Going Retail

For many artists there comes a day when one has to decide - do I sell my work wholesale or on consignment at a shop(s) or do I continue selling online, out of my studio, at festivals? One central location to sell from has a great deal of appeal, however the divide and conquer method works well especially when reaching your audience may not be practical in one location! I have done all the above and there are advantages each strategy. Wholesale is not really an option for one-of-a-kind sea glass jewelry. Another approach recently became available to me and I am thrilled!

I have joined an artist cooperative in Scituate Harbor that is made up of about 15 talented artists - and it makes me so happy. I get to collaborate with artists from a broad range of disciplines and now have a storefront outside my home where I get to meet customers, display my work and sell my work at a fair price! How wonderful is that! There are fees and a monthly commitment to "man" the shop but it is all worth it for the tremendous return. This is not wholesale!  Each artist pays a monthly fee and a small percentage of the sale of their work to pay rent, utilities, maintenance, etc. It is a not for profit so any money left over goes into advertising, improving the shop, supplies, special events, etc. A wonderful working model.

If you are in the neighborhood please do stop in and say hello!!
Expressions of Scituate Harbor
132 Front Street,
Scituate, MA 02066

South Shore Living Magazine Sea Glass Feature

This morning I walked into my local sign maker's shop in Scituate Harbor, "Kukstis Woodcarving" to ask for some advise from Paul Kukstis the shop's gracious owner. During out conversation he asked what I did for a living. I told him I made sea glass jewelry and he said, "Are you the same jewelry designer as the one I just read about in South Shore Living Magazine?" He had just received the magazine through his subscription before any of the news stands had it available. He flipped through the pages and landed on the picture of me in a generous half page article of me and my jewelry business Liliana Designs!

What a terrific way to start the day!  I was a little in shock and just scanned the article while we were standing there. I could see through the pictures that the article highlighted my "Sandcastle" line which features drilled genuine hand collected sea glass and sterling silver. I do remember when South Shore Living Magazine staff came to my home studio they were interested in my instructional video about drilling sea glass.  I had known of course that I would be in the magazine, but was not expecting such a nice spread! To see other jewelry designs including bezel set, drilled and wire wrapped pieces go to my website at http://lilianadesigns.com

Thank you South Shore Living!

Rock n' Roll Beach Stones

Many months back I made several attempts at drilling sea stones and lining the hole with a silver rivet. It's a beautiful finished look and I have been collecting sea stones in the hopes that one day I would succeed at this method. It turns out that I was simply missing a step in the process. Some people have rivet machines that work beautifully, but they take the wonderful handwork out of the method and in my view should really be considered "machine made" and not "hand made." But that's just my opinion.

I'll be back to show the process, but in the meantime here is a piece that I created and it's in my ETSY shop! SOLD

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Things Are Not Always What They Seem

... photos are accurate.  None of them is the truth.  ~Richard Avedon
  Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.  ~Duane Michals

Here are photos I took of sea glass with the illusions they created for me: 

 

Sea Glass Drilling

As a passionate collector of sea glass, it took me a long time to feel that it was acceptable to drill sea glass to fabricate jewelry designs without destroying it's original beauty.  I felt that sea glass should not be altered in any way in order to preserve it's original shape and quality. But over time I have come to appreciate the beauty and flexibility drilled sea glass beads can bring to a design appraoch. I still feel though that some sea glass should not be drilled. Rare, well worn pieces and unique finds that are not likely to be matched with another piece may be best set in another way. I guess it is the collector in me. These pieces I hold sacred and will sometimes wrap in sterling but more often set in a fine silver bezel to offset the beauty and unique quality of the sea glass. This setting will also last for generations. I relish the idea that just as the sea glass went on a journey to become the beautiful object it is that it will continue on its journey though the generations as an object of beauty in the form of jewelry.

I am including a link to a video that shows the method for drilling sea glass with an electric drill and diamond drill bit. All glass must be drill under water to reduce the possibility of the shattering and avoid having glass dust fly up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAAbeVs0ITI

Zen and the Art of Sea Glass Hunting

There are few activities that fulfill my desire for adventure more than kayaking along the New England shores and going sea glass hunting where few are able to travel. But there is something about the lapping tides and the abandoned shores that helps to quiet the mind and center the soul. Something in the idea that I may be one of the very few that  have traveled this particular route or landed on just this spot of shore that makes me pause. And then I'm off on the hunt for what has been left behind by those traveling on water or up on the bluff.

Sea glass carries with it a story that in most cases alludes us revealing only hints to their origins through the color of the glass or the subtle markings worn illegible over the years of tumbling in rock, sand and surf. I love it all. It is my "practice" if I have such a thing. The wonder and the pleasure of finding a piece - the pondering and subsequent research into its possible origins. And now taking these pieces of sea glass and creating jewelry designs - wearable art - it completes something for me  - adventure - living full - wonder - excitement  - satisfaction - gratification - expression - beauty - it's all in the getting there!