Laura T Jewelry - In the Studio

Calendar of Events - UPDATE!

2011-05-26T13:29:00.002-05:00

I think i said in an earlier post that, although my website it up, i am currently unable to edit it, which means that the calendar is not up to date. Prices are also not all correct but that is another issue. i'm working on a new website but, as you probably know, that is not a quick process! so, in the meantime, here is my calendar of shows for the next few months:

Satuday, June 4, July 2, September 3, October 1, Baton Rouge Arts Market, 8-noon

Sat/Sun, October 14-15, Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, Lafayette, LA

Saturday, November 5, Baton Rouge Arts Market, Baton Rouge, LA 8 - noon

Saturday/Sunday, November 12-13, Three Rivers Arts Festival, Covington, LA (NOTE: this is tentative)

My summer dates are somewhat tentative we i travel quite a bit during the summer months. Please contact me if you want to be sure i will be at a particular market.

thanks! have a great week - more info later.

River - Baton Rouge

2011-05-24T13:10:00.003-05:00

so, this is a picture taken from baton rouge last week - the river at it's crest it was maybe 5-7 feet from the top of the levee. amazing.

More river pics - Natchez

2011-05-24T13:06:00.003-05:00

The picture above was taken from Natchez, which is, of course, high on a bluff. The other side of the river has a lot of flooding which seems mostly to be confined to businesses that were built between the river and the levee. I guess that area is doomed to flood - it's just a matter of when.

Big River!

2011-05-24T12:33:00.007-05:00

Now for something completely different! i have pictures of the mississippi river. the picture at right was taken in new orleans this week - just as the river was cresting. it was quite a site. we watched the natchez riverboat take off on their tour of the river. i wouldn't have wanted to be on that boat with the river so high!

sterling silver bracelet new!

2011-05-23T15:46:00.003-05:00

whew! it is HOT here, already. it feels like summertime already. anyway, i wanted to show you another picture of a new bracelet. some of you may recognize it as japanese weave (in chain maille talk). this one is made of 16 & 18 gauge wire & is fully doubled. very cool - nice & heavy, just like we like it. it's about 2 inches across. this is one you will know you are wearing - i don't do dainty, remember? what do you think?

New pic & website update

2011-05-21T22:25:00.003-05:00

I have had a couple of new pictures taken since i have applied to a couple of new (to me) shows in the area. To the left is one of the new pics - i think it came out really nice. photo by ralph gabriner, of course. he is a magician with jewelry. i'm very happy with all the pictures he takes of my jewelry. i think my jewelry looks nice with i complete it but ralph adds a special look to it - it looks larger than life, really. love it.

this necklace is pretty substantial - it's made of heavy gauge sterling silver wire (have you seen the price of silver lately???!!! out of sight...) - and gorgeous white freshwater coin pearls - lovely, yes? very drapable & fun to wear. a real attention-getter!

anyway, as you may know, i have had website issues lately. as a result, i cannot currently edit my site SO that means, my calendar is incorrect. if you are looking for where i'll be in the next few months, you can no longer find that info on my website.

i'm in the process of rebuilding my site using a site builder that i can use with any server but it is a slow process. so far, i have looked at & considered wordpress, joomla!, the inmotion pro site builder and imac. i also plan to check out sitespinner. i'm learning a lot but it's pretty tedious. most claim to be "intuitive" or at least "very simple to use" but i'm not finding that to be the case. it looks like inmotion is pretty straight forward but it's tied to the inmotion web host so that's not an ideal solution. imac looks promising - i think i can carry it where ever i may go in the future for hosting but i need to do a little more checking on that.

Website woes

2011-05-14T15:16:00.002-05:00

hi -

some of you may know that my website has been down for a couple of weeks - i was in a panic when a customer told me it was down. well, after several emails back & forth with my website server, i decided to find a new server for my site. i asked around & finally settled on using InMotion Webhosting and they have been so great. Not only did they work with me tirelessly to answer all my many questions, they restored my site!! I am so happy - i thought for two days that i was going to have to start all over with designing a website. i do need to update a few things on the site but it's basically up & functional! woohoo!

i have decided to apply for the Three Rivers Festival in Covington, LA which happens in November. I have been accepted and not accepted by this festival in various years and have taken a few years off from even applying. it's hard to get rejected! i have to learn not to take it personally. Anyway, i have sent a few pieces of jewelry off to get professionally photographed and will post those here when i get them back.

I also will be getting out my camera and taking some photos for general use - it's way past time to add some new things to my website.

that's it for now - thanks for stopping in!

Heard of ArtFire?

2010-12-02T19:21:00.011-06:00

This is a link to my shop on ArtFire. If you haven't heard of ArtFire, click the link & check it out. Similar to Etsy but smaller. I would love to hear what you think of my site there; I have been slowly upgrading it & adding jewelry to it. As always, it's a work in progress (what isn't??). Enjoy.

Visit LauraTeague's ArtFire Shop

new earrings

2010-11-29T16:05:00.004-06:00

i really am enjoying creating these different earrings - love experimenting with the circles; this are very "infinity" looking to me. what is it about circles, anyway?

post turkey

2010-11-29T15:55:00.003-06:00

well, thanksgiving has come & gone we had a great time. parents in town as well as both sons, from california and seattle; it was a great holiday for us. now, i have to turn my attention to filling a couple of special order earrings and getting ready for the FABULOUS Chimneyville show in Jackson, MS, this coming weekend. it is a huge, beautiful, INDOOR show (HURRAY!) and i always look forward to it. a lot of work but a lot of fun meeting new people, talking about my jewelry. it's at the trademart in downtown jackson if you want to check it out. in fact, here is a link in case you are interested. http://mscrafts.org/index.php/chimneyville-crafts-show/ the show is saturday and sunday.

i have a few earrings to post here; i'm very aware that i need lots of good pics of my jewelry & it's so hard to keep up with that. hard to find a photographer who can do justice to my designs - if they are just put out on a table & photographed, they lose all their charm, it seems to me. photographers who do anything else are quite expensive & the problem is that i need lots of pictures. just whining here. more later.

Festival Acadiens & Creoles!

2010-10-08T11:18:00.003-05:00

Festival Acadiens & Creoles in Lafayette, LA is this weekend! This is a fabulous festival with lots of great food, great music and wonderful local crafts being demonstrated - fishing nets being made & other local talents. I'll be there as a vendor, selling my handmade jewelry. We'll be there Saturday & Sunday, 10-5 pm. Should be a wonderful weekend - hope you can come join us!

Earrings!

2010-10-04T00:55:00.008-05:00

Here are a couple pics of some new earrings i have for the fall shows. All are sterling silver.
The first is called Out of This World - it matches the bracelet and necklace of the same name. It is a chainmaille pattern that i have recently begun making as earrings - they have been popular - i like the "knotty" look of them.

The pair above right are made with tiny daisy spacers and the y are similar to a bracelet i make called "clover chain" because it reminds me of the clover chains we used to make as kids - fun, no?
One more -these are great fun - 3 simple hammered rings looped together. they are attention getters although the design is simple. Bright & shiny!

Fall Plans

2010-10-04T00:10:00.002-05:00

I have pretty well finalized my plans for where i will be showing my jewelry this fall. Here is the line up of shows i have planned -

October 9-10, Lafayette, Festival Acadiens et Creoles - lots of fun, lots of dancing.

October 30th, New Orleans, Palmer Park - this is the monthly NOLA Arts Council show. Last month was incredibly hot which was followed by a thunderstorm, complete with lightning - which is pretty exciting in a little 10X10 EZ Up tent....surely the weather will be better this month!

November 6-7 - Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs, Mississippi - this is the first time I'll be a vendor at this show and i am really looking forward to it; i have heard great things about this show.

December 3-5 - Chimneyville Crafts Show, Jackson, Mississippi - this is the third year i have participated in this show and it's always lots of fun. It's an indoor event, which means i don't have to contend with weather - woohoo!

December 11 - Baton Rouge Arts Market, 8 a.m. - 12 a.m.; my 'home show" - the December shows are great fun

December 18- Baton Rouge Arts Market, 8 a.m. - Noon; last show before Christmas!!

So, that's the plan for the fall. I may add another date in New Orleans but i don't have that firmed up yet; it would be on Dec. 19th, if i decide to do that. It's all about have the energy at that point.

More later.

New Bracelet - Gold!

2010-07-12T20:47:00.004-05:00

This is a bracelet that i have made in the past but had not made in a long time. i decided to start making it again after a customer came by who has a bracelet like this and told me how much she loves it; that reminded me of what a fun piece of jewelry this is, so here it is again, resurrected! it's made of handmade sterling silver links and clasp with ceramic beads dipped in 14K gold; the beads are from Greece. This bracelet has lots of movement - i call it "Tahiti" - just seems fitting. i'm planning to start work on a matching necklace today - tres dramatic!

More tiger jewelry

2010-06-28T12:34:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple more bracelets currently at the Cook Hotel. Top is an extremely fun bracelet called "Tiger Geaux Geaux"; lots of movement in this one!

This bracelet is an attention-getter - it's made of glass beads from Czechoslovakia and sterling silver, including the ferocious looking tiger. Lots of fun to wear.

On a side note, I took this photo with light coming from underneath - it gives it an interesting "glow", I think. If you have read many of my posts here you know that photographing jewelry is an ongoing challenge for me; I'm always reading & trying out new approaches to get the best results. I like this effect although it doesn't do as well with opaque components.

Tiger Jewelry Photos

2010-06-28T12:28:00.006-05:00

This is the "Geaux Tigers" bracelet now being shown at the LSU Alumni Center, Cook Hotel Gift Shop; only tiger-themed jewelry at this gallery!

Another new gallery for Laura Teague Jewelry!

2010-06-26T18:59:00.002-05:00

My jewelry was recently accepted into the LSU Alumni Center, Shelton Gift Shop! This shop will be carrying my line of tiger-themed jewelry - purple & gold, tiger stripes, both bracelets and earrings. Of course, necklaces are also possible to match any bracelet you see at the shop but i don't expect that they will carry these - this will be more of custom order. I am so excited about this opportunity and encourage you to check out this shop if you are in the area. here is a link to the store (although I don't think my jewelry is on the site): http://lsualumni.org/shop/

New Gallery

2010-05-27T12:36:00.002-05:00

hi, again -

i'm so happy to report that Laura Teague Jewelry has been accepted at the jewelry store Sabai, here in Baton Rouge. It is a beautiful store and i'm very excited to have some of my jewelry shown there. Peggy Day, the manager, took several bracelets and earrings from my inventory to have in her shop. If you are in town, go by and check it out. It is located in mid-city, near the intersection of Claycut and Jefferson Hwy, near Government Street. This gives me a second location in Baton Rouge - the first is at the LSU Museum of Art in downtown Baton Rouge, so this gives me a new location in the mid-city area. Perfect! Click here to visit Sabai online.

More lampwork jewelry photos, maybe

2010-05-25T13:36:00.011-05:00

ok, coming to you again from laurateague.com.....still trying to get more pics uploaded for your viewing pleasure. ooooh, now it's working! this photo is a little dark, but hopefully you can see it. i'm really happy with how this came out. i especially like the nice-sized hammered mobius that you can see here at the top of the photo. i love to make tiger beads & i had a great time designing this bracelet using my own handmade glass tiger beads, a small solid black bead that i also made of glass and sterling silver wire. i guess at lea
st one other person liked this bracelet because it was stolen at a recent show. oh, well, at least i have a picture. btw, all of these lampwork/sterling silver link bracelet are OOAK - one of a kind. i will use certain elements more than once but i never duplicate a bracelet exacly; what would be fun in that? want to stand out in a crowd? get yourself one of these babies!! something different, oh, yeah!

Enough bracelets for now - how about a gorgeous, OOAK necklace with a big handmade glass bead? what do you think? i was very happy with the way it came out - lots of movement, thanks to the little hammered rings near the focal bead balanced with some more "orderly" smaller rings reaching all the way to the back. finished of course, with a handmade swirly clasp.

these are not on my website yet but there are lots of other goodies there - come take a peek if you're interested in sterling silver jewelry for real women! laurateague.com

More pictures

2010-05-25T13:32:00.002-05:00

Well, on that last post, i said "here are a COUPLE of pictures".....i added one then, when i tried to add another, blogger wouldn't allow it. odd, eh? anyhow, i'll try again here.....hmmmmm still not working. wonder what the problem is. any ideas out that? guess i shut down & start back up & see what happens.

Sterling Silver and my own glass beads

2010-05-25T13:21:00.006-05:00

so, finally, the long promised photos of a somewhat new endeavor. i have been wanting for some time to combine a couple of passions: lampwork bead making and silver wire jewelry. i have been making beads for awhile, often selling the beads themselves or just on a simple black leather cord which, although nice enough, wasn't very satisfying somehow.

When i was accepted to the Arts Council of New Orleans monthly art show in Palmer Park, I took the opportunity to really focus on this, using the date of the first New Orleans arts market as my goal. Here are a couple of pictures of my first work combining these two art forms.

a few new things

2010-04-04T10:24:00.003-05:00

Spring is a busy time in the jewelry studio - there are lots of shows to apply to and prepare for and lots of fun to be had just playing around with metal and glass; gotta make time for the fun stuff!

Here is a charm bracelet I am now offering. The picture includes a fleur-de-lis charm but i sell them with or without the charm. I'm really happy with the simplicity of the bracelet - very sturdy but simple & elegant, I think. I plan to do more of these & have, in fact, been playing around with using bigger & bigger rings & forming some of the rings into ovals & other organic shapes. That seems to bypass the charm bracelet concept but they are quite lovely! I hope to have pictures - it's difficult sometimes to keep up with the pictures. the fun is in making the jewelry; taking photos is a necessary evil -----well, not evil exactly but just not nearly as much fun as creating something using plain wire, a pair of pliers & a torch! But i have to at least document the new things i make; otherwise, they go to their new homes & i forget about them & don't produce that design again, which seems a shame.

More info to follow - next up, lots of new jewelry designs using my own lampwork beads!

some catching up to do

2010-03-30T16:50:00.003-05:00

oh, it's been a long time since i posted but i guess i can honestly say that life got in the way. my "real" job (the one that pays the bills) started back after a summer hiatus; i teach at a university and don't work during the summer months. once school starts back up, life goes into overdrive, you might say. things get really busy & , when i get home after work, it's hard to blog - mainly because what i really want to is make jewelry. taking pictures & putting them online keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the "to do" list. but, anyway, i do have some new pictures & i'll be putting them on the blog, possibly as early as tonight. so - see you again soon!

got money?!!!

2009-09-13T10:16:00.002-05:00

hi - it's me again with some great news to share! i was just awarded a grant for $1000.00 from the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation to purchase a digitally controlled, programmable kiln to use in firing my handmade glass beads! up the this point, i have been taking my beads to a friend for her to fire, picking them up from her (across town) and paying her for her time. this is going to be a big time savings for me - can't wait to do some shopping for the kiln when i get home. i'm in california now helping my older son get settled into graduate school life at stanford - i'll be home on monday & on the computer by wednesday, trying to locate a new kiln! what fun!! more info to come....

New Camera!

2009-08-16T19:40:00.002-05:00

I bought a new camera just for ME to use! those of you who are in a family may appreciate this. i was always sharing a camera with others, which is just great & very cost effective except that, at times, the community camera was nowhere to be found. so, i finally decided to put out the bucks & buy a little camera for me to use. i got a kodak easyshare with manual controls (important for photographing jewelry) - i worked with it for a couple of hours the other day & i think it's going to be fine for emailing photos or maybe even for website photos. it's very easy to use so that is a real plus. of course, once you start adjusting things manually & trying to really get excellent photos of jewelry, things get a bit hairy but, all in all, i'm happy with it. i'll be posting some pictures soon, taken with the new cam, of course!

Newspaper Article

2009-08-16T19:29:00.002-05:00

Last week was a big week for me and for my jewelry business - there was an excellent article published in our daily newspaper about my jewelry business. here is a link to the article:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/52842247.html.

the photographer and reporter came to my home studio and stayed for well over an hour, asking questions most of the time. they watched, took photos and took notes as i went about my typical jewelry-making routine. for this article, the focus was on my chain maille jewelry and on my lampwork beads so that's what i was working on that day. i coiled and cut wire and wove the resulting links together so that they got a good idea of the process involved in making this type of jewelry.

for the lampwork, we had to go onto the back porch, which is where i keep my lampwork set-up. it was HOT so i only made one bead - a gravity bead, which is one of my favorites to make, so that worked out well!

the only thing was a really fun experience and the article was really fabulous. lots of pictures and quite lengthy. the best part was that every detail of my jewelry process was explained absolutelyl correctly.

anyway, this was a really great experience for me. it has given lots of exposure in the community and i plan to frame the article (assuming i can find a large enough frame!) and have it at all of my upcoming shows. i think it will make a nice, professional statement in my booth.

Oh, NO - computer crash!

2009-06-13T21:16:00.002-05:00

My computer crashed last week - bummer! I pretty much had everything backed up but did have a hard time getting my website back up & running. apparently, when i put files from my back up onto a different computer, i didn't put them in EXACTLY the same place as on the original computer. therefore, the website was unable to find files/pictures. it was a pain but i think i finally got it sorted out.

so, then i had to completely redo my email list for jewelry - the list i use to let people know where & when i'll be showing my jewelry. most of it was available because most of the names come from shows where people have signed up to be on the list. there is another group who have emailed me, mostly through my website, requesting that their names be added to my email list. those people are lost - so, if you signed up to be included on my email list, email me again so i can add you to my list.

anyway, i think everything is now back up & running!

in the jewelry world, i'm working to perfect my soldering. i have done a little of this in the past but am doing more & more of it this summer - i want to get really good at soldering. i'm experimenting with simple designs that allow me to practice over & over. for now i'm mostly using copper but will be moving into silver soon. as usual, i'm most interested in rings & circles so that's what i'm soldering.....over & over & over again. it's stimulating to be learning something new & working hard to get it right. i'll try to post some pictures later of my first practice pieces.

More pictures

2009-05-25T14:44:00.010-05:00

so, now here are some more pictures taken by David Wortman. this first is wire work and my own handmade lamp work beads. i call this bracelet design "rock candy'....i don't really know why except that that's what it reminds me of - beautiful rocks - rock candy.....

i like making black & white beads - endless variation, it seems. here is another picture that David took.

I call this one "roses for you". the technique of intertwining the rings (shown here in copper) produces a link that many people call "roses" or, sometimes, flowers. hence, the name. i like the mix of copper & sterling silver - lots of good, interesting contrast.

I just love this sterling silver bracelet - i call it
"clover chain" because you know, it reminds
me of the little chains we used to make out of
clover - remember that? i would spent hours
making those chains.....what fun. anyway, this
design reminds me of those chains, those
summer days & those times.

more pics later - enjoy the day!

laura

spring - summer - what's new in the studio??

2009-05-25T13:58:00.007-05:00

After a little break from the blog, i'm back to report on some shows i participated in & to show you some new pieces i have been working on. i was so happy to participate in a couple of very nice large shows this spring. sales were brisk, people were happy; a couple of really great weekends. the second show was rained out (for the most part) on the second day but such is life for those of us on the outdoor sales circuit! the good news is that my tent didn't link, my dh put all my important items in plastic bins & we just battened down the hatches & rode out the storm. once the storm passed, we were ready to re-open for business but, unfortunately, the festival was cancelled at that point. lesson learned: ALWAYS be able to get things up off the ground or at least into plastic bins for every outdoor show - you never know when an unexpected shower will pass through.

the other show was great - no weather problems but i did have a couple of problems with theives the first night - unbelievable. one group of three acted drunk & tried to push over one of my tables but my dh got to it & saved the day. the same group were later arrested with LOTS of jewelry in the purses of the two women. i did catch a thief in my booth later that night - he tried to steal a bracelet right in front of me so i just instinctively grabbed his hand. possibly not the best thing to do but it was instinct, you know? anyway, since i prevented the theft he wasn't arrested but was given a stern warning by the police. what are people thinking? the lesson from this show?? hmmmmm - i'm learning to watch HANDS, not faces when i think something is "up". oh, also, if something odd or unusual is happening in your booth, you are probably being robbed.....something to think about, eh?

now, for the fun stuff - here is a picture of a design i have been working on lately. i think i mentioned earlier that i was working on some things to see me and others through these "lean" times.

This little bracelet is called "simply elegant" and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. i like the contrast between the straight pieces and the round ring and pearls. i always love pearls and sterling silver together. i make these with pearl drops, faceted amethyst drops, hematite drops, coin pearls, coin onyx (faceted & dramatic!) and some other stones as well. i just make very simple little earrings to match and they have sold well for me. i think maybe people appreciate a lighter, less expensive design option so i 'm continuing to explore that.

This photo was taken by a new, but still local, photographer. the one i was initially using just didn't work out. this photographer's name is david wortman & i am really happy with his photos - not quite as dramatic as those of ralph gabriner but still very nice.

Tips for a lousy economy

2009-03-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm a little late posting this but i just had a really great weekend. The weather was perfect and the show i did on Saturday was very successful, for me. people were buying jewelry for themselves and enjoying the entire experience. it was really just so pleasant. i will have plenty of pictures to post of things i sold in a day or two. my local photographer is not the fastest.

on the right is just a little fun pair of sterling silver earrings that have been selling pretty well - for those who are interested in something different, that is! I call them UFO because that's what they remind me of. They are made with 16 gauge wire, which is pretty hefty but i do love that weighty, "important" feel of that gauge wire.

so, on to the economy. i have been doing some really hard thinking about the economy & the (apparently) inevitable significant decrease in sales that will come along. so, i have a plan! don't all us humans do better when we have a plan? and, btw, did you read in the newspaper today about the chimpanzee in Stockholm who has been proven to plan?? he actually made a big pile of rocks over a several hour period then began throwing them at visitors to his place in the zoo! amazing. anyway, i digress - my plan has two parts - a craft/art show part and an online part.

first, for the "show" plan. now, most of the jewelry i create is really weighty and sturdy - the kind that you know you have on when you are wearing it, you know? so, i thought about that & about how there are actually lots of people out there who do not want, need, require of even like that type of jewelry!! go figure, uh? anway, my plan involves designing jewelry with those folks in mind - same great designs (pardon my modesty), same great semi-precious stones/beads, same great service BUT just on a smaller scale for the smaller, younger woman or for anyone who just enjoys daintier baubles! this accomplishes two goals for me. first, it allows me to reach a larger audience/customer base which seems essential in this economy. second, it allows me to have a jewelry line that is just a little bit less expenive than my original line, again reaching out for a different customer who maybe i have been ignoring by my previous designs. pictures on the way soon!!

I love these and so do my customers - very simple but really lovely fine silver beads - very cool.

so, okay, now on to the second part of my plan. this plan involves making a BIG presence for my jewelry online. to that end, i'm adding lots of new jewelry to my website (laurateague.com), i have a site on etsy (laurateaguejewelry.etsy.com) and on artfire (laurateague.artfire.com) AND this blog. i'm doing this not only for the economy but also as a hedge in case i need the extra income at some point down the road for whatever reason. 16 gauge wire again! they could certainly be made with lighter weight wire but you know me & big wire - gotta love it. coin pearls - oooo, always classy.

so, there you have it. my proactive plan for getting to the other side of this bleak economy! live well!

ArtFire - something new & different??

2009-03-05T19:57:00.000-06:00

i have just opened a web presence on artfire.com - i guess my full address there is LauraTeague@artfire.com. it's kind of like etsy but not nearly as big so i thought i would give it a try. it's pretty easy to set up so i posted a couple of my sterling silver bracelets for sale there. i working to have more of a presence on the web - now i have my own website (laurateague.com), this journal and the artfire account. i have also been approved to open an etsy shop but just haven't worked up the energy to get that off the ground yet!

i have several new jewelry designs that i can't wait to post here but they are currently being photographed; i should be getting them back in a day or two & i'll post them. in fact, in a day or two i should have lots of new photos to post of my most recent work. i've been in a real "earring mood" lately so i thought i would post a couple of earring photos - see what you think. my goal is to always have something new & different - not just the same designs over & over but new things. it's more fun for everyone that way~

i like these copper earrings - not a lot of people work in copper, that i have seen & i find it wonderful! very warm.

my designs tend to be pretty simple, really - just a line, for the most part. i'm challenged to always find new & different ways to use & move that line- what i want to do is bring it out of the 2 dimensional into the 3 dimensional, if that makes any sense. i want the earrings to have some bulk and weight, well, not weight exactly but just to have a presence to frame the face. not an afterthought but something substantial there that frames. sigh. i don't know if i'm making sense about this.

Excellent Photography

2009-03-02T19:15:00.000-06:00

i've been thinking a lot about photographs lately - especially photographs of jewelry. it is notoriously difficult to get good photos of jewelry. oh, i know, i know, there are lots of great tutorials online about how to take your own wonderful photos of your jewelry. believe me, i have tried all the tips and i did get acceptable photos. here is an example of a photo i took.

not bad, really. it only took a little work in picasa, which, BTW, if you haven't tried is a really great little FREE photo editing program. i set up the little light tent i bought as well as all sorts of crazy furniture configurations to get the camera and the tent to exactly the right height, figured out the camara settings AGAIN....why do i always have to figure it out all over again every time i take photos? anyway, a couple of hours later, a few acceptable photos were born. i was getting really frustrated and it was taking DAYS to get enough good photos for a website or to send pictures to a potential customer. so, i applied for a grant for professional photographs of my work. to my complete surprise, i was awarded the contract! i immediately contacted a wonderful photographer, ralph gabriner, who lives in new york. he agreed to photograph my work for $75.00 per photo. whoa - this seemed like a lot to pay for a photo but i was frustrated, desperate and (thanks to the grant) i have MONEY!! so, off they went - a small handful of my favorite, handmade bracelets. i decided to let ralph choose what to photograph and he did well. here is the same piece above but photographed by ralph this time.

wow! see the difference? i could NEVER in a million years make my jewelry looks this fabulous. well, i guess if i trained & practiced for years to be a jewelry photographer maybe i could but i would much rather be making jewelry. so, the moral of the story is: pay to have a couple of great photos taken of your work, if you are an artist. it will be well worth the price. BTW, i recommend ralph, if you need to have photos of jewelry taken.....

Introduction

2009-03-01T11:16:00.000-06:00

Welcome! This blog is my jewelry journal, where i plan to post my random thoughts about jewelry, jewelry design, marketing and whatever else occurs to me that i would like to talk about. i plan to have fun & enjoy the ride - come along if you want.

European Weave - also called European 4-in-1, because for all the rings that are fully in the pattern, 4 rings go through one ring

i started making jewelry about seven years ago....beading, of course, like everyone else in the country & maybe the world. i made tons of those little stretch bracelets that everyone was wearing then. I could not get enough of making those - i just loved the beads & the bracelets that happened when i put the beads together. each one seemed cooler than the last, to me. i was totally and completely hooked. well, there are only so many stretchy bracelets that a person can wear and even giving them to friends (which i didn't like to do because they were all SO COOL), there is just a limit, you know?

I call this bracelet liquid silver because that's what it feels like on the skin - very slinky & delicious.

so, i started looking at different options that would give me the same creative "high" and that would be affordable to create. at first, the effort was just for me; i just wanted to make jewelry, it's as simple as that. i checked out mountains of books on jewelry making at the local library and started to absorb everything i could read both in print & on the web regarding making jewelry. again, i couldn't get enough information - everything i read was fascinating to me.

eventually, after much reading & experimentation with lots of different materials, i more or less settled on working with wire. of course, i would continue my love affair with beads of all types, eventually learning the technique of lampworking (making beads using a torch and glass rods).

so ---- what i love is heavy wire jewelry - not so much intricate as weighty with fairly simple designs.

This is an early bracelet i made from copper wire - i was copying an African Elephant hair bracelet - i liked it!

some of my lampwork glass beads on adjustable leather necklaces - i love these. i have made them from the beginning & still love to make them. each little glass bead is, to me, a miniature work of art. they are all unique. because of the way lampworking is done, it's almost impossible to tell how the work is going to look at the end - everything is glowing orange when the bead is being created in the flame. once it cools, the true colors show. always a surprise! so much fun.

this is an early copper bangle - heavily influenced by the work of connie fox and eni oken and i thank them for their generosity in providing so much help in the beginning. i love these simple bangles but don't make them routinely anymore; i now work more in sterling silver and have moved to other designs, but this design was certainly one of my early favorites.