Jewelry Making Outside The Box

Five Big Mistakes Artisan Jewelry Designers Make

 

I've been doing what I do in a number of incarnations for going on 30 years.    In those 30 years, I have made many mistakes.   I don't beat myself up for having made them;   as the mistakes were made, I've struggled to break bad thought patterns and habits, and turn things around.    Sometimes I am more successful at change than other times.

 

As I prepare to teach the Build A Line Master Class again this winter, I have been thinking of a short summary of 'big mistakes'.   I think I can speak to these errors well, because I'm guilty of all of them.   I have MADE these mistakes.  I STILL struggle with a few things.

 

So here's my short list of FIVE big mistakes that artisan jewelry designers tend to make, especially when they are just starting out.  See what you think, and if you want to leave me a comment, by all means, do that.    If you blog, maybe you will have the next five big mistakes and continue on for me!   But these are the ones that stand out the most, at least for me:

 

1.   Going over the top too much.      

Artisan jewelry designers are all about the art.   They love texture, they love unique materials, they love to make a statement with their work.   They WANT their work to be memorable.  They want it to resemble the droolworthy photos of big-opus pieces that might make better wall hangings than neck hangings, so to speak.

 

The photo of me in my old video set, above, is a great example of going over the top.   Everyone wants to know about that necklace, when they see that picture.  It was from my 'kitchen-sinker' video.   What fun it is to make kitchen sink jewelry----in other words, jewelry that has everything on it but the kitchen sink!   But how much is practical?

 

Well....what would I have to charge for that necklace?    I'd say at least a couple of hundred dollars.   All of the heart pendants are handmade.  I stood there, rolled out polymer clay, cut it, textured it and added surface treatment to 14-15 pendants.   I baked them, re-drilled holes, and then I arranged them on a triple strand necklace I had to carefully measure, and if you know me, I only use good chain.   So there is probably 25.00 worth of chain in that piece, too.

 

Then that chain went on a mannequin where I spent half the afternoon connecting, arranging, re-arranging, fiddling and fussing with the placement of the hearts and other assorted doofus.     When I got done, yeah, it looked pretty good, and it drapes well, as you can see.

 

And it weighs a ton.   Do I wear it?  No.   Is it for sale?  No.   I honestly don't think I could get enough for it.   How many newer or even established artisan designers have clientele that will pay 200.00 up for one piece?    Some do.....but the vast majority of us do not.

 

Tell you what.   That necklace should be taken apart and made into 14-15 separate necklaces on less-expensive (but nice) chain, accompanied with a few little ornaments/charms   to make them pop, and sold for 29.95-35.00 each.     Let's do the math on that one:  if I did that, was able to sell them all, and priced them at 29.95 each, I'd make 449.25.   That's over twice what I think I would have to get for this one necklace.

 

This doesn't mean you should never do over-the-top pieces.  They are GREAT window dressing for shows or even your online shops.   People love to see them.  They may make sales for you via people stopping to look and then having a look at all your other more practically-priced lovelies.   They have their place and isn't that grand?  Because we all love to make them, and we still can.   There really is a  need to scale back on the big statement pieces, though.   Break it down to what people will really buy, and can afford.   

 

Having said that, it leads us to the next mistake....

 

 

2.  Having no concept of the customer.    Being artists we love to go off on our own artistic tangent and do as we please, use the colors we like, go where we want to go with  the piece.   And you CAN, sometimes.  You NEED to do that for your own soul.   But:  if you intend to make any money and gain clientele as an artisan jewelry designer, you can't do that all the time.   You MUST think of your customer.

 

So who IS your customer?    Who IS it that buys your work?  Who do you WANT to buy your work?   What do you think your customers would like to buy from you?  

 

You might think, well, I want to play to very wealthy ladies who have everything and will pay me to do whatever I want.  Well, okey dokey!!    Don't we all?   Being very honest with ourselves, though, we'll quickly realize  that it is the masses who will pay your show rent and keep you in business as an artist.  They do not have unlimited funds.    They are probably not quite comfortable wearing things that are too busy.    So, the trick is to find that balance between who you are as an artist, and who your customer is.

 

I had a ball making that big floral necklace and it went together easily for me.   It was a custom commission as a mother of the bride piece.    The customer went nuts over it and paid me well.   But I don't imagine for a minute that she wore those huge earrings or this heavy necklace all night.   It probably made a fantastic entrance, though. 

 

If I was to do it again, I would do ONE of those sections, less fussy, on 18-20 inch chain accented with a few beads and accompanied by a pair of drop ears.   I could probably make it in 30 minutes and use far less product, and I think I could get 45.00 for it.   And I could make more than one, which would mean a number of people could enjoy this pretty look.    That's called 'artistic generosity', reaching out to please and play to more than one customer.  Find a way to do your thing and still make people happy and your work affordable.

 

It's just smart business.   And you do have to be a business person besides being an artist.    Which takes me to number 3.....

 

3.   Ignoring the Pyramid of Sales

 

How can you ignore it, though, if you never knew about it?

 

Okay, I'll give you that, maybe you didn't know about it.   But now you do, and here is a great visual for you.

 

You will notice that the bottom layer, or tier, of the pyramid,  is 25.00 or less.   This is your FOUNDATION.   This is where you have something for everyone.   I have often suggested to those who do sales that they have a rack of 5.00 earrings.  Some balk at that, they say they don't want to play to the 'cheap market'.

 

Yet, having such things is SMART.   It's not that people are cheap.   They have stopped at your show booth or website because they love your look.   They hang around because they are intrigued.    The fact is,  they just don't have the money to buy the big pieces.  Maybe it is gifting time and they have a bunch of people to buy for.  GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY.   With the purchase of a bunch of  5-10.00 pieces, hand them some extra business cards.   Be kind, be obliging, THANK THEM for shopping with you.   Money is hard to come by for MANY.  And here, look at that!   They just spent what they had with YOU.   What a grateful heart you should have, thinking of it that way is humbling!

 

You can create a lot of goodwill by having as much as you can in that lower tier.    Make a special section for it, because you DO want to showcase your better pieces as well.  At the same time, though, be sure to have something for everyone.  This can be the difference between having a successful show, or an unsuccessful show or selling season.

 

I hope you will spend some time with that pricing infographic and adapt it to your art, and see what you come up with.  We discuss it at length in the Build a Line Class, which will start again in January 2018.

 

4.   Not counting the cost properly.   

 

It's a sticky wicket, costing.    So many of us begin not costing out and pricing  our work effectively.   It's something we have got to get a grip on.

 

You need to be able to sell at a profit, but also at a practical price.     Many fail to figure in the cost of every aspect of what it took to create their jewelry, down to the last jump ring and a little bit for the cost of the electricity in your work space as well.   They don't often think of the cost of packaging and branding materials; these, too, must be figured into the cost of a piece.   You've got to take  a careful look at this or you won't be making enough money to keep going.    

 

There are many pricing formulas that you can Google and consider.   Find the one that works best for you and don't be afraid to jiggle it a bit.   You must work as hard not to price your stuff too high, as not price it too low.

 

And finally.....

 

5.   Not having an organized work space.

 

 

This is a shot of one of the many incarnations of my workspace, from about 7 years back when I began to shoot instructional videos for my You Tube channel.     It has evolved greatly over the years, and my guess is that yours will, too.

 

If you want to take yourself seriously and get something done as an artisan designer, you need a dedicated work area and there needs to be some organization to it.   It's okay if it gets messy sometimes.    The photo above was when it was all cleaned up for a video.   Normally that space looked like this:

 

 

 

 

 

I think organized chaos is okay, so long as you have a basic idea of where you can grab this or that when you need it, instead of wasting precious creative time, searching for things.    

 

I have the best creative space I have ever had so far, now:

 

 

 

 

 

I have more work surfaces than ever in my space,  I can make messes everywhere!   But I have a place for everything and a basic idea of where I might find it.  I can get everything out and have it at my fingertips before I even get started.    My biggest error when I create a new work space is being practical rather than trying to decorate the space.   It's good to have fun and personal stuff in your space as well as things for inspiration, but there are things here in this last picture that had to go, like the dolls.   I moved them to another spot, as that surface along there is a major mess-making place.

These pix were taken just after we moved back from the shop we had had, downtown.   Now I have carpet on the floor and more rubber matting.   There is also  way more stuff in here, and it is truly my happy place.   Everything I need to make mixed media jewelry is down there.   I don't have expensive tools;  I have only basic stuff.   That's all I need.

 

Many are working in much smaller spaces than this, and some are working in fantastic renovated barns and even little sheds and buildings created just for their art.   Small or large doesn't matter at all for jewelry making.  The main thing is that you are able to work efficiently.   If your space is poorly organized and you cannot find anything, result will not be creativity, but confusion and disappointment.   We all only have just so much time to spend doing this, so we must make the best of it.   Even if you have the privilege of being a full time jewelry maker, you still have to quit at a decent time to eat well, get enough rest, and live a balanced life.

 

You know,  that last statement could really be a number 6.    That is the one I still struggle with most of all. 

 

Living a balanced life, eating right, getting exercise, and getting my rest is something that has always been hard for me.   It's so easy to become so immersed in what you do that you neglect your health, and sadly, sometimes even friends and family.    If you take a good look at your life as an artisan designer and find that you are being neglectful of these basic, very important things....resolve today to find a way to straighten that out as soon as possible.

 

Focus is a good thing, obsession is not.   Do your best to find balance, and you will  find you are not only a better artisan designer, but you will be living an artful, generous life.

 

(If you would like to join us for the 2018 Build A Line class from B'sue Boutiques, you will find basic information here:  Build a Line Class Syllabus    This is last year's syllabus so those are 2017 dates.   A few other things have changed to make the class simpler; for example, we are posting our lines at Pinterest rather than blogging as a class.   Also, you can join me in my work shop by watching my free instructional videos at You Tube:  B'sue Boutiques Channel )

 

A Big Truth: You Must Have a Product in Order to Market It

 

 

(photos found at Pinterest.  Top, scienceandsociety.com uk,  middle home.kpn.nl,  third, no attribution for the vintage photo was found).

 

These photos have one big truth in common:    Sellers must have a product.  

 

Why sure!  Elemental, you say!

 

Why is it, then, that so many new designers get tripped up on the infinite number of  classes offered and books written about social media, entrepreneurship, and marketing?   Over and over I see one after another taking limitless classes on the business end of things....but never getting their product quite ready.   I think they have somehow become convinced that they've got to have all of that down, first.    Gotta have all the ducks in a row.

 

Okay, I'm not ragging on those courses.   To be sure, I have taken a few of them myself, and they have been very helpful!   They are helpful even though I have had a product and been a busy seller for well over 25 years.    I never fool myself into thinking I can't do it better.  I like to hear another opinion.  

 

I had my jewelry design line in the 90's.  My look has expanded but my style remains mixed media/assemblage with a strong vintage foundation.   Pinterest and books on vintage jewelry are my constant source of new inspiration.   Ways of selling have changed distinctly since I had my line, so while my designer identity is still in place, I find I do need help with the new algorhythms of social media.

 

Interestingly, Wikipedia describes an algorhythm as "  is an unambiguous specification of how to solve a class of problems. Algorithms can perform calculation, data processing and automated reasoning tasks".   Really?   Unambiguous?  HA!   They seem to be more of an indescribable enigma none of us will ever master.  There is something new daily.   Yes,  I think that's what is stopping any number of us from moving forward.   JUST. TOO. MUCH.  

 

And...feeling beaten before we even get started.  

 

Did you notice that I said that my designer identity is already in place?   Step back and think, do you know what yours is?  Have you considered it?    Do you know yet what your product will be, what it will look like, how you will make it?

 

 

There would be no need of a cart, no need of a horse, no need of advertising, except for what is IN that cart.   You can have all the marketing experience in the world, but if your creative act is not pulled together first, if you have no idea where you are going with your jewelry making, and you have not made any collections or developed an identity through your work....that's what you've got.   You've got a horse and a cart,  but nothing to sell and no idea really what your wares will look like.   You've no clue on how they will present to the public, because you don't have anything concrete to show anyone.

 

In effect, you've got the cart before the horse.   Obviously, that doesn't work.

 

Maybe you think you have to go to school to be a jewelry designer?  Must you have endless courses, seminars, continuing education before you begin?   A certificate, something on paper,  before you will feel legit enough to be taken seriously?

 

No.    Classes never hurt....but no, no, no.  A hundred times no.

 

It all starts with admiration of a design style, passion, a desire to create.   What gets your notice?   What colors do you favor?   Whose work do you admire?   Are you observant?   Do you notice light, color, flow?

 

Start with a journal.  Sketch your ideas, write them down.   If you have a phone where you can record notes, do that when you see something that strikes you.   Record your feelings and take photos of what you see that you love, and save them someplace.   Secret Pinterest boards are an awesome place to do that, by the way!

 

You Tube videos can show you the skill rudiments.   Try them, practice them, get them down and build upon them and see where your hands and heart take you.   Don't start out thinking that you have to have all the best tools and equipment, either.   Start with a decent set of pliers, flush cutters, jump ring turning tool, a hammer, a bench block, easy peasy stuff.   Many of the best design lines require little else than that, anyway!   You will discover that as you go along.   Streamlined and simple makes more money for a designer, and sells more work.  

 

If you want to sell your work to many people, you have to come up with something that they will want to wear.   Investigate, look at the fashion magazines, check out the Pantone colors of the year and other color palettes, make your own palettes and see what you think.  Think about who your customer will be, and then think about what makes you happy as well....and play to that.

 

You'll need a dedicated work space of some sort.   It can be very small at first, even the dining room table if need be.   You'd be surprised how many lines began on a dining room table!    But in time you will want a place that is all your own, where you can make a mess and leave it.

 

 

So be thinking about that, if you don't have something set up, already.

 

 

Make it a place of delight.  FUN.   Your happy place.   A place where you enjoy working.   Organize it so that you know where all your basics can be found quickly.

 

 

I like this one but there are any number of them out there....do a little shopping and you will find the perfect one for your needs.  Sometimes at the beginning, all you need is ONE cart that rolls.

Be patient.   It couldn't be truer:  Rome was not built in a day.  It might take a little time to come up with something that's just right, that is your own, that shows your particular hand as a designer.   But when you find yourself pulling it together, you need to think of collections, lines, things built from a common piece, or a similar look.

 

Below is a photo of  an example of how that works, by Allison Murray of Bordeaux and Pearl.    As you can see here, all the pieces have a common design style and common elements....things that 'go' together.     The look is cohesive.   And, if you know Allison's work, it is all done in her voice.   It's all Allison-style.  She makes big over-the-top things, and she makes simple things, too.   But everything she makes is Allison.   She is not all over the place, but has centered on techniques that work best for her.

 

 

 

 

This is what the Build a Line Challenge that I teach every winter, is all about.  It is not a marketing course, although it does have marketing elements.   By and large it is about helping you get your creative act together to produce your PRODUCT.....

 

So that you have something to market!

 

In class we talk about cohesive design,  color, what people want, what people buy, identifying your style and then, identifying who the customer for that style might be.   We learn to work in collections, or lines.    This can begin with the use of even ONE critical part.

 

This video might help you 'get' the beginning concept for building a line and creating a product:

 

 

 

Maybe you will join us this year for Build a Line.  The class is conducted in a private group on Facebook.  It takes three months.  There are two deadlines to meet and you will create at least one line of five pieces or more for the class.    At the deadlines, you simply upload your photos to a Pinterest Board created for them. 

 

The class is not conducted in real time so you can come and go at will, you don't have to be physically present.   We allow three months so that everything is easily covered and no one has to race through anything.  Students may ask questions and we have many class discussions.  The requirements for the class are simple:   you have to want to try, you have to meet the two deadlines and show what you have come up with.   There is no longer any judging, any best in class.   The playing field is completely level, all skill levels and skill sets are invited.   The class is about YOU......so what you put into it is what you will take out.  

 

It's about you getting your design act together, moving forward, and producing a viable product.   Will you learn everything in three months?   NO.   But you will certainly know at the end of the class if you want to go forward and be a jewelry designer in a professional sense....or not.  It is a time of great discovery for many.

 

Here is the syllabus from last year:  http://bsueboutiques.typepad.com/bsue_boutiques_jewelry_su/2016/11/class-syllabus-build-a-line-master-challenge-class-2017.html

 

You can have a look at it to get the over-view and basic idea.  I will have this year's syllabus in a few weeks and sign ups will start around November 15, 2017.   The class will begin roughly around second week of January, after the holidays are over.   Cost for new students is 95.00, and for alumni, 75.00.   I will accept a few to audit the class, and that cost will be 90.00.   I will only accept a very few people as auditors, as wereally need full participants to make a good class. 

 

Think about it....check out the syllabus, and come and join us.   If you have taken the class already, continue considering your design product and keeping it fresh, while keeping it cohesive (pulled together).

 

If you find yourself still struggling or feel you just need the exercise, join us again.   We would love to have you!  And new ones, please don't be intimidated, some say they are by taking a class like this.  No need to be.  There is no criticism, no calling out, just encouragement.

 

I want to see you all fly high as designers!

 

Meantime, you will find me at www.bsueboutiques.com and also, at You Tube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/bsueboutiques/videos

 

Come join us on Facebook at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group  for ideas, encouragement, and new creative friends.

 

 

(photo from Pinterest, crossingilandmono.tumblr.com)

 

 

An Elephant's Treasure....And A Contest!

 

It's been such a crazy good time, unearthing all the beautiful old pieces from The 1928 Jewelry Company.   Mel Bernie, CEO and driving force behind  this beloved jewelry line, has become such a friend and mentor.   He is always finding vintage photos and pieces  to share with me.  

 

Here and there, I talk him into making the pieces again, so that collectors may enjoy them.   A few make it to our website but most are sold directly from my  page at Facebook.

 

Ingrid Anderson, a busy jewelry designer and a member of the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group at Facebook, has  been an avid collector of 1928 Jewelry for many years.   Here and there, she has been showing us treasured pieces of her collection.   Due to her sharing, we've offered a stunning heart shaped magnifying glass, reprised from her collection.    Also we are currently having the perfume bottle pendant re-made, and buyers were allowed to choose the color of stone as well as the metal color (silver or gold) that they wanted.

 

Ingrid also found the delightful elephant pendant in the photo above, many years ago.   The original had a lovely Victorian-style cameo bonded into the bottom of it, sort of like a wax seal.

 

I asked Mr. Bernie about the pendant and he said, sure, we can re-create that for your collectors!    And then, he wanted to know if I wanted the original cameo in the piece, or left hollow so that I could place my own semi precious stones in the pieces?   Or, so that you could.....

 

There it is, standing up on its own, just like a delightful little figurine.   But yes, the underside is hollow:

 

 

It occurred to me that my collectors and customers might really enjoy filling the elephant with their own version of treasure!   So I experimented a bit to see what would happen with a domed glass lens and some sparkly items:

 

 

 

That piece will be taken apart  now that  I know it works.....I have other ideas for it, and other treasures I would like to use.  Also, I used E6000 to glue in the lens and it's just a bit too glurpy.   Hypotube cement would be much better for the application of a crystal lens:

 

 

You can find it on our website, if you need some:  https://www.bsueboutiques.com/product-p/hypotube.htm

 

ANYWAY:    We thought that maybe this time, since I have only a limited number of elephant necklaces to share, maybe we should make a mini kit with the elephant pendant and include one lens. 

 

Then, those who purchased one, could have the option of joining us for a little contest.

 

You can put anything you want in there.....whatever treasures you like,  that is what your elephant will carry!   Glitter, seed beads, stones, pearls, watch parts, just keep thinking, you'll come up with your own unique ideas.     The elephant could also be filled  with a beautiful stone (you will need 25X18mm)     I filled one with a piece of our Chinese turquoise:

 

 

Chinese turquoise is found here at B'sue Boutiques:  https://www.bsueboutiques.com/Turquoise-Stone-Turquoise-Semi-Precious-03654-p/semi03654.htm

 

I can't take mine off!   I also have one that Mr. Bernie put together for me, in silver...with a blue lace agate, which you can find here:   https://www.bsueboutiques.com/Blue-Lace-Agate-Semi-Precious-Stone-25x18-03850-p/semi03850.htm

 

We really have a lovely selection of semi-precious cabs and beads at B'sue Boutiques now, and it's growing all the time, too.  Our prices are very reasonable:

 

https://www.bsueboutiques.com/category-s/1932.htm

 

Anyway....getting back to the contest.   This one time, only, we are leaving on the 1928 swing tags.    So you will be literally be creating your own piece of 1928 jewelry!

 

We have silver and gold elephants.  The trunk is up, and that's the way elephant collectors like it!  The pendant is chunky and weighted, but not overly heavy.   It measures about 1.5 inches up and down, and 1.25 across, and is very dimensional....as I mentioned, rather like an old wax seal or little figurine.  The cavity underneath has a depth of about an inch.   The chain is 30 inches long and included.

 

It would be great for resin, too.   Or, why not consider doing an image on the back of the lens?   That could be really interesting.  You could look for  just the right small image to depict the elephant's treasure...or evoke a sentimental memory....or maybe something depicting a circus.

 

The cost for the elephant and the lens is $35.00 and this includes the US shipping for you, too.

 

Those who buy the elephant and decide they want to be part of the contest to share what treasure their elephant is carrying (and there is no right or wrong, no disqualifying factors)   should be members of the Creative Group.  If you are not yet, come and join us!   Once again, find it here:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/bsueboutiquescreativegroup/

 

Each one who wants to participate should tell me when they purchase their elephant kit.  I'll put them on the list!   I hope we get at least 10 to jump into the fun.   At the beginning of October, when I come back from the master class I am teaching in California at the 1928 factory, I will create a special Pinterest board for your photos.   This way you will have plenty of time to work with your elephant.  I will give all those in the contest pinning rights so you can get your picture on there, after the board is up.

 

On Sunday October 15th, the winner, who will be chosen by Mr. Bernie, will be announced at the Creative Group and here at my blog, as well.   The winner will receive 500 bonus points placed into their B'sue Boutiques  customer account, ready to use.   By the way, 500 rewards points equals a $25.00 gift certificate!

 

The winner will also receive in the mail a very special piece of 1928 Jewelry, that Mr. Bernie will pick out.

 

I have 20 kits.   If you purchase one, you do NOT have to be in the contest, but we would love to have you join us, and see what you do with your official 1928 Jewelry Company elephant necklace!  

 

To get your kit:  Please contact Brenda Sue Lansdowne at Facebook via private message/Facebook Messenger.   You may choose silver or gold.   You can pay with PayPal and I can send you an invoice.  You can also call us at 1-800-868-4393 for a PayPal invoice OR to pay by credit card over the phone.   Someone is here most days from 9 to 5 pm.   Do not request one here in the comments on this blog as I might miss you!  

 

I can't say for sure..... but I sort of think that we will place the elephant necklaces quickly.  Don't assume they are sold, though.  Feel free to inquire.  Who knows, maybe Mr. Bernie will make us some more, another time?

 

Here's to the Elephant's Treasure!   Let's see what you come up with!

 

 

 

 

 

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Everything Old Is New Again - Jewelry Making Outside The Box

Everything Old Is New Again

It's been the thrill of a lifetime to get to explore the vintage archives at 1928 Jewelry Company.   Not only was I allowed to spend days studying over their library of over 35,000 castings....but now, we are working on exploring all the old catalogs, samples, recipe boards of finished goods.   That would be, finished jewelry the company released long ago, or old prototype models that just never got into production.

 

Ingrid Anderson is a jewelry artist who also loves to collect 1928 jewelry.   She is privileged to own quite a few rather rare pieces.   The beautiful heart-shaped magnifying glass in the photo above is part of her collection and the photo is also hers.   From this photo,  Mr. Bernie and his assistants at the company were able to locate the mold and reprise the necklace just exactly as it was originally made.  This allowed me the privilege of being able to offer it again as a very limited edition piece.

 

(I sold quite a few of the magnifying necklaces from the reprise run, but I do still have several left in stock.  They are 68.00 each)

 

We are currently reserving custom made necklaces made from another  wonderful old   casting.   The mold goes back to very early times for the company; on my very first visit to the factory in Burbank, California, I had the opportunity to 'discover' it.  Intrigued, I asked Mr. Bernie for a price so that maybe, we could put it into the B'sue by 1928 line.

 

Here is a shot of the original mold, just as I found it:

 

 

Here is a collage of photos of the finished piece:

 

 

 

Because of the way the stone has to be mounted into the mold, we felt it just was not going to work for B'sue by 1928.    The artisan plater that I use would not be able to apply our special finishes correctly to make it a good fit for the line.

 

As a result, we decided to release it as  it was originally made back in the day--- complete with barrel clasp and tag, just like all the older 1928 pieces.  Just the same, this time, we shortened the chain to 26 inches so that it could be a great layering piece.  It just looks better on a bit shorter chain! (Original was 30 inches.)

 

If you wonder what the original looked like, it is in the collage above in the lower right section.    Again, this piece belongs to Ingrid Anderson.    The original was antique gold finish with an opaque black glass stone.

 

Since we were changing it up a little bit for this piece, we decided to really customize the pieces.   We offer antique gold OR antique silver finish.  You can have it in the black stone, or a crystal, see through stone.   We also offering it in several vintage  glass moonstones:  amethyst, pink, green, blue or white pearl moonstone.   The customer may choose plating shade as well as stone!

 

So far the best seller is silver finish with white pearl moonstone!   After that, gold with white pearl moonstone, and then silver with the amethyst.      And the price is NICE.   39.95---PPD in the US!   If you miss the pre-sale reservation, not to worry, I am getting some extras for my stock.

 

Another piece that Mr. Bernie reprised for me in very limited edition was this spinner.....and there's a nifty little story to go with it!

 

 

My friend Ellen Gonchar sent me a photo of a piece that she suspected was 1928.  She was bidding on it at auction and wondered what I thought.    She sent me quite a few photos of it, and I felt very confident that indeed, it WAS an vintage 1928 piece.

 

So I shot the photo over to the factory by email.   Mr. Bernie said, "No, Brenda, I do not think we made that!"  

 

But I had the evidence!

 

 

He and his assistants searched all morning to find the mold.   His secretary stayed in contact with me all the time to report progress.   He couldn't remember the piece at ALL....but he WAS going to find that mold by hook or by crook!

 

And THAT, he surely did!    He still could not remember it ever being in the line, and they had nothing on it.  So, the guess was that it may have been a prototype piece that never did go beyond samples.  Nonetheless, triumphant, Mr. Bernie made me a short run of them in  the original gold and also in silver.   When I released them on my Facebook page, my allotment sold out in literally hours.....

 

As did this nifty little pill bottle necklace:

 

 

The initial run that I had was quite large, so was quite relieved to sell over 80 of them the first couple of days on Facebook.   I did  so well that I got a second run, and we still have some in stock in silver at 38.00 plus a tiny shipping charge.

 

The original was shared with me the first time I went out to the factory, last summer.  I couldn't forget about it!  In fact, I discovered that it, itself had been copied from a very old mid-Victorian silver chatelaine:

 

 

Yep, there it is, same exact thing, except the one made by 1928 had a much more ornate pattern.

 

When  I went out again last winter, we started making plans to get busy ferreting out the old archived pieces.   The pill bottle was, I think, our first reprise.   Originally,  I wanted the bottle for B'sue by 1928, but it just didn't work out right to put it in that line.  I sure didn't have them long when they finally came in from California.

 

We have done so many pretty pieces since then.....here's a little picture show for you!

 

 

The perfume pendant above was so much fun!   I was just out there visiting again May, and that's when I saw it!

 

 

Mr. Bernie said he would make it again for me, if I would go out into the factory and find the right decal.   Well, that was something I actually knew where to go, and get it for him.   As soon as I came home, we did the pre-sale.  It took about five weeks to get them, but the work to make this hollow vial was intense.  Casting filigree so intricately as this is quite an art.

 

Everyone that got one agreed, it was worth the wait!

 

Here is the mold for that piece:

 

 

The purse locket below was in the 1928 line for a long time, but it is being re-made as a short run for B'sue Boutiques again:

 

 

 

 

I also had him try the stamps locket that is currently in the ANTIQUITIES COUTURE line, in silver.  Normally it is only found in gold. 

I still have a very few of these in stock as well.

 

Some that we are currently  or will soon be working on:

 

This perfume pendant was  a beautiful gift from another collector and jewelry artist, Suzanne Valeriano:

 

 

Here is the mold for it!

 

 

We will also be working on this book locket:

 

 

One that was just recently finished:

 

These, I have in stock in limited amounts.....mostly silver, some gold and a few in rose gold.  The top of the heart pops up to open the locket!   Very unique!   They are 42.00 each.

 

And there are so many more....a seahorse magnifier is in production right now and my sample should be coming in soon.  There is a fabulous Art Nouveau pendant locket to do, it's one that also was in Ingrid's collection.  There is  almost not a day gone by that we are not talking about bringing certain old pieces back in limited editions, just to see what happens...or working on revamping an old design.   Mr. Bernie likes to share his current projects with me, too.  

 

It won't be long now til my next trip to the 1928 Jewelry Company in September.  I'll be there for a week.   For two of the days, I will be joined by ten inquiring minds, students, colleagues and customers....all who love the company.    We will be allowed to use the conference room there to conduct a master seminar.  There will be some spirited and lively discussions!

 

Don't worry....We will take LOTS of pictures!  And if I don't get worn out by the excitement of that, I'll be back checking the archives for new ideas and experimenting with a few new ideas that we have been discussing during the rest of my stay.    We might work on learning to etch glass for one of the ideas...but who knows where that will go.

 

For sure, it will be FUN!

 

If you are interested in any of the items in this blog post, you can contact me by calling 1-800-868-4393 9-5 Mon-Sat and 2-9pm Sundays, or at my Facebook page for B'sue by 1928:  https://www.facebook.com/bsueby1928/

Building a Backless Bezel Pendant Using Magic-Glos

 

I'm not huge into resin but I'm awfully glad I'm not afraid of it.   I have had some great successes with it and have always enjoyed using Ice Resin more that other resins.

 

Quite some time ago I was introduced to Magic-Glos which is a one part resin that needs UV light to cure.   Joy, joy, joy, you DON'T have  to mix it and get it right.   YES!!!   And under the light it will cure in under ten minutes, quite hard.  In short, it's an instant gratification type crafts product.

 

When I first used the stuff it wouldn't cure for me.  I was disgusted and pitched it all out.   In time, I surely wished I hadn't!  When Christi Friesen visited us last year for the May Workshop, she showed a great way to use it on polymer clay to get a beautiful hard finish.   The trick, she said, was don't pour deep.  LIGHT coats.  AHA!   She was right.   I've been hooked ever since!

 

We got these very cool backless bezels in for B'sue by 1928 :

 

 

From the moment I first saw them I wondered, Hmmm!  How would Magic-Glos work in those?

 

But yeah, they are a bit deep.   I had to think about it.   Determined to try I got out the packing tape and stuck the bezel down, hard, onto it, burnishing the back  so no resin would leak through the back:

 

I then filled the very bottom of the pendant with Magic Glos, maybe only one-quarter of the way up.   I was careful not to get any dirt or trapped air into it.    Then, I very gingerly placed it under the UV light:

 

 

Very easy, then!   Just let it go 7-8 minutes, and hard as a rock.   Don't worry, it's not hot in that chamber!

 

I then poured a little more resin, just enough that it would hold my pretty vintage cabochon in the bezel:

 

 

And the bezel went back under the light for about the same amount of time.

 

This was not the first time I'd done this....here is another one I did, the one in the middle:

 

I noticed that when I had filled it, it was cured, and I pulled off the packing tape, it was a bit gooey.  SO:   I just poured on a little more resin to even it out and put it under the light again.   That took care of the gooey back!

 

This time, on the one with the vintage cab with the flowers, the back was pretty good.   NOT gooey.   But I did a thin layer over it again, anyway, and cured it.

 

Then I flipped it over and did a couple more scant pours and domed it.

 

 

I got a nice dome.   But you can see, as I did the pours, some must not have gone all the way out to the edge.  So that's the down side of it:   You do have to do the layers to get it to cure.   But each one must be identical or you will have layering.

 

Honestly, upright, it looks pretty sweet.  I'm definitely going to use it and make something nice.      Just a part of the Magic-Glos learning curve, I guess!   You learn by working with something and experimenting.

 

I REALLY like the results of Magic-Glos over ICED ENAMELS:

 

 

 

I can't wait to play around with my new components and make them into jewelry!   Yes, all have Iced Enamels applied in the standard way, but instead of topping with Ice Resin, I used Magic-Glos, just to go ahead and finish them up.   I think they came out great!

 

We don't carry Magic-Glos at B'sue Boutiques but I will tell you, the deal  is that you HAVE to buy the UV light to get it to work.  Without it, it does not cure.  Some have said it will if you pour it outside on a bright sunny day but then you have to worry about things blowing into it!  So if you want to try this stuff, bite the bullet and get a light.  I am not sure if the standard UV light used to cure gel nails and manicures will work, it might.   I truly believe, though, if you are going to work with resin and you don't want to wreck your work, why not use the tools they recommend?  

 

Once you have the light, the bulb will last a long time and it's not hard to find a replacement for it, either.   When you buy Magic Glos, go ahead and spend for the larger bottle too.  It's a better deal and, you won't just cooking on this stuff and run out!  I always have two big bottles around.   It's such a quick fix or finish for so many projects!

 

As mentioned, Magic-Glos costs more than resin, a two part kit of ICE Resin will go a lot farther.   If you are used to mixing it up and using it, you might just want to continue.  I would not say that one is better than the other.   If time is not important, don't worry about it.  But when you need to fix something quick, you will be REALLY glad you had Magic-Glos in your arsenal along with the UV light!

 

And remember:

 

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Bittersweet

 

Looks like somebody's got a great Work Table Wednesday going on!

 

Well, it was a little more than that. 

 

When our friend and polymer clay artist, Paula Gaskill, passed away suddenly just a couple of weeks ago....she left a very important job unfinished.     A big wedding was coming up in the family!   Paula had promised to make the hair ornaments and the bride's jewelry, as well as other things.    Only part of the job was done.    The items on the table above are the beautiful roses and leaves that Paula had made to finish the work.

 

After getting over the initial shock of losing her, one of the first things that some of Paula's creative friends asked was how would the wedding jewelry get finished?   Only a few weeks remained, and there really was no one in the family to do it.

 

Terrie Taylor was the first to contact to me and ask if she might tackle the work.    She had been a florist for quite a number of years, a trained florist.    I thought, who but a florist to handle Paula's roses?   So I put her in touch with Paula's daughter in law Ashley, and Ashley agreed that it was a great idea to have Terrie  do the job.   Everything was quickly packed up and over-nighted from Virginia, where Paula lived.... to California, where Terrie lives.

 

Apparently, Paula's first intention was to put the necklace on wire:

 

 

This was as far as she got.   It was going to be beautiful!

 

Yet Terrie felt a little tentative about continuing this way, afraid there might be errant wire which would  make the piece uncomfortable to wear.   There would be no time for a re-do or any adjustments.  Everything had to be perfect when it was returned to Ashley.  Time was of the essence!

 

So,  Terrie did what came naturally.    She made a floral arrangement!

 

 

When you think of it, flower arranging is just another form of assemblage.   So.... putting together a remarkable assemblage necklace just made sense.

 

Paula loved assemblage.   She would have been over the moon to to see this end result!

 

And there's more to show you:

 

 

 

These are the hair ornaments for the bridesmaids and flower girls.   And here are the bride's earrings:

 

 

 

Terrie Lohrey Taylor is  a steampunk artist who loves to dress up and participate in steampunk conventions and events.   I love this picture of her.   You can bet she made that hat!

 

 

 

This beautiful lady has been with us at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group  for awhile now.   She's has been very active with the group, and even took the leap and joined us last year for the May Workshop!  Here are some of the things she had fun making:

 

 

 

Terrie often had admired Paula's gift for working with polymer clay, but their paths had never crossed.    So sadly, Terrie never really knew Paula.   Now, after working with the things Paula meticulously made with her own hands,  I daresay she probably knows her in ways that many who DID know Paula personally, never will know.   

 

At the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group at Facebook  we will always be in awe of Paula's polymer clay skills,  and we can never possibly forget her.     She was a real character yet compassionate and very loving.   Many of us own some of her flowers and we have all promised to use them and not hide them away in workshop drawers.  But, we will use them only in the most worthy of projects.

 

The roses  are all one of a kind, just as their maker was:

 

 

Thank you, Terrie, for  stepping up to offer  your time and talents.   What you have done is bittersweet.    Your gift to finish what Paula couldn't, was a gift of genuine friendship.   

 

We hope the bride loves what you have done for her and for Paula's memory,  as much as we all do.    And, may she have the most beautiful of wedding days.

 

 

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She Loved to Make Roses

 

 

Such a talent our friend, Paula Gaskill, had for making roses from polymer clay.   Don't they just look like spun sugar?   Masterful at blending color, she could make them in any color you wanted.   It brought her such joy!

 

I remember one day a couple of years ago, Paula called me to ask me about her roses.  "Do you think people would buy them?  Should I try and offer some for sale?", she asked.  BUT  OF COURSE!!  I recall telling her, why don't you pierce them side to side on the bottoms, so people can use them to do cagework beading, too, as an option.....so they can also wire them into a design.

 

She did so and they worked perfectly.   Paula got so excited that she set about to making enough for every attendee of last year's annual B'sue Boutiques Workshop, to make sure we had some for our cagework class.  She was not able to come but she wanted to be sure that she was represented.   Everyone delighted in the little rose treats she sent for each and every one.

 

Paula was able to come to the first workshop....here is a little collage of special photos:

 

 

That's Paula in the top  center photo, the one in the middle.  That year she had brought us all little polymer clay owl pendants.  She really was a master with her clay creations.

 

She also loved to make mixed media jewelry:

 

 

 

 

More of those wonderful roses!

 

Paula also loved to play along for as many Work Table Wednesdays as she could:

 

 

Just like the button in the photo, Paula lived her life with joy and had a wonderful sense of humor.  She loved her family, she loved children, she loved her jewelry making friends and her craft....so much.

 

This morning I received some difficult news:

 

"Hi Brenda, this is Ashley, Paula Gaskill's daughter-in-law.   Her husband, Stuart, wanted me to reach out and let you know that sadly she suffered an aneurysm and the family had to let her go peacefully.  She was very fond of you, thank you for being a great friend and presence in her life.   Stuart asks you to please pass this news along to the ladies in the jewelry group."

 

I couldn't even react to that news immediately.  Paula was not up in years, she  still had a lot of living to do.   Gone?   Really?  It cost me a bit to consider it, and then I sat  down to  figure out how to tell you, her creative friends, in the best way.

 

Paula would want us to celebrate her and to go on creating and being joyful, as she certainly was.   She would not want to see you despair, or let your hands drop down.  If you have some of Paula Gaskill's roses, put them in a special place and promise yourself to use them in worthy creations.   Don't just save them all back.  Use them.   This keeps her memory going.

 

We all have our own way of dealing with loss and the differences between us must be respected.  But I must say, I always find the words of John the Apostle comforting when things like this happen:

 

"He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning not outcry nor pain be anymore.   The former things have passed away."    --Revelation 21:4

 

We were never created to be sick or to die.  That was not in the original plan.   One day what is wrong will be made right and we will see our loved ones, like Paula, again.   They are not forgotten by us, nor are they forgotten by the Creator.

 

Until we meet again......our Paula, the way we should remember her:

 

 

Much  love to each one of you and especially to the family of Paula Gaskill who are undergoing this loss in the most personal of ways. 

Revealing the Theme: First Challenge for the 2017 Build a Line Class Group

The 2017 Build a Line challenge began in mid-January.    So far, we've been examining our style, what it says about us as artisan-designers, and trying to identify our customer.   For many, some of concepts are things that can't be answered in a just a few days.   It might well be a process.    That's the purpose of the class, to re-route thinking and help the artist to discover which path to take.

 

To get started, the students were first required to make photo collages of past work.   This way we would have  a sense of where they were in their journeys, so far.    The collages also helped the students step back, with a visual, so that they could be more objective about their work.  They were asked to try and imagine they they are NOT the artist who made the collage, but someone else entirely. And then....to ask themselves, does it look like the same person made this stuff or a bunch of different people?   They were also asked to try and identify common elements in the collages of their work.

 

 

A big reason for the class is to help them pull their look together so that it will speak 'one voice'.   Some of us become too intrigued numerous techniques and design styles that we never do two pieces that look as if the same person made them!  To be successful in developing a line, you need to get that 'one voice' concept, down.    Your lines must flow and hopefully, get to a place via your hand and your branding, where people may come to realize who made them even before they are even told who made it.

 

 

We've come to the place in the class where we are sharing what our theme will be for our prototype lines developed as a class exercise.    The photo collage at the top of the page was  one made for the theme reveal by Suzanne Valeriano, of A Silk Purse.   She's going with Art Deco-inspired jewelry design.

 

Here is another, which happens to be a color palette...from Joy Turner of Fireskye Designs:

 

 

I have to say, I'm quite drawn to that palette and would love to make things in those hues, myself!

 

Erika price went with a lovely collage of vintage pieces that inspire her to make jewelry.  I believe she is the maker of some of them:

 

 

 

I am working along with the students but doing something a bit different....I am developing the B'sue by 1928 cast findings line:

 

 

 

That line has been out with its beginning 30 pieces, since late December:

 

B'sue by 1928 Cast Pewter Findings

 

I hope by late spring to have it up to around 100 styles.   Just this weekend we have been adding more, like this Steampunk Binoculars pendant:

 

 

Find 'em here:

 

https://www.bsueboutiques.com/old-silver-vintage-binoculars-0985-p/os0985.htm

 

The students posted 4-6 collages or photos that identified their theme feeling, like inspiration boards.  Then on a final photo, the theme was revealed. 

 

All of the photos are marked, and can be found at this Pinterest board.  Believe me, you want to take time to have a look....no more long reading like we had in the blog hops!  All visual!!!    And they have knocked it out of the park....go over and look, just for the inspiration!

 

Revealing Our Themes, Round One, 2017 BALC Class

 

The final round will be the BIG reveal:  the showing of the prototype lines made for this class.    That's always so exciting!   So be sure to check out the first round and come  around again for the second!  You get to see the BIG REVEAL by the end of the first week in April, 2017.

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Making a Plan So You Can Live The Dream: How a Line of Jewelry is Designed

 

 

There's a line from the  song, "Happy Talk", which is part of the score of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical SOUTH PACIFIC.   It goes something like this:

 

"Happy Talk, keep talkin' happy talk,

Talk about things you'd like to do, 

You got to have a dream,

If you don't have a dream...

How you gonna have a dream come true?"

 

 

Allison Murray has a dream.

 

 

She is the designer of Bordeaux and Pearl Jewelry.   It's an artisan line that has a great deal of heart and lots of vintage elements.   Much of what is presented can be mixed and matched.  The components used are culled from U.S. jewelry making history, parts also employed in many of the  golden-age lines made in the Victorian Revival period of the 50's.  As you can see, the work is assemblage.  It  has a hint of the old Miriam Haskell look with a twist of Hattie Carnegie and modern repurpose on the side.

 

 

Many, just like Allison, dream of becoming jewelry designers.  Often they start out on an incredible high,  but it's inevitable, there will be obstacles to overcome.  Some will really hit a wall.    Hitting that wall too many times  can kill a dream.

 

Why does something so much fun, something they love to do so much, all of a sudden become so difficult for newer jewelry designers?

 

There are many reasons. 

 

For one, it's common to loose viable opportunities due to not having enough components on hand.   It also might be that their work is too much one of a kind, custom work.     Their  prices might be  too high or even too low for the market.    There may be a failure to completely identify the target customer.   Maybe what is being made is dated work, too fussy, much to be admired but not what customers want to buy.  Or, perhaps the craftsmanship is not consistent and the artist is frustrated by having returns caused by issues with skill level, or even  components.  

 

 

Allison is working hard on her dream.  Right now she is in that spot where she's learning new techniques and experimenting with many ideas.  Each  demi-line of jewelry or parure that she makes, shows more thought and more skill than the one before it.   She is working hard at presentation, photography, and knowing her target customer well.   If she keeps that up, and continues to work hard on her brand through all  the glitches, she just may arrive at her destination.  Her dream of being a self-supporting artist or a jewelry designer with her own company  might just come true.

 

 

I felt the same way back in the 90's when as a fluke and maybe a little natural talent, I created a jewelry line quite by chance, and it worked.   In a few years we had 500 wholesale accounts and the line was 300 styles deep.  Yet, within a decade, it had run its course....as many small lines do.  

 

 

Why?

 

 

I didn't have a good plan.   The line didn't change as trends changed, so it lagged behind.   I had trouble having enough inventory on hand to ship quickly, and trouble hiring enough competent help.   My line was hard to make, so it was hard to train people to make it the same way I did.   Eventually, I threw in the towel.   I had had enough.   I have no regrets because I learned so much for having the experience.  Still,  I have to be honest:   I jumped in madly with no mission, no view of what I wanted of the future, no knowledge of the trade.  It's amazing that it worked for me at all, actually!

 

 

My friend, Mel Bernie, owns the 1928 Jewelry Company.   Back in the late 60's, not long out of the service,  he decided his vocation would be to create and sell jewelry to small chains of retail stores.   From what he could see, it didn't look like it would be so hard!  So,  he saved up from his day job of selling watches so that he could buy some basic tools and manufacturing equipment, and then he tried to teach himself to use it in his garage.   He had great ideas, but bringing the great ideas out to the public in a sophisticated way was going to take more expertise than he could quickly learn.  He really didn't know how to make jewelry.

 

 

Since his dream was to go BIG, he needed to surround himself with competent, knowledgeable, highly-trained jewelry makers who could not only help him make his dream come true, but teach him how to make jewelry in the process.  Mel  was now on a mission and would not quit until he found the right people. 

 

 

Well, he found them.  In a very few years, the company catapulted to huge success, selling their lines to the buyers of every major department store around the world.   And....many of the people who are working today at 1928, have been with him for years.

 

 

On the right is Pia, who has been designing for 1928  since the very beginning.    She  has designed many of the  1928 pieces that you have collected and loved.   And yes, that guy next to her is Mel.  We were out having Thai food.  Pia is an expert on Thai food, as she originally comes from Thailand.

 

 

 

Here I am in the factory at 1928 with my friends, Rene, who is the factory manager for many years, and Oscar, who came to 1928 a long time ago after having trained as a goldsmith.   He knows well how to cast gold and other precious metals, but  he is amazing at spin casting the proprietary blend of pewter that 1928 uses to make their products. 

 

 

The guys explained to me that the 1928 pewter blend flows exceedingly well and contains a bit of silver.   The best lead free pewter blends do!   Their expertise as well as this special pewter blend is why 1928 is able to cast intricate filigree like no other company can.

 

 

 

 Check this out and you'll see what I mean:

 

 

This is a very special vintage piece, a locket,  from their castings archive.   A few of you may even own one!

 

 

 

Every creative or business  journey has  its ups and downs....there are always highs and lows!   But when many US companies have failed or pulled the plug on their enterprises,  Mel Bernie's continues.   1928 is still known as one of the largest costume jewelry makers in the United States.      They have not only made their own lines, but they have made jewelry for many other companies as well, under private contract.

 

 

There has ALWAYS been a plan at 1928.   Since I've become friends with Mel and some of the great folks who work with him day in and day out, I've learned a great deal about  working "smarter, not harder" in the jewelry business.   Here is Mel meeting with some of his designers, working out a few bugs on a new line for New York Market Week:

 

 

 

 

I  got to be the proverbial 'fly on the wall', listening to them and even having a tiny part in the conversation that day.  

 

 

The line they were working on did not have lots and lots of pieces.  It was pulled together just right, with a certain type of customer in mind.   Everything about it was costed out to perfection so that it could be wholesaled to department stores and still allow the company to make a profit.

 

 

When they decide to put a piece into a line at 1928 Jewelry Company, the piece is sketched in such a way that every component is obvious.     There is NOTHING that is casual about it.  Every casting that is needed for the piece is referenced.  The designers must come out into the large archive of over 35,000 molds owned by the company, and find the part number for every last piece used in that style.    They made need to consult with Rene and Oscar or the mold maker, Herman, to see if the mold just right to do the job and if there is anything impractical about using it in the design.    All the other components must also be referenced so that they can be sure they have enough to make hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of the style.   If they don't have enough, it must be ordered immediately.

 

 

Then:  every component is counted, down to the last jump ring.   Quality is number one; only the pieces that truly work for the design and that are durable are used.   It's been done this way, from day one.   Every piece in the style must be referenced, costed, and then,  the entire design costed out, including the cost to plate the pewter.    It all has to work, or they cannot put it in the line.

 

 

Do you approach your design work this way?   Yes, I know, it doesn't sound like tons of fun!   Who wants to do all that dull planning?   But if you do not have your information at hand when you work your dream and design a line,  you could make little profit or even lose your shirt!  Or,  you might be caught short right in the middle of a huge order, where you have a strict deadline.

 

 

I said I would never design a line again.   I had had the experience and was very glad for it.  I was content to share what I learned about having done it with others.   For a lark, though,  I did it in miniature for my yearly Build a Line business class last year.  The initial plan for the line and its sublines made a great deal of sense and everyone loved it.   I even seriously considered going ahead with it:

 

 

 

 

I decided to call the line Sugar Shop Jewelry.   I even purchased the online domain for that name and I began to think about creating a dedicated website so that I could sell it.   The photo above was  when I was in the planning stages of the first part of the line, which was going to be done in segments.   This segment was to be called Chocolate Frosting.

 

 

 

Why didn't I refine and simplify the line, cost it out properly  and keep going?

 

 

Well, my 'day job' is running B'sue Boutiques  which is a small jewelry supply company where we sell very unique things and have been doing it online since 1997.   It takes most of my day to manage it!  Part of managing B'sue Boutiques is providing a great deal of support to new to intermediate jewelry makers who  are working hard to work and live their dreams.   They  need quality findings and they trust me to provide them.  

 

These days you cannot have a supply company without providing strong support.    In these days of strong competition and burgeoning social media,  it can be quite a juggling act!

 

 

 Another blow to progress on Sugar Shop Jewelry was that the choxie finish on the brass I was using suddenly became inconsistent.  Apparently there have been some changes on what chemicals may be used for plating in the US.   A crucial part of the plating 'blend' became unavailable.   So, I couldn't get the chocolate ox finish to match, batch to batch.   Not good.

 

 

Lastly,  I was offered another opportunity that I felt was much better for me and for my customers.   Mel Bernie asked me if I would consider pewter and have my own proprietary castings made for B'sue Boutiques.   I would also be permitted to curate part of the line from their castings archive.....and I would be allowed to put my  own designer finishes on them.

 

 

Two factors here were extremely unique:   first, pieces and parts made for 1928 Jewelry have never been released to the creative marketplace.  It was never considered to allow artisans take their specially-designed pewter and use it to make their own jewelry.  Second,  1928 would never put my custom finishes on their lines.    These finishes are by plan very funky and geared to current trend in the crafts industry.    They wouldn't work for most department store buyers.

 

 

Since last fall I have been working very hard on this line, which is called B'sue by 1928.   The name of this venture  includes the 1928 logo because it IS 1928.   At the same time, it is my B'sue  line, totally B'sue Boutiques, echoing my roots in the vintage jewelry trade and everything I personally love about designing jewelry.  I curate the collection based on my knowledge of selling components for parts of three decades.   It is a high-end designer line of unique components like no other.   

 

 

We got our first batch of samples back  from the finisher at the end of November:

 

 

 

 

This is the Rusted Iron finish, which you will find here:  https://www.bsueboutiques.com/category-s/1927.htm

 

 

By the end of December we had nearly 30 styles and were ready to launch.   The line has done very well ever since.   In fact, it was just on the back inside cover of the current BELLE ARMOIRE magazine:

 

 

 

 

The editor of the magazine liked it so much, she gave it a full page "Editor's Picks" review:

 

 

 

 

They said such nice things about B'sue Boutiques and the 1928 Jewelry Company, too!

 

 

 

 

I am still pinching myself that Mel not only invited  me to test the waters with pewter findings this way, but he allowed me to be called, in part, by the 1928 name.  He gave permission to use their logo known all around the world, melded with my own, to establish a brand.

 

The  line I created in the 90's was a dream that came true out of nowhere.  By all rights, it should never have succeeded at all, because there was no adequate planning.   For my B'sue by 1928 components line, the game has changed.   All I do is plan!

 

 

What's coming down the road for  The 1928 Jewelry Company?  

 

 

Well, I think their catch phrase says it all:    Then.    Now.   Forever.    

 

 

As the company reaches out to its public through its website, 1928.com   more and more people will be able to enjoy new designs as well as the timeless ones they have always loved.   When you visit their website, be sure to click on the top drop-down boxes and see how many lines there are.  

 

 

Each line has that  unforgettable 1928 look that we know and love.   Everything is well planned and  beautifully designed and crafted.  Much of the work is done by hand!   Nothing has happened by accident.   It's classic and will never go out of style.

 

 

What about  B'sue Boutiques  and B'sue by 1928 ?

 

 

Well,  there are certainly no plans to try to corner the market, not now, anyway.    For now there is more need to observe what happens and how people use the components.  I need to be thinking  of new ways we can use them.    It's about enjoying  the journey and presenting  constantly via our You Tube channel:  B'sue Boutiques at You Tube   

 

 

We hope to partner with other artists who successfully submit to quality craft magazines, or who have a proprietary line that would blend with this one, being ambassadors for each others' lines.   We will continue to advertise in print in BELLE ARMOIRE as well as JEWELRY AFFAIRE, both being jewelry crafts magazines produced by the Stampington Publishing Company. 

 

 

Perhaps down the road we'll will do a little wholesaling, but we are not ready for that or for distribution, now.   I don't think we will be,  for awhile.   I'm still building the line.   In a few weeks what we have to offer will more than double.   After that,  the intention is to add new pieces more slowly, 5-6 at a time, every 6 weeks to two months.  

 

 

It's all about  experimenting, watching and working the line, listening to what community and customers have to say and suggest.

 

 

Mel Bernie calls it 'chasing the business'.

 

 

So....the clock is ticking!     I guess I'd better run!

 

 

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Great Expectations

 

Once upon a time there was a  wistful young girl who had no idea what she wanted, or any idea who she was.  Funny thing about that girl, though:  she knew she'd figure it out.   Life is full of possibilities, after all.

 

There's a line from the movie "Arthur" that has always struck me.  Arthur  (Dudley Moore) was a dilatory, spoiled millionaire who drank too much and had to be waited on head to foot, by his trusty butler.   He made aquaintance with a common, lower-class young woman, I can't remember her name now or how he met her, but she was played by Liza Minelli.  (1981 version)

 

Anyway:  he was dumbstruck by booze and having never done anything with his life, and she was dumbstruck by the POSSIBILITIES in  life.

 

In one scene they are riding along in his limosine (I think!) and she is looking out the window, into the sky.   Eventually Arthur asks her what was so interesting out there.   She said:

 

"When I was young, I thought the moon followed me."

 

 

He didn't understand that, of course.   It is an odd concept, inebriated or not!   But, when I was young, I thought the moon followed me.  I understood.

 

Why or how it followed me, I did not know, at that time in my life, I just thought that it did.   Really!  it doesn't follow any of us.  Neither do possibilities.  We have to chase them!

 

I began to chase my possibilities when as a teenager, I had a passion for fashion design.   I loved to draw out my ideas,  sew, cut my own patterns, invent my own look.    No sewing pattern was safe from me.   I would read the directions and toss them away with a maniacal laugh! ....and  begin re-contouring them, splitting them, adding pieces, taking pieces away.    This was one of my favorite patterns:

 

 

Betsey Johnson has always been a favorite.   I wish she would make that line again!   I could never afford it when I was young, but I buy it now whenever I can.   ANYWAY:   That basque waist was not good for my chubby little figure, so  I re-made the pattern several ways.  HA!   It always came out looking like a hot mess.

 

I didn't waste time on the hot messes, and I never took them apart to find out what went wrong.  I remained in motion!  It was on to the next length of fabric and the latest artsy-fartsy thing I'd seen in Vogue magazine, or Harper's Bazaar.  Sometimes, the results of my pattern ripping and re-arranging were genius.   I wore those frocks with a swish and a sway, yeah baby, I made this dress, not only did I make it, I designed it.   I was on my way to figuring out who I was and what I wanted to do, now! 

 

Never did I dream that one day I'd be pushing beads around on a table, like Madame (Chanel).   No, I'm not the head of my own clothing line, but POSSIBILITIES!    I did create SEVERAL lines of jewelry.  I didn't know a THING about making jewelry.   Did that matter?  After all... the moon followed me, and so, if I liked it and wanted to do it,  I  believed I could do it.

 

I must say, I  skipped the cigarette thing.   Fortunately I realized quite early that nicotine fumes would do nothing for my creativity. Or, the chronic bronchitis that plagued me for many years.

 

Long story short,  let's fast-forward to 2012:

 

Here's a possibility that became one of my GREAT EXPECTATIONS.   I had such great hope for this darling little candy box of a shop.     Some of you got to visit me there!

 

 

 

The  more of you that came, the happier I was!

 

 

 

Three years later I decided that some businesses DO grow better at home.   The GREAT EXPECTATION was a wonderful learning experience, but turns out,  it wasn't my calling.   Back home we came, summer of 2015.     We had an  outdoor sale of a lot of the equipment and excess merchandise, fixtures, vintage furniture.  Some antiques dealers came in early and got stuff for a steal.  THEN:  one lady stopped by and BOUGHT IT ALL!

 

After that,  I had a cyber yard sale for the Creative Group.  Many wanted a little something from the shop.   I sold 40 muse boxes.  Everyone was happy.   I kept my favorite things, so the current workshop is full of memorabilia from that experience.   My map chest, the decoupaged central work table, the pegboard on the back wall....you name it.     I sit and work among my souvenirs and I smile.  I'm not sad that the shop didn't work out for us.

 

Maybe something else would!

 

 

There are  ALWAYS  more POSSIBILITIES to ponder,  and  GREAT EXPECTATIONS to be had.

 

You see,  I knew about this guy.  Back to the late sixties, he was just out of the service, no job yet, at loose ends.   It was Southern California, kind of a cool place to be in those days.    He decided he would peddle Mod watches.  I think it was Mod watches, anyway! Something like this, maybe:

 

 

In time selling watches worked out okay.  Turns out, he was selling lots of those watches.  As he went about to take care of  his accounts,  he began to notice the jewelry in the shops.   Late sixties jewelry was composed of a lot of chains.  This chain, that chain, long chains, multilayered chains.   He saw POSSIBILITIES.

 

So, he and a few other guys got together and started looking for chain, so they could make chain jewelry and become the chain guys.  They discovered that they could take raw brass chain, brush it down with black lacquer paint on paint brushes, wipe it off, and antique the brass in a most beguiling way.    We'd call that colorization, now.   We do it all the time.   Well, they were doing it a long time ago!

 

Since it was lacquer paint, it never came off.   The chain finish was stable.   It was a great look.   They nailed a trend!   Soon they were selling as many necklaces as they could make, as fast as they could make them.  But.... how did you make a bracelet?    How did you make earrings?   The guy knew, hey, we need to learn a bunch of stuff and we need to learn it fast or we'll lose this opportunity.   The  POSSIBILITY.

 

Fast forward a bit:  they really did make it happen as a team, and then he made it happen on his own.   His POSSIBILITY became a GREAT EXPECTATION, and then,  a REALITY that has lasted well over 45 years.  That reality that just happens to be a household word, today:   The 1928 Jewelry Company.

 

Years ago when I was down in my basement hole banging out my big-little line of gift jewelry with my friends, I heard about that guy.   I often wondered about him.   I actually had even contacted his company back in 1975 because I saw a chain necklace in a magazine that had  a pretty bead on it. that I liked.  It  would work for the bridesmaids in my wedding.   They weren't able to help me then.

 

 

 

No 1928 Jewelry at my wedding......but!  Yes, indeed I designed that dress.  It was based on the dress my  Great-Grandmother, Agnes Bittinger Brenneman wore  back in 1901.  My mother made all the button loops that went  all  down the back.  I can't say she did it with pleasure, but she did it...and she did  it with love.    (Oh by the way!   you should have seen the big Victorian hat I made to go with it.   It was something between stroke of genius and hot mess, but I wore it happily as I skipped down the aisle, all of 19 and a half years old......)

 

As usual, I digress.  Continuing:   as I made my big-little line of jewelry, I  sometimes thought about what I had read about that guy who started 1928.   I heard  that he started in a garage.  I read an interview where they said he didn't wear jewelry and was just all about what needed to be done.  A quote from the article (I think it was Los Angeles Times, 1990) was that in the beginning,  he was 'trying not to starve'.  Somehow I still pictured him there, gluing little bisque roses on stuff just like I was doing.  Maybe a hippie kind of guy, or somebody who liked to surf and was just trying to keep it together, making jewelry in between good waves.    

 

What a strange impression to have, moon girl!  I already knew his jewelry was in every mall all around the world!

 

And here I was in my basement selling to hospital gift shops.   Here is where HE was working:

 

 

 

 

A  couple of  years ago, I got to meet the guy.   His name is Mel Bernie.  One day he emailed me.   My jaw dropped!    OMG, I know who this guy is.   Then he called me to sell me some stuff,  but we ended up tossing around ideas.  POSSIBILITIES.   I think he respected the fact that I had followed his company, loved his jewelry and actually cared a great deal about it.  (Well guess what....LOTS of people do).   We also had a lot of mutual shared experiences in business.    I learned from him....and he actually learned from me.   And it just  keeps happening.

 

Shelley and I went out there last summer.   He had been inviting me over and over, and then, he pretty much insisted.  I didn't know what he wanted with a little nobody like me.  When I was there, I helped him sort some vintage inventory he had and we did some visiting.   Things kept clicking.  I wasn't there at the factory very long  before I felt I belonged there.   It kept drawing me in and I really wanted to be a part of what was so compelling, yet still an enigma, to me.

 

The conversations continued daily after I came home, dumbstruck by life and possibilities.  Just like Liza Minelli in Arthur.

 

The result is what you see there on the poster in my workshop.   You probably know that this work spot also serves as my video set?  So we have placed that banner there to brand the space for a new GREAT EXPECTATION:    B'sue by 1928.

 

 

What is B'sue by 1928?   For now, it is a curated collection of pieces Mr. Bernie allowed me to select from his vast castings library of over 35,000+ antique jewelry molds.   His molds are wonderful, and the pieces he makes with them have incredible detail.    Nobody does it better than 1928!  Even though he didn't know anything much about jewelry when he began  (just like I didn't!), today, that name is synonymous with style, quality and elegance.   It is truly TIMELESS.

 

The pieces he is making for B'sue by 1928 were used in his copyrighted designs for his company, over many years in business.  They are unique on their own, but even more so now, because they have B'sue artisan finishes on them.  NEVER has the 1928 Company released their design molds so that components could be made for others to use in their own designs.   And for sure, NEVER have they EVER had finishes on them like these:

 

 

Or this....

 

 

Or this:

 

 

The gingerbread is almost exactly the color of the old French vintage stampings.   Add a little more patina with a gentle touch of black or black/brown acrylic paint, wipe on, wipe off.    The Rusted Iron  can be distressed to reveal copper underneath.   The silver is so rich....and a great match to our silverware silver plated line at B'sue Boutiques    Rusted Iron as well as Gingerbread take patina like Swellegant, very nicely.

 

 

I was just fiddling with some POSSIBILITIES last night.   Found out quick that regular tissue decoupage with lots of resin may not work great on rusted iron pewter...but prob will be fine with gingerbread and raw pewter.   We're going to have a lot of fun with the raw pewter, changing it up and making it our own in so many ways.  

 

Necessity being the mother of invention AND new POSSIBILITIES, I will mention that I took that heart with the bad decoupage (above in the necklace design) OFF,  fiddled around some more and I came up with something else that looks really good.  I'll share it with you when I'm done!

 

And yes, you CAN buy a few pieces from this line already!  Find it here:  B'sue by 1928 Pewter Castings by the 1928 Jewelry Company, at B'sue Boutiques

 

People ask me, aren't you EXCITED about this new line?

 

Well....  1928 is a winner in any form.   It is so gracious of Mel Bernie to release these things so now artisans may also design with them.  No jewelry company has ever done that....none could!   VERY FEW jewelry companies actually MAKE their own findings, so that it could even  be possible.   Nobody is following the moon here, neither is the moon following them.   The castings we have here in our hot little hands are  TRIED and TRUE,  over 45 five years of screaming successes.

 

The finishes are tried and true, as well.  Anyone who knows B'sue Boutiques knows that I don't tolerate what I call, 'scuse me, 'crap finishes'.   I have no place for them in my creative life and neither do you.  I want the best.....or I don't want it at all.

 

There is still much hard work to do,  and I need all my energy  to get this venture on its feet and MOVING.  I am still in POSSIBILITIES and GREAT EXPECTATIONS mode.   Soon B'sue by 1928  will feature custom designs unique to this line, and NOT currently in their  archives.   We intend for there to be new pieces available all the time.   The line will grow constantly.  You will never be bored with the same old tired pieces.  

 

In a few weeks I am returning to Burbank for more sorting through old stuff for inspiration, checking out more castings, brainstorming new ideas.   We will be working  at the factory for a full week, and previous to that, Mr. Bernie, Shelley and I will be at CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) in Phoenix, so that he can have a good look at my world and how the crafts industry works.

 

Great expectations indeed!   Too soon for popping corks, my friends.....but if you get a piece of B'sue by 1928 in your hands, you're going to feel a creative buzz from your head to your toes.

 

Here is the video from last week's introduction, if you haven't seen it yet:

 

 

 

One last thing:   Mel Bernie has another passion that is just about as strong as jewelry making.   He supports the efforts of his wife, Laurie, and daughter Emily, who run Life Animal Rescue   Their mission is to rescue abandoned dogs and cats and place them in loving, forever homes.

They also have a special project of rescuing as many dogs as they can from shelters in Thailand, as well.   If you love animals, check out what Laurie and Emily do.   You will be very impressed!   Check out their Facebook page!

 

 

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