The End

It’s over. I have lots to say but too many places to say it. I have another blog where I’ve been doing much more writing and I’ve decided to continue with it. Part of my decision is that recently WordPress has been going through a lot of changes and I admit to not being able to keep up with those changes. Instead of getting easier it feels like this blogging is getting harder.

It’s been a good run and I thank all of you for your participation.

FINIS

Interview with a Spiritual Influence

Meet Meagan, a person I met on SwapSity.  Meagan knows how to say just enough and leaves you wanting more. Without giving anything away I can tell you I benefited when Meagan recently reduced her glass beads  ’stash’. As soon as I can I’ll be making some glass bead artisan jewellery.

H: Who are you in your ‘real’ life?

M: Good question! My real life is a work in progress. All I can say is that I am interested in tons of different things.

H: What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it? Do you still have it?

M: I remember making cloud nametag pins with my mom when I was a kid. She’s a big crafter of all sorts of things. I think she still has the pins in her house womewhere.

H: Describe your work area: what is the best thing and the worst thing about your space?

M: I work at my desk. I like to be able to look at my computer because  I’m still learning some of the finer aspects of making prayer beads and I use lots of tutorials and pictures for inspiration. I have one of those slide out keyboard trays and my bead cloth is on that. It’s a good use of the space, although I wish the lighting were a little better.

H: What is your medium of choice?

M: I’m a beader. I used to make fashion jewellery and I’m starting to make prayer beads now.

H: What are your favourite materials?

M: I love natural materials. I’ve always been drawn to simple, functional things that are close to nature. The less polished the better! It is my dream to learn to whittle my own wooden beads.

H: What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from? Do your other interests play a part in your designs?

M: I often get ideas just from seeing interesting shapes and colours in my daily travels. I am a very spiritual person.

H:  For whom do you do your designs?

M: I think I mostly design for myself.  I give a lot of my work away as gifts.

There you go! Didn’t I say she is interesting! Meagan and I ’swapped’ her beads for my money. I’d be lying to say these beads are nice: they’re great! 

Thanks, Meagan, for this interview. While your answers got me to a-thinking so I hope you found yourself happily reminiscing.

Helen

I am so happy that Meagan sent her answer to a follow up question I had.

H: What influenced your change of focus?

M: I guess I decided to start with prayer beads because spirituality is becoming more and more important to me. To be honest I liked making jewellery but not so much wearing it, so this is something I can also use myself.

Good or bad, Life is Growth. When we stop growing is the day we die. Some change is easy but it is the hard to accept change that builds our character.

Notes to Self ~ Pet Peeves April 6 2009

We all have them: pet peeves. Sometimes it’s really puny stuff that we should learn to ignore:  like being upset when somebody borrows something and doesn’t return it from where they got it ~ or sits at your desk and moves stuff but doesn’t put it back as they found it.

Today I have 2 pet peeves: and combined make a great reward of failure. 1 + 2 = 3.

1. People who won’t reveal their sources. I spent a thoroughly wonderful time wandering through the Toronto spring One Of A Kind (OOAK) show, got a lot of business cards, and chatted with some wonderful artisans. I found some really interesting wires being used by some of the jewellery makers. I asked several where they found their wire and the stock answer was ,’oh, I get it from so many places.’ Yeah, right!! Who are you trying to protect: the manufacturer of the wire ~ Not. Your business? That backfires when you give me that answer: I put down what I was looking at and admiring and considering buying, turn and walk away. I enjoy buying other people’s jewellery~~ we all have such different styles. Even if we all make artisan jewellery, we aren’t necessarily in competition with each other. I love beads.  Lotsa beads. You prefer wirework. Or you use precious metals. Or you do bead making, lampwork, and such. All the same stuff but different from one another. Share information with those who ask and build a stronger artisan jewellery makers’ community. Now I won’t be sharing information I found that may helpful to those 2 people. Share and grow.   PLUS
2. I hate getting a helpful information and there is no website or name or anything to remind me where, at which booth , I got it. Case in point: yesterday I got a business card size recipe for sparkling up copper. I didn’t take the time to write down the name or booth number of the artist and now I have a wonderful recipe and no way of contacting the individual. Her work was wonderful. Too bad. Put your name on everything. I have a helpful table of necklace lengths and bead numberson the back of my business cards. The information is helpful and everytime it is viewed there is the place she got it from.  I wrap my packages in cardstock that has my name on it and I add a business card: the package is kept closed with return address labels I printed with my website and email listed on it. Put your name on everything!   EQUALS
3. 1 + 2 = 3.   This year’s OOAK had something revolutionary: a big plot of real estate for winners of a juried show sponsored by the Eastern Ontario Community Futures Development Corp. There was a First Nations booth showing the work of an Ojibway ~ Todd Jamieson ~ and a Salish ~ Alfie Fishgap. When I got home I emailed another contact who was not at the show, RonaldEverettDesign.com, to ask him to research the CFDC for his work ~ he does some remarkable West Coast designs in his clothing. I had his card, he was interesting and intelligent; I remembered him favourably, and I have followed up with him after more than a year with no contact. He put his ‘brand’ on his work and he wasn’t afraid to talk to me about his work.

OKAY! OKAY!!

Just think about what I said. Generosity and Planned Opportunity can make the difference.

Helen – off her soapbox.                      ……………For Now.

It’s WEDDING Time!!

How exciting! Everybody’s busy and focused on THE wedding. Emotions run high. You learn all over again how wonderful your friends are.

People are watching their spending closely. It’s no different for artisan jewellery being worn by this year’s brides. Try DIY ~Do It Yourself~ kits.  You’ll learn a new technique that may send you down a path you thought you’d never follow. A new hobby is in the offing, perhaps. The DIY kits I write give you the instruction cards and some inexpensive beads to make the kit. If you already have the beads you want to use and really need only the instructions, the price would be less: it makes sense. It is hoped that the experience for the beader will be good enough that she will carry on with her own variations on the technique.

If you are like me, you work well under pressure and everything needs doing NOW.

Well!  I’ve been commissioned to work on the jewellery of 2 weddings. And for the person who wants to do it herself, I am working on a tutorial for an illusion-floating necklace. But I don’t have the exact illusion necklace made in 3D; just some rough sketches. However, as I write the tutorial I’ll be doing the steps myself to ensure nothing important is left out. When the tutorial is finished, so will be my illusion necklace.

Okay, Beth, get yourself to London and find the beads you want. Here’s a list of the bead shops in the London area I found. I don’t know London but I’m sure you do so you can map out your day.

 

Businesses Serving London ON

			Beads & Plenty More – 519-472-3237   317 Adelaide Street South , London , ON N5Z3L3 London’s Original Bead Shop(Over 20 Years) www.beadsandplentymore.com • Classes (Individual Glass Fusing) • Costume Designed Jewellery for all…… more Category : Beads, Arts & Crafts-Retail Map & Directions   www.beadsandplentymore.com   Save   Share   Add to Facebook

			Edwards Glass Co Ltd – 519-649-7225   471 Newbold Street , London , ON N6E1K4 Category : Beads Map & Directions   www.5196497225.yp.ca   Save   Share   Add to Facebook

			London Beadery – 519-652-2235   3392 Wonderland Road South , London , ON N6L1A8 SW Ont’s Largest Retail/Whol Classes & Parties www.londonbeadery.com… more Category : Beads Map & Directions   www.londonbeadery.com   Save   Share   Add to Facebook

The Beading Bug – 519-633-2345 368 Talbot Street , St Thomas , ON N5P1B6 Category : Beads Map & Directions   www.5196332345.yp.ca   Save   Share   Add to Facebook

 

 

If you are like me, you will stand amazed at all the pretty stuff. Take your shopping list and, for this trip at least, stick to it. If you decide you want to do more beading after the immediate jewellery emergency, then go back to the shops you liked best and stock up.

You will need a filament that is clear and skinny and strong. Hit the local Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire: find the fishing gear and get the smallest and least expensive reel of Monofilament Fishing Line. It’s a plastic line ~ I have 15lb test/tension but 6 or 8lb is just as good. Run out a small section of the line and knot it: does it hold the knot or does it begin to un-knot itself? You want to be able to knot it. Remember, you must go cheap or live with all kinds of the stuff left over.

You will need a string of pearls and another of crystals. How many will depend on  how close together you want the pearls to be spaced. Don’t forget that if you do the bracelets you have the same consideration of how much is needed.

Bracelet length:

8 inches ~ 20 cm     This measurement  includes the clasp

Necklace Lengths:

Choker = 16 inches ~ 41 cm

Princess = 18 inches ~ 46cm

Matinee = 24 inches~  61cm

Opera 32 inches ~ 81 cm

Rope 48 inches ~ 122 cm

Let me share an experience I had several months ago. A lady with a very small frame commissioned a choker necklace. I made the mistake of not measuring her neck ~ not a mistake I want to repeat. I re-did the necklace 3 times because the ’standard’ choker length of 16 inches was too big. Finally the piece measured 14inches and my client was happy.

So !! Measure twice and string once. Measure it again.

The measurements are for that mythical being, the  ’Average Woman.’  If the recipient has a big wrist then the 8inches might be too snug. A 16inch choker will be too tight for a large woman and too loose for the woman with a tiny neck.

You can do a multi strand necklace.

Sit down with paper and pencil ~ you can do it in front of the TV!

What have you in mind for the bracelet and necklace?

How few or many stations (pearl component) will you want?

How fancy will each pearl component be?  Multiple pearls with a single crystal? or the other way around? or 1 crystal / 1 pearl  / 1 crystal / 1 pearl spaced out along the line?

Measure 2x and bead once. The more planning you do here, the faster the process will be. Take your time in the planning stage and do it well.

Think of your choice in clasps now, before you buy them, so they look proper in the piece of jewellery ~ neither too big nor too small. It has to look appropriate for its job of supporting the filament/s.

Remember that if you are doing multiples of the same design, such as all the bridesmaids, then you will have to take what you need for 1 bracelet or necklace and multiply it by the number of people receiving this wonderful gift.

One last thing to consider! The size of the beads.
A 7mm bead looks wonderful in a floating or illusion design. A 16mm bead would probably be too big.

You need  a clasp, 2 clamshell beadtips, 2 jumprings or springrings, crystals, pearls, seed beads, clear monofilament fishing line.

You need a measuring stick. A ruler is fine. I use a retractable tape measure. I really don’t know what I would do without my local hardware stores. So much of my equipment and findings, etc. I buy at the hardware.

You need a bead tray or cloth to lay out your beads.

You need a couple of dabs of glue.  And the glue must not damage the monofilament. Read the information and check that it can be used with glass, plastic, metal.

This really isn’t an ad and I haven’t received any money, year’s supply of !

 I use Household GOOP (hardware again) or Beadalon’s Bead Stringing Glue. Check with the bead shop staff to get their opinion on glues.

You need  peace and quiet (maybe with your favourite music playing?).

You need to have your social secretary ~ or child, or husband, or ….,handle all your phone calls.

You need your favourite non-alcoholic beverage.

You need to keep your adorable pets safe from what you are doing. You will be working with small bits and pieces and they can kill your cat/pet. Same goes for wee kidlets.

So!

There you go. You are on the road to beading heaven. It can be a very expensive hobby if you are not careful. If this is your first foray into beading artisan jewellery it’s important not to spend money too freely. Get what you need and leave. You can, and probably will return.

I wish you joy and a new hobby you can enjoy for many years to come. Working with your hands and brain both engaged produces some really marvellous pieces of wearable art.

Will you send me pictures of your finished pieces? I’d like to add them to this blog.

All tied up in beads    …Helen

Thank You

I am back from the Show and beginning to scribble down my thoughts. Top of the list is to thank all of you who visited our booth ~Glass0Beads~ and shared their jewellery and their lives with us.

And for those who have taken the time to visit me here and leave their comments ~ thank you.

I have a new interview lined up and that means you need to check back to read it. The person? Meagan Shaughnessy. The reason? She is in the midst of a major shift in her approach to life and her artistic direction. A delightful young lady, I met her at the Show. Thanks, Meagan, for meeting me there: I appreciate it.

And I have a new bridal commission. Thanks Sarah. It’s her mother’s fault that Sarah came to me: thanks Jessie.

To the other artisan jewellers and bead makers who shared their experiences and information with me: THANK YOU. That’s a biggie because the education was free and with no strings attached. I was looked after, watched out for, shared and cared for.

We had a wee elf in our booth going by the name of Vanessa. A young whipper-snapper with all the exuberance and capabilities of the young. She brought me down to reality: I really am not as young as I think. But that’s not her fault, you understand: it’s mine for thinking I was still young. She taught me some functions of my camera that I didn’t know it has. And she took some of my pictures. Pretty good, don’t you think!? She was a delightful booth mate and a house guest that wasn’t noisy. Thanks Vanessa for everything.

The kits by Joannlx at BeadKitsByMail.com were offered at our booth. Thanks Joann for trusting me.

Will I do it again? You bet. In a heartbeat. My next show is in May and I’ll be volunteering there. Learning should never stop: if it does, you’re dead. And volunteering will give me the lessons at no charge.

That show? Toronto Bead Society’s Spring Bead Fair on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at Toronto’s YMCA, 20 Grosvenor Street (west of Yonge). It runs 10am to 5pm. This show is just like  the Bead Oasis Show but on a much smaller scale. You won’t regret your visit.

Social Marketing – 02 11 09 LinkedIn, StumbleUpon

So! Let’s go. This is one artisan jeweller who is making an enormous effort to focus on business.  Why do artisans seem so scatterbrained? Our minds are whirling around like a Whirling  Dervish, with wonderful and beautiful ~ beautiful to this artisan ~ ideas for things to make.

When you look at a tree, do you ask yourself how you could render the tree in your favourite techniques? If I use this bead colour for the leaves and these triangle beads for the trunk of the tree and something pretty in pink around the trunk for those pretty pink flowers, I can do it all as a Dorset Button!

That takes brain space so business stuff ~ the left side of your brain is the logical side ~ gets pushed around to allow more space for all the artsy stuff.  The artsy stuff on the left side of the brain is manipulating my great ideas within a defined space: that is the logical part of the artsy stuff.

With all that going on, is it any wonder that the business acumen suffers so much in the brain of the artisan jewellery designer and manufacturer!?

But today I’ve promised myself I’ll focus on business. Today I am filling out my LinkedIn profile. And, if there is time, I’m moving on to do the same stuff, I mean business, on my StumbleUpon profile.

If there is still time, I’ll be investigating ‘ning’ accounts vs. Blogger vs WordPress for my brand new www.JewelryGeeks.com group, Love Beads. That’s all about beads. I really want to keep this group, still in its infancy, vibrant and a place to go for bead works.

I think I have my work cut out for me. I may be logical and have business skills ~ some skills but not a lot of them. I may be able to reason out a problem put before me.  I may be able to identify what needs doing next. But all that is shoved back to make room for  designing, creating, making and embellishing with glass beads.

Even this post has a better reason than just listening to my thoughts: it is the way I can link with LinkedIn. This is an experiment and I hope it works.

Go to http://www.linkedIn.com/artisanjewellery and see if there’s a link to BaubleBabble’s WordPress account.

PS  IT WORKED!! My WordPress post shows up in my LinkedIn profile.  YIPPEE!!

Marketing My Artisan Jewellery Business

“How to Stop Social Media Taking Over Your Day

• ONLY SHARE WHAT IS SAFE TO SHARE – Once you connect to people outside your close friends and family you need to restrict the information you place in these networks. If in doubt, keep it to yourself.
• Observe before following.
• If people are taking too much of your time, drop them, and do not feel any guilt about it. There are no rules that say you have to follow everyone who follows you!
• Pick your venues and do not try to be active in all of them.
• Do not take part in time-wasting activities, such as quizzes and zombie games.
• Set Social Media time and log off when that time is over.
• Grow your network selectively and steadily – Learn how much activity you can manage.
• Use tools where appropriate.

Turn off beeps and popup message alerts, they just take you away from work. In my case using TweetDeck has helped me a great deal (when the thing doesn’t freeze on me) because it puts front and center the most important stuff while keeping less priority stuff accessible.”    ~excerpt from http://www.chrisg.com/

There’s more where that came from but I’ll let you go through it yourself.

There are a bazzzillion companies out there, at least it feels like a bazzzillion, selling you stuff you can do for FREE.  I agree that, if you can afford it, they will bring the job back on time and within budget. But you need to know so much just to pick the successful candidate company. And you run the risk of being taken for a ride you can’t afford.

That has been my bete noire: I trusted the wrong people and I’m in the hole now. It’s a deep hole, too.

I subscribe to the philosophy of  the Renaissance Wo/Man:  be the expert of only one thing:   knowing where you can get the answers to your questions. That will make you an expert of everything.

The answer? Here are my do’s and don’ts:

Do the research yourself.  Hunt up as many forums on the subject and ask questions. Check out Google Asks and Yahoo Asks.

Do ask questions.

Do as much as you can yourself.

My Biggest DO? DO use the common sense you were given at birth.

Don’t  hire the first company that reaches you.

Don’t believe that only they can do things you are perfectly capable of doing yourself.

There is so much to know that it is easy to become frozen, not knowing where you should take your first step.  It can be overwhelming. Each evening, before closing down for the day, decide what your goal for tomorrow will be.  Scribble a quick reminder on your computer so you can get to work on that goal even before you finish your first coffee.  

Now, focus on that one thing.  There will be lots of things to distract you but always come back to that one goal. If achieving that goal will take several days, then stick with that goal until it is completed.

Send yourself a ’status report’ at the end of each business day. Read it the next morning while wearing your ‘CEO Hat.’ 

Stay Focussed.

Notes to Self: Music Hath Power …

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable evening last night. On our Bravo channel was 2 hours of song and dance by the Soweto Gospel Choir. I loved it! The performance celebrated the 10th anniversary of democracy, the downfall of apartheid, in South Africa.

The harmonies and dissonances sound different to our western ears and yet it was not jarring in any way.

The choir’s costumes were as rich in colour and shape and BEADS as the music was. The dancers left me feeling breathless, yet they were able to sing without breathlessness. Now, that’s what I call conditionning. These ladies and gentlemen were physically fit.

The audience, made up of all races, ages and, I assume, of many religions, sitting all together, was appreciative of the performers from South Africa.

At the end of the performance the entire hall rose and sang, hand on heart, the South African national anthem.

‘Music hath power to soothe the savage beast.’  In China, I believe, the word for ‘music’ and ‘friend’  rise from the same root.  In music, it is very hard to stay angry with others.

It’s important for you to know about a charity, Playing for Change, that is building schools in many poor nations to teach children their ABC’s and their Do Re Mi’s. The school is fully equipped with instruments and recording equipment and teachers and enthusiastic students.

As with all charities, it seems never to have enough: not enough labourers to build the schools, not enough teachers, not enough money, not enough of everything to spread the word.

I offer some items of wearable art artisan jewellery for sale; the funds are sent to Playing for Change. And I can lift up my voice ~ not in song, I wouldn’t inflict anybody with my ’song.’ But in writing posts on my blogs to get the word out is a way to spread the work.

Go to http://www.PlayingforChange.com.  Support them in any way you can. As you give, so will it be given unto you. There is always somebody worse off.

Well, that’s my opinion

Helene, Glass0Beads ~Glass #0 Beads~

‘Knowledge is Power.’

‘Knowledge is Power.’ Important for artisan jewellery designers, or people who make glass jewellery as a hobby, the more you know the better you’ll do.  The more experience you have the better you’ll do.

Focus for the Day:  Well, today’s focus is on social marketing. I am researching organic marketing (that, by any other name is social marketing) online. I found an article about getting noticed. 

I found it on  a site offering jewellery lessons and articles. Sign up on this site is FREE. I love things that are FREE.

Well, anyway, on this free site I found an article by BobbiWired about getting all your hard work noticed. She has a great long list of sites on which to post, some better than others, and she makes the point that you don’t just set up a tiny account: you link every single site you have to each and every one of the viral marketing (ANOTHER name for Social Marketing) sites. It grows, like a virus only much nicer, ergo Viral Marketing.

The article is organic marketing because it is geared to us, the everyday garden variety people, by everyday garden variety people.

And the comments! Worth reading by the way, because questions are asked and answered and new leads are offered at no cost. That’s people being sociable.

Read, learn, monitor, and you can be more successful with your artisan jewellery sales.

Interview with a BeadBug

Waterfall in Pink

Please, dear readers, settle in with a cup of tea: you are about to meet a BeadBug. Her name is Virginia Steinmetz, and her friends call her Jenny.

 

In her past, Jenny travelled the world first with her USNavy parents and then as a USNavy wife. Now, Jenny lives on 8 acres of land in Vancouver, WA: she lives with a herd of horses, a pride of cats, a pack of dogs. And a Little Red Hen. And a husband. Her 4 grown daughters have made her a Grandmama 5 times over. Needless to say, she is a very busy person.

 

H:      Tell us about your business. What do you do?

J:       Well, I’ve been in business for almost 18 months: I have a shop on Etsy and a website. As if that isn’t enough, I also give beading lessons and private parties. I have taken the Etsy Pledge to sell only custom handmade artisan items.

H:      Who inspires you in life?

J:       I would say my mother was my inspiration in life, as she too was a Navy Wife! The don’t call it the toughest job in the Nave for giggles. Because a family was restricted by a weight limit every time it moves, and we did move ~ every 18 months ~ it was hard to collect anything. But she collected Swarovski Christmas pins for about 30 years: she was heartbroken when they were stolen.:      And in art who and what inspires you?

J:       Now that’s a tough one. I have followed one craft or another for a very long time. There was a part of my life, 15 years of it, when I was a florist. I take a lot of my inspiration from fellow beaders. I have taken some classes with nationally recognized artists, but I would have to say my inspiration comes from deep within myself. You could call it a willingness to learn, the love of working with color, the desire to share my knowledge, and the enjoyment ofmeeting new people and stretching myself. Also, beading is something I can do because it doesn’t require a lot of energy or physical strength.

 

H:      How long have you been beading, Jenny?

J:       It seems like in some ways I have just started beading yesterday, but I’ve been beading in one form or another for a long time but it’s been in the past 5 years really that I have taken my ‘hobby’ into another dimension: that of selling my work. I can usually be found at the major shops in my area and have been up and down the US West Coast, buying beads at the major shows? My goal is to work with hot glass, mandrils and a torch: make my own beads.

 

H:      What drew you to beading instead of any other art form?

J:       Hum… Well I think it has to do with the fact that it’s a tactile art form. I didn’t like oil painting because of the smell of the paints. I tried sewing, but didn’t really enjoy it. I can cook and bake up a storm and did wedding cakes in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as arranging the flowers. But beading! I can do it in front of the TV if I want and I get to wear what I make!

 

H:      Have you a mentor or someone you’d like to blame for getting you hooked?

J:       Oh, my, yes I do! Her name is Luarae (pronounced Laurie) and she works for the Craft Warehouse in Vancouver, WA. She is a wonderful person and has mentored me every step of the way. Luarae was almost wiped out in a flood near the coast a few years ago. But she kept at it; she drives 60 miles just to get to work. I hope Craft Warehouse knows how special she is!

 

H:      What has been the hardest thing for you to overcome? How did I overcome it?

J:       Hmmmmmmm! Well, I think the hardest thing was being toldby my doctor that I had Congestive Heart Failure and told me to get rid of my horses. There was NO way that was going to happen. I was close to dying when I was hospitalized and when I was released, I was so weak I could barely walk. In less than a year I was almost good as new. I showed a yearling colt at the Oregon State Fair and won the Grand Champion Halter Class AND the Regional Classes for both Pinto horses and National Show horses. When my doctor retired several years later, I gave him four Grand Champion Ribbons, one for each of the years I showed?

[ed. note: Jenny has 4 horses]

 

H:      Have you a favourite colour? Shape? Line?

J:       Yes to all of it. My color is Green ~ in all its shades and tints. I love round and triangle ~ round beads and bicones: they are so easy to work with. They are wonderfully versatile. You can make just about anything with those shapes.

         My favorite line must be Swarovski; both their crystals, which I think are the best in the world, and their pearls. I use them in almost all of my work, excepting my contemporary SouthWestern work and my primitive works. I also love Toho and work mostly with Japanese seed beads. The new dichroic seed beads, I think, have much more sparkle than the Charlottes.

 

H:      Tell me, Jenny, what you think is your most important work.

J:       I think to date the most important work is the set featured on the home page of my website: it’s my first seed beaded piece. I invested more than 89 hours to make all 3 pieces and features 3 different freshwater pearls, moonstone, sunstone, angelskin coral, Swarovski crystals, and a tone of seed beads. I’ve written instructions for that piece and that you can find at eHow.

H:      Describe, Jenny, something you’ve experimented with that you wouldn’t do again.

J:       That would be polymer clay!  I just did not enjoy that experiment.

 

H:      What advice would you give a novice beader?

J:       Don’t get discouraged. I have a Masters Degree in the Frog Stitch (Rip It Rip It). I have worked on projects that I have completed and didn’t like so I took those apart and reworked them several times?

         Don’t be afraid to push yourself? I took a class in seed beading using peyote and brick stitch, that took me 3 hours just to keep repeating my first 3 rows of peyote. I had never worked the sititches before. The instructor wasn’t happy with me, but, by stretching myself and challenging myself, not only did I finish my piece but I learned more than I had expected.

 

H:      That’s the nice thing about doing the Frog Stitch in beads. You lose the beading thread or wire but the beads themselves suffer no damage. Being able to reuse them over and over makes beading a great choice for a craft artisan.

J:       I couldn’t agree more. Just hang in there: keep going until you get it right and then start enjoying what you’re doing.

 

Thanks, Jenny, for participating: this interview has been fun. Okay! Fun once you got the questions. You continue to inspire me: both your lively personality and your gorgeous glass bead artisan jewellery.

 

Find Jenny at http://www.eHow.com/Beadbug where she writes what she knows about: wonderful recipes in her kitchen and beautiful artisan jewellery in her workroom. Her work is for sale at: http://JustOffTheBeadNPath.com and http://JustOffTheBeadNPath.Etsy.com. And if you have questions or would just like to sit and chat, she has added her email: vrgnstnm@q.com

 

 

 

Waterfall Kissed with Pink

Notes to Self – Press Kits

PART 1

We are a group of people trying to sell handmade custom items: I make glass bead artisan jewellery. And we have little money to splash around. Our office location is often in the back bedroom, on the kitchen table, or in our basements. We all need ideas that cost little or no money  and we can do ourselves.

One of those indispensable things is a press kit. There are 2 types:  1 ~ a version that will fit into your handbag or pocket., and 2 ~ a full blown carry-in-your-briefcase version. The whole idea is to be ready at all times to advertise your work and your internet site. It makes sense but sometimes you just have to see it written down for it to really sink in.

Type 1:

Business cards ~ yours and others’ (see next) and perhaps a brochure or postcard about your business.

See? It doesn’t have to fill up a great lot of space.

Type 2:

Business cards ~ yours,  business cards of other businesses you have found helpful, a brochure or a newsletter where your business is advertised, pictures of your work in your portfolio.

For both types, you must shamelessly advertise your business as well as others. Don’t offer your business card, let somebody ask for it: and a great way to make somebody ask for your card is by asking  for theirs first.

With both types of press kit you need a ‘patter;’ a description of your business that you can give in an elevator. It should be only a sentence or two and it must be well practised. Keep saying it out loud until you’ve got it down pat. Saying it out loud lets you hear how it sounds. Sure, you think you don’t need to because, after all, it is running in your mind. Trust me on this, you need to say it out loud. Practise it in front of the mirror or while you are drying yourself after your bath or shower. Practise it ~ OUT LOUD ~ while you are stirring the chili.  But practise it out loud you must.

PART 2

If you are off to visit  a potential customer, you have to do a bit more. Nobody is going to buy anything from you if they can’t see what your product is. If your product is artisan jewellery  it’s easy: wear your own designs. Never go out without wearing something of yours. You are a walking, talking billboard for your business. It’s a bit harder if your product is baby booties. Put your custom handmade baby booties on your baby.

And carry photos. It’s properly called a portfolio. It’s the grown up version of Gramma’s Brag Book.  Get practising your photography and editing the images. If you think you are just not good enough at it and you have some money, take your pieces to a professional photographer. That decision will cost you time as well as money. And, after all, we are our own worst critic. If you need validation, show your pictures to a mate for her opinion.

Everything in your Brag Book /Portfolio should be of the same size; whether it’s an 8X10 or a 5X7, keep the photos the same size. Have some closeups in there: just keep the physical size of the photograph the same. It looks more orderly, not more arty.

Part of your portfolio is an expanded version of your 1 sentence patter: a mission statement. Why are you doing what you are doing? What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas from? Don’t make it too much longer than half a page: anything longer is just noise and it tells people that you really don’t know which end is up. Have it typed on the same size paper as your photos.

Another item in your Portfolio is your contact information and your business cards. Always be ready to give more than just one business card per contact. I like getting more than 1 card because I keep them in different places. And remember, you want to carry one in your card case for the time when it could be given to somebody in need of that service.

And put your portfolio in an attractive binding: make it 3-ring so you can pop in and out with new shots. You won’t be leaving your portfolio behind. But, if you’ve thought ahead and placed more than 1 copy of each picture, you can slide it out of it’s plastic sleeve and offer it to your potential client. Details about the photo can be printed on its back .

PART 3

John Donne, an 18th century philosopher, coined the phrase, ‘No manne is an yslande.’ It was true then and it’s true today. These press kits are a small part of social marketing. Social Marketing. You’ll burn out trying to do it all yourself. Let others help you. And make it a 2~way street. What you give freely and in good cheer will be returned to you in like kind.

And that’s where the business cards of other entrepreneurs becomes important. If I need a handyman and you have just the perfect one I would be awfully glad to get that card from you. And now there is a bond between us. And I have your card to be passed on to somebody who has a new baby in her life and  needs your beautiful children’s clothing. You helped me with the handyman and I’m more than pleased to offer your card to the person needing your products.

More than just handing that person your card, I will be saying how generous you  are and that you would be pleased to help her out with new baby clothing.

Word of mouth is the single best way of gaining customers. It holds more weight than a TV ad or a spot in the newspaper. But good word of mouth ads are hard to get and easy to lose.

A person will tell 1 other about their good experiences with your company. That same person will tell 7 others of their bad experience with your business. 

If your customer has a bad experience with you and you are able to make them happyt again they will pass on to their friends the bad and follow it immediately with something like this; ‘ what they did was no good but they redeemed themselves by doing ___.’

Passing on another business’ card and telling people of their services costs you nothing. And it gains you the respect of the recipient. And don’t get grumpy and refuse to pass on your competitor’s card: you can say something like, ‘if you can’t find something in my shop, maybe you’ll have better luck with ABC Widgets.’ You end up looking honest and truly wanting to help. And that person may decide to buy from you based on that alone.

The whole idea behind Social Marketing is to develop a rapport with customers and other entrepreneurs. Making a customer faithful to you in the long run will pay off. These loyal customers will let people know of you through word of mouth advertising. It is the long game you are playing: don’t jeopardize your business using get-rich-quick tactics.

FLASH – My Christmas Gift

I got my Christmas present early this year. And it’s just what I wanted.

In September this year I joined a directory of shops where only handmade items could be listed. My shop is Glass0Beads~- the 0 is a number, not a letter o. I added some of my glass bead artisan jewellery on the site. But it went nowhere. It just sat. I had no idea what to do.

Well, I joined a ‘team’ at Etsy but I was very unhappy there: it seemed to have too many backbiters and I didn’t want to be associated with that kind of team.

Then I found THE TEAM to beat all teams. It is a team, or guild, that supports one another while utilizing social marketing practices. You know the kind of thing: I’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine.

Well, still nothing was happening. I had no clue about how to get somebody to buy something – ANYTHING!!

I received some tips on photography from a lovely lady, Anna Lee, at Gahoole Tree.  She was supportive, not what I would consider bossy ~ and I know bossy ~ and patient with my efforts.

Here comes the Christmas present part. Are you ready?

I was invited to work on the management team for this wonderful guild. It has a team shop where monies from your purchases are donated. And the people there advertise not just themselves but other members, too.

I suddenly found myself on Twitter talking about other sites I’ve found that would be of interest to folks. I suddenly found myself with followers. I suddenly found myself actively seeking the work of other team members to twitter about.

And suddenly I found myself  having fun. And it’s been a long time since I’ve had fun. I feel ten feet tall. I was given the task of editing everything the eSMArts Guild team will publish.  That brought me crashing to the earth ~~ in a good way.

My first task is to develop a mailing list of all our team members. And then to invite some of the guild members to write an article.

I sure hope this post will publish: I’ve got a lot of links to other shops in Etsy that really are worth looking at.

And I even have an idea for an opening article myself. As we don’t have a name for our new eSMArts newsletter, we will be running a contest and the winner will receive a gift worth $20.00 (cannot be converted to cash).

We have some really good times ahead of us on the team. There are guidelines to follow that will help anybody, eSMArtie or not, move up the ranks and start making sales. Of course, as with anything, you get out of it what you put into it: no work, no glory.

You and your Etsy shop can become a member of eSMArts by sending an email to the Guild team coordinator ~~> she’s the Big Cheese but her friends call her Anna Lee.

You won’t get anywhere if you don’t take that first step. And you certainly reap what you sow ~ toot the horn for somebody else’s site and pretty soon people will be tooting your horn for you. And if enough people do it, pretty soon your business is going to increase.

Well, that’s what I think.    ~Helene    ~Glass0Beads

I am red faced. I accidently linked to a site that is not a part of the eSMArts Guild team. I’ve made the correction, and thanks for bringing it to my attention, so if you click on one of the links you should be reaching eSMArts members.  I’ve even put me in there a couple of times. Shameless!    ~~H

Lampwork and Beads

Depressed? or happy?

Last week my ties with Stores OnLine, my Lampwork and Beads glass bead artisan jewellery website host, were severed.

What I know now is significantly more than what I knew when I first signed on with Stores OnLine. I had found Stores OnLine lacking more and more as time went on. It’s only my opinion and other webmaestros will argue the point with me. And that is as it should be.

For me, it was time to move on.

Now, my lineup is: http://glass0beads.etsy.com (#0), http://glass0beads.blogspot.com (#o), and this blog, http://baublebabble.wordpress.com.  I visit several forums and I still write articles at eHow and Articles Base, too.

The artisan jewellery that was listed at Lampwork and Beads is gradually being moved to my Glass0Beads (#0, not letter) e-shoppe.
It is at Etsy that I am a member of the eSMArts Guild team. The membershipof this  Guild is  Social Marketing Artisans.

And it is this Guild that opened the doors on our Etsy shoppe a short while ago. The eSMArts shoppe  donates money from sales to people and organizations needing a helping hand.

When I review my activities I realize I have quite enough on my plate for now.  I think I’ll just rest on my laurels until after Christmas : kind of a Christmas gift to me from myself.

Now go and check out the eSMArts shoppe:  everything there is made by hand with close attention to the quality of the articles. There is much more there than glass bead artisan jewellery and everything is unique and handmade.

Merry Merry and Cheery Cheery ~~Hélène  at Glass 0 Beads

Interview Questions

• Please tell my readers a bit about yourself and where we can find you on the internet.
• What is your mission statement? What best describes your work?
• What is your chosen craft and how long have you been working in that media?
• Why did you choose this over other crafts?
• What, or who, inspires you the most? In life? In art?
• What are your favourite design resources?
• Have you a special mentor? Who do you thank, and blame, for getting you started?
• What has been the hardest thing for you to do? How did you overcome that hurdle?
• Do you have a faviourite colour? Shape? Line? How is your work affected by your favourites?
• Describe your most important work.
• Have you a favourite quotation? What is it?
• What words of wisdom could you offer people who are new to your craft?

Answer my interview questions and when your interview is published get a permanent link from this site to yours.

With my thanks  ~~Hélène

Notes to Self – The Great FLOOD

We were sitting after dinner when my sister and I heard rushing water. We knew it wasn’t the dishwasher; it has a completely different sound. And it couldn’t be our washing machine: it’s too far away to hear it and we weren’t doing a laundry. And it couldn’t be a water feature:  we don’t have one.

So, we needed to find the origin of that ‘running water’ sound.

We discovered we do have a water feature.

In our bathroom.

Living in a condo is great: no shampooing carpets in the hall.  Climbing stairs is not an issue; we have elevators. We don’t worry about landscaping and shovelling snow: there are people who do that for us. And when something goes wrong we call the building suprs.

What is bad is the washing machine in the suite above us flooded into our bathroom. And that was the cause of our Great FLOOD.

That was 2 weeks ago and our ceiling is still wet. We’ve had fans running for 2 weeks to dry it out. It seems that every time we go into the bathroom there is more damage. The ceiling above our shower stall is sagging. And today we found a crack in the paint on one of the walls.

The good thing about all this is that I have met our upstairs neighbour – over the phone. And we have a really marvellous property manager and our building supr works hard to help all of us in the building. Never a grumpy word to us when they get called out in the evening.

So, while my sister is tired of the mess and wants everything fixed before Christmas, I am content that they have placed us high on the priority list. We will have the fans running for the rest of the week (it’s only Monday today) and our ceiling will be assessed again on Friday.

AND the plasterer-er-ers will be scheduled for next Monday to replaster our bathroom ceiling.

I hope we can get our wall repaired where the crack is, too.

But, for now we are happy promoting our good neighbour policy. It fosters good relations in the property manager’s office. And that can only be helpful in future crises.

At least, that’s what I think.

Great News – About Playing for Change

I promised myself I would write something in each of my blogs before I opened any of my e-mails. As always, I opened my emails first. But this time I’m glad I followed my usual pattern of morning coffee and emails. This time I found an email from ‘Playing for Change.’

That’s one of the charities I subscribe to: building peace through music. They are almost ready to open their first music school/recording studio: the Ntonga Music School in the township of Gugulethu, South Africa. 

Why have I chosen to follow this foundation instead of so many other worthy causes? Because I am a failed music student: I studied piano for about 15 years and came away hating the piano. Even today, I choose classical music that is distinctly non-piano. But the experience did give me a love of good music. That’s what is so wonderful: there are all kinds of good music. And these music schools teach good music.

There is music in all of us ~ we just need a way to express it. I have chosen to express my music through needlework and artisan jewellery. Playing for Change does it through music. It offers a safe environment and the tools (education, instruments, recording equipment) to produce the music. While developing the distinct style of each area, it is offering an alternative to bloody war, sectarianism and hatred. Indeed, this group, Playing for Change, is making a difference in the world. It is making this world a better place in which to live.

At least, that’s what I think.

Interview with Stitch Witch

The Stitch Witch, better known as Deborah Waltenburg, is a woman who caught my attention on eHow. She has a wide range of interests and is a freelance writer. Counted among her interests are knitting and calligraphy.  From her work and talents you wouldn’t recognize a woman coping with ADHD. Read on to learn more about the artisan Deborah.

Hélène: How long have you been a yarn addict?

Deborah: I’ve always been in love with oversized sweaters in straight flat stitches or full of cables and designs. I have 4 sweaters that I wish could have stayed with me forever, but life, wear and tear and an overly generous spirit let them get away from me.

In addition to my sweater addiction, I’m always intrigued by the delicacy of filet crochet or any type of intricate thread work. Laces, tablecloths, runners, edgings, you name it, I am always seeking the ultimate design to add to my repertoire. Then, I can spend months or years in some cases working on a piece just to give away.

I didn’t start ‘making’ things with yarn and thread, though, until I was in my early 20’s (painfully stated, 15+ years ago).

Hélène: Why did you choose fiber arts over other media to express yourself?

A: I’m not a crafty person, by nature … defined as someone who can just come up with nifty lil trinkets off the top of their head. I have to be inspired by what I see in the world of fashion and art. The key reason for choosing fibres and yarns ~ Cost! Crochet hooks and knitting needles last forever. Yarn is somewhat easily accessible, but the costs are going up for quality yarns: you can still find the affordable materials online. It’s just a bit more difficult now than in the past!

Hélène: What inspires you? In life?

Deborah: In life it’s strong human beings, mostly those who are constatnly bucking the system, and making their voices heard. And my Grandma. She moved forward constantly, until she could move no longer. She is always with me, wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and pushing me forward with her strong capable hands.

Hélène: She sounds like a wonderful woman and her guidance is still felt. Now, what inspires you in art?

Deborah:In art, true beauty is in the exquisite details and colours. I’m thoroughly enamoured of renaissance and impressionist works, and awed by the abilities of the artists of the past, such as Waterhouse, Van Gogh, Delville, and so many more. If you want to see some of the most beautiful paintings ever created, you need to visit ArtMagick.com. There is no better resource, in my opinion.

Cemeteries, Spanish and Italian architecture stir my soul. Early fall and early spring: destruction and creation at their finest. These are the things that inspire me.

Hélène: Do you have a favourite colour? Or shape or line?

Deborah:I am attracted to dark, rich, vibrant colours more than pastels or non-colours, such as white and ecru. Our home is a veritable palette of colours. Dark grey and mustard yellow in the kitchen, sable and copper tones on the walls and furniture of the living room, darkets burgundy and coppers in the bedroom: colour is everywhere in our home!

Shapes and lines? I am a calligrapher so swirling dirvishy lines are what I am attracted to. Laces, Spanish iron works as you see in France and New Orleans, or anything mosaic or beaded in nature. The busy-ness is probably what attracts me most. But then, top it off with simplistic straight lines, and I’m good to go!!

Hélène: Have you a special mentor? Who do you thank, and blame, for getting you started?

Deborah: I was taught to sew by my mom and grandma, however, no one in the family works with yarns, except me. I am self-taught all the way, and still learning. I didn’t start knitting until about 2 years ago, and was looking forward to learning it with my mother-in-law, however she has since passed away, and so I’m just kind of carrying it on in her honour!

However, this brings me to the thought of a quotation that was shared with me by a lovely fabric artist, Margo Lovinger. Often mistakenly credited to Goethe, whoever created this particular piece of wordage could not have said it any better:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative ( and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Hélène: That sounds like my family motto: ’Fortune Favours the Bold.’ What is it that rings true to you?

Deborah: Why is this true for me? Although I taught myself many of the skills I have today, it was when I was brought into the fold of my husband’s family of very creative and motivated fibre artists that my talents were fostered and grew. And things have progressed ever since.

Hélène: What has been the hardest thing for you to do? How did you overcome that hurdle?

Deborah: Knitting. It is more difficult to learn when you don’t have an actual, concrete display or person showing you. I’ve had to rely on books and magazines, so I frankly don’t even know if I’m doing stitches correctly, but, hey. .. if it looks and feels good to me, then it cannot be wrong.

The one truest way to get past any hurdle is with persistence and dedication. Even if you have to put it down and walk away for a spell, coming back, and working on it again and again is the only way to break the Curse of Confusion! Just do it!

Hélène: What keeps you getting up in the morning?

Deborah:  I can attest to the fact that you just have to MAKE yourself move some days! But the very act of crocheting, knitting, and any other art form is, in itself, a medication, because it allows your mind to go away from what distracts, and allows you a total focus and concentration.

Hélène: How would you describe your most important work?

Deborah: A work in progress.

Hélène: Any advice for the novices among us?

Deborah: Never give up. Find your own voice, and your own style. Don’t follow trends, follow your heart. Look everywhere for inspiration: nature, cities, classic and modern art, fashion magazines, the inspiration is all around, you just have to be open to seeing it.

Never stop learning. When you stop learning, you’re dead. Literally! No more learning then!!

Hélène: What advice can you give when photographing your work?

Deborah: Experiment.

Hélène: Keep working at it. It takes as long as it takes. That’s your message.

Deborah: Yes. Try different rooms, different backgrounds, different lighting (natural or artificial light, flash, no flash …), different angles. You’ve got to show your pieces in the best light, so as to display all the attributes of the work.

Hélène: Talk a little about craft shows. How do you prepare for it?

Deborah:Do your research. Know your audience. You’re not going to sell lots of cool, gothic, black lacy stuff at a church Christmas Bazaar and you aren’t likely to sell a toaster cover in Christmasy shades of red and green at an art festival. Once you know the target market, then you can seek out the shows you want to attend.

Hélène: Anything more, Deborah?

Deborah: Marketing, marketing, and more marketing. Once you get to the show of your dreams, make sure your setup matches the mood you want to give off: Halloween at Easter probably won’t work. Display your pieces so people want to see more …

And there is a ton of advice online. Just research thoroughly, so you can start on a good, balanced footing instead of flying blind.

Hélène: Thanks so much, Deborah, for giving our readers the opportunity to see handcrafted artisan work from your point of view. There is so much in what you have offered us that is valuable to the person just starting out and to the expert as well.

Deborah: It has been my pleasure, Hélène.

‘The first step in recovery is to admit that you have a problem.  My name is Deborah and I am a Yarn-oholic.’ Visit Deborah Waltenburg’s blog and join the fun of knitting.  Deborah will soon have a shop at Etsy.  I love the flow, the design, the colors, the textures.  In this art, it IS about the destination,

Photography by Deborah Waltenburg

Notes to Self – All Life Must Cease …

All life, as I know it,  must cease until my bathroom is repaired.

Last evening, while I was doing some research on the ‘net, I heard running water. And my sister heard running water at the same time. We walked down the hall to the bathroom, and what did we see?!

We had a water feature. A waterfall if you will. It was coming down in torrents from the vent in the ceiling. We rushed about, not quite like headless chickens, getting pails and buckets and even one of the refrigerator drawers, getting dirty towels from the laundry and a few clean towels from the linen cupboard, too.

We bailed and we added towels and I called the evening emergency number for our condo.

The super came up to assess the situation. His eyes bugged out and then he ran. Eventually the water lessened. Then the waterfall stopped.

Bob, the super, returned with a wet vac and cleared as much water as he could. On his next visit he had the insurance people with him. We spent the night listening to industrial fans and dehumidifiers.

We are in need of a new bathroom ceiling. The water damage extends across the entire ceiling. It’s going to be a messy job: we live in a 30+ year old building and it is constructed of concrete, lath and plaster.

So.

That’s what happened last night. And that’s why life as I know it will not return until this whole mess, new ceiling and all, is finished.

Oh! What caused our inside Niagara Falls?

Our upstairs neighbours were doing their laundry. You’re right: the drain hose popped out of the drainpipe. And they didn’t know it until Bob the Super knocked on their door. I expect it was worse for them: our water damage seems to be restricted to our main bathroom but their pool of water extended into the hall and 2 of their bedrooms.

It could have been much worse for us.

Great News – eSMArties

MY FIRST ENTRY

There’s a new shop in town: the Etsy eSMArts boutique of hand crafted items.

Memories

Memory wire embellished with hearts, glass beads, and coiled wire beads: this is my first offering in a new shop at Etsy.com: the eSMArts Boutique.

At the Etsy gallery, where everything is handcrafted, a new boutique can be found. It is offered to the shopping public as a place where you can find quality items made by hand. It does not offer home made: items of artistic, handcrafted artisan work are for sale.  Think of it as a Gallery Boutique. It is worth a visit: the products in this store vary widely.

Pictured above is a unique bracelet whose design rose from a fight with memory wire.  I finally conceded that a cuff bracelet would have to be made with something other than memory wire. I threw my cuff bracelet failure onto my work bench and a couple of days later picked it up again.

It had become a cuff bracelet with a difference. The manner in which the memory wire end curl around each other makes this piece of artisan jewellery a one of a kind cuff bracelet.

And it’s official: this is my version of a cuff bracelet. It’s all mine. It is unique to me. The failure has been elevated from a despised failure to a place of honour:

GREAT NEWS – Almost Spring Toronto Bead Oasis Show, 2009

Okay. It’s official. I AM EXCITED!!   Excited !!!I picked out my booth at the ‘Almost Spring’ Toronto Bead Show, 2009.

I am planning and researching and building up inventory and … The list goes on.

This is my ‘Almost First’ show. I want to learn from others’ experiences as much as I can first.  Has anybody got valuable Helpful Hints for me?

I will go on to write my own brand of horror stories later. Those I will share with you.

So.

Look for me at the Almost Spring Toronto Bead Oasis Show.

I want to sell some of my glass bead artisan jewellery designs. And some of my own jewellery. And even a small supply of components.

And I want to visit with the other vendors and with you.

There are classes to sign up for; taught by experienced and inspiring teachers.

Look for me in room 206, Booth 27. That’s to the left of the Bead Oasis Show Admissions Desk at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street; a block west from Union Station, and right across the street from the CBC Building.