Meet the Team - Interview with Wendy Seebohar

.
Have any special hobbies?
Trail running, I love being outdoors in the peaceful surroundings. I do some of my best thinking during a run. Gardening, I am working on finding the right plants that the deer won’t eat. I don’t think there are many.

What is your business name and website address?
CnK Designs

Your shop address?
www.cnkdesigns.etsy.com

Do you sell in any shops other than etsy?
Yes, I do drop shipping for a few online boutiques and also have pieces in a few retail boutiques.

How did you find out about metalclay and then start working with it? How long?
I started with beading and learned about metal clay through magazines and online sites. It interested me for probably close to a year before I finally jumped in and tried it. I have been working with it for about a year and half now. I have taught myself with the aid of books and online classes.

What drives you to make jewelry?
I think I have a need to create. If I am not making jewelry I am decorating my house or landscaping the yard. I love to be surrounded by beautiful and unique things. It is very satisfying when something turns out as good or better than you hoped.

Blue Skies Ahead
.

.
Are you disciplined or do you go with the flow and work when you feel like it?
At this point I pretty much have to be disciplined. With 3 kids and the number of orders I am filling I have to make sure I work each day.

Won any awards for your jewelry? for anything else?
Not for my jewelry, I have never entered any contests. Well, I won an award for a piece of pottery in high school and have a couple of trophies from running races.

Do you do any other type of art?
Not really. Just crafts with the kids.

What is your art sensibility - precise or organic?
I would have to say organic. I love rustic and weathered looking things.

Play bracelet
.

.
When did you feel you had more confidence in your abilities?
Probably when I started having a hard time keeping up with wholesale orders and realized people were really buying my stuff.

What is your favorite tool for working with metalclay?
Carving tools for the clay and baby wipes for my hands and work area.

Where do you work?
.

.
In the loft. It works well because I can sit and do a little whenever I get the chance and still be where I can be available for the kids.

What is your favorite thing to make?
I love creating the new pieces and seeing the final product.

Do you ever add commercial components?
Yes, chains and jumprings.

How do you work, and when? (for ex. assembly line or one at a time)
An assembly line of several different pieces at a time.

Do you have any kind of creative ritual?
I do love to have the music going!

How do you hold onto ideas that you don't have time to pursue NOW!
I have pieces of paper and notebooks all over. I write on whatever I can find.

Live Your Life
.

.
Do you ever use a sketchbook?
Not really. I use the idea of a sketchbook. It would be nice if I could organize it all into one sketchbook.

Do you ever teach classes and where?
No but I have done little workshops before.

Do you make a living at it?
I make the living I need to make to supplement my husband’s income. I stay as busy as I want to right now with 3 kids.

Happy is What You Make It
.

.
Do you do custom orders?
Yes. It is mostly semi-custom such as changing a word or quote on one of my existing pieces. But I have created a couple of pieces from scratch that went really well.

What are you working on currently?
Working on expanding my race memorabilia pieces… triathlon, marathon, etc.

What's next on your agenda to make?
I’m sure I will come up with something.

How do you make time for everything you want to do?
It’s really hard. Sometimes I don’t get to do everything that I would like to but choose the most important things instead. I think I am always doing two things at once.

Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?
I think I pretty much covered it.

Thank you Wendy,
It has been a pleasure getting to know you.

Her Heart Shines On
.

Xmas Eye Candy

1. Saucers and Berries Earrings, 2. The Salted Pretzel Necklace, 3. Andalusia 1, 4. Rustic Cross with Cz, 5. Leaf Textured Peace Sign Necklace, 6. Sea Elements Bracelet, 7. SmallLentil, 8. Sun and moon pendant, 9. air, 10. 100_1309_edited-1, 11. big heart pendant, 12. Bronzclay Leaf Earrings, 13. bronze and concrete leaf, 14. Koi, 15. DSC02749, 16. Lady Fern in fine silver, 17. pmcRing_04a, 18. spiral Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

A little sweet treat from the Etsy MetalClay team to you.  Merry Christmas to one and all!

MetalClay Photo Album - I'm seeing stars!

It's cold and frosty in many parts of the world and I hope you are all finally enjoying the cozy part of the holidays. There isn't much that is going to get me up out of the house now so sit back with me and view a little eye candy from your comfy spot in that big chair over there. I've got stars in my eyes and I hope you do too. Happy Holidays everyone! Enjoy!

Shining Star by soulyyours
.

.
and also Bloom
.

.
Sandollar Earrings by TZTUDIO
.

.
Sparkle by cnkdesigns
.

.
and Shine
.

.
Starfish Pendant by CleverEndeavor
.

.
Twinkle by chocolateandsteel
.

.
Starburst by AmorDePlata
.

.
Mini Star studs by cherrycreek
.

.
and Twinkle Twinkle too!
.

.
and the spectacular Night Sky Ring by LizardsJewelry
.

.
I sure hope you remembered to get yourself a little something. I did! Ho, ho, ho!

The Savvy Shopkeeper - Pimp Your Shop Edition

New Year's is a time for reflection, making goals or resolutions, celebrating your successes and making way for new opportunities.  I actually do my house re organizing at this time of the year. I still call it "spring cleaning" but I "spring" into action during the first two weeks of the year.

Since I have some time off from teaching now, I've started even earlier - with re organizing my shop (my ridiculously messy house will come later).  I'm taking new pictures, dreaming up some cool new packaging and will be taking a look at my pricing. I'm gonna take advantage of the new drop down  that lets one view a shop by Most Recently Listed, Least Recently Listed, Price: High To Low and Price: Low to High.  I'll choose Low to High option to see if everything's priced to sell or way outta wack.

There's so much that we can do to keep our shops up to date and fresh, but sometimes even the thought of re-organizing can blow our minds. Here are just a couple of articles that might help you to organize your thoughts so you can pimp your bling to the max, man.

• EtsyUtah has posted 10 Quick Tips in their terrific blog

• The Storque has an entire shop makeover series just packed with great ideas to help you Pimp Your Shop

So go on now - take it to the streets, fresh out your crib and become Etsy's major Mack Daddy in '09! 

  

Meet the Team - Interview with Christine Childress

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I am a happily married, 29 year old, living in Champaign, IL. A transplant from Massachusetts, my husband’s job moved us to the mid-west. He works for a company that makes Play Station 3 and X Box 360 games. I work for a small engineering firm and have my BS in Civil Engineering. I do not have any formal education in the arts. Most of what I do is experimentation and what I have learned through the massive amount of books I have accumulated.

Silver Peacock Pendant
.

.
Have any special hobbies?
Working with Precious Metal Clay, fused glass, gemstones and seed beads is my hobby. I really shouldn’t say working; I usually tell my hubby that I am playing with clay.



What is your business name, shop address and website address?
I named my business the Clever Endeavor. I am currently working on a website that hopefully will be up this winter.

 I currently sell all of my items via my Etsy page www.cleverendeavor.etsy.com. And my blog can be found at www.cleverendeavorshop.blogspot.com.


Do you sell in any shops other than etsy?
I sell some of my pendants at a local bead store.


How did you find out about metalclay and then start working with it? How long?
I am relativity new to metal clay and started working with it for the first time in January 2008. I got a bunch of books on the subject for Christmas and after I bought my little ultra-light kiln and my first bag of clay I was hooked. My husband got me a larger kiln for my birthday and things have escalated from there.



What drives you to make jewelry?
I think I like the problem solving aspect of it. To me the fun is figuring out how to execute an idea. As a result I am constantly reading and looking on the internet for solutions and inspiration.



Are you disciplined or do you go with the flow and work when you feel like it?
I love creating! If I am not in my craft room working on something, I am on the internet researching an idea. I’m afraid I am addicted to the internet and Etsy has just compounded that problem with having too many beautiful things to look at and too many talented people to chat with.

Lotus Pendant
.

.


Won any awards for your jewelry? for anything else?
I have not entered my work into any juried competitions yet. It is on my to-do list for this year.



Do you do any other type of art?
I have taken two fused glass courses, so I am having fun making fused glass bowls and plates. I am currently experimenting with fused glass pendants. I like working with seed beads and gemstones, which I guess is in the same genre as jewelry making.



What is your art sensibility - precise or organic?
I love detail. I love precise, realistic detail but most of my pendants are items that are found in nature. My shop features quite a variety of different animals and plants.

Vintage Tulip Pendant
.

.


When did you feel you had more confidence in your abilities?
In July of this year, after lurking around Etsy for three months, I finally decided to take the plunge and list my work on Etsy. The positive feedback I got from fellow Etsians boosted my confidence. I have a great deal more to learn and hopefully my work will improve with more experience and experimentation.



What is your favorite tool for working with metalclay?
Two part silicone mold and my razor blade. I am addicted to making molds of antique buttons, pins, found objects. I currently have a million molds in my craft room. To break me of my ebay vintage button addiction, I have turned my attention to photo polymer plates. I am hoping to turn some of my sketches into stamps or molds with the photo polymer plates.



Where do you work?
I will send you a photo after I clean it. I am a slob; I don’t know how I get anything done. Though occasionally I get inspired from the clutter on my desk, like "wow, those beads really go well together don’t they?!".
.

.


What is your favorite thing to make?
Whatever is the current idea I have in my head.



Do you ever add commercial components?
I have added fine silver findings and gemstones to my work.



How do you work, and when? (for ex. assembly line or one at a time)
I work on one idea at a time after I get home from work.



Do you have any kind of creative ritual?
No not really. At the beginning of the week I make a list of the things I want to accomplish and try and plan the week according to my goals and schedule.



How do you hold onto ideas that you don't have time to pursue NOW!
I have a list of ideas and inspirational photos I keep in my sketch book. It holds all of my ideas, my expanding list of goals and the list of all the tools and books I want. I then look for ways to accomplish these ideas.



Do you ever teach classes and where?
No I do not teach. I probably should add getting certified on my to-do list. Unfortunately there are no certification classes close to where I live.

Do you make a living at it?
No. I am definitely keeping my day job but it would be nice to sell some of my pieces to support my ever expanding obsession, I mean hobby.



Do you do custom orders?
I am open to doing custom orders.



What are you working on currently?
The Thanksgiving holiday and work have gotten me way behind in my bench work. I have ten pieces on my bench right now. I am mostly remaking the items I have sold recently but hopefully by the end of this week, my pirate ship pendant, King Arthur pendant, turtle pendant, tree frog pendant and Victorian charm will be back in my shop. I will also add a bouquet of flowers pendant, a scallop shell pendant and rose pendant as well.

Bronze Flower Bouquet Pendant
.

.

What's next on your agenda to make?
I am experimenting with fused glass and silver overlay paste. I am also working with photo polymer plates right now. Hopefully I can make some original custom stamps. I have made one decent “heart with wings” polymer plate that I am happy with.




How do you make time for everything you want to do?
I make a list of things I want to accomplish for a given week. Since I do have a full-time day job I do most of my work on the weekends or at night.



Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?
I am new to this whole experience of marketing oneself. One of the most eye opening things I have found is how much work it takes to sell one’s work. My goals for this year are to create a website, keep my blog up to date, and expand my knowledge.



Thank you,
 it has been a pleasure getting to know you Christine.

Victorian Cross Pendant
.

Shameless Self Promotion Rules!

While perusing KnitSteel's blog the other day, my eyes fell upon a new Etsy widget that I didn't recognize. It looked like a cross between a Mini for a shop called "The Mini Blog" and an advertisement. "What is it?" I mused to myself. My finger was itching to click and I allowed it to tap the mouse.

The link led me to a Blogger blog called "All Things Handmade"which turns out to be dedicated to promoting individual Etsy shops through the use of mini's. Sounds familiar. Isn't there a feature just like that at www.EtsyMetalClay.com ?  Anyway, the blog is laid out beautifully with searchable categories and sub categories, just like the "real" Etsy site.

In addition to being another great promotional tool for sellers, it's also a wonderful search engine for buyers and Treasury curators. The mini's show the artist's style as well as the goods offered and clicking on it of course takes you right to the seller's shop.

I've already made the request to be added to the list, which was really simple. I just went to the Jewelry category and the sub category that I though best fit my items - metal - went down to the comments and entered my shop name and id.  Easy peasy.  Haven't heard back yet, but it is the holidays.

Go take a look and see for yourself.  It's a good thing.

Copyright and Jewelry Design

Even Suki and Moon have turned their backs on the subject of copyright. They consider it boring!


I hope the following information helps you in some manner. It is important to have at least a basic level of information.

There is a fine line between creative license and design ownership. It is possible however, for similar designs to be created with access to so many of the same materials.

The US Copyright Law automatically protects your work from the moment you have an idea. Whether it is a finished piece of jewelry or a drawing of your design. However, if you plan to teach, make multiple copies and sell your work, the only real protection is to file an application at www.copyright.gov. The fee is approximately $30.00. The more generic the design e.g. - using certain shapes and/or natural elements the harder it is to prove. Currently, copyright protection lasts for the life of the designer plus 50 years.

If you develop a design that is so unique, the best way to protect yourself is to file a design patent. A design patent protects the overall aesthetic appearance of the jewelry design, not how it is made. Most jewelry designs will fall into this category as long as it is a new design and sufficiently different compared to other designs. However, this is a very expensive process. It can cost $1500.00 and you only have one year after your design is shown, to file.

Copyright does not protect  titles or names of a piece, an idea that has not been rendered and techniques.

On another note, many people do not know or understand what they can and can’t do. For people that teach I think that it is helpful to sate your intentions. For my first PMC class, the instructor did not give us a handout. She didn’t want anyone teaching the class. It was a challenge taking notes and working at the same time. As it turned out, someone in the class took good notes and we all got a copy.

People need to understand that they can not copy a magazine article or a tutorial from a website or teach what they have been taught for profit without permission. The article they make is for personal use or can be given as a gift. Many instructors do not have a problem with things being duplicated for profit. It really is a choice by instructors how they feel. Many instructors simply want to be given credit for their work.

I hope that this has been helpful in some way. If you have more specific question, please email me at anytime. molliandco@charter.net. There is a book out "Your Crafts Business - A Legal Guide" if you would like to go further into depth, about the subject.

Happy creating!

Molli Koltun
Modern Metal Jewelry

Meet the Team - Interview with Jennifer Smith Righter

.
Victoria in Red

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I’ve lived in lots of places, mostly in California.  I tend to move a lot due to my husband's employment.  My husband and I have a combined 7 children who are all out on their own now (knock on wood!).  I spend my days playing around with metal clay and taking care of my fur baby, Gizmo.
.

.
Have any special hobbies?
I like to bake, but with just the two of us at home now, there’s not much call for it except for special occasions. I draw a little bit.

What is your business name and website address?
Wearable By Design
I also have a very neglected website (www.wearablebydesign.com) that I’m going to have to update one of these days soon.  It has a lot of my older work on it and my bad photography. Etsy has forced me to come a long way with that! I hope to get my incorporation going at the start of the new year and then I’ll branch out a bit.

How did you find out about metal clay and then start working with it? How long?
I took a jewelry making class as an elective when I was in an Architecture program about 7-8 years ago (?) and loved it.  When I finished school,  I new I didn’t want to work as an Architect, but rather wanted to go back to making jewelry.  That scale of work felt more right to me and I just loved working with metal.  But I needed to find something that I could do that was less equipment intensive than some traditional forms of working with silver and I happened to stumble on metal clay and just loved it.  

What drives you to make jewelry?
I’ve always loved jewelry and loved making things.  I feel the type of jewelry I make is a cross between building something and sculpting something.  I like pushing it and seeing just how far I can go with making beautiful, light, elegant sculptural pieces.
.

.
Chain Reaction

Are you disciplined or do you go with the flow and work when you feel like it?
I pretty much go with the flow.  I have to be inspired to work, but I generally don’t find myself lacking in things that I’m wanting to explore.

Won any awards for your jewelry? for anything else?
I won an honorable mention in 2007 for “Barcelona” and in 2008 for “Andalusia 2” and “Blossoms” for the North American Design Competition.
.

.
Blossoms 

Do you do any other type of art?
I draw a little bit.

What is your art sensibility - precise or organic?
I do both and love vacillating back and forth between the two.

When did you feel you had more confidence in your abilities?
About 2 years ago.  I felt I’d hit a wall with metal clay and didn’t know how to move beyond it.  I took another jewelry making class with Deb Jemmott and showed her my work.  She really inspired me to incorporate more traditional fabrication techniques into my designs and that’s when I feel like I got beyond my block and my lack of confidence in both myself and my medium.

What is your favorite tool for working with metalclay?
I use my flex shaft the most.  Oh, and my needle tool.

Where do you work?
In my spare bedroom.  I’ve got a really nice set-up.
.

.
What is your favorite thing to make?
Probably necklaces, but they take the most time, the most material and are the most expensive.

Do you ever add commercial components?
Only screw-eyes and clasps.

How do you work, and when? (for ex. assembly line or one at a time)
I do both depending on the need.  But usually I’m working on one piece from start to completion.  Only occasionally will something sit on my workbench while I’m working out in my head where I want to take it next.

Do you have any kind of creative ritual?
I look at a lot of  other people's work --  in every kind of medium and am often inspired by that.  I collect ideas and get a big stack of them when I’m not at my bench.  I think about things for quite a while before starting a project and then usually, I go through the stack and say “Oh yeah, I remember what I was going to do with this” and I start to work.
.

.
Ophelia Earrings

Sometimes I make a paper model of something.  Sometimes I sketch it out.  Sometimes I just make a paper template.  But usually once I start, I work on it until it’s finished (with breaks for eating, sleeping, etc.).

How do you hold onto ideas that you don't have time to pursue NOW!
In my stack of clippings, drawings, etc. on my workbench.  They get culled from time to time and put into an accordion file or tossed. 

Do you ever use a sketchbook?
Yes, but surprisingly only when I travel.

Do you ever teach classes and where?
Not at this time.  I’m more likely to tutor than to teach classes.  But we’ll see.

Do you do custom orders?
No.  Not now.  I have in the past and might in the future.

What are you working on currently?
A square pendant that is inspired by circuit boards.  But I’m working out a way to get it out of two dimensions and into three.

What's next on your agenda to make?
I saw this gorgeous picture of a woman in a dress.  It was white, diaphanous and multi-layered  It almost looked like a sea creature.  The dress was white, but the edges of the layers were blue.  I’m working out a way to use plastic and edge it in metal to resemble the look and feel of this dress.  I’ve started to experiment with melting plastic, but am not yet satisfied.

How do you make time for everything you want to do?
I don’t, but I’m pretty patient and don’t feel the anxiety about it that I used to.
.

.
Double Snowflake

Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?
I’m not as serious as I seem.  I have a pretty wicked sense of humor.

Thank you Jennifer!
It's a pleasure getting to know you.

Holiday Sale Preparations

Whether you are preparing your etsy shop for optimum sales or selling at a holiday fair or art show, it's always nice to have a good presentation, one that shows off your jewelry. I had an idea for earring stands that made a big splash on my table at a recent show and I wanted to share it with you.
.

.
I used some 14 gauge colored aluminum wire. It's soft enough to bend into shape with your hands and gets harder as you work it into shape. I used pliers for the first few bends but then I just wrapped with my hands.

You can do this in many shapes, sizes, widths and heights only limited by your imagination. First I cut a piece about 18 to 22 inches long and fold it in half. That folded point is what is going to fit into the base. Then I start with the pliers, tightening the point of the fold and then working from each end to make a spiral. After the first two turns you can just use your hands to bend the rest. If you leave small gaps of 1/8th of an inch between the rings of the spirals you can then hang your earrings at any height.
.

.
After this "v" with the spirals is formed, get another piece of wire about 20 inches long from the same or a complementary color. Start winding the new piece tightly around the point of the"v" from about an inch above the bottom and heading downward about 5-10 times. At this point start making your circles wider and wider until you have a base that is kind of cone shaped.
.

.
Then place this on a table top and adjust your wire so it stays standing and is flat and balanced. Remember that it's best if the base is almost as wide as the top.
.

.
Another thing that's important to think about before sale time is getting the word out and there are a few ways to do that.

Postcards or bookmarks from a reputable place like Overnight Prints. I use them exclusively and I love what I have gotten from them.

I just got these postcards for my holiday promotion:
.

.
I take my own photo and alter it the way I want. I add details and choose my type in my photo program on my computer. I use Photoshop Elements. I design the front and the back. On the back I use a smaller photo and put in all the ways my customers can get in touch with me. This is a good place to list show dates and locations. You get to choose what gets on there.
.

.
Overnight Prints lets you upload the images and then decide whether you want glossy on both sides or just on the front. I just get the front glossy and I like to leave a place on the back for an address or notes. That way I can mail them to my customers without an envelope. Who knows who else will see it on it's way to it's destination?

My final decision is whether I want rounded corners - and I do! It just makes those postcards look so special and polished.

I haven't gotten the bookmarks yet, but I am thinking about it.

Then there are MOO cards. If you have a flickr account you can just use the photos from there, but if you don't, you can also get cards printed from your Etsy photos.

They are small and cute and add a very nice touch to your packaging.

emails:

Design your email to look like a work of art and promote your sale that way. Use special fonts and photos of the pieces you'll be having at your sale. This costs nothing but some time to design and then email to all the people on your list.

And finally, everyone feels the pressure of wanting to produce enough for the demand of their jewelry during the holiday sales rush. I have found that getting a few choice pieces cast in sterling silver a couple of months before Christmas has given me a lot more time to work on other things and even have a few hours a day to relax and catch up on my day to day chores or even add in something "FUN" like going to the movies or reading a little.

I live in California and I found a place called Snell Casting in Grass Valley, California.

Here's what I did:

I got together 10 small birds I sculpted in metal clay. I had made so many of these, they take time and I wanted to be done with that. I made 20 and picked the best 10 and sent them off.
.

.
I also sent off a really cute monkey I made a couple of years ago that I was reluctant to let go of and had many people offer to get one if I ever made any more.

Check out the pics!
.

.
Now I have lots of monkeys!
.

.
First, call them up and talk to Robert Snell. He'll give you a run down on how they do their work. They do large runs and small runs. Because I am a smaller business person he advised me to take it slow and build the number of pieces I cast gradually. At first I had him make 6 pieces each of 3 items. If you order 12 or more they will also do some finish work on them for an additional charge. Finish work is tumbling, soldering something on and giving the pieces a patina. They do a short tumbling on each piece as a courtesy so your silver comes back looking like silver and when I get it back I tumble for about 2-4 hours depending on the finish I want. The way they charge you is first you have to get a mold made by the mold maker and that has a cost. You pay him separately. Then you pay a fee for each piece made AND you pay for the silver he uses by the market value on the day of casting. Each project is individual so it is best to call and discuss what you will be sending him. Then when he gets your pieces from you he'll call you back to discuss if the job can be done. He is a good communicator and won't send anything out unless he is satisfied it has met your specifications. It has made my life easier.

Monkey Time
.

23 Squidoo

It's quick, it's easy, it's informative, it's fun! Squidoo is a website that allows anyone with a passion and some expertise in their field to create a page or "Lens" to share information on any topic(s) that tickle(s) their fancy. Cheaper than a website (free in fact), more comprehensive than a blog and socially conscious to boot! Squidoo donates the first %5 percent of their profits (raised through ad space) to charities. After keeping 45% for overhead, they then give the remaining 50% to the LensMasters or to charity, whichever the LensMaster prefers! 

There are so many lenses (more than 700,000 pages) that it would take a lifetime to check them all out, but here are some really great ones that you might love to peruse. Many of these lenses have links to other helpful lenses (it's like a pyramid scheme of information) so be sure to read the whole page.

For Metal Clay

• Just one of the many Metal Clay Lenses created by Margaret Schindel

• Product reviews

For Etsy Sellers

• Creating effective listings on Etsy

• Tools for Etsy Sellers - this one has two great fee calculators near the bottom of the page.

• Creative Packaging

• Photography

For Promoting Your Shop

• The ins and outs of Twitter

• Becoming your own LensMaster - Basic Tips on creating a lens

• Preparing for a craft show

Happy Surfing! 

Meet the Team - Interview with Natasha Bouey

.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I am a self taught artist and I work as a lab technician at the California Institute of Technology. I do science by day and art at night.  As a biology major I am fascinated by the world around me and have always had a strong desire to learn how and why things work.  I have been creating art for as long as I can remember.  Art and science are my passions and are constantly crossing over into each other on a daily basis.  Whether it's noticing the beauty in the patterns bacteria colonies make on an agar plate or using the problem solving skills I use daily in trying to make the designs in my head translate into a doable project to solve problems in the lab, I have discovered that my 2 passions compliment each other.
 
Have any special hobbies?
I am an animal nut and have probably more pets than any sane person should have.

Fine Silver Pug Pendant
.

. 
What is your business name and website address?
NBDesigns and my only website is my Etsy shop: NBDesigns.etsy.com

How did you find out about metalclay and then start working with it?
I am a huge Carol Duvall fan and I would watch religiously before going to class in the morning.  On one episode I saw a small piece on PMC.  I was amazed and always kept it in the back of my mind as something I wanted to try.  3 years later after reading a book that had a big impact on my life a fire was lit in me to make a pendant to represent a favorite passage from the book.  I got online and found a class near me and signed up.  Fortunately it was a class taught by a wonderful lady named Lora Hart, and after her class I left with confidence and a desire to create more PMC work.
 
What drives you to make jewelry?
Creating art always has been a stress reliever for me.  I find when you are focused on creating you do not have time to think/worry about other things.  My daily life experiences inspire me to create new designs based on what gets stuck in my head.
 
Are you disciplined or do you go with the flow and work when you feel like it?
I wish I can say I was disciplined but it is more my OCD I rely on to get things done.  No matter how tired I am I force myself to sit and start work knowing that once I get started I will have fun and the hours will fly by.
 
Won any awards for your jewelry? for anything else?
Nope.  But a pair of my earrings will be in the February issue of Art Jewelry Magazine. I would like to try entering some design competitions when I feel I am ready.  I still have a lot to learn.
 
Do you do any other type of art?
I do it all.  Paint, draw, sculpt, wood working, ceramics... basically anything I can get my hands on :).

Angel Wing Pendant
.

. 
What is your art sensibility - precise or organic?
I would have to say precise.  I want my pieces to look realistic and detailed.  I want them to be instantly recognizable.
 
When did you feel you had more confidence in your abilities?
When I listed my first design and woke up the next morning with an order for 6 pieces.  It was then I realized that people really liked my stuff!
 
What is your favorite tool for working with metalclay?
My favorite and most useful tool for working with PMC is my trusty Exacto knife.  I would be lost with out it, I have noticed that work comes to a screeching halt if my exacto disappears.  It is really great for getting into small areas for cutting, texturing, shaping, and smoothing.  It’s like having 10 tools in one.
 
Where do you work?
.

.
I am lucky enough to be able to use my garage as my studio.  The previous owner of the house used to be a carpenter so I inherited a lot of great stainless steel counter tops, drawers, and cabinets (complete with all of the peg board I would ever want which is perfect for all of the stuff I need to hang).
 
What is your favorite thing to make?
My favorite item to make have to be pendants, not everyone is a ring person, or has pierced ears but if you make the design just right, you can make a necklace wearer out of anyone.  I like to make pendants that are mini sculptures of objects, nothing too abstract.  I think people get a kick out of having tiny symbols that represent their careers, hobbies, and passions.
 
Do you ever add commercial components?
Besides sterling chain and the CZ stones everything is handmade.  I carve my own models and design all of my molds.  I am thinking about adding some pre-made embeddable fine silver bails.  Handmade bails are always a gamble when it comes to finding the right chain that will fit through the bails. 

How do you work, and when? (For ex. assembly line or one at a time)
Creating has always been a stress reliever for me so I try to do a little something everyday.  In the case of an order I always get to work right away, I do not like to keep people waiting (since I do not like waiting). I am constantly sketching and sculpting.  One of these days I am going to make all of the ideas I have floating around in my head.  I have a drawer full of molds that I hope to use soon.

Angel Wing Save Darfur
.

. 
Do you have any kind of creative ritual?
My ipod and my dogs are 2 constants.  Good music and company help keep the mood positive and help keep me focused.  My dogs are always good at reminding me when I need to take a break.
 
How do you hold onto ideas that you don't have time to pursue NOW!?
I always record them in a sketch book before they fly away, and post them on a cork board hanging up in my studio… so I won’t lose them if I lose my sketchbook :)! My sketchbook is a must, you never know when a good idea will hit.

Do you ever teach classes and where?
Nope too much drama for me, but I do have friends come to my studio and give PMC a try.  I say leave art to the artists and teaching to the teachers!
 
Do you make a living at it?
No, but I wish I did.  I have to admit I have had weeks where I have made the same if not more money selling my jewelry than at my regular 9-5.  I love it when that happens, it gives me the hope that one day it might be possible but I do not regret having a 9-5.  I am lucky enough to have an interesting job that gives a lot of inspiration and ideas.
 
Do you do custom orders?
Yes, I wish I had more to do.  But I find the customers "ideal" price rarely covers the cost of my time.  I don’t think people fully appreciate the time, materials, and costs it takes to make a one of a kind custom piece.
 
What are you working on currently?
A line of jewelry for writers, it involves a lot of fountain pen nibs and faceted onyx drops that are supposed to represent ink.  I am also working on jewelry for researchers working with zebra fish, mice, and quail embryos and other science/biology related stuff.

Writer Earrings
.

. 
What's next on your agenda to make?
I have completed the quail and mouse embryo, so I have to find a suitable picture of a zebra fish at an interesting stage to sculpt.  I also need to make a model of the writer's bracelet, that will incorporate all of the ideas I have and still look good…I am a bit stuck with this one.
 
Thank you Natasha.
It has been a pleasure getting to know you.