I have great customers! The boutique owners who buy my jewelry are all unique and offer different styles in their stores. Yet, sometimes this presents a conundrum for me as a designer. I may really be doing well producing the colors, the size, and the overall style that is right for one boutique. Then I call on another store and realize the pieces I’ve brought with me don’t fit well at all in the second location. While one store owner wants mainly unique copper pieces, someone else is looking for western style jewelry. Although the pieces I usually make are largely for women 30 and over, one of the boutiques I visit has teenage and 20ish women customers. Therefore, my “usual” just doesn’t work. This boutique requires a very different type of jewelry.

The greatest thing that can happen is for the store owner or customer to be specific regarding what she does and does not like. It’s often hard to get people to talk about this since many fear they will hurt my feelings. In the beginning, I did feel low when someone didn’t like a design. Now I see discussion of likes and dislikes as a real plus. The store owners are a huge help when they share this type of information. Not only can I often adjust my pieces based on what they like, I get many design ideas from what they say. Working with the various styles allows for cross over and mixing it up within the designs.

An example is the use of chain commonly combined with vintage or feminine elements in the designs for younger women. This dainty rose necklace is mainly strung with metal beads and includes chain. Although I didn’t consciously plan it, when I switched to working on western jewelry today, some of the feminine style went with me. You can see the use of chain again in the mahogany bead necklace below.

 

 

 

 

 

Mixing styles may not always work, but it does seem to add interest to the pieces. I think the trick it to keep the piece from losing its identity. The other trick is to remember which boutique owner likes which style and to keep up with where I’m going on which day.

It’s very much like spending time with friends. There are those with whom one of your personality traits can be strong, while that same trait may need to be more subdued with another friend. While one friend appreciates your blatant honesty, another is recoiled by it. Just like with the jewelry, it’s important to keep those friends straight and remember who you’re with! Don’t get mixed up!