Shadows in the Studio

As the shadows grow on the walls of my studio I am aware the days are growing shorter. This can only mean one thing, Glitterfest fall is almost here! I am at my happiest creating for this amazing mixed media art show held twice a year. I love spending long days in my studio, or more likely the kitchen table, creating something sparkly and new. I also love hearing about what my fellow artists and friends will be brings to the show.

A few of us Glitterfest girls had breakfast last week and it was reinvigorating hearing everyone talk about the treasures they are creating! Crystal Basica will be bringing more of her amazing art pieces with her usual nod to the dark side but she has added a bit of intrigue with a Houdini inspired twist and secret trick or compartment in many of her pieces! Arrive early as I am sure these pieces will disappear!

Julie Nutting was full of amazing news! Her book, Collage Couture, is a beautiful and inspiring book filled with great instructions to recreate some of her signature styles.  She will of course have some original pieces at the show. She has a few tricks up her sleeve too! She has partnered with Leaky Shed Studios to create some amazing and hard to describe paper dolls ready to embellish. Trust me - when you see them yo will have to have some!

See what I mean!! They are just too cute! Speaking of dolls- Lisa Loria is bringing some handcrafted dolls that will make you swoon! Lisa has been busy as a bee in her studio and, as always, will have a diverse table of beautiful things. I got a sneak peek at one of her series of necklaces and, while I have been sworn to secrecy, I can guarantee you will just have to have one!

Today I stopped by the Garden of Beaden to say hello to Robin Dudley Howes! She had some of her treasures with her and they were all drool inducing. I purchased a lovely little charm of a hand holding a heart. Each one of her jewelry pieces incorporates something quite special and unusual. Her distinct style speaks to the gypsy is each of us. She will have gorgeous kits and treasures with her at Glitterfest so make sure you stop by her booth too!

I have a trick or two up my sleeve too! I was lucky enough to find many bakelite and vintage lucite beads to incorporate (which is fun as I die over bakelite). I also found some Miriam Haskell pearls and loads of art deco vintage brass. It is so amazing finding stashes of never used old stock from the 1940's and 1950's. I cannot wait to share my sparkly little pieces of history with you October 13th at Glitterfest!!

Please stop by and say hello!

xo,
Tara

Craft For A Cure!

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This is a little make and take I will be donating to the Craft for a Cure event. Many of you know that I am a cancer survivor and this is a cause near and dear to me. In fact, I am willing to bet each of you has had a friend or loved one with cancer or you are a survivor! My friend and fellow artist has found a fun and meaningful way to raise money for breast cancer research. This one day event brings together many artists who donate their time, profits, and supplies to raise money. The event is held at a private home and each guest is pampered with a delicious lunch and amazing projects. This year the event will be held In Rancho Cucamonga  on Sunday October 14th.

Two of my favorite ladies will be joining us this year and sharing really special projects. Jenny Hernandez will be helping us create one of her darling birds! I just love all her characters, plus she is one of my favorite people!  Jenny puts a bit of herself in every whimsical piece. You will fall in love with her art and begin collecting her pieces as so many of us have.

The delightful and devilishly funny Karen Aguirre will be helping us create on of her paper cake decorations. She is an amazing artist and such a smart and funny gal. You will love her guaranteed! Her blog- Creative Chaos is also one of my favorites.

Seating is limited so please reserve your spot as soon as possible. Denise Hahn is the creator and curator of this event so please visit her blog, In My Blue Room, and look at the other beautiful projects and sign up.

Here is the link:

Craft for a Cure Registration

Thank you in advance,

Tara

Out of Chaos Comes Clarity

The past 8 months have been a roller coaster in so many ways. Despite a few health woes in the recent month, the chaos has been banished. I have reclaimed my studio and created a nice workspace for making jewelry. After six months of Murphy's law ruling the day I was really ready for change. It is interesting to look back and see that emotional clutter turned into actual clutter. My stash of treasures became unorganized and seemed to take over my work space. 

As I have moved through all life could throw at me I have grown in so many ways. I have been nesting for the last two months. Organizing my treasures and supplies, getting rid of clutter, creating a beautiful and inspiring studio, redecorating all of my living spaces. I have learned to let go. I am a control freak by nature and admitting that there are things I cannot control is hard. Letting go is also freeing. I feel a sense of calm in our home now. The spaces reflect my husband and I and the things that are important to us. 

The change has definitely freed me creatively as well. For the moment, in the shine of the zen, I am not feeling the need to add grunge and patina to everything. For the moment I just want everything to shine. We cannot control the bad things that happen in our lives but we can control our response. We turn to many things for comfort in our lives, food, wine, mementos, objects from the past that have no place in our now, weight and clutter. All of these things just get in the way.  Love yourself, live healthy, create a space that is calming and free of clutter and enjoy all the wonderful things life has to offer. You deserve it!

Next step, making more time for friendships. It is the people that we surround ourselves with that make life so rich. I am treating myself to the Winter Wonderland Affair. A long weekend of  amazing and inspiring women, art, swaps and laughter. I cannot think of a better Christmas present! If you have not been to a Kim Caldwell event perhaps this spring you can treat yourself and begin your journey! 

A Little Bit of Pearl Heaven!

Despite having pneumonia I recently went on a buying trip to the east coast. On my last trip I heard about a warehouse with a large but incredibly messy room filled with old jewelry findings, stones, glass pearls and assorted weirdness. Of course I made this my first stop.  It was a hundred degrees and I considered not going because I felt awful. I just could not stay away. 

I am so glad I went. I spent five hours digging through piles and boxes of untold treasure. The picture above is part of my haul. The pearls are all glass made in Japan during the 1930's and '40's (all pre WII). I grabbed creams and blush strands in many sizes and lengths and cannot wait to use some. They are the best glass pearls ever made and nothing of their quality is currently produced.

The paper packets are filed with foil backed rhinestones from the 1930's. The story behind these chatons and navettes is quite interesting. As the Nazi party in Germany was becoming stronger and it looked like invasions into other parts of Europe were imminent, one glass stone maker fled Czechoslovakia. He landed in Austria and founded a new company there. His name was Swarovski! So these are all Swarovski stones made at his factory in Czechoslovakia and I have a huge supply. In the trade these are referred to as Czecho Swarovski.  I also purchased many faceted glass beads in crystal and jet from the same factory. These beads are destined for Glitterfest fall. 

I spent several days hunting through warehouse after warehouse and found some amazing things. I hope you will come to Glitterfest October 3rd to see all the treasures I will use in my jewelry!

For now I have to rest. The heat and hunting did not help my pneumonia and I am back where I started. I do not like being sick and resist resting. My body now requires rest so I will listen and give myself a few weeks to recover. I will gaze at my table of pearls and quietly think to myself that it was worth it.

Tara

Risky Business: Legal Checklist Final Chapter

You have probably seen the mayhem commercials for insurance. Mayhem is not your friend. We often go about running our little businesses without giving him much thought. Today is the day to consider what Mayhem could cost your business and perhaps your family.

I advise all of my small business clients to do a liability assessment every year. This is pretty easy but most people would just rather not think about the what ifs.

1. Drag out all your insurance policies.
     
      Is your inventory covered to be replaced if your home or place of business burns down?

      If you are creating your product in your home and using a torch does it void your homeowners  
      policy?

      What business activities do you need extra coverage for? Soldering, welding, glass fusing??

       Jewelry almost always requires additional insurance! You must find out exactly what your policy
       covers.

     How much liability coverage do I have and is it enough? Could I loose my home if I am sued.

2. Make a list of things that could result in a lawsuit.

      Someone injured on your property or in your store.

     Defective merchandise.

    An injury during a class.

     Are you giving warnings about dangers? Are students signing a liability waiver? This is a must!

     Did you know soldering with a torch destroys your retinas and the damage is cumulative? All
     persons soldering with a torch must wear didymium lenses to prevent damage. I bet your instructor
     did not mention that every time you use a torch you are risking your eyesight.

     An injury at an event or show- someone trips in your booth.

3. Research what permits you need and any laws that might regulate your business.

     Many cities limit the type of business you can run from home.
   
     How does California proposition 65 effect my products?

     What warnings must I post or give?

     What type of license or permit do I need?


Play the devils advocate and figure out all the things that could go horribly wrong. Now take steps to protect yourself. Insurance is not as expensive as you think and it is part of running your business and is necessary. Make insurance expenses a part of your financial business plan. I cannot afford insurance is not an excuse it simply means you need to tweak your business plan to realize a profit.

Don't be afraid to understand your potential liability. Knowledge is power. Safer, conservative business practices often mean higher profits long term. You can do this without all the risk!! This is just a partial list of all the things you need to consider but it is definitely enough to get you started! Go out there and realize your business dreams! You can do this!

XO,
Tara

Ramblings of A Madman, Ok Woman

Sorry for the blog absence- things have ben a little crazy. Good crazy but crazy. Glitterfest seems like a distant memory as I begin prepping for my fall jewelry line. I am having such fun gathering all things sparkly and shiny. To my surprise I have been using loads of color too. I often shy away from color but not this year- it is all about color.  I have found the perfect vintage color pallet to work with and I am really enjoying all the possibilities.

The best laid plans often become an entirely different journey. I intended on listing a few summery pieces on etsy but Art and Soul beat me to them! I have tons of jewelry at Art and Soul on 101 in Encinitas so if you are looking for a little bit of summer that is the place to go. I just mailed them the rest of my summer goodies so they are well stocked with Lulu Max jewelry. I will actually have to make a few more items for etsy. That will be a pleasure as I do not often get to work in season. Most jewelry is actually created one or two seasons ahead. For me it is always Christmas in July. It will be fun to work with summer colors and still be enjoying the summer! I just scored some amazing butterscotch bakelite swallows and I am pleased I will not have to wait until spring to debut them!

Tomorrow I am going to take a little break and head to the beach for some surfing! Sometimes you just need a day at the beach.

Back thursday with our legal checklist wrap up blog post!!

Tara

Grab your Partner Do Si Dos: Legal Checklist Part 5

As you can see my three dogs were able to come to an agreement about sharing the tiny bed. If only it was always this easy for people to agree and work together.  Frequently we fall into business with friends and family. Most experts would recommend against this idea. The reality is people do not always agree especially friends and family.  Since I know advising against doing business with people you enjoy will be ignored I will tell you how to make it work. The key is communication. A partnership agreement is just a document that reflect the conversations you have had and the decisions you have made about your business. Every partnership must have an agreement in writing. The simple task of putting your agreement into writing ensures that there is a clear understanding of your agreement. This clear understanding will help avoid most of the common problems partners encounter. The document itself can be very simple or excruciatingly detailed. Either is fine as long as all the questions about the business are answered.  The purpose of a partnership agreement is to avoid conflict.

The following is a list of some of the questions you and your partner must answer. You will have to add more items to meet all the specific details of your business. Be complete. This is just a start for you to get the ball rolling.

Who owns what?
What are my responsibilities?
What are the responsibilities of the other partners?
How will profits be shared?
How will taxes be paid?
Who will pay the bills?
What type of bookkeeping will we use?
What if I decide I do not want to do this any longer?
If I quit is the business dead? Who keeps the name?
What if I get hurt? What if I can no longer do my part?
What if someone dies?
If we disagree who has final say?
How will vacations work?
Who can sign a contract?
Who has access to bank accounts?
How are decisions made?
Can one partner sell their share?
How do we wind down and close the business?

These are just a few of the questions you and your business partner need to discuss. Include everything in your partnership agreement. Of course if everyone agrees you can change the agreement later. If there is anything you do not understand in the partnership agreement you create you must hire an attorney before you sign the document. A partnership agreement is a contract and should not be taken lightly. There is just one rule you must follow with contracts. Never sign any document you do not understand.

Next week we will discuss your risk factors and talk about doing a liability assessment.