Hello from Sally in Lancashire

[-Sally-]

Hello all!

I'm a long time forum lurker, but not participator - shame on me.

I love metal and tools (and cameras and lenses) and started off sinking and raising a few bowls in pewter and copper. After getting a numb left thumb from all the hammering, I thought I'd try making smaller, less noisy things - like jewellery.

Despite enjoying the process of fabricating, I struggle with motive - I don't wear jewellery myself, I don't want to make things that I might not like for other people and I don't want to sell something that's taken me so long to make - which would appear to make the process pointless and me a lost cause!

My thinking is that if I joined in the monthly themed competitions I'd have a legitimate reason to play with my tools - I don't suppose anyone else out there has suffered from a similar quandary?

Sally

[Dennis]

Hi sally and welcome.

Some of us are driven by the challenge of a new project and have more queuing up to happen.
I don't wear any jewellery, but enjoy seeing others want to wear what I have made.

If you lack motivation, perhaps you are looking in the wrong direction? Dennis.

[-Sally-]

Thank you for the welcome Dennis.
Yes, it may well be true that I am looking in the wrong direction - but hopefully an aspect or technique will click - if I try enough!
Sally

[metalsmith]

Thank you for the welcome Dennis.
Yes, it may well be true that I am looking in the wrong direction - but hopefully an aspect or technique will click - if I try enough!
Sally

A warm welcome to signing in at Cookies from sunny Yorkshire. :cool:

I understand entirely where you come from (not just Lancs) but not wearing jewellery. There are plenty of avenues to explore and likely enough more than one will click, then another and another. I also enjoy the making process enough to do just that.

[Patstone]

Hi from Devon. My 98 year old mum was born in Lancashire (by accident I hasten to add, her mum and dad were visiting a relative for a couple of days and she arrived sooner than expected.), Glad someone else is addicted to tools, pliers seem to be what I collect, got about every shape you could imagine. I have been making jewellery for about six years or so now and I don't wear much either. Wedding ring, silver ear studs and a thumb ring which was the first thing I ever made in college evening class. My biggest problem is selling it. I have a website and go to a craft show once a month but sales are few and far between. I seem to be accumulating it as I don't wear it much myself and there is only so much you can give away. Any ideas welcome.

[joella]

Welcome sally, hope you enjoy the forum.

Like you Pat, I don't wear most of what l make either. Although I may sell a little, and give some away, the rest piles up. So I have a few bits that I am attached to, and want to hold onto, a few that I'm not ready to let go of yet, and may add to or change in some way one day, some that I part canibalize, holding on to some components that I may use in future in a new piece, and most of the rest goes in the scrap pot, either to be extracated at some point and put to another use or to be melted for casting or maybe one day I will get around to sending back to cooksons as scrap. Sometimes I also extricate stones for using again, but you have been doing this a lot longer than me pat, and I need to practice a lot to get better and get different skills/techniques down, so it makes sense to keep recycling things for me as its satisfying when I get to reuse bits, it doesn't feel like a waste. So basically I have the scrap, the nearly scrap, the this will be scrap eventually and the I want this piles!
Sue

[-Sally-]

Thank you all for making me feel welcome. I'm not sure it should, but it makes me feel much better to know I'm not the only northen, none jewellery wearing, tool addicted jewellery maker with a large pile of unworn items!
Sally

[Dennis]

No doubt you all know this, but the best sales are in the few weeks before Christmas, so now is the time to venture a selling expedition to a local craft fair to boost your cash flow and your morale. Dennis.

[Patstone]

It is quite exciting to sell something when the purchaser is over the moon with your design and has got to have it. I really only do one craft show a month, in Exmouth, Devon in the Pavilion which is on the sea front, but although it is fairly well advertised, doesnt make much in the way of sales. We have been going there for around five years, every month so know all the other stallholders and its a home from home to us, but I think we should venture into another one too. The draw for Exmouth is a: its indoors with heating, b: there are toilets which are clean and fresh c: they have a wonderful cafe with nice eats and coffee in the same building, whats not to love. No camping in a wet windy field, with cold tea and soggy sandwiches.

[-Sally-]

That sounds like a lovely day Pat! I'll have to have a look and see if there is a similar venue around Preston.
Sally

[pearlescence]

Re the wearing of jewellery..it may be that you simply haven't found the right jewellery item or the right metal or the right stone for you. Once you do....

(btw I am in St Annes)

[-Sally-]

You might be right Pearlescence - I can mange earrings or a necklace occassionally - but can't cope with anything on my hands or wrists - they just get in the way and I'm always conscious of them limiting even simple activities - like hand washing!

[1711]

Hi Sally look on the bright side.. (hope I'm not making too big an assumption!) as a lady at least you can model your jewellery.. Lol

I got in to silver while recuperating from an accident and started off mainly bezel setting because it was what I learned first and my partner is a glass fuser so I had a plentiful supply of materials to set..

Unfortunately I had a severe bite from the bug and my savings plan went by the wayside as tools metal gems and stuff gets voraciously hoarded 😆

I don't have sufficient time to produce volumes of work so I indulge myself making only things I like but I feel lucky to have a small but steady sales income.. It takes time.. But jewellery is often a gift or a treat so you can plot your best times to try and sell.. Valentines easter mothers day and Christmas..

I am lucky that we have 2 arts businesses under one roof so we do have a wider base of followers.. But we got that by relentless hammering of Twitter and Facebook and it's paid off well.

I also know a few people who do well out of jewellery parties where they show items and take orders rather than selling from stock..

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