A multi topic posting, hopefully woven together in a way that works. Most times it's not an issue but occasionally I struggle for what to write about and other times I have more than enough to say. Today is one of those more than enough days.
Yesterday, I picked up the necklaces from the gallery in Vernon and next week, I will put them, some other jewelry pieces, and possibly some knitting and handbags, for sale here on the blog at studio sale prices - read very good.
A studio sale is like a garage sale and, in this case, like an e-garage sale. I'm NOT a business. There's no store front, no guarantees, no payment processing devices, no policies, no returns, none of that. Like a garage sale, you wander into the yard, by the table, see what catches your fancy, transfer the money, and have your purchase mailed home to you. And, I hope you love it. However, once it's left here, it's all yours. Just to be clear. If you want a preview of what might be offered, go back and visit earlier postings on my INSTAGRAM page.
A studio sale is like a garage sale and, in this case, like an e-garage sale. I'm NOT a business. There's no store front, no guarantees, no payment processing devices, no policies, no returns, none of that. Like a garage sale, you wander into the yard, by the table, see what catches your fancy, transfer the money, and have your purchase mailed home to you. And, I hope you love it. However, once it's left here, it's all yours. Just to be clear. If you want a preview of what might be offered, go back and visit earlier postings on my INSTAGRAM page.
On Wednesday, I sorted out the bits and pieces that were starting to pile up in my jewelry area. I guess the amount of production is a good indicator that the new space is working great. I was surprised at how much there was to package and keep. The bags on the table are of beads and the ones in the two containers are of buttons.
I am really enjoying making these small objects. Each is a tiny blank canvas ready to be filled. Yesterday was day nine of the 100 day button project and even though I've mixed a lot of muddy colours, I've also learned how to rescue mud while perfecting different techniques like how to create a thick enough button or how to cut it out cleanly or how to smooth the raw edges to avoid unnecessary sanding once baked or how to eliminate fingerprints... or not... since they clearly show the mark of the maker. I've learned the largest size of drill bit to start with and the largest hole size relative to the button size. I've figured out how to fill imperfections so they look perfect and...
... I've learned that if you try to drill a bead hole bigger, you may end up with one hole on one end and two on the other and that sometimes, the bead just shatters. I've learned that I have a preference for two and not four buttonholes and that sometimes four is what the button needs to add more interest. I learned that I like round buttons best and then oval and then square and I like really big buttons and regular - about 5/8" - sized ones and not so much the tinier ones. That's perhaps because I rarely use them which is, of course, something to think about since there is no way I can use all the buttons I am making. They will need to go somewhere at some point in the future. Probably, another studio sale. It looks like I may be becoming a producer of small batch buttons and beads. I will need to think about what that may look like but for now, I'm just learning.
I am really enjoying making these small objects. Each is a tiny blank canvas ready to be filled. Yesterday was day nine of the 100 day button project and even though I've mixed a lot of muddy colours, I've also learned how to rescue mud while perfecting different techniques like how to create a thick enough button or how to cut it out cleanly or how to smooth the raw edges to avoid unnecessary sanding once baked or how to eliminate fingerprints... or not... since they clearly show the mark of the maker. I've learned the largest size of drill bit to start with and the largest hole size relative to the button size. I've figured out how to fill imperfections so they look perfect and...
... I've learned that if you try to drill a bead hole bigger, you may end up with one hole on one end and two on the other and that sometimes, the bead just shatters. I've learned that I have a preference for two and not four buttonholes and that sometimes four is what the button needs to add more interest. I learned that I like round buttons best and then oval and then square and I like really big buttons and regular - about 5/8" - sized ones and not so much the tinier ones. That's perhaps because I rarely use them which is, of course, something to think about since there is no way I can use all the buttons I am making. They will need to go somewhere at some point in the future. Probably, another studio sale. It looks like I may be becoming a producer of small batch buttons and beads. I will need to think about what that may look like but for now, I'm just learning.
For Day 9's buttons, I tried the mokume gane technique using three colours - a purple, a blue, and a white. I deliberately went away from black or anything that might make mud and it seemed to work quite well. The scraps rolled to a pretty purple.
There are two different techniques. I used the one of stacking thin layers and then pressing into them with a texture sheet before shaving off the raised areas to reveal the pattern below.
This is what was revealed which I then put through the pasta machine one more time to stretch it out slightly more.
And here are the buttons as well as some beads that I rolled from the scrap clay and one small oval button from the scrap of the scrap. I try to use up all the clay if I can rather than keeping a scrap pile. I don't want to be overwhelmed with clay bits everywhere although I've heard frequently that most polymer clay artists have lots of scraps. If I end up in that direction, I'll need to designate how much like my bits & pieces of potential (fabric scraps) box. Only this much and no more, do something with it.
Picking up the necklaces from the gallery was bitter sweat. I was disappointed that they didn't sell and at the same time, I know it's not because they weren't good enough in terms of design or quality of workmanship. Carolina, the gallery owner, was quite surprised that they hadn't sold and was glad to hear that I was going to try other options although I'm not sure how she'd feel about significantly reduced. For me, it's a matter of moving them along so I can make more and you now what, what I think is most important here.
She said that quite a few people had asked about matching earrings. Hmm... I am not an earring person, making or wearing. I've been wearing the same pair for probably twenty-five years and I'm not into matchy-matchy and that's not who I believe my customer is which indicates, as her and I talked about, that I may need to take the pieces to wherever my customer is only I don't know where that is but I do know...
... that in this culture, even though we say success is many things, the term is most frequently a financial one and often quite black and white. If "it" sells, you're successful and if "it" doesn't sell, you're not successful. Even though I don't believe that, I can get caught up in it occasionally and have to rethink... which is important... because I don't want to see success as only money. That kind of thinking would negate most of my life and I definitely don't want to do that. I'm hugely successful. I am warm, dry, safe, fed, clothed, and loved. I have studio, stash, and skills to develop. I have a passion and a purpose. This is VERY good.
If an item is made with the definite goal of selling it - perhaps beads and buttons in the future - and it does not sell then that endeavor was not successful even if the item was the most amazing thing ever because the goal was income generating. That's something I had to face in the past when I couldn't sell alternative, abstract textile art during a global recession. The work was good. The world was not.
In this case, the necklaces were made to learn and were successful in terms of design, components, and workmanship. Being asked to exhibit them at the pop-up gallery was successful. The many, many compliments they received were successful. The joy I felt in making them was successful. The artistic growth I experienced is hugely successful and ongoing. They didn't sell in that location to that selection of buyers and that's not a judgment of me or my work. It's data.
The situation is what it is, try something else. I can't allow one thing to take the shine off of many. None of us can allow that. Life is too short. It's so important to maintain successful thinking in all areas of holistic health - emotional, spiritual, physical, relational, and financial. When I look at each of those areas, there are aspects to work on and aspects that are working well and this is balance and forward movement and it is good and enough.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - a lovely lunch and creative conversation with Carolina
I didn't get back to the sweater on Tuesday night and - finally - finished it just before noon on Wednesday. The yarn is a silk and merino wool blend in a really lovely shade of purple that has a bit of a sheen to it, most likely from the silk. The buttons are all the same colour but not an exact match in shape. I didn't have four the same of anything and that's okay. This is far more interesting. I used a different stitching pattern for each one as well.
Picking up the necklaces from the gallery was bitter sweat. I was disappointed that they didn't sell and at the same time, I know it's not because they weren't good enough in terms of design or quality of workmanship. Carolina, the gallery owner, was quite surprised that they hadn't sold and was glad to hear that I was going to try other options although I'm not sure how she'd feel about significantly reduced. For me, it's a matter of moving them along so I can make more and you now what, what I think is most important here.
She said that quite a few people had asked about matching earrings. Hmm... I am not an earring person, making or wearing. I've been wearing the same pair for probably twenty-five years and I'm not into matchy-matchy and that's not who I believe my customer is which indicates, as her and I talked about, that I may need to take the pieces to wherever my customer is only I don't know where that is but I do know...
... that in this culture, even though we say success is many things, the term is most frequently a financial one and often quite black and white. If "it" sells, you're successful and if "it" doesn't sell, you're not successful. Even though I don't believe that, I can get caught up in it occasionally and have to rethink... which is important... because I don't want to see success as only money. That kind of thinking would negate most of my life and I definitely don't want to do that. I'm hugely successful. I am warm, dry, safe, fed, clothed, and loved. I have studio, stash, and skills to develop. I have a passion and a purpose. This is VERY good.
If an item is made with the definite goal of selling it - perhaps beads and buttons in the future - and it does not sell then that endeavor was not successful even if the item was the most amazing thing ever because the goal was income generating. That's something I had to face in the past when I couldn't sell alternative, abstract textile art during a global recession. The work was good. The world was not.
In this case, the necklaces were made to learn and were successful in terms of design, components, and workmanship. Being asked to exhibit them at the pop-up gallery was successful. The many, many compliments they received were successful. The joy I felt in making them was successful. The artistic growth I experienced is hugely successful and ongoing. They didn't sell in that location to that selection of buyers and that's not a judgment of me or my work. It's data.
The situation is what it is, try something else. I can't allow one thing to take the shine off of many. None of us can allow that. Life is too short. It's so important to maintain successful thinking in all areas of holistic health - emotional, spiritual, physical, relational, and financial. When I look at each of those areas, there are aspects to work on and aspects that are working well and this is balance and forward movement and it is good and enough.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - a lovely lunch and creative conversation with Carolina
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