A long workday:
I got to work at 9am. A late start for most "worker bees" but it's now 11pm and I'll be working well past midnight. Twelve to fifteen hour workdays are nothing these past 5 years... I've had what you could call a FEW weekend getaways and trips to bead shows but no vacations. My passion turned to business has been a long haul indeed.
Today we moved walls at the store. We have been bringing more TOHO seed beads into inventory and had to move Miyuki Delicas to a smaller wall to use the bigger wall for TOHO. I am talking over 600 colors of TOHO moved in two days. Now we have to move the Delicas which are on the couch, to the smaller wall. We have really worked our proverbial booties off. PLUS, all the NEW stuff this week. It's been a killer.
We also submitted our first design to Bead & Button. It's not accepted yet...keep your fingers crossed. But we shipped it off Tuesday. We also sent a project to BeadWork. No acceptance yet either. Next week we'll mail a project to Step By Step Beads for spring 2010. We've also asked submission approval to Bead Unique for a project. Tarlee and I have been working on a new bezel technique, which I think we have DOWN! It's going to be exciting for two reasons. First, the bezel (that I know of) has never been done. Secondly, it might possibly be our first really ornate necklace design that doesn't incorporate some kind of Lucite.
I've also come up with what might possibly be a great design to enter in the 2010 Beaded Dreams contest OR the TOHO contest. I've never had enough faith in my beading abilities to enter that big of a contest. So I've shied away from it. But I've begun sketching the design and gathering materials. Now I just have to put "bead to mat" and grow some big ones!
Our entire reason for designing these days is to become published in magazines. We just keep trying to add to our beading resume so more people will see and have faith in our ability to design. We have so many other things to do now that we own the shop, we have to force ourselves to sit down and bead! Ohhhhhhh Tarlee has come up with the cutest CUFF idea and another SUPER clasp!
We're all about hidden functional clasps which make jewelry that you'll want to wear over and over again because even if the piece rolls on your wrist, the clasp has become part of the design!
We preach functionality at our shop. I guess it comes from that tube of lipstick I just had to purchase because my girlfriend looked great in it? When I put it on I look like the stand in for Mommie Dearest? We want our clients to WEAR what they create. If they don't wear it because it's not functional, why shop at our business again? AND if they do wear it and someone comments on the piece, they could say "ohhhhhh I love the color but it never lays right"...next thing out of the mouth "Where did you get it?" ...
So we preach functionality first. Colors you like before colors in fashion second. You'll wear colors you like for years but colors in fashion come and go. Third, design your wardrobe around your jewelry. A great piece of jewelry costs money! You can always buy a top on sale to match! :o)
Ohhhh and a close third, lightweight even though it looks heavy! Who wants a boulder hanging around their neck or wrist ALL day or night?
Not me!
So when you create a piece of jewelry...think:
Functional
Colors you like
Do I have a top that matches?
Lightweight
If you answer YES to these questions,you've mentally created a piece of jewelry you'll wear for years to come.
Now, lastly....have fun. Gather some girls. Some great fruit. Some great wine. And if you like cheese...it's a great addition but not necessary. Get out the bead mats, bead boards and get to beading!
It's the year of HOME-MADE gifts for Christmas. Start shopping now. Whether you give someone jewelry, bookmarks, hand sewn pillows or art. Everyone is going handmade in 2009!
Happy Beading!
K~
I got to work at 9am. A late start for most "worker bees" but it's now 11pm and I'll be working well past midnight. Twelve to fifteen hour workdays are nothing these past 5 years... I've had what you could call a FEW weekend getaways and trips to bead shows but no vacations. My passion turned to business has been a long haul indeed.
Today we moved walls at the store. We have been bringing more TOHO seed beads into inventory and had to move Miyuki Delicas to a smaller wall to use the bigger wall for TOHO. I am talking over 600 colors of TOHO moved in two days. Now we have to move the Delicas which are on the couch, to the smaller wall. We have really worked our proverbial booties off. PLUS, all the NEW stuff this week. It's been a killer.
We also submitted our first design to Bead & Button. It's not accepted yet...keep your fingers crossed. But we shipped it off Tuesday. We also sent a project to BeadWork. No acceptance yet either. Next week we'll mail a project to Step By Step Beads for spring 2010. We've also asked submission approval to Bead Unique for a project. Tarlee and I have been working on a new bezel technique, which I think we have DOWN! It's going to be exciting for two reasons. First, the bezel (that I know of) has never been done. Secondly, it might possibly be our first really ornate necklace design that doesn't incorporate some kind of Lucite.
I've also come up with what might possibly be a great design to enter in the 2010 Beaded Dreams contest OR the TOHO contest. I've never had enough faith in my beading abilities to enter that big of a contest. So I've shied away from it. But I've begun sketching the design and gathering materials. Now I just have to put "bead to mat" and grow some big ones!
Our entire reason for designing these days is to become published in magazines. We just keep trying to add to our beading resume so more people will see and have faith in our ability to design. We have so many other things to do now that we own the shop, we have to force ourselves to sit down and bead! Ohhhhhhh Tarlee has come up with the cutest CUFF idea and another SUPER clasp!
We're all about hidden functional clasps which make jewelry that you'll want to wear over and over again because even if the piece rolls on your wrist, the clasp has become part of the design!
We preach functionality at our shop. I guess it comes from that tube of lipstick I just had to purchase because my girlfriend looked great in it? When I put it on I look like the stand in for Mommie Dearest? We want our clients to WEAR what they create. If they don't wear it because it's not functional, why shop at our business again? AND if they do wear it and someone comments on the piece, they could say "ohhhhhh I love the color but it never lays right"...next thing out of the mouth "Where did you get it?" ...
So we preach functionality first. Colors you like before colors in fashion second. You'll wear colors you like for years but colors in fashion come and go. Third, design your wardrobe around your jewelry. A great piece of jewelry costs money! You can always buy a top on sale to match! :o)
Ohhhh and a close third, lightweight even though it looks heavy! Who wants a boulder hanging around their neck or wrist ALL day or night?
Not me!
So when you create a piece of jewelry...think:
Functional
Colors you like
Do I have a top that matches?
Lightweight
If you answer YES to these questions,you've mentally created a piece of jewelry you'll wear for years to come.
Now, lastly....have fun. Gather some girls. Some great fruit. Some great wine. And if you like cheese...it's a great addition but not necessary. Get out the bead mats, bead boards and get to beading!
It's the year of HOME-MADE gifts for Christmas. Start shopping now. Whether you give someone jewelry, bookmarks, hand sewn pillows or art. Everyone is going handmade in 2009!
Happy Beading!
K~
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