Re the talk on Sparrow's blog I remembered this: On a show called "Bar Rescue" that hubs likes, guy says, "Look, I put this bottle of $400 wine on your menu. Now, nobody's gonna buy a $400 bottle of wine, right? But suddenly, the $80 one doesn't look so bad."
Pretty sneaky. So I'm introducing some "show pieces" with just tons of fancy and rare bits... OK, Ok. They were already in the works, I just happened to have finished them right in time for this conversation.
Cuz I'm nuts. And another thing! Have you noticed how easy it is to tell a fellow artist to raise her prices but then how hard it is to do it yourself? At least that's how it is for me.
Is it because I'm always wanting to get rid of everything I make as fast as possible? And is that because I only think a piece successful if it sells? Whatever. How much should I price these for? You gais! The thought of charging what I "should" (supplies x3 x labor + time of the month divided by purple....) makes me scared.
I had this piece up ages ago. I leafed the Indian wood block stamp and am putting it back up. It's an odd one.
I recently stumbled upon myself in someone's old pin somewhere which said, "fancifuldevices puts together some of the strangest necklaces I've ever seen." That was right from the time I made this one. It made me very happy to hear. Of course I never set about trying to be strange. These things have an interior logic that is perfectly evident to me. Not in a throw-it-on-for-everyday-wear type of logic. More of a magical-key-to-an-imaginary-realm kind of logic.
The tigereye pendant isn't reading so well in these pictures. Or is it? Idk.
Phew, what's next? This round... ameth...jasp...dyed...stone of some sort with kuchi pendant, Hebron glass, African glass and some leafing. A singlette.
Another brooch since that last one disappeared before I could realize I'd rather underpriced it. This one's gonna be one million dollars!
Since I was just showing off some supplies look what I just got from 4ophelia:
Rough and gorgeous ring base I'm gonna oxidize and maybe use in my tute.
Oh! Oh! See the color of these cabs? They are clear but the bottoms are leafed! I'm sure I read that in the description but it didn't really register. What this means is there's all this dimensional ... yumminess going on. And bangle pins. They can serve as dangles or the beginnings of links.
Das all.
8 comments:
That divide by purple had me chuckling, then Dr.Evil popped up and a burst a valve! You so funneh. Imma hafta think about that pricing but i would not flinch to see that pink one at $450. on account it's so massive, and what with the druzy and the lampwork and gold leaf and the beaded bits are all hand-linked and suchforth and i am suckertime for pinks. But mostly because so much good supply. There's gotta be like, 50 worth of supply in there min.
yah and then the show pieces sell and then MIND. BLOWN!!!!
i started making necklaces and pricing them high and i read some random thing you wrote about how necklaces sell so slowly but i made some anyways and then started selling a bit faster than the other things. and then i'm like WTF NO!!!they're ruining my price contrast.. but secretly...MWHAHAHA yuuusssss!! :D
YAY glad you liked the sparkly cabs :D
Beautiful strange, indeed. You make magick with those fingers. And you are right. Asking for what you are worth is scary. But know that you are worth it. I have TONS of pieces that still sit years later and I leave them in my studio in places of honor to show where I have come and where I am going. They are sculpture, as art necklaces are wont to be. Something to spark inspiration and conversation and curiosity. That is what I think of when I see your work. And I always think that I am not the one that my jewelry is intended for, so I don't have to be able to afford it. I would rather work smarter for selling one higher priced piece than working harder selling a lot of little or underpriced pieces. It just means you have to find the right buyer. I have been following Sparrow's talk as well and it really is eye opening. Thank you for always sharing so freely your art and your soul. Enjoy the day! Erin
Wonderfully and gloriously strange indeed. Humans love to explore mysteries and are delighted by surprises; your work gives us both.
On your pricing strategy, I'm thinkin' one MILLION dollars sounds about right 'cuz your stuff is da bomb (or at least sharks with laser beams attached to their foreheads)!
A magical key to an imaginary realm, yes, that is exactly what your pieces are :)
Wooow loooook at all the goooodies! Love the use of Anty Rey's Beads in the first necklace. And the gold leaf on that re-vamped block stamp has brought it to life...EVEN more...if that is possible. That necklace is a fave of mine. Glad to see it back up so I can gawp at it some more ;)
Okay girlfriend - you are right. You need to have the "show" pieces. My husband made wooden children's toys for 30 years - we were organic before the popular explosion.
I designed them and kept my day job so we could do this....long long story. On Etsy he was "The Countree Toy Shoppe". Anyhoo, down to point. Finally I said - look Mr. Wonderful, to get juried into the big shows so you can sell you've got to have huge jury quality pieces. What happens is that people say, "Whoo, I'd die to have that $500.+ piece but I can't afford it." Then they move on and are totally delighted to purchase something smaller of the artist they admire. I used to work in retail when I was younger and it totally works. Besides that, and much to the DH's surprise the huge things also started to sell.
Slowly, to those who could afford that type of work but they did indeed sell.
Yeah, it's hard to raise prices and a constant struggle to find a balance but you've got quality components there and it wouldn't hurt one bit to tout that fact loud and clear on your Etsy posts.
Okay - enough mind numbing advice.
That Indian print piece was one of the first pieces of yours that blew me away. I spent three days finding where I had hid some I bought 20 years ago...you always inspire my brain. Not that I did anything with them - but I sure didn't look at them in the same way.
Oh now I remember that I was gonna tell you that I got one of those calendar thingies when I was in U too. I would have never figure out how to use it in a piece as you have. Can't buy genius at a market can you?
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