What do you make?Jewelry and some related housewares like wine glass charms. I expect to branch out more but to stay within the accessories side of things. I'm fond of variety.
What drew you to your craft and why did you start selling your items?
I used to do stained glass and mosaics. I'm drawn to the play of light and color and shine. So when I looked for a hobby that didn't exile me into the garage, I found a class on making jewelry. It sounded like something I would enjoy so I went, and it didn't take long to realize how much I was enjoying myself.
Oddly I enjoy designing and making jewelry more than actually wearing it. The problem with this combination is that I'd go broke making everything I want to make! So when I ordered my first set of supplies I planned on making Christmas gifts, and items to sell, in hopes that it would help me buy more supplies, etc. Since I've sold stained glass in the past it wasn't too far-fetched to look at doing the same with jewelry, though I didn't approach selling my glass products as seriously as I'm taking my jewelry business.
What is your favorite part of creating your items?I like variety and I like to experiment, so sometimes I'll have spent time trying many different things before I finally hit that moment where I go "Yes!" and know I've got it. The process of actually assembling the pieces can feel very zen, so I enjoy that too. I've been writing professionally through my entire adult life and wrote prolifically in school as well, but writing is a very cerebral pursuit and can result in me getting too stuck in my head. The ability to achieve some mental quiet and just enjoy making something with my own hands is precious.
Is your craft a full time endeavor or a hobby?
Part-time business. For my "day job" I'm a technology writer and journalist, but this year my goal is to have jewelry account for 50% of my income. That might be expecting too much of my first full year but I like to aim high.
When you aren't working on your craft what do you enjoy doing?Right now I'm volunteering with the 2010 Winter Olympics (http://dee-annleblanc.com/2010/02/15/the-olympic-volunteer-experience-part-1/) and so far it's incredibly rewarding. It's really eaten into my business time as I'm doing 15 shifts, but I'm trying to be flexible and do things like renew, where normally I prefer to list a new item every day instead.
Outside of that, I enjoy playing with my dogs, playing games on my PS3, and generally being a geek.
Is there anything else about your craft or yourself you would like to share?
I used to think that I'm a lucky person and opportunity just fell into my lap, when it came to my writing career. One day I finally realized that my career wasn't so much about luck as it was about being open to opportunity, recognizing it, and reaching out for it before it passed me by. Doing this means being open to rejection. I don't enjoy that any more than anyone else does, approaching life with an attitude of "it never hurts to ask" is an important part of constantly taking yourself to the next level. That and just pushing yourself to be more.
I try to remember this as I work on my jewelry and building my jewelry business.
My locations online:
shop: http://deesadornments.etsy.com/
blog: http://deesadornments.wordpress.com/
twitter: http://twitter.com/deesadornments
facebook: http://facebook.com/deesadornments
Pieces in this post:
1. Granite, Serpentine, and Sterling Silver Chandelier Earrings
2. Third Chakra Thumblet in Amber for Energy Work
3. Four Seasons Memory Wire Bracelet in Glass, Silver, and Gold
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