Hong Kong Chronicles: For those of you wondering if I have fallen off the edge of the world...

If the world was flat, and Texas was the center, then, yes...I fell off the edge.


But since we modern people know it's spherical, I flew over the north pole (for real!) and landed safely in Hong Kong last week. I really underestimated the amount of effort it takes to get set up in another country. It's hard enough in the same town, same state, and same country.



Anyway, I've moved to this lovely island in Hong Kong. Here are a few pictures of my new commute home from work once I get off the ferry. I ride a bike! (No motorized vehicles in the back village.)



I have a "to-die-for" potential lampwork setup. But, it may be another month, or two, or three (I don't know yet) before I can really get going again. So much to do! Like obtain a couch for sitting. A bed for sleeping. Dishes for eating. Aiya! (Chinese for oh, my!)

In the meantime, I may be able to get to the promised series of articles on, "Appreciating the Art of Lampwork for Jewelry Designers" since that requires no tools or setup.

Let me catch up on my sleep first. :-D

Studio Time: A little something to look at

Sorry for the late post! I can't guarantee my reliability in the next month or so. But, check out these sweet little necklaces by my niece! She has paid attention to some of my design suggestions and she came up with these pieces completely on her own with some beads I gave her. So impressed with her!

Rose

Plum

And finally, I got a chance to play a bit myself. I'm smitten with Michal Silberberg's style--tons of color, intricate detail. She has some winter sales going on right now, so if you're fancying something new and different, check out her Etsy site. I absolutely love this green and blue piece.

And!!!

Introducing MoonKatty Studios...my friend who started this lampwork journey at the same time as me made these complementary beads. I had requested her to make some of her Cutie beads in my favorite colors and I adores me these beads. We were looking at my new treasures from Michal and these beads from MoonKatty landed next to each other and looked perfect together. So I wired them up simply on a figure eight chain. I can't wait until MoonKatty opens her shop so I can link out to her!

Studio News: A Preview of Upcoming Posts

I needed to take a break this week, but I wanted to at least give you a preview of a series I'm working on. This will eventually be compiled into a single free tutorial for your use in marketing jewelry containing artisan glass beads.

Lampwork for the Jewelry Designer - Identify the characteristics of quality lamwpork beads and the multi-step process of how beads are made. The objective of this tutorial is to educate the jewelry designer on what to look for (and what to avoid) in glass beads. Understanding the time and investment the artist puts into the beads will help you, as the jewelry designer, market your jewelry containing artisan glass beads.

If you are a lampworker: what is your two-minute "elevator speech" you give to someone who knows nothing about glass beads?

If you are a jewelry designer: what is your two-minute "elevator speech" you give when explaining the value of the glass art beads in your designs?

Thanks, and have a great week!

Creative Finds: Artful Blogging - the Next Installment

More raving about Artful Blogging (Autumn 2008) (Volume 2): After reading Emma's enthusiastic blog about Artful Blogging I started looking through my copy of this journal again. (Yes, I read her blog about my blog...) Then I stopped at the tagline: "Visually Inspiring Online Journals."

Visually Inspiring is the essence of what I want to achieve on this blog.

On to dissecting more reasons I choose printed magazines:

Regional or Local Flair: The majority of my marketing comes from in person contact. I find understanding my chosen home is essential to appealing to my audience. People usually want something that evokes a sense of where they are living or where they are visiting. For example, turquoise and silver are a staple of southwestern jewelry. I think in terms of Southwest-y-ness in colors I pick for my glass beads and also in terms of using turquoise stones in the jewelry. In magazines like Su Casa, SantaFean, Cowboys & Indians, and Texas Highways, I am able to gain additional insight into the textures, shapes, patterns, and colors of the locale. My home will soon be Hong Kong, so you might see a different flair. It might have a splash of the southwest ('cuz I really like the Southwest) along with an Asian twist. Hmm...that is really quite a combo - Texan and Asian. I am interested to see what my brain does with that...How this can help me: appeal to the local audience.

The story: My favorite art pieces in my home come with a story...how it was created, who is the artist, what the artist was thinking when they created it. I have picked up an occasional magazine highlighting artists in different media such as sculpture, painting, and photography. Since art is a highly personal and individual subject, the story is a way to create a connection between the minds. How does this help me: create a compelling story with my art pieces.

Learning Something New: I have been eyeing up the many craft and jewelry magazines out there. I can’t wait to get my hands on them. But…I’m trying to divest myself of the stuffage so I don’t have to lug it across the globe. I’m very into digital media these days. I look forward to when the Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device will be in color. How this can help me: provide useful information to my blog readers.

Small business gumption: (Gumption = I think I've been living in Texas too long.) I like to ruminate on the stories of small businesses run by creative individuals. How this can help me: Creativity and the business of selling beautiful things provide a catalyst to help me figure out how and where I can grow or not grow my business.


Inspire. Entertain. Inform.


Which magazines do you pick up? Why?



And a final note: Whew! That was a bit of pressure to finish a real article for this week. We’ll see if I can maintain this pace. I have a bunch o’ ideas for later, but need some courage (and time) to execute.



Credits:
First Photo: Su Casa, Spring 2005. Photograph by Jack Parsons. Inspired the use of wooden beads in the jewelry.
Second Photo: Pottery Barn, May 2008 Catalog, Page 57. Inspired the use of Dark Turquoise, Nile Green, and Pale Sky Blue in the jewelry. (This is a Version 2.0 of the necklace from last week's post.)
Third Photo: Pottery Barn, May 2008 Catalog, Page 37
Fourth Photo: Victoria, May/June 2008, Page 7, Laura Ashley advertisement. Inspired the hot pink and light pink dyed cultured pearls color combination.

Resources:
Artful Blogging (Summer 2008)Artful Blogging (Winter 2008) Single Issue (Vol. 2)Artful Blogging Subscription

Creative Finds: Artful Blogging - The First Installment

I have been honored to be noticed and tagged by the following bloggers: Laura, Angie, and EVY Designs. I follow your blogs and enjoy your work very much! I have a confession to make...um...I am a "black hole" when it comes to forwards and tags. Forwards and tags fall into my email and never see the light of day again. I have been this way for as long as I have been on the internet--less one year...

Focus on Art

I recently picked up a printed magazine called, Artful Blogging. The main reason I selected it was for the gorgeous eye candy of other artists' work. This led me to think about why I pick up print magazines in general. The majority of my bead and jewelry inspiration come from...home decorating magazines. Weird fact: I do not care to read fashion magazines for inspiration.

So, I was thinking, what is it about home magazines that make me willing to part with my cash? If I can capture those key elements, then maybe I can improve my blog so it worthy of your readership. I started my blog as a "journal of jewelry lessons." Now that I am evolving jewelry from a hobby into a small business, I would like my blog to mature as well. I was reading Lori Greenberg's post on Write a Better Blog Post, which is a link to the in-depth article on Alyson's Art Marketing Action. The morsel I pulled out of Alyson's post: your blog content should Inspire, Entertain, Inform.

Seven Things that Inspire Me from Printed Magazines

1. Luminous photography. My all-time favorite magazine is Victoria. It's all about beautiful things. It went out of print for while and now is back. This magazine inspires prettiness. The main reason I choose certain magazines is for the photography. The element of the photography that sings to my creative conciousness is the lighting. The photography from Victoria in the 1990's was masterful in its use of light. The only way I can describe it is that it "glows." How does this help me? This inspires me to improve my photography and learn more about lighting.


2. Color inspiration from floral arrangements. The floral arrangements in Victoria contain every imaginable color combination. I will purchase any magazine if it has loads of floral arrangements. I love to cut out these photos and paste them into my personal journal to soothe my storm of thoughts and release the creative flow. The color mixes range from subtle to astounding. How does this help me? There are some color combinations that would never occur to me, but seeing them in print gives me courage to try the unexpected.


3. Color and pattern inspiration from home decor catalogs and magazines. I enjoy Pottery Barn for its slight inclination toward rustic. The 2008 catalogs have been capturing the photographic luminosity that seizes my imagination. Restoration Hardware portrays timeless elegance. Cottage Living, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, and Martha Stewart Living are another set of magazines, that, while not on my regular reading list, are part of my set of "treats" I distract myself with during travel. How does this help me? Patterns, styles, complexity, and simplicity stretch my mind toward various design sensibilities and enable me to appreciate and understand differing aesthetics.

As I am transitioning into this new phase of my blog, I will be preparing and writing articles for your inspiration, entertainment, and information. Content worthy of these designations will take longer to prepare. The second installment (and next four magazine inspirations) of Artful Blogging will follow next Saturday.
Question to you: which printed magazines inspire you and why?

New This Week: Peacock Poppy Dots Necklace and Earrings