Playing for Keeps...

Little known fact -- my shop was actually non-productive yesterday.  Not because customers didn't come browse, and not because I "couldn't" make anything new for the shop.  Not because of anything "normal" that would cause a shop to be actually offline -- in fact the shop itself was online, I was just flapping in the wind struggling.

So, here's the thing -- my kids are tech-savvy little ones, often addicted to the plethora of electronics available today.   On weekends, I often scramble around the house and the shop, cleaning, organizing, cooking, and this last weekend was no different.  However, my youngest -- the super bright special needs one -- was playing with my laptop when he could, and when he couldn't he was playing with the desktop.

So, I log on on Monday and realize, quite quickly in fact, that in this adventure I call my etsy shop -- I am not only the owner, designer, marketing department, photographer, production department, etc., etc., etc.,  but now I am the IT department also, because my son has a thing for downloading things that should not be downloaded.

Nice.

So, I was lucky in that the shop was rather slow yesterday, I just had to mail a few items from the weekend and finish designing one custom order.  My day was spent cleaning up the hard drives on two machines -- which are now working fabulously -- with two different versions of windows, while planning dinner, and the season ahead.

But -- that was not without moments of  "I will never let this kid play with the computers again,"  and "where did my ruler go to measure this item," to finally "wow, I actually do have to use algebra in calculating how much wire to cut for custom sized hoops, who knew?"

By the way to figure out how much wire to cut for hoops, you either use Pi times the number of inches you want the for circumference, or ask my oldest to calculate it -- which is often what I do.  I really thought getting a degree in Communications would insulate me from Pi -- but not so much.  The oldest, or my human calculator as I call him (did I tell you he took the PSAT's WITHOUT a calculator?) is quite hysterical when I have to ask him for mathematics help in the shop.

But all in all -- with the downtime provided recently, I have been playing with dainty again -- and later today I will put up some mixed metal earrings that are just adorable, so watch out for those.   Until then -- here are a few cute things I am playing with while I get ready for the show next weekend.

I just love this little dainty style.  And in Emerald Green?  Who could hope for a better stocking stuffer?  At 28 bucks a pair for handmade sterling silver and gemstone earrings -- these are a bargain.  Oh -- and free domestic shipping to boot.

Okay, so these technically are not new -- but the photos are :)  Just look at how much fun I had playing with the depth of field on these gorgeous Pink Garnet Hoops.  Oooh, sparkly.

These are kind of a new design -- really they are a total mix.  Playing off of the dainty trio earrings, and the half moon / leaf ear wire, I wrapped a pink garnet that has a caramel undertone onto a sterling silver handmade "leaf" ear wire - then dangled and dangled some more.  These almost didn't make it to the shop thanks to my teenage daughter.

Now -- back to reality and working out a few more things in the shop, kitchen and on the laptop :)

~Maggie~

Oh Gosh, Not the Creativity Slump!

I am sometimes pretty markedly creative, like so creative I get that wisp of a thought that "This Rainbow Necklace will change the world!"  Then several people favorite it -- and my ego rises. I get happy, go-lucky and so excited that people think the same of that rainbow necklace I thought.

Then I wake up to a dreary Seattle morning with no desire to even edit the photos I took the day before for the shop.

I am not a psych major, so I can't tell you in all honesty where this sudden slump comes from.  It's like: OMGosh, this can not be happening -- just after this massive surge.

I woke up like this on Monday -- after having a fabulous surge of creativity that lasted quite a while actually. Most of those new items are similar in nature however -- so maybe it wasn't as big of a surge as I thought.

When I get here -- to this out of creativity place, I write a lot.  I tool around the interwebs.  I look at other items by other creative people and I try to get sparks of imagination. 

Or, I set everything aside and I take the kids to the pool, or out to a park, or something, and just take the day off from the shop.  (Not really as still throughout the day I edited a few photos here and there to post, and watched my shop so I could ship orders quickly).

It's like lightening really -- so fast and furious. But worth the ebb and flow that it works in.

Maybe I should look at my gemstones once more and see if something "sparks" -- or maybe, just maybe I should walk for a while with the kids, after all -- even though they are older now -- they do still see the world in a very different way from me.

Rainbow Necklace

Trails and Tribulations of Custom Work

When I get an order for something custom, I am filled with adulation.  I am ecstatic, I can hardly wait to match gemstones and design to personality.

It's so much fun when it's someone I know too -- love it. Oh, this person loves this color, and has such and such personality, I will put this together with that in this artistic way.  It's really my favorite part of jewelry design.

My mother recently gave me some Hessionite Garnet that she has been holding onto for at least four years -- I remember she bought them before I went to Texas. That was exactly 4 years ago.

They are AAA grade teeny tiny hessionite garnet briolettes, and when she handed them over so that I could work them out for the store, I knew I would have to honor her and wire wrap about a million little garnets.   This would be a design for her, though she probably didn't know it when she handed them over. I would custom design something for her personality. 

Hessionite Garnet I can not bring myself to post -- because the design detracts from the beauty of the stone.  Don't you just want to start humming Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain"?

But the thing is, I love these stones myself -- and while I can't possibly pull off the fire color with my red hair and coloring, they are lovely. They invoke a desire to make something inspired by a song.  Maybe I will do that.

But, back to custom work -- yes I do do a lot of custom work, and honestly I give the customer options.  When someone asks for something custom, they will generally know that person better than I would, so while I can choose stones for color and personality, design has to be a work with the person ordering it.

I recently designed this as a first option custom job, but I said to the customer, "Her's will be blue stones to go with her coloring."

So I showed these to the customer, who wants something special to give to a special someone for the holidays.  Turns out my dogmatic approach to blue for her coloring isn't going to work -- her favorite color is purple, but the design is spot on.

Luckily though, my friends who want something special custom made and designed know to ask early for it, because I will give them choices -- after all, anything they didn't choose for their personalized design can go in the shop.

Bt here is the thing:  it's October now, the holidays are in December -- if you want something custom, ask me now, because I have a couple of gem shopping trips coming up in November and to custom design something absolutely unique for who you are thinking of -- I will need to add certain gemstones to my list. 

When you ask me for something custom, tell me what you are thinking, and I will gladly give you options, so the jewelry you give this season is absolutely one of a kind for your gift.

It's almost time for Scorpio's birthstone, and some long winded discussions on inspiration.

As for Inspiration, Richard Dryfus and Audry Hepburn discussed it well in 1989's "Always:"  Inspiration Mission

~Maggie~