Jewelry Quandary

Yesterday I went to pick up my work from Riverside Studios (from last month's show). I didn't get any new work done for their November show, but I did sell a few things during October, and brought in some new earrings. I also got a call from North Tahoe Arts, and I may have a chance to get some of my jewely juried into their shop as well. The artists up on North Shore are so great; very open and welcoming to other artists.

I'm still at work on the new earrings, and wondering how to make the findings on the necklaces and earrings match. I've been using silver toggle clasps from the Karen Hill tribe on the necklaces; the gold-plated clasps look tacky, and the actual gold is very expensive. But on the earrings, I've used gold-filled wires, because much of my work has some gold trim. Here's the problem: I want them to to look consistant.

One possibility is to use surgical steel for the earring wires; that would be similar to the Karen Hill silver. But there's still the gold paint that I love to use on just about everything. Or I could go with gold all the way around, and charge more for the necklaces. But the whole point of the jewelry was to be able to sell work with a lower price point!

Thoughts to ponder while I work today...

Elusivity

I have this bad habit of trying hard to improve upon something, and in the process, taking a step backwards. Sometimes the piece looks more "polished", but somehow it's missing something; those elements that make a piece "work" can get "polished" right out! Other times, the design didn't work for me, for some reason, and so I'll go off in a different direction. Then somebody will point out how much they liked the first ones I did. Or it's me, I'll realize that I like the original piece more. It's really a challenge for me to explore an idea, while retaining that sense of wonder that got it made in the first place.

Anyway, here are some of the new batch of necklaces I'm working on. They're not finished, just in process. And the same thing is happening; I am finding that there's something about that FIRST batch that I liked better! Although I really do like these. I couldn't sleep last night, and got up at midnight to play around with the little pieces and colors. It was actually alot of fun...hmm...maybe these DO work. But I still like the plain ones too.