Friday, September 25, 2009

Merry-Go-Round... What's your next chapter?


Every month 9 artists/crafters blog on the same question, and our question this month is:

What’s your next chapter?...

Well, to be honest, I’ll find out what my next chapter is when I finish writing this post, lol…:)

I think I should start by looking at what I have achieved so far and how far I have gone, what I enjoyed doing and what was successful (and not so successful of course).
So I opened my first shop 2 years ago to see how my little wire-wrapped pieces were going to be received, and 2 years later I have 5 shops on 3 platforms, selling creations and wire-wrapping tutorials (in French!!).

Let’s just say I am bowled over… Never have I had a creative bone elbowing me in the eye telling me this is what I should have been doing all my life, and today I get custom orders on a regular basis… Amazing… hysterical even lol… A big thank you to everyone!!

So my next chapter… Whilst I am quite happy to continue with my current style of creations for a little while longer yet, I do however think it very important to have a goal…Something to enable me to move forward... Otherwise I'll get bored... So where do I want to get to? Well, through trial and error, I have discovered that costume jewellery is my “niche” as many wrappers use precious metals and stones for their art, while I am quite happy to play with plated and base metals, semi-precious stones, crystals etc. as it keeps the cost down and you get a bit of affordable ‘bling’… I would have loved to play in the big playground of ‘fine jewellery’, but I always knew deep down that I am more of a Coco than a Murcia… lol… (no offence).

Do I want to keep creating? YES! Absolutely!
Do I want to expand? YES! But I can’t create more than I am doing at present, so expansion will have to come from selling supplies, stones and more tutorials perhaps… Creating is the key though, that’s the best part. So I’ll explore wire-wrapping to the full and see where it can take me. I’ll learn new techniques, and I hope I’ll create a few too.

To be successful at creating one has to develop one’s own style and it is so difficult with so many jewellery artists and wrapping artists. Your own style has to shine through, so how can I achieve that? By specializing in some way, by restricting myself into a ‘field’ and explore this ‘field’ to the maximum, my cocktail rings for example…

Actually I have very recently made a ring that at the mo I consider to be my BESTEST item to date:

It just LOOKS Haute-Couture to me, and Good God stop screaming – of course I am not comparing!!! This ring has no precious metals or precious gemstones, however it is dripping with natural semi-precious stones, and it FEELS like Haute-Couture… So maybe that’s my next chapter: “Basse-Couture”, the look of Haute-Couture without the price tag… Whaddyafink?

Sorry for the length, but it has been extremely therapeutic!
Please check out the Merry-Go-Rounders answers to this same question, direct links to Ruth, Mariana, Agathe, Charlotte, Sara, Lily, Wendren and Jenny's blogs are listed in the side bar.
Thanks for reading!

9 comments:

florcita said...

I loooooove that ring. The rough quality of the stone and all the embellishment on the sides I think make a gorgeous contrast. A beautiful piece.
I love your art. I don't think you need me to tell you that. I think beautiful jewellery/art do not need to have a huge price tag to be original and stricking. They just need to be made creatively by someone that cares about their designs. And you do, it shows.
It'd be cool if you expanded to supplies... I mean, it goes rather well with the tutorial part... sell both. I even could give it a go! aahahaha

Good luck there!

Ruth said...

I love your story....and look forward to all the future chapters. That ring really is Fab - in both senses of the word! And I guess that is what our story is all about - as more chapters are written, things become clearer and all the pieces fall into place. Chapters that didn't seem particularly related, now make sense in the story..... "Epics R US".

meherio68 said...

Elle est somptueuse cette améthyste ! "Basse-couture", non mais franchement !

I cannot believe that you are so self-deprecating! You really think that "haute-couture" is about precious materials only.
It seems to me it is mostly about skill and creativity, and you definitely give that to your customers, don't you?

That what you make is not 'joaillerie' or goldsmith / silversmith, I have to agree, of course. But that it is not precious and valuable— well no, I don't agree!

Your customers are just lucky you don't put a higher price on your time and skill and imagination...

From a competitor.

Jenny said...

I love that ring too! I think I prefer semi-precious stones and crystals to precious ones. They are all precious to me. :)
I agree with this month's subject being very therapeutic, more so to read everyones' thoughts than writing it myself.
I think it is the feeling in the creations that should shine through, not the value in money.
And haute couture is about that really, It is more about creativity than anything else - for most people can't really wear those clothes etc, but they can find much inspiration in it.
Maybe I am just rambling on.. But oh well... :D

'fancypicnic' said...

What a glorious ring!!
You have such skill and an eye for beautiful details...you have achieved so much in two years with your outlets. Wow.
As artists, we move forward all the time, setting new goals - but don't undersell your art...it is truly creative, sensitive and beautiful. Every piece sings. Keep true to that!

Wendren said...

That ring is beautiful. I definitely think you are on the right track and that by keeping going, you will naturally walk into your next chapter. :)

This was a wonderful post to read - thank you for sharing.

Lily Pang said...

You are so creative and hard-working! Your jewelries are really fantastic. Congrats to be so successful for such a short time.

Sara Millis said...

I want that ring!!!
I wear my pendant from you all the time... you are very creative so that bone must have been poking you al along. I think you have found your 'calling', to be an artist.

I wish you all the luck! And thank you for being so inspirational.

Sara x

PERLETTE 94 said...

j'adore cette bague et je voulais te dire que j'ai réalisé mon premier pendentif en cage (tutoriel 8) et que çà me plait beaucoup ! http://josette-landart.over-blog.com/article-pendentif-wire-wrapping-37603704.html
A bientôt.