The last few months have been so great. I have been very productive, sales have been great, and I’ve wanted to spend my free time making jewelry. BUT THEN a few things happened that really got me bummed and bothered. They were mechanical, physical breakdowns of my work that embarrassed me. I felt like the problems were insurmountable, and I wanted to give up. I felt like even if I fixed them, how could I know they’d be fixed forever? And how could I even start to know how to fix them?
TALKING TO PEOPLE HELPED ME.
It is hard, for a number of reasons, to not give up when I am stressed out and hopeless about my situation, no matter how small. It is a personal issue I struggle with in the best of times, so when I am isolated and a little bit depressed anyway, it’s like, whoa.
The first thing I did was write messages to all my customers and friends who might be affected by the problems. I got sweet messages back, I got advice, and I also got additional reports of product failure (a new and small hurdle). At the time, I didn’t even have a solution yet. I just couldn’t let my knowledge of faulty craftsmanship (okay, less on the part of the craftsman, and more on the materials) go unacknowledged. So not only did I ease my own foul mind with simple communication, I also solidified my commitment to fix existing (and future) problems and to STAY FUCKIN CALM AND CARRY FUCKIN ON.
Then I found the solution.
After that, I heard from other people in the field who reassured me that there will always be snags, there will always be things to improve upon or fix, and that’s the nature of the damn thing. It’s the nature of so many things. We stick it out, and we figure it out. And I, for one, will not forget that I can lean on my community of makers, friends, and customers for help to become better and better.
Now the new wall I have hit is the wall of OPPRESSIVE HEAT and NO AIR CONDITIONING, but this one is hella temporary.
Over a year ago, I had a handful of beautiful gemstones that were too imperfect for use in jewelry. They had chips, or were accidentally double drilled on one side, or the hole was crooked, etc. I knew I had to use them, but they were just too wonky to use in a real project. I decided I would try to make stud earrings out of them, hiding the imperfections by gluing them onto earposts. And wouldn’t you know... they were so cool!
I wanted more, more, more because they were so cute and simple, and so I branched out and actually started purchasing stones that were perfect for the method I had employed with the others. I made a bunch for my first (and still, so far, only) craft fair last summer, and I kept thinking, “I need to put these up in the shop!” I teased and I promised on Instagram, but I just kept not putting them up.
My fear that the glue, which felt so strong and true, might fail over time just paralyzed me. I did not want to risk it! So I wore a few pairs of my own, and had a couple of friends wearing a pair or two, and over the year, as all of our studs stayed happily in tact, I went for it!
I’ve been letting go. Not as much as I should, but at least the shop is getting settled. ;)
There have been some things in there since I opened in 2007, which is embarrassing and not at all “fresh.” So even though they might have been things that I still adore, or hold close to my heart, I marked them WAY THE HELL DOWN, and even then nobody wanted them, so now they are gone. And honestly, it feels good. It feels good, man.
My Whole Thing right now is to get a cohesive line (brand? gag) going. I have this vision for the shop, and maybe it doesn’t involve those chain and stone necklaces anymore, even though they are the best sellers. I just want to get my shit together and offer those colors and shapes and designs that nobody else offers. I’m sick of everything, I’m sick of it all.
SO I LET MOST OF IT EXPIRE. (most)
I’m just so proud of the differences and the colors and patterns, and I just know that someday the bohemians will be avant garde again.
Nevada City Craft Fair // First Friday Art Walk // DANK
THIS FRIDAY!!!!!
August 7, 2015, 3-9pm
Miners Foundry Cultural Center
325 Spring St, Nevada City, CA 95959
$3 admission, children under 12 FREE
Over 50 vendors, a full bar, coffee by the new FoxHound Espresso & Coffee Broaster, tunes by Jes Marie Taber, and delicious delights by the lovely Ona Ziegler!!
Art Walk in Downtown Nevada City 5-9pm
A city-wide celebration of NC's vibrant ARTS community, happening throughout downtown.
DANK // music starting at 6:30 by Aggressive Affection - known the world over as the greatest power trio consisting of 2 people, with Alex Scribner (of The Devils Train) on guitar and, introducing, Annabelle Morlett singing her heart out.
I made up a few pairs of this cool new design recently, and on Thanksgiving I was like, "I never wear my own jewelry. Today I will wear some of my new line to this likely insane Thanksgiving midday dinner." I chose to wear these gold and white ones because the 49ers "played football" that evening. I decided I would keep the earrings for myself if they won. I should have known not to tempt fate.
BUT I TEMPTED FATE AND I GOT HOSED
After the nightmare of a game, I tearfully removed the earrings from my ears, wiped their hooks with alcohol, and placed them in a plastic baggie for sale at Kitkitdizzi. If you are a 49ers fan, don't buy these, for I have already tested them and they failed.
May they be purchased by a man or woman who cares not for football or heartache. Cross my heart and hope to die, that is all I want for them.
I've been working on a new line of woven seed bead earrings and necklaces for my dear darling friends at Kitkitdizzi, a very rad shop in my town. It's been a long haul, and I've made a zillion mistakes, but it is there! IT IS THERE Y'ALL
Little banners!
I think that blank spot will have my bio. Aw man, what the hell
I just came across this article about the history of plastic beads that I wrote back in 2006 or 2007 for "The Ruby," a limited-run magazine produced by The Whole Bead Show. I think it encapsulates my VERVE and ZEST for big ol' baubles:
Throughout my years working with The Whole Bead Show, I have noticed that plastic has such a bad rap. I always giggle to myself when a customer turns her nose up at plastic beads because she thinks they are not classy enough for “real” jewelry. Okay, I’ll be truthful. Even I am a snob when it comes to plastic beads. I prefer the vintage stuff because of the great colors and shapes, and the older plastic beads seem less likely to have been spit out of a machine without a determinate function. Vintage plastic beads—of all varieties—were mostly manufactured specifically for lines of fantastic costume jewelry, while contemporary plastic beads mainly go on the racks at chain craft stores. However, whatever their purpose, plastic beads definitely have a history unlike other beads.
Man-made plastic began in 1862 with the invention of semi-synthetic Parkesine, but it wasn’t until 1909 that the first truly synthetic plastic was made: Bakelite. This invention by Leo Hendrik Baekeland changed the world of industry because it was the most effective material of its kind. Bakelite became the main ingredient of many World War II weapons because of its lightweight quality, chemical stability, and indefatigable shape once set. Beyond weaponry, Bakelite was used in other industrial and domestic products for the same reasons, and is even used today because it is still considered one of the most effective plastics for those purposes.
Several other types of man-made (and partially man-made) plastic were invented to replace commonly used material that had become expensive, rare, or difficult to obtain. Rayon was developed to replace silk, and Nylon was an even closer substitute that had other uses, such as taking the place of animal hair in hairbrushes and toothbrushes. Celluloid was an inexpensive and close representation of ivory, bone, and tortoiseshell. These plastics not only successfully replaced waning natural materials, but also allowed products that used them to be manufactured quickly, cheaply, and in higher numbers. Plastics had infiltrated the jewelry market; beautiful “ivory” trinkets and “jeweled” combs were no longer only for the rich.(1)
In 1931, chemists at DuPont discovered Lucite while “exploring the high-pressure technology developed for ammonia production.”(2) Its strength and clarity was far superior to any other plastic of its kind, and therefore was perfect for all sorts of industrial uses, but more importantly, it was perfect for JEWELRY. Although the era of costume jewelry started in the nineteenth century, the invention of plastics from the next century certainly expanded its horizons. As the years went on, plastic beads were no longer acting as replacements for more expensive components: plastic was “a triumph for the twentieth century; it didn’t pretend to be anything else but what it was.”(3) Even famous jewelry designers and companies like Coco Chanel, Miriam Haskell, Coro, and Trifari began to use plastic in their lines. As the decades progressed, contemporary jewelry became more popular and easily obtainable than fine jewelry, so innovative and inexpensive plastic lent itself to the world of design. It had become desirable to everyone.
Even today, plastic is still desirable—particularly since the mod fashions of the 1960s and 1970s, and the bold, bright styles of the 1980s are back in style. There is still Bakelite jewelry out there, and there are plenty of Lucite and other types of plastic beads available—both vintage and con- temporary. Thanks to some industrious business owners who have discovered sources of authentic mid-century plastic, there is a plethora of unused vintage beads to be had.
As I mentioned earlier, the vintage pieces have an interesting quality that contemporary plastic lacks; they come in colors and shapes that aren’t being manufactured anymore, and they were created during the very eras that modern designers are inspired by.
Some of my favorite moments at shows are when customers see one of our beautiful necklaces that feature our own line of vintage German plastic. It feels great to hear someone marvel at how fantastic plastic can look, particularly when it is mixed with other materials. It enhances the clarity of glass, its creamy appearance looks amazing with metal, and it adds dimension without adding much weight. Our line is from the mid 1960s through the late 1970s, and comes directly from Germany. Ava Motherwell added it to her collection in 2003 after discovering the beads on one of her many trips to Europe. It’s thrilling to see a customer loading up trays with the stuff—I covet it all as I pack it into bags.
Other Whole Bead Show merchants, such as The Beadin’ Path and Talisman Associates, carry lines of lovely vintage Lucite which can get me into big trouble. Lucite lovers are often impressed by The Whole Bead Shop vintage plastic line because of the similar effect the beads invoke. Unfortunately, we cannot offer our vintage plastic in our online catalog because there are simply too many varieties and styles to keep track of, and they become limited very quickly. However, it is much better to shop for it in person so you can touch it and be swept away by its unique qualities.
(1) The historical content in this (and the previous) paragraph comes from “An Introduction to Plastics” at vectorsite.net and “The History of Plastic” at americanplasticscouncil.org
(2) From the overview of Lucite on DuPont’s website: heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp-1931/over- view.shtml
(3) Fenster, Julie M. 2001. Bakelite Jewelry. American Heritage, 52(3), 12.
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