Ethical Marketing for the Creative Type

Most business articles I’ve come across mention that you should do some market research to see what is missing in your community, or what sells and what doesn’t, before you quit your day job and start a business that will succeed. My guess is that this type of advice comes from standard business and marketing 101, which it is very helpful if want to start a business like say, a chain restaurant, or a kinko’s, or a dry cleaner, but it doesn’t necessarily apply to the self-employed creative type (artist, artisan, healer, herbalist, crafter, yoga teacher, etc.).

Read Full Post »

My Love for Paisleys…

I was attracted to the Hindu ethnic culture and anything Indian since I was a kid. My mother had history and art books with photographs of India and designs of tapestries and such that I always loved looking at.

Read Full Post »

Trust Women

I recently learned that Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered last May, often wore a button that read, “Trust Women.” I liked that slogan. It rings true to me. It makes me think of how important trust is, and how our most fundamental rights as human beings are based on trust. It makes me think of myself and how I have become who I am now. So I had to stop and ask myself, what else does “Trust Women” mean to me?

Read Full Post »

New Art Clay Copper Experiment

Of all PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and Art Clay, Copper and Bronze clays are still pretty new, so there is still a lot of experimentation going on amongst metal clay artists. And here is my second experiment with Art Clay Copper.

Read Full Post »

New Gemstone Necklace Design

Sometimes I have a design in mind, and sometimes I just let the different colors and types of beads guide me in designing the piece. This was the case with this new necklace. I had purchased some huge Turquoise teardrops and wasn’t sure what I was going to use them for. I just got them because I loved them the moment I saw them.

Read Full Post »

New Pictures of Silver Jewelry Designs

After the Copper Art Clay disaster I decided to cheer me up with a couple new designs in Silver Metal Clay while I wait for some more copper clay to come in the mail and continue with my experiments…

Read Full Post »

Gemstones Galore…

Just got back from the Gem and Mineral Show in town with a bag full of gemstones. When I look at what I got, it seems that I tend to gravitate to certain gems more than others.

Read Full Post »

Copper Art Clay Mystery

I think I am on the right track at resolving the Copper Art Clay breaking mystery. From looking at my pieces, I’d say that they weren’t fired enough, that is, that the metal wasn’t sintered because there was not enough heat.

Read Full Post »

Copper Art Clay Disaster!

Ok, my first try at copper clay turned out to be a total disaster. I am still trying to figure out why the couple pieces I fired split and broke when I quenched them!

Read Full Post »

New Year’s Resolutions?

To quote Robert Frost on this first day of a New Year: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”

Read Full Post »