Sometimes Simple Is Best

I found a poll on the Internet about everyone's favorite type of earring wires. I was very interested in knowing what types people liked, as I love to focus on making primarily earrings in my Etsy shop. My guess all along was kidney wires or leverbacks. But personally, I love how the simple french earring wires look....and you know what? So does the majority of people. More than 50% stated that their favorite types of earwires were the french wires. I was surprised that so many people liked something so simple, when here I was thinking that I needed to add a lot of pizazz to my earrings by using large, bold earwires, such as the kidneys. So I have begun making a couple of pairs of earrings that have simple copper french wires.

I have chosen beads that are bright and sparkly, so they will be the focus of the earring. But at the same time, they will add a subtle, playful touch to an outfit, which is just right.

Mad About Spirals!

One of my new favorite artists on Etsy is Solivio (http://www.solvio.etsy.com/). She creates gorgeous and whimsical earwires in both brass and copper. She has recently added a line of little spiral earwires to her line. I eagerly ordered some and went to work making earrings using them. Nowadays I have shied away from using factory made earring wires~ I like to find unique and handmade earwires, as they are apart of the overall effect an earring gives off. To me, earrings can be worn to create elegance, to create drama, or my favorite, to create whimsy. These spiral earwires definately create whimsy~ they are bold and fun!

Here are a couple of photos of earrings I have made using Solivio's earwires:

Blue and Brassy Dangles

I was searching in the Etsy forums, and I found a thread from someone who was interested in buying earrings on Etsy, and had some very good tips for earrings sellers. Among those tips: she likes earrings that are elongated, instead of starting out thin amd widening at the bottom. I've taken a look at my earrings and see that most of my earrings have that particular quality~ the bouquet clusters do fan out at the bottom of the earrings. So I tried branching out a bit last night with these earrings. I've strayed away from these types of earrings for a while, but I do like the thin styled earrings as well~ they remind me of rosary chains.

Customized Orders

Have you ever went to up to the counter at a clothing store with a shirt you really like, and say, "Well, I really like this shirt, but I don't like the colors it comes in. I was thinking a nice teal green. Can you make this for me?" The cashier would look at you strangely.

That is the nature of the commercial market. They come out with a certain variety of styles, colors, and sizes and hope that it fits everyone's needs. There is no room for creativity on the buyer's part, no room for customization.

The world of handmade is different. Especially on Etsy. They even have an option where you can contact the shop owner and express your ideas on a custom item that they can make for you. It might be a little scary, but realy, sellers love doing special things for their customers!

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking through Etsy at wooden runes. I found a woman, who's Etsy store was called Greenwomancraft, who made wooden runes, as well as wooden pendants that have symbols burned into them. I thought of an idea of a wooden pendant with a rune symbol burned into it, so I can have that rune close to me at all times. I e-mailed her, and told her about my idea, and she was happy to make one for me. This is the end product:

I wear it very often. The rune symbol's name is Thurisaz, and it ia rune of protection against negative energies.

Another example is something that I recently made for a customized order. A very nice woman e-mailed me and asked me if I can make a stitch marker set for her in another color, other than the turquoise set I had. I was happy to make her a set in red. It really taught me that one color that works for some people might not work for someone else, and to have more of a variety in my work, to cater to everyone. Just because I might personally like a color doesn't mean other people won't like them. Here is the stitch marker set:

I honestly would have never thought of pairing these beads with the copper rings, but in the end, I really love the result. I am glad that I got to collaborate on someone else's creativity!

When shopping handmade, don't be limited to what is there. There is always a possibility to create something else that caters to your specific liking. That way, you will have something that is one of a kind~ it's the beauty of handmade. And there will be no cashiers that look at you strangely. :)