Category Archives: Philosophy

Bracelets, Necklaces, Philosophy, Wire Work

Which Came First. . .

June 12, 2011 Karen

. . . the design or the beads? I’ll bet you thought I was asking about the chicken and the egg.

Something initiates most new ideas, inventions, problem solutions and designs. Artists who say they’ve lost their muse might benefit from the examination of how their art begins. With musicians, the question is often “do you start with words or with melody?” The fiber artist might query whether the fiber drives the design idea or the idea hatches and initiates the search for the right fiber. Does the author select a setting or environment to write about and then create characters or vice versa?

Jewelry designers might well consider the above question “do my better pieces start when I’ve become fascinated by the possibilities for designing with a particular bead OR do I develop a design and then search for what gemstones would compliment it?”

For example, the bracelet on the left started with the square bead. Although you can’t see it in the photo, it is not perfectly flat and I wanted to show off its character. This bead led to the adaptation of my previous dimensional design and required the development of a square, as opposed to oval, face. You may recall the former, shown below, from past blog entries. The tutorial for this one is in my etsy store.

The bead has come before the design several times when customers have brought me rocks or gemstones collected during their travels. It’s often a challenge to make the right design to show off their treasure.

Other times, the design comes first. You’ve previously seen the double wire necklace series. These copper armatures require just the right size and shape beads for elaboration. Since each armature is a bit different, the bead requirements vary from piece to piece. The necklace below, found in my etsy shop, features heishi shaped moonstones and garnet rounds. I played with other beads before finding the right ones for this design.

Of course the bead and the design may come together at one time. Is this the perfect marriage? Do your exciting pieces begin this way?

At this point you may be saying “who cares?” Art just happens. If your art flows freely, you don’t need this analysis, but what if it doesn’t. I think we all go through periods, whether long or short, of inactive inspiration. These are times when we wait for a great idea and it doesn’t come. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that a little analysis of previous work could prove helpful? It doesn’t work for everyone, but it might work for some. During those “dead idea” times, I’d try almost anything!

A careful analysis of my own work reveals that the design usually comes first. I spend a good deal of time playing with wire and that’s how most things hatch. The problem often occurs in the search for the perfect complimentary beads. Sometimes my impatience during this search causes me to use the wrong beads and then the design falls flat. I hope to become a little more patient during upcoming searches.

I’d like to believe that the artist’s muse doesn’t really run away, she just needs a little time to rest now and then. Yet, it wouldn’t hurt for us to give her a little nudge through analysis.

Philosophy

Lucy at Dreamcatcher Ranch

June 7, 2011 Karen

The past few days I’ve looked a bit like Lucy when she and Ethel had the candy wrapping job. I’m sure you have seen snippets of the episode of the I Love Lucy Show where the candy comes faster that Lucy and Ethel can get it wrapped and moved down the assemble line. You can see it on YouTube.

I’ve always tried to make the most of my jewelry design time. Often this means stringing one piece while metal components of another have their turn in the tumbler or dry outdoors after they’ve been properly sealed.

I usually prepare several pieces at once before taking them downstairs to the torching room. Therefore, while some things are annealed or soldered others dry or tumble and this creates an assembly line for the designs – I’ll bet you have the picture. It probably works the same way at your house whether you’re preparing dinner while washing clothes or feeding the cows while the flat on the tractor gets fixed. We all multitask.

This week, however, the tumbler seems to get finished before I’m through stringing and the wire armatures are ready for embellishment before I get the foldformed pieced annealed and into the patina. I feel like someone gave each instrument in my orchestra a different tempo and some are playing a nice andante while others are engaged in a runaway fugue!

OK, you say, just show us the problem. Where are the pictures? Well that’s part of the problem . . . I didn’t get any pictures taken before the pieces went right out. You’ll have to trust me when I say that 13 necklaces, 5 bracelets and 14 pair of earrings have left this Lucy show since Friday.

Tonight, I’m going to stop wrapping those pieces of candy just like Lucy did and take a break. Here’s the only problem. Lucy ate some of those chocolates and I don’t think I should ingest any of these copper components. I guess they are just going to have to stay in the tumbler a few extra hours or just sit and wait to be annealed. What I do know is that it’s time to slow down the assembly line and get control of the schedule. After all . . . who’s is charge here?

family, Philosophy

Thanks Papaw!

May 30, 2011 Karen 4 Comments

On Memorial Day we are reminded of the thousands of military men and women who perished for our freedom. I was touched this morning by the Today Show’s story about young widows of military men who have banded together to help one another and make the most of their now solitary lives.

I am among the lucky ones. I haven’t lost a family member through military service even though my father, grandfather and uncles all served on foreign shores. All of them came home whole. We were blessed. So today I honor my father for his service in the army. He fought in World War II and the Korean Affair, but he never spoke about either. There were no war stories and there was no mention of what he saw or felt. I was left to wonder.

I know he was among those enlisted men who was commissioned during the war and I’ve heard my mother talk of how difficult it was for him to adapt to the change from “one of the guys” to leading the guys. I also know that he learned to cook while in the army; yet her never discussed the difficulties or the true significance of his time. I never even knew how he managed to come home one night from a foreign town wearing the wooden shoes that eventually set on our fireplace mantel instead of his army boots! I’ll bet that would have made a fine story.

At the end of active duty, my dad remained in the reserves and each summer he spent his vacation with other reservists during two weeks of hot summer camp. I don’t even know what he did there other than sweat!

In 2000 when my dad knew he had little time left on this earth, he asked my husband to fetch an old shoe box from his closet. The box held a military belt with a leather holster inscribed with U S. The holster contained a well kept Colt revolver that I had never seen before. My dad told us that he carried this in war time and that his father carried it in World War I. Now it hangs in our locked gun case as an ominous reminder of what was and what remains today. We are a country that fights to protect humanity and continues to sacrifice for the common good.

I now believe that my dad kept his stories to himself for many reasons. In particular, he did not seek sympathy or admiration for what he had done. He just did what most other young men did during that day and time so long ago. I also believe that to talk is to remember and he didn’t want to relive those desperate war days. He simply went on with life and left them behind as best he could. He must have dealt quietly with his own hell of memories and perhaps it’s best that I never knew what he experienced.

Thanks Papaw. I miss you.

Necklaces, Philosophy, Wire Work

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

May 28, 2011 Karen

No, I’m not practicing a witch chant; I’m just continuing my work on the double wire series. You may recall seeing some of these necklaces in a post several entries back. I continue to be fascinated by the myriad of possibilities that exist with this basic design. That’s the “Double, Double” part.

Then there is the toil. Each time I pull out a long piece of wire and double it back, I get excited about what may develop; yet, I toil over how to get just the right balance in the wire armature and the beads. The necklace on the right looks a bit off, but I turned it too much in the photo and it is actually OK in person. I would have taken another photo, but this one found a home yesterday. Part of the toil comes as a result of needing to think of both sides at once. I’ve learned I can’t just do whatever I want with one side of the wire and hope I’ll be able to do something appropriately balanced with the other. It just hasn’t worked that way. Yes, I know I should probably draw the design before I start, but I’m a hands-on designer, not a pencil artist.

A significant part of the toil is determining how many beads to use. Originally, I planned to use many more beads on these armatures. I had an unfinished double wire necklace with me one day while visiting a boutique and wanted to get the owner’s take on the armature shape. She liked it, but didn’t want any more beads on it. She appreciated the simplicity. In other words, she helped me see that less can be more.

Finally, as the title suggests, there’s the trouble part. This occurs when the boutique client calls to request another double wire necklace “just like” the one I sold her last week. “Sure,” I say while wondering what in the world I sold her last week. I often feel like quite the dim wit as a client carefully describes the pieces she wants replicated and I have no recollection of what she’s talking about. Obviously, I must do a better job of taking photos of EVERYTHING. I just haven’t been that disciplined. Yesterday, I went to a gift shop that sells my work and took a photo of the display. It should help me remember a number of the pieces that found a home there. By the way, this store, called Paper Bear, is in San Marcos, Texas. Visit this unique place if you have a chance.

I apologize for the poor photo on the left, but wanted you to see just how different these double wire pieces can be. This one seems to resemble a cat.

I guess my conclusion from all this “double, double, toil and trouble” is that it will continue for me. In the sports arena, that would probably be stated as “no pain, no gain.” Maybe for designers we could say “no play, no pay.” If we don’t play around with our designs (or toil), they will be the same old thing and may not sell. I, for one, am going to continue to play, take lots of pictures and hope for the best.

Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Techniques, Wire Work

It’s a Wrap

May 23, 2011 Karen 2 Comments

An expert friend kindly helped me learn a few variations on the wire wraps I use for cabochons. Below are a few that I’ve completed. The first shows a nice moonstone cabachon purchased from Magpie Gemstones (www.magpiegemstones.com) You might like to know that this great online bead vendor is offering a $200 shopping spree to some lucky person. You can get the details at the following link: http://www.magpiegemstones.com/spree.html Check it out.

Below is what I believe is a jasper cabachon. I’ve had it a long time and am debating what it is. You can see the wrap better in the second photo. This piece is in my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/74560684/copper-wire-wrapped-cabachon?ref=pr_shop

I also got this great turquoise cab shown below from the aforementioned vendor. I looked at it on the workbench for several months before deciding what to do with it. Then I wrapped it several different times. This piece is currently in my etsy shop. ( http://www.etsy.com/listing/74554455/turquoise-cabachon-necklace)

The piece below features a titanium plated drusy agate, also from Magpie Gemstones. I wrapped it with sterling silver since it was designed as an anniversary pendant. I’m happy to report that the recipient thought her husband made a good selection.

I completed numerous other wraps, but they were not fit for viewing. As with any new skill, they require practice, practice, practice. I’ve been doing a wrap or two every day before initiating the day’s design production work. I find that when one of my skills is lacking, I lose a great deal of technique if I don’t work on it a bit each day. My other skills that are more refined don’t require this. Here’s hoping I can get cab wrapping to that stage fairly soon.

I’ve done some design research on wraps by looking at the work of others online. I see many beautiful pieces wrapped intricately with tiny wire. Although I like these, they’re not my style. I want to keep a more organic look. I think we each have to find and stick to our own niche.

I find that it’s a big conundrum to determine what to do with a wrapped cab when it’s finished. Should I put it on a neck wire, handmade chain, leather cord or something else? I’m beginning to wonder if I should plan that final look before starting the wrapping. That bears consideration. Let’s just hope that as my wraps improve, that last decision will become easier to make.

Creativity, family, Philosophy

Design Stages

May 21, 2011 Karen 4 Comments

I’ve taken a bit of a break from writing while my family has been visiting. Although I would enjoy showing you pictures of everyone, my grandson was really the only willing subject. He and I thought we might offer you suggestions for steps in the design process.

Incubation: This stage requires relaxation and tension release. It is, of course, important to be free from restraints so that ideas can flow.

This stage may require some action that says “it’s OK to dream and think out of the box. Sometimes it helps to get into a new thinking position while you ponder possibilities. This highly divergent activity could mean you look at supplies or tools from a totally new angle as demonstrated in the photo above.

Marketing Research: This is a much more convergent and structured stage in the design process. It can require serious computer research while you determine if your idea has already been done and/or whether it is feasible.

You will want to be comfortably dressed while conducting this stage.

Practice: You may need to refine a technique or skills before starting your new design. Hammering, for example is a good skill to practice. When practicing, it is often wise to practice the same skill with various types of materials. In this case, my grandson worked with both large head nails and smaller rivets.

Try to keep from being distracted by other interesting things while practicing for your design. This can be a BIG problem!

Production: Once you are satisfied that your skills are perfected, it’s time to start creating your design. Guard against obstacles or personal issues that may get in the way of your work.

You will want to be well rested and free from hunger.

Unfortunately, by the time my grandson reached the completion of this stage, it was time for him to go home. Yet, we know the production stage of design development holds promise and look forward to this two-year old joining in the creative process again soon.

Philosophy, Uncategorized

Mother’s Day – The Nursing Home Experience

May 11, 2011 Karen

This is the pictorial explanation of the title. If you don’t want to look at old women, you should probably skip this entry.

Mamaw’s nursing home had a Mother’s Day party. All the “inmates” (Mamaw’s term) who are mothers were rolled down to the dining room for a celebration. My mother didn’t really think she wanted to go . . . but WE WENT! We tried to be fashionably late and some of the ladies had gobbled their snacks before we got there. Sometimes good food is hard to get in the nursing home.

Of course I wanted to get pictures of my mother, but at first there was little cooperation. When I asked for a smile, she gave me the face in the first photo.

We were offered punch, little finger sandwiches and cupcakes, but Mamaw ate very little. She just kept asking “who are all these STRANGE people?” I attempted to explain that they were relatives of mothers, but she continued to comment about their strangeness until I finally had to put the kibosh on her. I believe that when you are hard of hearing, you tend to talk loudly in crowds. That’s the benefit of the doubt I’m offering her. It seemed that she had more to say about the more rotund females among the strange people than about anyone else. I really wanted to keep that quiet!

I managed to get a photo of Mamaw with her favorite volunteer. This kind woman visits several times a week and also teaches a Sunday School class at the home. We really appreciate all her caring and her work. The best volunteers seem to be those who do not have a loved one at the nursing home. Jealousy often arises in the resident whose “people” are trying to help others. I must be careful. After all, I’m told; I’m not their daughter.

Another volunteer was kind enough to snap a couple of photos of Mamaw and me. I told Mamaw to try and look like she liked me and I think she did a good job. I guess you can tell from the photos that this great woman, my mother, might just be feistier than I am! I really glad she’s my mom!

Bracelets, Creativity, Necklaces, Philosophy, Tutorials, Wire Work

Royalties

April 19, 2011 Karen 2 Comments

Do you turn the television off these days when you hear a segment about the “royal” couple? Are you tired of seeing hats with big brims and feathers that blow in the wind? Will this all end after the young British couple is finally wed? At the very least, surely the stories will slow down. . . but I may be hoping for too much.

Even though I’ve avoided the opportunity to wonder about the bride’s dressmaker or whether she will wear flowers in her hair, I have conjured greatest if I could just design a few of the jewelry pieces for the wedding. Hmm . . . I wonder how the queen would look in a funky metal piece like the one below?

Alas, I guess we’ll never know. (I think a little metal something would be quite charming on one of those hats!)

I did think of that royal couple this week when I opened the mail and found a royalty check from one of my books on creativity. I’m still amazed that people buy something I wrote in 1994 that was published in 1996. It just goes to show that I’d better watch what I say that is published since those words hang on and on.

After receiving that check, I wondered how to perpetuate a jewelry design such that it paid off for as many years as that book. The closest I could think of would be the payoff from tutorials. As you probably know, I have two bracelet cuff tutorials in my etsy shop and, like the books, they bring me some cash from time to time.

I considered whether a design that lives several seasons or even years is a type of royalty. A boutique customer requested a freeform peyote cuff last week. This is something I haven’t made in years, but it still has life.

Now, if I can just remember how I gave it that life!

I can’t say this example is a good analogy to the book royalties since I do have to do the work again. The books and tutorials don’t require anything further.

There is, of course, that option of writing a book about designing jewelry. Yet, I remember how long it takes to put a book together, the pain of dealing with a grouchy editor, the long wait before it goes to press and the tiny percentage an author receives from each book sale. It seems to me that the next time I think I want “royalty”, I’ll just put a floppy hat on my head and go out for a stroll.

Bracelets, Necklaces, Philosophy, selling, Wire Work

It Just Takes One

March 30, 2011 Karen

Have you ever had a grand idea during a meeting and no one applauded? Perhaps you created something new and no one thought it was wonderful.This seems to happen occasionally with my jewelry designs. I create something new and the first few customers hardly look at it. I may have thought it would jump right up and grab them, but it didn’t. After a few showings wherein the new design hasn’t gotten attention, I begin to fear that I was wrong. I think that it really isn’t so cool after all and I move on. Later, there is that one person who likes the piece and buys it. My friend from Magpie Gemstones says there’s a person for every piece. I guess I should believe her.

The interesting thing about having one person really like your new design is that it can give you confidence. That’s what it does for me. I finally sold one of my chaos necklaces, shown in an earlier blog, to a boutique owner and she sold it the next day. Now she has ordered three more and another boutique customer also wants to see it. Go figure! I think it the old “if she can sell it so can I” attitude.

The same thing happened with my handmade chain necklaces. Nothing much happened with them until one store owner tried one and now she has ordered more. Although I’ve shown pictures of this design previous I’m included one of the newer models in this blog.

Another boutique customer purchased a cuff bracelet with a square face. I’d had this for a couple of months and no one had been interested in it. She sold it and ordered two more. Now I think I should be more positive about this design.

I’m beginning to think that the new designs are sometimes ahead of the season in which they will sell. Another possibility is that the colors I’ve used in the piece are just not those that the current customer needs. That shouldn’t mean that no one will want them. I guess its all about confidence and patience. I should be confident in a design that I think is good and patient enough to wait for the right customer. It just takes one!

Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Ranching, Wire Work

When Life Hands You Junk

March 29, 2011 Karen 2 Comments

It was a l o n g dark night.

Most of you know that I live on a cattle ranch here in Texas. A well traversed road runs by the front of our property and you can usually see a nice part of the herd from that road. Our cows are black. Our fences act like a fortress. Our cows don’t get out on the road. Yet, when any cow is on or near the road in front of Dreamcatcher, we receive calls. We receive many, many calls.

There is always a very slim possibility that the caller has spotted one of our animals where is should not be and we, therefore, always get up, get dressed and drive to the road to check it out. In the last eight years, none of the animals have belonged to us.

When the phone rings, we always ask callers the same litany of questions: what color are the animals? Do they have Dreamcatcher brands? Do they have ear tags? We use these questions so often that we could easily program our phone to respond with them with them when we receive late night calls.

It started a little after midnight this time. We could see the red lights flashing out on the road and the deputy on the phone said some of our cows were out. This time there was an auto vs. bull accident in front of our property. The bull was not ours (no brand, no ear tags . . . ) and it had been severely injured by its battle with a car. We asked the deputies to put it down. They would not. We asked if we could put it down. They would not let us. So they tied the poor animal up and left it there beside the road.

Since our phone number is on the ranch sign, each time a car went by and saw the poor beast, they phoned us to get something done. One of the strangest calls came at 2:30 AM from a person who was riding his bike along the road. I answered no less that seven calls from drivers informing us about the animal. Obviously, this was not conducive to restful sleep. By morning the bull had passed and animal control is now trying to figure out how to move it. I didn’t volunteer to help them.

Lest this saga continue it’s downward spiral, something good did come from the lost night of sleep. First, I learned that people are compassionate. I didn’t know any of the roadside callers; yet they were concerned about both our loss and the poor animal. Secondly, rather than spending the night up and down answering the phone, I remained up and started stringing jewelry about 2:45 AM. There’s little else you can do but string since hammering while your spouse is asleep is not permitted in this establishment and I was afraid to light my torch while I was so tired. By this morning, I had completed a nice little pile of jewelry and even though I’m sleep deprived, I think most of the pieces look OK. See what you think.

The first two necklaces are made from mookite and kiwi rubies.

The next photo shows a piece made from faceted apricot moonstone and pearls.

The red necklace below is made of pretty, faceted, rectangular stones. I regret I can’t remember what they are. The final photo shows a piece of agate dangling from blue sponge coral. It will probably require a bit more attention. I also made earrings for all of these necklaces.

Now that you probably wish you hadn’t read this post, let me leave you with sleepy words of wisdom. You know what you are supposed to do when life hands you lemons . . . I’m going to rephrase it to say that when life hands you junk, make jewelry! (yes, I AM very tired!)

By the way, we’re removing our phone number from the ranch sign on the road!

Dreamcatcher Designs