Craft Fairs

Some people have such organized displays.
~The Table by leandog~

I love going to craft fairs, shopping at craft fairs and generally supporting craft fairs. Except as a vendor. No thank! The first time I ever went to a craft fair was only a few months after I started making jewellery. I had been approved for an artisans co-op and the adjudicators had praised my work and told me I had an impressive collection of jewellery. I figured that meant I was good enough, and had enough jewellery to sell at the local craft fair.

So, I made arrangements to set up at a 'booth' at one of the local fairs. I had my whole stash with me, a folding chair, little table and a sad float so that I could offer change. Somewhere along the way I had missed the idea that I should probably visit the fair first. You know, check it out, see what it was all about. When I got there, I was wedged next to the biggest display of jewellery in the fair and a food vendor. I sat all alone on my folding chair, nearly out of site. A few people came buy and fingered my jewellery and then walked on past. One woman picked up a pair of earrings and asked if I had a mirror. Mirror? Um. No. That would indicate that I was prepared. She gave me a funny look and wandered away. I did sell a pair of earrings that day. I consider it a pity sale. So I made a whopping $5 after paying $15 to set up my 'booth.' 

A few years later I decided to try again. We had moved to a larger city and this time I went prepared. I had  a portable tent for shelter and a long, folding table that fit neatly under it. My stash was much bigger by this time and I had a TWO mirrors, a lovely tablecloth and my display looked relatively professional. I could not set-up the tent on my own. It was definitely a two-person job. My nice cookie-selling neighbour told me that I should shop around at the end of the season for a used tent. I guess a lot of people get dissuaded after a season of fairs and sell their tents. 

The tent wasn't the only problem. As I was sitting there, watching people glance at my jewellery, a couple came by, picked up a pair of earrings, whispered something to each other, set them down and walked away. I glanced at the earrings only to realize that this set that I had made a year ago had started to tarnish! I quickly grabbed them and pairs made from the same supplies and tucked them away. Later, the same couple wandered by and whispered again, something to the effect of "she put them away." Geez. So embarrassing. I've since moved on to stainless steel metal components as my minimum metal quality for findings. I didn't sell anything that day so I lost the $20 booth fee. I did learn that organic, artisan bread will sell out within 30 minutes at that particular fair. It's too bad my baking skills are so limited. 

My cookie-selling neighbour said that jewellery is pretty tough to sell at craft fairs because people don't buy it spontaneously. They usually come back and see it a few times before deciding they really want it. I know that's true for me. I have many items favourited on Etsy that I'll probably buy when I have the money or some day when I'm feeling blue and need a little retail therapy. Either that or when I finish the P90X workout and need a reward!! 

These experiences have left me a little jaded to craft fairs. I don't like feeling stuck in one spot for 3 to 10 hours trying to at least make up my fee for the booth. What if I have to pee? Ideally I'd have good neighbours or a friend with me. I'd much prefer observing the craft fair and spending my money on other people's fares. I'm so grateful to Etsy for opening up a new method of selling for artisans that doesn't require as much time and money. 

That being said, I may set up at a Christmas fair this fall. The one at Kelowna should be fun or the Vancouver one will allow me to see family. If I have someone come with me I'm sure the experience will be much better. 

The First Signs of Spring

I find the first shoots of spring really motivating. The little green buds that pop out of tree branches or the ground are so bright and cheerful and you just know that it's going to warm up. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Check out this Etsy treasury filled with items that feature spring green.

Argentium Silver

Argentium silver is great for catching the light.
~bracelet, stargate sterling argentium silver by argentium1~

I've always loved silver. If not silver, than white gold. There's something about yellow gold that I find tacky. I'm only speaking for me and my skin tone. Yellow gold looks great on many people and sometimes I wear it too. But I don't think that yellow is a colour for everyone. Silver is so neutral. It is sleek and goes with everything. Unfortunately, it tarnishes. This is something that people love to point out to me when I say that I prefer silver. Really? Tarnishes? You don't say. My own engagement ring is in white gold, although some individuals in my life don't consider this to be "real" gold (??). But I would have been quite content with silver. Particularly Argentium silver.

Before we get into Argentium, you should know a few details about silver. Most mainstream silver is sterling silver and is recognized by the 925 stamp. This stamp indicates that the silver is 92.5 percent silver. The remaining 7.5 percent is made up of different alloys that include copper. The alloys make the silver harder and more durable than pure silver. However, the copper tarnishes when it comes in contact with sulfur and sulfur is everywhere -- deodorant, perfume and excreted through your skin. Some people have more sulfur on their skin than others, depending on their body chemistry, the food they eat and how much they sweat. This is why they may find jewellery tarnishes faster for them. 

The other kind of silver that you may find is fine silver. Fine silver is 99.9 percent sliver, is shinier and looks ... finer. But it is much softer than sterling silver and can't really be used in many jewellery making techniques.These two types of silver each have major flaws. 

Enter Argentium silver. Argentium silver is the modern take on sterling. It is 92.5 percent silver, so it is technically sterling silver, but the alloy mix includes germanium. The germanium creates a film of germanium oxide over the copper, protecting it from the sulfur and preventing oxidation. Argentium silver will tarnish over time, but this is removed with a gentle buffing that you can do at home. In addition to its high tarnish resistance, Argentium silver is more malleable than traditional sterling silver, making it more desirable for artisans. Some retailers now sell Argentium silver with even higher levels of silver, like 93 or 96 percent, which takes them out of the sterling silver category and heading towards fine silver. These higher levels of Argentium silver are advertised as whiter and brighter than white gold or platinum. 

Argentium becomes more tarnish resistant when it is heated. 

~ Argentium Silver Hand-Forged Anticlastic Earrings by jkhaimandesigns~

It's Been Years -- Literally

I was looking for a necklace I had favourited on Etsy years ago when I realized, "Hey, I bet I blogged about it." Sure enough, I had. And after I found the necklace I realized it had been two years (off by only one day!) since I had posted on this site. How lazy. In the last two years, I've been writing more and making less jewellery. I also had another baby (awww). So that, in a nutshell, is where I have been. However, I feel motivated to start making more jewellery and blogging about my Etsy finds so here I am! Updating you all (hi mom!) and sharing my new plan.

Spring is in the air

Spring is in the air and Etsians are sharing their love of the season through their creations.

Today I was surprised to find that someone had found a photo of crocuses I have listed at my store AND they had included it in an etsy treasury. How lucky! Especially considering the quality of the other pieces chosen. Gorgeous ... a nice variety... and very fitting for the season.

I'm not going to write about each one. I'm just going to show you some pictures and let you find them on your own.

The most expensive items on Etsy

There's not doubt that Etsy is full of interesting, talenting creations (and some not so interesting) and it's easy to spend hours searching through the masses of stores and listings. One of my favourite things to do is look at the most expensive listings on Etsy.

Today's search led me to this sculpture of Pope John the 23rd by Alan Somerville. It's being promoted for the Easter holidays and costs $100,000. At that price it is easily the most expensive item on Etsy. Is it worth it? I definitely think so. I googled Somerville and found that he is a well-known sculptor in Australia and New Zealand and has several pieces displayed around the country. Whoever purchases this piece is getting work from an award winning artist and will definitely have a long-lasting item that would work in a variety of places. It would make an excellent addition to a Catholic cathedral.





Next I travelled to the woodworking section to find the most expensive item in this category. The results? This wooden boat for $67,700.



This is the description:
(This is a boat I built from the Locust Keel up. It is the "Epoxy" method. This involves 1/8 inch clear heart cedar planks laid cross grain to one another, three layers; with a very heavy coat of glass cloth and epoxy applied to the exterior of the hull for durability, and also to the interior. It is a replica of the 1955 Century Whirlwind Runabout. That means a small boat that you drive with an outboard motor. An outboard motor has never been on it. Instead i made up masts, and sewed my own sails. The sail plan is a two masted fore and aft square rigger, used from the 1600's to the 1900's. it is the ideal, and perfect sail for a small open boat. the canvas is spread out low, -moreover, the rig is 'balanced' so that you can let go of the tiller and it 'tracks' on heading. It has never capsized for the above reasons; although I have seen small open boats with a triangular , tall sail capsize every time I've been out on the water. Everything was hand made by me, including sculpting and casting the mermaid stem head fitting, and the 'blocks'- the pulleys that handle the couple hundred feet of line. It is fitted with a powerful troll motor on a "kick up rudder".I realize no one can afford a boat that took me 17 years to build ( while keeping my day job ) but I offer it for sale for a collector who knows the value of such things. I fully expect never to sell it. Who in the world has this kind of money? Well...a peek at "Car Collector" magazine with million dollar cars, and even 14 million dollar cars might give you a clue. Obviously there are some staggeringly wealthy people in the world. Albeit, it's a pelasure to list my boat...to show off, actually. I think I'd be shocked if someone actually bought it. I do plan to keep it and have fun with it, and let my grandkids inherit it, and enjoy it as a family heirloom.)

I'll happily admit that I don't know that much about boats. I can't really say if this is great deal or not but in my meagre little opinion I think this artist put a lot of time, energy and heart into this creation and would like to get the value of the love that went into it as well as the time and money. This is understandable. I think a lot of artists feel this way. A lot of the value it probably in the replica of a classic boat. Again, I'm an expert in boats by any stretch and am simply showcasing some of the priciest items on Etsy today.

Now on to Jewellery ... my category. :)

The most expensive piece of jewellery on etsy is this extravagent piece of bling.

Priced at $90,000 this is one of the priciest items on Etsy. Here's their desciption:
(White gold , 18 kt.surrounded by 7 carat of beautiful diamonds in G color VS1 and yellow diamonds.The center Diamond is about Carat 5,40 in J collor SI1 .Total Weight of Diamonds is carat 12,40 . Please contact me if you have any question in regard,the ring is amazing ,able to adapt at any event ! You can have any information about other diamond for the center,any color,any quality, available at reasonable price. G.I.A certificate,with laser inscription. Thank, Marco)

This is something that might be seen at the Oscars. The average person isn't going to be buying this item. From the description I'd say that this is a fair price. I had a friend who had a very high quality, single diamond ring that was valued at $20,000 by three different appraisers. The quality of the diamond is extremely important. I can't complain about the price of this item. The only thing I'd like to comment on is that Etsy, for me, is about Artisans being able to showcase their work. This looks much more like the work of a professional jewellery designer. This artist doesn't have any information in their profile about themselves, an external link or any sales/feedback so you don't really know who you are dealing with.

With that in mind I'm going to skip some of the other pricey items on etsy as some of them are from the same store and have this 'professional' flair.

This next item is from someone I would call an artisan. In his profile page he describes his proces and his vision and I get a real sense of how he works and what his pieces mean to him. His most expensive one is the Burning Water Bracelet

This bracelet is very funky and is made from quality materials - 14k coloured gold. That's not gold plating or gold fill but real 14k gold. That puts a lot of value in this item as do the diamonds. It also has a name that speaks to his vision. The photography is well done and the care is obvious. I also like that each piece is unique. This is never going to be recreated. At $21,950 I definitely think this is worth it. It may not be for everyone and it's certainly not in most people's price range but for the right person this will be, essentially, a priceless item.

The last item I am going to showcase was one of the most expensive necklaces when I first started doing this kind of search. It was listed at $10,000 but has since been dropped to $6,500. The Baroque Cathedral Necklace is not for someone who has a weak neck. It's large and intricate and quite fascinating to look at. I'm sure it's even more fascinating in person. This was created by an actual artist who wants to make wearable art. It's for someone who wants to make a statement.


A note from the author:
For the sake of this article I'm assuming that the artists and their creations are authentic and that they have given accurate descriptions of themselves and their work. As buyers we must always be aware of who we are purchasing from, especially at these prices, and I am in no way assuring anyone that I know this artists or can vouch for them.

Long overdue for a post

It's been over a year since I updated this blog. Shameful. But in my defense I have been busy. I went back to school last fall and am working on my BA. I was going to do a double minor in History and English. Then I decided to minor in History and Spanish. Now we are moving (off the island ) and I'm going to a different university. I've switched my minors once again to History and Visual Arts. When I finish the BA I will go into the education program and finally work as a teacher. So big plans for me. On top of everything else I find myself (intentionally) pregnant again so I am taking a few months off of school to relax and adjust. This break has inspired me to focus on my Etsy store and my blog again ... so here we are! I hope everyone enjoys their time here.

Clasps

Choosing a clasp for a piece of jewellery can be one of the most critical decisions an artisan can make. The right clasp will should either add to or compliment a bracelet, anklet or necklace. The wrong clasp can be a disaster.

Some clasps are two gawdy for a delicate piece while others may not match the tones quite right.

A lot of artisans make their own clasps so the final touch is as unique as the entire piece. I'm not quite there yet. I either use the stand-by lobster, toggle or hook clasps but I also like browsing for new takes on the classics.

Today I found the above clasp on etsy.

I love how unique it is yet sturdy and I imagine it would be quite easy to use. This particular artist, Rockis Supplies, has a nice selection that would be the perfect finishing touches for quite a few styles.

-----

There seems to be no end to the type of ladies' clasps out there. They come in every material, shape and style. I have a hard time finding interesting 'manly' clasps for, say, a stainless steel chainmaille bracelet. I think it would be neat to see 'tougher' images used to craft clasps. Motorcycles, skull and crossbones, barbwire. They certainly wouldn't work for every style but they might be a fun touch in some cases.

Jumpstart

It's been too long since I've written and both my blog and Etsy store have been sadly ignored. In my defense. I've had company. A lot of company. Loud company. Company that doesn't seem to go away. I should just lock myself up with some beads and never come out. So today I am posting on my blog and recommitting to it and my store. There's definitely more to come.

Pig tusk jewellery

When I was chosen for a Sneak Attack a few weeks ago I was also contacted by Pigatopia Studios about making some jewellery made from pig's tusks.

My first thought... interesting! ... and odd!! LOL but definitely interesting. I love the concept of using natural objects in jewellery. I have a good collection of shells and sea glass that I will be using in pieces once I have enough materials.

Of course I was up for the challenge and PS sent me pigtures of the tusks she had as well as a beautiful tusk necklace she had made by an artist who used a wire wrapping technique. Very beautiful.

My mind went in a different direction. Some of the pieces were about an inch around and I thought if I could drill holes in them I could use them as beads in hemp bracelets or necklaces.

That had me wondering how I would get fine holes in these tough pig's tusks. Thankfully my husband is home this week and he brought out his power drill and smallest bits and after a rough start he was able to get the perfect size hole in one of the tusk pieces. Eureka! I was able to easily slide a piece of hemp through the hole. Not too tight. Not too loose.

So far we just have the one piece drilled through but I will be making a plan for each piece over the next day or two and will continue to update this blog for anyone interested in my following the creation of pig tusk jewellery.