since returning from my holiday jaunt, I've had so much going through my mind, I've almost been paralyzed in my ability to write about what's going on. the holidays were great for me in terms of business. I was able to advertise this year, and that brought in not only a good amount of sales, but also requests from store owners for wholesale information. wholesale has been something that's a little tricky for me, since I do so much one of a kind work. I can make pieces that can be reproduced, and did well with the bracelets I've been selling over the last several months. the problem is that once I start making quantities of things, I must use mass-produced materials. I'm starting to resolve that issue, and I'm putting together a collection of one of a kind and limited edition pieces, much like I sell on the website. when b returns from cali, he'll be designing an online ordering system for wholesale. that way, I can still offer one of a kind pieces, without having to update a static catalogue each time. I guess I'm so picky about the way my work is presented since I put myself in the role of the customer. I know from my own experience that if a product is presented as *green* or *environmental* I will scrutinize the whole package. For example, I recently bought a box of tea which provided data on the amount of resources saved annually by using 100% recycled material in the packaging. (meaning the cardboard box it came in) But when I opened the box, I found that each teabag was wrapped in a foil pouch. I did contact the company, and things like this do affect my buying decisions.
so I hope I am able to resolve my own issue (since everyone wants *green* now) and provide thoughtfully- produced items on a larger scale.
back in the fall
roxanne asami (aka roxy marj) posted about project runway canada. I remember there being a buzz about the orginial project runway around the time I moved to nyc, but this is how I do generally things: a) observe with skepticism since watching t.v. is a waste of time, b) forget about it for four years, c) suddenly be reminded and take a look, d) become completely addicted. so after watching all of the canadian episodes I had missed, I started delving into the previous three seasons of the american version and its current season. (thanks to youtube and the people who take the time to post the episodes!) project runway canada concluded its first season a few weeks ago, but season four u.s. is still going.
now, you might ask, why do I like this show so much? I guess it's because i can relate. I know what it's like have to design and produce under deadline. I know how fickle the fashion industry is. I know how hard it can be to design things to peoples' specifications, while keeping my own vision. I'm currently working on some side graphic and web design projects, and this last point really applies. Trying to satisfy peoples' expectations while making the project realistic and executable is the hardest part of graphic design. I guess that's why I've gone the other route with my jewelry. I design it, I put it out there, and hope that people like it.
that's it for now. hopefully I've gotten the writing juices flowing.
