Make What The Customers Want

I wear the necklaces I make all the time. I usually wear the ones I like the best. When I first started making necklaces from clay and I wore them, I really didn't get much feedback. Now when I wear them, I get lots of attention. People ask me about my necklaces. They comment that they like them. And I try to remember to take my business cards with me everywhere I go.

Today, I wore a different clay necklace that I have made. It is a fish. The clay fishies are really cute, but just not my style of jewelry. Anyway, I got more comments on that little pink fish than on any other necklace that I have worn over the past six months. What lesson can I learn from this? What should I be thinking about when I am creating my clay jewelry?

Just when I think I know what will be a great selling item. Things change. I think that's a good thing. It will keep me on my toes. But I need to remember to always think about what my customers will want. What I like, is not necessarily what my customers will like.

Making Clay Jewelry

The Process:
The process of making clay jewelry is much more complicated than one might imagine. I like using Sculpey III clay. It comes in a great variety of colors and I can usually get two or three items of jewelry from one small package of clay. I use a clear acrylic roller to roll out my clay because when I mix clay or add colors I like to see what is happening when I roll! I want my clay to be consistent in depth so I have made a board to roll my clay on with three different depth markers that make sure when I roll out my clay it is consistently the same depth.

The Inspiration:
The inspiration for my handmade clay jewelry comes from many places. I am fortunate enough to live on the north shore of Lake Superior where inspiration reigns. I also live in the woods where mother nature provides me with her never ending beauty day after day. I also find inspiration from life's experiences. Each one of my pieces is telling a story.

How it Came to Be:
My passion for clay and crafts in general comes from a place of healing. I have degenerative joint disease in multiple joints and working with clay is a way for me to step away from my pain. It is in fact, a therapy. Crafting has always been therapeutic for me, it gives me something else to think about, something else to focus on other than my pain. Doing something that you love, and something that helps at the same time? Does it get any better?

Hy Hope:
Having an online store has always been my dream. Making clay jewelry that can tell the stories of the life I live and the place that I love and sharing these little works of art with the public is my dream. My clay jewelry is not glitzy or glamorous. It's everyday jewelry that you can dress up on Sunday to wear to church or wear it with your jeans or shorts. It's jewelry that I wear. It's jewelry that you would wear.

Conclusion:
For me, making clay jewelry is not just putting out as many pieces as possible. Each piece takes time and thought and means something. It means something...

http://northshoreclay.etsy.com

Rainy Day Crafts

I've tried some new clay techniques over the past several days with some beautiful results. I use Sculpey Polymer Clay for my projects and have found it to be very versatile. I love the way it blends and how I can use it to make abstract "scenes" with it.

It's raining and cool today so I will spend the day in the studio, (I love it when a plan comes together) and not feel one little bit guilty about not getting anything else done today.

I'm interested in connecting with other artists who are doing handmade items and finding out how they are selling their wares.