Spring Cleaning - It Doesn't Stop at Closets & Drawers!

Butterfly Bracelet featuring Swarovski Erinite

Yesterday presented me with a real “AHA!” moment. (Maybe I should call it a “DUH!” moment, but I choose not to advertise the fact that it took so long for me to see this!)

Sometimes the most common-sensical concepts can escape us. Anyway, I took quick action and woke up today feeling pretty accomplished!

Having just finished up a third craft show in as many weekends, I was busy reorganizing and repacking my jewelry for the umteenth time, including my line of crystal bracelets.  It suddenly dawned on me that despite plenty of local and online exposure, this particular line of bracelets were just not moving. They’ve certainly had their chance, been inventoried, packed, repacked, cleaned, repriced, retagged, and arranged on the table countless times. They had lookers, but very weak conversions to sales. Finaly, I realized that it was simply time for these puppies to go. It pulled on my heartstrings to disassemble them, as I really love these and worked hard assembling them. But once I faced this reality, and started snipping them apart, what a liberating feeling!   

I now have hundreds of bicones back in stock, ready to be recreated into new designs. And even more importantly, I’ve now freed up table space for more of my best selling items, as well as for some band new pieces I have planned for the fall shows!

Any artisan business takes much time and effort, and we need to keep moving forward, staying focused on what works, and also being comfortable with rooting out our weakest links.  This is how we stay fresh and new. The last thing we need at our perennial show tables, is to have our customers finding the same old non-selling pieces displayed year after year.

I am finished with spring shows for this year, and am excited that my upcoming fall display table will now be fresh, streamlined, and free of the dust bunnies

Finding a Style Niche by Knowing Where We Want To Go

One thing for sure about this business of jewelry design - there are so many choices!  Techniques, components, new skills to learn!  From basic "beads-on-a-headpin" projects, to threaded beading, beadweaving, wire-wrapping, benchwork - metalwork, dapping, sawing, rivets, soldering, stamping - and if that isn't enough to fire up the creative passion, there is lampwork!  (Not that I've learned half of these skills yet, mind you!)

My latest Necklace!

My table usually offers a somewhat eclectic mix, which my customers seem to like.  Over this past year, my newest addition has been wire crochet necklaces, sold in sets with matching earrings.  These have been well received, which delights me, as I love making them! I love the many different looks that can be created, and how at the start of a project, the outcome remains a surprise until it is completed.

During this process, I have learned something about my own style, at least in my wire crochet pieces.  Amid the numerous ways that these can be worked up, some designers prefer to make the currently popular "chunky" designs, and some lean more toward the more delicate, lacey look (so fabulous for weddings!)  Many designers also like to leave generous open space between beads, so that this bare crocheted wire becomes a design element in itself. These are all beautiful looks!  But recently, in looking over the year's production photos, it is clear that I am drawn to the depth that is created by combining generous portions of rich colors and textures, some lightly layered, and finishing with a splash of coodinating seed beads to accent the other colors.  The final result is that most of wire is covered by the mix of beads.  This is my first experience in the development of a design "niche", and while to most this would seem trite, for me, it is exciting, indeed!        

I will always want to have a somewhat eclectic table, and to enjoy the freedom of adding new items and techniques as the inspiration arrives.  But once we know where we want to go, it is infinitely easier to get there!

Happy Beading to All!

Wearing All of Your Hats Without Losing Your Mind

Most of us keep some form of "to-do" lists, whether written or mental.   Typically, we have several areas or categories of projects that need our attention. Needs may include household, business, family needs, and those miscellaneous little to-do's that always show up unexpectedly.  For a long while, I was simply picking a project from one area, and working on it until it was completed.

Found these tangerine and other Czech Glass beads last week at Baltimore Bead Society bead show.  I know they are "spring" colors, but couldn't wait to work this one up.  Swirl dangles in middle of earrings are sterling silver - had these awhile, just waiting for the right project to use them. 

Seems logical, right?  Half a day would go by with my head buried in a "thing", and I'd feel great about getting that one thing done.  Only one problem - Most of us wear several hats at a time, and if we don't adjust each of them, that stack can topple fast!  On most days, each one needs at least some of our attention.

Recently, I've started breaking down my projects into smaller tasks, and putting some time into each area daily.  Although a given project might take a bit longer to complete, I find the days, overall, much more productive, less overwhelming, and ending in a better sense of accomplishment.  There are no longer those neglected hats looming over my head, driving me nuts.  Now, whatever I accomplish (or don't), I end each day more relaxed, confident that I have spent some time in each room in my "house", and that nothing crucial has fallen through the cracks. 

(Note:  Those that know me, know that I use the term "my house" to mean the whole of my life, homeplace, circle of relationships, environment, spirit.    Such as, "We need to put the care of "our house" first", meaning our own family's well-being and security.  Or, "We need to take care in what we invite into "our house", meaning that we should be careful who or what we allow into our lives, whether it be toxic relationships, people who would bring unacceptable behaviors, etc.)

For me, 2012 is going to be about the pursuit of BALANCE and grabbing more JOY!

Filling The Little Spaces in the Heart

 Whether wearing my artisan hat or administrator cap, I spend quite a bit of time in my studio.  Here, designs are born, tweaked, marketed and sold (with the exception, of course, of the creations I can't bear to part with!)  Within this corner of my house, I also manage my other financial accounts, play with my dogs, (when they're not too busy lying around like so much seaweed!) and this is also where I assist my husaband with the paperwork side of his business.

This messy but comfortably familiar space has come to hold bits of my heart, manifestation of who I am at this point in my life.  It is where creativity and motivation grow.  As this room holds so much responsibility, it is my intention that it be a nurturing space, although this is much more of an ideal than a reality at this point. The goal is set, but certainly this room does not yet resemble a haven!  Most often, my studio looks as though a herd of monkeys has just blown through it. Still, over time, little special bits have made there way here, and each brings me a smile every time I notice them.  

Atop a shelf next to my desk, a few such objects have quietly begun to gather.  This began with the arrival of a K'nex creation that my son, now 21, made for me many years ago.  It was originally a holder for #10 envelopes, and carefully created for this purpose to help me organize my desk.   I used this multicolor (and indestructible) tray for many years, and it now holds some of my ink stamps.

 The next item to show up from somewhere in the house, was a little Sculpey Clay truck, also a creation of my son's.  During our homeschooling years, our week included weekly art lessons, and this one was from an afternoon we spent on Sculpey clay creations.  This was a meticulous effort on his part.  The wheels, windshields and exterior details had to be just so, before it was baked to cure the clay, and then finished in a high gloss glaze.  Homeschooling was a nine-year part of my life career, and I have no doubt that on my last day, I will still remember it as my life's most fulfilling job, beyond my children's birthdays.  I love having this little momento nearby to remind me of those special times.

One year, as I was just finding time to begin pursuing creative outlets, my daughter gave me a charming little beechwood book mark, with a little ribbon and bead dangle, and on the wood, the simple message, "Follow Your Bliss".  What a wonderful quote, and valuable advice in this life!  I loved that she recognized the path I was seeking out, and took the time to validate this for me.  It is a precious thing to share with our children the wavelength that we are on, really "get" each other, and have the ability to validate the value of each other's dreams.

I have a set of kitchy tilt glasses, once owned by a dear family friend who has passed on.  While a few were chipped, I found the perfect use for one, as a holder for my business cards.  This now sits in this space, and whenever I reach for a card to include with a shipment, I remember this special person that I was blessed to know, and it always makes me smile to remember her little giggle and most generous heart.  It is always fun to find a way to repurpose items, but even moreso when they have special meaning.

The latest item to this little collection is a whimsical "Sassy Sista' " pin, a gift this Christmas from a talented and creative friend, who has been a wonderful mentor and consultant in my venture into the world of jewelry design.  She is a marvelous Kumihimo artist, and has inspired me to seek out time this year to try my hand at this wonderful and ancient Japanese braiding technique.  A photo of one of her recent pieces is shown below.   I love the combination of colors and textures, and notice how the button motif used in the clasp is in perfect harmony with the brilliant blue magatama beads!  Gorgeous!

Consider your own studio, bedroom, office, or wherever a good portion of your time is spent.  Can some of the little treasures of your own life find a place in your space, where they can cheer you, and nurture your heart on even your busiest workdays?  It doesn't take much space, and reminds us to take the occasional moment to just ...  breathe.

I love the colors in this Kumi bracelet, and the fabulous button and coordinating clasp loop!

Stop into my beading buddy's Etsy shop to check out more lovelies!  www.BizeeBeeCreations.Etsy.com, and don't forget to stop by my shops as well!

PearTreeJewelry.etsy.com

PearTreeVintage/etsy.com

Saint John Ursuline Bears!

Through the magic of Facebook, I have, over the past couple of years, reconnected with several of my high school classmates.  We launched our lives together from a small girls' parochial school in San Francisco.

It has been fun to see where friends' lives have taken them.  Some  scattered across the country, but many stayed in the Bay Area.  I would venture to say that for all of us, San Francsico still holds our roots.  There remains a certain pride in being a native daughter.  

We have all collected a few badges, ribbons and medals, well worn in the form of (just a few) gray hairs, wrinkles and sags, but all have been well earned.  May our laugh lines  always overshadow our worry creases, and may each gray hair represent a quick moment of worry that gave way to an hour of relief. 

We've worked through our careers, found our mates and life-long friendships, raised our kids, (or became the "Village" for our "kids from other mothers".)  Some of us have now watched loved ones departing for better shores.  This is some of the tough stuff, and we are learning how to "do" this part of life.  To paraphrase Betty Davis, getting older "...Ain't for Sissies".  But it also has an upside.

This is a rich time in our lives.  Some are celebrating recent retirement (I for one am jealous!)  Most major life work is behind us, and now we are beginning to exhale and enjoying the payback for a lifetime of hard work.  Though it does come with a few new learning curves, there is a special comfort in having a few connections with our fellow SJU Bears - those with whom we started our journeys, back when "our time" was just beginning.

Wishing my Saint John Ursuline sisters a wondeful New Year!  May 2012 bring much joy, fabulous new experiences, the comfort of financial security, and above all, may each day be enjoyed in the best of health.

Regrouping for the New Year!

Craft show season has taught me that sometimes it's OK to leave to-do's for later, at least during those months when it really is the squeakiest wheel that gets oiled.  As I mentioned earlier, I'm on a mission to declutter and reorganize my studio.  I've found that the actual task is not nearly as bad as thinking about it before diving in.
But this type of endeavor does take blocks of uninterrupted time, (what is THAT again?)  This quiet little week between Christmas and New Year's presents the perfect opportunity.

A good start is already underway, and improvements are actually becoming visible to the naked eye.  One of the remaining clutter-bugs is a group of individual baggies, lined up like so many little train cars across the table, each holding one of my wire crochet necklace sets with matching earrings.  These have been patiently waiting to be listed on Etsy, and today I got all but one listed - the last one hopefully to be done tonight.

Just one more big challenge in the studio - that catch-all container that I've been avoiding like the plague.  Motivation has hung around, thank goodness, so hopefully I'll have conquered that Sterlite box by the end of the week, and my studio will be all set to welcome in 2012!

A final thought  - how can it be 12 years since the Y2K crisis was averted, and no, the world did not come to a technological halt.

This set, in Montana blue Czech glass and freshwater pearls, was my best seller at shows this year.  A personal favorite as well, so I was tickled that others agreed!  One set remains available, just listed today in my Etsy shop.

peartreejewelry.etsy.com

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Christmas morning is always a fun whirlwind at our house.  Family members gathering, sleepy-eyed, for gift opening, the traditional pancakes, and of course the choclate covered cherries that someone always gets for me (yum! This year from my son)  I'm not sure who enjoys it more, the humans opening gifts, or the doggies playing in the scattered tissue!

This year was no exception.  This is one morning that we can count on our family spending together, and I treasure this time - all of the season's work is done and now we can all exhale and relax, spend the day watching whatever new DVDs arrived under the tree, have a cat-nap if moved to do so, and snack ourselves silly throughout the day. 

Another Christmas Morning with the family to remember - Oh, and today was made even more special, as my kids pulled me into the 21st Century with my very first iPod!    I always keep up with technology, albeit if usually a decade or so late! 

Ollie is looking forward to New Year's!