This is my first official CicadaDesign giveaway: http://blog.jensnyderphotography.com/?p=476
I'm so excited to be part of this week of awesome giveaways at Jen Snyder Photography. Please check out her amazing work and then visit her blog for more giveaway information.
Yeah, so we're not going to talk about why I haven't been updating my blog lately. I'm embarrassed. You all can come up with your own fantastical reasons, if you wish.
I am excited to announce that I have finally opened up my own jewelry business: Cicada Design. I have opened up shop at Etsy and I'm applying for some local and regional craft shows. I'm living my dream! Ha ha. This really has been a passion of mine for years, and folks, it was only fear that was holding me back. Don't let that stop you all--learn from my mistake.
Here is some of my work (all images copyright emilie kleiner 2010. Please ask permission before using):
All work is low carbon steel and various semi-precious gem stone beads, except for the last picture, which is a vintage celluloid tatting shuttle.
I love to be creative and I know this will fill a huge, gaping hole in my soul that has been missing since I graduated from college with my art degree. I'm excited to be on this path and can't wait to make a name for myself!
I promised you all an interview with Jen Menkhaus, founding member of the Baltimore Etsy Street Team (B.E.S.T.) and mixed media crafter, and it's about time I delivered. I made the mistake of overextending myself this week so this is the only free evening I've had (sniffle) to put up a post.
Jen is a friend of mine from a previous job and I've always admired her creativity (she used to design the window displays for Anthropologie!) and original style. She's one of those people that you know is so much cooler than you are, and yet she is nice to everyone and has a sweet spirit. Go Jen!
Baltimore Etsy Street Team photo by Tya Anthony of Eyeni Photography, www.eyeniphoto.com
2. I know that your goals at B.E.S.T. involve promoting Etsy, handmade craft, and each other's work. What kinds of alternative strategies do you have for promotion aside from blogging and advertising? What are you doing that is "outside of the box"?
I think there is strength in numbers - we have so many connections just through our members that we have been lucky enough to get word out quickly in the seven months we've been together. I think that for me it is easier to promote others than myself, and that is one of the benefits of a group, since we are all doing that for each other. I won't say we have been lazy about marketing and promoting, but we really have tried to develop a quality group of crafters rather than doing things like advertising.
3. I really enjoy your personal work--my mom now has one of your brooches and I've begun a modest collection of my own. What do you have up your sleeve for the fall?
Oh, my sketchbook is really full. I have some new brooches, necklaces, cuffs, scarves, and kid's accessories coming in the fall. I'll also be doing more labor-intensive, one of a kind pieces. I had a huge demand for one of the pieces I created that had fifteen layers of embroidery, that I couldn't part with, and I'll be making more in that style. It's just a matter of finding the time!
One of a Kind Felt Necklace. Copyright Jen Menkhaus 2008.
4. Finally, if there was one magical thing that you wish would happen to bring loads of attention and fame to B.E.S.T. and/or your own personal work, what would it be?
Wow. We've had so much already, it would be greedy to ask for more right now! I guess I would really like to see this handmade movement become a pervasive force in the US. I personally feel very strongly that for the sake of our local economies, the environment, and overall quality of life, we should support local businesses and choose fewer, more special things over having many things. Y'know, quality vs quantity.
Pointy Flower Brooch. Copyright Jen Menkhaus 2008.
I've been subscribing to a listserv from Americans for the Arts and I must confess, I have barely paid attention to it until this year. Sad. However, now that I am reading through it I come across the coolest articles. This one about artist entrepreneurs made my heart smile--I am a true blue capitalist and love to see creative minds at work circulating more ideas and money into the market.
This article, by Laura Tiffany at Entrepreneur.com, highlights the changes in the DIY art market, most notably how artists are reaching into the business side of art to supplement their income. They are no longer relying on one income stream, which I think is very wise. Definitely read about Jaime Zollars and Raymond Choy; you just might be inspired!
Ocean, 24 x 48. Marla Olmstead. Image courtesy of www.marlaolmstead.com
Yesterday I watched a documentary called My Kid Could Paint That, and it was extremely thought-provoking. It started out as a documentary about 4-year-old Marla Olmstead, who was described as a child prodigy for being a successful modernist painter, and ended up raising questions about the authenticity of her work and general debates about modern art itself. I'm still not sure what side of the fence I'm on, but I definitely think Marla completed her own paintings. Make sure you watch it--I wish I had watched it with fellow art lovers so we could have discussed it afterwards.
