I have taken about a month long break from my blog, but certainly not from my shop...we have had the busiest month ever! In the mean time we have been traveling, making s'mores, picking up acorns (for another project we are very excited about) and remodeling our kitchen (before and after pics to come soon).
I had to get back to writing because I promised my friend
Ginny from BAYLY- http://www.etsy.com/shop/bayly
that I would write a piece about her beautiful jewelry.
I ordered myself a necklace when I saw her featured on
the front page of etsy in June-
These are just a few examples of her beautiful work. All of her necklaces, earrings and bracelets are handbeaded around a crystal bezel with glass seedbeads custom chosen to coordinate with the vintage graphics that she uses. By combining her artistry and the muted tones of the pictures she chooses she creates jewelry that look vintage and are one of a kind. Not easy to accomplish and keep her prices so reasonable. I have since ordered her necklaces to sell in my brick and mortar store and they are the perfect addition to the clothes we sell.
I was so excited to have her jewelry to work with in styling my photos for some of our Fall pics on etsy and wanted to let everyone know where you could get her pieces, she in turn mentioned my shop and that is one of the things that makes etsy so great.
I simply asked Ginny a couple of questions and thought I would piece the interview together, but Ginny did the work for me...take it away Ginny...
I live on the Central Coast of California with my husband and two dogs, in a house filled with my art, a garden that needs help, and a sweet little view of the ocean and hills. My three children are grown and living their own adventures in distant cities.
I have been a lifelong artist but I have come to jewelry making quite recently. I see it as another part in the progression of my passion for all things mixed media.
I am exhaustively curious, always trying, exploring, and learning something new. So when I found myself in bead store a couple of years ago during a break from my regular job as a ceramic tile designer, I knew that I had to sit and play around with their possibilities. What are little glass beads after all, but just teensy little tiles, right? It was a natural fit!
I also have a background in painting and graphics so I really wanted to incorporate a graphic style into my jewelry. It took about six months of playing around and exploring the endless methods and combinations in jewelry design when I stumbled upon my current style. It was like a light bulb when I found that I could use an image in place of the usual stone or gem that the more traditional bead artists use. I just love to take something traditional and break the rules, mix it up, and come up with something different.
I came across Etsy while researching other bead artists. I was looking to see what was out there, price points, etc… and if there was a market for this kind of work. And lo! What an awesome surprise to find this GIANT community of fellow artisans. I had no idea! At first I just looked at the website for inspiration but it didn’t take long before I took the leap and created my own shop with my new work, really just to see what would happen. After about two weeks with no sales I was a little discouraged.
Then a kind lady from Texas (thank you, Shari!) started buying my pieces, and then slowly they started to sell. That was just amazing to me, that out of the thousands! of jewelry sellers on Etsy I was being found, and that hundreds of people have given me such great feedback. I don’ t know where else that can happen.
Another great thing about Etsy is that it’s allowed me to be found by owners of brick and mortar shops that have provided me the opportunity to sell in distant places. Like Vintage Urban Renewal, for example!
I currently have quit my tile making job of eight years, and now devote all my time to making jewelry. I’ll be honest, it’s not as lucrative as my previous job, but the possibilities for growth are there, and the personal satisfaction is absolutely wonderful! I didn’t really plan to have a jewelry business, but I am so happy I decided to take a chance and see what would happen. I’ve met so many great people, learned a ton about running a small business, and have so, so much more to learn. And yes, I have done it all by the seat of my pants!
So now that I have this little business, I am consumed with making it grow. Each day I wake up excited about what I can do to improve my designs, broaden my exposure, and streamline the process. My day consists of updating my Etsy store, improving the photos and listing new items. I then go to my studio (my son’s old bedroom) to work on orders and always allowing time to experiment with new designs. This can often take up the whole day, if I get on a roll. Especially when I sit at the computer scanning my images and playing with them in Photoshop. The day will just fly by! I also need to allow time for the myriad of little details that are necessary to make a business succeed. Ordering materials, surfing the web for new suppliers, creating advertisements, and shipping orders are just a few of the miscellaneous jobs that can really take up a lot of time.
My favorite part of running this little venture is definitely the creative process. I am a creative type at heart, so even though I love the challenge of learning the business side of things, I am most happy when I am making something new. I love the process, from the inception of an idea: …”I wonder what would happen if I tried this…” to the incomparable feeling I get when a piece is completed and I have that knowing feeling that this one is a keeper. (That is always cause for celebration!)
Currently, I am working on creating original collages using my vast supply of images. I really want to make my jewelry even more unique and different from the rest. If you have ever made a collage you know how time consuming and tedious the process is. The possibilities are endless! (Side note: the only classes I failed in school were art--because I could never finish on time!) I’m finding that simple is better, that I need to guard against my tendency to over work an idea, and that when in doubt I should put it down and come back to it later with fresh eyes. I’m looking forward to adding more of these new collage pieces to my collection for the Fall.
My work is currently being sold at the following locations:
Hands Gallery, San Luis Obispo, CA
Firefly Gallery, Paso Robles, CA
Fiona Bleu, Morro Bay, CA
La Di Da, Del Mar, CA
Artisans Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
Urban Renewal, Grants Pass Oregon
MagpieLovely.com
Bayly.etsy.com
Wholesale and custom order inquiries are always welcome!
Thanks Ginny for taking the time to introduce yourself and good luck in your future ventures.
