Price Jump!

Wow, I haven't been watching the price of silver lately (my computer was broken), but now its at $20. What?! I thought it was bad when it was $17-$18. I mean it is only a couple of dollars, but when I am in college (or really anyone these days) a couple of dollars can determine how much I can really get. Silver please go down, I want to do a metal order!!!

I started my sophomore year of college today, and so far so good. This year is going to be great. I want to be able to do well in school, while balancing everything else, work, friends, and of course jewelry. I am still looking into opening an etsy shop. I just need to get a little more settled into school to really start. That way it gives me time to get some inventory finished, and to have pictures taken. As soon as I open up a shop, I will definitely announce it here.
I had some free time the other day, and I went and took some cool pictures of the roses around campus. I have to pick some favorites, and I will share them in a later post.

:)

Last Best Craft Fair :)

I got accepted to be in the 16th annual Last Best Craft Fair for the first time, and I am very excited!! It is December 4th from 10-3 at the Wing School in Sandwich MA. I have a lot of work to do before then, and of course I will be updating as I can on here :)
It's a good I have lots of time to build up more stock, even if I am away from my torch at home...

Updates will be coming shortly (I hope!)

Pearls, Pearls and More Pearls

Today I went to the Cape Cod Bead Show with my mom. We have been going to the show for awhile now (it was my first bead show ever). Talisman Associates was there (they are awesome). I went to them first because I knew I wanted to stock up on pearls because I like to buy them in person. They have the best selection and price points. Leslie, the rep for the area, is awesome. She had saved some pearls for me, because she really wanted me to see them (so nice of her!!) The petal pearls were stunning, I had to get some. I bought from them 3 total times, because I kept finding more beads that I wanted. I have a large stash of pearls, so I will be doing lots of wire wrapping and knotting.
Then after we were done at the show, my mom and I got lunch at the Tea Room. Nothing beats some tea after bead shopping.

I have some new stuff to show, but no pictures yet..I have a lot to do before I go back to school on the 31st. (so soon!!)

I am off to make some jewelry :)

Frustration

Rant:

Ok, so I am trying to apply for more shows to get my jewelry out there more, one: so people can enjoy it and two: because it is kind of useless if its just hanging out in my studio. Yes, I do have it in a store, which is awesome, but I want to expand more and I can't expand if I am stuck in all of the same thing.
I go to apply for a show, fill out all of the information they requested online, and I am ready to login so that I can submit pictures, and it does not let me log in. I mean come on! So I email the organization to see maybe it just takes a little while for the information to be put in the database. I got an email back tonight that said (nicely, I am in no way insulting them, just needed to tell someone about it) is that they are no longer accepting any beaded or sea glass jewelry. I understand that the jewelry market is becoming very saturated, but how are upcoming jewelry artists going to get noticed if people instantly think that they do beaded stuff. Yes, I did start off with that (who doesn't?) but now I am incorporating more silver and metalwork into my pieces, but I still use beads, but they are usually nice pearls and crystals or semi precious stones. Not anything junky. And the must frustrating part of it is that they had not even seen any pictures of my work, and they instantly judged me! So, I emailed the organization back and described my work, so hopefully I will hear back soon.
Ok, my rant is over. Now on the the good stuff :)

New jewelry!
I think I mentioned how I was starting new lines of jewelry, and I have made some progress. I made two silver poppies (I did a bunch of samples in copper first to experiment), and they will probably be earrings, and then I will make another one into a pendant, and hopefully I will make a ring soon too.
The bezels are done, they are being tumbled so that they are nice and shiny, and then I will put the stones in (so I should have pictures soon...I know I promised awhile ago..I got distracted..woops)

Other than that I have been making cha cha earrings, which for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, they are individually wire wrapped pearls on sterling silver chain, and they are in clusters. Super fun, because I can make them in any color, or in any amount of pearls. I make each of the headpins myself, as well as the ear wires, and eventually I will be making all of the chain too. (but thats another project to do). I made about 7 pairs of them last night and today.

So because I typed up soo much in this post, here are some pretty flowers to make it better.

Enjoy :)






Until next time :)

Creating Lines of Jewelry

I love making jewelry in sets, whether people want the whole set or not. So now building on that I am in the process of creating lines of jewelry, which will hopefully be more marketable to stores. I am very fortunate to have my jewelry in the Jewel Box of Cape Cod, but I would love to get it into more stores. I have general ideas for names, I don't know if I want to be super fancy with them or not, but the names will develop themselves as soon as the lines are completed.
The list as of right now is:
-ocean (I know, super broad right? But I am starting to make lots of more shell and ocean inspired jewelry. And why not, I am surrounded by the ocean.)
-circle (I have a lot of different circle ideas right now that I have done, I just need to think of a cooler name.)
-starflower
-poppy
-bezels

The last three I haven't created many pieces yet, but I am in the process of making many more, as my supplies allow. I am trying not to order so much silver, as much as I would like to because I really need to save my money for books and expenses at school. (It's crazy what they charge for textbooks!!)
Once I have some definitive pieces done, I will definitely share them. I know I said it would be a week until I would have the bezels done, but alas they are still sitting on my bench. (woops.)

Until next time :)
Kate

Bezels!

I have been starting to make lots of bezels, because I have all of these cool cabochons that I've been collecting. They are still in the beginning phases, but I hope to have pictures within the next week. I have two pendants and one ring almost completely made, and a couple that are still in the beginning processes.
I really do like it, I think I found another technique to get addicted to.

I also will be taking a class (not in bezels, but that's okay), on the 18th at the Bead House. Stephanie Sersich will be back, and she is teaching her spiny knotted necklace. I have been dying to take this class ever since I took the spiny-knotted bracelet with her. She is such a great teacher! The necklace requires lots of beads, so its a good thing that I have a lot! ;)

Keep being creative!

Kate

Art on the Green 2010

My second time doing the Art of the Green show was amazing! My mom was a great helper, driving me and helping me set up all of the jewelry that I had. I had so much, and I was worried about not having enough! There was only one problem of the day, and that was wind. The wind decided to knock over the flowers I had, thus spilling water on my displays. I was freaking out because my mom went to go browse around the rest of the show, and I was trying to help customers and clean up with no paper towels. Thankfully I had brought a polishing cloth and a nice male customer helped me dry up everything the best it possibly could. It all ended up okay because I was able to double what I made last year, and I am very thankful for that. (So if anyone reading this came and supported me at the show, THANK YOU SO MUCH!)
I am looking forward to next year's show!














Enjoy!
I also am considering opening up an etsy account, any advice???