Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
monday's picture post
Nine of our Bead Art Originals artists have chosen items to include in the Items of the Week for this week. You can find the details on each of those items here.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
twirling
I promise pictures tomorrow. Tonight I'm too tired. We got home and I'm just glad to be in my own little space.
I watched some little girls twirling around in dresses today and I was strongly reminded of when I used to do that. My aunt would make fabulous skirts and dresses for me that were spin-perfect.
I loved being swung around by my dad, tire swings, dancing with girlfriends, office chairs, all of it. I'd even twirl till my inner ear was in an uproar and I couldn't stand anymore and I'd lay there and watch the world spin around me. Over and over and over again.
I even semi-sort of sketched out a poem. It's been years since I've written poetry. I wonder if I'll have the time and interest to sort through it. If I do, I'll probably share it here at some point.
I watched some little girls twirling around in dresses today and I was strongly reminded of when I used to do that. My aunt would make fabulous skirts and dresses for me that were spin-perfect.
I loved being swung around by my dad, tire swings, dancing with girlfriends, office chairs, all of it. I'd even twirl till my inner ear was in an uproar and I couldn't stand anymore and I'd lay there and watch the world spin around me. Over and over and over again.
I even semi-sort of sketched out a poem. It's been years since I've written poetry. I wonder if I'll have the time and interest to sort through it. If I do, I'll probably share it here at some point.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
all I can do
I like doing custom work-- really I do. I'm careful about the commissions I take on. If something isn't me, I suggest another artist that I think might be a better fit. Usually though people come to me because they already like my work-- they may even have some of it-- and they want something specific made the way I'd make it. Their idea, interpreted by thebeadedlily. It stretches me just a bit, but pleasantly! And sometimes I end up with an addition to my line!
There is a problem sometimes though. When someone asks me to do something, and I research it and find out that yes, I could do it, but it's going to cost more than everything similar on the market, I feel funny. Granted, what they want is either not on the market, or it's so rare that it's hard to find-- but the market has *similar* items for much less. I want to charge fair prices-- fair for me and my customers.
Sometimes, I look at the prices on the market I'm just not sure how anyone's making a profit on what they're charging. At other times, I think that the similar pieces on the market are made in a different way than I'd go about making the item in question. A quicker, easier way, with much less in the way of materials involved?
What I know is that when someone wants something created just for them-- something that isn't even on the market they can pretty much expect to pay for the privilege. I would. But what if they don't? What if the fair price is twice as much as they were expecting? Three times as much?
It makes me nervous, but in the end, all I can really say is "I'll do it for $x," and leave it with them. Part of me wants to defend myself from any feared questionmarks by being totally transparent. As in, 'The best price I could find for materials is $x, but I really want to do this, so I'm only going to charge you $x times 2 and the labor will basically be free and I know it sounds like a ridiculous amount of money but I'm offering you an insane deal.' But I don't. I can't. I'm scared to.
What if they think I'm trying to guilt them into saying yes? What if they think I'm bragging/blustering about the insane deal (look at me, look at me, aren't I nice?). (It's really a much more selfish, as in 'This is a crazy interesting idea so I'm willing to skip being paid if you'll foot expenses and a bit more for the business.') What if they think I'm lying and trying to rip them off? Or incompetent for not being able to match what's on the market?
It all makes me nervous. So I sweat about it for hours and then I write, "I'll do it for $x," and leave it with them.
There is a problem sometimes though. When someone asks me to do something, and I research it and find out that yes, I could do it, but it's going to cost more than everything similar on the market, I feel funny. Granted, what they want is either not on the market, or it's so rare that it's hard to find-- but the market has *similar* items for much less. I want to charge fair prices-- fair for me and my customers.
Sometimes, I look at the prices on the market I'm just not sure how anyone's making a profit on what they're charging. At other times, I think that the similar pieces on the market are made in a different way than I'd go about making the item in question. A quicker, easier way, with much less in the way of materials involved?
What I know is that when someone wants something created just for them-- something that isn't even on the market they can pretty much expect to pay for the privilege. I would. But what if they don't? What if the fair price is twice as much as they were expecting? Three times as much?
It makes me nervous, but in the end, all I can really say is "I'll do it for $x," and leave it with them. Part of me wants to defend myself from any feared questionmarks by being totally transparent. As in, 'The best price I could find for materials is $x, but I really want to do this, so I'm only going to charge you $x times 2 and the labor will basically be free and I know it sounds like a ridiculous amount of money but I'm offering you an insane deal.' But I don't. I can't. I'm scared to.
What if they think I'm trying to guilt them into saying yes? What if they think I'm bragging/blustering about the insane deal (look at me, look at me, aren't I nice?). (It's really a much more selfish, as in 'This is a crazy interesting idea so I'm willing to skip being paid if you'll foot expenses and a bit more for the business.') What if they think I'm lying and trying to rip them off? Or incompetent for not being able to match what's on the market?
It all makes me nervous. So I sweat about it for hours and then I write, "I'll do it for $x," and leave it with them.
Friday, July 3, 2009
thebeadedlily on ornaments.com
Any article that starts out "One of the first records of wearable ornaments was in 3000 BC in Egypt" is going to be a good one!
So go ahead and check out "Wearable Arts or Jewelry?" on Ornaments.com.
It raised some great thoughts."The ornament collectors’ love of beautiful ornaments naturally spills over into the enjoyment of adorning themselves with ornaments." Oh yeah! Doesn't it just!
And, "Will you ever again choose to throw on a piece of jewelry just because it matches your outfit? Start with the wearable ornament or ornaments that feel right today and let your outfit accessorize." I loved it! The collector's mind just doesn't work that way!
Of course, not everyone buys handmade art jewelry as a collector. Some of us are fashionistas and others just want something magical to wear to a special occasion. This article really hit the spot for me though because I am something of a collector and to have my work shown to likeminded folks is a thrill!
So go ahead and check out "Wearable Arts or Jewelry?" on Ornaments.com.
It raised some great thoughts."The ornament collectors’ love of beautiful ornaments naturally spills over into the enjoyment of adorning themselves with ornaments." Oh yeah! Doesn't it just!
And, "Will you ever again choose to throw on a piece of jewelry just because it matches your outfit? Start with the wearable ornament or ornaments that feel right today and let your outfit accessorize." I loved it! The collector's mind just doesn't work that way!
Of course, not everyone buys handmade art jewelry as a collector. Some of us are fashionistas and others just want something magical to wear to a special occasion. This article really hit the spot for me though because I am something of a collector and to have my work shown to likeminded folks is a thrill!
It doesn't hurt that my work was shown off with the work of other talented artists that I admire!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
i'm getting sleepy
I made a pretty cool pair of earrings the other day and they're now in two different treasuries. Fun!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
i believe
Ars Poetica #100: I Believe
by Elizabeth Alexander
is where we are ourselves,
(though Sterling Brown said
"Every 'I' is a dramatic 'I'")
digging in the clam flats
for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.
Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,
overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way
to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)
is not all love, love, love
and I'm sorry the dog died.
Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,
and are we not of interest to each other?
And blogs about art.
Share your favorite blog with me?
by Elizabeth Alexander
Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosyncratic. Poetryis where we are ourselves,
(though Sterling Brown said
"Every 'I' is a dramatic 'I'")
digging in the clam flats
for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.
Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,
overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way
to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)
is not all love, love, love
and I'm sorry the dog died.
Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,
and are we not of interest to each other?
--
Which is what blogs are all about-- our interest in each other.
Some of my favorite poems are about love and death and language and poetry. I like poems about poetry. And insanity.
And blogs about art.
Share your favorite blog with me?
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