Jewelry Care

My sister suggested that I post a blog about caring for your jewelry, and I think that is a great idea. I did some research to ensure that I'm giving you all accurate information, and I learned a lot in the process.

The easiest rule of thumb for almost all jewelry is: to keep it shining like new, wear it often, put it on as the finishing touch of getting ready, and store it in a sealed plastic bag.

By wearing your jewelry often you're actually polishing the metal throughout the day. Waiting to put on your jewelry until you're finished getting ready protects it from hairspray and perfumes which can build up and attract dirt.  And when you're not wearing your jewelry, storing it individually in a plastic bag slows down the tarnishing process and prevents it from being scratched. This is especially true of sterling silver.

Hammered Heart necklace made completely out of sterling silver:

Sterling silver is composed of silver and copper, the copper is added to strengthen the metal, but it also makes it susceptible to tarnish. It's easier to prevent tarnish by storing jewelry in a sealed bag, than to remove tarnish. But if you've got some pieces that have already begun to tarnish, they can be cleaned with a polishing cloth or by dissolving baking soda in warm water and gently rolling your jewelry through the mixture (be sure to completely dissolve the baking soda so the mixture is non-abrasive!).  Metals tend to tarnish much more quickly in humid climates, so storing your jewelry in plastic bags is much more important if you live in a humid area or near the ocean.

The exception to the plastic bag rule is pearls. This is important to note since I use pearls so often in my jewelry designs.

Brooch with Pearls - Necklace

While pearls are very beautiful, they are also very delicate, and can dry out easily.  So instead of storing your pearls in a plastic bag, a bag made of soft cloth is better.  If your piece of jewelry contains both pearls and an easily tarnished metal the best solution is storing in a soft cloth bag inside of a tarnish resistant jewelry box.   In addition to drying out easily, pearls can also be scratched easily and are sensitive to prolonged exposure to light, hairspray, make up, perfume, cleaning chemicals, and acids such as vinegar and lemon juice.  That sounds pretty high maintenance, but honestly if you just wear them often, putting them on as your finishing touch to getting ready, wipe them off with a soft cloth when you're done, and then store them in a soft bag they should be fine.

Through gentle handling and proper storage, your jewelry will stay shiny and beautiful for years to come.  If you have any specific questions about jewelry care, please let me know.

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

Inspiration - Amethyst Bracelets

My designs don't always come as easily to me as the Turquoise Necklace did.  But the same creative process still takes place, I start with the materials, and a need.  This past week I found myself in need of some bracelets, and I had these wonderful amethyst beads that had been sitting on my shelves unused.  So I started to play around with them, I mixed and matched the amethyst with other beads until a few ideas were formed.  Then I sketched out my design:

After creating a sketch or two I got to work on the real thing.  Sometimes I get lucky and the actual piece of jewelry turns out just as I envisioned it, but other times rework is necessary.  In this case, I wasn't 100% thrilled with the bracelet, the amethyst looked great, but the spacer beads just weren't cutting it:

So I looked through my inventory to see what else would work better, and started over.  Here is my second attempt:

I think this one looks SO MUCH better, the shine and simplicity of the ball beads compliment the smooth curves of the amethyst and give the bracelet an overall elegant look.  It's funny how a small change can have such a large impact, seeing that illustrated here pushes me to continue striving for the best and never settle for anything less.  If I don't love a piece, how can I expect anyone else to?

On it's own, this bracelet is dainty and sweet.  But it also occurred to me that it would work well as part of a set.  So I got to work on two more of the exact same bracelet, and put them all together.  The effect?  Voila!  I love it!  They are still dainty and sweet, but the three together just have more of an impact, plus I love to hear them jingle against each other as I move. 

If you love these as much as I do, check them out on my Etsy site: www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

They're perfect for a February Birthday :)

Lesson Learned - What is success?

The first week after quitting my job, I was completely overwhelmed, I had so much I wanted to accomplish but didn't know where to start. And I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself, for some reason I felt like I had something to prove and if I didn't have immediate success that I was some kind of failure. The Sunday night before my first day as my own boss, I couldn't even sleep, I was so anxious. I felt exactly like I used to the day before a new school year would start when I was a kid; excited, nervous, and full of expectation.

Before focusing full-time on JoMarie Jewelry, I thought that my biggest asset was going to be time, I thought I would have SO MUCH time that I'd be able to get absolutely everything done. But I quickly figured out that my days didn't magically get longer, I still only get 24 hours, and, no, I'm not able to get everything done in them. Despite not crossing off everything on my To Do list, the time that I do have is awesome, I don't want you to think that I'm complaining!  But what I've found, is that my biggest asset is really my flexibility. I don't have to stick to that 9 to 5 regimen anymore, in fact, as a creative person it's better if I don't force it, but instead work when an idea comes to me. If a new design strikes me at midnight I can work on it right then (the fact that I'm a night owl doesn't hurt). Last night, I had this burning desire to create a new bracelet made with a mixture of shiny and shimmery black glass beads, it was 12:30 am, but I went ahead and worked on it. I didn't get to bed until 2:30, but that's okay because I made a new bracelet and I enjoyed doing it!

Here's the result of my late night:

Midnight Sky - Bracelet

I went ahead and slept in a little to make up for the late night. Last week I would've beat myself up for sleeping in because I was still holding myself to the standards of the corporate world. It seems pretty straight forward, but it's taken me awhile to realize that I'm not in the corporate world anymore, I can and should do what's right for me when it's right for me. I quit my job in order to pursue my jewelry business, but I also quit because I was unhappy. So I'm not going to beat myself up for sleeping in, I'm going to be grateful that sleeping in is an option for me.

 Although I'm not quite two weeks into this I've already learned an important lesson, success does not just mean making JoMarie Jewelry into a profitable business, success also means finding my happiness. This week I have focused on having a more balanced life, I've allowed myself the time to do fitness classes at the Y, cook healthy meals, and just relax without feeling guilty about it. And I've really seen a difference, I feel happier and more serene. I just enjoy life more. So according to my definition of success, I would say things are going really well!

Inspiration

I get inspiration from the raw materials used in jewelry making, combined with a particular need I personally have. I figure that if I'm in need of a certain piece of jewelry, then some of my customers are probably in need of something similar. The latest design I created was a long bohemian style necklace made with vintage turquoise my mother had given me.

As a kid I remember going through my mom's rather sparse jewelry box, she didn't have much, but she did have some beautiful turquoise bracelets and necklaces. The last time she visited me in Nashville she gave me a little baggie filled with irregularly shaped turquoise beads from an old necklace that had broken. At first I thought she wanted me to fix it for her, but she said I should just keep the turquoise and create something new with it. The beads were so beautiful that I immediately wanted to make something, but they were also special to me so it was really important that I make something spectacular. This expectation of making something brilliant paralyzed me, so I ended up sitting on the beads for several weeks, unable to commit to an idea that was "perfect" enough to warrant using them. Then one evening as I was getting ready to go out with friends, it hit me. I needed a long silver bohemian style necklace with a splash of bold color to complete my outfit, the turquoise was perfect!

In a matter of minutes I had the design all mapped out in my head. I was supposed to meet my friends in a half an hour so I had to work quickly, I mixed large and small turquoise beads with freshwater pearls and a silver hoop to create a beautiful pendant full of nature's treasures, I cut chain long enough to easily slip over my head, fashioned it into a completed necklace and was out the door!

I'm in love with this necklace and am so happy I was able to use my mom's precious turquoise in such a wonderful way. Time and again, I'm reminded that for a piece of jewelry to be beautiful, I have to start with great materials.

To purchase this Turquoise necklace or other pieces of jewelry I've created, please visit my website:

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

Jewelry Work Station

Last year when I started to spend a serious amount of time working on my jewelry, my husband, Cliff, and I decided that I needed a designated work space.  I was sick of my back aching from leaning over the coffee table, and Cliff was sick of not being able to use the coffee table.  So I set about looking for an appropriate work station.  I call it a work station rather than a desk because I needed so much more than what a traditional desk could offer.  I needed a large flat surface, yes, but I also needed loads of shelving for all of my supplies and tools.  I was imagining a full wall unit with cubby holes and drawers and bins for all of my stuff.  It needed to be functional, and easy of the eyes too!  What I found, was that there wasn't much out there.  There were some specialized work stations, but none of them fit the bill.  And ones that could've worked were so outrageously priced, they weren't even an option.  So it was decided, we were going to have to make our own. 

We didn't build it from scratch, it was semi-homemade.  I ordered several modular cubes from Walmart.com for about $20.00 each.

I also purchased different inserts such as drawers, shelves, cubbie hole dividers, and storage bins to go in the cubes.

Next we picked up some MDF from the Home Depot and got to work putting it all together.  Cliff cut out the desk top from the MDF, we sandwiched that between two upright modular cubes creating a desk flanked by two towers of shelving.  To top it off, we added another plank of MDF to connect the two towers and layed two modular cubes horizontally for more storage.   Here's a picture of the finished product, I don't think it could've turned out any better.

I've got all of my tools and supplies at my fingertips!

 My computer is right there too so I can keep up with my orders from Etsy, there's room for a whiteboard for all of my To Do's, and the desk top doubles as a photo studio when I finish a piece of jewelry.

There's a place for everything and everything in its place! If you're looking to build your own work station and have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

www.etsy.com/jomariejewelry.com

 

The crazy girl who quit her cushy job and now makes jewelry

I'm not one of the lucky people who has always known what they wanted to be when they grew up. As a kid I enjoyed being creative, and I do recall telling my first grade teacher that I wanted to be a "drawer", I guess I didn't know that they were called artists. But at some point along the way I lost that dream and was completely unprepared when faced with the life-altering decision of what to major in at college. Unfortunately, not being that wise at the age of 18, I made the mistake of choosing accounting. How much further can you get from the free flowing creativity of an artist, than the rigid, deadline driven life of an accountant? But I was more concerned with making a good living, I thought that a big paycheck would make me happy. So I stuck with accounting, getting my masters and landing a job a Fortune 500 company. Almost immediately after starting I knew it wasn't for me. There was no room for creativity, in fact, creative accounting usually lands you in jail. So I spent my days lost in excel spreadsheets crunching numbers, for almost five years before deciding that the big paycheck just wasn't worth it. During that time, I rediscovered what I had known when I was six, I wanted to be an artist. I'm at my happiest when I'm creating something beautiful. And I've finally found my medium! Although I've dabbled in painting, soap making, and ceramics, where I shine is making jewelry. The day I figured out that I wanted to be a jewelry designer, that I COULD ACTUALLY BE a jewelry designer was one of the happiest days of my life. I FIINALLY found what I'm passionate about, and after years of studying and practicing a subject as boring as accounting, I cannot express how thrilled I am!  The Monday after Thanksgiving 2010 I put in my notice to quit my job, my last day was New Year's Eve. And today, to use a phrase that is used too much (sorry but it applies), is the first day of the rest of my life! Or maybe I should say it is the first day of my new life. I am not an accountant anymore, I am an artist, a jewelry artist.

It is a little overwhelming to be my own boss, I have so many ideas and things to do, that I'm not quite sure where to start. I also have this not so small problem. Don't think I'm being facetious when I say this, I'm not doing that thing where you list a strength as a weakness during a job interview, this really is my biggest weakness. I'm a perfectionist. That was actually pretty beneficial when I was an accountant, but not so much as an artist or entreprenuer. It can actually be quite debilitating, I'm paralyzed by the fear of not being perfect. I struggle with it daily. But as I've seen with my Etsy store www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry, it's better to put something out there that's great than to not have anything out there because you're waiting for it to be perfect. Nothing is perfect, Jodie, and that's okay. This is my mantra. So I'm going to start my first imperfect day by blogging (check), then work on getting set up as an official business (Go JoMarie Jewelry!), then it's off to the gym for a class (I've got New Year's resolutions to uphold too), and over to the bead stores (I hope they've gotten in some good pearls), and finally back home to my beautiful studio space to work on an order. Sounds like an almost perfect day to me :)