Bag Lady

Bags, bags and more bags. Oh how I love a good bag. The one pictured above is my new favourite. I just couldn't resist its portrayal of Sydney Harbour in heat set (I assume) plastic beads. It is sooo me!

Does anyone know anything about these types of bags? I'm quite interested in the process used to adhere the plastic beads to the fabric. I haven't found out much yet but I'll keep looking....

#1 Newsletter

After taking far longer than I anticipated (doesn't it always!) and having the expected (although I had my fingers crossed!) bulk email issues I have finally sent out my very first newsletter - Yay!!

All of you on my mailing list or those who had subscribed to the newsletter should have it in your inbox now. If you haven't or would like a copy contact me here. Thank you

p.s congrats to those super quick competition entries - I'm impressed!!!

Back In Stock!!!

After long hours of tracking down the ever elusive (and increasingly more so) vintage faux knitting needle I finally have enough of these bangles to put back in the Shop. This is by far my most requested item, perhaps because I practically never have any!!!

You know these aren't going to last long as stocks ARE LIMITED.
(Kellee I remembered your down payment before Xmas, so a lovely one has been put aside for you xx)

Keeping It Regular

All of you lovely people on my mailing list from this week on will be receiving a link to my new fortnightly newsletter. After much tooing and froing this seemed like a good solution to many of my concerns, as the newsletter means:

1. I will keep in regular contact with all interested parties/fans/supporters/friends.

2. Exciting things will happen to me within each fortnight. If nothing has happened I'll be forced to take action and make it happen, otherwise I will be sending out a rather boring newsletter and I REALLY don't want to do that.

3. Stockists will get regular exposure and customers will know who has what when (!)

3. New work will be added to my online shop regularly. I know at least a few of you who are waiting...and waiting...

4. Supporters will be rewarded as they should be. They (and I mean YOU) will be the first to know what's new and have exclusive access to competitions and specials.

If you are not on my mailing list (or just aren't sure if you are) and would like to be, please join here. Thank you

Testing...Testing...

When I make a new design I always try to test it before I start selling it. At times this can be a bit haphazard in my eagerness to get new work out there, but I think it is very important and my aim is to be more consistent in this. Looking at a piece and trying it on momentarily only can tell you so much. Testing new jewellery designs really just involves me wearing a piece for a week or two. In this time I can learn so much about what is possibly wrong with a piece and hopefully so much about what is right.

Having another person to test pieces would also be a good idea and a different perspective always helps (maybe Flo could volunteer for this?). I am so often surprised how people wear pieces as they are not how I designed them, such as wearing a catch to the side as a feature when I imagined it at the back as merely a functional element.

Currently I'm testing the Knitwit ring. So far I have confirmed the things I'd hoped, such as it is comfortable and keeps it's shape + it's fun to play with. I was also surprised to find that it has six different look (button at top, bottom, to the side, face up etc) because by looking at it I had only imagined one.

I'd be interested to hear what sort of testing others do or don't do. Do you use the ceramic cup, carry the bag around or cuddle that toy?

Knitwit Rings

It seems like forever since I have made anything besides Knitwit bangles and Measure-up brooches! On the weekend I gave myself permission to play, and after a fair amount of frustration there was some success and a couple of twisted knitting needle rings. More rings will follow...

Who Knew Maths Could Be So Interesting?

Flickr is fab! I just love it! It is such a wonderful researching tool as well as a way of meeting like-minded souls and building communities. Also it isn't bad for the old self-esteem!

Anyhoo I wanted to share today's interesting find.Jessica Rosenk is a graduate student at the Harvard design school. I'm guessing as she works out if a career as an architect is for her she is playing around on the computer and making some pretty fine plastic jewellery. Her etsy site NERVOUS-SYSTEM reveals a little more about her work and her collaboration with a mathematician. Here they state, "we are experimenting with new techniques in fabrication and design to create beautiful and unique pieces inspired by the intricate processes and patterns of nature". Personally I found the delicate nature of the pieces achieved through laser cutting, the use of different plastic materials, the packaging and the inspiration behind the work most interesting.

Straight Shooter

I was just watching the most recent episode (for us Aussies anyway) of Project Runway (season 3). It was the one before the final runway show in which all the designers come back for a Q & A and all the nasty/funny bits are rehashed. It was mildly interesting, although there was one moment that really made it worthwhile watching. Season One winner, and my all time favourite, Guru Jay was asked who he thought would win this season. Unlike all the others who were asked and said things like such and such will win because they "really understand a woman's body" or "cutting edge designs" blah blah. Guru Jay said something like "I definitely think Michael Knight will win because you picked the gay white guy first, the Asian immigrant second and your going to pick the black guy third".

I laughed because it was funny and possibly even true. I don't believe the playing field is even and there is always an agenda or bias lurking somewhere. At times this is to your advantage and other times it is not - sometimes you're in and sometimes you're out.

Saying that I also believe that all you can ever really do, is to do the best you can and work HARD. As the saying goes, the harder I work the luckier I get.

Feeling Slack

I'm just feeling a bit slack. Like I'm not achieving enough, like I'm moving too slowly and like I need to do more. I don't know if this is altogether true. Perhaps it is more a case of with each new year the expectations just go up a notch, or two or three..... Anyway a few things have happened so far this year. Some of these are that I have entered International markets with work being sent to stores in L.A and Arizona (YAY!), I've had interest from several more stores, there has been good online media and a magazine article happening soonish, new designs (thought of, if not made),there has been some grant writing, an exhibition confirmed and I have a clean studio (if you don't count cupboards and draws).

I guess that is a good start and writing it down does help but still there is far more to achieve this year so I better start taking my vitamins and get cracking. Who knows where it will all lead?