Showing posts with label social networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social networking. Show all posts

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Interactive Blog - Get stuck In!

Hi all!

Well yesterday I really thought that Spring had arrived and even managed to catch the sun a little whilst walking by the sea, however, today it's back to normal!  Hope those of you who've got the nice weather are enjoying it on my behalf.

So, this post is intended to be an interactive one!  I've been working on a new pastel coloured sheet of aluminium, in shades of pink, peach, pale yellow and pale green and I'd like you to come up with the name for the pattern.  I've put some photos of the pieces cut out and semi-finished so that you can have a look.  There will be cuffs, a couple of necklaces and some earrings in this colourway and I have kept aside a special piece to make up as a prize for the winning suggestion, so get posting your ideas! You can make more than one suggestion and to keep the ideas fresh, send them to me via my website contact page.

Have you got some ideas then? Can't wait to see what you come up with! Remember, the winning suggestion will get a pendant in this design! You have until Sunday 21st to get your entries in and the cut off time is 2pm so get busy!
 
I've also been working this week on a new design shape and so far I'm really pleased with the outcome.  I'm planning to explore this shape further - do you like it? I think it's very stylish and if you're interested in owning this little beauty let me know SlickSilver Jewellery.
 
 
Hubby's away this week so I shall be busy, busy, busy! Lots of designs planned, some shopping for some little niceties for my craft fair stand, lots of social networking, some craft fair entries to do and some new galleries to stock so that should keep me amused for a few days.
 
I'll be at Crocadon Producer's Fair at St Mellion, Cornwall on Saturday from 9 - 3 so come and pay me a visit and if you ask me nicely I might give you one of my new discount cards!
 
Look forward to hearing from you!

Saturday 27 October 2012

The Scaredy Cat gets Braver....

Hi folks!

It's blog time again so what to talk about.......

Like a lot of people who work creatively, I'm a great big scaredy cat when it comes to selling myself and my wares.  I love the whole making process and I have a sneaking feeling that I would be happy to do just that, however, I have visions of our house filling up with jewellery like the never ending porridge pot in the fairy story, so I must try to sell my work. 

Just over a year ago I needed surgery on my right shoulder which meant no making for a few months, so in preparation, I made as much as I could in advance.  I challenged myself to learn about using social media to increase my visibility during this time.  I was already using Twitter socially so I started to focus more on that, set up a Facebook page, started blogging and joined LinkedIn.  I've learned as I've gone along, sometimes by making mistakes, and I've also realised that how something sounds in my head when I write it may not be the way it's read!! I've attracted many a spambot by not thinking through a tweet before pressing 'send'! My Twitter use is a combination now of social and business chat with virtual colleagues and increasing my brand through pictures of my work and links (trying to remember to use my hashtags - Ash!). I've read a couple of articles recently that I'd like to share with you because they're really well written and very useful.  The first article was a blog by Plymouth's local social networking guru Ash Mashhadi and I'd definitely recommend it. http://inspiration.co.uk/the-7-deadly-sins-of-social-media/  The second was a really useful article by Pete Mosley on Twitter for creative workers.  It was in the September/October issue of Craft and Design magazine http://www.craftanddesign.net/magazine/223/.

I think it's safe to say that I am embracing the need to put myself out there virtually and more recently I've started to do it physically too by attending local artists's markets and other events.  I also exhibit regularly with Flameworks.  This week, however, I've really challenged myself.  I attended Plymouth Business Networking at the Devonport Guildhall.  I took along my jewellery, not quite knowing what to expect, but guess what? I really enjoyed myself!  I wasn't as hard as I thought to chat to other business people, exchange cards, ideas and plans and I've already booked myself in for the next one! Who would have thought?

My stand at Plymouth Business Networking Event


I've had a very busy week in the studio too, cutting up the aluminium sheets I made the week before. I'm actually really pleased with how these have turned out, by which I mean that it's difficult sometimes to know whether a design is pleasing or not until it's cut. This time when dyeing the sheets I experimented with dipping skeleton leaves into sticky aluminium ink and pressing them onto the metal before applying powdered pigments and dyes. I'm happy with the results. What do you think?

Falling Leaves collection


I also wanted to create some warm and richly coloured pieces for the winter and so I made the Harlequin collection. 

Harlequin collection
These collections and much more besides will soon be available on my website so keep checking so you don't miss out http://www.slicksilverjewellery.co.uk.

If you'd like to see more of my jewellery in the flesh, I've got two more stockists to tell you about this week. Yay!! If you're in Derbyshire you can see my work at Studio 61 Gallery http://www.karinagoodman.com/ and if you're in Somerset then why not visit The Cottage Gallery http://wwwthecottagegallery.co.uk .  If you are near to Tavistock, then why not come and see me personally on the 4th November and 2nd December at the Artists's Market in the Pannier Market, Tavistock.  Look forward to seeing you!