Confessions of an ADD Artist

For a very long time I was all about the beads.  I am not complaining but there were those times when the beads weren't working for me and I stalled.  I thought it was because I needed a studio.

I love having this studio now but it is not turning out to be what I planned and that is perfectly fine because in the past few months I have been exploring other artistic avenues and I am enjoying it so much but.............

How do I make all of these a part of my life without letting any one of them get put aside?  I didn't want to have to always put one away just to work on something else.  I know some of you may not be able to use my plan but it may give you ideas of your own.

I created stations for each of my passions or rather the stations presented themselves to me.  First up is beading which is still a very important part of my artistic life.  I found that I love my studio for storing and picking out the beads but when it came to actually beading at the desk it just didn't feel right so I went back to the best little space on the couch. That is also where I have my OTTlite which some of you know is essential for tiny beads.

Under my tray is my tool box with all my needles, scissors, thread and thread burner.  All I need to do is pick a project and put it on my tray and it is always ready to pick up.

Tucked away along the side is a small quilt and a cross stitch project for those times either my eyes are too tired for the tiny beads or as I am sure has happened to you something is not working and you come to the point you just need to put it down.

What I found is that I needed the studio desk for is felting.  You have heard me talk about how much I have enjoyed starting this and I found that I need the desk for concentration and minimal distractions to prevent stabbing myself.  I really didn't think I would enjoy working at a desk so much and having it in front of the window is refreshing.

My ever growing gang is always there to encourage me to be creative.

I have taken my artistic journey a bit farther than I thought I ever would and took a class on Primitive Rug Hooking which is a primarily North American craft that began in the 1800's.  Here is the class project.

What I immediately fell in love with is the freedom you have in creating your personal rug.  Here is my finished (except for the binding) rug.

I knew going into this project that the flowers were just not something I wanted to do so with help from our amazing teacher Deb we created trees for me.  I love it but, with the frame and supplies needed there was no room for this to stay in the living room.

A funny thing happened when we had that snowstorm a couple of weeks ago.  My husband was working from home and actually enjoys my company while he is working down stairs so that is where I now have my rug hooking station.

A couple of Christmas's ago my daughter gave me this tote when I was attempting to do shows with my jewelry but that did not work out.  It works great for storing all the supplies needed for hooking and I can take it back and forth to class.  Oh and it keeps the kitty from stealing all my wool strips too!

As you can see I do flit from one to another easily and now it is not a time consuming challenge to put one away just to work on another.  Have you had this issue?  Did my tips help?  Let me know!

Exciting times!

I’ve not much to talk about jewellery wise this week, but that’s not to say I’ve not been busy! After many years of not so quietly complaining about my lack of space, I’ve spent the last fortnight building a new studio in the garden. 

We’re really lucky to have lots of space out the back and up until now we had a chicken shed and my husband’s shed in a space near the fence line. As they were both getting really old and close to falling down we rehoused the chickens in to a great new coop round the side and cleared up ready for my new studio.

First up was paving slabs, all 90 of them. I was a little ambitious thinking I could have this done in a day, but 4 days later, they were all down and ready for building. The studio I decided on is a log cabin, or posh shed. It was delivered in a million pieces all cut and ready for assembly.

Once we’d found the starting pieces (at the bottom of the pile!) They were laid out and squared up. The rest of the pieces then slotted in on top of each other until we reached just above window height.

Superman/Husband!

The windows were added in as one unit and we kept on going up to the roof. 

The roof beams slotted in to tie everything together. It was hard work, but made easier by there not being any screws or fixings to the main building. The wood is cut so that each piece slots in to the next (with a bit of persuasion from a mallet!) 

The roof took a while. Each slat had to be screwed in to the main beams, but once that was finished we added felt and shingles and it was on to the inside. 

The flooring was pre cut, so each plank just had to be screwed down on to the bearers. There were a few finishing touches like beading around the edges, and the building was complete. 

 Monster Assistant

I sat for a couple of days planning out how I would like the inside and I’m still not completely decided. I’m sure it will change and evolve as I start working in there, but for now, I have a table, some worktops, my precious books, my Grandad’s workbench (hopefully moving in tomorrow) and my Grandma’s chair.

A spot to sit and read

And I have room to display the wonderful artwork I’ve collected from friends.

Reasons Mountain by Cosmic Images

Glass & Driftwood Sculpture by Tan Grey Glass

Lino Cut Hare print by CarrollBooks

And finally, I have room to get out my pottery wheel! I’ve had it for a couple of years, but there was no space to use it, so it turned into a storage table in the garage. I can’t wait to get on it and have a play!

It really is a dream come true to have such an amazing space to work in, but the best part for me is to have room to create with my kids!

Biggest Cheesy Grins ever!!!

To give you an idea of how excited I am... here's a look at my workspace for the last couple of years... you might be able to see the 4 square foot of space I had just to the left!

I think it will be a couple more weeks until it’s ready to get in there properly, there is no electric or water yet, but while I have daylight, I can go in for a play!

Caroline

http://www.blueberribeads.co.uk

Hosting A Destash Event

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, I hosted a destash event on my Facebook jewelry page.  I not only discovered some tips about how to run one of these events, I also learned a bit about myself.

I have been collecting beads for around 25 years.  At first I only bought beads at hobby shops like Michael's or JoAnn.  Later I discovered a delightfully funky bead and pawn shop on the nearby Yakima Indian Nation reservation.  My jewelry designs were very basic in those days and I didn't even know there was such a thing as artisan beads...and maybe that long ago there weren't any.  A lot of those beads are still hanging around in my studio (can we call them vintage now and charge more?). 

Bracelet made with beads from Michaels:

Then I went through my gemstone and sterling silver stage.  I still ogle gemstones, but they don't seem to make their way into many of my designs right now.

 Tourmalinated quartz and Swarovski crystal bracelet.

Meanwhile I'm now grabbing artisan beads like they were popcorn and then I start getting interested in polymer clay, metalsmithing and enameling.  I am very lucky to have a spare room as a studio, but suddenly there is not enough room in there.  Hence the need to destash!

As I was sorting through beads to let go of, I felt a bit like an archaeologist, sifting through the layers of my development as a jewelry designer. I realized that those old beads had become an added stress in my life.  Every time I opened a bead drawer and saw a pendant or string of beads that were 10 years old, I felt like I "should" use them or I was "obligated" somehow to not waste them.  They were becoming an emotional burden that I didn't need. And because every designer's style is unique, what no longer fits for me, might be exactly what someone else needs.  I discovered to my delight, that not only do I have more studio space after my destash, I also feel a sense of happy relief.

So if you to need to destash, I've got some tips that might help you to go about doing this.

It seems to work best if you offer a set of coordinating beads rather than just one type of bead.  In my last destash, I worked in numbered "lots".  Most lots had a focal and some coordinating beads.  I had the most success with lots that were priced at between $3-$15.

Including a coin in the photo, helps the viewer to gauge size.  If the focal was on the expensive side, I offered it alone, but those didn't seem to sell as well.

If I had a lot of one type of bead, I offered the whole group as one lot.

I sold my items at below cost.  My goal was not to make a lot of money.  I just wanted to clear space in my studio.  I wanted the destash to be a good deal for my buyers, while helping me to recoup some of my monetary investment.

Offer to combine shipping.  I learned this after my first destash.  From now on I'll post something like this, "Lot  #19.   $10 + $2.50 shipping USA, for the first item, $1.00 additional items, invoiced though PayPal.  Please comment SOLD or MINE if you want this item. First come, first serve."

Be sure to clearly state that the shipping rate only applies to your own country, (or within the EU).  You can offer to ship elsewhere, but make the buyer aware that shipping will be adjusted to cover expenses.

Be sure to charge more to ship heavier items, such as books or weighty beads. On my comments for this lot, I said that I was charging $4 for shipping because the stones are quite heavy, but if it turned out to cost less that $4, I would adjust the price downward.

I pinned the following general policies to the top of my Facebook page and alerted all buyers to refer to it first.

Destash General Policy

Here's how we'll be doing this destash event - Write MINE or SOLD in the comment section if you would like to purchase an item. I will combine shipping on multiple orders and I will gladly ship outside the USA, but we will have to adjust shipping prices to meet the added expense. I will then message you and ask for your email address, after which I will send you a PayPal invoice. Items ship in 1-2 days after receipt of payment. All items offered are at below my retail cost. All sales final. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Thank you.

I have also been a buyer at destash sales and you can really get some awesome deals.  I noticed that one of my buyers on Tuesday and Wednesday, was destashing some of her own items on Thursday!  And so, as we are all potential buyers, I want to alert you to the fact that on March 10th-14th, AJE will be hosting a destash event.  There will be more details as we approach the date, but mark your calenders now.  I'm looking forward to coming away with some bargains!

Have you ever participated in a destash event?  What tips can you share?  Keep the conversation going.

Disclaimer:  Check with Facebook policy before doing a destash event.  It used to be that Facebook could close down your page for selling directly off your Facebook page.  But many of us are doing this routinely now.  I don't know if their policy has changed, or if they are just not monitoring it closely now.  Neither I nor AJE can be responsible for consequences, if there are any.

Linda
Linda Landig Jewelry – ArtFire 
Linda Landig Jewelry – Etsy