Isn't it funny how one thing follows another and leads you down an unexpected path? Let me try to explain. Be advised, this is a long story.
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| Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1935 |
On the weekend, I purchased an incredible book on Lucy Maud Montgomery (the author of Anne of Green Gables) at an out-of-town thrift store. I've always been interested in all things historical, most recently attracted to Canadian history, and this book is a fabulous collection of photos, letters and other recollections of Maud and her times (1874 - 1942).
As I was leafing through the pages when I got home, two old photographs fell out. The first, slightly faded one is of a mother or grandmother with two smartly dressed young boys. Judging from the clothing & hair styles, I'd probably date it to sometime in the 1950s.
The other photo is of four men, possibly a grandfather, father and two sons. The younger men are both dressed in sailor uniforms. There is a date on the back of this one, 1951, written in blue pen.
It's a little sad that the family has lost these precious momentos of days gone by and people who have likely passed on by now. Unfortunately, there is no way to track down the person who originally donated the book to the thrift store. So, I will honour their memory here by sharing these snippets of their lives with you.
These old photos got me thinking about vintage jewelry, specifically from the 50s and early 60s. I did a bit of research to see what was popular at the time. (You knew I'd eventually get to the point, right?) What a walk down memory lane! (Yes, I'm old enough to remember some of that stuff.)
Jewelry, like clothing, styles seem to keep coming back. There certainly are new twists on the old themes but some things stay the same. No outfit was complete without co-ordinating jewelry, and today is no different. The right jewelry can take a plain, simple outfit and make it pop.
The 1950s were known for big, bold & distinct designs. Sound familiar? The use of flowers, leaves, shells, animals & birds became very popular. Ditto for today. Turquoise exploded onto the jewelry scene in the 50s and, of course, is a favourite among designers now. Multi-stranded beaded necklaces were all the rage. Seeing a pattern here? And don't forget rhinestones, lots of glitter and glitz.
What was old, is new again. I wonder what they will be saying 50 or more years from now about the pieces we are creating today? And will all of our ideas be updated for a future time & place?
Next, she made a pigeon keychain with one of java beads. She combined it with seed beads for the tail and the hanger..jpg)
Selling at shows is a lot of hard work and simply is not netting the income I had hoped for. And it seems to be getting more difficult each year to make a profit at them. Yes, we do enjoy the events, meeting interesting people, getting our name & products 'out there', learning new things, etc. But geepers, I'd like to get a wee bit ahead of the expenses...products & materials, our time, entry fees, insurance, gasoline, advertising, plus more. That sounds like a reasonable expectation, doesn't it? 
I think it's time to step up the game a little and move up the food chain to the next level. What exactly does that next level look like and how do I get there? As you can imagine (if you know me at all), I've put a lot of thought into this very question.
First, I need to identify my core products. That's easy! There are two items that sell at most of the shows we attend...my handmade Tree of Life pendants and the pewter cloak clasps. So they are obvious choices to promote with wholesale pricing to shops. I think I'd like to showcase the pewter pendants also.
Jewelry, like clothing, styles seem to keep coming back. There certainly are new twists on the old themes but some things stay the same. No outfit was complete without co-ordinating jewelry, and today is no different. The right jewelry can take a plain, simple outfit and make it pop.
The focal bead or pendant is the centre of a design. By centre I don’t mean literally centre (although in many cases it is) but rather the most important part of a piece. Without a focal point, an observer will lose interest quickly because she does not know where to look and what part is the most interesting. Every other part of a design builds from a focal....a vocal focal.
I will match up partners the old fashioned way, drawing names out of a hat. Once you have your partner, you can decide together on a price limit. $10 - $15 seems like a good middle ground but the two of you can go more or less if you choose. You can get some really nice focals for under $10 and some that are much more than $15. 
