Design Inspirations From A Dream

I’m very excited because a few days ago I ordered some copper wire from Kate Richbourg Jewelry (http://www.etsy.com/shop/KateRichbourgJewelry) a supplier on Etsy and I can’t wait to get them. I’ve been making copper and silver wire jewelry for a few years I love this medium but I aspire to increase my techniques I use in the construction of my designs. I’ve gotten comfortable with wrapping in a cold connection technique but I’ve longed to try soldering to create a fluid and continual join between each piece of wire for an unrestricted artisan quality and style of jewelry I admire and desire to create.

Because I like simplicity and incorporate this principle in the distinctive minimalist style of SK Wire Jewelry designs, I aspire to explore and create clean fluid lines a design element that wrapping doesn’t provide.  Though integral to the texture of the overall design in some cases (not all) a wrapped wire element in the cold connected piece can have a tendency to fracture the path of your eye in a chaotic manner.  I am not minimizing the quality or aesthetic appeal of cold connected joins and there are a number of very talented jewelry artists mastering this technique like Bobbi Maw of My Wired Imagination (http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyWiredImagination), Szarka Carter of Magpie Gemstones (http://www.etsy.com/shop/MagpieGemstone) and Edi Schaefer of Edi’s Little Treasures (http://www.etsy.com/shop/EdisLittleTreasures) fellow etsians who all create gorgeous wrapped designs. In fact I’m in awe of their talent and wish I had the patience it takes to wrap the way they do, patience is the operative word here as I fall short sometimes which could be due to the dwindling hormones and hot flashes I frequently experience these days.

Anyway getting back to my building excitement as I await my shipment of copper wire supplies for which I had great things in mind. Out of the blue I’ve been inspired to create a line of jewelry based on the X and O, universal symbols for kisses and hugs it sounds crazy I know but inspiration came to me in a dream this morning. In it I had a chance meeting with a clothing designer at her boutique, somehow she knew who I was and looking for a metal bracelet with a specific design feature she inquired as to my availability, feeling flattered by the recognition I offered to sit down with her we talked and collaborated on her bracelet for a while and when the meeting came to an end I set off to create the piece we had designed. 

I can’t express the energy I felt this morning when I awoke except to say it was phenomenal and I immediately put my hand to paper sketching the first of many ideas floating in my head. The fun part for me is deconstructing my design visions and translating them onto paper so the details of each piece can be tweaked to perfection. I see deliciously colored gemstones, bezel cabochons in various “O” shapes and sizes and dangling puffed teardrops that will compliment each copper design. I see negative space and variations of the X and O I see bangle bracelets, a simple ring, several necklaces and earrings. Oh man I’m so excited I can hardly wait for all the pieces to get here I’m itching to start the construction phase of this not yet named project.  

All I can think is it’s a good thing I joined the Aspiring Metal smiths Etsy team because even though I’ve been reading up on the art of soldering different materials, it’s definitely going to help having a friendly group of like minded jewelry and metal artists of all skill levels  that can give me expert advice when I need it. As I said I have a tendency to be impatient and act on impulse but this time is different, I’ll take my time and as they say I’ll measure twice and cut once to get the maximum use of my copper  materials. And tomorrow I start practicing my soldering techniques with left over pieces of wire I’ve collected so that I get acquainted and comfortable with the new technique and skill before I start the actual construction of my new X and O designs. I really have a good feeling about my new line and know my designs will be very well received. They’ll shine with the love that encapsulates my passion because every piece of jewelry I create is designed from the heart to be wearable works of art.

Simply defining the SK Brand

Since 2005 I've created handmade jewelry. Inspired by my mom I started stringing beads to help relieve the stress I was feeling at work. Little did I know my stress relief "hobby" would turn into something much bigger than I'd expected. As soon as I began wearing my designs I was getting compliments and requests from friends and family asking me to make a necklace, bracelet or a pair of earrings for them too. I'll admit it was very flattering to hear such a gracious appreciation for my creativity, it boosted my confidence so I complied and soon they were all telling me that I should think about selling the jewelry I made. In 2007 I was convinced and set up shop first a roadside stand at a local beach (back when it was legal in Pinellas County) then a flea market booth, but I didn't have a clue how to create a brand for the designs I made, they all seemed to be in scattered style directions with no recognizable continuity in any of them except they were all what I considered to be one-of-a-kind designs. As my skills and techniques began to evolve and become stronger I started to recognize one major trending aspect of my designs, they were moving toward a minimalist style.

 The SK Brand of Handmade Artisan Jewelry

Recognized for Simplicity in Distinctively Minimal Design

The goal of the SK Brand with its “Simplicity in Distinctive Minimalist Style” is to be the semi-professional and professional business woman’s “Go-To Place” for all their artisan jewelry needs. The SK Brand believes we can achieve this by offering our customers affordable pricing on Simply Katie’s and SK Wire Jewelry design lines of quality handcrafted artisan jewelry From the fun and energetic brightly bold style of Simply Katie’s beaded designs to the casual and simple elegance of SK Wire Jewelry the SK brand of handmade artisan jewelry is sure to have a design to fit the individual styles of a certain type of woman between 25 and 65 and most likely beyond. These women are employed in occupations such as retail, sales, management,  upper level executives and business owners.

All SK Brand hand crafted artisan jewelry with its “Simplicity in Distinctive Minimalist Style” is constructed for durability using artisan quality materials and each design element is handpicked and unique, a feature found only in true artisan craftsmanship. We believe that the “Simplicity in Distinctively Minimalist Style” recognized throughout the SK brand of hand crafted artisan jewelry gives the SK woman regardless of her age or profession, an undeniable versatility in fashion styles with which her SK brand of hand crafted artisan jewelry can be worn. The common signature thread throughout the Simply Katie’s and SK Wire Jewelry’s design line is their “Simplicity in Distinctive Minimalist Style”.

Simply Katie’s

The Simply Katie’s line designed for the younger semi-professional/professional woman has a fun and energetic style created by combining bright and boldly colored bead and wire elements in the signature SK brand distinctive minimal style. The Simply Katie’s line offers an affordable variety of jewelry options including single and multi-strand necklaces and earrings in short drop and long dangle styles. Simply Katie’s earring frames include basket weave four leaf clovers and a double circle drop design hand crafted in colored jewelry wire and embellished with a variety of glass and crystal beads. Simply Katie’s handmade necklaces are designed in a variety of styles from 16 inch chokers to 18 inch single and dimensional multi- strand necklaces for a different fashion look. The price range for Simply Katie’s line of fun and energetic beaded jewelry is $12 - $40.

SK Wire Jewelry

The SK Wire Jewelry line for the mature business woman is designed in the SK brands signature distinctively minimal style. Hand crafted with precious and semi-precious metals, pearls and gemstones in simple casual to elegant styles the SK Wire Jewelry line is fashionable and offers environment versatility. Designed to be worn easily in the office and business meetings as when you’re vacationing at your favorite resort, the SK Wire Jewelry line travels with you wherever you may roam.  Copper designs in simple casual styles with a semi Southwestern flair crafted in solid copper hammered for texture and formed into swirls and lightning bolts, Egyptian Scarabs wrapped in copper serpents for an ethnic look, or simple copper hoops reminiscent of horseshoes are a few of SK Wire Jewelry’s distinctively minimal signature style. Hand crafted artisan jewelry designed in Sterling, Nickel-free silver and Gold filled chain and wire are offered in SK Wire Jewelry’s distinctively minimal casual and elegant styles with a price range of $40 - $100 or more in the case of custom designs.

I've been a member of the Handmade Etsy Community since January of 2009 and over the years I learned a lot about running a successful shop. Just as much as location is key to being visible for a brick and mortar, clear focused and consistent presentation is key to creating a successful online shop. Creating and maintaining a cohesive marketing strategy for my product takes a persistent effort and has to take priority. And when relying on a social networking platform to build consumer awareness conveying relevant content and consistency in my blog(s) postings, interacting with my Facebook and Twitter fans is important to building trust and relationships with my potential customers. These are tasks that I sometimes feel overwhelmed with especially when trying to come up with "interesting" content for blog posts without sounding ignorant or too personal trying to find a comfortable voice that will engage my readers.

My Etsy shop Simply Katie's has been open since December 2011 and I'm proud to say that last month I got my first paying customer who purchased this vintage brooch that was part of my mom's collection. I called it a momentous occasion because the sale just happened to come on my son Matthew's birthday. I enjoy being part of the Etsy community, it gives me the opportunity to build relationships with other Handmade and vintage sellers by joining teams and playing games to bring more awareness to my jewelry and other shops. But what I love most is I get the chance to realize my dream of being a successful business owner at a fraction of the cost as having a brick and mortar location. It is hard work and takes a consistent effort everyday to stay on top of consumer shopping and jewelry trends but at the end of the day, which can easily be 3am when I'm focused on what I love doing the personal reward is the sweetest I've ever known.

Do you create and sell handmade or vintage items on Etsy?
Do you consider it to be your dream job like I do?
If you love your handmade life and have a success story, a marketing tip or comment to share...
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