Many people at my shows ask me how I come up with the designs for my jewelry pieces. So here it is...
The first thing I look at when buying my beads are the color combinations that would go well together and compliment each other. Then I start to design...
I mainly look at using different kinds of beads that have different textures. For example using freshwater pearls with amazonite tumbled nuggets. This gives it some dimension. After only 6 months of making jewelry, I have started to be able design just by trying out different things. Sometimes I put things on the jewelry wire and don't like them, so I change it. I keep changing it until I love it!
My main motto when making jewelry is asking myself "would I wear that?" As a lot of my co-workers can attest to the fact that I wear my own jewelry on a daily basis because I am a walking billboard for my business.
I have a couple principals that I live by when creating new jewelry pieces. One of them I mentioned above about wearing my own jewelry. Secondly, I only make ONE of each piece of jewelry unless I have a customer request to have remake something. I like this because then my customers don't have to worry about walking into a party and having someone else wearing the same necklace. They are all one of a kind creations! I do have a "catalog" at craft shows that have pictures of sold items, so customers can choose from those designs as well. Lastly, I go above and beyond to bargain shop for my beads because I want to make my jewelry reasonably priced. I really try and never buy beads full price, which in turn makes my jewelry more cost effective.
The best part about this journey is that I am learning all along with way different jewelry making techniques and different aspects about small business. Also, it is a great stress relief from my full time job of being a teacher!
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