Happy New Year......

.....it's time for a change!

Firstly, an apology needs to be made for neglecting the blog a little over the last few months! It has been an extremely busy December which saw Graceful Deviant selling in Bath during the Christmas market they hold annually along with improved internet sales and some different selling venues throughout the year.

So this post isn't really to speak about my silversmithing journey other than to say that there are a few New Year resolutions! The first being that there will be a new illustration each month that will be transformed into my jewellery along with a lot more one-off stone pendants. The second is that Instagram will be used solely for studio behind-the-scenes shots so that you can see before, during and after photographs. Lastly, I'm going to try and select slightly fewer events to attend but choose larger ones as regular fairs didn't seem to work out quite so well.

But the main news for 2016 will be from The Blue Starfish point of view as I have been realising some valuable lessons over this past year of market and fair selling. Ultimately it boils down to the fact that my jewellery making designs and materials have not progressed as much as they potentially could have done and with the surge in people beginning to make their own jewellery mine just doesn't cut the mustard any longer!
And that's ok! I had been trying for a while to incorporate more handmade elements and artisan beads but the jewellery still wasn't attracting the eyeballs when out and about at fairs and so I guess the design element is still 'simple' or too 'commercial' looking.

Having said all of that I don't want to stop having a second jewellery line (especially as I have a huuuuggggee stash of gorgeous beads) plus Graceful Deviant is quite monochrome so it gives me a chance to explore colours and different metals. With that in mind I have decided to have a complete clear out of The Blue Starfish side of the studio and restock with some simple basics - copper and brass sheet, artisan glass and some precious metal clays.

Most importantly comes a rebrand. I have thought long and hard about this but as soon as I'd made my decision I was filled with excitement and itching to get started so I know it is the right thing to do.

-> So, The Blue Starfish will cease trading at the end of January 2016 <-

What will follow is a brand new website filled with new designs that have a rustic, earthy element but most importantly, a more handmade element. It will launch as 'Metal Mountain Jewellery'.

The decision to change the name has also been heavily influenced by the fact that I am consistently being mistaken for an eBay store called Blue Starfish Design who claim to hand make sterling silver and copper jewellery for very small prices. I certainly don't want to be associated with eBay wholesalers! Did I say that 'out loud'?! It appears I did :)

The launch date for Metal Mountain Jewellery is yet to be decided as time is required for design and development along with sourcing some new artisans that I'd like to incorporate. That said, the domain name and website building is already underway and I am very excited about being able to bring something different to my markets and fairs.

I hope you are all looking forward to 2016 and it would be great to have you on board to keep following my handmade journey :)

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.....

...the trials and tribulations of running your own business.

I'm actually going to start this post with the ugly and end with the good as I feel it's always better to end on a positive note!
As most of my existing customers and followers will know, my communications are rarely negative whether they be posts on social media, blogs or emails but I felt this last week has been important to share. I hope it enlightens my fans as to how hard I strive to offer exceptional products and customer service but also to any fellow artists/crafters/self employed business owners to stay strong and true to yourself and your business ethics.
Those who follow my blog may remember a while back that I completed a commissioned larger version of my Mighty Oaks necklace which was going to be presented to a headteacher of an American school as a retirement gift. All went well and the order shipped off with plenty of time to spare as the deadline was the 1st of June.
As I prepared for a weekend away in Wales for the bank holiday, I received an email from this customer on the evening of May the 22nd informing me that the necklace arrived, she liked it very much but the chain was tangled. I emailed back asap to apologise profusely, assure her that it had not left me in such a condition and asked what I could do to rectify the issue given that the deadline was fast approaching. She asked for another necklace to be sent as she desperately needed it for the 1st of June.
Merely wanting to ascertain how the chain became tangled, I asked her if she thought the package had been opened (perhaps at customs) or if the postal box was damaged in anyway. I told her that perhaps if this was the case she could send me a photograph as she could be entitled to some compensation from Royal Mail.
What followed were three rather angry, rude and abrupt emails accusing me of calling her a liar, threatening to report me to Etsy for not wanting to refund or replace her necklace, not standing by my product and that it was far too much to expect her to send photographs but that the package had not been opened or damaged.
I referred her to my shop policies which state that I am happy to refund or replace any item once it has been returned to me and that in this instance all shipping costs on her behalf would be paid for. I also explained (for a second time) that this was going to be physically impossible given the timelines - even if I could re-make the custom order and ship it on the 26th of May (given that it was bank holiday too) the earliest it would arrive would be Thurs 4th June.
She kept insisting that she needed a replacement, that my emails were harsh and that she had never had such an issue before shopping on Etsy. She was also angry that we had been emailing for over a day - it had been 11 hours since I received her first email. I cannot begin to tell you how upsetting this whole exchange was for me as I pride myself on going above and beyond for my customers but it seemed I just couldn't do right for doing wrong here. Eventually she informed that if it arrived by June the 4th that would be acceptable. For me, that meant returning home from my weekend away earlier than anticipated to start work on remaking her necklace so that it was posted on May 26th. Since emailing the customer with her tracking number and letting her know a new necklace was on its way and where to return the damaged necklace, I have heard nothing.
I anticipate she will leave me negative feedback but I can't worry about that any longer! After a week of reflection I finally feel at ease that I have done all in my power to appease this customer and none of my correspondence can be deemed anything other than polite and accurate but the financial and emotional cost is, well, ugly! So there you have it! Shall we move on to the bad?!

Graceful Deviant jewellery display at Bradford-on-Avon

The last couple of weekends, excluding the bank holiday, have seen my jewellery out and about in Lacock, Bradford-on-Avon and Devizes but to say they have been bad is not necessarily fair. In terms of sales and footfall, they have been awful - to the point at which I am considering having to suspend working on my jewellery full time and look for something to bring in extra, steady income. I had been so hopeful that getting back out there to do these events would help supplement online sales but it's actually costing me money. It may be too early to say but it will require some serious thought after I return from my Canada road trip. *sigh*
And how could I forget that on the way to the fair in Bradford-on-Avon this Sunday, someone drove into the back of our car as we were stopped at a roundabout! Both us and the car are in one piece thankfully! Plus, there was also some sad family news to round off the 'bad' but there has been some 'good'.
I had some lovely feedback once again whilst exhibiting including a customer return to a fair a month on from buying my full moon studs just to let me know how comfortable and well made they were :)
I've also had the need for some greeting cards and so some time to unwind and relax with a little water colouring - my favourite!

Before and after - the image is stamped using archival ink and then water colored with Tim Holtz distress inks

This gorgeous Santoro Mirabelle stamp lends itself so well to distress ink water colouring and I recently bought some pretty papers from Trimcraft which worked perfectly:

A personalised birthday card using the Santoro Mirabelle collection of rubber stamps

 In a bid to cheer myself up I also snagged some Magnolia stamps in a sale - her name is Tilda and here is my first attempt at using the fairy version:

A sneak of the water coloured Tilda fairy princess

I can't show you the whole card just yet as it won't arrive with the recipient until later in the week :)
After a day of card making yesterday it's time to dust myself off after a horrid week and get my mini 'Sunken Treasures' collection back on track. To say I've been less than inspired to get back in the studio and creating is an understatement but some 'down time' has certainly helped and I'm raring to get going again.
To those of you that realise, understand and appreciate that this is a one woman show and not Amazon or a Chinese factory - thank you! I will endeavour to hone my smithing skills and offer the best, personalised customer service that I can within the space and time constraints that we all have to operate under in this universe :)
Thank you

Graceful Deviant Jewellery in Lacock!

A busy weekend of handmade fairs!

With so many ideas buzzing around my head these last few weeks, my little sketch book has been relied on daily as I've been so busy preparing for a two-show weekender!
The first of which was back at Hungerford with The Blue Starfish Jewellery.

The Blue Starfish all set up at the handmade fair in Hungerford Town Hall.

This was the first fair of the year for my handmade glass beaded jewellery and I was hopeful that some half price goodies would help make the way for lots of new pieces I have in the pipeline. Alas, it was not a good day at all and so my bead buying will have to go on hold for another month or so!
Still, I was excited to be taking Graceful Deviant on the road for the very first time!

Graceful Deviant jewellery at Lacock

To say I was nervous was an understatement! I felt like it was the first time of ever selling at a fair - I was unsure on most things, venue, pricing, display, the jewellery itself!
Although it wasn't the busiest day in terms of footfall, those that stopped by were very complimentary, positive and intrigued to hear more about me and my jewellery journey! Plus a some sales here and there made it very worthwhile and lots of people helped themselves to business cards with lots more keen to discuss commissions.

These box frames were great for a professional jewellery display.

As with all selling weekends though - I'm now exhausted and very dehydrated! All that talking!! As much as I enjoy it I do feel as though an afternoon off to get outside in the good weather wouldn't go amiss so I'll plan to head out for a hike tomorrow :)
If you're local to the Wiltshire area or perhaps visiting in the near future, be sure to check my events page to find out where I'll be and if you mention 'I read your awesome blog!' you'll be eligible for a 10% discount at any of my shows!
Until next time......

Graceful Deviant hits the road!

Come and see Graceful Deviant jewellery in the flesh....

When I first founded Graceful Deviant in 2011, the aim was to get a nice & full Etsy store going with the possibility of starting my own website too.
I also found a few other online sites to sell through but in truth there really is nothing quite like selling face-to-face with the public!
It gives you the opportunity to see what draws people over, which items they lean towards and why they buy - all things that can be difficult if not impossible to judge online.
So I have set out to find some venues locally that will set me up to spread the word about my jewellery but it hasn't been easy and is still an uphill struggle! Why? Because a lot of events I apply for are inundated with people making jewellery and those sellers that have success at a venue tend to book in again for the foreseeable making the possibility of new talent entering slim to none.
That said, I am starting to get some positive responses and I am pleased to announce that from April this year you can find me exhibiting with Graceful Deviant in Bradford-on-Avon on the last Sunday of each month. For a full list of dates see my EVENTS page.

Come and 'like' the Be Creative, Be Yourself page to stay up to date with fairs and exhibitors

If you click on the photo link above you can come and see more details of the fairs and who will be attending each month - hope to see you at one of these in the near future!

Newbury Market & A Fresh Start

A clean approach to jewellery display and my diet!

What a wonderful day I had at The Kennet Centre in Newbury on Saturday selling The Blue Starfish jewellery! I have attended this market once before and love the location - we are essentially a handmade pop-up shop!

There are plenty of lovely stalls and so I felt I really needed to up my game this year to make my display really stand out. I have struggled before in the past to exhibit my wares in a coherent manner which easily portrays my overall style and theme.

But hopefully you'll agree that I'm definitely heading in the right direction!

 I opted for a natural fabric to cover the table - almost sandy looking! Along with some white-washed wooden crates, pebbles and a treasure chest to place my business cards in, I think you'll agree, the beachy theme is coming together nicely!

There is also a brief introduction to me and my work placed in the frame at the middle of the table but I've never clocked anyone reading it to date! So perhaps I will use that space for more stock next time.

Also in love with the fact that I now have a real blue starfish to display on the table! Found in a gift shop on Pier 39 in San Francisco on my Cali road trip last summer :)

So with a fresh approach to my market appearance, it's that time again to do the same with my diet! I don't know about you but sometimes things can get so busy and hectic that what you put in your mouth at meal times becomes more about convenience rather than homemade, fresh and sensible choices.
One of the best ways I have found to get back on track is to follow a basic detox plan. It's amazing after 7 days how your cravings for sweet treats as well as the naughty stodgy meals suddenly disappear!

Now this detox plan is not easy but does make sense when you look into why you are eating certain things on certain days and I have lost around 4-5lbs after completing it. So, today I have shuffled onto the scales, noted down 129.8 lbs (I'm roughly 5'4") and have begun preparing all the fresh fruit I could ever want as today that is all I can eat. It's important to note that you shouldn't feel starving hungry! Eat as much fresh fruit as you like (excluding bananas) and drink at least 2L of water. I also cut out caffeine which is the hardest to do and headaches will be noted tomorrow I'm sure!

Tune in tomorrow to see how I'm getting on and find out what's on the menu for the rest of the week :)