From Ebay To Etsy To Small Craft Shows To Our Own Gallery In less than 2 Years!!

Friday March 2 at 5:00 PM, 2012 we will be opening our gallery-studio in Santa Fe. Located in historic Rout 66, on 533 Old Santa Fe Hwy.  We will be having live music, drinks and munchies.

Adriana a photographer from the area will be exhibiting some of her photographs, I will be unveiling my new silver jewelry line. And my husband will be formally opening his guitar studio.  We finally have a place that we can work in together.  It was a series of events that could only be coordinated by the grace of God. :)  We found the perfect space without looking, in a great area, lot's of traffic, affordable rent a great landlord a parking!! A must in Santa Fe!!


So for the past month we have been working to get the place together.  Keeping it low cost, for many reasons was one of our concerns.  But also making it comfy and pleasing to the eye is a must, and that so my pieces do not get lost in the sauce is not easy!! Plus my new silver line has to be a mayor focus! I have a very high tech desk, one medium size display case and 2 side open display ends. A few narrow tables with display busts.

I also have a little area where I will be able to work on my pieces and make jewelry repairs, such as sizing rings and soldering. There is a specific wall space for his handmade guitars, for photography, a folklore area and my pieces are displayed through out. I have taken so much advantage of this little space by dividing it with the sliding doors from a closet that belong in one of the only other room in this is a one room 1600's authentic Santa Fe adobe home.  The space also has a kitchen in back :)

When in Santa Fe please stop by and say Hi!!.

Getting your Jewelry or Art into Bona Fide Shows :)

I have just been accepted to the Salida Colorado at the Riverside Park located on the banks of the Arkansas River a gorgeous background to exhibit my jewelry.

Exhibitor booths will be placed all through the park. So the setting will be awesome, this is the second week of August. So it will be hot!!  Very excited to be there, I have applied to 3 shows, and this is the first one that has accepted my application.  

It was real...It was happening as I logged into my account at ZAPP, the system allows you to apply to multiple shows, and it keeps all your information and pictures stored for a nominal fee.  It was hard to choose only 6 pictures that will summarize your work...I got sooooo many different lines!!!  Zapp serves as a go between juried shows and artists.  I highly recommend them! If this is your goal, you need all the help you can!!  

They usually ask for a booth shot, if you do not have one set up your merchandise as if you did take a pic and that will do.  I paid for a corner booth for more visibility and traffic it was about $400 for a 10x10 tent (I supply it) they also supply electric.   It should be a very exciting time.  This will be a task for 2, so my husband will be coming with me.   

Taking A Turn For The Better With My Jewelry

I decided that I wanted to do more, to take my jewelry to the next level, coming from so many generations of jewelers it should be easy right? But they are all fine jewelers, meaning they deal with precious metals, diamonds and the like.  And here I am making jewelry with semi-precious stones, adding brass, copper, natural and or dyed stones, and beads.   So for many months I have been researching into learning how to make silver jewelry.  Silver is very big here, so I am in luck :) 

By pure coincidence, but I know there was no one but God behind this casual encounter, I met a local free lance jeweler who had the time and the patience.  His name is Jorge, he is in his late 60's from Uruguay and has about the same experience my father has!! Bingo! My dad living in Florida and me here in Santa Fe made it impossible for me to learn from him.  ( I should have shown interest earlier in my life, but it is never too late :) )  I met Jorge while at a local consignment shop.  I told him that I wanted to start making jewelry in silver, and he offered to help me and allow me to use his small shop, located in his own room :) proof that you can create jewelry anywhere so space is not an excuse!.

Short of a month later, and dedicating about 6-7 hours a week for this, investing some cash on different types of silver, sheets, wires, etc.  I am using his tools, so I have saved some cash on that, I do have pliers, hammers, cutters, and the smaller stuff, but you need to set up a different kind of shop for this purpose.

There is a local jewelers supply, where I get the majority of my findings, and the rest we make.  I have been able to finish a few pieces,  learning how to solder, how to make a bezel around a stone, how to shape a raw stone, mainly turquoise,  make my own small clasps, polish, and basically how to be comfortable using a total different medium.

These are some of my first very simple pieces, as I go along I get more bold, and creative....we are making some awesome pieces for my jewelry store gallery!!  Now I am having fun designing really unusual and interesting pieces.

But I need to get my own silver studio/bench/workshop, and another blessing, my father has some extra equipment that he is sending me so I can start my workshop....you need a lot of equipment, and it is not cheap ;(  Just found a great long vintage bench where I can set up a sort of an assembly line so I can save time. So it is never too late to learn and give a new twist to your favorite craft.

From Art Shows to Art Gallery In Less Than Six Months!!!

• After a few months of doing local, Santa Fe NM shows, at the Artist's Market on Sundays, my husband (the guitar maker, Kath Guitars) started to get a lot of publicity with a local newspaper that wrote a piece on him.  After that, he has met and work on a lot of local musician's guitars.

I continued to sell, while he stayed home working on repairs on Sundays.  I did pretty good considering I am the 'new kind on the block'.  But an opportunity arose for us to rent some great space on a very busy street, right on Old Santa Fe Trail, also known as the historic Route 66.   The space used to be a small one bedroom adobe house, in great condition!  My husband had been toying with the idea of getting a shop, elsewhere, meaning other than in our garage for his growing business.  While walking around looking for some beads, I went into the Milagro Gift Shop, and met the wonderful owner, Connie.  17th Generation Santa Fean!! Very famous and wonderful person.
 
She suddenly remembered that she had a space to rent, mind you I was not even inquiring, not did I think I could afford it, but she was so nice, I could not say  no.  I actually loved the place, it has a great room as an entrance, another room, where the bedroom should have been and a separate kitchen an bathroom, and it's own portal with PARKING!! In case you don't know parking is the most annoying thing for tourists in this town.

I liked the place enough to tell my husband, but I did not even considered it a possibility, when he saw it he was very excited!!  But instead of just placing his workshop, he allowed me to have the front room to set up my jewelry!!   We signed the lease at the beginning of February and we are planning on having a grand opening March 2!!  I will also have local artist's work :)

I always wanted my work to be in a gallery, never expected  to be a gallery owner.   Thank you God :)  

At The WEEMS Art Show in Alburqueque New Mexico Show With John Corbitt!!!

A lot of these shows are juried, so if you are interested in applying for any of them I recommend that you join something called ZAPP,  (for a nominal yearly fee) you can file your applications and upload/save the pictures there and send them directly to the jury.

A lot of them want the actual hard copy pictures, which I find out that Walgreens does a great job and super fast.  Usually they need four size 4x6's all in clear plastic protection sleeves with 3 holes, brief description of medium and price.  You have to keep your 'resume' to a minimum!!  The first application you put together is very stressful.... deciding what pictures, and some demand a picture of your booth, if you do not have one like me, I just sent a picture of my regular set up, making it look as streamlined (black colors not too many items) as possible. Later it will get easier to send these apps.  I have placed 3 so far at the beginning of the year, they are very strict when it comes to dates!!!  However not heard from any yet! ;(

If you miss your chance trust me, there are 10 other artists waiting for that spot, and that is for the newbies. The ones that are regular get preference of course.  Zapp will advise you when the deadlines come for your favorite shows.  Also with this economy some regulars drop out of the circuit, and some others might share the booth (10x10) with you!!! As long as you are not competitors, this works great in case any of you needs a break. Spaces can run from $300 to $500 for a weekend, try to choose one close enough for the first time so you save on extra expenses, hotel, food, and others.  Also if they are indoors, you get protection from wind, dust, rain, snow and what nots...

I decided to throw my hat on the ring and applied to one of the most famous in the NM area, the Weems show, it has a local buzz, parking and it is indoors!! Prices where from low to high, so there was a range for every buyer.

And it was just my luck that I ended up meeting Hollywood actor John Corbett, from Parenthood, Sex In The City and of course when he played the hottest DJ ever in Northern Exposure!! We got into a conversation, he now paints, and also plays guitars, so my husband offered to make a guitar for a charity even in the future...he is a cool dude.  I pray I am accepted to this Art Festival, it would be my first, and perhaps I can get a space next to him :))

STEAMPUNK.... Other Interesting Jewelry Line Cold Connections

 Steampunk style jewelry is very HOT.  In some cases, it is also called cold fusion, since you really do not need to solder anything,  Although it helps if you do.  It is also great for your creativity, and if you have little things here and there in that messy drawer we all have, with some of those, nails, dice, broken clocks, watches, children toys, screws, and wire, all you have to do is buy copper and or metal sheets (Michaels), and a good pair of metal shears.  Also very popular and in high demand are words, little designs or names that are stamped (hammer and anvil) like old fashion tags to your jewelery.  

Basically create organic, interchangeable pieces!  Either used with a chain or a choker style wired necklace.  All the components are basically inexpensive, at least 2 rolls of wire, either silver tone, or copper, if you have colored ones even better a thick gauge and a thin gauge.  A good hammer, preferably one with heads that you can exchange for texturing metals, if you can afford to buy thin gauge silver...go for IT.   It will add more dimension and color to your pieces, mix them up with stones, and findings such as wire, spacers, get your tools to do the  work. A hole puncher is also a great investment as it is an anvil, there are more interesting tools out there if you want to spend the cash, but you can start with a small investment of $50, and most likely get it all when you sell your first piece :)

Now for the actual meaning of the word : Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United States—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art!

My Magazine Article On Making A Memory Wrapped Bracelet

A British On-Line magazine (Creative Crafting) contacted me a while ago, to teach their readers how to make a simple memory wrap, or coiled bracelet with my signature charms!   I could not believe it!!  so I set up the theme being Halloween this way I could get very creative and the colors would be amazing.   I set up the camera and took pictures of the whole process! It was a HIT!  I loved it, and of course the bracelet SOLD!  Getting yourself on an on line magazine is not that hard either.  I was approached by them through ETSY, but you can send emails to local or international magazines with your crafty ideas!! It is a great promotional tool.   Plus you can get a hard copy and put it on your table at your artists or craft show!

First step get all your tools wire and jump rings

Get colorful beads, either for a specific holiday or colors you like

Get your charms ready, mix matched earrings, old dangling little things

Place jump rings on all charms and alternate charms and beads.

Start with a small loop at the end so the beads don't fall. Cut about 3 wrist sizes

Finished bracelet

1.  These are actually my best sellers... they take no time to time to make and while you are selling at a market, you can be working on them. People are always interested in artists that are working their craft.  I placed these at the end of the table closest to the entry point, right next to the 'Cash And Carry' section, along with all my colorful earrings that are very inexpensive to make, and I sold them at about $6 each or 2 x 10. Basically, you have to think about it this way, you can sell a $100 piece, or 2 bracelets at $25 each and a couple of earrings, and it is still the same amount of $, plus you are giving someone that might not have the same amount of money to buy one of your more formal designer pieces, something to remember you by :)

Sundays at the Artist's Market in Santa Fe New Mexico

What a great experience this has been, I started with so many things, now I am streamlining, my husband (the guitar maker Jim Kath) made these great screens for me, they fold and they have a metal mesh, from which I can hang all the lariat pendants that I have recently designed. 

I have also decided to change the pieces every week, and place some on tilted velvet trays, on each of these I place one of my larger postcards or my business cards.  I am showing fewer pieces, I find that buyers won't be overwhelmed  with the merchandise.  If I see that they are interested in a particular stone but can't seem to find what they want, I take some of the extra inventory that I keep on a handy tray cart (jewelers case).

Trying to set up is always the worse, no matter what I do still takes me more than an hour, not a good thing, if I am accepted by any of the 3 local shows I have applied for!!   

I have 3 large folding tables, purchased the black straight table covers (I keep my mess under them) and in between the area I have created I also added a runner, a good 'warm feeling' plus if anything falls or if anyone drops a piece it is saved!

Don't forget to place a lot of signs showing that you take credit cards!!