Maria Langer | ๐๐๐ต๐ฅ๏ธIโm looking for someone with a #sewing machine capable of doing #embroidery. I want to have tags made on canvas with a length in feet embroidered onto the tag in bold numbers about 2 inches tall. For example, 35โ or just 35. The tag edges must be finished and I will be adding a grommet. I'll need 11 of these with varying lengths. I'll pay a reasonable price. Iโd rather hand this off to a craftsperson than find a fancy embroidery shop to do it. Please boost for exposure. #SupportArtistsAndMakers
Anyway, I'm stressed out and it's showing up in my dreams. I'm on a waitlist for another show in early February but if this show doesn't do well, I won't do the other show if I'm called up off the waitlist. I've also already decided that I'm not doing shows in Arizona anymore. It's not worth the effort of dragging all my equipment down here, let alone setting up and tearing down at disappointing shows. #SupportArtistsAndMakers (5/5)
Here are the three rings I finished this morning: sterling silver with tiger eye (not labradorite, as I said yesterday), mookiate jasper (which I could have done better), and turquoise. The tiger eye one really flashes. #silversmithing #SupportArtistsAndMakers
I've also finally figured out how to display them. I've purchased some ring boxes that I can give to customers when they buy a ring. I will put a ring in each box and then leave the box open inside a hinged shadow box that I bought Wednesday. This will protect the rings from children and sticky fingers while making them easy to see. There's a lot of effort that goes into making these and I don't want them abused or stolen. #SupportArtistsAndMakersโฆ (2/3)
@Luckysevenleather @DevlinLeathercraft I make jewelry. The process includes design, measuring, cutting, soldering, finishing. It can take me an entire day to make one pendant or ring. Every piece I make has a story behind it that I can tell when I show or sell it at art shows.
Factory made items might have stories, but no one was there for the whole process and can tell them.
Two more mobile jewelry studio pieces. A turquoise and sterling silver ring and a Cloud Mountain and sterling silver pendant. Both of these pieces use scalloped bezel wire, bead wire, and individually set and soldered silver balls. There's a lot of sparkle in the sunlight. I made this ring a lot smaller and the only finger it fits is my pinky. ๐ Clearly I need to work on sizing. #SupportArtistsAndMakers
Artists I spoke to at this show reported similarly bad results at other shows they attended. At least one artist I spoke to was thinking of throwing in the towel, which is sad. Many artists create because they feel an inner need to create but the only way they can keep creating is to sell their work to fund future work. That's the boat I'm in. I really like silversmithing but if I can't sell it, I can't afford to do it. Have you seen the price of silver? #SupportArtistsAndMakers
At the show, it was interesting to see number of Navajo and Hopi artists from Northern Arizona. One of them was Andy Marion, a Navajo Silversmith living in Albuquerque, NM. His work blends traditional Navajo silversmithing techniques and themes with modern stones and styles. After spending 10 minutes chatting with him and looking at his work, I am totally humbled. Do a search for him and you'll find him listed in museum and gallery websites. #SupportArtistsAndMakers
Well, the three day art show ended yesterday and it was only slightly better than the super crappy show in Seattle last month. Again, it wasn't just me. There were some artists who didn't sell a thing.
This time I think we need to blame it on attendance. There just wasn't a good crowd. Too much else going on the same weekend.
I want to remind everyone out there that Christmas doesn't have to come from a box delivered by UPS or a truck with a smile logo. Please, #SupportArtistsAndMakers.