The Crime Update

Adam Hershkowitz was finally caught and put in jail for his elaborate fraud scam, litigated by the DA's office. I've been wondering how to write about it here on the blog, how much detail to go into, etc and this post has gone through many drafts as a result of my hesitations. After a lot of thought I've decided to keep this brief, as a matter of safety for all people involved in the case. This whole experience has been so surreal; like a strange, slightly less dramatic episode of Law & Order, I never would have imagined I would be wrapped up in a situation like this with my jewelry!

The short story goes like this: Adam was finally arrested on April 2nd, thanks to two amazingly brave women. The women work for a company in nyc that had been scammed by Adam as well. When he would not return their goods, they googled his name and found my original blog post about the scam, and immediately took it upon themselves to go to his apartment and demand their stuff back. And because they had seen the photo of my necklace on my blog, they were able to retrieve it that same day along with their own goods! (hooray for blogging making a difference eh?!)

I'm grateful to these women for their bravery, and grateful to the DA's office for jumping on the case and prosecuting this scumbag so quickly. I am thankful the ordeal is over with, that he's getting what he deserves, and frankly am amazed that the necklace is coming back to me. It's not in my possession just yet however - the lawyers have to hang on to it a bit longer as evidence, but it feels good to know that it's safe and will be returned to me soon.

Thankfully now I can focus on my life and my work again, learn from the experience and move forward.

Thanks for reading!

*NOTE*Adam was released on bail last week and is now apparently reading my blog. He left some nasty comments which I've reported and removed from this posting.

Get It In Writing

Since my fraud incident, I've gotten quite a few requests for copies of my Borrower's Contract, the one I use for my jewelry loan-outs for press shoots, etc. so I've uploaded a sample anyone is welcome to adapt for themselves and their work. (click the link below and the contract will automatically download to your computer.)

http://www.margauxlange.com/SAMPLE-borrowers-contract.rtf

My hope is that you will find it useful as a starting point from which to create your own contract for loan-outs to press contacts, etc. Just a small disclaimer here however: I am NOT a lawyer and this contract may not protect you in all circumstances, so please seek professional legal guidance when necessary.

Writing contracts and having them signed is an additional step, yes. And I know how rushed it often is when asked to submit materials to the press (they always seem to need it yesterday!) but it is SO worth having everything in writing in the event that something goes wrong. It's not rude to ask someone to sign a contract because it's not personal, it's business. And this should be standard practice for your business every time. Protect yourself and your work because no one else will. If anyone can think of anything else I should add in to the contract, please let me know.

For those who may not be aware, a great resource for sample artist contracts can also be found on the Society of North American Goldsmiths website: The Professional Guidelines were created by artist Harriete Estel Berman and serve as important tools to help artists improve their business practices.

Professional Development Seminar

I'm helping to spread the word early about this year's Professional Development Seminar (pre-SNAG conference in Philadelphia) Save $ by registering early!

The Professional Development Seminar will be offering four hours of presentations designed to offer students, emerging artists and established professionals solid information on establishing and maintaining a career in the arts.

Revolutionary:
Maximizing the Online Revolution: Websites and Beyond

Topics to be covered this year include:

-Improving Website Performance & Design
-Using Social Networking and Virtual Communities to Drive Business
-The Evolving Role of the Gallery in a Virtual World of Commerce

WHEN: Wednesday, May 20, 2009
TIME: 2:00 - 6:00 PM
WHERE: The Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Commonwealth Rooms C & D
1200 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

COST: $10 pre-registration for the entire afternoon; $15 at the door

Pre-REGISTER online starting January 15th at: http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/image/homepage/signup/.docs/pg/10034

* Pre-Conference Professional Development Seminar

To read about the entire program go here: http://www.harriete-estel-berman.info/profguidelines/PDS.html
or
http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/Events/Professional_Development_Seminar/

I know it feels like a long ways a way… but are any of you out there planning to attend the SNAG conference in Philly this year? I'd love to hear your thoughts/comments!

Reflecting on 2008

As many of you may know, I'm a big fan of Alyson Stanfield of artbizcoach.com and one of her recent Art Marketing Action Newsletters included her annual "Acknowledge Yourself and Celebrate" checklist. It's easy to forget sometimes how much we accomplish over the course of a year. I find this exercise of thinking about and writing a list of accomplishments particularly helpful for remembering how far I've come and the steps I've taken to grow my career. I thought I'd share some of my responses here. I encourage everyone to check out Alyson's website to find out how you can receive her weekly newsletters. Try answering these questions for yourself as a way to feel inspired about your progress before moving on to writing your goal lists for 2009.

How did you promote your Art and your online presence?
• blogged regularly (for the most part)
• joined LinkedIn, twitter, Crafthaus and Facebook.
• started new response blog: "creepy but cool"
• did various interviews for blogs, magazines and newspapers.
• wore my own jewelry more frequently to events where I knew I would be meeting new people.
• made an effort to visit and comment on other people's blogs.
• tried to update/replenish my etsy shop as frequently as possible
• blogged about and linked to any/all press features

Who were the top ten cool or influential people you met in 2008?
• Hugo: my caster (and quite possibly the sweetest old man ever)
• Biba Schutz: art jeweler (extremely resourceful and inspiring mentor)
• Mike Holmes: owner Velvet Da Vinci Gallery
• Bruce Hoffman: gallery director Snyderman-Works Gallery
• Harriete Estel Berman: art jeweler (via phone)
• Bruce Metcalf: art jeweler (met him at the Craft Council summer salon lecture)
• Lori: my biggest fan on etsy (major Barbie fan… and married to a man named Ken!)
• Brad Armistead: Mattel's head of soft goods division
• Lee Unkrich: director at Pixar Animation Studios (via email)
• Rob Walker: NY times magazine columnist/author (via email/phone)

Whom did you mentor or help out?
• Ashley: my fabulous intern/apprentice
• Urte: the delightful replacement who took my job making jewelry at Swallow in Brooklyn when I left back in August.
• Dayna: a young jeweler, new to NYC that I met with at my studio, suggested resources for her, etc.

Did you create a new portfolio or other marketing piece?
• two new hard copy portfolios (one for press images and one for work)
• new stickers
• new postcard
• new wholesale catalog
• new thank you cards

What medium or skill did you attempt or master?
• etching on metal and glass
• gold/silver leafing on glass
• stone/wire wrapping/beading

What did you try that was completely new?
• having a studio outside my home
• etching
• gold/silver leafing on glass
• using a caster to make multiples of select elements of my work
• working with an intern
• selling retail at a high end craft fair (ACC Baltimore)
• a label maker (I'll never go back!)

What did you try that was uncomfortable but helped you grow?
• quit my part-time job to be a full time artist… AT LAST
• a business class at FIT
• created a wholesale line and catalog
• ACC retail craft show Baltimore "new wave artist"
• interviews w/ press (always uncomfortable but always help me grow)
• sold jewelry (wholesale) to a woman who claimed to be a store buyer. She was not. Got ripped off. HUGE life lesson!

What worthy cause did you support in some way?
• Susan G. Komen Foundation, to help find a cure for breast cancer
• WNYC public radio (I listen all the time - this is the first time I've pledged)
• MAD museum (became a member)
• SNAG (renewed membership)
• ACC (renewed membership)
• James Renwick Alliance (silent auction submission)
• elected OBAMA!!

What new art events, galleries and museums did you visit?
• the new MAD museum opening
• ACC show, Baltimore
• ACC library: Bruce Metcalf lecture
• Brooklyn Museum: Art Smith jewelry exhibition
• SOFA, NY
• Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco
• de Young Museum, San Francisco: Dale Chihuly exhibition, etc

What resources did you discover?
• American Craft Council library in Manhattan
• twitter, FB, crafthaus
• the new MAD museum
• Alyson Stanfield class: "Get Organized"
• Inspired Home Office newsletter
• Brooklyn Based newsletter
• Hugo, my caster
• SPB Gems in the diamond district
• Kremer Pigments in Manhattan
• May Arts - amazing company where I now buy my ribbon

How did you improve your studio habits?
• I quit my part-time day job!
• I found the studio of my dreams, outside my house.
• I found an intern
• I tried hard to implement more regular studio hours every week
• I designed and created a personalized "Work Order" sheet to keep orders straight and organized between my office/studio
• I bought a proper jeweler's bench and stopped working on an old computer desk - ouch!

What books did you read to help your career?
• I'd Rather Be In The Studio by Alyson Stanfield
• The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
• The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey
• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers
• Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters by Courtney Martin

What videos or films were useful (to your career)?
• Who Does She Think She is? documentary
• Craft in America, PBS documentary series
• Andy Goldsworthy, artist documentary
• DIY or die, documentary
• Helvetica documentary

What seminars or workshops did you attend?
• Bruce Metcalf lecture at ACC library
• Gloria Steinem lecture at 92nd st. Y
• David McFadden, new MAD museum opening exhibition lecture @ SOFA, NY
• Jamie Bennett lecture @ SOFA, NY
• teleseminar w/ Hilary Pfiefer and Alyson Stanfield
• Get Organized web-class w/ Alyson Stanfield
• FIT business class

How did you enhance your office and/or studio environment?
• moved studio outside of my home
• re-painted and re-decorated home office.
• new office desk
• purchased used jeweler's bench on ebay
• new laser jet printer
• office is now a separate room from the living room
• bought new cell phone w/ internet service so I can access internet at my studio

What grants/honors/awards did you receive?
• accepted to ACC show in Baltimore as a "new wave" artist
• applied for NYFA grant (fingers crossed!)

What articles were written about your work?
• CosmoGIRL, USA
• Arcadium, Hungary
• BUST, USA
• Cosmopolitan, Czech Republic
• InDesign, Australia
• Step by Step Wire, USA
• abcDesign, Brazil
• Top Teen, Mexico
• Sunday Times Newspaper, Australia
• Columbia Chronicle newspaper, Chicago USA
• Metro News, UK
• Sky News, UK
• Daily Mail, UK
• Telegraph, UK
• Indie Quarter, UK
• Female First, UK
• Times of the Internet
• Cool Hunting
• Boing Boing
• Craftzine
• Jezebel
… and lots of other various blog nods

What exhibits, grants, contests, etc did you submit art to?
• NYFA grant
• Alloy Gallery, Newport, RI
• Pop Culture Collision, Shaw Gallery, ME
• Materialistic, Whitney Gallery, Savannah, GA
• Shoes Tell Stories, Fuller Craft Museum, MA
• Forms For Pleasure Book, Belgium
• 500 Plastic Jewelry Book, Lark Books (fingers crossed!)

Where did you save a wad of money?
• by getting an intern (saved me a lot of time, = $)
• buying a used jeweler's work bench on ebay
• testing the craft show waters by applying for the "new wave" section of the ACC show in Baltimore (much less than a full booth)

What was the single best thing that happened to your art career in 2008?
• Quitting my part-time job to become a full time artist and finding the perfect private art studio in a loft building full of artists 5 blocks from my apartment are the best things that happened to me this year. Hooray!

Happy 2009 everyone!

Positivity

It's not easy to stay positive given the current economic situation in our country. Alyson Stanfield has just created this

Hilary Pfeifer

© Hilary Pfeifer

When I was living in Boulder, CO in 2002 I was working with jeweler Todd Reed on a project and while visiting his home studio, I noticed these amazingly colorful sculptures "growing" across the walls of his stairwell. I asked who the artist was and he told me it was Hilary Pfeifer. I've been a fan of Hilary's work ever since. So when I heard about the telephone interview "Insights" with Alyson Stanfield of artbizcoach.com and Hilary Pfeifer, I jumped on the chance to be in on the call. And they did not disappoint. It's a new series Alyson has been promoting lately called "Insights," phone conversations with artists about how they've achieved their level of success. A great idea because instead of having to attend a lecture in some designated location in the US, anyone can participate and be in on the call, right from the comfort of their own home.

© Hilary Pfeifer

Although trained as a metalsmith, Hilary works primarily in wood. Though she cites metalsmithing techniques as playing an important role informing her designs. Colorful and bold with a nod to the organic, her miniature plant-life, creature-esque sculptures captivate the imagination. Although unique on their own, the character of Hilary's pieces truly come to life when assembled in groups, each sculpture relating the next in a conversational way.

Hilary and Alyson discussed the advantages of having a line of installation art pieces that allow collectors to add to as they see fit. Whether one piece or fifteen, arranged in their homes as they please, accumulated as quickly or as slowly as their wallets will allow. I think this is a fabulous way to appeal to a variety of art collecting budgets. I hope to "grow my own" collection of Hilary's work on my walls someday.

It was interesting to hear Hilary talk about the paths she took with her career to get to where she is now. Particularly resonating for me was the way Hilary found a balance with her production work and the one-of-kind gallery pieces.

© Hilary Pfeifer

Check out more from her portfolio here, her production line "Bunny with a Toolbelt" here. And for more upcoming artist talks in Alyson's "Insights" series, click here.

© Hilary Pfeifer

PLAY

I've been glued to NPR and all the political/economic coverage on the news these days and have been wondering what it means for the upcoming holiday season and future sales of my jewelry. Sometimes I really abhor having to think about the financial end of my business even though I know it's a necessity.

Lately my studio work has been feeling rather uninspired. I've decided to take some time to PLAY! and see what new ideas I can come up with. Hopefully I'll have some results to post soon. Perhaps I need to blast some fun music instead of listening to all this depressing news in my studio?

If you need a little happiness and a distraction from political/economic stresses I highly recommend renting this movie. Dave and I watched it just recently and really loved it.

new Thank You cards

I finally bit the bullet and decided to purchase custom thank you cards from uprinting.com They arrived the other day and I'm pleased with how they came out, color/paper wise. It's great because now I'll be even more inclined to send off quick notes to people.

I made the VERY stupid mistake however, of not putting the title of the piece, copyright, my website info, etc, on the back of the card! Wow, dummy. I considered printing a sticker with the info on it but it just seems like an extra annoying step, (though it would be less annoying than hand-writing it all every time) I'm afraid a sticker may also be kind-of cheesy looking… I may still do that though, we'll see. Any thoughts?

In honor of Anti-Procrastination Day

Anti-Procrastination Day: A self-imposed weekly nudge to make the things I've been putting off HAPPEN. Be it writing a thank you card, cleaning the kitty litter… or in this case: blogging! (An idea discussed during my "Get Organized" class - which has ended.) I thought I'd take this opportunity to get you caught up on what's been going on in my crazy busy life these days…

• Working as my own boss full time RULES. I couldn't be happier about this decision and the timing was perfect. I'm taking on new galleries, filling wholesale and custom orders and have found my studio routines are really shaping up. Thanks so much to all of you who commented and expressed your support about this decision.

• I have an intern! Ashley, or more appropriately "Awesome Ashley" has been helping me out in my studio for the past four weeks and she's fantastic! I feel really lucky to have such great help. (more on that in a future blog post…)

• Pop Culture Collision Exhibition opened at Shaw Jewelry Gallery in Northeast Harbor Maine, where my work was exhibited alongside incredible jewelers such as Harriet Estel Berman, J. Fred Woell and Robert Ebendorf (wowza!)

• Alloy Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island is exhibiting my one-of-a-kind works starting this month, so if you live nearby… go check 'em out.

• I made a new grouping of work for Julie Artisans' Gallery in nyc that will be for sale exclusively through their website… a new venture for that gallery. The work I made for them is part of my wholesale line, (so it's made in multiples.) This is a big change for us because for the past five years they've sold only my one-of-a-kinds. Their new improved website is due for its' reveal this fall, so stay tuned. Here are a few glimpses of the pieces for sale:

POP smile Necklaces $210

(POP smile detail)

Smile Cufflinks $170

'Have a Heart' Necklaces $180

• I'm on twitter! I just joined, inspired by the fabulous Megan Auman. I've added it to the sidebar on my blog so you can get to it that way as well.

• Something BIG is in the works that I hinted at a while back… unfortunately I still can't talk openly about it, but soon soon soon! I'm really sorry for the tease (…sort of ;-)

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Well, it's official. Starting next month, I will be 100% my own boss, full time! Yes, that's right, I am finally saying goodbye to additional income part-time jobs and hello to the successful future of MY jewelry business! I couldn't be happier with this decision (albeit a teensy bit scared…) This has been my BIG goal for quite some time, and one I had planned to accomplish before my 30th birthday, so it feels good to be on track.

It is bitter sweet saying goodbye to Swallow however. I've truly enjoyed working there, getting to know my fellow employees, and have learned a TON about the wholesale jewelry world. I especially will miss being in charge of display/merchandising as well as the rotating wall exhibitions. It was fun to get to "curate" for our lovely little boutique! I'm leaving very much on good terms and am glad to know that my employers are happy for me and the future of my business.

So here's to my new life! There's no looking back now… full steam ahead!

Swallow 361 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. (Brooklyn, NY)

The Little Zoo Box photos © Elizabeth Soule.


For more gorgeous photos of the store, check out the flickr set.

Oh brother!

My online Get Organized class is going really well so far. The class is held entirely through a private blog, which I check a few times daily to retrieve our "lessons" and participate in class discussions regarding the information.

In the week since class began I've already cleaned out and re-organized my entire filing cabinet, as well as got a jump on cleaning out my e-files. The funny thing is: more important than the lessons we're learning from Alyson, -as fantastic as she is- it's about feeling encouraged and motivated. To have a teacher saying "OK, do this now" makes me feel held accountable, even if it is only in a 'virtual' sense (I'm such a student really.)

I've been enjoying the filing process. Those who know me, know I thrive on organization anyway, no big shocker there. However, the "fun" involved can really only be attributed to one very important factor: my new Best Friend.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my brother:

Wow. I don't know how I lived my life without him prior to this week! This little tool makes me want to label my ENTIRE house, no joke. I've used a label-maker plenty of times before, (in fact we use this exact model at my part-time job) and I've always wanted to buy one for myself, but couldn't justify the cost because I didn't think I really needed one. Man oh man, was I ever wrong to hesitate. Alyson suggested buying one to properly label all my files and I promptly made my way to the nearest Staples. At last …I finally had an excuse!

I am in love with this machine. I cannot recommend it enough. My files now look so beautiful and organized that I know I will actually want to use them regularly instead of letting piles build.

My brother might need a friend soon though, and I think I found just the thing to keep him company on my desk:

A mini filing cabinet that holds up to 800 business cards!
So much cuter than a rolodex!
(available via think geek)

What can I say? I'm a sucker for life in miniature.

Habit.

Ya know, you step away from your blog for what's supposed to be just a few short weeks and the next thing ya know, you're not writing at all… and it becomes miiiiiighty comfortable!

I am a creature of habit, there's no doubt about it. And I need a certain amount of structure in my life in order to feel productive and efficient. However that's not to say maintaining that structure isn't hard work and I'm bound to fall off the wagon now and again. Sort of like when I stop exercising regularly, or stop working in my studio for a week or so; it always makes it that much harder to want to start up again for some reason…? It's not that I don't enjoy my studio, I love what I do! but after a huge show and a major deadline crunch, a certain amount of laziness is bound to get the best of me for a time afterwards.

That said, I fully intend to make blogging a part of my weekly habits again! (along with exercise, studio time, etc)

I've felt a bit daunted as to where to begin my dive back into blogging… there's so much to report: of course the ACC show was a BIG DEAL, along with recent press, upcoming exhibitions/opportunities, etc… Instead of feeling intimidated, I've decided to start slowly and remember the pleasure these frequent writings once brought me. So for today, I thought I'd start by sharing some images from Baltimore and the ACC show, and save the elaborations for another day.

I hope you enjoy the pics!

Set-up: Thursday afternoon before the show opens on Friday… behind my table, pricing away!

Last minute set-up at the show opening Friday morning. You can see the demonstration area situated behind my booth where they gave wood lathe demos, ceramic demos, even a talk about etsy! I was also seated next to the sign marking (and attempting to define) our section…
"New Wave Craft."

Am I yelling at Dave for taking my picture?!

I was really pleased with how my steel displays worked out. The orange faux silk fabric was a warm contrast to the steel and a perfect compliment to the fleshy Barbie skin tones.

Here you can really see the colors of the steel display - it looks rough or rusty in this photo but the wax treatment on the metal actually made it smooth and luscious while keeping a sense of depth and variation in the color of the steel. (Of course that's not at all what the customers were noticing however.)

Five Senses in Green got a LOT of attention and comments, sadly though, it still hasn't found a home. Someday!

Morning of the second day, a little sleepy, but ready for another day of sales! (wearing one of my new Heart Bust Pendants)

Tia (right) of silvercocoon and her sister Brit - these ladies are RAD! Tia's jewelry is bold and fantastic. Check out her etsy shop here.

On Monday we visited my old stomping grounds at MICA to check out all the new additions to the campus, including the new Brown Center which didn't exist when I went to college there. It's truly amazing in person.

…and particularly impressive from the inside. We had a perfect sunny morning to experience it.

The Station building has surprisingly changed quite a bit (they moved the entrance?! too weird) Such a lovely structure though. Always one of my favorite buildings on campus.

ahhh… home sweet home

As Dave's goofy grin will attest, we're happy to be home! It was an exhaustingly long weekend, but really a fantastic experience all around. More details to follow…

Handmade 2.0

The New York Times had an article last Sunday about buying handmade, the new wave craft movement and Etsy entitled: "Handmade 2.0" I thought it was a pretty great digestion of it all and worth a read. [via design*sponge]

As a point of comparison…

© Margaux Lange

© Margaux Lange

© Margaux Lange

© Margaux Lange

© Margaux Lange

© Margaux Lange

© Margaux Lange

© Margaux Lange

…and that's only a fraction of the photos I have of all the hand earrings I've made which are protected under US copyright law. Thank god for time stamps, sketchbooks, Copyright Form VA's and having the law on your side when you need it. Some advice: keep good records and document in all ways possible… especially with the US copyright office! It is easy and inexpensive and there's no excuse not to protect yourself, especially when your designs are your livelihood.

before I forget…

I keep a folder on my desktop which was created with the intention that it would remind me of things I've been meaning to blog about. It's even labeled "TO BLOG" in big bold letters. Well, lately I've been neglecting that folder so today I'm cleaning up. Here's a couple of things I've been meaning to mention…


I recently caught my Smile Ring on the etsy front page… hooray! It may be silly but it's a very satisfying feeling to be featured there at last. And amongst a grouping of other really cool items to boot. Thanks to "contrary" for my inclusion in the list.

Also, my Chrysanthemum Hand Brooch was featured in Alyson Stanfield's weekly Art Marketing Action newsletter on Monday October 8th…

Copyright 2007 Alyson B. Stanfield. Alyson takes the mystery out of marketing your art and making more money as an artist. Visit http://www.ArtBizCoach.com to get articles just like this one delivered to your inbox.

If you don't already know about this newsletter, you should definitely go sign up. First of all, it's FREE and secondly, it's overflowing with helpful information all about the business of art/craft and how to market yourself, so there's no excuse not to. You can also unsubscribe at any time. Alyson also has a fantastic website: artbizcoach.com and blog, all worthy of your attention.

wow.

I can't believe the response my "War and Peace" post has been getting! And to think… I wasn't even sure people would read the whole thing because of it's length! I find it very telling that this subject is an important one to a lot of people and it definitely makes me feel less alone. I appreciate all your reponses: advice, criticism, and encouragement. I especially appreciate that we are able to have a dialogue about this sort of thing in a place people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

My original post was featured on craftzine's blog and my friend Liana Kabel wrote a lovely lengthy response to it as well.

Thank you all.

WARNING: this post is my version of war and peace.

This is a long one, so get ready! It's been a while since I posted this in-depth on a subject. I find it can be rather cathartic, so here goes…



The last week of preparations for CB was particularly chaotic. I was working extremely hard to finish everything: the jewelry itself, building and preparing my display, pricing and tagging, etc (meanwhile almost completely ignoring my boyfriend, my friends, my email, my filthy dirty house and my cats). I then came down with a sinus infection as well as a double ear infection. Luckily I made it to the Dr. for some antibiotics and threw myself right back into my work. There was no stopping me! I was literally working up to the moment my friend Casey (aka the Candy Thief) came to pick me up in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon.


Packed and enthusiastically ready for our 4.5 hour road trip to DC, we hopped in the Jetta and started on our way. The trip down went smoothly and we were able to find a decent hotel to sleep at so we could get an early start for 8am set-up at CB.

The next morning’s load-in was fine, I did forget to bring a chair to sit on unfortunately, but we made do. My nerves the whole morning were pretty out of control. I had no idea what to expect but the excitement in the air as all the other vendors set up their tents and unpacked their goods was palpable.

I made my first sale within the first hour the event opened. I was pumped. I thought, “OK great, this could be really awesome” however after that initial sale, the tone of the event for me started to change. Tons of browsers and many comments, the most popular being “oooh, creepy!” sometimes followed by, “…but in a good way!” and sometimes followed by a sour face and a prompt exit from my table.


The prize for worst comment of the day goes to a woman who tried to pick up the cut-off Barbie legs I had on my table that were displaying my rings, [note to self: never use that display again! It seemed to really confuse people that the legs were JUST display]

“Where da body? That dumb.”

“Thank you” I replied.

And a close second:

“Awww, the poor Barbies!!”

“Don’t worry, they’re not alive, they can’t feel it.” I reply with a smile.

“Yeah, but they were PLAYED with!” she retorts violently as she storms away. (as if this somehow makes them any more alive?) I should have asked if she was a vegetarian. just curious.

It was warm, but comfortable for most of the day, until the sun came beating down on us from behind our booth. By 2pm, and with only two sales in my pocket, I was feeling really deflated. Not to mention dehydrated, hungry, head-achy and overall unsure and insecure of myself, my work, and my place in the “indie-craft fair scene.” My cheeks hurt from smiling, and fielding all the same comments, over and over and OVER again.


Some people lingered a while, admiring and complimenting the work, but when they turned the pieces over and read the price, they usually moved on fairly quickly. The interesting thing about it is that my price points were not out of the ballpark for the event. I know of another jeweler there who sold in the same price range as me and a woman who makes handbags priced from $100 - $150. Both of those vendors said they had an awesome day of sales.

So what was it exactly? Why was there interest and not purchases? My shoe pins were $25. The most expensive piece on my table was $175, a necklace. The majority of my work was priced at $70 - $150. Perhaps because of the dark patina people didn’t realize my jewelry was made of sterling silver (I did try to mention it often).

I think people are uneducated about what goes into a piece of hand-made jewelry. In a world where you can walk into any mall and buy a pair of “silver” hoops for under $10, maybe people don’t understand the difference between that and my earrings in terms of materials, process, and overall expense to make.


I don’t buy anything pre-fab, (except for my chains). I do not cast my pieces. (though maybe I should in the future because it would bring the price down). I hand make every… single… earwire. I individually fit and “bezel” each face part. I do two rounds of pigmented epoxy resin setting to ensure no air bubbles, in which all the color mixing is done by yours truly, chosen precisely as on a painter’s palette. Every piece is sanded to perfection, twice. One simple smile necklace, with one color resin surround can easily take up to 6 hours. This doesn’t even include the time spent hunting for dolls, and choosing the perfect parts to use in each and every piece. My craftsmanship is top notch. It’s the one area I have full confidence.


Was it the location of our booth at the event? Perhaps it just wasn’t my "crowd?" Maybe I need to suck it up and just apply to more high-end craft shows where an understanding of craftsmanship is a given and concept jewelry isn’t unheard of such as the Buyers Market in Philly or ACC in Baltimore. Maybe DC just wasn’t my city. I don’t know.


Another thought I entertained was that perhaps those who enjoyed it, and did not see it as “dead bodies strung on chains", were just not bold enough to wear something a little confrontational. The funny thing is, I’ve never thought of my work as being that “difficult” to wear. And I almost never think of it as creepy. Even the blood droplet piece, never struck me as offensive. Thought provoking maybe, but mainly humorous. Why not wear a piece of jewelry with a little more meaning or layers to it? But I guess that’s just me. That’s what I’m drawn to. Maybe I do have a sick sense of humor.


If there’s anyone out there reading this who was at my booth at Crafty Bastards that can give me some HONEST feedback, you have no idea how grateful I would be. Be harsh, be honest… I just want to know. I wish I had an exit poller outside my booth that could have recorded people’s impressions and thoughts, because for as many brazenly expressive (sometimes tactless) visitors that filtered through, there were just as many silent ones. So if anyone would like to come forward with some REAL, HONEST feedback about my booth, my display, my work, my sales demeanor, or whatever, I would love to hear your thoughts. Really. I'm all ears.


Maybe this is what retail shows are all about. Since it's my first one, I felt naive about every aspect, including the need for a tougher skin. I’m not used to being on the front lines. It’s easy to hide behind my galleries, let them do the “selling.” I get to kick back in my studio, design and create freely, without insecurity or outside criticism, and communicate about my work almost exclusively via email and blogging. It’s been a while since my last art school critique! So to be perfectly honest, I don’t have to hear the negative very often. The magazines and galleries and compliments find me typically without much effort on my part. Rejection like this is ultimately good for the ego I guess. It’s good to realize not everyone will like what you do and so you just have to get over it and continue to do it anyway.

It just stings a bit after So. Much. Hard. Work.


I did have a fantastic time with my booth-mate and friend Casey of course. Our travel experiences had moments of indescribable hilarity! The time spent reconnecting with her made it all worth while. I also managed to meet fantastic fellow artists whose work I've admired for a long time: including Megan Auman (LOVING my new bracelets which I traded her for)…

Also Caitlin Phillips of Re-bound Designs (amazing book purses I've blogged about prior) and Annie of Imogene who is as friendly and cute as her jewelry designs. I also got to catch up with some blasts from my past: Stephney Wallace, fellow silversmith from the MICA jewelry center in Baltimore and even my old high school guidance counselor/principal from Lake George stopped by to say hello!

Thanks to all those who ventured out, it was quite an experience.