Interview Series: Week 20 – Sister’s Home of Unique Gifts

I’m sure quite a few of you who follow this blog have heard about GoDaddy by now.  If you haven’t, GoDaddy was hit by a DDoS attack.  Unfortunately, this also had a rather nasty effect on Zibbet, since Zibbet uses GoDaddy for at least a portion of its site.  Gaining access to the site throughout the week has been a nightmare, since I did mention last week, I have two interview blog posts to RE-do.  This is the first interview, and I’ll be working on the other (Zibbet’s uptime allowing), when I am able to get access to the photos and such I need!

Edit 9/18/12 – It looks like GoDaddy is behaving properly now, though Zibbet has announced that it is swapping servers, and that there will be some downtime associated with it.  So far I’ve not had any trouble at all since the announcement, but I did want to keep you all informed in case you are unable to get to any of the lovely items I have showcased in any of my blog posts that are on Zibbet.
End Edit.

Today, I bring you a half of a team of sisters who create unique gifts for all ages, in many different areas, from little lanterns, to silverware/goodie pockets to angels, to… well, you’ll just have to go look for yourself!
Due to the format, I’m going to allow today’s artist to speak her story, her way! Without further mucking about on my part, I offer you Laurie from Sister’s Home of Unique Gifts of Zibbet!

 

My name is Laurie Gregie

I do a variety of crafts such as, plastercraft, kitchen hanging towels, potpourri vases with lights, angels, lanterns, candle holders, felt items and much more.

Because I do such a variety of crafts its kinda hard to pick one. I guess I would say making holiday items our my favorite.

My most popular seller would probably be Hobby Lobby. They have the best variety of craft supplies.

What got me into crafts hmmmm. I was a newlywed. We didn't have much money. I've always believed that giving a gift that is handmade shows more love than picking a sweater out in a store.

Stained Glass Lantern Blue Swirl Light Up
I’m a sucker for blue, glitter and butterflies.  If I had room for something like this in my decor (which is all gamer stuff, and nothing that allows for anything with doilies…), it would so be here.

I went to the plastercraft store and bought piggy banks for all the kids and a variety of other items for the adults.I painted them all and gave them to family members for Christmas.

I taught myself by trial and error. Bought craft magazines, went to craft shows, bought items and took them apart to see how they were made. I would then make improvements and start making my own items. Coming up with new ideas is a challenge. I will spend many hours of putting it together and taking it apart until the item meets my expectations.

Fall Design Cream Stained Glass Lantern Light Up
This looks like it would make an adorable centerpiece on a little table or whatnot.

I'm a people person and a perfectionist, if I don't love what I make, I don't sell it. I enjoy making my crafts because it gives me great joy when I see how people smile and appreciate the work and love that goes into each item.

My days are the opposite of most people. My husband works the night shift. We eat dinner at midnight. We usually don't go to bed till 3 or 4 am. My day starts at about 10a. I do my computer work till about 1230pm. I then do some housework and laundry. I take breaks inbetween and work on my crafts.
When the housework is done I work on my crafts until about 10pm. I then start making dinner. After dinner I go back on the computer and work on websites, answer emails and package items for mailing.

Clay Pot Angel Large w/Bells
I’ve always loved angel figurines and ornaments.  These are adorable.

I never really "finish". Selling crafts online is neverending. I set goals and usually achieve them. Since I make a variety of items, some are finished in a few hours and some take much longer. If I start on a long process item one day, I usually finish it the next.

Oops always happen. If I make an oops, I don't get frustrated, I just take apart the oops and fix it then continue on. I'm not the type of person to continue on and see what happens. If its not right I have to fix it. Meantime I reprimand myself making the oops.

Christmas Gold Lantern Candle Holder With Free Pillar 2 Pieces
This lantern would make a lovely center for a holiday sideboard or coffee table, bringing a warm glow to whatever its light touches.

I usually think long and hard about a project. Make drawings, call my sister for feedback and write out the process. Sometimes it comes out right the first time. Other times it takes 4-5 tries. I never give up until its the way I want it.

My greatest roadblock is when my husband is home. When he is not home I have a routine that I follow everyday. When he is home that all goes out the window. He's up and down and up and down drives me crazy. lol But I still love him.

As far as pricing goes, I don't really have a locked in formula. I basically decide how much I would pay for it. Sometimes I figure what it costs to make it then double the amount. I think my prices are pretty average, at least that's what people keep telling me. Yes I think my prices justify my work.

Blue Stained Glass Globe with Potpourri and Lights
This was the very first one that caught my eye, and by far my favorite.

Speaking for myself I think handcrafted items given as gifts means you took the time to shop around for that perfect gift. Walking into any store with your gift list showing a "pink blouse for Jenny" doesn't take much thought. Walking around a craft show or shopping online with a gift list showing a "candle holder for Mom" leaves the door wide open for a loving gift for Mom.

Most people appreciate handmade gifts over store bought gifts because it shows you took the time to shop around for a gift that shows you care.

Thank you, Laurie, for sharing your work and your story. I agree – most people do appreciate hand crafted gifts.  Often, they are one of a kind, which means you had to do a lot of pondering, shopping, and hunting for that one perfect thing for someone, and you’re absolutely right, it shows you care, and you took the time to not only find something that proves you know that person well enough, or that you took the time to hunt for something unique.

Make sure to visit Laurie and her sister at Sister’s Home of Unique Gifts on Zibbet!

Until next week, thank you one and all for reading!

So… About that “Post On Time” Thing…

It appears that when my computer died, it did not save all of my posts properly to the blog site, but only locally, set to upload at the time specified.  I have a lot of work to do.

It has been a very long time since I have built a computer, and longer still since I’ve had to worry about going from one transfer format to another.  If I were intelligent, I would have kept a backup of all of my stuff on my external hard drive, like I usually do.  This time, I was not so intelligent, and my old hard drive where I kept my blog was IDE, not SATA.  The new computer built is entirely SATA, so I can’t even have a floppy disk drive, or my old DVDROM or my old CDRW, as they were all IDE.  Good thing that when I got the kit I got, it came with the bonus of a DVDRW, so I could at least have the drive to install my operating system!

I have to re-do, from scratch, all of the minnerviews I’d had done (and thought were ready to go).  Alas, it is Monday, the day I double check these things, and I have found otherwise.  So you will have this post about my lapse of proper intelligence (I think the term usually used is “Getting Old and Senile”, or having a Senior Moment), and listen to me rant a little about my older computer’s sudden decision to depart this world entirely.

I must sound very scatterbrained.  Well, for good reason.

In my last post, you read about how my computer made scary noises and quit, but I’d rigged up something passable with new parts on the way.

Just two days after that post, the new computer parts arrived, but the new power supply did not have the cable necessary for my video card.  As you all know, I’m an avid gamer, and my video card is part of my lifeblood for gaming.  I also did not yet have my operating system, which was delayed a day for processing.  I assembled the new computer, rubbing my hands together in glee, and for the time being, transferring my old power supply (with more than sufficient power for the new system to at least get it checked out) from the rigged computer to the new one.  I checked my BIOS settings, made sure there were no IRQ conflicts, made sure the BIOS recognized the hard drive and the DVDRW, the USB hubs, both fans, all four cores of the processor, set the fan speeds and core temperature thresholds, and called it “Good”. Operating system would go in when the new power supply and OS arrived.  Transferred the power supply back in, reconnected everything to the old computer, and set new computer aside in waiting.

Turned on the old computer to continue where I left off.

*click*

…. Excuse me? *pushes power button*

*click*

… Click? WHAT DO YOU MEAN CLICK? YOU WERE JUST WORKING!!!!

Cue me pulling the old computer (which will from here on in be called by the name it was given when it was gifted to me in 2008), Geri Rig, apart to make sure I didn’t miss a cable or something stupid.  Put it all back together, pushed the power button and I get ….

*click*

<Insert LOOOONG string of curses never heard by the ears of man, in at least six languages (yes, I can curse in German, French, Shin’a’in (Mercedes Lackey), Tayledras (Mercedes Lackey), and Japanese apart from just English, and I am learning to curse in Darnassian, Thalassian, Orcish (all from World of Warcraft), and Old Elven (Tolkein), which the computer ignored, taunting me>

I threw my hands up in the air, removed the one SATA hard drive from Rig and put it into the new computer.

When the OS and new PSU (which I was QUITE glad of having ordered now) arrived, I finished the build, booted it up, installed Windows 7, and began the looooong process of installing all of the programs I used every day, like Firefox and iTunes, making sure I had all of my shortcuts in line for programs installed to the USB external, and some from the old SATA hard drive that could be used without full reinstallation.

That mess took me from Wednesday (when Windows 7 and the new Power Supply Unit arrived) until today (which is Monday, remember), when I reinstalled my offline client for my blog.  I went to transfer my drafts and recently posted folders…. to remember that they were not on the SATA drive, or the USB drive.  They were on the only drive not usable with this new computer.  Instead of cursing in six languages this time, I just sighed, since this isn’t the first time this has happened, and I am finding that sometimes new technology, when not able to to be used and fused with the old, is a royal pain in the rear-end.

So, in conclusion – if your computer is capable of dying, USB external hard drives are your BEST EFFING FRIEND.  Leave nothing on your main drive that will cripple you, even slightly, without backing it up to that USB hard drive.

I leave you this week with the promise of a Minnerview next week, and two weeks after that, as per usual, as I go to make sure this time, they are uploaded and not saved on a drive that I cannot access.

Until next week, thank you, as always, for reading!

Interview Series: Week 19 – Bits Off the Beach

Greetings one and all!

Another technical diffuculty came my way a couple of days ago, in the form of my computer making scary noises and then not working.  I have a functioning "rig" right now, and I ordered new parts for a new system to build.  Until that is built, I won't be posting much on Facebook (as I've indicated), though other than this little blurb at the top of these lovely minnerviews, I have them all set to post on time – for as many as I have at current.  Until I have the new computer built and set up, other posts will be sporadic.

But, that's another story, and shall be told another time.

Today, I bring you Jo of Bits Off the Beach, who offers findings of beautiful beach glass and beach seeds crafted into gorgeous jewelry and such.  Unlike most jewelry makers, her materials are not ready to go – quite a bit more work and artistic wonder goes into these pieces, as they are hand-drilled for perfect placement and effect.  But I'll let her share the details!

Name: Jo Watkins from BitsOffTheBeach
Craft:  Jewelry + plus whatever :)
Favorite material (or medium, whatever you want to call it!):  As the name implies, I love using the bits of things I find on the beach.  Sea Glass,  Sea Beans, Shells, Pretty Stones, Driftwood.  Add some of the gorgeous beads and charms that are available and you have endless possibilities.  Most are one of a kind as each piece is shaped and colored differently so they all call for using them differently.
Most Popular Seller (whether it be online or at shows): Sea Glass necklaces with assorted sea themed charms  have been the favorite, with my sea glass earrings running a close second.

Sea Glass Necklace in Pastel Colors of Aqua, Green and Yellow Beach Glass
A very simple design with stunning results!

What got you into your craft?

The over abundance of bowls and vases filled to the brim with sea glass and shells etc.and wanting to share them in a different way.

 

How did you learn your craft?

I took a class in  Basic Jewelry Making back in school (umpteen years ago)  and the rest is mostly self taught through trial and error.
The first necklace I made was from the very first sea bean we found. It looked just like a miniature hamburger and we had never seen anything like it.  We talked to the locals in Hawaii and they said it was good luck to find one. Once I got home I researched what it was, cleaned it up and I surprised my husband with a necklace made out of it. He has worn it for almost 12 years now.  I have had to restring it a couple of times but it is still that original little hamburger seed.

 

Sea Bean Necklace, Hamburger Seed and Crystal Sterling Silver Pendant Jewelry
I've never seen a seed like this, but if it brings good luck, sign me up! It's wild!

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

I grew up living on the beaches on Bainbridge Island Washington. They were the perfect playground as a girl and I got my love of all things beachie from a pretty young age.  I constantly had my pockets full assorted treasures that I had collected. Now I have "addicted" my husband to the past time too and we spend many of our vacations and a lot of weekends enjoying just walking along the ocean's shore and seeing what has washed up for us that day.

 

Silver and Black Beaded Earrings, Espresso Bean Bead in Flat Black
I usually eat Espresso beans covered in chocolate, or drink the Espresso… but they are really quite lovely in raw form!

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?

Monday through Thursday I try to spend at least the morning either working on my shops or getting the word out on what I am doing.  Then I take a break and get the chores done around the house, cleaning shopping, laundry, gardens etc. After that I feel like the day is my own so I can work on new pieces or ideas without feeling the pressure that I should be doing something else, and I can just enjoy the process. On nice days, ( sometimes rare in the Pacific Northwest ) I will take whatever I am working on outside and work at the picnic table on the deck and soak up some sun at the same time.
Weekends vary depending on what we are doing. I try to spend time with family and check in on the shops just in the morning and later in the evenings.

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?

A lot of my designs start out with an" Oops". I get an idea in my head as to what I want to do with a piece  but sometimes it doesn't translate into the piece well. If it is just something simple to fix ( an extra jump ring, or adding or subtracting some elements),  I can usually figure out what is wrong and work with it until it is what I envisioned. Sometimes when the first idea doesn't work another idea comes along from the mistake that even looks better, but there have been a few  pieces I have totally taken apart and started over with. I love it when those ones finally comes together and it becomes something amazing.

Lava Rock Earring Wire Wrapped in Antiqued Copper - Chunky Style - Mother's Day
I've never worn lava rocks, but I do think they are incredibly stunning when presented well – like this, for example!

What is your design process like? How many tries does it take to be happy with the final product?

I usually start with the focal piece, like a piece of glass or sea bean then see what colors and finding work best with them. If it is complicated design I usually try it out with an inexpensive wire to see how it looks first and then replicate it for the final product with a better metal.  If it is a simpler design I just go for the good stuff the first time, though I have come to regret that a time or two. :)
Right now I am putting together a sea glass and silver bracelet.  I first gathered everything and laid it all out together in my little tray to see how it looks. Now I need to get the glass drilled and put it all together... which leads me to your next question…

Handcrafted Turquoise Stone Bracelet, Links of Gold and Natural Stone
It's so rare to see someone work with natural Turquoise, instead of the picture perfect blue variety.  It's such a beautiful stone in its natural state.

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 biggest heart break (roadblock) is breaking a piece of glass. Here this beautiful piece of sea glass has spend years and years growing smooth by the oceans currents until it is just perfect, and when I try to drill it for my piece it snaps in two. It is so disappointing.  I learned about better drill bits now and I rarely break them now, but it is still crushing when it happens.

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

My pricing is based on the cost of the material,  wires, beads, chains, etc that are used with my  beach findings. Plus my time for the creative process and the time it takes for the not so pleasant bookkeeping part of the business.   I rarely ever add in the cost of the glass or sea bean unless it is a very rare color or unusual piece.  The time I spend on the beaches looking for the perfect treasure are priceless to me and I am happy to share that with others.  
I love each piece that I make and believe my prices are fair. A lot of my pieces I am a little bit sad to see sell, like sending a favorite child off into the world. And I hope they all go to good homes.

Purple Sea Glass Charm Necklace - Hawaiian Sea Turtle with Beaded Pendant on Sterling Silver Chain
I fell in love with this beauty.  Purple sea glass is very rare to find, and this design puts it on prominent display so well!

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

My shops are at
Bits Off the Beach on Zibbet
Bits Off the Beach on Etsy
or you can find me on Facebook.

 

Thank you, Jo, for sharing the beauty that nature offers us in your work, and your wonderful story with us all! Be sure to visit Jo's links to her shops, and like her gorgeous work on Facebook!

Until next week, thank you one and all for reading!