Sunday, February 7, 2010

Homogenizing


I have spent a labourious day on the computer. I have been tippy-typing away trying to ensure that my Etsy shop, my website and this blog all have some kind of continuity. I've taken a great deal of time to make sure that all wording is easy to understand, the email addresses and links are all correct, all buttons and photos link to the correct locations, that urls are consistent and that my avatar and banner are apart of my brand. Even all the colours and fonts match relatively well.

My eyes feel drunk - haha, well I'm not sure that's the best way to put it but I do feel a little groggy. I didn't even realize how late it was or how many hours I committed to working on the sites until I decided to actually write a new post. I will have to let this all digest, I'm sure I have let some things slip through the cracks. I'll take a few days off from web stuff so that as soon as I come back I'll notice all the places that need touch ups.

On that note, if you see any mistakes or things that don't sound right don't hesitate to call me out on it. I mean, I have been on here for more than 12 hours!!

Anyway, I feel very accomplished and happy with the pace that I'm working at. I'm confident that all of this hard work is going to pay off.

I was originally planning on having some friends over this week to do some shooting with the camera - but my craving to get my hands on my tools and some beads might just pull me away from that plan!! We'll see, I'll have to start setting up a schedule as to when certain things should be done. I know this is just a hobby, but I'd like to see this progress into something further if I can help it. No sense in waiting until then to start getting business smart. I want to start forming some good habits now. And just because I am my own boss doesn't mean I can let myself slack!

Anyway, I do need to get some rest if I want these eyes to be able to see anything more than blurs tomorrow!!

Cheers,
SL

Saturday, February 6, 2010

It's been a while...

AND SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED!!

It was a rough ending to 2009. I moved and didn't realize how difficult it would be to pack and the UN-pack all of my beading supplies. End of year school things took over my time to continue with the official website, so it has been just as stagnant as this blog. But I made it! More updates and pictures will be added soon.

And now onto the ever exciting 2010...

I ended up having to scrap the entire 2009 Winter line - I had started some fantastic pieces, but there was just too much commotion with the move. No matter because being away from my beads and tools just put more fire in my desire to make beautiful things. A great Spring collection is underway and currently I have 5 necklaces with almost twice as many earrings to match them.

I finally have an Etsy Shop - link and details to come soon. That also means I am capable of accepting credit card transactions. I made sure to do as much research as I could before diving in with an account. I just have my fingers crossed I successfully make it through my first transaction!!!

I have changed the banner and profile picture on this blog to match my Etsy site, and soon hopefully as well on the official site. I'm trying to create a sense of balance and continuity across my online endeavours so that people will start branding my so-called "label" if you will. I decided to put a little astrix (*) before my label. Don't ask me why, but maybe it might help with the branding or maybe it just looks darn cute... either way I LIKE IT!

I also hope to have a photoshoot with some models this week. And by models I mean my beautiful friends. Besides, I think the ladies in my life are far more captivating and gorgeous... oh and yeah, free!

And here is my promise to keep you updated and in the know about *S Jewellery. I have decided to start honing in on specific and unique style. Before I used to tell my clients that I could do almost anything, that if they could imagine it I could create it. And heck, sure, I still can - but I was at the risk of losing my artistic identity. I realized I needed to start putting more of my personal touch into what I created and that would give me the edge to stand out among the rest. At first when I considered Etsy I was overwhelmed and almost scared to join. There were so many very talented jewellery creators already reaping the benefits of online sales. I didn't feel that I stood out or compared at all. I did weeks of browsing and researching trying to find where I fit in, or if at all. And that's when I realized there was a place for me in the Etsy community, I just had to prove it to myself more than anything. So this is where I think the true journey of my beading hobby turns into a potential career begins!

Until next time....
Cheers,
SL

Sunday, November 1, 2009

November means:

...getting ready for the Winter Holiday Season (apparently)!

I was on the subway today and noticed that most of the advertising is already showcasing their winter and Christmas deals... (where did October go?!) So I got to thinking, I should also get in gear to get ready for the holiday season. I will be getting ready to accept any holiday orders for all of your gift giving needs. Check out the website, there has been many updates, including how to order pieces (both pre-made and custom made).


You can also contact me at essjewelry@gmail.com if you need further assistance with ordering or just have general questions about my jewellery.

Cheers, and until next time,
S.L.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

New order for Woods and Woods

Just a quick message to say that I will be working on a new project for Woods & Woods. They have ordered "scarf holders". Which are an elastic ring with beads on it that will complement and help tie scarves, pashminas and other light fabrics for the impending colder season! I will post photos as soon as I'm done with them.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Woods & Woods Collection - part deux

So I decided to make a nice rounded number of 35 earrings for the Woods & Woods store in Uxbridge. I made a couple of duplicates, I didn't think they should be OOAK ("One of a kind" - the new term I learned today) because of how fun they are... it would be a shame that they can't be shared by many.

I shot them before packaging them and sending them off to the store. Unfortunately for me, the data card in the camera is now now reading - so I lost a bunch of images until I find a card reader. I do however have just a couple on another card.





Wednesday, October 21, 2009

S Jewelry - Official Website

Here is the LINK for my website as promised.

Please be sure to send me feedback about what you think about navigating, reading, the links, the photos... any criticism is good criticism - it will all point in the direction of positive progression in the end.

ENJOY!!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Second half of shoot...

The lighting wasn't as good by the time I got out there, direct sunlight is hard to work with (well for me anyway), there are such deep, long shadows, they can be distracting. So next time there's a good sunny day, I'm going to shoot it a little further in the apartment. I also need to find my stands to hang the earrings on, but you have to admit the notebook was a good idea!

Enjoy the rest:




Photo Shoot in the sunlight

So today was a promising day for shooting the pieces I have at home indoors. I somehow managed to fill a 2G card in about 20 minutes... and I still have about half of the earrings to go! But that's okay, it will give me a lot to work with in terms of editing. Here are some of my favourite ones so far!
And now that the camera has successfully imported the images - back to work before my sunlight disappears!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Website created! Woods and Woods collection!

I have decided to minimize my efforts towards commissioned pieces. They were too time consuming and I really couldn't keep to individual's budgets unless it was a bulk order. However I am still willing to do unique pieces for people, just at a price where I will not be compromising my artisanal efforts. Instead I will be making collections, sets of pieces that will speak true to my abilities and creativity as a jeweler and artist.

I have also just created an "official" website for my jewelry. It will be a more formal place for me to show case pieces for sale. I figure this is where I will document the creative process for what I'm working on. I will post the url for it later as it is still under construction.

Today I will also be taking photos of a special collection that I'm creating for the clothing store, Woods & Woods, in Uxbridge. A collection mainly comprised of earrings which will complement their season's collection of clothing - deep purples, vibrant teals and classic red and blacks. I have tried to keep to three styles in mind for this collection. Double jointed dangles, mini-chandeliers and wrapped wire. I'm also using mainly Swarovski crystals, European crystals, freshwater pearls and silver plated wire. I will post some photos here after the shoot.

Until next time,
Cheers,

S Law

Hello and Welcome!

Welcome!

This blog will be dedicated to pieces and projects that I am working on. You can keep an eye on how my jewelry is progressing and what the finished pieces look like. I will also list where the pieces are sold or how you can order your own S Jewelry creations.

You can also contact me at essjewelry@gmail.com for more information.

Enjoy,

Steph Law