A Glimpse.........

I broke down and bought the ribbon ends and extender for the ribbon choker. I've decided to list it with the option of the clasp at no extra charge. I really want to stay true to my design but something about it just didn't feel finished. So now it's become a semi custom piece and that works so much better for me.

On the desk this week..... I completed a custom order for a Rose Quartz and sterling butterfly, another order for a WickWire style skeleton key, and am in the process of searching out components for another custom order.

A tiny yet wordy glimpse into how my brain works.... Surfing through various vendors searching for a 3-4 inch sterling feather suitable for embellishing with 4mm czech glass beads not really finding what I want but finding  a smaller feather here and there. Not writing any product numbers down or where they were because they weren't quite right. Decide to write a note to my customer to let her know where I'm at and double check her request............ NOT 3-4 inches,  but 2-3 inches! head/desk Ummm where was that feather at? It was 2.75 inches, and perfect for wrapping, where was it....where, not here..... where??? GONE  ugh!

ok she's not in a hurry, it's not the only feather in the world.  Start the search again and take notes of where I'm finding what.

Not much selection......one more search, jackpot! Love these feathers, except they're all stampings.......hmmm the designs are awesome though. I could drill holes where I need them for embellishing......I could put those beads wherever I wanted them......cool.

Hubs comes home for lunch and I tell him how the one I really thought was perfect just disappeared *poof* and tell him how I thought I could drill the stampings.

He asks, "Did you buy them?"

"uh, no"

"But you said the one you wanted sold out just that fast."

"They're trending right now. I don't think I've ever seen one sell out like that before"

"And you didn't buy these?"

I just bought $30 worth of feather stampings and some bead caps.  Part of my brain says really?? The other part says heck yeah! See that sheet over there these little bead caps will be perfect practice and then you'll have some sweeet solid caps! Look at the lines on those feathers, are they not the perfect design for practicing a little repousse??

LOL Good thing I like them and am finding inspiration in them cause there were three or four others not from this vendor that I have for her to choose from and she could still pick one of them!

Currently On the Desk has had it's first completion :) Yup I picked up needle and thread and rolled a hem for the ends. It's been a busy and emotional few days around here with my oldest daughter moving to New Mexico and I needed an easy and quick project to do and this was it! The ribbon measures in at 21 inches and ties at the neck for an on the neck choker for an adult or a sweet necklace for a younger girl. This is newly finished and not yet listed- you're getting the sneak peak at it! Now that I've finally got it hemmed up I wonder if I shouldn't use a fold over end with an extender chain, hmmm, Always something isn't it?

One down.....maybe.....I think ....and a bunch to go........

til next time!

I'm All Caught Up!

ArtFire actually closed all their basic studios and I've been in a flurry, taking new pictures, revamping descriptions, and getting it all moved on over to my Etsy shop. All while trying to get all those new pieces I had finished and just waiting to be listed put in the shop too.  I decided on a one a day approach,  giving me time to take plenty of pictures, edit and get descriptions and pricing done. That worked really well, so well in fact that everything is listed - I have nothing waiting for prices, photos, or descriptions. It is really a nice feeling knowing all I have on the jewelry plate is creating and a very neglected blog. oooooooh The blog!

Quick! What to write about? I could pick one of the new listings and tell you a story about it or better yet.......... I have (as always) several pieces in progress. Why not let you take a peek in my studio as I plan, sketch, work out the details and create.  That has pretty much been my intention for this blog all along so it feels pretty good being able to finally share that with you. And it might just ensure a more active posting

I actually have an in progress photo of the beadweaving piece I'm working on now. It was for this last weeks color challenge, LOVED the color palette, have been saving this heart for just such a piece,  was so excited, and bam LIFE at the door! It reminded me of the peacock I made for week 2 of the challenge and the updates I had here about it and I thought how cool would it have been to have pics to go with the story.

sooooo.....Here's the plan, over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'll post pictures of the beads, sketches, and/or progress shots of the list *Currently on the Desk* I'll  update the list when I finish one or add another and provide the corresponding photo. I'll post what I think of it, does it need tweaking, a this one or that one decision made, and whether or not it's causing me any grief. I still belong to the Color Combo Group on FaceBook so there's almost always something in progress on my desk and I have a stack of sketches and a whole folder full of inspirational pieces from other artists, if by chance I should ever get all my in progress pieces finished - it's happened once or twice!

Currently on the Desk:
*Forged hoops - oops! I misdrilled the hole on one earring for the latch so I need to recut the ends, forge, file, and drill again.
*Ribbon choker and simple pendant awaiting a rolled hem to finish. Probably won't take five minutes if I just pick up the needle lol
*A beadwoven  necklace with a gorgeous lampworked focal first couple of inches have been started and it is going to be a pretty one!  Day to day life has slowed me down on this one, these tiny beads need a clear head and I have had a head ache for several days now,  hoping the cause goes away and soon!
*A bead embroidered set - gorgeous gorgeous colors in these stones! Beads are laid out and waiting for that first stitch! Seems like I've been planning this one for ages, but it's more about me trying to live up to the beauty of these stones and do them justice. I want all the details to be just right - I'm starting to think I may just have to dive in........
*A ring and pendant eyeball set for my son. Still in the sketch and detail stages. He's been after me to make these for ages and we finally found the eyes he liked.
*A Labrodorite heart waiting for weaving and scrollwork........ the design has been sketched out, the first wires have been cut and kissed with flame and then....... we found the eyes lol
*Woven ring - it was an I need to fiddle with something so let's weave on a scrap piece of wire when I realized it was the right length for a ring, but I want the ends flame kissed so I stopped weaving to torch it and I keep forgetting to grab it when I light the torch up lol

Entitlement :Designs DriveWays and Attitudes

I've finally figured it out! The answer to all our woes, all our problems stem from entitlement. Well ok maybe not, but it does fit in with todays blog post.

I added a couple of our area news stations to my FB, it seems to be the fastest way to get severe weather info. They update their status's with the relevant info faster than they get it aired on tv. The problem is they also offer headline stories before fleshing out the details. The other day one of the stations offered up the story of a land owner having shot a cell tower worker - less than a paragraph of info, no facts to speak of. The people jumped on it ready to string this guy up without a single fact as to what happened. It was their right to see this guy punished so it doesn't breed more of the same behavior. He was on his own property, didn't know they were there, and shot one. These were the only facts provided and yet it was unforgivable he acted in this way. I don't know what happened that lead up to the shooting, maybe he was wrong, maybe he was right but when did it become wrong to protect yourself on your own property?

One of my biggest gripes is GPS and their constantly sending people up my driveway. For some unknown reason the fact GPS sent them seems to give them a sense of entitlement. It sends the cell tower people up my driveway just about every other month. They have caused more damage to my driveway driving as if they were Mario Andretti, rutting up freshly graded land, run over barrels, cut my fences, made my driveway inaccessible to our own vehicles and seem to generally believe because they need to be at that cell tower on the neighbor's property it's ok to act as if they own mine. Once you top the hill and find a fence, the driveway turns to reveal my house. It's pretty obvious at that moment GPS lied. There's a very generous turnaround right there, do people use it? Noooo they continue to drive around my house. Cell tower people, termite services, lawn services and cable people, even folks looking for cemeteries - we actually had a cable tv installer, who when told to get out of our back yard, told my hubs he had a bad attitude! We don't have cable nor do they have any of their cables crossing our property, so he had no standing to be there. What would he have done if we were in his backyard uninvited and unannounced? Offered lemonade? I think not! I think he'd have had the gun out and we'd have another story like the above. GPS does not entitle you to drive into my backyard, run over my cat, look in my windows or be on my property that is clearly marked no trespassing. (Yes all the above has happened, I no longer have a gate because it's been driven through while it was closed so many times. And yes, I have contacted Navteq, the mapping provider, they refuse to correct their info, even though their satellite image clearly shows my driveway ends at my house.)

So what does GPS gone wrong and shot cell tower people have to do with jewelry designs? Well it's the whole entitlement issue. I've been making jewelry for a lot of years. I bought my first set of pliers at 16. I learned by imitating or making my own versions of the pieces I liked and crafting the jewelry I couldn't find otherwise. I, like you, have grown up with the saying "Imitation is the Sincerest form of Flattery" Knowing this, when friends asked if they could borrow an idea or hearing I had inspired someone, was a real ego boost. Something we all need, but when you start finding your designs in magazines and around the web, written up as tutorials with your "friends" names on them, it crosses a line. Copy Right has now entered the picture and my "friend" now owns the copy right to my design - meaning if I use my own design and call it mine, I could get in trouble! We're no longer talking flattery here. This sense of entitlement, I like it, I want it, it's mine, and you can't stop me is wrong. It's stealing for a profit - with no intent to return it - Grand Larceny. Look it up, that's the definition. Oh but it's an idea, not tangible. That's why they created copy right. Something we artists earn the moment we create. When you steal the design, call it your own, and put your own copy right on it you've not only stolen the design you're stealing my right to choose what to do with it. What if it was a One Of A Kind gift? Suddenly I have the only one - turns into being sold across the country by countless burgeoning jewelers. That's not cool! What if I was in the process of writing the tutorial myself? Now you've stolen my income source. What does that say about you? That you treat your friends and acquaintances this way.

Some of you remember the anguish I felt when I first discovered that design in the magazine. That kicked in the teeth and punched in the stomach, reeling in disbelief that a friend would do this to me. No one ever talks about this side of it, they only talk of the legalities, because those who feel entitled don't care about the hurt they cause, only whether they can get away with it legally. You may be asking why bring it up now? Well, it took this long to find the words to express myself without fits of anger or tears of pain. It also seems I have more "entitled friends", and more designs floating around magazines and the web, where will it stop if I don't say something? I don't feel the need to out them at this point, they know who they are, and I know.

I've decided, it might be time to start submitting my designs myself. Since they seem to be getting submitted anyway, they might as well come with my name on them :) Now.........what to submit?

Til next time!
Dana

Dear Alan

Wow! It's been awhile since I've updated. I've been keeping busy, making pretty things, working on the house, getting the kiddo graduated and ready for college. I was getting things listed and was almost all caught up and ooops the memory card is full. I'd been deleting the duplicate photos from the card to make room for awhile. Really I only need one good shot to show off since I haven't gotten a look book made up yet.

Prom photos and Graduation photos used up what was left of my free space. No way I'm deleting those! So I do a little online shopping, looking for a new card. Should be really easy to find. Bought the camera at Staples and Wally World has a photo dept too. If all else fails Amazon always has what I want.

We're merrily skipping along the internet not one single card. My little 4mp camera uses an xD why can't I find one? Ok wrong terminology, it's a picture card not a memory card - taadaaa! Wait what is this M+ arghh camera is old I'm not spending money for a card that is too new for my old camera. HEY! an xD! Wally World carries them! oh.........online only. hmmmmmm Well ok if I have a problem with it I can just take it back to the store. I'm out of ink, printable biz cards and low on bubble mailers will just add those to the cart. Woot! Took care of half my to do list!

Ship to - nothing big here we'll ship to the PO Box. Red flag! Can't ship to a PO Box. OK Fine street address. Paid Order confirmation. Should be here in just a couple days!

Next day. Wow! That was fast! Shipped via UPS Mail Innovations. aaah UPS explains the red flag. hmm never heard of Mail Innovations let's go look. OMG they're mailing it to my street address??? I don't live on the mail route, I don't get mail here! Quick shoot off an e-mail to customer service.

I'm a little worried, I don't live on the mail route. UPS Mail Innovations mails it USPS. It will get returned.
Thank you Dana

Dear Alan, We are sorry we cannot change your order once it has been sent. If you would like to return your items please follow the instructions below.

****?????What?????? Two more e-mails your items have shipped via FedEx. OK maybe I'm panicking maybe it will actually be UPS. The other two are Fed Ex. One more, your item has shipped via UPS Mail Innovations if you'd like to track your items click here.

Fed Ex delivers my bubble mailers - wow! OK let's click that tracking see where that card is! Happy face :) Info not available yet, ok check the other shipment. Item returned undeliverable. USPS cannot deliver to this address. ????What????? ARGHHH********

Copy/paste into an e-mail to Wally World Customer Service.
This is what I was afraid of when I contacted you. - now what?
Dana

Dear Alan, Thank you for contacting Walmart.com regarding your shipping address.
I sincerely apologize that your order is undeliverable to the address that you provided for your order. Unfortunately, we are unable to change your shipping address on your account. You will need to contact your local postal service in attempts to have your address changed. I certainly do apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.


If we have not fully answered your question or you have additional questions, please reply to this email.


Sincerely,
Walmart.com Customer Care

*****Change my house address? What? OMG really? Change my house address - what the?????*******


OK then, let's try this from the start. obviously I'm not making myself clear enough.


When I placed the order I used my PO Box BUT a little red warning popped up and said
I couldn't use the PO Box as a delivery destination. So I changed the address to my street address
wrongly assuming it meant you would ship Fed Ex or UPS NOT mail it.


You as in Wal Mart mailed that part of my order. You used TWO different delivery methods to
ship ONE order.


I understand breaking the order into smaller packages for faster delivery BUT when YOU require
only ONE shipping address YOU should use only ONE delivery method. It saves a lot of head aches.


My question was not how do I change my address, or how do I return the item. My question is simply
what happens next? What am I supposed to do? How do I get my order????

Thank you
Dana

Dear Alan,

Thank you for contacting Walmart.com regarding your item being received and returned. Alan, we apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you. Alan, the first information listed below address to whom will be responsible for delivering the rest of your items.

Your order xxxxxxx (xx's cause you don't really need my order# or address for the gist of this part) Unfortunately, USPS package tracking information is limited to the destination of your local post office.

However, you can estimate the arrival date by adding the longest processing time of an item in your order to the delivery method ship time (Standard, 2-to 3-Day, or 1-Day Shipping). "Processing Time" is located on the item page under "Delivery Options."

To get more information on shipping times, visit Walmart.com and click "Help." In "Shipping & Returns," click "Shipping Costs and Times".

Note: the below information listed addresses returns, if you wish to return items back to us.

You may return your online purchase at your local Walmart store or through the mail. The item must still be within the return policy time frame to qualify for a return. Please refer to our online return policy by following the link below.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=538459

Note: There are no returns or refunds on prepaid cellular phone cards & electronically fulfilled PINs or minutes.

To return in-store, take your item along with all packaging and your packing slip to the Customer Service desk for a refund or exchange.

To return via the mail, please log on to www.walmart.com and go to the "Return an Item" link at the bottom of the page. Follow the instructions to "Return an item by mail".

When returning an order by mail, please allow up to three weeks shipping and processing time for the order to reach our Return Center. When the order has been received, depending on your request, the order will either be credited or reordered.

If we have not fully answered your question or you have additional questions, please reply to this email.

Sincerely,
Walmart.com Customer Care

*******My head hurts! why are they giving me return info for a package I can't even get delivered?? Why do they keep calling me ALAN?? It's like we're having two entirely different conversations.********

I really don't think you understand what I'm saying.

Yes (as per the voice mail) I received that part of my order that you sent via Fed Ex. No I do not want to return it.

I have not received that part of my order that you sent via the mail. I do not live ON the mail route.
That's why I have a PO Box.

The Avery part of my order has been returned undeliverable as noted by UPS Mail Innovations tracking.
Undeliverable because as I said I don't live on the mail route.

The Memory Card part of my order has no info available after Saturday the 11th.

I am not the one returning them, I don't want them returned, but since you mailed them via USPS to my physical
address I have no control over that.

All I want is for you to tell me is what I need to do. It will eventually make its way back to you. I need to know what I need to do to have it sent back to me. Do I need to have you issue a refund and I place a new order or can the address be corrected and sent back?

One final thing, I am Dana. I placed the order, I paid for it, I am talking to you. not Alan and I have signed my name to each correspondence to date. Take two seconds to read thoroughly, what I'm asking and my name - that's your job.

Dana

*******Remember kids customer service can make or break you - these idiots can't even get my name right. And I am fighting harder and harder to remain civil and to keep the words small and understandable. I am so frustrated I'm ready to fire off a letter to corporate or drive there and sit in the foyer until someone answers me as to why they keep calling me Alan, why they shipped one order using two shipping methods and why it's my fault I don't receive mail at my physical address. Mr. Sam Walton would be livid!*******

Think I'll leave it here for now. I'll update you as I have more info. Maybe I'll get around to making that look book ........

Til next time Alan (who am I kidding, I'm too short and my mustache is too thin!!)
see ya! Dana

update 6-16

Dear Alan,

Thank you for contacting Walmart.com regarding what do since the other product was return back to us.

Please contact us by phone to issue the refund for the product that you have not received
1-800-xxxx

If we have not fully answered your question or you have additional questions, please reply to this email.

Sincerely,
Walmart.com Customer Care

****Dear ALAN? aghhhhhhh HEAD-DESK*******

I Only Use The (materials that work) Best in my Designs

Every decision you make - every decision - is not a decision about what to do. It's a decision about Who You Are. When you see this, when you understand it, everything changes. You begin to see life in a new way. All events, occurrences, and situations turn into opportunities to do what you came here to do. ~Neale Donald Walsch


I've seen statements every where lately claiming to use only the best materials, the highest grade stones. the best of this, the best of that. Do they really mean it, are they gem snobs, or do they really just want very much to capture your attention, jewelry after all is a very saturated field. Some artisan jewelers actually do use some pretty impressive stones and solid metals and I can guarantee you they are not selling their earrings for $20.oo! But when they make the statement, they back it up. It isn't snobbery, it's fact.

I am a brand snob preferring this milk over that, these green beans over those. But a gem snob I'm not. Oh I love the sparkling clear beauty of a Grade AAA gemstone but my jewelry is more than it 's components. The jewelry I make truly does come from within. A grade stones are gorgeous but they don't always have the "character" a lesser grade stone has. Those little imperfections that give it that "organic, from the earth" feel, the softer muted colors, or sometimes the deeper colors.

I am at heart an artisan first and foremost and while I love that sparkling clear gemstone if it doesn't have the color I'm after for the finished product in my head what good is it to me? An A grade Rose quartz with a very pale color might not work with what I have in mind, but a B grade that has a soft rosy color that complements that Chalcedony heart so well, that I'll use!

That doesn't mean I don't believe in using the best you can afford for the design, it just means I am willing to use whatever stone fits My design, in My head, in the Colors I see there. I do shop for high grade stones and I buy them. But I am also completely seduced by the character and colors of the other grade stones, the colors of jewelry yet to be.


Til next time!

Gimme the Peacock

Gimme the Peacock Alex! But I like him Mom. Alex. But I want him Mom he can live in my El Camino. But Alex he's for sale. Noooo My Pretty Pretty said in the same fashion as Gollum's My Precious......... and this is how Gimme's name came to be :)

If you've been reading the blog for any amount of time you know Gimme has been on the update list for several months now. I'm proud to say he is finally Finished!
A little background for those of you that haven't been keeping up or I maybe forgot to mention. I had the honor to have been included in a treasury with this beautifult print by BestArtStudios2 on Etsy some months back http://www.etsy.com/listing/59594197/huge-3-day-sale-heartache-and-poetry-xiv
In thumbnail size it reminded me of a Peacock sitting in a tree, I knew I wanted to make one based on that print and so I waited for my Muse. She had been awol at that time. A few weeks later I joined a color challenge group on Face Book (I believe I mentioned that here a time or two). The challenge to make a new piece in the chosen colors of the week. Joining was a blessing to me, my Muse came home and has really enjoyed the creativity of the group, even during the weeks where I don't participate. When the blue and green combo came up I knew it had to be the Peacock.

As you all know I didn’t make the deadline for that week in fact it took many weeks before I was finished. Gimme turned out to be a little labor intensive, but then most works of the heart are, I think. It took two days alone just to design and graph his tail out. You can see the gradation of color from the pics but what you don't see are all the eyes woven into the color panel as well. I sat with several pics pulled up on the computer screen of Peacock tails for inspiration and they stayed on the screen until I had completely finished his tail, wire work and all.

Gimme sits on many vines of wire that I wove and twisted together forming his perch, the ends have been kissed with the torch so as not to scratch when being worn, plus it really adds to the gnarled and forlorn look of the branches. Those took some time too, I really didn't like the way it looked with the arch as intended - it just seemed out of balance to me so I reworked and reformed and reformed again until I was happy with the arch, adding wisps of copper to balance the ends of those branches that no longer ended in their original positions.

Then the final assembly of the pieces. Does he look right there? Does he need to scoot over? Is the weight balanced properly there? Does he have a good solid connection point there? Should he lean more? Hold him up is he still balanced. His tail looks crooked, scoot him over, scoot him back, lean more, less! Balanced? Wrap that into place quick before it gets moved again!

Aaaaand the chain! I worked for what seemed forever to get that chain to the length I wanted, only to realize I made it too long! In order for him to sit at that 20 inch length he needed only 18 inches of chain. Soooo off came two inches of chain!

All in all over 70 feet of wire - more than 60 in the Peacock and perch and worth every inch. When I was finished I held him up. I'm left handed and the windows in my office are to my left - he just glows when backlit so whether you choose to wear him or display him in a window he is one gorgeous Peacock :) As I'm admiring him I hear oooh Pretty! coming from the right and the doorway to my office. Can I see? Hand him to my Son. Mine! Nooooo Alex. Yes I want! He's pretty.............

Gimme can be found in my shop here
http://www.etsy.com/listing/67589619/gimme-the-peacock

Update!

everything is done - really!! I'm pretty amazed you can actually see my desk! Just waiting on descriptions lol I'm pretty proud of myself been writing, pricing and listing and it's getting there! I actually have one FULL page of listings in my Etsy shop yay!

Sooo time to sketch and plan and get going again! I have lots of great beads I've won this last year that need some love and this weeks colors are peachy coral and minty green. Doesn't that sound really springy to you? I've pulled out some shell and lucite flowers to add to that combo - we have a foot of snow coming or so they say I NEED some spring, I live in the SOUTH my daffies are poking their heads out!! A FOOT of snow?? We've already had close to a foot of snow. We just had 6 inches the other day, that's supposed to be our snow for the year! We don't get FEET of snow! I guess I'll just sketch and bead away and hope the hubs can get back to work soon - we have bills to pay. snow.......

Til next time!