More Words From the City

The City says they'll do the repairs and not worry about the disability issue, but after I leave the studio, they won't lease it again. There is the chance that the Zoo will get its way and then my studio will be at the opening of the Village instead of buried in the deepest corner. Anyway, I like my little corner. And if the Zoo expansion goes through, they will most likely cut down the trees outside my windows and that would be too bad. I would hate to see that happen. I like the trees there.

I spent the day sitting in Gallery 21 as the representative for the Small Image Show. It's almost over, just a few days left. I always enjoy sitting in there because it's interesting to see the people who come in and to talk to them. I have a chance to talk to people in my studio as well, but the crowd is sometimes a different one. Some of the ones who come to see the Show look very sophisticated, more so than some of the ones who come in the studios.

I've now made a total of 10 blue bracelets. They look wonderful together. I spread them all out in a line, one next to the other. I'm sure that my mother's friend will find one that she likes. And seeing them all together really makes me see that it's a wonderful marketing device, to have all those bracelets for people to mix and match. I'll go on with the blue ones and add turquoise and darker blue to the selection. Then I'll move towards green and yellow. Also, I'll start a group of red, pink, orange, and purple. Eventually I'll have a rainbow of bracelets. That will attract attention to them. I showed them to a friend and he was very complimentary of them. That was nice.

Getting Inspired

Here's my first workstation. When I get discouraged about the progress that isn't being made, I need to look at this photo. Life was certainly very simple in those days, not like it is today.

I've been so busy with car problems that I haven't given my studio or business a thought. However, last night I did begin working on a web page. And today at Spanish Village, I made several more blue bracelets. I still have a chance tomorrow and then I'll see my mother's friend on Friday. I will have 8 or 10 bracelets to show her. Actually, I like the idea of making a whole series of them all in one color. I should consider doing that with other colors, too. Then eventually I could have a whole rainbow of bracelets. I think that could work for display purposes.

There's an artist who makes hair barretts in all different colors and then lays them out by color, like a rainbow. They're very eye catching. I think the bracelets could be too. And it give me some structure, rather than just starting off and making things without much direction. I need to get away from that, I think. Although, I guess I could argue that keeps me creative.

Anyway, now I'm back to work again, working in the Village. I was there today and will be tomorrow as well. I enjoy it actually.

Word From the City

How does this photo look? It was taken at about sunset, so it's a little dark. But I think you can see the plants. There are some new ones on the left. One of the artists in the Village is continuing to add plants. That little space in front of my studio is in the shade almost all the time, so it is as good place for plants that won't do well in the sunny portions of the patio around the Village.

The City has decided to go ahead and pay for all the remodeling that needs to be done to my studio, including the electrical meter and the rewiring. That's the good news. Apparently there is still some question about whether my studio meets the requirements of being handicapped accessible. I think there is no problem with that, but the president of Spanish Village needs to meet with a representative from the ADA. I think that because the building is a historical one, it may be exempt. But we don't know that for sure.

I spent the day making more blue bracelets. I wound up being a little bored making just plain bracelets. However, when I began adding an extra bead or pearl that was a different color, I enjoyed it more. Then the bracelets became more creative. I have a pearl one to finish tomorrow along with a necklace that I started last week. And I'll work on setting up my scanner so I can start taking some photos of my pieces.

A Real Day Off

A day off? Well, I wasn't at the studio, but it wasn't a day off to just hang out and do nothing. None of them seem to be at this point. Someday maybe. I wound up helping my parents and going to lunch with them. That was after going to the gym. My idea of the perfect day off is to spend the morning sleeping and reading. I didn't do that, but I did sleep for awhile this afternoon.

I spent all that time making blue bracelets only to forget them when I left the house. So when I went to lunch with my parents, I didn't have them to show to their friend. But she says she'll walk up to the studio one of these days. And that will give me a chance to make at least several more. I found more blue beads, and I thought she might like those to choose from also.

Tomorrow I'm off to the Village after my exercising. Then I'll be there each day until Monday which I will declare as my next day off. I've already had my two days off this week.

Getting Back on Track

Here's a photo of my desk lamp. It's actually a little shorter than I would like, but I'll find a box or something to put it on and hang a picture just above the desk to make the proportion better. Anyway, it's a cute little lamp that I bought on sale for $14. It's nice to turn on when I first come into my studio, before all the others.

Today I spent the day in the studio of one of the other artists. I worked on some bracelets. A friend of my mother wanted a medium blue bracelet for her friend in England who wears a lot of blue. So I've made three different ones, and I'd like to make another before I go to sleep tonight, so that she has some to choose from. I may not get to it, though. I will make up some more blue bracelets though. I can sell them inexpensively and people like them. And lots of people do like blue, so I think that's a good choice to concentrate on. Also, probably pink, green, and yellow would be good. There are so many more possibilities. And it only takes me about an hour to make a bracelet, so I can make three or four a day. Currently I'm making them using gold-filled wire, but I'd like to try knotting a few as well. They would be easy.

Under the Weather

Today was going to be a day off anyway, but I've come down with the germs that seem to be circulating at the moment. So I'm home in bed, not even thinking about business. I've been sleeping and reading. I bought some cards to print up and I'll do that if I have the energy this weekend. Otherwise, I'm spending tomorrow in bed.

Keeping Track Each Day

Recently I bought a calendar, thinking I was going to use it for a journal, but then I bought something else instead. So I'm using the calendar in my studio to record what I do each day, what pieces of jewelry I work on. Yesterday, I finished a necklace that was made of a combination of Ethiopian opals, rutillated quartz, and crystals. It was a necklace that I knotted, and I finished it in one day. Then I began a shorter necklace using the leftover stones and adding some more rutillated quartz. It's almost finished. I also worked on the knotted necklace that I broke. I've restrung all the previous beads and have gone on with more. I'm taking tomorrow off, and I brought the necklace home with me. I said I wouldn't do that, bring work home, but maybe once in awhile.

The City sent some people over today to look at my studio and adjust their schedule for making repairs. Originally I had asked that the drop ceiling be repaired, but we removed the drop ceiling and now it needs to have some more work done on it. The real holdup is the electricity. That has to be done first. Hopefully, the City will agree to that. I'm sure everything will work out eventually. It's just taking a long time.

This weekend, I'll print up some business cards and label my jewelry. I want to make tags on the computer and print them out, but for now I'll just make some handwritten ones. They'll be fine to begin with. If I'm under the weather, I can still do some of that at home.

Two Steps Forward, One Back

So, early yesterday morning, I dismantled my jewelry display. I got one of the other artists to move the cabinet that I store my scraps of metal in. It's too heavy for me to lift. And I took the fabric off the table and folded it up in a corner. Then I sat down to wait for the plasterer to arrive. But he never did. This morning, an out-of-town friend wanted to see my studio, so I put in all back together. Repairmen still have not arrived. However, I plan to leave my display in place until I see them on my doorstep. I'm beginning to get some traffic into my studio, and I want it to look as presentable as possible.

I've spent the last few days creating some knotted necklaces. They're faster to make and don't require the same expense in materials. If I use the gold-filled wire, it costs about $20 just for the wire, never mind the beads. If I use silk, it costs less than $2. The necklace I spent all day yesterday working on broke. Well, that is, the thread broke. So I'll have to redo it. The beads are tiny and time consuming to string, but the combination of carnelian, pearls, and crystals makes a pretty necklace. It's just that I pulled too hard on the thread and it broke.

I went to get some hang tags to put on my jewelry, to put prices on them. I want to make special printed tags, but this will have to do for now. Then people will realize that I'm serious. And I'll work more on my display. It's really not right yet. Also, I want to make some business cards so that people from out of town can check on me periodically. Oh, and I should have gotten a guest book. I didn't even think of doing that, but I'd like to have one. There is a great deal to do. The list goes on and on.

Tomorrow - The Next Step

I received word this afternoon that someone from the City came to look at my studio and supposedly they will be back early tomorrow morning. I'm off to bed now, so that I can get there when they arrive, or soon thereafter. I suppose I should go over this evening and move things, but I'm too tired. They'll just have to wait for me.

Super Bowl Sunday

Here's a shot I took from my desk where I find that I tend to sit and work. Sometimes I work at my round table, but the desk seems more convenient.

There were many visitors in the Village today as it was Super Bowl Sunday. However, the new photographer across the way brought in some of his framed work and hung it on the walls of the studio leased to the glassblower. His work is wonderful, very professional looking. He was talking about the fact that he has a printer that he can use to print photographs as wide as 24 inches. Then he started talking about wanting to buy a laser printer for creating brochures and marketing items.

In the old days, we would die for a laser printer. I remember the first one we had in the building, one that about 20 of us shared. It printed so beautifully comparied to that old daisy wheel printer and the dot matrix I had on my desk. Nowadays, the ink jet printer is considered a better printer for photographs than a laser. So I was surprised to hear him say he wanted one. But he said, "oh, no, not for printing photographs." Times and equipment have changed.

I worked on a knotted necklace today, finishing the one I started yesterday, or I should say I finished the task. I wound up redoing the necklace I had started and adding additional beads coupled with fewer knots to make it longer. I suppose you could call it a new product line. And I also finished the bracelet I started yesterday, the one that replaces the one I sold. Well, it doesn't really replace it, because at this point I'm not keeping track of what beads I use for each bracelet. I'm starting to write down the information on some of the necklaces. Eventually I'd like to keep track of all of them, with the thought that I might make more than one of the same in some cases. And I'd like to scan them into my computer so I have a visual record of them. It's time to start applying myself to some of the computer parts of my business, including my website.

Another Step Forward

Today I had my first sale: a pearl bracelet. A woman from Maryland bought it. She liked the way it looked with her new watch. The first thing I did was begin another bracelet to replace it, not one that looks the same, but a new one.

I was at the gym this evening and I noticed that they have a whole lot of empty display case space, and I wondered if it might make sense to approach them about carrying my jewelry. The gym is one for women only, and there are a whole lot of women who go there. Many of them have admired my jewelry. I'll have to give it some thought.

Right now though, I feel particularly tired and I'm off to bed. I'm not exercising in the morning, so I'm going to sleep a little later before I go to my studio.

Facing the Year Ahead

Here's a view in my studio looking toward the right hand wall. There's another ladder under that green cloth. Someday I'll have a studio with no extra ladders in it. However this one isn't too obtrusive. And you can see more etchings along the wall.

I feel as though most of my emphasis has been rather short-term, and I'd like to think about creating some goals for myself. For example by the end of the year, I plan to have my website up and running. I'll have entered and been juried into at least one more show. I'll have placed my jewelry in three galleries or stores. I will have incoporated chasing and repousse, enamel, etching, and metalsmithing in my jewelry. I will have a full inventory of pieces and a back stock. I will have created at least one piece of art jewelry, the type of thing that would not necessarily be something a person would wear. I could set a monetary goal, too, such as making a minimum of $500 a month on my jewelry that I sell.

I know from my previous experience that writing down goals is a very affective way of reaching them, as long as they are reasonable goals, ones that you can realistically reach. I will continue to work on making out a schedule for myself, so that I have a timeline to follow for the year.

Planning For the Next Step

Once my studio is repaired, the next major task will be to create visibility, to attract people in. I have noticed that since I put a lamp on the table where it's visibile from the door, people are beginning to come in. Also, a friend suggested that I put my hanging lamp on the ceiling right where it can be seen from outside, rather than in the middle of the room where there is nothing to see. I will probably eventually include some halogen track lighting in with the rest, but I must say, I like the lamps. They give the studio an intimate personal feel to it.

We went down to the Village this evening on an errand, and we wound up in my studio with several other artists. One of the suggested that I put up several hooks so that I can change the position of my hanging lamp from one end to another. Another artists suggests that I have a pot bellied stove to keep me warm. The studio does get cold and since the only windows face east and are screen by trees, I don't get much sun. But I don't mind. I sit in there and I start to work on jewelry and I really forget about how cold it is or how hungry I might be. I'm intent on what I'm making. I do however find that I get new ideas, so I always make sure I write those down. I can't possibly make all the jewelry that I have ideas for, but I suppose if I write them down, I might be able to make them later. Or at least the concepts pass through my conscious mind and affect future designs.

In the last two days, I've been working on a necklace of 4 mm round bloodstone beads on gold wire. The bloodstone is typically a dark green and most of the beads are green, but there are some interspersed in the strand that are maroon and some ochre. The combination makes the necklace so interesting. It's an entirely plain necklace except for the fact that the variation in the bead color adds interest. I finished the necklace today and I happened to have a mint green oxford cloth shirt on. The combination was wonderful. My instinct about that strand of beads was very good. I knew they would make a nice necklace and they have. I got compliments for it. I have also received compliments for my pieces in the Small Image Show. It's nice when your peers compliment you, appreciate what you have done.

Working Within a Framework

Last night, I found two strands of beads on my worktable at home. The one strand I recognized, but the other I didn't. I'm not sure where they came from. Nowadays, I leave all my beads strung on strands, just the way I buy them, but originally, I use to take them off the strands and put them in divided boxes. I hate to think how many of those boxes have spilled over the last few years. Far too many.

Anyway, I suddenly found myself in possession of a strand of lovely glass beads with a slight chevron pattern on them. They were not quite matched, but close enough to be convincing. Most recently, I've been making all my jewelry out of semi-precious stones and pearls. I have moved away from the glass. However, these beads with the chevrons on them are worth using in a piece of jewelry. I gathered together various strands that I thought might complement them, but I never settled on a combination I was happy with, so I wound up working on something different.

I've been helping one of the other artists with her studio while she remodels it, but soon I would like to spend all my days in my own studio, soaking in the ambiance, and getting use to the routine of being there day after day. I wish the City would hurry up and get there to help me. But it will be done eventually, and then I'll really be there everyday. Things are progressing. I guess that's all we can ever hope for.

I had a vision today of painting a painting that would cover one whole wall of my studio, a great big canvas. I can imagine people coming in to look at it. But really, I don't want to paint right now. Maybe in the summer, but now I'm happy with the jewelry.

One Step at a Time

It's hard to see in this photograph, but there's a lamp there on the table under the window, or actually between the two windows. I got another one to put on the chest beside the door. It may turn out that I don't need any more lights although those little track lights are very nice, especially for jewelry. They make everything look so sparkly.

I find that I'm beginning to have a few customers who come into my studio over the weekend. One of my plans is to get one of the artists in the Village to hang the Dutch door I inherited from another studio so that it opens out. That way, from a distance, you will be able to see there is actually something back there under that arch and that it might be worth investigating.

In addition to the lamp that I bought today, I bought an extension cord and a plug so that we can convert the outside hanging lamp so that it attaches to the extension cord. Then I can hang the lamp around the tree branch and bring the extension cord down so I can plug it inside the studio. I also got a very inexpensive light that clips on to as shelf or whatever, so that I can use it as a spot light, I think. If that works, I could get more of them. They would be cheaper than tracks lights. I'll see whether that makes sense.

I'm at a point where I want my studio to be unconventional, not the stereotypical one that everyone has. A few artists are moving away from the gallery look and I certainly want to. I want the studio to be a reflection of me, of my taste, and to hopefully make sense to the type of customer that I think my jewelry will attract.

Time To Get Back On Track

Here's my studio all ready for the Small Image Show reception last Friday. I had hoped I'd get some visitors to my studio. And I did get a few, but they were only ones I invited in myself. None of the people I called on the phone and invited actually showed up. Well, that's okay. Actually, one friend did come. And that was nice that he cared enough to show up. There did seem to be a large turn out of people, and we now have a musician who plays out in the patio. He was there also, entertaining everyone.

Taking off for Borrego has left me feeling that my schedule is out of wack, and I'm not caught up. It will take me several days to get back into the groove again. However, the City is supposed to come this week to make the repairs needed. So I'm off to get a good night's sleep in preparation for a week of getting to work early.

Cellphone Photographer

Funny how little things can change everything. Here I am, thinking it's Monday night, and I am doing my nightly post. However, it's actually Tuesday morning, so the dates on my entries will look as though I missed a day. I haven't although I will miss making any postings until Friday or Saturday, because I'm going to Borrego Springs for a few days. I think I could post to the blog using my phone, but I'll pass on that technological delight this time. Next time we go somewhere, I'll learn in advance. Besides, it's difficult to type on a telephone keyboard.

Anyway, here's a photo of part of the display I set up tonight in preparation for the Small Image Show opening on Friday. I won't have time to do very much on Friday afternoon, so I tried to do as much as possible today to make it look presentable. There are two branches which are actually pieces of palm tree blossoms. One of the artists in the Village uses the ends to weave baskets, and those branches are what is left. They make wonderful display places for the jewelry, especially for the really long necklaces which don't display very well on the black velvet necks.

Tomorrow we're off to Borrego Springs, returning on Friday. If you see a minivan driving down the road with a trail of ones and zeros coming up through the roof, that's me taking photos with my telephone.

Hanging My Etchings

Here's a photo of my studio with one of my etchings hung on an existing nail, and there's another propped up on the chair. I'll probably take some more and hang them tomorrow. However, I can't find as many as I thought I could. I'm not sure whether they were sold or they're still around the house, and I don't see them. Recently when I looked for some of my enamel pieces, I couldn't find those either. Well, I expect everything will turn up eventually. And if not, I've somehow wound up with a great deal of new frames and recently I came across a large portfolio of etchings. So I can frame a bunch of them.

Actually, it's not my intention to emphasize my etchings or paintings at all, but it's very nice to have artwork to hang on my walls. And I was accepted in to Spanish Village as both a printmaker and a painter. So I can display and sell both kinds of pieces. And one thing I do want to do is make some of my etching plates into jewelry. I already cut up one of my plates and used part of it to make a stand for one of the necklaces that was accepted into the Small Image Show.

This evening my friend and I went back to Spanish Village on the way to dinner. I had forgotten my notebook and need to show it to someone in the morning. While we were there, we were invited to come in and take a look at the Small Image Show. They've almost finished hanging it. My two pieces are right near the front door which is nice.

Getting Ready For Next Friday

Here are two of the three ladders currently in my studio, brought in by various people helping me. That cabinet is to the left of the front door as you face out. It will be a nice place to put papers and other items. There are three drawers on the left in which I can probably file some of my etchings. And I'll use the top drawer for things like price tags, receipt books, etc. It will most likely be the last thing a person sees as they leave the studio, so I can put my business cards there.

The Small Image Show reception is next Friday night. It occured to me when I was working today in my studio that I should attempt to be open during the reception. If I am, I need to get all the work done tomorrow and Monday, because we leave for Borrego Springs on Tuesday and don't get back until Friday around noon time most likely. So I've gathered together some of my etchings and some other items I want to put in the studio.

I want my studio to have the look of Out of Africa or Passage to India or The English Patient, sort of an old-fashioned warm country feeling. I've been looking around at various baskets and things I have in the house. I've started collecting them to take with me. Some of the items are most likely too valuable to leave in the studio, but there are lots of pieces I can take. It's my very own space, and I want it to be a reflection of me.

So far all my visitors are women being led in by children, usually girls, but today there was one woman with a young boy. They were interested in the fact that I was making a necklace out of tourmaline, because they had been to the tourmaline mind outside of Julian not long ago. They were able to mine for the stone themselves. They found lots of nice samples. I've thought about doing that myself for a long time. I'll put it on my to-do list.


Here's another visitor we get frequently, especially in the spring. They come over from the San Diego Zoo. Sometimes only one male comes over. Last spring there were several young males who brought their girlfriends or sisters with them. Besides the peacocks, we sometimes see owls, hawks, squirrels, opossums, skunks, and even on one occasion a coyote. Two years ago, there was a pair of mallard ducks that came to drink out of the dogs water dish at the same time every evening. Upon occasion, we've fed the peacocks crackers and grapes. Another bird we see frequently is the hummingbird. They love the bright red flowers, some of which are always blooming somewhere around the Village.

Short-Range Planning

Here you can see the small desk that I brought from home. It use to be the one my mother used when we were growing up. It's a cute little desk and I'm glad I've found a place for it, because I don't have room at the house. Unfortunately, it's finish is in bad shape. I suppose at some point it could be refinished. However, it's fine for now. I'm guessing that at some point, I'll probably get rid of the small round table although it's very handy to work on, especially because the "pie crust" top, as it's called, has a rim around it and the beads don't fall off.

I still don't know exactly where everything is going to go. I bought a worktable, a Chinese antique, with a glass top. I can't do metalsmithing on the glass. And I'm not sure where to put all my tools so that they're conveniently located, but not too messy. I just have to figure this out gradually. It does seem to be progressing, even though I have setbacks such as spilling beads and findings all over the floor. That kept me busy at least a couple of hours, straightening all that up. And I'm still cleaning up from last weekend, but that part is almost taken care of.

One of my next priorities is to make a necklace for my mother for her birthday. She's 83. Actually, her birthday was yesterday, but we're celebrating it next week when we go to Borrego Springs, to the desert. So I'd like to have something made or well on it's way. And then I need to plan to pack some beads so I can work while I'm in Borrego. We're leaving Tuesday and not returning until Friday. I hope it will be warm over there. So far it's been cold.