inspiration board

There are two things that I've been thinking about lately - the design for my August gift fair booth, and creating a new collection of jewelry. I put together this board with some of the images that are influencing me during this process.

sunshine, bare feet and paper models

So, I know I've been neglecting this blog a little bit while focusing on Crafting an MBA, but I'm trying to get back on track. Not only do I love sharing these little bits of my life with my readers, I also like being able to look back and see how my life has evolved. So, I promise, more regular posting, even if it's mainly pictures.

Today was gorgeous! It certainly feels like spring is around the corner - after my run I took off my shoes to enjoy the sunshine in my bare feet. The nice weather also gave me a chance to work in the studio without freezing. I'm experimenting with some new ideas. Here are the first paper models:

one snap or two?

When I first designed the cozy/cuff SNAP, I added a pair of snaps at the top and bottom of the band. (Like the picture below.) After some feedback from friends, I decided to try one snap in the center (like the picture above.) I've been making both versions, and I took both versions to the gift fair, where the reaction was about fifty/fifty.

I thought about continuing to make both, but its making keeping inventory on hand difficult. Now I have to keep twice as many styles in stock!

So, I thought I'd ask my wonderful blog readers - which do you like better, one snap or two?

"packaging"

So I guess I wished everyone happy holidays a little early, because I still haven't started my Christmas vacation yet.

I've been working on some new "packaging" for the cozy/cuffs. While they've been selling really well online, I'm having a little trouble with them in retail venues. Online, I can totally communicate all the product uses with a few good photos, but in person they are hard to understand.

Ok, that's not entirely true - if you see one being worn or used on a coffee cup, they make perfect sense. Its just in a retail display, they are a little tricky. And with the gift fair right around the corner, I really need to resolve that.

So I'm trying to work on a tag that clearly displays the dual function of the cozy/cuff, without bogging it down with excess packaging. And since I took some new product shots that I'm totally loving, I'm working on incorporating those into the "packaging."

the last minute

Seriously, when did I become so last minute?  I'm leaving for the gift fair tonight, and I've still got a million things to do!

No time for proper blogging, so I thought I'd share a peak of little project I'm working on for my booth.  Wish me luck!

colors

As is always the case it seems, I'm back from our annual week camping at the lake and am suddenly panicking that New York Gift is less than a week away!  How does it always sneak up on me?  I'll be spending the next few days scrambling around - choosing colors for my booth, updating line sheets, getting together promo materials, and all the other miscellaneous pre-show tasks!

And thanks so much for your comments on my last post - lots of great things to think about!

how much? (and what colors?)

Last week I picked up a big batch of the new ornaments in white from my powder coater.  I'm planning on doing a whole wall of them for my booth at NY Gift.

I've got an idea of where I want to go with the pricing, but I though I'd throw it out to you?  How much would you be willing to pay for one of these (retail)?  (Each is 3" in diameter from laser cut and powder coated steel.)  What would you be willing to pay for a set of 3?  Or a set of 6? 

And while you're suggesting, how about colors?  What other colors would you like to see them in (besides white)?

Thanks!

5 bowls

My summer class is over - but I think I managed to make some good progress.  Here are the 5 bowls I completed.  

But I'm still not done with my raising exploration - I'm planning on spending some more time in the studio at school this summer.  After we get back from the beach, that is!

ornament prototypes

After getting everyone's feedback on the ornament (both here and on Twitter), I was able to step back and really think about my collection and what I wanted to do.  I also thought about some of my goals when designing the new collection, including the major goal of developing things I didn't have to make.  And yet as much as I love the new collection, I realize that the price point is a little high for many people, especially right now.

So it seems only fitting to develop a line of laser cut ornaments using the patterns in my new collection.  They could function as a much more affordable version of my line.  (Hopefully - I have sent the designs to my laser cutter for a quote yet.)  

These are just the prototypes that I hand pierced to get a feel for the designs.  What do you think?  I still haven't settled on how to hang them yet.

marking time

Part way through bowl #4, I started tracing the rim of the bowl to see the progression of the diameter.  I like that it makes this reverse tree ring sort of effect - marking the history of my bowl.

It also reminds me of a chapter in Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac, where he traces the history of the county by the rings in the tree they are cutting into for firewood.

4 and 5

I meant to post this on Thursday, but the day got away from me...

Bowl #4 is progressing rather slowly, because I'm trying to bring the sides up to vertical, so I went ahead and started #5.  I'm experimenting with different forms to try to see what works for me.  I keep asking myself, "what does a megan bowl look like?"

black, white, and grey

Even my workspace is monochromatic. 

#4

When I left the studio on Thursday night, I was really disappointed that I wouldn't be able to do any raising again until Tuesday.  And by yesterday afternoon, I was jonesing to get started on bowl #4.

I'm not sure why I've been so compelled to do suddenly do all this raising.  It started as a desire to remind myself that I knew how to do it.  Its been almost three years since I taught the raising class, and I just wanted to check in with my muscle memory.

But raising one bowl probably should have fulfilled that.  Instead, I moved right on to the next one.  Perhaps its because the process is so gratifying - to go from a flat sheet of metal to something that can hold water.  Or perhaps because the process is so physical compared to most of the work I've been doing lately.  Its really gratifying to know that I've wrestled that flat sheet into exactly the form that I wanted.  (Or sometimes not quite the form I'm after.)

And there's a small part of me that is thinking if I continue out this exploration, perhaps I'll get to a place where this works its way into my collection.  I love the new items I've been designing, but I feel like so many people laser cut.  I want to see if I can bring back a level of skill to my work that is indicative of seven years of higher education in metalsmithing.  I want to distinguish myself from the pack.

I don't really have all the answers, but I plan on continuing this exploration - making and thinking as I go.

the jig is up

When I was in grad school, I used to marvel at how quickly my friend Corey could raise a bowl.  Turns out that with a little practice and some 22 gauge copper, I too can raise a bowl in an afternoon.  Corey, I'm on to you!

(Actually, I could never hold a candle to Corey's metalsmithing skills.  I own two of her bowls, and my bowls could never be in the same room as hers.  They would just be embarrassed.)

following along

Wow, it does seem like its been difficult to find time to blog these last couple of weeks.  My weekends have been filled with lots of bike rides and spending time outdoors.  And during the week, I've been wrapped up in teaching my class and playing in the studio.

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been working on the projects along with my class.  So I thought I'd share a process shot from the Pop-up Lighting Project.  The idea behind this project is to create a piece of lighting by piercing a sheet of metal and then make it three-dimensional by some combination of bending and forming, slots and tabs, or cold connections.  I'm making a pair of candlestick holders.

summer school

As I mentioned before, I'm teaching a summer session class - Jewelry for Non-Art Majors.  I've never taught a summer class or a non-majors class before, so I really had no idea what to expect.

Well, I'm happy to say I'm loving it.  I'm the only faculty member teaching in our studio, so I have the place to myself.  My students are fantastic - fun and curious and so excited about everything they're learning.  Their first project was a cuff bracelet, and I'm very happy with the results.  (And I love this picture, its like I've got a whole class of Wonder Woman or She-Ra Princess of Power.)

In fact, I actually have time to make the projects along with them!  Its great because I get to work on something for fun, and its really helping me evaluate what does and doesn't work in each project.

Plus, I've been treating the days I teach as my own mini summer art camp.  Most afternoons after my students leave, I've been staying to work in the studio (which I have all to myself).  Its so fun to work on things I can't do in my own studio because I don't have those tools - I've even been doing some raising!  (If you went to school with me at all, you'll understand how crazy that last statement is.)  And I'm letting myself work with no finished product or goal in mind - just experimentation and some good old fashioned metalsmithing.

I promise to share pics of what I'm working on soon.  I'm so excited to see where all this creative freedom is going to take me!

tease

Just got these in the mail - lovely COLOR in time for spring (but not available for sale yet)...

And don't forget to suggest a retailer and be entered for a chance to win a cozy/cuff of your very own.  (Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions so far!)

Have a lovely spring weekend!

another shade of grey

It was so dark here today, that taking pictures wasn't really happening.  But I wanted to give you a sneak peek of today's arrival - the cozy/cuff in a lighter, natural shade of grey.  Not in the shop yet, but soon.  Now I'm off to work on some of my cozy/cuff marketing stuff...

printing

I spent a really nice Sunday afternoon playing with my Gocco printer.  I thought it would be really fun to make some Gocco prints based on my designs.  I've gotten lots of positive feedback on my new work, but I understand that not everyone has $200 to spend on a lamp, especially now.  So I want to give people the option to own something I created, at a much more affordable price.  

You should see these new prints in my shop in a few days.  

leaves

Sometimes when I spend all day working on production, it can seem a little hard to find things to blog about.  Though I guess today I could mention how I sat down to work and my oxygen tank was COMPLETELY empty.  Which meant a trip to the welding supply shop before I could do anything.  

There you go, I did have something to blog about.  But the picture is probably similar to something I've shown before.  Lots of leaves on my bench.

And speaking of leaves, Janick of neawear was nice enough to post about my work on her blog, Creativadoration.  Thanks!