We're All Ears :: March Reveal

This month's earring inspiration is macro photography by Martin Amm, a German nature photographer. These extreme close ups are of dragonflies or damselflies covered in morning dew. 

Interestingly, the very first We're All Ears monthly challenge in February 2014 was a pair of damselflies. As our hostess Erin pointed out, we are coming full circle in our monthly challenges. I love stories with circular endings! I also find it interesting that the only challenge that I missed participating in was the February 2014 damselfly one. I guess it only took me a full year to finally create something! :)

Erin chose the words "positively effervescent" to describe these images. I couldn't have chosen a better adjective, so I am stealing hers!

Photo #1

In this photo, I was struck by the gorgeous yellow of the flower and the long segmented insect tail.

Earrings #1

Lately, I have been addicted to riveting leather, and this caramel leather seemed perfect for this image. The "long strings" of leather echo the insects long tail. The wire-wrapped ends reflect the tail segments. Of course, the dragonfly connector is a ridiculously literal interpretation, but I have a ton of them, and I couldn't ignore the opportunity to use them. The Czech glass flower bead represents the flower in the photo. (I guess I should have turned the connector upside down so the insect's head was in the flower. Ah, hindsight.)

It was such a gorgeous day, I decided to experiment with taking photos outside in my garden. Tricky. 

Photo #2

Just look at these gorgeous drops of morning dew and beautiful colors.

Earrings #2

Again, I was drawn to those firey reddish-orange and yellow tones, which I captured with patina on some embossed discs and overlayed with brass dragonfly connectors. What I really wanted to capture from this photo, however, were those luscious dewdrops. These gold-etched clear glass beads did the job perfectly.  I've been hoarding the striped orange Indonesian glass beads forever. 

The colors in the discs really pop in the natural light outside; the clear beads, however, look like stone or brass. Advantages and disadvantages of outside lighting. 

By the way, here is the whole outside set-up. I love this blue heron in my garden. 

Photo #3

Aren't these pastels beautiful? I love the way the dewdrops magnify the hive-like pattern underneath. 

I cropped the original photo to magnify the pattern even further.

Earrings #3

It was with these last earrings that I had a significantly profound realization. Making something quick and simple can be fun and rewarding. My usual process is most often complicated in some way - cutting, forming, and coloring metal; wirework; fiberwork, etc. By the time I complete umpteen steps, I sometimes lose my momentum on a project. I can't recall the last time I simply stuck some beads on a headpin and called it good. These earrings came together in a snap!

 It all began with these funky beads. 

I have no idea where I got them, but I've had them in my stash f-o-r-e-v-e-r!  I never really knew what to do with them. Until now. When I looked at them, I immediately saw the hive-patterned sphere and the glossy sparkle of the dewdrops. This one was all about texture and pattern.  After adding some soft rose quartz, textured silver beads, and beaded earwires, I sat back and smiled. Way too cute. Sweet sparkle. Feminine and fun.  I just love them. 

Thank you, Erin, for another great challenge. Check out all of the other creative designs at Earrings Everyday!

Display Fit for a Queen

Sunflower Flats Jewelry Display

Today's topic: jewelry display. I always notice jewelry displays in shops, taking note of creative use of props. I have had the unique pleasure to observe the workings of a particular creative mind, Cindy Gardner from Sunflower Flats in Tillamook, Oregon. To see my jewelry so artfully displayed in this beautiful shop touches my heart in a way I just can't describe. My jewelry has a new home, and what a beautiful home it is! This green hutch is perfect.

I love the colors and the props. That miniature dresser is adorable!  I feel like I have stepped into the vintage bedroom of a style icon and taken a sneak peek at her dressing table.

I see that we are on the same wavelength with our love of orange!

Suitcases make a great jewelry prop, and this cute little one is very sweet. I love the red and white fabric with my red jewelry. The starfish and shells are perfect with my ocean-themed jewelry. 

 

I love the way the jewelry sets are paired. I'm glad the brown and white bird is keeping watch over his new similarly-colored friends.

Earrings galore . . . 

These beautiful photos were taken by Cindy's daughter and partner, Natalie. Just lovely. 

Thank you, gals!

Sunflower Flats

Sunflower Flats

3rd & Main St.

Tillamook, Oregon

Sunflower Flats Blog (link to blog)

Sunflower Flats is sensory nirvana. All my senses are simultaneously activated the minute I step foot inside this delightful gem of a shop. Vibrant colors, floral scents, and stunning displays abound. If I had to illustrate my experience with an analogy it would be this: Sunflower Flats is like active reading. 

As a former English teacher, I used to encourage my students to read actively, both as a reader and a writer. As a reader, we get meaning, meet the characters, and enjoy the plot. As a writer, we appreciate the writing style: the beautiful language, the stylish sentences, and the colorful imagery. In order to do both, it might be necessary to read and reread.

Being in Sunflower Flats requires active shopping. Let me illustrate using a photo.

First, you shop for stuff. Everywhere there are cool things - cards, garden art, sculptures, soaps, artwork, kitchen towels, ceramics, plants, wreaths, glass, yarn art, jewelry, signs, ornaments, driftwood art, books, Moonstruck chocolates, and unique flower arrangements. You'll find something you just have to buy. Trust me. 

Next, you shop like an artist. Just look at the displays. Cindy Gardner, the owner, has a seriously skillful eye for design. Her vibrant color palettes are visually stunning. As an artist, I could hang out there all day, getting inspired to play with unique color combinations. Cindy's ability to arrange flowers generalizes to her display vignettes. Each grouping is perfectly composed, like fine art. Photos will speak louder than my words.

See what I mean?  How could you not find something you adore here?

To get back to my analogy . . .  if active reading requires reading and rereading, then Sunflower Flats requires shopping and more shopping. One trip just won't cut it. You have to be a repeat customer to really take in all the cool stuff.

(Or, if you are like me, you'll keep coming back to soak up the atmosphere and marvel at the displays.)

So . . . At this point, you might be wondering why I am writing about this shop on a jewelry blog. I am proud to announce that 49 pieces of my jewelry have the privilege of living in this artful environment. (I find myself oddly jealous of them right now.)  They will be arranged on this gorgeous hutch. I'll stop back later this week to get a photo of Cindy's completed display. It will be gorgeous. I mean, look at the props and the potential here. 

Getting to know Cindy has been a delightful experience. I felt a connection with her immediately, given the things we have in common - our names and the fact that we are both retired 8th grade language arts teachers. What are the chances of that? Let me tell you, two former English teachers have fodder for hours of passionate conversation about our profession. Thank you, Cindy, for your encouragment, support, and fun emails. I am glad my little "children" are in your care. 

A special thank you to April Petersen for being such an inspiring connection to the arts, for introducing me to Cindy at the Festival of Trees this past December, and for suggesting this partnership. You rock, April! 

Also thanks to Kathryn Christensen for your encouragement, for being one of my Tillamook connections, for our "drawing" lunches, and for your support of my jewelry business.  Any time you need more earrings, just let me know. 

Now, go shopping at Sunflower Flats!

A sampling of my jewelry, available in the shop:

 

Jewelry Sets

Marketing

Today I am taking three display cases of my jewelry to a local shop. It's always fun meeting with shop owners and getting feedback on my work. 

I was fortunate to have picked up these display cases right here in Rockaway Beach at a jewelry sale last December.  Not your typical jewelry sale, but a 600 piece collection of a legendary woman. Here is a fascinating article about Imie Camelli.  I managed to resist purchasing the actual jewelry, but these cases called my name . . . loudly! 

They are perfect for schlepping around my jewelry when I visit local shop owners for new inventory. My old vintage suitcase was pretty cool, but these look far more professional. 

Lots of earrings - glass, metal, gemstones, fibers, leather, wire, cultured sea glass, and tin.

Some jewelry sets - bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.

We'll see which of these pieces end up in the shop!

Update: They will ALL be in the shop in their own glass display case!

Getting Ready for Retail

Designing and making jewelry is only the beginning of this business. Then comes time to get out of the studio and into the real world to market product. But how and where?

Venues

Webstore listings can be created in the wee hours of the morning, snuggled in a comfy, warm bed with only an ipad. However, unless you promote like crazy through social media, customers will not find your store. I have only made two sales so far via my Storenvy site, and those were to one loyal friend. I have had better luck selling via Facebook. Though I have pinned all my listings on Pinterest, they haven't resulted in sales. I just started toying with Twitter, but frankly, I find it overwhelming to grasp the concept of how to use this platform to promote my business.

What about craft fairs? have participated in only one fair, and that was enough for me. Packing, unpacking, setting up, and sitting around hawking my wares all day (for two days) was exhausting.  I met some nice people but only superficially. Lots of lookers and few buyers meant that I made only enough profit to cover my booth fee. I didn't choose a venue wisely; my jewelry languished in a sea of inexpensive crafty stuff. 

That leaves brick and mortar stores. These, however, are an entirely different thing. You must seek out shops that fit your design aesthetic, approach business owners, and present yourself and your product. The thing I love most about this marketing option is the satisfying opportunity to build lasting relationships. I am fortunate to have meet two supportive, positive, and talented local shop owners that  are excited to carry my jewelry on consignment. Of course, consignment does come with one little negative: pricing. I get uncomfortable having to raise my prices to accommodate the 70/30 percentage, but I try to be as reasonable as possible and make sure to offer pieces at a variety of price points. 

*** GETTING READY TO RETAIL ***

Inventory

Oh, paperwork. Do I like it? No. Is it necessary. Definitely. Am I good at it? Yes. ! I've always been detail-oriented. Ok, so I guess I really DO like paperwork, but only if it it truly useful. My inventory includes photos because no matter how descriptive I am, I can read a detailed description of a piece and still fail to visualize the actual piece. Inserting the photos is a chore but worth it. 

Tagging Items

With the inventory done, I am ready to tag items. At first I just put some plain tags on the necklaces and bracelets that indicated inventory and price. Then Cindy, the shop owner, suggested adding my business name and materials used. The next thing I knew, my work table was littered with stuff: quality card stock, a paper cutter, hole puncher, ruler, stamps and pad, fine tip marker, pencils, and hemp string. 

I like the addition of a graphic element. I was going to draw something on the tags, but that seemed like a ridiculous use of time. Stamps to the rescue!

My earring cards are made from the same card stock as tags. After trying a few experimental cards, the 2x3" size seemed to work best. 

Business Cards

Fortunately, a while ago, I took advantage of a great sale at Vistaprint and designed new business cards. (I still have about 400 of my old, obsolete cards. I'm sure there must be some use for those.)  Here is a stack of my new business cards and a funky card holder from one of my favorite stores, Astoria Vintage Hardware. These will be included in the shop display. 

Artist Statement 

So who am I, and what inspires my designs? Here is my artist statement plaque to be displayed in the shop. I can't express how difficult this was to compose (lots of soul searching here) and then revise to fit on a 3x5" card. I guess these stamps are becoming an element in my branding. (I just love those visual elements.)

Packing

At this moment, 49 pieces of my jewelry are tagged, inventoried, and lovingly packed in a box ready to go to their new home, Sunflower Flats in Tillamook, Oregon. In my next post, I will share more about this lovely store.

Photography of Jewelry

Getting quality photos of my jewelry has always been an interesting challenge. I remember being so excited a few years ago when I constructed my DIY light tent, set up some lamps, and experimented with my little point-and-shoot digital camera. Then ipad entered my life, and I discovered that it took better photos and eliminated the need for transferring photo files to my laptop via memory card readers. Now I can take a photo, edit it, post it, and blog about it all on my ipad. 

One thing I know for sure is that natural light is best. My south facing window in the morning light on a bright day is perfect. 

Photo quality and engaging staging, however, remain the key factor in posting work on-line. I spend significant time looking at jewelry photos on blogs and in webstores, and I really admire the way many artists stage their photos. Photos are a perfect way of branding a business. There are certain artists I recognize immediately upon viewing a photograph - an identifiable background or a consistent prop brands them. I've noticed a variety of tile backgrounds, vintage books, worn wood, scrapbook papers, and many other props. 

Today I experimented with props in my photos. I live on an ocean beach, so rocks, shells, and driftwood pieces seem logical. I have thousands of these things hanging around the house. Do these represent my brand? I'm not sure. They are, however, props I could use consistently to create recognizable style. I want to make sure the props don't detract from the jewelry but just highlight it. 

Example: 

I just finished a custom order for a wedding set in rose quartz and silver. These turned out so lovely and sweet. Here are some photos I took this morning using props. Unfortunately, it was pretty overcast and gray today, so I had to edit to brighten them a bit. 

I liked draping the bracelet on that piece of driftwood. Soft gemstones on hard, rough wood is a nice contrast, I think.

Maybe the earrings should have been on a dark background. 

Maybe the dark grooves on the shell are visually distracting. 

These are things to consider and play with in future photographs. I welcome any advice readers might have (if I even have any readers). Feel free to comment!