Something Blue...Pt. 1

So, I mentioned I'd be talking about my friend Heather's wedding here in my blog, right? Take a wild guess as to why I'd be discussing that event in my jewelry blog! Right, exactly--Heather asked me to do the jewelry for her wedding. A full set (necklace, earrings and bracelet) for her, and necklace/earring sets for her 6 bridesmaids. It's really quite an honor to be asked to make jewelry for such an important occasion and the process of deciding what to make is really quite fun. I had an idea in my head of what I thought would look nice, a good starting point, and then it took a few consultations with Heather to refine the idea I had in my head and make sure that it fit her dress and whatever ideas she had in her head. Talk about putting your heads together, right? I've created a short Bridal Jewelry questionnaire that takes a lot of options and issues into consideration, and completing that can really help a bride narrow down her choices, while being sure to include the elements most important to her.

Ultimately, we decided on a combination of crystal and sterling silver--a delicate 2-tone design with some texture, provided by slight differences in bead size and slight variations in the tone-on-tone colors.

Take a look at a close-up of the bridal bracelet below. It's a double-strung bracelet made of ivory and champagne-colored crystal pearls interspersed with silver-finish and champagne-colored crystal bicones, strung together with thick sterling silver wire and finished with a heart clasp. All beads are Swarovski crystal, including the pearls. The heart clasp was something special that I added for Heather as a little secret surprise. Unexpected little extras always make jewelry that much more personal, I think.


Here's a shot of the bracelet in action, during the ceremony I thought the movement of the piece was really nice--it caught the eye but it wasn't overwhelming. Heather's dress was beautiful, but very simple, which meant that I needed to match the 'feel' of the dress (elegant simplicity) but that I could also provide the outfit's embellishment with the jewelry, as the dress had no beads or lace. It's great having a blank canvas! I think my favorite part of this piece is the candy-heart dangle that reads TRUE LOVE. I had a few of Heather's bridesmaids pick out the sentiment on the charm, and I like their final choice. Very fitting. You can see the dangle in this photo, but unfortunately, you can't make out the text. Perhaps that's something I need to think about photographing now that I have The Chief!

Bullseye Necklace Pix--Whaddya Think?

All right, finally, some photos taken by The Chief! This is my Bullseye Necklace, made of vibrant handmade-glass beads connected by thick sterling silver wire, and finished with a lobsterclaw clasp. The beads are approximately an inch in diameter, give or take, just to give you an idea of the size of the finished piece. I'm posting these here for feedback. Honest feedback. I'm especially hoping that my good friend Steven, who has been advising me for the last few weeks, can look at these photos to get a sense of how well (or poorly) I'm doing right now. I've worked with the settings on the camera and I've worked on editing them using Picasa. I didn't do much in the way of props. At the last minute, I grabbed a rock and a chunk of coral, but most of the shots were taken right atop my white Ikea craft table. The photo below is a bit blurry--we can chalk that up to user error. I probably didn't focus correctly (I'm still not sure how that works. I think it might be magic!)


The next 3 shots trouble me a bit because the background (which remains the same) changes color...and I'm not sure how 'true' the colors in the beads are, either. That seems to be a problem I have: tweaking things correctly. I work and work on a shot, sure I've done the best job I can do, and then I move on to something else. But when I go back, I look at the shot and think: EWW! The colors are too electric, and everything seems slightly 'off.' So I change it--only to have the same problem the next time I see it.




This orange bead is a nice closeup, I think. The color seems true and while it's not 100% in focus, it's actually pretty close, I think. You can also see that the jump ring I've used to connect each bead to the other is soldered closed, for security.



Finally, I like this shot a lot. It was the last I took, late at night, when I'd about given up on the whole project. I couldn't get the necklace to stay in the position I was trying to put it, so I just draped it atop the coral and took a shot. You can see the brown paper bag I was using (over the white table) in the background. I imagine my skill in setting up a shot will grow over time. Or that's the plan, at least!

Please let me know what you think. Which colors don't match, photo to photo, to you? Which shots seem out of focus? Are any of them 'electric' in the bad way, as I described? I'd like to hear your thoughts and tips!

Thanks!


Oh! I need to borrow someone's neck! It's no fun seeing closeups of a necklace if you don't have a neck for scale. Who wants to volunteer?

Talking Turkey and Giving Thanks

Happiest of Thanksgivings! For this holiday, I give you: turkey earrings, made of polymer clay! I saw these and burst out laughing. And then I got hungry. These were made by a crafter named Krisi and I found her work on etsy, a site at which people sell beautiful hand-made items. I plan to open a shop there as well in the near future, and I'll be sure to make the link available here on the Jericas Designs jewelry blog.



For more information on Krisi, check out her bio:

http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=5247703



Hope your holiday is full of warmth and good cheer. And pie. Lots and lots of pie!

Now please excuse me, I need to wash this Cool Whip off the front of my shirt.

Veni Vidi Vixi

Well, the Grand Opening at VIX seems to have been an unqualified success! The place was so packed, my friends Heather, Angie and I could barely maneuver through the joint! We had some snacks, made some small talk and perused some merchandise. The shop has a wide range of items: jewelry, handmade wooden chess boards, clothing, bags, candles, coasters, exotic soaps, etc. I brought in jewelry, obviously, and Heather brought in paper goods, stone coasters and decorated boxes. Having seen the place in disarray when I dropped off my stock, I'm amazed at how well it all came together in under a week. I can't imagine the amount of work needed to make it work (as Tim Gunn would say). As much as I like designing and making jewelry, the pricing/tagging/packaging/displaying jewelry (and other things) just seems like endless hours of thankless work. I think that's because it is!

The good news is that both Heather and I sold something on the opening night (I know I sold 2 items, but one of them was purchased by my good friend Angie so I'm not sure it counts--it reeks of nepotism!). It was such a mob scene at VIX that I had to point out to Heather that the woman next to her at the counter was buying one of her cool decorated wooden boxes (if only she'd provided me with a photo, I would display it here lovingly). It's always great to sell one of your pieces. Doing so provides a kind of validation that I don't think you can get from any other interaction involving your work. I'm hoping that Heather and I continue to do well at VIX and anyplace else that we sell our pieces.

For an idea of the sorts of items that Heather makes, take a look at her craft blog:

http://heatherbrookdesigns.blogspot.com/

If you scroll to her first few entries, you'll see items she made for her wedding back in September. A wedding we shall be discussing in the near future, here at the Jericas Designs jewelry blog!

N.B. That photo up there? Not really VIX. And not really us. The guy in the bison costume in the middle might have been your first clue. But the photo was too good to pass up, really.

VIX Emporium

VIX Emporium, here in Philadelphia, is now featuring jewelry from Jericas Designs. In a way, it's like old home week--I sold at the emporium's previous incarnation, Mia Lou Artisan Gallery. It was a great experience and I was lucky enough to do very well there. The shop has now reopened, but the building and address remain the same: 5009 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia. Take a look at the logo there on the right and then think about the number 5009. Can you guess what the connection is?

The commercial space is a very interesting one because of the interior. It was built about 100 years ago, and has housed a millinery. The woodwork inside the shop features lots of these little built-in alcoves backed by mirrors. I can imagine a bustling shop on a Saturday afternoon, with a handful of women standing, one-per-alcove, in front of the mirror, each waiting for the shopkeeper to advise her or bring her another hat to try on. So much more dignified than trying on shoes, somehow...



Here's a shot of the interior, featuring that beautiful woodwork, as it's being prepared for the shelves to be filled with all sorts of handcrafted goodness! Start collecting your pennies, folks!

The Grand Opening is today, Saturday November 17th, from 5 'til 10 pm. Snacks and drinkies provided, and a performance by blues musician Shakey Lyman. Come one, come all! After a bit of poking around, we plan to head over to the new brewpub right across the street. Is there anything better than that? (hint: no).

Take a look at the VIX blog for more photos:

http://vixemporium.wordpress.com/
Hope to see you all there!

Hail to the Chief!

Guess who arrived last night after work? That's right! My camera! In a twist of delightful fate, it turns out that he was routed through, of all places, my college town, in the middle of the cornfields of East Central Illinois (via Fedex)! I take that to be a very, very good sign. And he's half of the school colors, which is also cool. Hence, I have renamed him The Chief. He shall be a solemn and formidable presence, as he does his traditional photo-snapping dance, and we shall all have great respect for him. CHIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEF (you have to be an alum to understand that last part!). I've already taken 3 photos (thus filling up the internal memory) and they weren't bad. No closeups, though. I have a lot to learn. A LOT.

The blog has been hoppin' lately, and another update will be forthcoming shortly.

ReMix! ReLease!

The event I mentioned a few days ago is happening tomorrow night, November 16th. I'm including the press release for those of you who might want to know more.

ReMix! Boutique

716 North 3rd Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123

The Event: ReMix! Boutique cordially invites you to Girl’s Night Out

Date: Friday, November 16th, 2007 from 6-9pm.

Location: ReMix! Boutique, a showroom and consignment boutique specializing in Women’s apparel and accessories is located at 716 N 3rd Street in Northern Liberties, (between Fairmount & Brown).

Event Profile: Tracey Evelyn of Tracey Evelyn Day Spa will lend her talent to provide fresh looks for this season - the flawless face, kohl-rimmed eyes, and scarlet lips – that are chromatically striking, taking bold and modern statements from magazine covers to girl’s night out and also provide mini-spa services.

Guests will also sample indulgent and savory confections, cheese, and wine provided by ReMix! Owner and avid baker Sheila Waples and gift bags.
Audience: Standard and plus-sized fashion-forward trendsetters and tastemakers will have a chance to view unconventional apparel in sizes Small-3X. Along with unique separates classic dresses and must-have accessories, the Remix! habitué will receive a beauty makeover, and partake of divinely sweet creations.

To RSVP for this event please contact:
Sheila Waples
(T) 215-238-0410
(E) shopremix@aol.com

*all I know is that I just heard that there will be complimentary gift bags and a complimentary gift bag can't be bad, you know?! And, a small selection of my jewelry will be available for sale, as well.

All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm Ready For My Closeup!

Well! Yours truly has been through quite the adventure in technology over the last few days. As I've mentioned countless times in the Jericas Designs Jewelry blog, I've been on the hunt for a new digital camera. I enlisted the help of my good friend Steven, an amateur photographer who knows more about photography and cameras in his pinky finger than I think I will ever know. On top of that, he's patient and very kind. What more could you ask for? So I took him to dinner the other night, where we poured over 8 different models, printouts of specs, catalogs, and salads. We comparison shopped and kept weeding out different models 'til we arrived at 2 favorites: a Panasonic and a Canon. Both had the features I knew I wanted for up-close detailed shots of jewelry. The Panasonic had a 10x optical zoom and a Leica lens, on top of 7.2 megapixels. AND, it came in blue, my favorite color. I was in love!

Turns out Steven's colleague owns the Panasonic, so the next morning, he started playing around with it. I trust him implicitly, and when he emailed me and said: I'm not impressed at all, I was crestfallen. All of the waiting, all of the comparison shopping, all of the work! For naught. He invited me over to get my opinion and I had to agree with him. It stank. I took off my rings, and we shot them on top of his desk, and no matter what he tried, shooting far away, shooting close up, changing the settings, the whole thing looked like a crap sandwich. I kept holding out hope because I really did want to be done with this decision, but even I, with my non-photographer sensibility, couldn't justify buying it. It didn't seem much better than the camera I already have. And that's saying something, as you all know.

Dejected, we decided to hit the camera shop after work, to check out some other models and to see what level of detail they could provide. When we walked in, and asked to see the digital Point and Shoots, the sales associate asked if we'd seen the Panasonic yet, as it sounded perfect for our needs. We rolled our eyes and said, Oh yes, we HAD seen it, and forget it. The associate was surprised--she's heard good things about it, and the lens was powerful, etc. etc. Eventually, I suggested that perhaps she could show us how to set it up and Steven could watch to see if he'd been doing the same thing earlier that day. She did her thing, he watched, and he'd been right on the money. She did exactly what he'd done. But then she shot a photo of my necklace. And it was beautiful! She handed the camera to Steven and HE took a shot. And IT was beautiful too!

Turns out his colleague has a funky camera and we were right, the reviews were right, the sales associate was right--it was that one camera that stank! I was delighted and I've made my choice. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3, in blue. Of course.

And now begins the seemingly-endless task of searching online for the best price with the least risk to the consumer. I've never before read so many harrowing reviews of unethical business practices before. These stories would stand your hair on end. Credit cards charged with no merchandise forthcoming. Orders needing to be confirmed by phone with serious upselling going on. People being told they've bought the international model and that to get the American version, with instructions and a warranty, they'll need to spend another $200. Customers trying to cancel orders and being told there will be a 15% restocking fee--for orders that haven't even been confirmed yet. Products that are clearly used/refurbished/floor models coming in the mail, damaged or broken. I've found literally hundreds of these retailers online, many going by different brand names with separate websites, all of which look legitimate. Did you know that Abe's of Maine (how wholesome is that? Abe Lincoln mixed with the good solid American state of Maine) is located in NYC? The low prices I found, which initially delighted me, have just depressed me now. None of these retailers are reliable. I suppose I'm naive, and now I'll be wondering about every online purchase I make. How about the fact that one major 'review' site online is a fake! You can barely out think these outfits.

I've found several legitimate retailers with good prices, and I plan to order the camera in the next few days, after asking my expert a few more questions. And then the real fun begins: learning how to use this powerful beast! Wish me luck. I don't really want to have to start this process again.

May I introduce you to Bluey?

November's Birthstone

November's birthstone is (Yellow) Topaz. The Egyptians believed that its warm yellow tones were the glow cast by Ra, the sun god. Yellow topaz can range from a light warm peach to a dark cognac in color. Topaz is a silicate mineral of flourine and aluminum and is an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness (the scale ranging from 1 to 10), making it quite durable. The yellow form of topaz is thought to symbolize friendship and to increase one's capacity to give and receive love.

Citrine has also come to be viewed as November's birthstone, most likely because of its similiarity in color to yellow topaz, as well as its more-accessible pricetag.

ReMix! Boutique

Who doesn't love a bargain? No one, that's who!

Some time ago, I met a woman who was preparing to strike out on her own with a vintage and resale store. I caught her before she had a space set up. And then, as luck would have it, I ran into her again at, of all things, a MeetUp group located here in Philadelphia. Her shop is now up and running, and I hear good things--it's in the hippest and most up-and-coming part of the city: Northern Liberties. I can't imagine what her rent is, and I don't want to know, either! I particularly like the open and airy look of the shop, seen in the photo below.

The owner has asked me to consign some pieces to her shop for an upcoming Girls' Night Out event (featuring her boutique, ReMix! and a local day spa) as well as for the upcoming holiday season. It means more work for me, but it's work I love to do and I'm putting together a few ideas on the small collection that I want to take over to the shop in the next few weeks.

The original idea for the shop was to focus on women's clothing in larger sizes, but the store has now embraced all sizes and is for every woman who wears clothes. Which is pretty much all of us, I think...

You can find the shop at 716 N. 3rd St. and when you do, be sure to look for selected pieces from Jericas Designs!

YAY for the GIA

I'm thinking of getting some formal education with the GIA--the Gemological Institute of America.

The GIA is the largest and most respected nonprofit institute of gemological research and learning in the world. It was started in 1931 by Robert M. Shipley, a Kansas jeweler who studied gemology in Great Britain and came back home to create an organization that would adopt professional standards of training and business practice that were not then available in the U.S. The GIA has set professional standards in in the gem and jewelry industry for over 75 years. Most of us have heard the term "GIA-certified" in relation to a diamond. Why? Because GIA's grading is recognized throughout the jewelry industry as the most accurate and unbiased opinion when it comes to grading diamonds. It's the gold standard. It's as good as it gets.

Diamonds and other gemstones are organic. They are rocks. They are formed in the earth's crust, mined, cut and polished. No 2 are alike. This makes comparison shopping very, very difficult, and prices will vary widely. For diamonds of any quality other than industrial grade, those prices are not low. There are also synthetic diamonds and diamonds with fractures that are treated to look fine to the eye. So it pays to know what it is you're buying.

If you don't remember hearing "GIA certified" in relation to a gemstone purchase, I would guess you've heard of some of the other terminology related to diamonds. GIA is the creator of the famous "4 C's" in diamond value: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. It is also the "corporate birthplace" of the International Diamond Grading System (that's the D-Z color grading scale and Flawless-I3 clarity grading scale) that jewelers recognize. Anyone who has been diamond shopping knows how slick a good salesperson can be. Even those of us who like diamonds know that it's the De Beers monopoly on them that keeps prices so high, but if you're set on having a diamond, then a GIA certification lets you know you're at least getting what you pay for, and paying a competitive, accurate price...no matter what the salesperson tries to push on you!

I'm thinking about working toward the Accredited Jewelry Professional diploma bestowed by the GIA. This program covers diamonds, colored gemstones and jewelry essentials. I think it would advance both my interest in gems and my jewelry business. Wish me luck!