Copyright CatchUp for 2008

So, somewhere in this crazy place we call the blogosphere, I realized that those of us who post ideas or pictures of our work should consider protecting that content. I wasn't too sure what that meant, exactly, but it's a good idea in theory, right?

Copyright is a form of intellectual property law and protects original expressions of art, music, image, etc. Not everything is copyrightable, but for those things that are, the creator of these expressions can follow the process set out by the U.S. Copyright Office to claim legal ownership over the products they have created (in America, obviously).

A more accessible, and usually more appropriate for websites and the pictures we post to them, way of securing your rights is to brand your work with a Creative Commons license.

From the Creative Commons website:

"Too often the debate over creative control tends to the extremes. At one pole is a vision of total control — a world in which every last use of a work is regulated and in which “all rights reserved” (and then some) is the norm. At the other end is a vision of anarchy — a world in which creators enjoy a wide range of freedom but are left vulnerable to exploitation. Balance, compromise, and moderation — once the driving forces of a copyright system that valued innovation and protection equally — have become endangered species.

Creative Commons is working to revive them. We use private rights to create public goods: creative works set free for certain uses. Like the free software and open-source movements, our ends are cooperative and community-minded, but our means are voluntary and libertarian. We work to offer creators a best-of-both-worlds way to protect their works while encouraging certain uses of them — to declare “some rights reserved.”

CC makes it easy to license your work. Simply read about what licensing means and does, then answer a few questions to determine the types of protections you want to give to your original online conent.

I've licensed the Jericas Designs jewelry blog with the following protections: Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. This is the most restrictive license available through CC, and I'm not sure I need that level of protection, but it's a good way to start out, I think. According to the CC description, this licence "allows others to download your works and share them with others as long as they mention you and link back to you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially."

Sounds good to me!

If you check the right-hand column, you'll see my Creative Commons license displayed for all to see. If you have a web presence, I recommend you at least think about licensing your content.

For more information, see the CC website:

http://creativecommons.org/

Merry Merry Happy Happy

Hope today finds you well and surrounded by friends and family!

A Meditation on Giving for the Holidays

[This is the letter I sent out with all of my Christmas cards this year and whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you might take something away from the message.]


I sometimes read the online journal of a San Francisco photographer and recently ran across this meditation on giving, and thought it was meaningful and very timely:

I was fascinated to discover from my friend Gene [who ordained as a Buddhist monk and lived in a monastery in Thailand for a year] something about monk life that I didn't know.

What I did know is that it is customary for the monks to wake up every morning around 4am, collect their alms bowls and set out into the community to receive whatever offerings they get. Some rice here, some curry there, they graciously accept whatever they are given.

What I found interesting is that the monks never actually ate what was placed in their bowls. They accepted it graciously, but had plenty of food back at the monastery. This tradition was kept alive for one reason and one reason alone--to give their community the experience of giving.

So who is really giving to whom?

Only after I heard this story did I realize that I do this instinctively with my parents. They may offer advice or a story (one that perhaps I have heard many times before!) but I let them tell me afresh because I know how important it is to be able to give….We do this because we want [them] to experience the joy of giving and we know instinctively that receiving is the only way to keep the whole machine working.

To receive graciously is giving a gift.

To give graciously is really receiving a gift.

A funny little paradox.

I suppose if we follow the wisdom of the Buddhist monks, one of the greatest gifts we can give is to bow and say thank you.

--Andrea Scher

Happy Holidays!
Jennifer

My Work at the UCAL Sale

This year, I did a small display of the 3 Coins in the Fountain collection. Last year, it sold amazingly well. I was making new stock almost every night for 2 weeks, trying to keep the racks filled. This year, I branched out into other things, and so I simply brought what I had and called it a day. Market saturation meant that I sold less from this collection because people in the neighborhood already own so much of it! In fact, one woman came to the opening night of the sale wearing several pieces, and then bought another. She said that my designs are bright and colorful and that because she usually dresses in very plain clothing, she liked to accent it with something more bold. Always nice to get feedback.

But the new stuff I made is what I want to focus on--I was granted a glass case in which to put my easel displays and I filled them with sterling and semi-precious gemstone designs. Heather took these photos too, and I'm glad she did so. The shot below is the second batch of stuff I put into the case. At least half of the original case items sold on the opening night, and I was not prepared for that. It's incredibly satisfying and validating and even...humbling to sell so much of my work. I really mean that. It's a feeling one can't really describe, but I imagine some of you reading this already know that from your own work. In the end, I put nearly 20 things in the case and sold all but 2, I think. How are the gonna keep me down on the farm...

I worked with semi-precious stones (aventurine, new jade, amazonite, rhodonite, quartz, jasper, carnelian) as well as pearls (round pearls, faceted pears and stick pearls) and my prices averaged around $40 per necklace, with matching earrings running between $8 and $12. I didn't do earrings for every necklace or bracelet. That's too matchy-matchy for me. I like the thought of someone being excited about the addition of earrings, not bored by it. I also used some pewter toggle clasps and I had some of the necklaces latch in the front, with a pendant dangling off of the circle of the clasp. I really liked that look. It's not unique by any means, but it was new for me.

I was sure to take close-up shots of everything I sent off to the sale, but with the holidays closing in, there's been no real time to make any of those public. But I imagine that in cold, dark January, you'll be seeing a lot of those photots.


And a special thanks to Liz, who left great feedback over at my last blog entry. Wear your items in great health, Liz--you deserve it.

UCAL Sale Finally Ends!

So, yesterday, the sale at UCAL finally came to an end. And not a moment too soon. I think the quality of work at the sale was very good, but I don't believe we, as a whole, did as well this year as we were fortunate enough to have done last year. From what I'm hearing, people are just spending less money this year. Shopping less. Buying less. And, I can understand that.

My friend Heather took some nice shots of various parts of the gallery this year. Here, you see our ornament tree, some pottery and decorated wall mirrors. In the corner we have birdhouses, bags and quilted pillows.

Finally, a close-up of some of Heather's coaster sets--she had more than these for sale, but they sold before she could get a shot. They're pretty popular.

More pix to come!

Pix from VIX...Pt. 2

Feast your eyes on a few more VIX pix. These show...or rather, *almost* show my work. In the photos above and below, some of my earrings are displayed on the little racks that look like window shutters. Clicking on the photos should blow them up...though you still can't really see much. But, at least this gives you an idea.


The photo below features the large jewelry case at the back of the store, where my necklaces are kept. They're on the top level, at the far right. I think you might be able to see just a few beads from the bullseye necklace, but you'd have to squint. I know that 2 of the necklaces placed there sold on the opening night, but I have no idea about anything else that might have moved. I have yet to go pick up my first check!


As always, thanks for lookin'!

Pix from VIX...Pt. 1

The owners over at VIX Emporium have put up some photos of the shop's opening night online. If I had been thinking, I would have tried taking some photos myself, by hook or by crook, but I don't think it occurred to me. Luckily, the shots over at the VIX blog are great, so I'll share some of them with you here!




The VIX blog has more photos, some with actual people in them!

And VIX is having a West Philly Holiday Sale event this Friday night--more snacks, more live music (something with a mandolin, apparently), more crafty goodness. AND you get a free pony with every purchase (only if you want a pony, though. If you don't, then no pony)!

Christmas in Glass

The sale is going well! The opening night was a lot of fun and I think all of the artists enjoyed themselves and made a sale or two. Shoppers seemed excited by what we were offering them, and even though I didn't get my spinach dip, I did sample a french fry sandwich. Yes, that's right. I said french fry sandwich. Always something unique going on at the Arts League, that's for sure.

Generally speaking, my holiday sale offerings aren't really holiday-ish at all. But every year, I like to make a few Christmas and/or winter pieces just to challenge myself to do something new. This year, I chose these beautiful hand-made glass beads. They're not cheap, but they really are unusual and very artfully done. So I strung them onto sterling silver headpins, added small silver beads and sterling ear wires, and added them to my UCAL holiday sale 2007 collection. Above are wrapped mint candies (I made a set of peppermints and a set of spearmints) and below are decorated Christmas trees, complete with little gold glass stars (I looked and looked to find some of those--I didn't feel the trees were complete without them). I sold a pair of the trees to a friend from my pottery glass on the opening night. We'll see how the mint candies do...

Hope your holiday preparations are going well, if you celebrate something at this time of year. If you make things to help OTHER people celebrate, then I hope that's going well, too. And I wish you much endurance!

Oh boy...sleep! That's Where I'm a Viking*

The midnight oil has never quite been burned the way it was burned last night, my friends.

This designin' and craftin' and organizin' is hard work. Zzzzzzzzzzzz
*thanks to Ralph Wiggum. If only I'd been more of a Viking last night.

Still More Blue

December's birthstone is blue. Blue Topaz. Or Turquoise. Or Blue Zircon (a genuine gemstone, not to be confused with cubic zirconia). Or even Tanzanite, a new addition to the birthstone calendar.

Blue. Blue. Blue. Blue. I'm a December baby and my favorite color is blue. Coincidence? I think not. Why so many choices? Because, as I've mentioned before, there are so many birthstone traditions. The modern list favors the first 2 stones mentioned above; the traditional list favors the 3rd. Tanzanite is the new kid on the block. It's all the rage in gem circles, so it's no wonder that it's been rolled into the birthstone gig. I suspect that turquoise was added as a less expensive alternative to blue topaz (though not all turquoise is inexpensive and neither is all blue topaz) just like citrine was added to November's profile as a cheaper alternative to yellow topaz.

Colored topaz is very often a product of heat-treating white topaz. Much of the blue topaz we see on the market most likely started out clear (as white topaz)! That's why we have variations in the saturation of blue: Sky Blue Topaz is the lightest, Swiss Blue Topaz is a medium blue, and London Blue Topaz is the darkest of the blues. The length of treatment determines the eventual color saturation. But don't be disillusioned by this reality--most gemstones that we see on the market, some 90%, have been treated in some way (with heat or irradiation) to enhance or change their color.

Topaz is found all over the world. China. Australia. Nigeria. Mexico. It 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. It is thought that blue topaz has cooling properties--including cooling hot tempers. Ancient civilizations thought that dropping a blue topaz into a vat of boiling water would cool it. If you want to try that experiment, let me know how it goes (my guess is, you'll crack your stone, but no good science happens without a few cracked eggs, right?). The Greeks believed that donning blue topaz would make the wearer invisible. I don't recommend you try that one, though. Not unless you don't mind publically shaming yourself.

[My birthday is the 29th, for those of you keeping score. And by keeping score, I mean: buying me gifts. Which should be all of you, yes?]

UCAL Holiday Sale 2007

Make sure to put in an appearance at the University City Arts League Holiday Sale, if you're in the neighborhood (and even if you aren't. I know where you live!). The Grand Opening of the sale is this Friday, December 7th, at 5.30 PM and runs 'til 7.30 PM. There will be food. There will be tango dancing (?!) and there will be crafts galore. Pottery. Stained glass. Holiday cards. And all kinds of jewelry, of course. Last year, I cleaned up, because I was the only, or one of very few, jewelry makers in the sale. This year, I'll have competition. I'll admit to being nervous...but I can't expect to have the great year that I had last year ever again. I've tried my hand at making some different things this year--I'm working with semi-precious gems (in the form of beads and rocks) and pearls, too. The photo above was taken during last year's sale, and features pottery and fired clay ornaments. Below is a shot of a table featuring some of my work. Those T-bar racks look VERY picked over, so I imagine that photo was taken near the end of the sale. I took these shots off the UCAL website.


The sale runs every day through December 18th--days on the weekends and evenings during the week. It's always fun for me because I get to hang out with my friend and fellow crafter, Heather. I hope you can make it. It's worth a look even if you don't buy anything. Honest.

Something Blue...Pt. 2

Here's a shot of 2/3rds of the set I made Heather for the wedding--the bracelet and the necklace. The necklace is a single strand made up of the same materials found in the bracelet. It's a simple, elegant note to a simple and elegant dress.

I love the close-up photograph below. It features the crystal and silver necklace as well as the groom! I finished the necklace with another (but different!) heart clasp, and a bright blue dangle, for good luck.



[No brides or grooms were harmed in the making of this blog entry. The same cannot be said for the bridesmaids. Just kidding!]