No Mud...

...no lotus. So the saying goes. And I've had my share of mud in the last year. Which is okay. I don't mind rolling up the sleeves and getting dirty when necessary. It's that much more satisfying when the growth occurs. But...also, "everything in moderation". And there's the rub.

My life has not been my own (or at least it has not felt like it) for the last few years. It's been driven, crazy, exhausting, demanding...and while it's not been without rewards, I am feeling the need to make some major changes. I love what I do and have no plans to stop doing it...but I am looking to change the shape of things. To run my business instead of feeling like my business is running me. To take even more moments to appreciate, to breathe deeply, to pause...to be grateful. Maybe...to even take a vacation at some point. :)

One of the things I miss is this blog. I feel that there's no time to share here anymore. And I'm finding that some of those life changes I want to make are taking the shape of going back to my younger days, when things like reading poetry (and really, reading anything besides Facebook or online articles or industry publications) were a part of my focus. I am also culling my "things" - as I tend to do every year around this time, shedding what no longer works, no longer "fits", and making way for new potentials...or sometimes... being deeply contented with less.

So I thought that I would start sharing poetry and other things that move me, capture my attention, or seem relevant, here on the blog. Doing so will allow me to share the wonderful writings of others, and keep the blog somewhat updated. ;) And of course there will be jewelry too! I have big, big plans for this year and I hope you'll like the fruits of my labors as they are shared here. :)

So here's my first contribution, a Japanese Haiku from a small but beautifully illustrated book of poems (http://www.amazon.com/Haiku-Poetry-Ancient-Jackie-Hardy/dp/0804838585):

the lantern blown out ---

the sound of the wind 

through the leaves

- shiki

Brett and I "blew out" last year's lantern in the company of a few good friends, at a quiet gathering in their lovely home. Such a pleasure to be with people who have known you well for years...everything is so easy and comfortable. Just what was needed after a rather tumultuous year. 

Here's to a wonderfully happy 2016 for everyone! I hope it's filled with joy. I wish you all the best.

-Jill

Bigger...Bolder, Round 2

2015 has been the year of custom orders. I've always done them, but this year they've really been coming regularly, one on top of the next. I currently have a list of eight custom orders, in various stages of progress (some are, so far, just a list on the whiteboard).

These more recent "bigger, bolder" designs were made for a lovely collector who likes BIG gems. Not that *I* mind. :)

This HUGE Royston cabochon had been sitting in my stash for about a year. I was a little hesitant when I bought it, but I was looking for larger gems, and it was too wonderful to leave behind. The blue is stellar, the patterning is excellent, and it's got that organic-y shape I love. So I took it home with me.

And then my collector saw it, and she certainly didn't hesitate. So I started working on it. I love how the embellishments feel very much in tune with the patterning of the stone.

Here's the entirety:

A whole lot of gorgeousness. I gave it to the customer last month, and she was thrilled. She was beyond thrilled. She always says, "My jewelry pieces are my babies" and this might just be her newest favorite. :)

But wait...there's a bonus. This same customer had purchased an AMAZING boulder opal, years ago, and she wanted that set as well. Soooo......

This fabulous gem had so much play of color going on that I didn't want to get too carried away with the embellishments. So it's a little less WOW but still glorious. It's so reflective that it was hard to capture the colors, but here are a couple more photos:

Also, I played with the clasp on this, making a symmetrical clasp / embellishment design. You can see it in the first photo - the "hook" connector on the right side of the photo is soldered shut and permanently attached. So when the customer attaches the other hook, the pendant hangs perfectly in between them. It means that the necklace isn't adjustable, but I know her very well and knew what length to make the chain so it would lay where she wants it to.

And, I have two more wonderful gems to set for this lady. They have bezels and back plates, but no embellishments yet...hoepfully soon...

A Little Jewelry Education

When I'm exhibiing my jewelry at festivals, I tend to get a lot of questions about how the jewelry is made. So though I usually don't share Works In Progress, I snapped some quick iPhone photos while I was working on one of  my most recent designs.

Essentially, what I do is take raw metal materials - sheet, wire, and tubing - and "fabricate" them into jewelry:

Sheet:

source

Wire:

It comes in square shape already, but I hammer in every line of that texture.

Tubing:

source

The tubing, as you can see, comes in various diameters. I buy 12" tubes and then hand-cut the smaller tube sizes I need from that. 

So that's the raw materials. But how do they become a finished piece of jewelry? 

For me, since I design primarly with gems, the sort of "prequel" to beginning to make a piece of jewelry is pulling stones from my stash, comparing colors and shapes until I'm happy with what's in my hands.

After choosing gems, what happens first is a sketch. Well...sometimes. My sketches are mostly rough ideas to build upon, not detailed jewelry renderings. I've found that I'm more comfortable working in the metal itself, rather than making a sketch and transferring that idea to metal. But for more complex designs, like the one I'm using to illustrate today's post, sketching does help to gauge "what's going to go where", and "Do I really want a 3 inch doodad which might not be structurally sound, or would it work better at 1.5 inches?". It's helpful to answer these questions sooner, rather than later. :)

Once (if) the sketching is done, it's time to make bezels and back plates for the gems. I can't solder anything together until the gems have their metal homes first. I detailed the process of bezeling and back plate-ing here if you want to read more about that. Once that part is done, I start shaping and refining the embellisments.*

*Anything that's additional to the basic metal fabrication is commonly called embellishments. I could simply set the gems in a bezel and add a bail, and that would be an un-embellished pendant. Most metalsmiths, however, like to play. So we add all manner of layers and doodads and geegaws and granules...those are the embellishments.  :)

In the above photo, there are no backs to the bezels around the gems, and the embellishments have not been soldered in place. This is the beginning of desiging. I cut and shape the wire embellishements and start laying them out on the tape until they look right. 

I shape freehand, working along a somewhat meandering path to what appeals to my eye. I like what I call balanced asymmetry. For this design, that means that the two triangular bezels in the upper corners of the necklace are close, but not quite the same distance from the center bezel, and that the triangles are not both facing the same direction (one is point up; the other, point down). 

Now the wires are soldered, and two of the hinges are done. The necklace is taped to a neckform for me to check how it will lay on the body. 

Above (in this terribly blurry phone shot) are the small tubes I have cut from the 12" length to make the hinge joins. And the jump rings (which I also make by hand): 

that join the hinges together, as seen below:

In the above photo, you can see one of the "arms" of the handmade chain on this design. 

These are some of the arms. They're soldered together, and the tiny tubing is attached, but they're not added to the body of the design yet. But they're going to go up the neck, on the sides of the centerpiece, and lead to some additional handmade chain in the back. 

And *that* extra chain is all hand fabbed too. I take a slightly thinner wire and make ovals out of it, by first coiling it on a mandrel. With round wire you can just coil to your heart's content, but square wire can very easily get "off the square" and twist where you don't want it to. So it's a little slower process to carefully coil square wire:

Then the rings get sawn off, one by one, I've sawn a bunch loose already:

Loose rings sawn from the coil:

Next the open ends will be soldered, and then they'll be textured:

The one on the left has been textured; the ones on the right are soldered but not yet textured.

They then get soldered together, with another jump ring, to form this:

at the back of the necklace. 

Here's a process shot of those loose arms, all soldered together and getting their tiny ball embellishments:

Painter's tape, as you can see, is an invaluable tool in the jewelry studio. I use it constantly to temporarly keep things in place before they're physically joined. 

And now the whole neckpiece is done. Well... done with the fabrication and soldering, that is. Which doesn't mean that it's *finished*. There's a whole lot of clean up to do, which will remove any excess solder that went where I didn't want it to go, and then several steps of polishing the metal to get that soul-satisfying, deep shine. And then the gems need to be set. Probably at least a day's work (if not more) still...so no full-on shots yet...but I promise to show you once it's ready for viewing. :) 

The Business of Art (Festivals)

"Faith, noun - sending $500 entry fee to an art show taking place half way across the country in unknown weather conditions in 5-7 months, where you will be trying to sell artwork you haven't yet created in an economy which may implode anytime between now and then." - Stephen Bach, landscape artist

The above quote was posted by Mr Bach on an internet forum for all things related to art festivals. And it is exactly true. I spent a great deal of time recently, working on my potential schedule for 2015. I say potential, because so far I have no idea if I will actually be exhibiting at any of these events...

The way art festivals work is that you submit photographs of your work, and your booth, for judging. The industry term is *jurying* but make no mistake...it's judging. Judging whether or not you will fit in some very narrow parameters. And the people who are judging you? They have about 30 seconds to make the decision(s) that will affect your abiltiy to exhibit. Because if the jury doesn't give you a high score, you're not allowed to show up and play. Or (sometimes) worse, you're placed in limbo...the art festival Wait List.*

And how tough is the competition? One of the shows states: 

"145 artists are slected from a jury pool of approx. 1300 applicants". 

Y'know what that works out to? An 11 percent chance of being accepted. About ten people have to be rejected for me to make it...and my odds aren't even that good, because the jewelry category has more competition than the rest. So a good number of those applicants will be applying for MY category...which means more of them will have to be told "no" for me to get the chance to exhbiti at this festival. 

And, we artisans pay for the privilege of having our work juried. Most festivals charge a "jury fee" of anywhere from $25 to $55. That's just to have 'em look at you. Non-refundable, of course. These add up to hundreds and even thousands for artists who will apply to many festivals, often some overlapping on the same weekend, just to hope that they can get invited to one of them. Some of my spots on the calendar above have three post-its on them, because I'm applying to three events. 

If we are fortunate enough to get accepted, we then pay a space or booth fee to the festival. This ranges, from $200 on the low end (though many of those are now $300) to $1000 at the high. And that's with no guarantee of a return on your investment, of course. You pays your money and you takes your chances...

The most I've ever paid for a festival booth? $775. That's a big commitment with no guarantee of return. I think the odds may be better in Vegas. :) 

Often, exhibiting at arts festivals means traveling, which means that even a $300 booth fee (plus that $35 jury fee) isn't the only expenditure. There are hotel stays, food, gas, and any other necessary expenses. If the show hours extend late and you want electricity (assuming the festival provides it)? That's another charge. Most out of town events will require at least a two night stay, and that's assuming you can arrive on Friday night, set up EARLY Saturday morning, and leave Sunday evening...but a lot of festivals have scheduled set up hours. And some only allow you to set up the day *before* the event. Which means an additional hotel night...and more meals to buy. 

And I'm not even going to get into what happens if you make it to a festival and the weather is uncooperative...we all just hope for the best, all the time. There's no eternal optimist like an artist. :) 

I'm not saying any of this is good. Or bad. It's just what is. The art festival life is a game of chance, and like any other gamble, sometimes it pays off, and sometimes it doesn't. 

So. The next time you take yourself to an art festival, you might pause for a moment and consider what the artists have gone through to get themselves in front of YOU. Support them, if you can, if you like the work, if you have a budget for some handmade jewelry, ceramics, paintings...it's not necessary, of course, if you can't. 

But know that they're not their for the great fun of it all...though festivals can be great fun!!...they're there because they love what they do. They love it so much they are willing to live an often very uncertain existence, with no regular income, a life that is subject to a LOT of rejection, sometimes, to continue to put goodness and art and beauty into the world. And they (we), hope...that you will love it too. :)

Now I'm off to actually make some jewelry. For those future festivals... :) 


* Wait Lists are the artisan version of Hell. Because you don't know IF or WHEN you might get called off of the wait list...so you can't *really* plan around it. You either have to assume you won't be exhibiting at that festival,....but you are always hoping (eternal optimist!) that you'll get an email or a call saying that a space has opened for you. And to be called off the wait list means that someone else had to cancel. So...it's bad news for someone else, good news for you. A bit of Schadenfreude, that. Sometimes an outright rejection is actually easier because it's like ripping off a band-aid. Wait list status is like you're hoping the band-aid will come off at some point...but not ever knowing if it will. 

Ev-Uh-Loo-Shuh-N

Several months since I've shared here...several tumultuous, roller-coaster-of-emotions, crazy-train-riding months.

And I don't even want to discuss them...the details still hurt. I will tell you that there's been a big, and unexpected, betrayal of sorts (emotionally at least). Promises made and not kept. Professionally, my skills and abilities derided. A dismissal. Heartbreak.

It sounds so dramatic...and some of it has been. I try to live a very no-drama life, striving to enjoy the moments, both large and small, that life presents: sunshine stealing across the bed in the mornings, the absolute silence of the neighborhood and house in the middle of the night, the temperature dropping several degrees as fall approaches (or rising a good bit as summer arrives). A new pair of shoes for my birthday. Unexpected moments of bliss.

The disruption of the life I strive to create, the atmosphere in my home, the surroundings in which I design, has been difficult. Interestingly though, I think it has fostered a bit of growth, an evolution (or at least expansion) of what I'm creating. Which didn't happen all in the last few months, of course. Often it's only by looking back in the distance that we can see the changes more clearly.

In April 2013, I started with this:

A simple design, born of my desire for three things:

1. to allow the beautiful, colorful gems I love to be the focal point of my designs.

2. to practice my side-by-side soldering skills, which sorely needed work

3. to Keep It Simple, both a design and a life mantra for me

The pendants above sold immediately, as did several others in the same style.

It could have been the turquoises. I'm well aware that some of my customers buy these creations because of the gems. Which is totally fine - that's part of my own love, and what I enjoy buying and using in my designs. But since I started this collection, I've had comments and compliments on the metal work, too...which as you can see by the photos above, wasn't exactly complex. That doesn't mean it's easy, because it's not. But it wasn't crazy, bold, or grand.

What I wanted, originally, and what my skills could accommodate at the time, was gem-focused items with some metal detail. I didn't want to just have plain cabs with a bezel around them. I wanted more. This was my solution.

But always, while I am designing, I am thinking about, "What else? What's next? How would I...? and What if?" It's a striving, a curiosity that never ceases.

The next step in the evolution was to make the metalwork more complex:

From last fall. More joins, more wires to shape, more playing with asymmetry and balance...

and then to this summer:

Pure Heart Necklace  and Waterways Necklace

Adding more gems, still playing with balance (I'm always playing with balance. My love of asymmetry can get carried away if I let it). :)

and then, to this:

Dare to Imagine

Oh yeah. Taking a big ol' hunka hunka gem and embellishing all the way around it...and then adding embellishments as stand-alone design flourishes, to build a handmade chain. NOW we're talking.

Also, I think I may be moving out of the "keep it simple" realm. ~wry smile~  It's still a part of how I approach design, but sometimes it's apparently good to kick it up a notch. Or three. :)

I can't tell you how happy the above neckpiece(s) make me. It feels GOOD. And despite all the other turmoil that's been in my life, every day I can't wait to get to the studio and see what's going to happen next...I think next year is going to be an earth-shattering year...

Be well, all y'all. Enjoy the change(s) in seasons. Stretch, strive, be as drama-free as you possibly can. And when you can't, be good to yourself. Work on healing...work on happy.

- Jill 

Breathe. Breathe...BREATHE!!

The last "breathe" is more like, "Breathe, dammit!" which sort of ruins the ohm-ness of the mantra. Breathing (and meditating, and being all Zen) is NOT part of the routine lately. I'm leaving tomorrow for a big drive to Indianapolis, for the Broad Ripple Art Fair. It's a two day show but I'll be gone for five (drive day, setup day, show days, drive day) and then just a few days later I'll be at the Decatur Arts Festival here in Georgia. Not a lot of downtime lurking in my near future...

HOWEVER. And yes, that's in all caps because I'm quite pleased that today, the day before I leave for my next festival, I am making *no* jewelry whatsoever. Oh, I'm photographing, writing listings, posting new items on Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest as fast as I can...but I'm not making. And that in itself is a huge accomplishment. Especially when - in the midst of building up inventory of my current designs, I took a two-day window to work on some new designs:

Like these turquoises...

You may want to sit back now (or alternatively *come* back, as I'm going to tell a story...) because here's how the magic sometimes works:

I had these circles. From...2008-ish? Anyway. I was learning fabrication. And I'd made a bunch of these circles, in various sizes. And I - God knows why - decided I wanted to cast them. Well, I do know why. Making these circles was HARD. (now is the point at which the seasoned metall-ers will bust a gut laughing, because making circles is pretty much one of the EASIEST things to do). But I was a remedial fabricator, and it wasn't easy then. So I had them cast. And I used them in a bunch of designs. I oxidized them, hung them on leather, added beads to them, soldered some of them together...you name it, I did it with these. And they sold moderately well....but I had a fair amount left over from the caster once I'd moved on with newer designs.

So they have sat around the studio for a while, and last week I got a wild hair and fabricated gem settings for them. I'd been thinking about doing *something*with them for some time, but the what was eluding me. I'd ALSO bought all these organic, funky-shaped cabs...(also a while ago) which I wasn't using, because I tend to like more symmetrically cut gems. So I started pulling out cabs from my stash, but the symmetrical cuts didn't look right with these circles...but oh, the funky ones DID. I laid out about twenty pieces and started making the back plates and bezels. Then I realized that I wouldn't get twenty done - and still get all the other work done I needed to before heading to Indy - and I stopped at ten. Just enough to make a nice showing in the festival booth.

Peruvian opals.

I wanted to keep these designs simple and very modern, using asymmetry and negative space for impact, heightening the contrast of the gems' smooth texture against the rustic circles. They came together quickly and were great fun to work on, almost like a breath (see what I did there) of fresh air. I've been trying for so long to learn to do more, and more, and more, make the jewelry more complex, more difficult to make...and these were just easy to play with. Sometimes you don't even know that you have what you need, but when you find it, and you put it all together...magic.

Now, of course, I want to make more...and I'm starting to feel like my whole creative mojo (which was kind of dormant for most of this spring) is coming back in a BIG way. Yahoooo!

But first...back to pricing, uploading, and packing up the jewelry. And packing up the truck for the drive. And packing up me and all my show needs....and maybe having a moment to BREATHE. I guess that's what I'll be doing on the eight hour drive tomorrow.  :)

Peek Into the Life of a Studio Jeweler

I'm heading to Birmingham, Alabama, in two weeks for the Magic City Art Festival, and they sent out a little Q and A to post on their web site in the weeks leading up to the event. I thought the questions were interesting, and a little unusual, so I'm sharing them (and my answers) here, to give you a little insight into the world of a studio jeweler. I love this kind of stuff and can't wait to see how the other artists answered.  :) 

1. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

The physicality of actually making jewelry by hand. It's a very labor-intensive process and there's a lot of "repetitive motion" tasks that can be hard on the body. I still love every aspect of it though, from idea to implementation to "clean up" and final finishing. I love being so involved with something that someone else will love and cherish.

2. What artist tool do you use the most? How do you use it? 

My creativity. I use it for dreaming, designing, making. But it's also my best problem-solving tool. In the studio daily I'm confronted with technical design problems to solve, balance to achieve, especially with custom-cut gems and asymmetrical designs, metal to forge (harden) and heat (soften) and I have be creative in setting up the process to best achieve the results I want to create for each design. Other tools are very useful, but it's the creativity that drives me and also makes me strive for constant improvement, in both design and creation.

3. If you had all the time in the world to hone your craft and create work in another art medium, which would it be and why?

I might try my hand at shoe design (shoes are a second love to jewelry) but really, I would still work in the jewelry field. I'd spend time learning how to set precious stones and do even more "specialty" type work. I'd play with platinum and other fine metals, and design with the rarest and most lovely gems I could get my hands on. And I'm a tool junkie, so I'd like to play with some of the fabulous tools (like lasers and 3D printers) that would open up a whole new avenue of design.

4. If you could make art in any city around the world, where would you go and why?

Do I have to choose just one?? Paris comes to mind...New York, New Orleans, Marrakech, Moscow...I find most places that have a defined aesthetic very inspiring. But ultimately I'd probably end up in Prescott, Arizona. It's a great "little" city with small-town charm, lovely seasons, dry desert air, and a history for me. I grew up in Arizona and have been going to visit Prescott with my family since I was about fourteen. My parents retired there years ago, and I would love to have my own studio nestled in the mountains.

5. Do you have a favorite piece that you have created over the years? Describe it.

My all-time favorite is from a few years ago. I'd just transitioned into jewelry fabrication, and was struggling to define what I wanted to do, how I would put my design aesthetic into a whole new way of making jewelry. My creative voice felt very small and indistinct. I had a gemstone with an interesting pattern across it, and  (long story short) I ended up replicating that pattern with metal. It was the beginning of my "metal mosaics" and allowed me to set myself apart a little, to work with something that was very "me". I've had offers to buy that necklace, but it's one I'll never part with. It means too much.

6. When you create, do you like silence or do you listen to music? If the latter, what type of music typically fills your studio?

It's a mix. When I'm hammering and filing and doing the more energetic work, I listen to everything from 80's Hair Bands to classic rock. When using the torch for more delicate soldering operations, I listen to what used to be called "alternative" in the 1990s, or instrumental music. When I'm sketching designs, I really need silence. I usually take a tray of gems and the sketchbook up to my bedroom, plump up the pillows and sit there in total quiet, to get the ideas flowing.

7. What is your favorite snack food when you work in the studio?

Busy hands have no time for snacks! The best diet I know is to be working all day. But when I do break, I like chocolate. Sometimes just a handful of chocolate chips gets the job done.

8. Help our collectors discover great talent! Name 3 favorite artists who you have discovered at MCAC or other art shows over the last 3 years. 

I love and collect Eric Strange's ceramics: Eric Strange Facebook

Su Abbott makes fantastic art: Su Abbott Art

And Elaine Rader is one of my jewelry idols: Elaine Rader

And that favorite piece?? Here it is:

Thanks for letting me share with you. Hope to see some of you in B'ham soon! 

Good Work Takes Time

The best things in life are to be savored. They are not rushed, they do not hustle, they are slow to birth. They demand focus. Attention to detail. An eye for balance that will not be satisfied...until it (finally) is. Designing jewelry is like that...it's not...quick. :)

It's even slower when your husband is between jobs (first time in twelve years!) - he says he's "on hiatus" - and looking for a play buddy. No worries; he has another job lined up. But his hiatus, while good for our relationship, has not exactly helped my productivity. I can't begrudge the time though, because we'll be married for fourteen years this coming Tuesday. And I think that's the most time we've had together since our honeymoon...I am supremely fortunate that right now my schedule has been as open and flexible as it is. Normally during March, I'd be traveling to at least two festivals. As it turns out (blessing in disguise, hmm), I exhibited at neither. So I could give the time to Brett, quality time to the relationship, time to the paintingprojectfromhell that started out as a simple dining room re-do and morphed into the living room. Which would be all fine and good, except that our living room has twenty-eight foot ceilings. And endless nooks and crannies, which require very tall ladders, and magic acrobatic feats of taping and painting. Not the easiest project to tackle..

Anyhoo, March is over. April is looking and feeling like Spring is finally arriving, and I am *almost* to the point of having a LOT of new designs to the nearly-completed stage...they're just all in the mid-process stage currently.

Like the one above. I've been working on several mosiac designs, and this is by far my favorite. The others are still getting the side-eye. :)  It needs oxidation, stone setting (a gorgeous labradorite will go into that oval on top) and final polishing. I didn't have the energy left in me today, after working on these:

Just a few of the nearly fifty cabochons I've bezeled, textured, backplated, and soldered together since early March. About twelve of them are ready for soldering on embellishments next week, and the rest need design time with me to figure out their embellishments. :)

And when I say, "just a few", I mean that there are a LOT more waiting (you may have noticed both the band-aid and the blister on my hand in the prior photo; there's another blister as well. These hands have been busy:

Beauty out of chaos, kids...that's how it works in my studio, at least...the messy part at the bottom is bits of the wire that I texture, cut, and shape for the embellishments. And who would guess that a Sharpie and painter's tape are *indispensable* jewelry-making tools?  :)

So. I've had a good, fun, busy March, but I'm glad it's behind me. I'm really looking forward to getting back to speed in April - I love making these "pop rocks" designs, and playing with all the stunningly fabulous gems, but I have a TON of other ideas in the works and want to get started on those, too...they're not-so-impatiently waiting...

Brett and I are heading off today, for a big weekend in Tennessee and Kentucky. Tuesday is our 14th wedding anniversary (I can't even believe it) and we're going to visit some new places, shop for art - we have a newly redone dining / living room that have needs - listen to some music, relax and enjoy a bit of a final "hurrah" before he goes back to work on the 14th. I'm ready to leave the pliers, files, hammers, and torch behind for a few days, rest my aching hands and shoulders, and just be for a little while. :)

Happy April, all! Hope it's a happy and productive month for everyone!

Starting A Little Jewelry Family

I've been talking about it and talking about it, and now I think maybe it's actually going to happen..

I recently met with two women, one whom I'm guessing is reasonably close to my own age, the other a mere twenty-one  And if all goes well, they both will be involved with Blue Piranha this year. I'm simultaneously excited and nervous, which I think is a very good thing. I haven't felt that slight flutter of nerves in my stomach for a while...it means that I'm doing something that scares me a little, and it's probably about time.

I'm excited, of course, because I may just get the help I need. Which would be amazingly beneficial. It's the end of January and already I'm feeling the pressure of being behind, staring down the enormous mountain of things that need to be done - simultaneously, it seems - and starting to freak out that I won't make my goals and dreams a reality. Already?? Yeesh.

Having another set of hands (or better, two more sets) to help out would be wonderful, and the older woman at least knows her way around fabrication, so I shouldn't have to train her on everything (because anyone who reads this blog knows how long it took me to train myself). The question will be whether or not she can produce to the level that I need, and produce the quality of work that I expect. We're going to do a sample "finishing run" this week to see how that aspect goes.

So that's all good. What I'm nervous about is the youngster. Because she has had some jewelry instruction, but is really probably pretty green. And having her in the studio will likely require some mentoring on my part. I don't mind that at all...but still, it's nerve-wracking. Mentor?? Some days I feel like I hardly know what *I'm* doing, much less know enough to teach someone else. But I have been thinking about having help for a while, and that has led to thinking about what that kind of help could / would do, and how to best facilitate the helper in doing it. So maybe I have more of a game plan than I think I do (which would be a pleasant surprise).  :)

We met today at 1:30, for three hours...and she left a little after 6...saying, "We talked for FIVE hours!". I told her, "Get used to it.". I am not a high talker or a low talker...ah, Seinfeld, we miss ya...but I am FAST talker. And when I'm talking about jewelry? Gemstones? Design? The biz and anything related to it? Then I'm also what you might call a long talker. :)

My goals for my young apprentice-type helper are twofold:

1. She will get some solid and consistent skills into her repertoire. I am by no means a master in my field, but I can at least give her a platform for the basics. She's kind of in the position I was about two years ago, having taken some instruction and worked on jewelry in classes, but no prolonged / physical practice in her own studio. And right now she doesn't have the means for her own studio, but she can at least have regular weekly access to the torch in mine. That alone will start growing her skills.

2. Some of the things she will work on will be her own designs, and some will be my designs. Hopefully this will free up some of my time to expand my own skills and bring new ideas to life (which I've been really itching to do). There's so much involved in creating art jewelry that has nothing to do with designing, and I would love to start handing these tasks over to her as she gets more competent.

For example, I use jump rings in my chains, bails and connector ends (the ends of earring pieces or bracelet links). Each jump ring gets soldered closed (one skill set) and then a flat space is filed on the jump ring to allow for a larger area of joining to the fabricated jewelry piece (larger join area = stronger join and less chance of breakage). Sawing a flat spot on a jump ring, or even soldering one closed, is no one's idea of a big skill. But being able to do it quickly and consistently? So that there's no solder to clean off afterwards (because you used too much solder) or so that you don't have to re-solder (because you used too little, or it flowed the wrong way, and the resulting join isn't solid)? That is a skill that's worth its weight in a production studio. And it's just one of many. It's not the most exciting part of the work. But it's necessary.

And the most fun part of having a young apprentice-of-sorts is that she's young, eager, intelligent, and has the potential for a long career ahead of her. My one (and only) regret about learning jewelry fabrication is that I didn't start it SOONER. I had opportunities when I was much younger, but I was scared, or otherwise occupied, or involved in a messy relationship...there was always something. And now I wish I had taken that leap at an earlier age, when the eyes functioned better, when my hands and wrists weren't all busted, when my aching body could recover faster, when I hadn't developed the hand tremors...etc. And mentally, I wish I'd started when I was fresher, possibly more full of ideas, more adaptable...though I guess everything works out the way it's supposed to, and I like where I am now. But for someone so young to have the opportunity and drive...I will do whatever I can to mentor and nurture it.  :) 

So wish me luck as I move forward with my ladies...I am hoping that they will help facilitate more free time for me to create more lovely designs to share with you! All for one and one for all! Together we'll hopefully make each other better. Is that kind of sappy? Maybe. Ah, who cares? I'm sort of a sap anyway.  :)

A Little Post About Shrinkage

The sum total of today's output (so far). Great oaks from mighty acorns...

 
My husband tells me that I am an acquired taste...and yes, I am. I'm also not to everyone's taste...but that wasn't always so. Before I became an acquired taste, I was as bland as vanilla ice cream, as palatable as chamomile tea, and probably a lot more well-liked than I am now. Which is not to say that people don't like me...but the more *me* I become, inevitably I seem to be more of an "I don't know about her..." kind of girl. I might take some getting used to. Some people decide they don't like me. And that's okay.

What does that have to do with jewelry? Or the photo above, of the hundreds of tiny metal mosaic pieces I have just cut? Well..a lot, actually...

The very brilliant and perceptive Danielle LaPorte has an excellent post on her blog called, "The Real Reason Some People Are Bad for You" and I utterly agree with her perspective. It's about what we do in response to negativity from others. Go, read it now, and then feel free to share your thoughts...in the meantime, I'll share mine.  :)

This very much touches on the post I wrote here about self-love. I think that if you love yourself, and you're comfortable / happy with who you are, it *does* hurt to shrink. Not that it can't be done from time to time, in order to be graceful, or kind, or considerate of others, yeah, okay, you rein yourself in for a bit. But having to shrink one's self all the time is soul-killing.

And that will also kill a creative's spirit. I can't tell you how many times when people "talk" on some of my online chat groups they post things like, "Well, my husband denigrates my work" or "my family doesn't support me" or "I am not allowed (!!) to do thus-and-such". I have been there, and it's hurtful. It's demoralizing. These women are living small. And I get it (though I hate it); it's hard to live loud and proud when those around you want you to be small...or need for you to be small so that they can feel big. It's a power struggle and the person who shrinks themselves, who denies themselves, loses. Every time.

Now, I'm not saying that every creative should make a career out of what they love. It's risky, it's typically a very up-and-down roller coaster ride of finances, and it requires long, long hours of work to make the creations, then market and sell them. That can be hard on a family. And for every stay-at-home-mom who's "made it" on Etsy or eBay or elsewhere, there are at least a hundred others who don't. Or can't. Sometimes what you love should stay a passionate hobby. You can still create in your downtime from work, on the weekends, when the kids are asleep...there are options for the passionate hobbyist. If you love it, you'll continue to do it, in whatever measure. Unless you are in a relationship(s) where you and your creativity are constantly boxed in, denigrated...shrunken. Then you'll either leave, or give up your passion entirely for as long as you are in that situation.

But sometimes, it becomes more than you expected. My own designing started out as a hobby, and stayed that way, for nearly a decade. In fact, *I* didn't think about turning it into a business; it was Brett who suggested it, and then when I was laid off via a corporate merger in the early aughts, he really pushed me to pursue it. And owning and running my own business has been instrumental in allowing me to stretch and reach and to actually believe in myself (because when things seem impossible, and you're the only person standing up for yourself (because it's your business), you'd damn well better believe in YOU because YOU are the only thing that's going to get you through the rough times). It made me to develop a...shall we say, "stronger" personality so I wouldn't get pushed around. And the stronger part developed into the girl who didn't, who eventually couldn't, just shrink herself and make nice. Instead she stretched and grew and even occasionally roared when she had to. And I think once you do that, and do it long enough that it becomes who you are, you can't go back.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I am working on pushing the mosaic creations further, and as I work on creating bolder, bigger designs. The mosaics get a lot of attention; they sometimes even inspire awe (always very gratifying). But they are not for everyone. They're not the "be happy and play nice" of most of my more gemstone-focused designs. The stone-based pieces say, "Mmm! I like color! I'm a little bold! I don't mind asymmetry!" All true. All good. But there are others who want to adorn themselves with something that's really different. People who are comfortable being different. Who don't worry about what the rest of us think about them. The people who, as Wayne Dyer might say, have broken "from the tribe" and are forging their own paths.

Those are the people I find fascinating. The ones I strive to learn from. The ones I want to design for. They're living life on their own terms and yeah, that might not be to everyone's taste. They might have to grow on you...or maybe they won't. But they don't shrink and they don't worry about being judged...it sounds kind of nice, doesn't it?

I want the mosaic designs to be like that. Bold. You might have to consider them, get used to the idea. They might be an acquired taste...and that's totally okay.

As bold as I've gotten...so far. 

So all those little tiny bits of sterling in the photo above? They're just waiting to become something daring and different and wonderful. And to go to a good home with someone who appreciates their unique-ness.  :) 

Don't shrink yourself. For anyone. Expand, grow, emerge, bloom!  You won't regret it!

The Tool Junkie Says No

I went to the jewelery supply recently (and don't think I wasn't happy about silver hanging at ~$20 an ounce!) and while I was there, the man helping me said, "So, do you have all the tools you want now, or are there still more to buy?" (we jewelry people are a bit tool-obsessed). And I said, "Well, I have a good amount, but there's always more to be had. But what I really need is an extra pair of hands in the studio." And he nodded in a way that people who have been in my situation tend to nod...a little sagely, a little sad for me, a little "good luck"-y.  Because they know about being where I am.  :)

I've mentioned before, most recently here, about needing help and working on getting the studio ready for it. There does come a time when one pair of hands is not enough, and last year was quite often like that. Not enough hours to create, not enough strength or stamina in the body that was pushed to - and past - its limits, on many, many days. Not enough time to attend to the other aspects of the business, like social media, expansion, designing for wholesale, etc. etc.

This year I'm aiming to get the help I seriously need. I have two, possibly three people in mind, and will be making some phone calls this coming week to see what's what and who's available, and hopefully a good fit.

Can't wait to find out who! 

I've been dreading this point, but now that I've had some breathing room for a few days, I am really kind of liking the idea of having someone in the studio part time, of teaching someone, of maybe growing a little Blue Piranha family. I think of Todd Reed and his lovely studio:

source

...and while that's bigger than I am ever likely to get (or to want to get), the fun and the camaraderie in there (yeah, the showroom is nice, but it's the working studio in the back that I'm interested in!) must be awesome. I don't think I'd want to oversee as many employees as he has, but as much as I like being alone here, some company occasionally would be nice and I always find that I learn so much from interacting with others. And I'm happy to share what I can, and maybe mentor someone else along in their career.

So while there are still tools on my list - some I'm really eager to own and start using; I already have designs in my head that can't be implemented without these tools - I will defer them until I can have the time to use them. All things when they're meant to be..

But oh, am I ever looking forward to the coming year! I'm starting back at the work table today with several things already on my plate, and I'll see what (or who!) the Universe brings to me as I move forward. I can't wait!!  :)

Reclaiming Me

Though the madness leading up to the end of any given year is crazy, often the actual winding down of the year is one of my favorite times. The introvert and the Virgo in me like staying at home, moving at a slower pace, organizing things and prepping and planning for the new year ahead. It's about getting my literal and metaphysical houses in order to move forward.

I haven't made any jewelry since the 20th, and it's been niiiiiiiice. I've needed the time away to rest, reflect, and consider what I'm going to do for 2014...to organize and gather, to shine a light on the path I want to travel for the coming  year. The peaceful cadence of doing these things soothes my frenetic soul from all the bouncing around the rest of the year seems to bring.

I've also been considering what I want to work on personally for next year, and I have two major items:

- being kinder. I usually start out in a good mood, but I get annoyed easily by minor things, and sometimes I get snappy. And even if I don't *say* anything, I will think rather uncharitable thoughts. I get a little snarky in my head, you could say...so I'm going to be working on changing that. Being more Zen about everything, and being more patient (haha, yes, I can hear some of you chuckling at that. I know...but a girl's gotta try).

- being more proactive. This applies to my personal life as well as the business. I've done some intense therapy work in the last few years, it's stirred a restlessness in me. I am wanting to meet new people, try new things, stretch and reach and feel more fulfilled. The last three years - since my jaw surgeries, in 2011 - have been tumultuous and messy and left me scrambling for balance. I've not recovered entirely from those years, but I am closer. And 2014 feels fresh and new and full of promise in a way that the last few have not.

I also need to be more proactive business-wise. I've touched upon this before in my blog posts, and I'm hopefully putting some things in place that will help me tremendously next year. I have two potential people who could come and help out with production and cleanup, and I'll be getting with them both after the new year to discuss further. I can't tell you how excited I am about this opportunity! I feel like the Universe is offering me what I need when I need it...and if it works out I am going to jump right on it.  :)

And I have a sketchbook full-full-full of new design ideas that are just waiting for me to get going on them...this is a year to stretch my designs and I can't wait. This downtime / away time from the torch and fabrication has been much needed...but I'm ready to go back next week. Last night I felt that familiar tickle in my head, thinking about creating, designing, the physicality of making. I'm almost ready to plunge in with both hands...

The year of the horse...very auspicious, I would think.  :) 

I hope that this is a fulfilling and rewarding year for all of you, too...my loyal peeps. Your support always touches me so much and I couldn't / wouldn't be where I am on this journey without you! Take care of yourselves, rest, and be happy. I look forward to many more adventures for all of us in 2014!

Holiday Madness and Good Fun

It's nearly mid-December, which for most artisans, and jewelry makers especially, means that we are right in the swing of madness. Men are asking for things that we can't possibly fulfill (or can't fulfill without giving up a piece of ourselves to get it done) at this time,as they tend to do. Custom orders are in high production mode to get made and mailed by the USPS shipping dates. There are a million-and-one end-of-year things to do, not to mention the personal holiday stuff, and it seems like the days are far too short.

I'm alternately feeling rushed and not rushed...my energy is low, low, low. Though I adore making jewelry, I am not really in the mood for it now (though I am putting my time in on those custom orders). I'm ready to sit, breathe, meditate, regroup, organize (some more), and rest. I'm ready for January, to begin anew, to design with more purpose, without short deadlines looming (though there are always *some* of those), with time on my side. Which is ironic...it's never really on my side. But I'd welcome some bigger, quieter chunks of time right now.

I did a brief inventory a week or so ago, to see where the time went, and as far as I can tell, in 2012, I made 60 or so hand-fabricated, one of a kind, designed from scratch, gemstone-set items.

By the end of this year, I will have made 200.

just a little sampling of the more recent creations

Now I get that 200 doesn't sound like a lot. But moving from 60 to 200 in one year? I've definitely gotten faster, for one thing.  :)  And making each one from scratch? There's a lot of design and creation time in each of those. And consider this:

- I struggled to keep up a decent festival inventory all year long. Every month, every week, every stolen moment got devoted to designing and making.

- Currently there are about 367,128 things on my idea list that I *can't get to*. Okay, I don't have three-hundred-thousand-plus ideas...yet. But I have a lot of ideas. And they can't get made, or much more than thought about, because I am spending my time making other things...the things that have been selling.

I can hear you now, thinking, "Well, poor Jilly. She's making and selling. She can't get to the *other* things she wants to make because she's making. Isn't this what she loves to do???"

Well...yes. Hell yes! Absolutely. But there comes a point when one person cannot possibly do enough to grow a business or stretch its offerings or even meet its needs. And I'm there. I'm probably way past there, except that there's been no time to stop and plan for how I can change that.

And this year, pleasingly, my skills have grown to the point at which I can really delineate what I *need* to be working on and what I *don't* need to be working on. Last year, and this year while I was growing my skills, I needed to work on it all. Hell, I just finally got comfortable with my polishing (I know I've gone on about this ad nauseum, but to us jewelers it's a big, big deal)...so now it's time to turn over the more grunt-work aspects of making to another's hands.

For those of you who don't know, I see the creation of jewelry (at least the creation of the jewelry I'm currently making) as three processes (four, really, but the design process is a whole separate dealio):

1. Fabrication. This may involve, but is not limited to:

- filing, cutting, shaping, sawing, sanding, texturing, marking, bezel making, soldering.

2. Finishing. This is when all the actual fabrication is done and there's no more heat applied to the piece; it's ready for the clean up, or finishing stage:

- filing, sanding, polishing (and more polishing), depletion gilding, tumbling, oxidation, more polishing

3. Stone setting

- Exactly what it says above. But not nearly as simple as it sounds.  :)

And at this point if I want to grow the business and stretch my skills further, I need to have someone else involved in the finishing stage, possibly some of the fabrication stage, and possibly the stone setting stage.

I've been revamping the studio to allow some space for two people to work on jewelry here. Even if I have someone once a week, I think it would totally help. What many people don't realize about art jewelry is that the actual making of the jewelry (the fabrication process) is sometimes only a small part of the end result. There's often a LOT of time spent on cleanup and polishing. And even if you're good (i.e. quick) at the fabrication part, the cleanup and polishing is still going to be a bit of a time suck. So training someone to do that process will free up a good bit of time for me to do more with other aspects of the business.

I'm eager to push on, to expand, to dream even bigger...but for right now, there are still several custom orders awaiting my attention, so back to the work table to make things that will delight several women on Christmas morning.  :)