bijoulerie

Bergere: Vintage Jewelry Ad Pics

2010-03-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned below in my article on Bergere jewelry, Bergere ran some beautiful full page ads in magazines such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. Some of them were so beautiful, I wanted to share.

My vintage multicolored Bergere necklace can be purchased at pavintage.etsy.com

Anonymous Irish Blessing

2010-03-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. The rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Is the Celtic Knot really Irish?

2010-03-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Celtic or interlacing knot pattern is found as early 300 BCE, in Roman floor mosaics. There is no evidence however of this motif in pre CE Ireland. Are we to then assume that the Celtic knot is not of Irish origin? Maybe. Or maybe not.

It is important to keep in mind that many cultures of that time worked with wood. Because wood does not stand the test of time, it is not impossible that the Celtic knot was used in countries, such as Ireland, earlier on making it difficult to say with certainty that the knot originated in Rome. It is known that many cultures used an interlacing knot patterns. Examples can be found in Islamic, Coptic, Russian, Byzantine, Ethiopian, and European architecture, art, and, in medieval times, book illumination.

Spiral patterns, as well as key and step patterns, were strong design elements in Celtic art preceding the Christian influence on Ireland which began in the 4th century BCE. From there these patterns found their way in the early Christian illuminated manuscripts where they were combined with delicate lettering, flowers, plants and animals to create some of the most beautiful books ever produced.

It is difficult to say exactly what the knot represented in antiquity but because of its prominent placement on Irish and other western European headstones and monuments we can assume that it had a symbolic as well as decorative significance in those cultures. Looking at the Celtic knot through modern eyes we cannot help but to see the similarity with the figure eight eternity sign current used in mathematics and elsewhere.

Did the early Celts have a concept of eternity? I'm sure that some scholars can answer that question but in my opinion the Celts had their own concept of the eternal. Not in a mathematical sense perhaps but in a way that was practical but no less profound. Their culture and others of that time had a keen appreciation of cycles and seasons and the endlessness of nature. Something we as modern people, insulated in houses and offices, no longer appreciate fully. In my opinion, it is our loss.

On this St. Patrick's day I hope that it anyone reading this will do more than drink and wear green beads and funny hats. Listen to Irish music. Go outside and look at the stars or the grass turning green underneath your feet. Think about the cycle of days and weeks and life. Really appreciate what it is and what it meant to be not only Irish but Celt.

Spring Green Celtic Knot Bracelet

2010-03-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

I just posted a new item on etsy (bijoulerie.etsy.com). It is handcrafted from emerald green and clear Swarovski crystals, copper, Czech glass and vintage beads. The Celtic knot charm is handmade from 100% copper. A nice combo of faux pearls and green and clear beads are placed on copper plated memory wire in a 4 strand design. I think it's a great spring piece!

new sale item: bergere necklace

2010-03-01T05:02:00.000-08:00

I found a really lovely estate sale necklace this weekend. Although I didn't know this when I snapped it up, it is made by Bergere (accent mark over the 2nd e) a company doing business from the 1940s to 70s and is well worth collecting.

My newly acquired Bergere necklace is made of hand knotted ceramic beads in a full palette of delicate summer colors. Each bead is unique with soft splashes of color in a spatter or ink flow type pattern. The the necklace has weight and good quality hand knotted cord. It is in excellent shape by anyone's standards. I love it, really want to keep it, but am going to put it on Etsy anyway - hopefully this week.

I found out a lot about the company unable to date the necklace exactly. My gut feeling is that this piece is 50s to 60s but I can't back that up. I'm going to do my best of course. When I buy jewelry - or anything vintage - I want to know everything I can about the item and this is as much a matter of interest as it is of resale importance.

About Bergere: Bergere was known to produce high quality costume jewelry from 1946 to 1979. Vogue and Hapers Bazaar ads from the period are lovely full page magazine placements featuring a wide variety of necklace and bracelet designs. It was sold at high quality department stores such as Nordstroms, Lord & Taylor and Marshall Fields. The company name was most likely inspired by the Bergere Folies a French opera house of its fame and popularity from the 1890s through the 1920s. Considered scandalous in its day it is still operational as of 2009.

Ceramic pieces in the Bergere line are relatively rare. I have not been able to find my piece anywhere online. It is an absolutely perfect summer piece with unique multicolored beads that will coordinate with any outfit and can be worn for both casual and dressy occasions. I will be offering it for sale in my etsy vintage store, pavintage.etsy.com, within the next few days.

red hat society necklace

2010-02-26T06:51:00.000-08:00

I've been busy. Mostly ordering supplies and designing. I have a few things planned. Am ready to move on to spring and summer pieces but have a commission for a necklace and bracelet to finish first. The necklace is similar to the heart necklace, which has been well received but not sold, and a matching bracelet. The new necklace will have purple and red Swarovski's, fresh water pearls, and gold fill as opposed to the vintage chain used in the heart necklace. The bracelet will be similar but with a 3 strand memory wire. I chose memory wire for the bracelet because it will be an attention getter.

The necklace and bracelet colors are important because my customer belongs to the Red Hat Society. I am obviously hoping that other red hats will like her necklace and bracelet and place orders. Or I think I'm hoping they will place orders. Recreating the same necklace or bracelet isn't really my thing and I would have to make significant changes in deference to customer #1 also which can be a little sticky when people want 'one of those.'

Still commissions are great and I'm happy to have one. I am hoping to make a similar necklace for my etsy store. I have learned a little about the Red Hat Society too and I wanted to share some of that.

The Red Hat Society is quite simply a social group for ladies over 50. As I understand it, volunteer work is not the purpose of the group. Instead it focuses on fostering friendship between women in the 50+ demographic, though younger women may join as pink hats. The ladies dress in red hats and purple dresses to all of their functions. Functions include luncheons, dinners and tea parties. The purple dress, red hat combo is an idea taken from a poem by an English poet, Jenny Joseph.

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

This isn't the whole poem, but as much of it as a quick online search yields. It's a great poem and I think it captures what the group is about very well. I would love to join!

the valentine necklace that wasn't

2010-02-23T06:03:00.001-08:00

The new necklace was supposed to be done for Valentines. Instead it was finished last night. Still better late than never. And I like it. And there is always next year too, of course. Also I can still list it in my etsy shop as well as my website.

The necklace has deep garnet red Swarovski crystals, fresh water pearls, vintage chain and gold fill wire. It's a little unusual design wise because it alternates diamond shapes and oval. I think it hangs well, also.

I'm hoping to get the pictures taken this week. I feel that I'm not getting anywhere near enough done. But while there are a couple of different reasons for that, the main one is that I will take things apart and redo them if I have to. Sometimes more than once.

I had an art instructor once who told us about chasing a bad drawing. And he was right. Sometimes its better to just start over. And that's how I feel about jewelry. If it's not quite right in a design sense, change it. Because, for me at least, design is much more important than technique or materials.

So the valentine necklace that wasn't wasn't because I finished it and then took it apart. Also because I wanted a vintage clasp and that sometimes involves a search. Though now having found the clasp and put it on, I'm not sure if it's quite right. It's a nice piece overall however, and I'm happy with it even if I don't sell it till next year!

backyard forge & metal factoids

2010-02-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

My friend Dan and I are both into metal. Not the music. Real metal. I am now using copper. He is making knives, shaping them actually, but there is a lot you have to know. His thing is more interesting, but that's always the case!

Last night we talked about different but mostly related topics. Japanese swords and a really cool knife I saw on a discount rack. Pounded down. Overlapping. Waves of metal like rings on a tree. And there all kinds of things like that.

Then we talked about history. Metallurgy. Now and then. The mustard test. Patina. Chemicals. Fire. Ancient metal. New metal. How wire is made. As we're talking however it occurs to me that metal just isn't as important as it used be, even if it does hold up bridges and buildings and ships. It doesn't make or break cultures anymore, or name huge blocks of history, and like most other products of modern society, we're very removed from how it is made.

So I told Dan about a documentary I saw. It was about a group of scientists (metallurgists included) about a group of scientist trying to recreate the forging of metal using ancient methods. They tried and tried but just couldn't do it. The original technology, whatever it was, was lost. It made me think that it might be interesting to learn a little about some of that and blog on it.

The image is not Dan's forge BTW. But the plan is to build something similar. I WILL be there when he fires it up!

Watch for upcoming blogs on metal!

A Short History of Boho

2010-02-12T06:22:00.000-08:00

Boho is fashion. Intricate tiered earrings, bangle bracelets, hippie skirts. If you are into clothes or jewelry, you know what it is. Not everyone can wear it, but when someone wears it well, it is enchanting and romantic and that was what I set out to write about in this article. Surprisingly I find I have written about a thousand years of history which is by far the better story.

Boho is a modern term, Bohemian abbreviated and it means literally a person from Bohemia. The earliest version of the word is of Latin origin, a reference to a Celtic tribe occupying the area between Germany and Poland during the first century BCE. This place name which was originally a variation on the tribal name of Boii later became known of as Bohemia. Bohemians never called their country Bohemia, however, even though the rest of medieval Europe did. Citizens of the region called their country Czechy. Today it is the Czech Republic. But the Czech Republic, now and then, was not made up only of Czechs. Like many other countries it has a diverse population including Czech, German and Romany citizens and it is the Roma who concern us.

A history, even a very brief history, of the Romani people is well beyond the scope of this article. In Czechy, as in everywhere, the Roma faced discrimination and cruelty. Despite this treatment there was something that appealed to the Europeans in the Roma lifestyle. What was in part a method of survival was seen as a romantic nomadic life lived on the outskirts of society, full of adventure, free of the limitations and demands of the European status quo. And this was the mystique reportedly engendered by the Roma themselves and it is a mystique I think we all would like to believe in.

Boho in the modern sense owes its existence to the romantic notion of the Roma , a people not only seen as happy nomads but as a group outside conventional society and it is this position and societal outcasts that struck a chord in the mid 18th century. In this period, artists in France - the country of Renoir, Hugo, Matisse and Rodin - were historically excluded from society and thought of as badly educated and common. In the turbulent times surrounding the French revolution however privileged people began to associate with artists and themselves pursued art which served to both legitimize the vocation and the people who were part of it. Still feeling like outsiders, artists began to think of themselves as Boheme and the resulting free spirited lifestyle became an important aspect of the Romantic movement.

The art of the Romantic movement conveyed emotion and this was considered secondary to strictly representational work. It was open to all social classes and it's concepts were in both and artist and social sense.The earlier Bohemians paved the way for the great art of the of the mid 1800 onward. The impressionist and pre-Raphealite schools built on the Romantic philosophy of art. It's unconventional lifestyle stretched as far as the beat generation and in some circles continues even today.

So what is Bohemian? It is a style. A romantic but still fact based notion of a culture. It is an idea, a movement, and a lifestyle. It is art and the precursor of the art. It is the artistic life outside the bonds of the everyday. Even in its relatively superficial outward form it speaks to us of hippies, and gypsies, fashion, creativity and freedom. If we are into clothes or jewelry, we know it. It is long romantic skirts, exotic jewelry, and brightly colored beads. When we wear we feel different, a little outside conventional society, free-spirited, creative and, if even incrementally, braver. And this is important. Because as Matisse said, creativity takes courage.

weebly review

2010-02-03T12:00:00.001-08:00

The first thing I want to say about Weebly is that it really does offer completely free web hosting. There is an available upgrade, of course, but the basic plan is free. No cash. No ads. No pop ups. No anoying Weebly banner. The site has a good reputation, too, and has been around for some time. It was listed near the top of Time Magazines 50 best websites in 07 and seems to be holding its own. I transferred my dot come to the site last night and am feeling pretty good about it. This is my URL: bijoulerie.com if you'd like to see how it came out.

Starting out on Weebly is easy. If you don't want Weebly in your URL, you can buy a dot com through the site or bring your own from wherever it is parked. Buying one from Weebly is encouraged and you will be warned that transferring an existing dot com is complicated. There is a tutorial however o the Weebly website and it is understandable. I found the process relatively easy though I did hit a snag towards the end. Even so, transferring my dot com from GoDaddy to Weebly took probably 15 minutes or less.

Making your website is painless thanks to Weebly's user friendly drag and drop widget type interface. Widgets include the usual text and picture applications as well as contact form and Google AdSense. Google AdSense allows you to sell things directly from your site but as I understand it, a huge bite is taken out of any money you make. Because I link my site directly to Etsy via Etsy Mini this doesn't effect me but for many people it would be a definite draw back. There is an advanced editing mode for anyone who wants to write there own html. but there are also around 50 different templates to choose from. You can upload your own banner as well.

My site went up in 2-3 multi-tasking hours and, aside from the other stuff I had to do, it was a fun 2-3 hours. I found nothing in the Weebly interface that was frustrating or confusing. and I'm pretty easily frustrated. I'm not sure how Weebly stacks up against other similar sites but it seems like a nice fit for me so far. I'll include updates as I progress.

new photo

2010-02-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

Loved this thorny tree from the minute I saw it! For more of my photos please see photo page @ my new website: bijoulerie.com.

all about the color red

2010-01-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

When I was 17 I attended a Bill Blass fashion show. Not because I did those things ordinarily but because someone who did had invited me. There was a reception before the show with champagne and huge perfect strawberries and the show itself was wonderful. We saw some truly beautiful gowns that day. The only one I remember however was red. Not just any red but a rich vivid red, truer than the strawberries at the reception, brighter than any tropical flower I could imagine. This gown trailed decadently on the floor, a long sweep of scarlet, vibrant in spotlights. If you want a man to notice you, Bill Blass said, wear red.

Red was my favorite color then. It was dramatic. It was classic. It sent a signal. And this has always been the case.

It was estimated that the first reds were taken from the earth in pre-historic times in the form of iron oxide, a mineral now called red ochre. It has been found in cave paintings discovered. Red was used in China as early as 2600 BC in the form of vermilion, a pigment found in the mineral cinnabar.

Like many dyes, red was obtained not only from minerals but from plants. The henna plant was was used, and madder. Chemical tests of red fabrics found in King Tutankhamen’s tomb show that they were dyed with alizarin, a pigment made from madder and it is likely that the use of plant based dyes goes back even farther.

Red was also taken from an insect called the cochineal and was used possibly for thousands of years in Maya and Aztec culture. Montezuma wore red and when Cortez entered Tenochtitlan he found bags of cochineal dye. The pigment was so much brighter than the insect based dye, kermes, used by the Europeans that it quickly became a coveted 'new' world export, second only to silver in value.

Contemporary reds are most commonly derived from minerals such as cadmium, iron oxide (ochre) as well as synthetics based on alizarin. Vermilion the most costly red, is no longer in wide spread use due to its toxcity.

Red is the highest arc of the rainbow, the longest wavelength of light. Feng shui recommends painting the front door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents. Red has signified strength and courage for literally thousands of years. It appears in more flags then any other color. Indian brides wear red for luck. It is the national color of China. It is reminiscent of the red light district and illicit passion. We see red when we are angry. We receive red roses when we are loved.

People who love red are said to be adventurous, sensual, lovers of life. They can be confident, and vivacious, or impulsive and demanding but they are rarely boring. Red people are considered risk-takers, disliking rules and limitations. In fashion, red can be quirky or sexy. It is the color of lipstick, and high heels. Of Dorothy's ruby slippers. Of real rubies, and garnets. Wearing red can make a social statement almost of defiance. And when, dressed in red, a woman takes a breath and steps into any room anywhere, she knows she will be noticed.

tips on thrift store shopping

2009-12-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not a department store shopper. Not even when there are sales or coupons or discounts for opening 22% store credit cards. I'm not crazy about outlets. In many outlets here prices aren't much better than local sale prices which is good if you're okay with paying those prices. I get things at discount stores like WalMart sometimes but usually when I get them home I find I don't really like them.

So for the last ten years I have shopped almost exclusively at thrift stores. I find nice things in the $1 to $3 range at our two best local thrift stores. There is a lot of merchandise at these stores, at least in the area where I live. It's not sorted by size and the stapled on cardboard taps usually just say the price so you have to look inside the garment for the size. It's time consuming and you have to go cover a lot of ground if you want to find something good because the percentage of nice clothes to not so nice is small.

I have developed a thrift store technique. I skip sections that are grouped in colors I'm not shopping for. After that I don't really look at the stuff. I go by fabric which means that I have to touch everything but I'm pretty fast. You can't examine each item visually and go still go through hundreds in a reasonable amount of time. So if the item is the right color and fabric is something I like (usually cotton knit or cotton blend, but also rayon and silk) I make a space in the rack and look at what feels right.

I try to keep basic styles in mind. I like v necks, for example, better than round. Long skirts over short, etc., but I will look at other things. I did better when I wore a small size because people are forever outgrowing things or dieting down to weights they can't maintain (as I was doing then). I check out the tag next. I look for size, and label. I like labels from stores like Old Navy, some designers, and unfamiliar labels are okay too, if I like the item.

Usually I have to go through large amounts of clothes to find a few items I want to buy. I pretty much ignore the colored tag sales but I do shop on discount days when I can get there early. Thrift store shopping isn't necessarily a quick trip for me but I love finding treasures buried among the cast-offs and I honestly never tire of buying a nice piece of clothing for a couple of dollars.

vintage boho travel trailers

2009-12-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Circa 1950s Nomad Travel Trailer

Check out velvetwood's blog on vintage boho travel trailers! There are a lot of great pics and inspirations. Make me wish I still had my little Nomad. Although I have to say honestly that it was pretty nice as it was. 1964 was a good year for travel trailers especially the Nomad which had the same shape as the fifties version but with bigger windows and warm wood paneling and a nice big booth in the front. Anyway check out the boho trailer blog and let velvetwood's know which trailer you'd pic!

lost building: autumn 2009

2009-11-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

the princess dress

2009-11-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it was Nancy who called it the princess dress first or me, but that was what my best friend and I said as we passed the dress back and forth in the early 1980s.

The dress wasn't an elaborate dress but it was so far off jeans and tee shirts that it seemed impressive Made surprisingly of spandex, it was a heavy double knit with the kind of weight that swings and drapes just the way you want it too. The color was plum edging toward purple. And it had star dust (kind of AB glimmer).

Cut long with a round scoop neck, it was simple enough to be almost a very nice Danskin. It reminded me of ballet dancers and Audry Hepburn. A great dress. Not that we wore it a lot. It always seemed a couple notches above any occasion.

Taking a break just now from blogging, I pull the princess dress out of the very back of the closet. It is still a special occasion dress. Still glimmery. Still silky. Nostalgic yet at the same time something I might actually wear now that my life has opened up a little. And because the dress is magic, it still fits.

flea markets, indian food & grown up kids

2009-10-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

My middle child, who is still a child to me, is here for the weekend. He lives in Boston, having gone there to get his graduate degree in computer science. He is job hunting now instead and I'm hoping he doesn't find a job there so he'll come home instead. I have tried hard to wish him well and make my pride and his achievements offset how much I miss him, but it isn't really working. I want him to be happy but I really do wish he'd be happy here.

We had a really nice Indian dinner on Saturday. I made the rice and chai the rest was from a restaurant in New Jersey nearby my BFs apartment. We played a game afterward and laughed a lot. It's so good to laugh like that and to do it together with people you love. It's different than other laughter. I don't know why. It reminds me of when I was little, sitting at my grandmother's dinner table, the same table we sat at last night, playing games and laughing. And my family is more like that then I realized.

On Sunday, I took the middle boy (James) to an indoor flea market. Two of my friends have a space there (actually more of a shop) and I go to see them from time to time. I picked up some used jewelry: a necklace with an antique clasp, some vintage chains for necklaces, a pair of big garnet colored acrylic baguette earrings, and an another pair of earrings (rhinestones with two garnet colored focal stones). The earring are for me. The clasp is for something special. The chains were probably too much. I saw a lot of other things but had exceeded my $5 spending limit by 50% (a whopping $2.5) so I decided I'll go back next week.

It probably sounds silly to set a $6 limit but I'm not selling much right now and I try to treat whatever I do (ebay, etsy, half, etc) like any other business. I'm very happy making small amounts of money. I look at it as money I wouldn't have otherwise and found money is always fun. So we had a nice dinner Sunday (take out from the Chinese restaurant near my house) and a cake to celebrate my youngest's birthday and my oldest's acceptance into grad school.

Almost forgot, I bought each of the boys presents at the flea market: little resin Buddhas (which actually look quite nice) and a mid century oscillating Westinghouse fan for the middle boy. Worth more than we paid, but not but not enough to be a bribe Even so, I think that when ithat old fan oscillates this summer in a stuffy little room in Boston, it will remind a very independent child of home and a nice day at the flea market.

my etsy order and its packaging

2009-10-13T12:11:00.001-07:00

I haven't been on etsy long but I have already bought quite a lot of stuff. I love jewelry after all (or I wouldn't make it) and while I almost never buy finished pieces, I do buy a lot of beads, and vintage findings. And on etsy, how could I not?

Anyway, I ordered some antique bead caps and vintage olive briolettes (not cheap but worth their price in my opinion) and they arrived today. The caps are great, especially the two smaller copper ones, and the briolettes are lovely.

The packaging was nice too. The outside was decorated with cute stickers and colorful stamps. Inside, were some really pretty cards and a handwritten thank you. I enjoyed opening this package and will certainly put the card somewhere visible. Check out the seller who sent it, My Shangrila, if you have the time. She has some lovely things and a really incredible banner.

october, india, and dinner parties

2009-10-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

The boys and I had friends over for Indian food last night. I made north Indian chick pea, tomato / potato stew. And green beans with corriander and my own jalapeno peppers (from MY garden). They brought Indian pumpkin pudding and naan bread. Tonight I had left overs.

I wanted to go to the oplyphant auction because there is a ton of costume jewelry (check link if you haven't tried an auction to buy jewelry or parts) but not enough to justify the drive. Instead I went to Barnes & Nobles and bought books. One is on jewelry making and I will try to blog on it after I've read it.
Have made one pair of earrings, with vintage gold filigree caps and Czech red glass. Holiday or winter or whatever, I think it fits.

Jewelry Photography: Etsy Lab 10/01/09

2009-10-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here are my notes from the October 10th Etsy lab on jewelry photography given by Rhonda from Prolifique Jewelry. I won't be talking about everything Rhonda covered but I have organized the content that interested me most into sections. I thought this was a great lab and got tons of useful information. I hope it will be helpful.

Equipment: A macro lens is needed, as well as a digital manual camera. Rhonda uses a Canon Power Shot A540 (6 megs). She also purchased an Opteka macro lens on amazon for $25 and highly recommends both. My BF says that $25 is a great price for the lens so if you're interested in getting one, you might want to do it as soon as possible (there is an adapter included with the lens which might not be pictured in the amazon listing).

Multiple sets of rechargeable batteries are recommended. A tripod, light box (or ability to be available to shoot outside when conditions permit), and photo editing program, such as PhotoShop or Gimp are almost essential.

Lighting: Use a light box or natural (sun) light. Rhonda uses a light box because she doesn't want to be at the mercy of the weather and feels this gives her more control. She does note, however, that some people do very well with natural lighting. While commercial light boxes are pricey ($50 - $100), you can build your own pretty easily. An useful URL was given: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent. I haven't made this light box yet because I am currently borrowing a friend's kind of expensive commercial box, but will definitely do my own within the next couple weeks (I'll post on it of course!).

Once you have built your light box, you'll need 3 to 4 daylight bulbs (the energy saver fluorescent type). You'll light the top and sides of the light box. Possibly even the front (unless I got this wrong) though you'll have to cover this light with tissue paper because it won't be outside the tent. Personally, I would just stick with 3 and position the side and overhead light to shine in the direction that illuminates the front of your piece.

Rhonda recommends wearing white because jewelry, especially silver, reflects this about everything and your clothing may be picked up. She also cuts a piece of white card stock and makes a hole in it the size of her camera lens. If needed, she can cover her camera (stick the lens through the hole) to photograph highly reflective pieces. If glare is a problem she either moves the piece around or takes a white 3 x 5 card and moves it around until she figures out where the glare is coming from (by blocking it) and makes the necessary changes.

Staging: Rhonda uses a solid background that coordinates with her shop colors which sounds like a nice idea (although variety can be nice too). She recommends scrap booking papers as backgrounds. Solid whites and beiges are preferred by Rhonda but I've noticed that some sellers such as Yardleigh (love her pics) use patterns.

Props are useful in jewelry photography to help display items as well as show scale. Possible props include wood, old books, drift wood, rocks, mug or cup, sushi mats, cups, soap dish, vintage dishes, crystal. White is good because it shows color of stones.

Shooting Techniques: The macro lens will show everything (scratches, finger prints, etc.) You should clean everything with polishing clothes prior to shooting. Set the white balance on your camera prior to shooting by using a white card and adjusting white balance until the card appears white (my BF says that if the lighting is just right this might not be necessary but that it won't hurt either).

For jewelry, a shallow depth of field is desirable because it blurs the background and creates interest on the piece. This requires a low f-stop which (if I remember this correctly from my community college photo class) opens the lens wide (low or large aperture) and lets in lots of light. Depth of field really is just what is sounds like, how deep into the field does the camera see.

Rhonda didn't really talk about shutter speed and I don't remember enough of my dig photography class to discuss the f-stop / shutter speed relationship but she did recommend using a tripod which is always a good idea for any kind of still photography IMO. She also recommended using a timer which allows you to get your hand off the camera before the shot is taken and further reduces the possibility of moving and blurring the shot.

She said that flickr has lots of info on f-stops. I'll have to check it out when I get the time.

Close ups are recommended as well as unusual angles. Create a close shot that almost makes it difficult to see what the item is (ex. is it a bracelet or necklace?). This can be intriguing. People will want to check out your piece because they are curious. It will also show the color of your crystals or stones and the quality of your workmanship and materials as clearly as possible.

Photo Editing: You can use PhotoShop or Gimp (and there may be other programs as well). I did take a PhotoShop class at one point and do like PhotoShop but I am using Gimp on the computer I have now and think it's perfectly fine also. Gimp is free which is an advantage but there are more online tutorials for PhotoShop.

You will frequently need to edit out dust. Cropping, brightening and resizing are usually necessary as well per the lab but I'm not sure that brightening is necessarily a given. The pic should look very like the piece does in real life on your monitor. One thing I have to learn more about is resizing for Etsy. My first attempt to post an item on my boyfriend's shop, PAvintage.etsy.com, didn't come out (actually cut the head partially off of his cute vintage penguin toy).

Rhonda talked about resizing to a dimension of 450 x 450 to 1000 x 1000 but I'm going to have to figure out what I did wrong on the penguin pics before I can write more about this.

Posting: Use all 5 pics! One 'arty' (close up with unusual angle) shot or possibly two. One with prop. One with detail of workmanship such as clasp or ear wire. One with a model is also good. If you do nice gift or seasonal packaging include this too. 1 or 2 should have a plain background. If something isn't selling, rotate your pics!

Last bit of advice Rhonda gave: Do all of the photography tutorials you can find and if you get a chance to attend a live class, take it. You can never learn enough about photography!

Newbie Etsy Lab Recap

2009-09-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the things I picked up at the Etsy lab. Or, first things first, what is an Etsy lab? Or even what is Etsy?

Right at this moment Etsy is like eBay without the auctions and the bad pictures and the occasional mean-spirited buyer or seller. Very very briefly it is a place where handmade items (and vintage items) can be bought and sold. I promise to devote a whole blog entry to Etsy when I have time. For now, I hope this article will be helpful to Etsy sellers.

Tags: Use specific color tags (royal blue for example). No tags are allowed for specific use (such as gift, stocking stuffer, etc). May use 'man' or 'woman' however. Use shop name in tags so customers can find shop more easily. Use style tags: modern, romantic, sophisticated or whatever. Also tag for free shipping.

Consider using Treasuries, which I don't know a lot about. Consider using free shipping which I have already decided to do. Reason being, when people view an listing (and price) they have already accepted the cost. When they scroll down and see shipping costs they may feel disappointed.

Consider using international shipping. 1 in 3 etsy sales involve a buyer not from US. Most common: buyer's from English speaking countries such as UK, Australia and Canada. Others include Asia, Germany and others. Etsy allows you to list shipping charges for the US and outside the US. I have to think about shipping charges in regard to this.

Promotion: Get involved in etsy community (forums, etsy labs). Comment on etsy storque articles. Write articles for storque (such as craft how-tos). Join etsy team (if team leader doesn't respond try someone else from group). Also check team site because team might be inactive. Try other teams. Real-time business cards, friends and others. Blog and blog comments. Something called the pitch forum.

Listings: Once the listing is completed it may post on etsy right away or within 24 hours. Etsy still recommends picking a good time for target time zone. List 1 or 2 items at a time. Be seasonal. Have good pictures. List all the time. Set budget for listing and use 1/2 to relist items (this bumps them to the top of the etsy queue). Scatter items throughout categories (not sure I understand this).

PayPal Discounts: Sale items can be handled through a refund (reimbursement) through PayPal or a seller can instruct the buyer to purchase an item and not pay, then send a PayPal invoice (I think this is more professional but also more trouble). I guess if a customer doesn't understand and pays by accident you can always refund.

Other things mentioned: Weekend deals (forum thread?). Etsy Mini which can be added to blog (see FAQ). Google analytics (figure out bounce rate, time in shop, from where, when, keyword used). Note to self: Review all the URLs given in this lab. I'll try to post some of them for any future readers.

making an etsy storefront banner pt. 2

2009-09-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

This is the just for fun banner I talked about in my previous post. I think it creates a very different mood. I chose a very subtle patterned background in this banner. It required a little tweaking but was not hard to do.

I'm hoping my boyfriend will decide to use it for his etsy shop. He has mostly used ebay but I have persuaded him to try etsy. We buy and sell vintage items together so I think it will work well. I may put some vintage items in my own shop but am planning to mostly work with him on his.

To make this banner I chose another free vector graphic but placed the decorative scroll work on each end of the banner by cutting, pasting and rotating design elements to frame the font. In addition to placing the scroll work on the page I copied, pasted, and altered the background of the original graphic to fill in the banner background.

This banner was a little more work but also fun to do. I think it has a nice vintage look.

Making Your own Etsy Storefront Banner

2009-09-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

I had time to make the banner for my store this weekend. It wasn't difficult and I think it turned out pretty well. I enjoyed doing it so much that I actually made two. One for me and one for fun. Both are fairly simple but I think they work.

My first banner is posted above. If you'd like something similar and think you might and need help doing it, this article should talk you through the process of creating your own custom banner. It is a basic article aimed at people who aren't familiar with computer graphics. If you have a background you may get impatient with the detail.

There are only 5 straightforward steps. Creating a banner will take some tweaking. Remember that your banner is, essentially, a sign. And just like a 'real' sign, it's the first thing your customers will notice when they look at your store. You should reflect something about you and your shop.

You'll need a commercial graphics editing program like PhotoShop or a free program like Gimp. If you're not familiar with the tools in the tool box of your graphics editor you can just google any questions as you go along. Making a banner will be a good opportunity to become familiar with your application.

1. The first step is to select an image that you can as a focal point for your banner. View this project as you would a collage, decoupage or scrap booking project. Find something you like. I chose a free vector graphic of a woman and edited it. I added a dress, jewelry, hair, and rose petals. Resize your image to a height of 100 pixels. Save the jpeg to your computer as graphic_1 or whatever name you choose.

2. Create a new image in your graphics editor. Set the dimensions to 100 x 760 pixels and save it as banner_1.

3. Create the background for your banner. Choose a color for your background. I chose white because I wanted something that wouldn't clash with the etsy banner (which will display directly above your banner) but a color can be nice. Use the eyedropper to coordinate with your pic or choose a different color entirely. Keep in mind that the rust and gray (not all that attractive) etsy banner is one of the design elements of your storefront.

4. Pick a font and letter the name of your shop. This part is fun and just as important as selecting your image Use your graphics editing program to find a font that goes with your design and sets the mood of your shop. You will want to experiment with different fonts and different sizes. Use the eyedropper tool to pick a color from your design element that strongly contrasts with your back ground or pick your own color.

5. When you come up with a font that you like decide on a size and position and save it as banner + name of font. When you're done, you'll have at least a couple different versions to choose from.

Post your finished banner on etsy! It may not be the glitziest banner going, or maybe it is. Either way it's a one of kind design, reflecting your own creativity. I hope you are as happy with your banner as I am with mine!

new everything

2009-09-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

I spent much of my labor day weekend shopping. There was a great sale on Swarovski crystals, something I want to start using more in my jewelry. Opaque semi-precious stones are nice. But I want more color and my concept of color filters light.

So now I have a hoard of sparkly multicolored crystals and a good stock of wire and wire working tools. I worked on and off all weekend. Just practicing really. I've got along way to go before I can do the kind of wire working I'd like.

I opened the new etsy account. Reactions to the new business name have been good so far. Which was not my idea, but my boyfriend's. I asked him if he could think of something in another language. He thought I meant Hebrew but I said, anything, even Croatian (his parents were Croatian). He said something with bijou. When I asked for another word he said bijoulerie (and pronounce it like it's French). I did and I like it.

So new name, new account, new crystals, new stuff to learn. I'm mostly feeling good about it.