Interview Series: Week 4 - Lottie's Trinkets

Hello everyone! It's me again, after some fighting with Blogger, I finally reverted back to the old editor instead of the new one, so let's see if I can get this up, even though it's a week late. I should be updating once a week now that Holiday Hectic Season is over for my household, and I have more time to get administrative work, blog work, and new jewelry done! Phew!

This time, I offer a shop from MadeItMyself, Lottie's Trinkets.  Lise makes some fantastic jewelry, elegant, whimsical, bold and subtle alike.  Her work is simply amazing, and she - well, let's have her tell us, shall we?

Name:
Lise Spence-Parsons – DBA Lottie’s Trinkets

Craft:
Jewelry Design

Favorite material (or medium, whatever you want to call it!):
Many – but currently copper

Most Popular Seller (whether it be online or at shows):
Fully juried art fairs – I’m best at person to person sales – once someone tries an item on, it’s 85% sold

Hematite And Off-white Cube Earrings

Simple, elegant, charming.  What more can I say?

What got you into your craft?




I went to a wire wrapping class with a girlfriend, just to keep her company – right!   I also come from an artistic family, so after relocating from UK to US, it was a natural progression.

Azure Blue Copper Wrapped Agate Necklace
It looks almost too delicate to touch! Such fine work, fun with beautifully contrasting colors!

How did you learn your craft?




I only had one formal class – wire wrapping – the rest is gut feeling, going with the flow, karma, whatever you want to call it.  I am not afraid to mix colors and shapes and try different things



What about YOU? Who is the artist behind those wonderful items?




I am an almost 45 year old married woman, just celebrated our Silver Wedding Anniversary in October.  I am ever so slightly mad, in a good way, and have lots of ideas popping up all the time, I find myself gazing at other people’s style choices and wondering what I could design to compliment the look!  I am an ex-accountant from the London advertising scene and have found these basic skills have stood me in good stead running my business for the last 7 ½ years. I have a small family in England and Sweden and try to get back to Europe at least once a year, usually to escape the harsh MN winter!

Ceramic Leaf Sterling Drop Earrings

Adorable, delicate, sweet and simple, perfect for any outfit to remind you of Spring!

What is a typical "working" day for you?




I don’t like to think of it as work, because I love my art so much, but basically I catch up on emails that have come in whilst I’ve been sleeping, then set about my day.  If I am feeling artistic and there is a fair approaching I work on designing items and getting those photographed, priced and in my books.  Then, or if not feeling too artistic, I do stock control and re-order staples that I need from my suppliers, then I might go out and hunt around in estate sales and/or antique stores for re-usable vintage pieces.  I am constantly monitoring women’s fashions in local stores/boutiques and also checking on color and style trends for  6-9 months ahead.   I also spend a lot of time marketing, book-keeping and looking for art fairs to apply to attend.  It is constant and I’ve never enough hours in the day.

How does it usually start and end?





Start with e-mails and finish with the sun going down and a large gin & tonic!




How many hours do you spend crafting?




Varies, according to mood, but on average 3-4 hours a day




How many hours do you spend on other things? What about distractions? I know we all have them! Do you usually accomplish all you wanted to?




Of course, there are tons, mainly “real life” – working form home it is difficult to discipline yourself.  There is always something “homey” to be done...sigh!

Cloisonne And Onyx Frame Necklace

I love this necklace's elegance and color. It reminds me of something a princess in an Anime would wear!

What happens when you Oops? Everyone gets one sometime or another! Do you get frustrated and destroy/start over, or do you go with the flow and see what comes out in the end?



I have a large personal collection of jewelry.  Of course, I can re-model pieces pretty easily, so there is not so much waste, and with the price of precious metals that is a good thing!



What is your greatest roadblock, be it government regulation or that little frustrating thing that just likes to sneak up and stop you in your tracks? Broken needle? Jump ring jumping out of your pliers? Thread knots? Cats? Dogs? The family hedgehog rolled about in your yarn basket?



“Real life”… it gets in the way sometimes and whole weeks can disappear into the void – luckily that is more in my off-season (Jan-March)…  Also have two cats, one of whom loves to join in the creative process…

Earrings - Green Tone Lampwork
An adorable addition to any Spring wardrobe, or for St. Patrick's Day!

All important pricing... Do you have a formula? Do you wing it? Do you feel your work justifies your prices?




An emotional subject, and one I, like most artists, struggle with constantly…  I price as much as the market will stand, and as I attend many art fairs locally, have a good idea where that is for most items.  The trick is to get your supplies at the “right” price.  Some people will not pay my prices, but I was not aiming my products at them anyway, know your sales demographic and stick to it.  I do not believe in spreading myself too thin, if I do a sale, then it is a genuine sale, not just cheaper made products. And, yes, my work justifies my prices 100%

And of course, is there anything else you'd like to say to our "viewers at home"?




Jewelry, good and well designed jewelry, is an art form in it’s own right.  It’s a beautiful thing that deserves love and attention in it’s creation.  All of my pieces are originals, made only once, even the earrings.  The necklaces and earrings are “born” and are all named, with whatever they remind me of.  Some are harder to let go then others, but I hope they bring pleasure to the wearer for that was my true intent!


Well said, Lise, and thank you for letting me share your corner of the world and the web with those who read my blog!

Make sure you visit Lise at Lottie's Trinket's on MadeItMyself!

Interview Series: Week 3 - Joyananda

This week, the third in my interview/feature series from the crazy chick trying to make handmade mainstream once again, I bring you Joyananda of A Different Kind of Pretty! From cute to anime inspired, practical to fantastical, this artist brings us many different things in many different ways.

Name: Joyananda dasa Gi - designer behind A Different Kind of Pretty

Craft: Indescribable Handicrafts and Concept Art
Favorite material: Pure copper wire, Czech glass flowers and vintage beads
Most Popular Seller: Wicked Lady Charm Bracelet. I think I've probably sold ten of them in the last year, but unfortunately the bow that is used on this bracelet is discontinued! So i suppose it could technically be called a Collector's Item now!

Wicked Lady Bracelet
I absolutely love this design, it calls to mind everything a wicked lady needs, as well as the character for which it is named!  It's a shame it seems to no longer be available!

What got you into your craft?/How did you learn your craft?

 

I've been into making crafts for as long as I can remember. I started out with wreaths and faux floral arrangements. However, it wasn't until I was 23, when I survived an assault, that I really got into crafting. After the attack, my body was receiving physical therapy, but I needed something that would get my mind past the assault. So i poured myself into making jewelry and learning new skills, which I taught myself, like wire wrapping and polymer clay sculpting. I really believe i wouldn't be where i am today, creatively, without the circumstances of my past. At least, this is the thinking that helps me move forward.

 What about YOU? Who is the artist behind those wonderful items?

 I'm a work-from-home artist, and I live with my partner Matthew and two cats, Talula and Pygmalion. Matt is truly my rock in this life, but I also have great support in my friends, many of whom also make jewelry and crafts. Matt is also my "Creative Consultant." We pick out beads and supplies together, and together we come up with Concept Art based on the colour schemes or shapes of the beads. The notion behind "Concept Art" is that any piece of jewelry or craft can be themed after a beloved person, favourite place or treasured thing simply by re-creating the concept using colour schemes and shapes. For instance, the concept behind the Sanrio characters, the Little Twin Stars, is a pastel colour palette with soft geometric lines. With this concept in mind, I created a rosary that is themed around the Little Twin Stars.

 Little Twin Stars - Rosary - Character Collection - Sanrio Series-OOAK

I love the colors in this! The copper brings out the softness in the pastels with striking contrast.

What is a typical "working" day for you? How does it usually start and end? How many hours do you spend crafting? How many hours do you spend on other things? What about distractions? I know we all have them! Do you usually accomplish all you wanted to?

  

Typically, I do wake up with the sun, but i usually bum around in my pjs until inspiration strikes and then I start making jewelry and other crafts. The design process comes down to simple steps: Roll out my supply of beads, which are organized by colour and shape, and pick out everything that inspires me for a particular project. Even if i don't end up using it for the project, having all the things that inspire me about the project in one place before I begin is usually immensely helpful to the creative process. I usually work all day long, but in 20-minute stints, taking frequent breaks and working when the inspiration is there. When it's not there, I usually fill my time with gardening or home improvement projects.

What happens when you Oops? Everyone gets one sometime or another! Do you get frustrated and destroy/start over, or do you go with the flow and see what comes out in the end?

Sometimes, when OOPS happens, it really works out in the end. For instance, sometimes i make things that don't even have a name until later. I had a client recently contact me with an urgent request for a rosary, which was intended for her Great Aunt, whose husband had just been transferred to Hospice with cancer. That morning, i had already created a rosary using silvery gray glass pearls and a brass locket embossed with angel wings. At the time i created it, I thought it was an OOPS. I wasn't sure what to do with it, or what to theme it after, or what to name it, until I received that client's email. I then knew that the rosary was for her, and named it Archangel Raphael (picture attached), the Angel of Healing.

 Archangel Raphael Rosary

Gorgeous work.  The way it found its home is also inspiring to all of us who have the occasional mistake - even mistakes are just things made for someone out there and we don't realize it!

My favourite line in my store is the Pamela Coleman Smith Collection. These pieces are themed after paintings by Pamela Coleman Smith for the Arthur E. Waite Tarot Deck. It is such a pleasure to make these pieces, as I love Tarot Cards and have been reading them for over 12 years. I also read Tarot, on the first Monday of each month, at Professor Java's Coffee Sanctuary in Colonie, NY. It is such a fulfilling task to give prospective insight to Querents (that's Waite's term for "seeker of Truth").

Ace of  Pentacles

9 of Wands

Two more stunning pieces, only one of which is still available!

What is your greatest roadblock, be it government regulation or that little frustrating thing that just likes to sneak up and stop you in your tracks? Broken needle? Jump ring jumping out of your pliers? Thread knots? Cats? Dogs? The family hedgehog rolled about in your yarn basket?

My greatest roadblock is Depression. In 2005, when i was attacked, I fell into a deep Depression that affected my ability to function in the workplace. I tried everything, from traditional to experimental therapy, to address the Depression. Finally, after five years of endless therapeutical pursuits, in 2010 I received an experimental therapy that worked wonders for me. It completely turned my life around. Ever since then, and I continue this therapy to the present day, I have been able to really grasp Depression by the handlebars and steer my own course. Depression is still present in my mind and body, but it no longer controls my life. 

The all important pricing... Do you have a formula? Do you wing it? Do you feel your work justifies your prices?

My pricing policy has certainly changed since I started. First, I was only doubling the cost of my materials. As time went on, I started adding $5 for labour to every piece. That cost of labour has grown to $15 an hour. I believe that the quality of the materials and the workmanship presented speak for themselves. For instance, I may spend $5 in metal and $5 in beads on a piece. Doubling that, it's a $20 item based on materials alone. Adding $15 for labour, you are left with the $35 price which is the average of my store, i believe. I have attached a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Rosary, which is an example of that pricing technique. Of course, there can be minimal materials involved and the entire thing could be labour-intensive (such as the Shivering Isles ring, which took such a great amount of labour that I had to charge more than the original goal of $15).

Sacred Heart of Jesus
Rosary - OOAK

The Shivering Isles
Ring - OOAK

For the prices asked on these gems, I certainly wouldn't hesitate! The quality and workmanship certainly show, as so few people appreciate other than fellow crafters.

Thank you, Joyananda for such an in-depth glimpse into your world, which judging from the work you do, is a beautiful and fantastic world indeed!  There is a little something for everyone here to be sure!  Make sure you visit Joyanada at A Different Kind of Pretty on Zibbet!

Heads up!

Blogger appears to have broken their Preview, and their new GUI has broken Publish as WELL as Preview, so tomorrow's post may look awful, incomplete or just wrong.  I will fix it as soon as I can, if it is actually broken.

~Geri