Jewelry Making: So easy, a child could do it!

And its true! I taught my 11 year old niece and a friend taught her 8 year old daughter. And not just stringing, or macarame, but actually working with wire, making loops, and creating their very own designs!

Jennifer Cameron over at Art Jewelry Elements is hosting a blog hop to help folks overcome their fear of starting out...making lampwork beads in her case. Participants will be writing about how they started, and where they are now. A visual journey full of learning!

I became a jewelry artist quite by accident. I  was heavily into crochet during the beginning of 2011. Had been giving gifts (scarves...nothing else, mind you) to folks that I knew would have opportunity to wear them, and those who I knew would not be crocheting themselves. A friend, who knew how to crochet, one day joked and asked, "So when are you going to make something for me"? I thought about it, and decided to make her some crochet earrings (I had NO clue how to do this...but the decision was made). I was planning on surprising her, and it was all hush-hush. I started looking for patterns online, and eventually reached this post on this blog: Un Jardin De Hilo: Crochet Flower Earrings

This lady has done some AMAZING work! And her blog led me to her etsy store, droolworthy eyecandy!
While I was browsing her store, my friend walks by and in the next 15 minutes or so, we decide we need to have an etsy shop of our own...we could make things like these! Within the week, we shopped for supplies, figured out how to make basic earrings. Eventually my friend decided that she could not take this up at this time. I was a bit disappointed, but had these supplies on hand, so played with it a bit, and came up with this...my first pair of earrings!

My very first design! Must say I still love these, and should make another pair for the sake of nostalgia!

This is my first necklace I made...to go with the earrings. (I gave the earrings and necklace to different people!)

And this is the first pair I SOLD!

I can't tell you HOW big an urge I have to "fix" these photos. But that would be cheating. Because THIS is how I started in Feb 2011.

These are pics of my "first" ones. For more of my earlier designs, hop over to this post I did last year when I started my store.

I had my first jewelry exhibition at my friend's home in December 2011. It was a huge hit and I finally started to think about my own store. Some pics of jewelry I made for that exhibition:

More pics here: For the Project Why Benefit Exhibition/Sale

Right around that time, I signed up for my first ever Bead Soup Blog Hop! That was by far the best thing I have done for myself! I have made so many friends through the Bead Soup Cafe on Facebook, and later the Creative Bead Chat group. I made new friends, learned new techniques, learned about art beads, and have grown in leaps and bounds since then. The latest accomplishment is being published in Stringing Magazine!

What I have learned through this one and half year is this:
1) There is no need to be afraid. You have an idea, try to find ways to implement it. If you can't find it, innovate, try to figure it out yourself. The brown ribbon necklace up there? I did that without reading anything about using fiber and ribbons in jewelry. I knew what I wanted to do, and do it I would! In fact most of the work in that exhibition was purely out of my own head. I was not part of pinterest or FB groups or had any other inspiration pictures. All I had was my materials.

2) Practice: Even if you "know" a technique, you need to practice it to make it presentable (there is no such thing as perfect). I believe all my designs, early and recent, are quite creative. (I have never, to date, created something entirely out of a tutorial, my ADD wouldn't let me). But the early ones are not "finished" as nicely. The experience of doing it over and over and over is one of great value!

3) Ask questions: I am amazed, grateful and humbled by how giving the beading community is. I have learned so much by simply asking questions. One question and I have had so many helping hands! Its unbelievable!

4) Sign up for challenges: There are SO many challenges and blog hops being hosted. Just get on the bandwagon and join in the fun! This is a very good way to get outside your little box and also gain some visibility! This last challenge I did really pushed me way out of my box :)

5) Help others: Even if you are a newbie, I bet there is something you can help out with. So help! Being there for each other is what makes the beading community thrive!

6) Photography is important, and easy: Go look at the previous pictures in this post. And now I will let these other pics do the explaining for this lesson!

You can find more of my work on the Facebook page for Sadafulee.

This post is getting rather long, so I will wind up here. Do visit other participants and join them in their journeys too!