to work for some of the top florists in the Auckland floristry scene, honing her exceptional eye for design and creative talent. Emily then began focusing on wedding flowers, and started her own wedding flower business Blossom Wedding Flowers. She has a knack for bringing a bride’s vision of her perfect wedding day arrangements to fruition. Visit Emily’s website, become her friend on Facebook, and give her a call! Here is just a tiny selection of her beautiful portfolio.

Raspberry Almond Cake

2010-04-06T13:18:00.000+12:00

I have a problem, and its name is Raspberry Almond Cake. More specifically, my problem is that I cannot stop eating it. Because I like you, I'm going to share it with you (well, the recipe):

But wait! Before you run off and make it, which you should, if you have any sense at all, and then send me some, because mine is almost gone -- you need to know these three things:

1) Double the recipe, or you will have one flat little cake;
2) Add 2-3T milk (I used almond milk, because that's what I have, and it was fine) to the batter so it's not so thick and dough-like and you can spread it;
3) You can use frozen raspberries, just drain them twice to get as much juice out of them as possible (drain them, then add the sugar and let them sit, then drain them again before you add them to the batter).

The smell of this cake baking almost drove me crazy.

You're welcome.

New Listings, and My New Favorite Craft: Needlefelting!

2010-04-04T16:01:00.000+12:00

I've had a very nice Saturday indeed. It started off with the excitement of being featured on Kimberly Wilson's blog, then my wonderful friend Aimee came over and I made jewelry while she knitted and we listened to an episode of This American Life.

Later, I went to The Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica to take a needlefelting class. Needlefelting involves poking at dyed, un-spun wool called "roving" with a sharp, barbed needle. First we learned to make a little mouse:

And then we could make whatever our hearts desired. With my bird fetish, of course I made this little friend:

It was so easy to learn, so quick, and so satisfying! Each of these took about 45mins to make. I bought some needlefelting supplies so expect to see more little woolly creations in the future :)

After I got home from the class (and photographed my new little friends), I listed these three necklaces on Etsy: A wise owl, yellow birds, and a Boston Terrier.

Hope you had a great Saturday too!

Art & Clasp Featured on Tranquilista Kimberly Wilson's Blog!

2010-04-04T06:22:00.000+12:00

Kimberly Wilson

I'm so excited and so grateful to the gorgeous yogini and entrepreneur Kimberly Wilson for showing my necklaces on her blog today. I participated in one of her teleclasses and sent her two necklaces (the Eiffel Tower, because she loves all things Francais, and a pug, a tribute to her little Louis) as a thank you. I have listened to Kimberly's podcasts (available on iTunes) for a few years now and adore both her books, Hip Tranquil Chick and the recently published Tranquilista. Kimberly is the sweetest spirit and downright inspiring and I am very appreciative of her wonderful work, and now this!

Now I have to get back to work -- I have some earrings ready to photograph and list on Etsy, and pendants ready to be set and strung. I'll post these later!

Happy Saturday!

More Goals - For Blogging

2010-04-03T04:00:00.000+13:00

Taken straight from an excellent article on ProBlogger, here are 9 goals suitable for new bloggers such as myself. I think I will need a little more experience to know what would be a suitable Time frame in which to achieve these, but they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Realistic!

1. Publish 10 Posts (done!)
2. Getting your first comment from someone you don’t know (done! Thanks Chrissy!)
3. Get your first link from another blog
4. Build your readership up to more than 20 readers a day
5. Hit a level of 20 RSS subscribers (I have 3 Google Connect Friends so far!)
6. Getting your blog indexed in Google (not sure how to find this out?)
7. Get your blog earning $1 a week (update: only if making money from your blog is one of your goals – it’s not for everyone) -- (I'd rather drive traffic to my Etsy store).
8. First guest post on another blog
9. Having someone (not you or your mum) tweet about your blog

Bloggers, have any more goals to add?

Photographing for Etsy

2010-03-31T15:01:00.000+13:00

I’ll admit it, photography is not my strong point, as much as I would love it to be. I use an 8MP Canon PowerShot A590IS, which is still just a point-and-shoot but probably capable of taking much better pictures than I manage to produce. I've made my own (budget) lightbox using instructions I found on the internet, and I recently bought some clip-on work lamps and daylight bulbs, which have helped somewhat. Here are some pictures of my current set-up for photographing my jewelry for Etsy…

Yep, those are indeed my running shoes that the lamps are clipped on to...

Some of the photos on Etsy are PHENOMENAL. Check out Sea Unicorn for an example for this (ok, so she's a professional photographer as well as a jewelry maker...) Most sellers on Etsy work really hard to take the best possible photographs of their items. As well as trying to help potential buyers get a feel for their items through the computer screen, the prime way to get into Treasuries and onto the all-important Etsy homepage is through excellent photography. Mine is certainly a work in progress.

New Copper Bracelets

2010-03-29T12:02:00.000+13:00

My usual supplier of the settings I use to make the pendants has gone AWOL, so I've been forced to look at my materials and get creative. I had a few copper charms in my stash, as well as the purple and green Czech glass beads that I often hang beneath the pendants. Purple is my favorite color to wear and looks fantastic with the copper. The green complements it perfectly and the two together look like a lush flower in bloom. Perfect for the change in seasons we are experiencing in the Northern Hemisphere.

So, just listed on Etsy, three new bracelets. I'm really happy with how they turned out and I am tempted to keep them all! Today was also my first foray into photographing jewelry while wearing it. Not easy!

I'm also completely in love with these copper hearts. If the supplier ever runs out of these I will be heartbroken (is that a pun?)

Spreading Some Love - Art and Craft Inspirations

2010-03-28T09:29:00.001+13:00

String of hearts, originally uploaded by aussiegall.

I've added some links to my favorite inspirational people in the sidebar. It's an eclectic group including bakers, florists, yoginis, artists, crafters, and photographers. I'll be adding to it, so spread the love on your lazy weekend and click on over to check out their diverse and amazing work.

Daily Photo Project

2010-03-27T13:52:00.000+13:00

I started a photo-a-day project on March 21st (though I already missed one day through sheer forgetfulness, 3/25....). So far I haven't put a great deal of thought into them, but just tried to snap something from my day. I'll be posting these on Flickr here, but here's the first five:

Sun 3/21: Laundry day
Mon 3/22: View of the palm tree in my neighbors yard from outside my house. A lovely sunny afternoon.
Tue 3/23: New dress
Wed 3/24: The critter. Shame his nose isn't sharp, but I'm sure there'll be many more of that guy.
Fri 3/26: After work cup of tea.

Blogging for Bliss

2010-03-22T16:34:00.000+13:00

I finally earned enough reward points on epollsurveys.com for a $25 Amazon.com voucher (only took me, erm, three years...) One of my purchases was Blogging for Bliss - Crafting Your Own Online Journal, a Guide for Crafters, Artists, & Creatives of All Kinds by Tara Frey of the lovely blog Typing Out Loud. I had been fondling this book in Barnes & Noble for a couple of months, but hadn't purchased as I've been trying to watch my spending.

This book is serious eye candy. There are tons of examples of real, beautiful creative blogs complete with interviews with the bloggers, combined with some basic but functional information on the technical and artful sides of designing and writing for your blog. Tara also includes useful links, including to Smitten Blog Designs, where I purchased the fab new template you are currently feasting your eyes on for the princely sum of $5 (Smitten also has a ton of free options).

All in all, I'm very happy I spent some of my hard-earned survey reward points on this book. If you already have a working knowledge of basic blog html, photography and design, the technical information in Blogging for Bliss may be too elementary for you. Nevertheless, the blogs featured within are still sure to inspire. If you're new to blogging like I am, check it out, fondle it in Barnes and Noble, and tell me what you think!

Obstacles

2010-03-18T15:00:00.000+13:00

Little, tiny, bubbly obstacles...

Last week I showed you a glimpse of my necklace creation process. This time I wanted to share with you one of the significant obstacles that arises when I create the pendants.

Before assembly, I have to inspect each image/cabochon for tiny air bubbles or other small imperfections on the surface of the image that are created in the gluing process. Although the images often look fine immediately after they have been glued, and then sit under heavy weight for 24 hours, upon inspection I sometimes have to throw away up to 50% of them because of these minute flaws (I tried removing the cabochons and cleaning them, but the adhesive is extremely strong and I couldn’t get it off). I’m working on perfecting my technique (just the right amount of adhesive plus careful application plus pressing time and weight) to reduce this wastage.

Before photographing, each pendant will be inspected again. Unfortunately, I have found that over the first couple of days more bubbles or flaws may become visible (or perhaps I just missed them the first time). If this happens, I extricate the image and cabochon and clean the bezel for re-use. It’s horribly disappointing to find imperfections at this stage, but such are the trials and tribulations of the craft!

A Lofty (S.M.A.R.T.) Goal

2010-03-14T16:22:00.000+13:00

Every good business person sets goals, and apparently the way to go about it is to set S.M.A.R.T. goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

So here we go: Right now I have 13 sales through my Etsy shop. I want 50! Deciding by when though, to make it “time-bound”, is the tricky thing. The timing also determines whether my goal is “attainable” and “realistic”. My shop’s been open since the end of October, so averaging about 3 sales per month. I’d like to at least double that average (hopefully it will increase on a curve, so while it might be less than 6 per month for the next few months, hopefully it will also increase to more than 6 per month after that), so let’s say 6 months from now, by midnight on September 13, I want to hit 50 sales! (That’s a lot of 6’s!)

It's a Spring Thing

2010-03-11T16:00:00.000+13:00

Well I already posted for today, but the blog prompt from Tara at Scoutie Girl about the start of the spring season was just too serendipitous to pass up, considering I sold my "Spring Has Sprung" bracelet on Etsy today!

As often as I can, I try and take my dog around Balboa Lake before work. Kenzo's cuteness is still visible in this blurry cellphone photo:

Spring is starting to show at the park in the beautiful blossoming trees, excuse another camera-phone photo:

More blossoms seem to be blooming every day. What I can't wait for are the inevitable ducklings the season will bring!

Creating Necklaces -- Before and After

2010-03-11T14:56:00.000+13:00

Here I’m giving you a sneak peek into the process of creating my copper necklaces. Once the laborious process of gluing the cabochons and images has been completed, the pieces pressed under a stack of heavy books for a day, and the excess image trimmed, it is time to adhere them to the bezels (more pressing and waiting), and then they are finally ready to put on chains, add beads and charms, etc.

The first photo shows the before set-up on my work desk (oh yes, I am always this tidy…). Here I have the pendants, chain, headpins, jump rings, clasps, glass beads, copper charms, a tape measure, rubbing alcohol and cotton tips, and tools: flat-nose pliers, round-nose pliers, flush cutters, and chain-nose pliers.

After, the finished product! Each piece has been assembled, cleaned, and inspected, ready for photographing and listing on Etsy.

New items - Etsy preview

2010-03-08T14:36:00.000+13:00

In the beginning.

2010-03-07T16:17:00.000+13:00

After spending about 6 months creating delicate wire-wrapped gemstone jewelry, I felt pulled to a completely different style. As much as I love the colors and facets of tiny briolette gemstones, and the luxuriousness of 14k gold and 925 silver, it didn't feel like that type of jewelry I wanted to wear every day. While shopping for gifts on vacation in New Zealand, I started noticing copper and brass jewelry on thick chains with unusual collections of charms that felt a little more magical. Each charm seemed like a little story, or like it had the potential to hold special meaning for the eventual wearer. I also love birds in art and design for the past few years have been drawn to jewelry and clothing bearing images of birds. On my return from New Zealand, I started acquiring the materials to bring these elements together in a new line of jewelry.

Each charm or image has been chosen because it brings me a little bit of aesthetic pleasure. When I wear a little bird pendant it makes me smile when I catch sight of it in a mirror or window. I hope you find something that makes you feel this way too!