Choosing gifts

What do I choose for Bill or Susie this year to show my love and affection for them? I try to choose a gift that is personal for them. If it's a piece of jewelry I'm creating for someone, I try to always choose a piece designed for that person. It may not be personalized or monogramed, although this is a great idea, the gift will be just for them. I think you can tell if the gift is not created or selected just for that family member or friend. handmade or hand created gifts are always treasured and held in high esteem by the recily and thoughtfully our gifts this Christmas season.

Handmade Gifts

As the holiday gift season approaches, most of us begin  thinking about gift giving.  One of the most meaningful gifts is a handmade gift.  A handmade gift has a part of the artist's heart in it.  It is a planned and thought-out idea created from the artist's mind into an original creation. Handmade gifts are kept by the receiver and valued as treasures from the giver, whether the gift is jewelry or other original handmade wares.  This season, pause and slow down long enough to choose a handcrafted gift to fit the receiver instead of just mindlessly picking up SOMETHING to give as a gift!

Looking For My Style

For some time I have been trying to find my style.  A custom style associated with my business, Bits of Clay.  I have not found or settled on a style that fits just yet.  I still want to do every new and different technique I see, therefore, i have a varied line of jewelry.  I am leaning toward metallic creations in polymer clay and I usually design and create leaves, and nature related jewelry in Precious metal clay.  But I'll keep working on a line and style that I'm happy with for me and my jewelry business.
The first leaf necklace is Precious Metal Clay and the second photo, although not metallic, is a polymer clay leaf bracelet.








http://www.bitsofclay.com

When you design Fall jewelry, What do you Think of?

When I start thinking of Fall jewelry, I always think leaves. How many other designers in polymer clay or metal clay think the same way.  I know polymer clay designers and creators will think pumpkins, but what others subjects and colors do you think of?  Of course, your Fall line does not have to include leaves aor pumpkins!  These are the easiest in polymer clay.  I have decided to think out of the box and maybe just design a pleasing shape in metal clay; maybe add colorful czs in the design.  Then in polymer clay, maybe incorporate what I think of as Fall colors and not necessarily a Fall theme.  Of course, I will design a leaf cane in many Fall colors, too!

My friends at Destash Junction have banners and links that I have added to my blog. I would like to invite you to visit their sites. You will find these banners down on the left of my blog.

Jewelry delivered

After a quick and fun week with my family from California and South Carolina,I delivered the new jewelry display and it is in place at the new shop in Gatlinburg. I would like more catchy display props, but I used what I had at the time. I'm looking for more small display props, not necessarily traditional jewelry display props, but interesting pieces to display and use as a prop in a jewelry case. The proprietor wanted, especially the Precious metal clay pieces in a case. I also gave her a chevron polymer clay pendant, but the neck piece was a bit close fitting, so I will adjust the neck piece for her. She was pleased with the display.

I have been working on new Precious Metal Clay pieces for a new shop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I have some original designs in the works waiting to be cleaned and fired. The shop owner also wants some polymer clay jewelry like the river stones bracelet and chevron design pieces. I have several pieces in the making, but my son, Scott and my grandson, Austin will arrive tonight for a visit from California and I will put the jewelry on hold and have a fun time with them.

Working Away on New Jewelry

I'm working away on new polymer jewelry for galleries and for teaching new polymer classes. I will be teaching a Make and Take bracelet class at White Fox Beads in June in Maryville, Tennessee and at the Appalachian Arts Craft Center in Norris, Tennessee in August. The gathering of materials
and tools, plus preparing the samples and step by step process takes time and planning. Once a well known teacher advised me to work backwards in planning the class. This is good advice for me. I first make a list of materials for the project then make a tools list. I also write a class description. I think the hardest part of the planning is the handout of instructions and drawings for the technique. After these steps are finished, I think of the class from end to beginning. I feel this is necessary though for a successful class.

A New Blog Feature

This is my first featured Blog of fellow blogger, Kikaydesigns. Please check her blog shop out. Kikaydesigns creates lovely handmade cloth bags of several sizes and designs.

http://kikaydesigns.blogspot.com