Collaboration Nation

One of the things I like to do to give myself a jump-start in creativity is to work with another artist.  It can get kinda lonely all by myself in my studio doing the same thing over and over again.  So I look to my friends and other artists to get some artistic inspiration.

Last year I was very fortunate to meet an amazing, talented, smart, creative, successful and hilarious new friend:  Lorrie Veasey.  She's down-to-earth and so generous with both her time and her work, PLUS her gigantic studio is 2 blocks from my apartment/workshop.  And she has two adorable kids around the same age as my oldest so they get together and nerd-it-up big time.  Then we get to drink wine and laugh lots and lots.  She's a really goooood friend.  Anyway, she's a ceramicist by trade and a snarky commentator-on-life at heart.  And I'm so lucky to have met her.

Lorrie has been listening to me complain often about my photography.  And in her usual, uber-generous fashion, she offered for me to come by her studio and use her photo set-up.  Oh, and some of her work as props for my jewelry.  It was loads of fun, nice to be out of my own space and great to see her work up close and personal.

Here's a shot of my ring on one of her ring holders:

And here is her ring holder in it's entirety:

And it's already sold, but I know she'd make you another one if you asked her very nicely.

I love Lorrie and I love all of her work, it's really hard to pick a favorite.  Honestly, I don't have to because her pottery is so affordable!  And they make perfect gifts (as my friends and family already know).

I just gave this one to my husband for Valentine's Day:

And at one of the craft fairs she sells her work at, I bought this handmade collage:

This one made me get all choked up, because she made it for me.  *blush*  WHO DOES THAT?!

Lorrie does.  I'm so lucky that she picked me to be her friend.  Thanks for being my inspiration Lorrie!

It's MARCH!

And I'm drowning in ideas.  Promotions, advertising, honing in on my target market, new designs, new customers...

Sometimes I feel like I've got so much on my plate (that I put there) that I'll never finish anything.  ACK!  And that's when I sit down, eat some chocolate, and take it one thing at a time.  I find that organizing things on my desk helps me organize my thoughts and gives me the feeling that I have some control over my self-imposed-chaos.

I take time to go through my orders, order castings and gemstones as needed, then hang them on a magnetic board on the wall behind my desk.  Done.

Then I go through my expense receipts, bills, and assorted crap that has somehow landed on my desk (thank you, sweet husband).  Then I do the old FTP.  File. Toss. Pile.  If I've dealt with it: File.  If I haven't looked at it/don't need it: Toss.  If I don't know what to do with it yet: Pile.  I like to work in piles and I admit it's one slippery slope toward being on Hoarders for me.

I apologize to whomever that pile belongs to, but thought the cat butt sticking out was hilarious.  Schaudenfraude at it's best.

So that said, I am going to continue my FTPing in the hopes that it will give me some energy to continue to plow through the piles and get on with my work.  That said, I just posted a fantastic new ring in my Etsy shop.  Whew.

Jewelry Tool Junkie

I am completely and unapologetically addicted to making jewelry.  And eating chocolate, but that's not what this post is about.  I had a decent year of jewelry sales last year so I figured I would put the money back into Metalicious AND BUY SOME JEWELRY TOOLS.  Plus some of my vendors were having major sales so how can a girl resist a jewelry tool sale??? 

I know it sounds like an excuse but my flex shaft motor was dying.  For reals.  And I'm always looking for ways to improve my production time.  So here's what I bought:

-1 magnetic pin tumbler

-1 new pickle pot

-2 flex shafts

-2 sets of wax sheets

-1 set of inverted cone burs

And the question my sweet husband keeps asking me:  WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT ALL OF THIS STUFF???

Just between us, I'm working on getting more sales this year so that I can invest in a real studio space.  *winks*  Think I can do it?

*peek*

Here are 2 wholesale orders ready to get shipped out.  Bagged n tagged.  Total chaos.

Metalicious: The Love edition

Well it's a special day today, I'm sharing my blog with a few others who are writing about Valentine's Day.  Please take a peek at their blogs here:

Andrea Davis: Pure Food Nutrition: Valentine’s Day Chocolate: Good & Good for You?

Ann Mehl: A Man and His Word on Valentine’s Day

Artists & Fleas: Gift Guide: From Brooklyn-Tough Love, Show Your Love, and Lovely Little Licks, Bites & Nibbles

The Bitchy Waiter:  Fuck Cupid

Brooklyn Flea:  You Gotta Have Heart

The Experimental Gourmand:  Valentine’s Day Special Dinner

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market:  A Blog Affair to Remember
Kumquat Cupcakery:  My Messy Pink Kitchen

Markets of New York City:  Love is in the Air: Three Great Valentine’s Dates at the Markets

The NewNew: What Makes Valentine’s Day Sweet to Me

And now a little something I 'cooked' up:

Well, I've come to realize something about myself lately.  I'm a terrible cook, but a fantastic baker.  Cooking is for people who can experiment and taste soup and know exactly what spice to add that will make it better.  Baking is for people who like to follow directions.  And eat yummy sweets.  I say yes to both of these things, hence I am a fantastic baker.  My apple pies are tender yet crisp.  My breads are chewy with a crunchy crust.  My cookies are buttery-licious.  And I don't say this because I'm a baking egomaniac, I say it because my husband rates my baking as 'restaurant quality' good.  This from a man who has eaten at places like Per Se, Bouloud, Babbo, etc. 

With Valentine's Day coming up, I've also come to realize that I like to bake to show my love.  It's also a great DISTRACTION for my 6-year-old and I while my 1-year-old sits at my feet alternately yelling up at me and pulling out all my tupperware bowls from the lower cabinets.  Stinker.  Not only does it keep us all from pulling out each other's hair during the winter months, but we end up having something delicious to share with my husband when he gets home after dinner.

Here is Asher and our concoction from last year's baking event.  Red velvet cupcakes with vanilla frosting.  Not restaurant quality but totally fun to make!  And yes, I used a box mix for these.

This year, however, we are going for the gold:  red velvet chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese frosting.  From scratch.  I have to admit, I've already made them once and my husband deemed them the 'most amazing restaurant quality cookie sandwiches and you need to sell these people will want them' good.  So we're going to make them again.

What are you making/baking/cooking/buying/giving/getting for Valentine's Day this year?

Well hello February

You've jumped up and bit me in the arse!  I just barely got through January and now it's FEBRUARY??  Where does the time go?   Between the snowtastrophes and my son having scarlet fever (I thought that went out with the 18th century, but NO it hasn't), I have been barely able to take a breath. 

So let's talk about what's been happening around here besides all this weather and illness... BORING.  I have exciting news to share!  My jewelry has been selling at Uncommon Goods!!  eep!  I am so excited that they actually said yes to selling my work... and ecstatic that my pieces are actually SELLING!  yahooo!  I was just featured in their Valentine's Day catalog (and a lot of whooping and hollering and jumping up and down happened here when they asked me), and their lovely buyer sent me this link to their latest newsletter, featuring moi:

Coolness!  And on another note, I have been making some new work just in time for Valentine's day.  I carved a teeny tiny version of my J'adore necklace.  I call it the mini wink heart, the texture winks at you like it's covered with diamonds!  So cutie pie and available in my Etsy shop.

I also made a sweet little star ring, to match my baby stella necklace.  *swoon*  I don't know about you, but hearts and stars bring me back to my teen years, all braces and freckles and z. cavariccis.  This is my sophisticated and elegant take on it in sterling silver... many, many years later.

I've also been a busy bee making a Metalicious jewelry collection for men.  That's right.  Men's jewelry.  Here's one of my favorites, it's kinda like a wide-coin-edge-cool-texture band ring that lots of guys have flipped for.  Rugged but cool.  Edgy meets urban.  Perfect, like your guy.  Okay, stop laughing.  Check it out here in my Metalicious shop on Etsy.

Well, hope to see you again.  Before March.  In the meantime, pop in to say hello on my Facebook page.  Or leave a comment here on my blog.  I don't bite.  Well, not without being provoked.

New year, new things

Well, it's a new year and you know what that means.  Lots of inspiration, energy, enthusiasm.  And then it's Jan 2nd and I'm all fizzled out.  I don't know why we put pressure on ourselves to turn a new leaf on January 1st.  What happens the rest of the year? 

This year I didn't make any resolutions.  Because I still had some leftover from last year, and when I think about it... I am making resolutions all the time!

I have a few that I've been working on for a while now. 

 card by Oakmother on Etsy.

I resolve to set up and use Quickbooks regularly.
I resolve to write my business plan.
I resolve to get my new website up and running.
I resolve to get 10 more wholesale accounts this year.

Whew, I'm tired just thinking about these.  But at the same time I'm excited now matter how much Math (Qbooks) and Writing (business plan) make me want to fall asleep!

And of course my resolutions include working on increasing my line.  I've got some new designs making their debut for Valentine's Day.  Then Mother's Day.  Then Spring.  And so on.  And so on.  New Years will come and go.  But resolutions go on forever.

What are your resolutions??