Happy New Year

Christmas came and went so rather than being late, I'm claiming the Japanese side of the family and wishing you a Happy New Year!!  :)  We've had a relatively quiet year here, for which I'm grateful.

For a change, I really don't have much to say beyond that.

Be safe, be happy.

See you next year!



Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Buy Local?

Image via WikipediaIt's no secret that the cost of living in Hawaii is extremely high.  There's very little competition and virtually all of our goods are imported.  You can get some great produce locally, but for the most part, small business owners around here tend to provide services or cater to goods that would appeal to tourists.  There are also some GREAT eateries and wonderful artists.  One thing I love about living on the Windward side of Oahu is the variety of small businesses in the community.  You can find all sorts of creativity from hobby shops to older clothing recycled into really great accessories.

However, the big box stores are starting to creep in. I've got mixed feelings about that.

As a consumer, I like the idea of not having to make a 30 minute drive to get some of the items that the shops here don't carry.  There are also some local businesses who took advantage of the lack of competition for many MANY years by jacking up their prices on items we all use, such as construction materials and some groceries.  Oddly enough, now that the bigger stores are here, those businesses- the ones that claimed the price gouging was necessary- are still around, but I digress.

On the other hand, as a hobbyist who peddles a few items here and there, I can appreciate the small business and the amount of work it takes to run them.  In particular, hobby supply and and other specialty shops which bring in items readily available online.  One day, I think it would be fun to be an entrepreneur.  Maybe as a retirement project or something.  Local businesses really should be the backbone of a thriving economy, not these huge conglomerations.   However, I've found that we simply can't afford to buy all the things we use in this household at local shops... so much of our shopping is done at larger national chain stores and online.

I come from a family full of civil servants- teachers, state and county workers, and military... we serve our communities on a daily basis.  (And before that my family worked on plantations for literally pennies a day.)  So when I get lectured by someone who sells a lot of product (we're talking SEVEN figures), criticizing me for not supporting local businesses, I get a little pissy.  Do not EVER accuse a mother who has deployed in defense of her country of being socially irresponsible unless you want to make a scene.  There is A LOT more to supporting your community than just throwing your money around in it.

Crafting is what I do with the "extra" spending money leftover after we take care of everything else.  This certainly is not how I make a living, and quite frankly, if my friends want something I can make for them, I would prefer to just give it to them because to me, the joy in is in creating- not making money.   There is also fun in discovering that someone else values your work enough to part with some of their hard earned money.   But you see what I'm getting at- I do this for fun, not to make money.  And so, if I bought all my stuff locally from local run stores, I couldn't afford to keep progressing along with skills and techniques at a rate that would be creatively satisfying.  At the same time, I can appreciate the amount of work and thought that goes into starting and running a local business, particularly in this economy.  I also believe that small business is vital to our economic growth, and competition is a key factor in capitalism.  So if I can afford to buy local, I do.  But if you're going to charge me double what the same item costs online, guess who's getting my business.



Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Silversmithing Class Review

Hi folks, I know it's been a while.  The holiday season is always packed- I haven't even addressed my Christmas cards yet!  But I wanted to take a quick minute to talk about a 2 day silversmithing class I took at Bead It! Kailua.  They brought in a "guest" instructor from the Mainland, which was a real treat since more or less everyone in Hawaii learns their skills and techniques from one of two primary bead stores.  So anyway, his style was totally different than what you typically find among the local artisan jewelers, and therefore, interesting enough for me to take a couple of days off of work.

I wasn't really sure what to expect.  This is the most expensive class I've taken thus far.  (Maybe that's why I was the youngest student in the class?  Might also have to do with the fact that the instructor's style is a native American style, which tends to be bigger and very ornate compared to the "local" jewelry styles.)  When I looked around and all the other students were my mother's age, I thought maybe I was in the wrong place.  But I have to tell you, now that I've completed the class, I think that it was a GREAT deal to get that much instruction and information.


Some of the students had no previous experience, others had taken several classes.  One lady used to carve stones, which I thought was really cool.  I have some experience soldering and fusing, but only on very small projects like toe rings and making my own simple charms and links.  Here are some photos of what I learned... after two days (17 hours total) of instruction:

We learned how to make a bezel, rope, silver balls, and how to solder all of that (and sterling charms) without losing definition or detail.  Then we learned how to set cabochons and also how to use a dremel to trim and polish.  (Obviously, the crystal flatback is NOT an element normally found in a Native American motif, but I couldn't resist adding a touch of bling!)

David, the instructor, had his hands full with all of us constantly asking questions, but he answered all of them while making sure we didn't burn ourselves, each other, or Bead It! down to the ground.  There is a lot of science and math behind silversmithing.  Not to mention, there are many ways to approach a project.  Everyone figures out what works for them.  Not everyone is good at teaching those techniques to others.   There were actually 3 classes scheduled, more or less back to back.  I cannot believe this guy travels as far as he does, spends 8-10 hours a day setting up, teaching, and cleaning up, and doesn't fall over from exhaustion.  I worked my butt off to make this ONE piece and I was so tired!

We all had a LOT of supervision but also the opportunity to practice different techniques multiple times.  I am confident that I can continue to do this type of work on my own!  Not bad after just 2 days, right?

Of course, that doesn't mean my first attempt was perfect by any stretch of the imagination.  I kind of mangled the back on this one with the dremel when I was supposed to be grinding down the excess silver on the back side...  This is what happens when you are in a rush- I had to wait for a tool and was rushing to catch up with everyone else, then I accidentally skipped the dremel across the back. Fortunately, the texture hides most of it.  I love that multi-face texturing hammer... One of the best things about a class like this is trying out all the other tools without having to buy them first!  The hardest part is not buying EVERYTHING.  You could easily drop a couple thousand dollars on tools, but you don't need to.  I didn't get the texturing hammer but I did get a really cool lazy susan soldering board and upgraded to a larger torch, which can also be used to make bangles.

We also had a chance to make some earrings.  I couldn't decide whether or not to make these into links or rings instead, so I set and polished the stones, and left the wires unfinished for the time being.

Let me tell you, I sure did develop an appreciation for the work that goes into these pieces, even if it's not my typical style!!!  The techniques I learned will definitely help me make things that ARE my style!  Oh, and I would definitely wear this, in case you were wondering.

And if you're interested in finding a session near you, here's the website:  http://silversmithingclass.com/

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Beach Combing, Sea Glass, and Wire Wrapping

My mom and grandma (her mom) went beach combing for me a couple of weeks ago, and came back with almost a gallon of beach glass. I guess it helps to know where to go because there is NOWHERE on Oahu where you could pick up this kind of glass in only half an hour.  (Yes, the colors really are that bright, but they did sort the glass by color.)

Here are some of the larger pieces my son found.  Too large for jewelry but supercool for collectors.

Naturally, I had to make SOMETHING out of the beach glass... (you seem shocked!)  Rather than mess with drilling holes in the glass (many of these pieces are VERY thick and old), I decided to make some simple pendants... some are wire-wrapped, and others have a glued on bail.  Each is truly one of a kind and quite beautiful, don't you think?  Just goes to show you that one man's trash is a crafty woman's treasure!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!