An Interview with Ginger Allman of the Blue Bottle Tree

by Staci Louise Smith

I know I have referenced her site a million times.  It's because she does her homework.  When Ginger posts to her blog with a review, new info, or a how to, I KNOW it has been tested and she has asked questions and contacted people who have used these products for years, and manufacturers..........she is thorough.  That is why I send anyone who is new to polymer, or has any kind of questions to her site.  

There is a lot of mis-information out there on the web.  In the age of You Tube and blogs, anyone can post a tutorial, even if its the first time they have done something.  I cringe when I read tutorials giving people mis-information.  I read them, and I know what they make won't last (like using too thin wire to make a bracelet or clasp, or not finishing ends of things, leaving pointy wire...not sealing things that go against skin....I could go on and on).  Or they say to varnish your polymer clay beads in nail polish (never ever ever do that ....please!!!!  Ginger has a few great posts on finishing your clay too!!)

http://thebluebottletree.com/varathane-best-polymer-clay-sealer/

http://thebluebottletree.com/seal-polymer-clay/

http://thebluebottletree.com/spray-sealer-for-polymer-clay/

Anyhow, you get the idea.  She is the real deal for solid info on polymer clay.  

Well, she did an interview with me for her blog.  I am honored, and it was a cool experience to be featured by her.  You can read it here.  

http://thebluebottletree.com/staci-louise-smith/

You all know I put my life out there through various social media outlets, but it was fun to answer some questions on things you may not have known about me.  Enjoy!

(and while you are there, take a peek around her site- there is so much information there- just amazing!)

A Fab Interview and a Fab Winner....

by MaryAnn Carroll

Isn't that just fabulous?

The giveaway winner of these gorgeous earrings created by our own Izzy will be announced at the end of this interview......

Meet my friend Jean A. Wells.  Not only is she a terrific designer, but she is an awesome person.  I've gotten to know Jean through my interactions on Etsy.  Jean is a lawyer by day, a mother of three rotweillers and designs, creates, designs, creates, etc. the rest of the time.  I think that you will enjoy getting to know Jean as much as I have.  She is an intelligent person with a GREAT sense of humor :o)

And....if you are lovin' what your seein' then why not check out Jean's Shop for more of her creations.

Would you please tell us how you first got interested in creating jewelry?

I have always enjoyed making things. My father was an engineer and since he wanted a boy when I was born, I spent a lot of time with him as a child. Dad was a talented inventor and I guess a lot of that rubbed off on me. Over my lifetime, I have enjoyed crochet which I learned from my Mother, stained glass, ceramics, and remodeling old houses. I even enjoyed training and breeding Rottweilers before I went to law school and exhibited them in AKC sanctioned dog shows. It never occurred to me that I could make things for a living and instead chose to go to college where I completed a degree in Political Science and then law school. I completed my Juris Doctor in 1993 and an LLM in Taxation in 1994. I have practiced law as a sole practitioner since then. Nothing artsy at all about my formal education. In fact, I don't even know how to speak the language of the arts. My art vocabulary consists mainly of “oh that's pretty” or “I like that.” It's pretty sad really. My interest in jewelry began when I acquired a jewelry magazine in a stack of other magazines at a yard sale about six years ago. I was just drawn to it. It seemed to be a way that I could express things that I had never been able to express in my other interests.

I see that you use many handmade components in your work, what was it that attracted you to handmade?

Handmade just seemed to speak to me so much more so than commercially made components, but at first I didn't know about etsy and had no idea how to go about finding them. Finding etsy was like waking up on Christmas morning. It never ceases to amaze me the talent represented there. Some of the jewelry designers make me feel like all I do is string beads on string. From the time I first became interested in making jewelry, I have gravitated toward making jewelry with more complex construction. Handmade components has opened up so many new construction possibilities. I am always giddy when I figure out a new way to do something.

If you don't already, have you considered making your own handmade components/beads in your jewelry?

I have begun to play with polymer clay simply because it was much easier to acquire a toaster oven than it is to acquire a kiln. I have also been learning more about wire manipulation for making wire components. I am putting together a work shop and hope to be doing more and more of my own components in the future. Everyone else seems to do it so much better than I do though and with the investment required in equipment and materials, it seems to be more cost effective for me to buy from other artists that have already mastered the various mediums for use in my work. But, time will tell.

When creating, are there certain colors that you find that you gravitate more toward and why?

Absolutely. I am drawn to natural colors of the earth, sedona red and mustard yellows being the leaders among my current favorites. I also love dusty pinks and blues; And, colors of the ocean. And orange. And green. And gold. And denim.
I love working with gemstones and beautiful Czech glass, especially some of the new picasso finishes that area available. My favorites gemstones are turquoise, carnelian and jaspers.

You've been selling on Etsy for sometime now. What has your experience been so far?

I have been selling on etsy for about 14 months now. For the most part, it has been a very positive experience. I have “met” some very nice artisans that have been more than willing to share information and advice. Others not so much, but I try not to dwell on the negatives and concentrate more on the positive. Etsy provides an excellent forum to showcase and sell handmade goods of all kinds, not just jewelry. There are so many talented artisans on Etsy, that I am honored and a bit flabbergasted when someone chooses to spend their dollars in my shop. My clients are very important to me and I try to give each one of them the VIP treatment. I attempt to exceed expectations with each and every sales transaction.

Self-made jewelry is very competitive these days, are there any tips that you could share from what you have learned in terms of promoting your work?

Self promotion is my weakest area. I really don't do anything to self-promote. Blogs have become very popular these days and while I don't have a blog (yet) there are a few that I love to follow. I really like the ones that use their blogs as a way to journal their own artistic journey. I especially enjoy the ones that are so transparent about their creative process. It is fascinating to me to see how the creative mind works and so many times I can relate but wouldn't have been able to put it into words myself. The next stage in my artistic development needs to be exploring ways to self promote. Perhaps I still start with a blog.

If you haven't already, have you considered submitting to any of the popular bead magazines?

I really had no desire to submit to any magazines, but a few fellow etsians kept encouraging me and I did make a submission for the Winter issue of Stringing Magazine and have learned that a bracelet will be published in the Winter issue. I used a stoneware bracelet amulet by Karen Totten with Wild Horse Jasper and Pyrite gemstones and finished it with my own copper wireworking. We are both quite excited about it and I am thrilled to have been successful on my first attempt. I certainly found the entire exercise very challenging, but one that I look forward to tackling again in the future.

If you could share one thing with our readers in terms of creating and/or selling/buying, what might that be?

I would like to speak a moment on what seems to be my creative process so far. Like I said, I do not speak the language of the arts so bear with me. I seem to be inspired mostly from the handmade components that I have in my stash (which is huge by the way). I will choose a starting piece, maybe a pendant or some nice connectors or even just a new strand of beads. I will pull beads, wires, cords, spacers, and other materials that would look nice with the starting piece and design from there. I have a tendency to want to throw in a bit of everything and have to constantly be editing out in order to avoid ending up with a mess. I have been acquiring jewelry components for several years now and about a year ago I asked my fifteen year old nephew to help me to organize all of it into one space. After we had built shelves and moved tub after tub of supplies, my nephew told me that he had a suggestion on how I could cut down on the stuff that I had. He said that when I wanted to make a piece of jewelry, say a necklace, that I should draw it out and then just buy what I needed to make that necklace. That way, he said, I wouldn't end up with all the beads and wire and other stuff. Isn't that cute, he's so clueless. 

Well, I don't seem to create that way. With my way of creating, I need to already have all the stuff that I need to go with the piece I started with. That means I have a huge investment in my collection of jewelry components. And, I love it all. Probably not the best way to approach it, since I no doubt have valuable space filled with things I will never use, but for now, I don't know what to do about it. In addition to that, I have been an antique button collector for the last ten years. I really love it when the buttons can be incorporated into the jewelry although as a button collection, I refuse to damage a button to incorporate it into jewelry. I have quite a few beautiful antique glass buttons that are missing their shanks. They are perfect to use as they can be combined with brass filigree or other creative ways to use them. Having my supplies organized so that they are all easily accessible is a dream of mine. But, for right now, my studio (aka my dining room table) makes that a real challenge. I live in a 1920s Arts and Crafts airplane bungalow which is only about 1000 square feet of living space. I also live in this small house with my husband and three Rottweiler dogs so we live close. You really have to like the people/dogs you live with when you live in such a small space.

Thank-you, Jean...... Very fun as always :o)

On to the next part of our show.....

Our GIVEAWAY winner is......  See if you can guess from this hint.....

She now has something more to add to her bag of goodies ......

Yes, you guessed it, the winner is

BAG LADY

N. Markosky

Congratulations!!!

You can contact Izzy through her Etsy Shop with your address:

http://underacoppersky.etsy.com

As always.....

~thanks for reading~

MaryAnn

hOlY MoLy..... This post is loaded.....

by MaryAnn Carroll

I say that because we have a winner for the fabulous earrings that were so generously donated by Jen Vanbenschoten (vanbeads), a special interview with a special artist Lucia Tremont and to make that complete, a special giveaway donated by Lucia herself.  To win, you will have to answer a question at the end of this interview.

What is so cool about this interview is that I met this talented woman by checking out Barbara Lewis's enameling support site.  You can find that on side bar of Barbara's website by clicking HERE.  Yes, a site designed for those of who who cannot shake the enameling addiciton ;o)

What I soon discovered was that Lucia and I are pratically neighbors.  Not only that, one of her best friends is also a friend of my husband Bill.  They work together in the Syracuse City School District.  How cool is that?  I get used to meeting people who are usually a significant distance away, not one who went to high school right next to the neighborhood I grew up in. 

So, now it is your turn to meet Lucia Tremont.  She is a wife and mom of two boys 21 and 20, and a 17 year old daughter.  When not creating, she works full-time in a primary school.

Please tell us a little about your journey with jewelry creating.

I can remember the first piece of jewelry I made. I was 10 and glued stones onto a bracelet. Through the years I have tried many different mediums. I had a piece of enamel a friend had given me years ago and that sparked my interest in getting a kiln. That was three years ago and I've been making jewelry since.

I have read in your Etsy profile that you have always been involved in some sort of art, how did you first get interested in creating jewelry?


I am always making something.  When my daughter was younger, we decided to make bracelets at her birthday party that were on wire and crimped.  I enjoyed doing that and then began making necklaces for myself.  People would compliment me on the pieces, and I would make jewelry gifts for friends and family.

Enameling seems to be your art of choice.  Are there other materials that you like to combine with your enameled pieces?

Yes, I love patinaed metal, adding fiber and since I knit I've thought about adding knitted wire, natural fibers and felted wool.

How did you first decide to sell online?  Have you enjoyed your online experience?

It really was an evolving process.  I enjoyed searching through Etsy and the fact that everything I made could be just a little different.  Etsy is a very user friendly and it seemed like a great choice to get my pieces "out there".  I have asked many questions to shop owners and they have been very kind in replying and trying to help, so it's been good so far.

In terms of enameling, are you self-taught or have you taken classes to learn this skill?

I am self taught in enameling.  I decided to buy a kiln so that I could make pottery, glass beads and enamel. I did do a good amount of research before hand, I love the research part.  I did not intend to sell, it was for my own knowledge and enjoyment.  When my kiln arrived I was so excited, but the 2500 degree temperature scared me and with no one to walk me through the process,  I waited one month before turning it on.  I finally got the nerve to do a trial run, not even actually enameling, just turning it on.  I set it up in my family room and as the temperature climbed I began to relax and feel pretty good about it, but suddenly at 500 degrees my television and computer went out and the kiln shut down. I was afraid I had ruined the everything.  Luckily for me, all was fine and what I needed was a dedicated line for the kiln.  Once that was in, it was all trial and error. I did take out many library books but no enameling classes and that was 3 years ago.   Recently, I was fortunate enough to have a private lesson with Babara Lewis, who teaches her torch firing technique.

Have you explored other options to promote your online selling such as blogs, facebook, etc.?

I am only on Etsy and plan to explore social networks and blogs.

Have you set goals for your future creating and selling?

If so, what are those goals?

My heart's desire is to be known and respected as an artist. I would like my Etsy shop, Ciaolucia, to be successful, have work published and continue to grow and experiment with different techniques and mediums.  Enameling has so many possibilities, the layering of enamel powders produce such surprising results, always different.  But really, if I wasn't enameling, I would be making something.  I always have to be making something. I am a visual person, so when I see something that intrigues me, I can't wait to try it myself.

Would you offer some advice to those who may be reluctant to create jewelry using an approach that might feel out of their comfort zone?

If you have passion, you will find a way.  Research, read as much as you can, take a class and if there are no available classes, trial and error are the best teachers. Don't set limits on your ideas.

And there you have it, Lucia Tremont.....

Thanks, Lucia!

So.....

why did I leave the picture of these fab rings for the end of this post.  Yes, there is a method to my madness reason for that....a little teasing.... a little taste of what's to come....a little surprise....

 Lu has GENEROUSLY donated this gorgeous ring!!! 

 It could be yours if you just do a little window shopping and

head on over to Lu's shop by clicking HERE.

Come on back and let us know what your favorite piece is

and what you like about it.

As always, if you want to be entered multiple times, post this interview/giveway on your own blogs, facebook pages, etc. and come back and let us know each that you did (Each comment is counted once).  Please provide a link to the post.  A winner will be chosen next Sunday, July 24th so be sure to stop back (I hope you are reading daily ;o) to see if you are the lucky winner!

And while on the subject of lucky winner......

Island Girl

These are now yours!  Congrats!!  Just email Jen.  You can find her contact by clicking her name on the side bar of this blog.  She will need your address so she can get these shipped out to you.