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!

Nice Girl Notes Cute Stuff Sale

Ok folks, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but you do not want to miss this event.  What exactly is it?  Well I'm totally going to rip this off from Roo over at Nice Girl Notes, but she is the genius who came up with this concept in the first place, so here it is in her words:

what’s a Cute Stuff Sale? I bring together some awesome Etsy shops with NGN readers for a couple hours of chaos. Etsy shops offer their products at discounted prices. NGN readers get to buy really wonderful handmade things for super cheap. Etsy shops get famous. NGN readers get retail therapy. Seriously, it’s a marriage of beauty and wonder. And we have so much fun doing it. (Really, just peek in and watch the madness unfold.)

Now really, I know people don't really think of a FB page as a place to have fun, but I'm telling you, there is a lot of fun and interaction during these things.  Make sure you like her FB page, check it out during the sale hours, and click on "everyone" under the top row of photos so you can see what everyone else is saying/doing. You totally don't have to buy anything, just come and hang out.  Trust me, it's that much fun!

So on Saturday, 8-11pm EST (which makes it 2-5pm HST), be there or be square!  :)


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

Cool Etsy App: Etsync

You might have noticed the nifty little signature block on the bottom of my blog posts... The code is generated by a nifty little website called Etsync.com and it is so easy to use!  You can pick a couple different layouts that will either display your profile pic, shop banner, or a listing from your shop.  Plug in your shop name, click the size you want, and Voila!

How cool is that???


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

Precious Metal Pricing and Keeping Jewelry Costs Down

The price of precious metals is just crazy these days.  When I look through my stash of supplies it amazes me to see prices have nearly doubled in the handful of years that I've been beading.  Unfortunately that means the price of the finished pieces has to go up as well.  So how do you deal with that as a microbusiness?

One thing I've noticed is that a lot of other shops on Etsy love base metals- copper, brass, etc... there is a lot you can do with them because they are softer and very economical.  Not to mention, the mixed metal look is really cool.  But personally, I am not too into the clunky look.  I like dainty and understated- stuff I can wear to work without looking like a gypsy or a Twilight-fanatic.  Still, these are fun to make and they sure do take well to metal stamping.

Another thing I did was experiment with using natural and upcycled or recycled components.   Finding glass, shells and sand on the beach is free and in Hawaii, you can take small amounts considered "personal" use amounts.  I never take a living creature from the ocean and limit the rest of what I take to a handful or so.  That works well for casual pieces, but shells are particularly challenging to work with because the tiny ones are so delicate.  The larger ones are hard to find in good shape.  So I would be able to offer fewer items and increase the markup.   No bueno- well, not in and of itself, anyway.

The third thing I tried to do was focus on making simpler, more classic pieces that will last more than one season.  This is pretty easy for me since I like delicate, dainty, understated jewelry.  If there are multiple colors, there is a pattern.  Maybe it's my inner nerd.  Kumihimo bracelets are especially satisfying in that way- you have to string ALL the beads first, then weave them, so it's a challenge to figure out which colors should go on which cord to get the desired effect.  While I guess one could argue that a bracelet made of 300 Swarovski crystals is not understated or subtle, I sure do get a lot of compliments on them.

Finally, every crafter has that bag of unfinished projects.  I went in and started sorting them out- pieces to finish, pieces to "frog" (cut apart), pieces to give away, pieces to throw away.  I was able to salvage probably a couple hundred dollars worth of supplies and merchandise by taking one rainy Sunday afternoon to do nothing but deconstruct and organize.  Not to mention, upon organizing my supplies, I now have a much better idea of what to buy and what not to reorder.  For example, I found three times as many 1" sterling headpins as I thought I had.  The following weekend, I organized supplies by types of projects so I can sit and crank them out without rummaging through the rest of the stuff I just put away neatly and wrecking all that hard work.

So if you're like me and trying to do more with less, here it is in a nutshell:

• Look for alternative materials to work with that are cheaper to purchase
• Use found or recycled items 
• Create simple, clean designs that will last more than one season
• Use what you already have

Hope that helps!  

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

Pirate Booty

It's no secret that I love pirates. And since I have to replenish my own jewelry collection, I decided to make a pair of pirate-y earrings using these lovely skulls and some labradorite briolettes. :)  What do you think?

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

Another class at Bead It! Kailua: Bangles of Gold

It's no secret that I love our local bead store, Bead It! in Kailua.  This past weekend, I was delighted to get a seat in one of their newest classes, Bangles of Gold.  To make a long story short, it was a GREAT class, and I am REALLY excited about the things I learned!

Since the class teaches you how to solder gold filled wire, it's actually quite challenging, but the instructor, Brendan (also the owner) is really experienced in jewelry making and very enthusiastic about teaching.  Using the materials on the class supply list, I was able to make 4 bangles and 2 rings.  

Granted, I chose to cut apart two of my soldered joints so in the 4 hour class, I was able to attempt 8 solders.  Plenty enough to get the technique down enough to be able to replicate at home.  Not to mention the class handouts from Bead It are always terrific.

Up until this point, I've more or less avoided working with gold.  First of all, it's too expensive to really experiment with.  I mean, one troy ounce of gold is over $1700!   Still, I really dislike gold plated anything (except maybe vermeil).  Actually, I hate silver plated too.  It's just not durable.  Surprisingly, I really like the look of the gold filled wire.    Not to mention, $57 for half an ounce of wire, retail, is a little high, but not completely out of reach.

Yay!

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