The choices we make

The first choice I made for the 2016 Build a Line Challenge was my theme-Cowgirl Chic.  On an occasional day when I gotta, I clean up good, but do you see anything cowboy here?  Not so much.  Chic, absolutely, but I am inclined towards flowers and pearls and pretty things.

I do love horses, like this young stallion which we recently “discovered” on a hiking day at the Big Horn Canyon National Recreation Area.  He is a true descendant of the wild horses (American Mustangs) of the Pryor Mountains, which is adjacent to the Recreation Area  I have spent plenty of time around horses-we used to have 3 of them when we lived in the city, but I was never a “cowgirl” and I didn’t ride western, so this theme has been a challenge for me, and then some!

In the series of classes (modules) between our first blog hop and now, we covered several different topics.  One of those was design influence and another was “artistic generosity” which in my case go hand in hand.  My designs for this line are directly influenced by a new facet of handcrafted artisan goods I want to provide for my customers-artistic generosity suggests that I make more western designs instead of just the pretty things I prefer; that I take into account my customer demographics and allow them to experience my creations in a whole new way.  As you can see from the collection of components against a 1930’s era cowboy themed fabric, above, I had a LOT of options.

My first idea was an epic “FAIL”.  It looks like a hot mess to me and will NOT be a part of my line.  Our class discussed different types of jewelry folk-hobbyists who make things because they enjoy the challenge but typically don’t sell their goods or have no need to sell them.  We examined makers who create jewelry for the purpose of supplementing their income or hoping to earn their whole living with their creations, and production designers who create extensive lines, either to wholesale directly to other companies as finished goods, or for other companies to reproduce in a manufacturing setting.  I tend to be a production-oriented jewelry maker, but I prefer to incorporate vintage items into my designs, just as I do with my other types of handcrafted work.  As a result, I anticipate that I will have various limited edition lines-just a few items that match and some that may coordinate, but never dozens and dozens of identical projects.

Here is a foundation piece for my current line of Cowgirl Chic theme.  I couldn’t possibly add all those pieces shown in the previous picture without going crazy, so I narrowed my components down to just a few.  Though this piece features new components, it will join some upcycled pieces, and you will see the finished line at our next blog hop.  All those other pieces will become different but related limited edition lines throughout the summer.

I do hope you have enjoyed my blog today, and I encourage yo to visit and comment on the blogs of my classmates.  Each of us has a different theme, and the blogs are fun, diverse. and very interesting.

Brenda Sue Lansdowne, Jewelry Making Outside the Box

http://www.bsueboutiques.typepad.com

Diana Buynak, Butterfly Emporium Ceramic Studio

http://butterflyemporium.indiemade.com/blog

Irene Hoffman, Heart’s Dezire by Irene

https://heartsdezirebyirene.wordpress.com

Claire Wells Nemeth, Creative Magick

http://www.craftingmagick.blogspot.com

Mary Reckmeyer, Afrayed Not

http://www.afrayedknot.net

Marcia Tuzzolino, Aurora Designs

http://auroradesignsjewelryblog.me

Elizabeth Wilks, Wearable Art by Lizzie

http://wearableartbylizzie.blogspot.com

Jeanette Rose Belmont, One Canvas At A Time

http://www.onecanvasatatime.com

Lyn Joy Reeve, A Journey From Jewels To Jubilation

http://lnreeve00.blogspot.com

Belinda Reed-Ingle, Vogue Rocks

http://voguerocks.blogspot.com

Beth Trubman, The Journey of Jewelry

http://thejourneyofjewelry.blogspot.com

Carole Carlson, Bead Sophisticate

http://beadsophisticate.wordpress.com

Jann Tague, Clever Designs by Jann

http://janntague.wordpress.com

Shari Gardner, SLG Jewelry Designs

http://slgdesigns.wordpress.com

Susan Bolton, Fern’s Place

http://www.fernsplace.org

Chris Kemp, Noodle Pie Bracelets

http://noodlepiebracelets.com

Barbara Kelley, Angels’ Keep

http://angelskeepbandBdotcom.wordpress.com

Susan Bowerman, Woodside Wireworks

http://woodsidewireworks.com/

Pamela Anger, Novegatti Designs

http://novegattidesigns.blogspot.com

Joan Donovan, Hailey’s Cottage

http://haileyscottage.com/

Alison Huie, Ally’s Baubles

http://www.allysbaubles.blogspot.com

Sharon Palac, Sharon’s Jewelry Garden

http://www.sharonsjewelrygarden.blogspot.com

Erica Olmos, Beeb’s Closet

https://beebscloset.wordpress.com

Erin Whitacre, Shattered Time Jewelry

https://shatteredtimejewelry.wordpress.com

Fran Sitton, Sitton Up Front

https://sittonupfront.wordpress.com

Ginger Hammond, Lynn Leigh Designs

https://lynnleighdesigns.wordpress.com

Paula Gaskill, Lovely LaylaBug Jewels

http://www.lovelylaylabugjewels.com/Blog.php

Mary Deis, The Rose Sword

http://theroseswordmdeis.blogspot.com

Renee Webb Allen, Small Stuff Design

http://smallstuffdesign.com

Valerie Tilghman, ArtJewelsandGifts

http://www.artjewelzdimensions.blogspot.com

Chris Cravens, Vintage Cravens

http://christinecravens.blogspot.com

Leslie Carver, Adorn Divine Designs

http://www.adorndivinedesigns.blogspot.com

Donna Parry, JewelryDonna

http://jewelrydonna.typepad.com

Gina-Marie Hammer, Tangles, Twists and Treasures

http://tanglestwistsandtreasures.com/blog/

Kelly Wymer, Winged Wisdom Enchantments

https://wingedwisdomenchantments.wordpress.com/