Weird tales from the craft fair: selling my handmade fused glass jewelry

Yesterday was my vendor sale at at Atria. It was also my first time selling my fused dichroic glass pieces in person. Happily, the day went well.

The fun actually began last weekend when I performed a Memorial Day concert at the Atria. I was joined by my friend and Atria staffer, Judith, who sings and plays guitar. We put on a Broadway program for the residents. Judy and I both wore necklace I'd designed, and I brought in a few other pins and pendants to display.

They loved it! There was singing and dancing, and a lot of laughter. What was also nice was the my husband, Jon, was able to join us. He's usually working when I do these gigs, but this one was on a Sunday.

I need to backtrack for a moment and explain how I got into playing music at senior homes. I've been playing flute since I was 9 -- and piano since I was 3, though flute is my main instrument. Music has always been a huge part of my life, but was put on the backburner as I tried to build up my jewelry business and writing career. Plus, the leader of the band I played with moved to another state. So for most of 2014, I didn't touch my flute, which was a shame. I missed it.

That December, my friend Amy asked me to play holiday songs at a party she was hosting. She lives in a building complex called Southbridge that has a senior program and decided to hold a "Senior/Toddler Mixer." To be honest, the kids and seniors didn't really mix; the kids ran around while the seniors sat listening to me play. But I was surprised by how much they enjoyed my music. I'd warned Amy that I was rusty -- and I really was -- but they didn't care. They were all singing along and told me afterward that they'd had a great time.

I had a chat with the program's director and asked if she'd like me to come in again for a Valentine's Day performance. This time, I played classic love songs and we printed out lyrics so the seniors could sing all of the words. Again, the program was a success.

I realized how healing music can be, both for myself and the seniors. I'd been disappointed and disillusioned with my writing career, but music helped me deal with the loss. I love making jewelry, but needed a different kind of creative outlet. Music was it.

I then called several other senior homes in the area and asked if they would be interested in having me play for the residents. Most said yes! The Atria happens to be right around the corner from us. I'd passed it a million times and would always say to Jon, "I should give them a call and see if they want me to perform." I finally got up the nerve and am so glad I did.

These days, I perform in five different places, but most of my work is with the Atria. I've made some good friends, but have also made some jewelry sales through these connections. Judy, my musical co-conspirator, purchased two glass pieces from me and is constantly advertising my work. It's through her help that I got this sale set up.

Onto the sale itself! When I arrived at the home in the morning, it was chaotic. They were moving furniture and the lobby was filled with various pieces, crates and boxes. They weren't sure where they were going to put me, but finally set me up in the parlor. About an hour later, they moved me back into the main lobby.

A few seniors recognized me from my flute performances and got a kick out of seeing my "other personality." "You're confusing me," one lady said with a laugh. "I confuse myself," I told her.

People were intrigued with the glass, though many didn't understand what it is. A few called the pendants "stones" and thought they were ready-made. I had to explain how I cut sheets of glass and fuse them together, and then shape them.

I didn't make that many sales, though I did sell a few of my glass pieces, as well as some bracelets. I also have a couple of requests in for custom orders. However, I did get to spend time with the residents, which isn't something I normally do. Yes, I am there often, but I'm playing music. Then when my gig is over, it's time for whatever their next program is, so I leave. I do chat with them before and after my shows, but I only have a few minutes.

I ended up talking with one resident for over an hour. We first spoke about our mutual love for cats, but she then asked if I'd ever be interested in teaching a class. I told her I would! She explained that she's on the home's council and has a background working in Wall Street. She then came up with an idea for me to bring ready-made wire and glass pieces to the class so the seniors can simply put together a necklace or bracelet. She asked if I could bring in my little kiln, but I explained how I've had some minor accidents and wouldn't want to put anyone in danger. She noted that I could simply fire their pieces at home and then return them a few days later since I live so close. I love it! This woman is a true problem solver and very creative. I don't know if this class will actually happen, but I've made a new friend.

There were a few funny things that happened throughout the day. One lady came by and asked if I sell pants. I guess they've had some all-purpose vendors who sell jewelry and clothing items, but the question took me by surprise. I was also taken aback when I heard a loud meow in the lobby. To my delight, there was a cat! One of the residents has a kitty named Schmedrick, who was big, gray and oh-so-handsome. I, of course, had to say hello. I love his name, too. It's fun to say.

I didn't make a lot of money at this sale, but I'm happy with how the day turned out. I love how my music and jewelry are combining, and leading to some interesting opportunities! Here are a couple of photos of my table:

Check out more of my handmade jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Fused glass jewelry: magic dichroic glass pendants!

When working with glass, the final product will often have a different color from when the glass was in its original state. The fired glass's color also depends on what type of base metal/glass is used. When making an enamel piece, blue glass powder won't look the same if it's placed on copper vs. silver or with a white vs. ecru enamel base. The same goes for dichroic glass.

Dichroic glass has even more surprises in store for the glass artist because dichros are multicolored to begin with. The glass has a prismatic effect and the colors shift as the light hits. The glass's hue also changes during the firing process -- sometimes even more than I'd anticipated.

With enamels, you have a pretty good idea how the color will turn out. Blue is almost always blue, though the final shade might be darker or lighter. Sometimes enamels will turn odd colors when fired on silver -- for instance, yellow becomes pink in this case -- but for the most part, you can predict what your piece will look like.

Well, dichroic glass continues to surprise me. You can shift the glass downward at a 45 degree angle to get an idea of how a fired dichro will appear, but this is not foolproof. This afternoon, I made two new pieces using some interesting patterned dichroic glass. On one piece, I used a black base and layered it with clear butterfly-print and pink mirrored glass. The end result? The clear glass came out dark blue, while the pink glass turned into shiny gold. I like it, but so weird!

I used a clear base for the second piece and fired that with some yellow dichro... and that turned out to be turquoise with deeper blue undertones. Not at all like the colors I chose.

This makes it difficult to repeat or design custom pieces since I can never be sure of how my glass will appear in the end. It's certainly an adventure working with it, though. I kind of like the fact that I can still be surprised.

Check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Fused glass jewelry: striped dichroic glass pendants

One of my favorite things about making my own fused glass jewelry is that I'm actually wearing my stuff! I'll admit it -- I'm TERRIBLE at advertising my work in person because I rarely wear jewelry I've made. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of my pieces and love many of them, but I tend to make things that are more to my customers' tastes. I've always loved dichroic glass, though, and made a point to purchase glass pendants at craft fairs that were made by other artists.

Now that I'm creating my own glass art, I'm able to make as many designs as I'd like. I really loved a simple, but colorful striped pendant that I'd made. It came out better than I'd expected and I liked how it looked with my pink T-shirt. Here I am wearing it last weekend:

Keep in mind that it was about 70 degrees that day and the next day was in the 30s. Yeah, that's how our crazy weather has been in New York. I wore the same pendant to a fundraiser that was held the next day, but I paired it with a long-sleeved blue top. It got a lot of compliments and I decided to keep it for myself and not sell it. Since it was cold, though, I slipped a sweater over my top before heading home.

Well, when I got home and took off my sweater, I could not find the pendant. The cord was still around my neck, but the pendant was gone. I shook out my sweater, my coat, my top... everything I wore that day, but no pendant. I was pretty bummed and am still hoping it turns up somewhere.

I didn't stay upset for too long; I simply got out my glass and made another striped pendant. This one also turned out pretty well. However, when I went to attach the bail to the back of it, I squeezed the Krazy Glue too hard and spilled glue all over my piece. I tried to remove it, but I couldn't get all of it off, even with acetone, and the pendant's face was damaged. Another striped piece down the drain!

I was now on a mission to make -- and keep -- a glass piece. I made several striped pieces, being very careful not to overfire them or break them, or do anything stupid in the process. Here they are!

I think the one on the left is my favorite of this bunch. I haven't yet decided if I'll keep it; I'll wear it and see if I like how it looks with a few outfits. I'm happy with these guys, though.

Sometimes it's embarrassing to share these stories of my jewelry-making mishaps ... but like any other job, there are ups and downs, especially when you're working with glass and fire. I can get very frustrated when I make mistakes, but I do try to learn from them. I am getting better and making glass jewelry, which is my ultimate goal. But expect to hear about more disasters along the way.

Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Handmade enamel skull keychain

Thanksgiving was a double treat for my family this year. Not only did we get to celebrate with our family; it was also my dad's birthday! In honor of the occasion, I made him a special gift: a handmade enamel and cloisonne skull keychain:

I chose the skull design because my dad collects them (not real ones! I get asked that all the time, LOL). He's also not a big jewelry wearer other than watches. I couldn't picture him wearing a skull necklace, but I realy wanted to make him something so a keychain seemed like my best bet. Happily, he really liked the gift, especially because it is handmade. He used to make stained glas pieces so he understands how much work went into it.

As for how I actually made the enamel piece, it was all about layers. I first put on two coats of opague black enamel powder on the back on the copper square. After I fired them to smooth glass, I put on a coat of white enamel on the opposite side. Meanwhile, I shaped the fine silver cloisonne wire into a skull, and I have to say that cutting out the tiny eyes, nose and jawline was the most difficult part. The cloisonne fired up nicely, but the nose moved slightly so it looks as if he has a broken one. Oh, well.

Once the cloisonne set, I wet packed the rest of the colors. Wet packing is a little like water coloring and is a great way to do tight, intricate work with a brush. I added white to the skull, filled in his eyes and teeth and painted the flames beneath him. I fired the piece then added another coat of these colors to smooth them out and really make them pop.

This enamel piece was a lot of work, but worth it because I wanted to give my dad something special. Now he can carry his keys -- and think of me!

To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations. To purchase my novel, check out REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Selling my handmade jewelry: getting my name out

One of the most important things that I'm doing in setting up my jewelry business is getting my name out. Word of mouth pays off and I want to make sure that people remember Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. Obviously, this blog is a way to put my name out there and I also include business cards in all of my packages.

Well, today I took a little risk in getting my name out and so far, it was worth it. As you know, I've been working on making a professional looking jewellery catalogue so that I can sell my pieces to stores at wholesale prices. I'm not yet done with the catalogue as we unfortunately had a family emergency and things are on hold. However, I don't want to sit idle, either.

After meeting girlfriends for lunch at South Street Seaport in New York City, we went shopping in the waterside mall. We stopped in a boutique-type store that had little statues, bags and costume jewelry. I purchased a bag and my friend got a beach hat. On a whim, I then asked the owner if he ever accepts work from local artists. I gave a brief description of my jewelry and he was really interested! He gave me his business card, as well as all three of his e-mails and told me to contact him when my catalogue is put together.

I know that I was advised to not approach store owners; that I should instead e-mail them with the line sheets, but I didn't think that it would hurt to give this guy my name -- and it didn't. He was so friendly and open to the idea of selling my work. This obviously won't guarantee that he'll buy anything from me once he sees my inventory, but it did give me some confidence. And I do think that my stuff would fit right in with this store, which sells jewelry in the $20 range.

I don't know what will happen with this store, but I'm glad that I at least made an effort to get some sales going. It will be so exciting, though, if my work ends up at South Street Seaport!

To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations.

Handmade Jewelry Auction Tonight

I recently joined the site Tophatter. Basically, it's a site where you can auction your handmade pieces. They have a virtual "live" auction and the seller can chat with bidders. I'll be auctioning my pop art style enamel necklace at 7 p.m. tonight:

I've read mixed reviews on Tophatter, some very good and some, well, not so much, but I think it's at least worth checking out. I like the idea of being part of a live auction; it's exciting. And if anything, I'll be able to promote my Etsy shops. I do wish that they'd let me auction more than one piece at a time, but if it goes well, I guess I'll get to that stage. Meantime, I'm willing to experiment with different sites and see what works.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewellery, head to MayaGirl Creations.