my 36th birthday/love Swarovski crystals!

Today is my 36th birthday, and I've never been happier. On the creative business front, I'm investing more money into Swarovski crystals and have been creating some more upscale designs, that I absolutely love. I call them the cluster series, because each necklace has a cascading cluster of individually wrapped loop beads for a focal piece. The earrings are also a cascading cluster. I've made two Swarovski sets, one in various shades of blue, and another in black, icy gray, and crystal AB finish. I absolutely adore them, and they turned out fabulous!

I also have other sets without Swarovskis in them. These are generally a flower-theme with the beads, as I've bought a few strands of pretty little bellflower beads which work great in this design. Sometimes I accent the chain with beads, sometimes I don't and leave the chain shorter. I like them both. Yesterday I made a set in shades of blue with the bellflower beads, and also beaded a simple bracelet to go along with it. I'm working on the photographs right now in Photoshop so I can list them for sale at etsy and iCraft, as well as DaWanda.

the Square Effects support system

My grandmother has had a lifelong fascination with turquoise and Swarovski, and with jewelry in general. She's also a very generous woman who gives away as much as she keeps. She and my mother have nutured my passion for creating jewelry, and are two of my biggest supporters as well as customers.

Grandma was never one to shy away from spending money on quality jewelry, and I try to model my own pieces after this. I could cut corners, and on some things I opt for less expensive materials (silver-plated wire and findings instead of sterling), but I would rather charge more and put in the extra labor to ensure my pieces will last than rush something through and have it fall apart after 6 months.

New Technique: working with Resin

I've been working with new materials for the past few weeks now, and it's time to share what I've achieved. The pendant at the left is a one-of-a-kind, which means I couldn't replicate it if I tried. I've tried to come up with similar looks but haven't yet. I'm using Easy Cast Casting Epoxy, and I absolutely love it. It allows me a certain creative freedom I don't get with beads. I adore the swirled look. With the purple colored back this pendant reminds me of clouds. Anyone looking to try their hand at resin should check out http://www.resinobsession.com/. The woman who owns the site has a terrific assortment of supplies, and everything I've ordered from her has been top quality. Now, this pendant is not for sale (it's for ME!!), but I do have one currently listed at Etsy:------------------------------------------>
It reminds me of creamsicles or orange sherbert (sherbet?). Maybe I'm anxious for summer to get here....clouds, creamsicles.....
That's it for now...I will try to post more regularly.

My Etsy mini

I want to showcase some items from my own Esty shop, so here's a glance. There are several more items available for sale.

going where the urge takes me

I work with many different genres. I tend to go off and investigate something new when I see something that interests me. I've taken photographs for years now, and consider this to be one of my best talents. The jewelry making is something I took to right away, and has also been very successful, although I'm actively working to turn it into a full time job instead of a parttime one. I actually got into the jewelry obsession after buying a few things to make a beaded bookmark for my boyfriend!

I've knitted for a few years, crocheted for longer. I recently knitted and felted a piece that's waiting to be turned into a purse. I've wanted to try quilling but haven't yet (it's on the t0-do) list. What I really need to work on is getting some of my photography submitted to the New York State Fair for this fall. I have some that I'm sure will do VERY well, and what a boost that would be to both my ego and my sales if I can say "judge's choice" or "blue ribbon winner" to go along with the photograph.

I've not sewn anything in quite a while, but this has more to do with doing other things than anything else. Currently, the sewing machine is at my feet under my desk. I have sewn some quilts though, with my mom.

Besides focusing on improving my website and marketing that and the etsy and cafepress sites, I'm working a lot with resin these days. My goal is to use the medium to create pendants from my photographs. I also am fascinated with seeing what I can embed in resin, and one trip through the grocery store will have me throwing a large handful of items in the cart thinking they'll look cool as jewelry. It's an interesting way of looking at things.

I had a patient at work ask me what my 'business' is. As I was trying to come up with a consice answer, a coworker told her "it's a hodge podge of creativity". I like that. I think that fits. :^)

Slideshow of photography, jewelry

I thought I'd take a quick minute and link a slideshow I put together with various screenshots of some of the items available through cafepress, as well as some of the jewelry available for sale. I do know the gunmetal beaded chainmaille bracelet has been sold, I think everything else is still available.

Inspiration

So, what's that quote about something being X % inspiration, Y % perspiration? Yeah, I'm too lazy to google it, too. Well, the other night Asia was putting on a concert at the Turning Stone Casino, and I was fortunate enough to have tickets, thanks to Sir Wonderful, Coz. It was a FANTASTIC show. How many chances can one girl expect to have to watch Steve Howe play guitar? Granted, I laughed right along with Sir Wonderful every time Steve did the patented (if it's not, it should be) Steve Howe Hop, and it was slightly embarrassing to see how appalled he was at me counting the number of concerts I've attended on one hand, but still the night was fantastic! How inspiring...truly, food for the soul.

Copper and clay

I've been working mostly on trying to figure out different methods to combine my photography with my jewelry. I want to be able to have multiple pendants & pieces with my photography either embedded or transferred or whatnot that I can use.

I started working with polymer clay. There is liquid polymer clay available that will to varying degrees pull a printed image into itself. I'm working on how to do this evenly. It's difficult just cooking a blob of liquid with the photograph laid over top of it, because the liquid usually isn't level on both sides. I began playing around with embedding the liquid clay (and the image) into fabric, as well as some funky copper mesh I found at Michaels Arts & Crafts. I haven't gotten too far with the process although I have successfully transferred images into workable items. The hard part now is actually working to see what can be done. I did encase the image on copper mesh in black clay, somewhat of a cabachon setting of sorts. My skill with the clay is rudimentary, and the resulting pendant is pretty dark and abstract, although the original photo is also. The copper stick at the top is what I inserted during the curing process (which means baking in the toaster oven) so that I can insert a bail or something else later on to hang it from. I think it's a promising technique, and I'm fascinated with copper so this works.

I'm also working on how to embed pendants with copper flakes and little pieces of the copper mesh. This is my first attempt. I think adding the white clay was not the best way to go, at least not adding it after the piece was texturized. Still, it's a work in progress and a good learning experience for me. I'm having fun working with the medium, mixing media together and seeing what the possibilities are.

Jewelry, photography product samples

The business end of art

Superbowl Sunday.

The Giants are back in the Super Bowl. The team I was raised to adore above all others. And I can watch it on any one of three televisions in any of the three downstairs rooms in the house.

I'm trying to get the SquareEffects website fine tuned, but I don't know enough about web design. So, I do the best I can and hope for the best.

My CafePress store has been up and running for not quite a year now. I've made some sales to people I don't actually know, and that makes me happy. I guess it's a pat on the back for me to know there are people who don't know me that appreciate my art enough to spend their money on it. I hope I can get the Etsy site up to that level within a few months, although I do expect to gain many customers through my own marketing efforts.

Sometimes I feel torn between photography and jewelry....and then I start an Etsy store which requires me to photograph my jewelry, and all is well.