About a month ago at bazaarSPARK, I had the good fortune of meeting another female jeweler about my age, visiting the states from her home, Mexico City. Since then we have been trying to get together for a chat, and yesterday we finally found some time.
We covered everything two young artistic females could cover. We talked about college experiences, how we got into metalworking, jobs, the economy, family, relationships, what we want out of life, and how we see art fitting into our futures. I showed her my studio space, my newest work, and we also looked at some of her spectacular rings. All in all, it was a fun time.
It was nice to get the perspective of another artist trying to make her way in the world doing what she loves to do. Although we live in two very different places, our experiences, goals, and vision of what we want our lives to be are very much the same. The whole experience reminded me that that I do not spend enough time talking with other artists about their experiences. After all, we are all working towards the same goal, to live beautiful, creative lives, and we need to support and encourage each other whenever possible.
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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fashionSPARK was a great success! Thanks so much to everyone who made such a great night possible:
My wonderful models from Models for Charity.
The fabulous stylists from Citrine Salon.
Jack the Radio, for the best music at the show!
Here are a few of my favorite photos of the night:
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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It’s official, I finished the final piece for my fashionSPARK 2011 collection last night. I’m so excited to debut everything on the runway: Friday, September 16 8pm in downtown Raleigh.
While I typically work in sterling silver, for fashionSPARK I decided to explore some new materials, namely stainless steel. It was quite a learning experience, but I’m excited about the result. Now I’m not going to post any images of my finished jewelry and spoil the Friday night surprise, but here is a before picture of some stainless steel blanks that later became a flashy necklace and bracelet:
Want to see the finished product? Come out to fashionSPARK!
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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bazaarSPARK!
After a fun filled night of fashion at fashionSPARK on September 16, I will also have a booth at bazaarSPARK. A unique outdoor shopping experience, bazaarSPARK consists of a diverse group of vendors selling everything from clothing, jewelry to crafts and, of course, food! Come stop by my booth and say hello. I will have all of my fashionSPARK jewelry on display, and tons of fun sale jewelry that is just calling your name. I don’t know the exact location of my booth as of yet, but will post that as soon as I know.
bazaarSPARK hours are:
Saturday, September 17: 10am-6pm
Sunday, September 18: 11am-4pm
Downtown Raleigh
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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…is coming your way on September 16! I’m very excited to be a part of this great runway show again this year. While last year, I was paired with a clothing designer, this year I will be featured on my own as a designer. I have been working towards the big night for weeks now, so mark your calendars and come out to support the Raleigh fashion scene:
fashionSPARK
Friday, September 16, 2011
8pm
City Plaza in downtown Raleigh
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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After quite a bit of experimenting, my exploration of wooden jewelry has finally started to turn into something. It has been quite a learning experience, but a fun change in materials. With all kinds of variations that I am introducing this fall, these pieces are handmade from start to finish (no pun intended) by yours truly:
Stay tuned for another new material on the horizon for the fall, stainless steel!
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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Over the past couple of weeks I have been experimenting with new materials in my work, namely wood. Now keep in mind this is just a first-round prototype, but this bangle bracelet is what I have come up with so far:
It has definitely been refreshing to work differently. This bracelet, made entirely of hardwoods, was hand-turned on a lathe by yours truly. I also love the idea of doing wooden bangles for Spring and Summer. I still have a ways to go, so stay tuned for how this idea progresses!
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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The rush of the holiday season has finally died down, and now that I have had some time to recuperate from the sprint that was December, I’m redirecting my focus to building the core of my business, wholesale accounts.
If any of you know of a boutique or gallery where my work might sell and are willing to put me in touch with the owner or buyer, I will take it from there and see if they would like to pick up my work. If the referral results in a new wholesale account, then as a thank you I will send you my Oxidized Gold Leaf Drop Earrings pictured above, a $163 value absolutely free. These sterling silver and 23K gold leaf earrings have been a huge seller and look absolutely great on everyone. I promise you will love them!
If you have a referral just email me at claire@emilyclairedesigns.com.
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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In thinking about 2010, in addition to my accomplishments, there are still quite a few things I could have done differently. In my last post, since I bragged about all the things I did right, it’s only fair that I list a few things I could stand to improve on:
1. Marketing- While I did make some improvements in my marketing plan, there are quite a few things I still need to work on. For instance, I should have been posting on this blog regularly, I should have approached more stores about carrying my work, etc.
2. Business Planning- I definitely wrote my 2010 business campaign plan last January, but once it was finished, I never looked at it again. Business plans are designed to help you track your progress and meet your goals. I might have done a better job of meeting my goals if I had referred to my 2010 Business Plan on a regular basis.
3. Production Pace- While I am very efficient in my studio, there are quite a few more steps involved with getting my work ready to sell, other than the actual fabrication. For instance, I have to price my work, photograph it, and add it to my website. This can be a long process, but I need to make it quicker. The sooner my work is available for purchase, the better.
I could keep going with this list, but I’ll just stop there, since these are the three main areas where I think I need to improve. In fact, if I really commit to making positive changes in these areas, I should stay very busy in 2011. I’ll keep you informed on my progress. =)
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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I can hardly believe 2010 is over. It has really flown by! All in all, I would say 2010 has been a year of growth, exploration, lessons learned, and accomplishments. Here are a few things I think I did right in 2010:
1. I started my Studio Collection. This group of work is a product of some of my most creative moments in studio. I really am glad that I created this collection and plan to keep adding to it, as I feel I can continue to grow and challenge myself through this body of work.
2. I finally started my monthly email newsletter, and so far it’s been a great way for me to stay in contact with my customers. Sign up here!
3. I was accepted as one of the jewelry designers for the Raleigh based fashionSPARK Fashion Show. You might have read about it in previous posts, but it was a great experience and I was happy to be a part of such a great event!
4. My holiday sales where the highest ever on record since I started my business, thanks to all my wonderful customers! I love you all!
5. I took an online marketing course to learn more about how to market my work. Stay tuned for how I will put what I learned into practice in 2011 =)
Thanks for reading!
~Claire
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