Adventures in Bedlam

Psych 101 and the Creative Process: Breaking Through the Fear

I'm not sure that title expresses exactly what I'm trying to say, but it's the best I can think of at the moment.

I don't like to do custom stuff.  I think it's because of insecurity.  I have this perception that If someone says they want something specific and it doesn't turn out the way they envision it, I'll feel responsible, and worse, I'll feel like a failure.  Because of this, I like the freedom of creating what I want and if someone wants to buy it, then I'm very happy.  If they don't, I might feel disappointed, but at least I created it on my own terms and am not beholden to anyone.

During my career as a jewelry designer, I have occasionally taken on custom work, but most of it was done years ago.  There is some irony in the fact that now that I have more experience, I'm less likely to take on custom requests.  Again, it all goes back to the confidence issue, though you'd think I'd have more confidence now that I have more experience.  My take on that is that the experience, instead of bringing confidence, brought a bit of cynicism.  The real irony is that this cynicism is based on nothing--I've never had a bad experience with work I've been commissioned to do, yet I have ignored emails, deferred requests, and left phone calls unanswered all in the desire to avoid that one simple question:  "Can You Make Me This?"

So here is one of the places where my "issues" interfere with life in a real, practical way.  I can choose to ignore it and continue as I have been (which is obviously the easiest solution), or I can make an attempt to get passed it in order to grow in both my business and personal life.

In the last couple of weeks, I've gotten two requests for custom work, one from a friend and one from a stranger.  I followed up on both of them.  Only one of the requests panned out, and this is the result:

 

I talk of my obsession with my dogs quite often.  Luckily, I have a few friends who are just as obsessed as I am.  This design is a collaboration of sorts;  I created a collection of pieces that had "dog quotes' on them, and my friend Heather thought of using a dog bone as the shape for a pendant.  These photos don't quite do it justice, as you can see my reflection in the metal.  She wanted it shiny, so I have her shiny!




On another note, I spent the day taking jewelry photos yesterday and I was really pleased with the results.  I'll be posting some of them in the next few days.

Maker's Mark

After making jewelry for over 6 years, I finally got my maker's mark made (tee hee, say that three times fast).  Back when I had my logo designed, I also asked them to design a maker's mark, but for whatever reason, I never actually got the stamp made.

Most of my jewelry making friends have stamps so I decided it was time to get mine made.  I contacted Rio Grande, sent them my artwork, and patiently waited about 4 weeks while my custom stamp was made.

Yesterday, I used it for the first time:

I'm quite pleased to have it.  It's a little awkward to use, but I think now that I've practiced a bit I've got it down.

Most of all, I'm glad to have a unique stamp that shows the world that my work is my work.  There is kind of a sense of pride in that.

Meanwhile, after some success at selling on Etsy, I am making jewelry like a mad woman.  Stay tuned for more new pieces this week, including a little custom work.

Another Vision of Peace

Well folks, I thought I'd gotten away from using peace symbols in my jewelry, but apparently I was wrong.  Today in the studio I made a couple of necklaces featuring the peace sign.

The first is a tassle-style necklace.  The tassle can hang in front or back of the peace sign, and although the necklace tangles easily in storage because the chain is rather delicate, it hangs beautifully when worn.  It's a sexy necklace.

The second is more rustic looking:


In this version I used a nugget of labradorite as an accent.  Labradorite is a lovely stone, and in the last couple of years I've seen it used more often--most notably in the Sundance Catalog.

The necklaces feature fabricated clasps:



Both necklaces are available for purchase in my Etsy store.

Top o' the Mornin' to Ye

I mentioned here that I've started my Christmas knitting, which means that although I constantly have something on the needles, I can't really blog about it.  However, a couple of weeks ago I started a project that I'm really pleased about and I think it's going to be really cool when it's completed.  Here is a preview:

I've been wanting to do an Aran-type design for a long time and although I'm not sure where the inspiration for this particular design came from, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to try Aran knitting.  Using the Sweater Wizard I designed the bare bones of the project, then I took out my trusty Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns and searched for something I liked.  The front and side patterns came from that book.

The pattern for the back center of this piece came from here.  It is the Wide Multi-Cable.

I'm very pleased with these stitch patterns because the large center cable echoes the pattern on the left and right sides of the piece perfectly.  The mini-cables on the sides work very well for under the arms.

Designing this piece was a bit complicated, but not so much that it was daunting.  Yes, yes, I know math is hard, but even with my meager skills, I was able to do it.  Of course, it's not done yet!  Unfortunately, I won't be able to show the finished work until after the gift is given.  Until then...

Another Baby Cardigan

About a year ago, I made these little sweaters for my friend's twin boys.

Over the weekend, I finished another, this one for my cousin Ashley's baby who is due in November:

Again, I used this pattern:

Fran's Hooded Baby Sweater

The yarn is Caron Simply Soft, which I find to be a good baby-knitting yarn since it is soft and easy to care for.

The baby, who is a girl, will be named Madison.  Mick and I will be in Oregon when she is born, and I can't wait to meet her.  Ashley asked me to video tape the birth.  I'm skeered!  Since it is the closest I'll probably ever come to actually giving birth, however, I'm going to do it, in fact I'm excited about it.

Red Velvet Deliciousness

I'm not much of a baker.  Not because I can't do it or don't like to do it, but because having baked goods around the house is a little dangerous for me.  I tend to want to eat them all at one sitting.

Yesterday, however, I hosted a brunch for some friends and took the opportunity to make and bake some of my favorite foods.  I also used it as an excuse to bake something I've never tasted but have wanted to for a long time:  red velvet cake.

More specifically, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting:

This is the recipe I used:

Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cupcakes

If you're ever looking for an easy recipe that packs a lot of punch for your effort--these cupcakes might be the answer.  They are seriously decadent and the frosting, my god, the frosting.  I could take a bath in it, it's so good.

Which brings me back to why I never bake anything.

I'm Ready for my Close Up

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a poser when it comes to crafting because I'm relatively new to it.  When I was a kid, I didn't do much in the way of making things, although I did write a lot.  I remember I used to make little satirical "magazines" (more like pamphlets) based on Better Homes and Gardens.  They were made out of construction paper and I'd staple the pages together then draw pictures and write "articles."  That's as close to crafting as I ever got.  Wait, that's not true--I remember I had a little metal loom that you'd put elastic loops on and weave them through to the other end to make potholders and such.  That's the closest I ever got to crafting.

Now, a day doesn't go by where I'm not making something.  I don't think it's because I didn't have the interest when I was younger, it's just that so many other things got in the way.  And it wasn't that I lacked creativity--I made a lot of stuff for my doll house and my Barbies had some pretty sweet digs (I used to make waterbeds for them out of zip lock bags and my record albums formed the walls of their houses).  All that said, I was never a crafter like my sister and mom were, and I certainly never considered myself an artist.  Frankly, I still don't.  There's something about that word, that label, that I really don't feel qualified to apply to myself.

Not that it matters.  I create a lot of stuff that can be called art, for lack of a better word.  I enjoy making it, people like it, and they even buy it.  If I don't feel like calling myself an artist, then I'm not sure it makes much difference.

I'm not saying this to knock myself down--I love what I create and think it's for the most part beautiful.  Maybe I just don't like labels.  Maybe I don't want to be defined by any one thing because I'm so likely to change my mind and switch to something else.*

But enough about that.  The new issue of Knitty is here and there are things I'm going to have to knit:

Patch Pocket Raglan - There are some really talented male knit designers out there.  This is an example.  I totally wish my husband would start knitting--I think it would suit him and his programmer mentality well.

Mr. Greenjeans - Hooray for the raglans!  I solemnly swear I will not knit myself a non-raglan sleeve sweater ever again.  (And how cute is her haircut)?

Flower Power - This, frankly, is a must-knit.  I already have three recipients in mind.

I have already started my Christmas knitting and have one project that I'm very excited about well underway.  Unfortunately, I can't really blog it because what if the intended recipient happens upon my blog?  Unlikely, but possible.

*  The one label I do use in reference to myself is "atheist."  I only do that because I think it's important to identify myself as such, and in terms that the rest of the world can understand (well, maybe not understand, but at least know the meaning of).

Diamond Pendant

If the diamond in this pendant was a cat, it would've lived three of it's lives already.  It began as one of a pair of stud earrings.  One of the earrings became this ring (center) and the other became another ring... which I don't think I ever took a photo of.

I'm not sure why, but I never took to that ring.  Since one of the perks of being a jewelry maker is being able to re-use materials, I sawed the band off the ring and came up with this pendant:

It's hand fabricated in 18k yellow gold and bezel set.  I strung it on this very pretty sterling silver chain (I love mixing 18k gold with sterling) and added an 18k gold hand fabricated clasp:


I feel certain that this diamond has at least one more life to live, but for now I think I'll enjoy this necklace.

Holly West @ Etsy

Well, I've been threatening to do it and over the last couple of days, I finally did.  I've opened an Etsy store:

hollywest.etsy.com

I feel rather sheepish for not doing it sooner actually.  I'm not sure what held me back.  I think it was mostly because I already had a website and it seemed silly to open another one.  Then I suddenly realized that having the Etsy store might help bring traffic to my main store and therefore might be a good promotional tool.  We shall see.

I still have loads of items to add.  Etsy's tools are very simple but the entire process takes awhile since I also have to photograph the pieces, edit the photos, etc.  I'm also simultaneously adding to the product database on my main website, hollywest.com, which also adds to the time it takes.  Here's a shot of my makeshift "photo studio":

Speaking of hollywest.com, changes are afoot.  If you've noticed a slight color/style change on my blog, it's because I updated it to reflect the true colors of my logo, business cards, and stationary.  My "business identity" was designed a few years back by my good friends John and Greg at Orabor.

I love my logo.  John and Greg were asked to contribute to a book called Graphic Design America 3 and used my identity as one of their examples.  Two very talented guys!

Dog Days of Summer

Fall is officially here!  Hooray!  Let's celebrate with a gratuitous post about dogs.

This, my friends, beats a shirtless David Beckham any day of the week:

Lance

I know I'll probably never get a puppy, but when I see pictures like these I just melt.  And I love corgis.  Kramer and Stuart are corgi-german shepherd mixes:

Kramer, circa 2001.

Stuart, circa 2001.

The funny thing about my dogs is that even though they look nearly identical, they were actually born about 8 years apart.  Even funnier, there is a breed called the Lancashire Heeler that looks just like my dogs... but they are rare, and most are in the U.K.  The chances of two of them ending up in a U.S. shelter are slim.  Check this out: 

The Lancashire Heeler Club

The only bad thing about adopting adult dogs is that you never get to see them as puppies.  And I loves me some puppies, that's for sure.  Occasionally, Mick and I have searched online for pups that look like they might've been Kramer or Stuart:

Photo credit:  Claire Appleton

Photo credit:  Christina Oates


Photo credit:  Lancashire Heeler Club

Oh well, it's fun to imagine what they might've looked like.