Emerald green custom order

 I had a custom order for a flower pendant in Emerald Green. I had some similar style pendants (the technique is from Ayelet Beads flower tutorial which I would highly recommend!) but I found it really hard to know if the customer would like them so I made a few variations. Hopefully she will get to see them this week (I have a sale on Saturday so I want to put the ones she doesn't choose on display then) so I will let you know which one she chooses. My favourite is the top one.

One of my custom orders

At the 2 sales I have had I have taken quite a few orders. I am finding it quite tricky to be confident the customer will like what I've made so I have given them some options. This order was for a friend who lived locally so I made the beads and then took them to show her before I strung them.

She requested a spliced flower cane necklace on a cord with no metal clasps etc. in similar colours to this bracelet

There are about 12 different shades of browns and oranges and pinks and white and black in this bracelet  so it was going to be tricky picking up on that in a spliced flower where I normally use 4 sometime 6 colours.

These are the beads I made. I realise I forgot to take a picture of the finished necklace so will have to pop over for a cup of tea soon to do so. In the end it was strung with 5 flowers and some pink beads between the flowers as she wanted it to look lighter in colour. I finished it off with sliding knots, it took me about 5 attempts to get it the right length for her. I am looking forward to seeing her wear it!

Flower charm bracelet

I started this bracelet sometime ago but felt it needed something more, something to brighten it up. I had lots of great suggestions from arty friends and in the end I decided to add the yellow beads you can see to match the yellow of the flower centres. I would have put some little crystals inside the flowers but I had already wire wrapped them onto the bracelet by then and didn't fancy doing it all again!

I will show you my new matching pendant up close tomorrow and I've got some custom orders to show you too.
Till then...
Cara

Exhibition excitement!!!

I was very exited today to find out that a piece of jewellery I submitted has been accepted for an exhibition in a couple of weeks. It's the Totterdown lights exhibition which will showcase the 'cutting edge of what the Totterdown Arts Trail has to offer'. There is a private screening on the opening night of the exhibition for the press and 'key decision makers from within the art field'  to which I get an invitation plus one (trying to work out if I should take hubby or an arty friend - will probably depend on if I can get a baby sitter!).

I am then exhibiting as a part of the Arts Trail the following weekend. The arts trail is where different people within an area open up their homes to exhibit art. Often there are 2 or 3 different artists showing their work in one venue. There is a leaflet printed with a map showing all the different houses taking part and detailing who will be exhibiting.

This is the piece I will have in the exhibition

Another sale and my new pendant!

I have been busy with another sale and 3 more on the way! Here is a picture of most of my sale set up, there's a bit more on the left which is missing but you get the general idea. It was at a party of my sisters (slighty strange) but good fun as I got to go to a party and talk about my passion most of the night!

Sale table

 I bought myself a new top and couldn't resist making a pendant to match! I have just discovered making cabochons thanks to Donna Kato's -The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects book. I'll take a close up photo to show you in the daylight tomorrow. didn't have time when I made it as I made it the morning of the sale - like you do! I think it was my antidote to the overwhelming amount of stuff I was trying to do - ignore it all and play with clay!

Me wearing the pendant I made to match my new top

Sale success!

I had a great evening, thanks to Kate and Sarah for inviting me along with my jewellery! It was a lovely evening where people were having their feet pampered and milling around with wine and nibbles. I think I will have to add myself as a client next time! There were about 12 ladies there and many of them had ideas for different colour schemes or slightly different designs so I have some custom orders to get working on!

Here is a small selection of my sold items

Mokume Gane pendant

Petal earrings

 

scrap clay lentil bead

Didn't sell all these tonight but I did sell quite a few

I have another 3 sales in the next 5 weeks and some custom orders so I had better keep playing with my clay - such a hard life ;)

First real sale tomorrow! Here's my new tags

I am doing a small sale tomorrow night so have been busy getting ready. It is as part of a small pamper night. I will probably be the only vendor and there will only be about 12 guests but it will be a good opportunity to see how people react to my jewellery and my pricing! I find the pricing difficult (well who doesn't!), I know how long it takes to make and don't want to undersell it but at the same time I want it to be affordable.

I have some great friends who have helped me whilst calling round for tea and we have made some cardboard busts and display cones (will tell you more about those later) and made some funky new 'mini business card' tags (my sisters brilliant idea!). I am putting the price on a little yellow dot sticker on the back - easy to remove in case it is a gift (easy for me to change too!). I had an idea about printing a flower and putting the price yellow dot in the middle but that's a job for when I too much time on my hands!

Front side of tag

Back of tag with contact details.

Here's a set with their matching tags and earring cards

Big business card to put hair slides on

 I'll let you know how it goes!