Opinion or Fact

I came across a thread today that stated North Shore Clay is not making jewelry. Opinion or fact?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and of course, our constitution guarantees us the right to have our say, and say it however we choose.

Does the medium we use, whether it's clay, metal or anything else determine whether what we make is jewelry? Does the length of time it takes us to make the piece determine whether it's jewelry or is it the difficulty of making the piece. If any of the aforementioned statements are true then there is a lot of (non)jewelry out there that is not jewelry.

When we create something it is an extremely personal expression of ourselves. Often times I am relating something personal through my clay. I tell stories as I create my pieces. They may not be for everyone and that's okay. My pieces are not about glitz and glamour.

So what do you think? Is North Shore Clay making jewelry? Sounds like the stuff of a good hearty debate.

Contest Thursday!

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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.