Getting to know you... continued.


My question for you is can you show us a picture of your bead stash? You always use the coolest art beads. I'd love to see what you have waiting to be made into something pretty. :-)   Here's a good post, to see how I store beads.



I would like to know if you have a secret to maintaining such a constant stream of energy and do you just ever poop out? I can work pretty consistently for a good 4 or 5 nights in a row... but yes. I have been known to poop out once in a while and I need to take an evening or two off to build up the energy and inspiration again to keep designing. I usually take this time to enjoy my surroundings, or flip through some magazines, or browse some of my past designs. I recently upgraded to a pro account on Flickr so now there is a nice comprehensive gallery of my designs!!


Do you have any character flaws? Or are you really this perfect? I mean, are you always so nice and funny and understanding and successful and relate-able? Oh yes. My Character flaws are: I swear way too much. Which I know sometimes may make me sound un-educated. The truth is, my temper flares quite easily. More so at certain times of the month. ;) I have terrible road rage. And I do my fair share of griping about people, to my friends mostly, and Kelley can attest to that. But on the same note, I do try to be fair, and be kind, and treat people how I would want to be treated. My parents raised me to appreciate what I have, appreciate my friends, and love others. I think I am down-to-earth, and relate-able. I am very loyal. And this can be seen in my obsessive shopping behaviors. Just ask Jade Scott!
Should we ask Joe? I think he would say the same thing, but could ask him for a statement!

first question~ have the beads I sent arrived yet? YES!!


second, how many of your pieces do you keep? Very few! I actually did make a necklace for myself like this because I was so sad that it sold.
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 I also made myself a small pair of amethyst briolette earrings to match a shirt that I have! There have been a few pieces. Not many. I would much rather have someone buy it and love it and wear it, than me keep it and hardly ever wear it!















What got you started in beading? How long have you been beading? what inspires your work? I started beading right before the Christmas season in 2006, in hopes of making some of my own Christmas gifts to save some money. I picked up a copy of Stringing magazine and immediately fell in love with the layout, and most of all, the art beads that were featured there. I went back and bought every past issue available at the local bead shop. I would say that this magazine is what got me started, and they continue to inspire me to this day!! I am also inspired by other jewelry designers, art beads, nature, my surroundings, and color!!



My question is about your Etsy shop: about how many sales do you process each week? I would say I process anywhere from 6-12 sales a week on average, lately.


I guess I just wonder how you find so much time to bead. Do you ever feel uninspired and not want to make jewelry? I really admire how you find time to work full-time, blog at least every day, make amazing jewelry and list and sell it all on Etsy! Maybe you should write a time management book...I would read it!
I probably answered this question to Lisa, in person last week while in Florida- But I'll answer it again here in this forum. I have a LOT of free time to bead. I do work full time at the museum but I don't have to bring work home, ever. so outside of my 9-5 hour work day- that's the only time I spend on my full time gig. Once home, I eat dinner with my honey, sometimes we go walking for an hour, and then I usually bead until bed which is about 9:30 ish. I normally blog in the mornings with my coffee, and list between the 7:30- 8:30 time slot before heading to the museum. That being said, I don't spend a lot of time hanging out with Joe- he's usually out mowing the lawn or maintaining the garden, and he enjoys his down time with the tv. On the weekends, I usually get my minimal cleaning done, and laundry.Hmmm, a time management book- that sounds interesting. I wish I could write more than a paragraph on the topic but I am afraid that's all there is to it!


How did you get your work in the bead magazines? I love the new little pendants you did. (like the owl bracelet).....what exactly is used to make them? What is your favorite technique??
I started submitting to magazines back in the Spring of 2008 I believe. My first published design was in Step by Step Beads, at Interweave Press. what a milestone that was! I was afraid to do it for a long time. The process can be daunting. But basically I emailed my pictures of my finished jewelry to the magazine. They then, let me know if I should send it in, and when I send it, I have to send along written instructions, a head shot, and a bio, plus the piece of jewelry. They edit the instructions, okay them with me, photograph the jewelry, and publish the instructions. Once the magazine is out on the stands, they return the jewelry, a free copy of the magazine, and sometimes monetary payment for the article submitted.

The owl bracelet was made using a Patera linked bezel bracelet blank from Bello Modo. I used scrapbook paper, cut out the circles to fit into the bezels, and then painted the sweet little owls onto the paper using acrylic paints. Coat them with mod podge, glue them into the bezels, and fill each bezel with clear resin. let set up for 48 hours! Easy Peasy!
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My favorite technique lately is hand-knotting linen cording. I find it very relaxing and the outcome always looks really cool.



Do you ever dream your necklaces and bracelets complete and then just make them? I sometimes daydream my designs, and I usually sketch them out on paper, and then make them the next time I sit down at the bead table. Usually though, I bead on the fly. Pulling assortments of beads out to the table and then just start putting them together. I love the randomness of my beading in this way, and it adds to the asymmetric nature of my work.


Do you have trouble falling asleep sometimes because of all the possibilties running through your head? ( Hamster brain...) Occasionally- but I normally worry about other stuff at this time of day, like paying bills on time, or other things associated with life.


Do you get anxious and feel incomplete if you don't check your Etsy/blog at least once a day? YES! I am completely obsessive about checking my blog, etsy shop, email- I must do it a thousand times a day! Thank the LORD above for computers! What did I ever do without them!?

 
Do you have a laptop? Yes, it's upstairs on my bead table. I keep it up and running, and usually listen to streaming radio while I'm beading.

When I was watching your cool video I was wondering what you and Kerry were REALLY talking about behind the scenes! You two make an entertaining team! HA!! We mostly talked about our families, selling on Etsy, blogs, jewelry, and the like!! We have a good time laughing together! Kerry is so focused, and driven. It's addicting to hang out with her, and I wish so badly that we lived closer to each other.


Is there a book you would like to write, if so what would be the focus. I would love to write a book. I have recently been toying with this very idea. However, FOCUS is the key word here. I do not have a focus, and therefore, the ideas are still just swirling in my head.

I see that you seem to sell your beautiful jewellery as soon as it is listed.What marketing secret have you got to sell so fast? My advice would be to utilize social media as much as possible. I find that using 3 main things when listing new work, helps a lot! Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger!






Comments

  1. Lorelie - wonderful post. Full of great info.

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  2. Lovely post Lori! Its hard to imagine
    you swearing with that very soft spoken voice you have!! lol Dear Lor what are we gonna do with you?!

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  3. I really enjoy these posts! Thanks for sharing so much of yourself with us :)

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  4. It's so nice to see a picture so we have a face to go with the blog. Thanks for sharing yourself with us. About the road rage - I used to have it really bad. But cured myself by one day adding the word 'honey' to the end of any cursing rant I'd have. It sounded so durned funny that it just deflates the road rage right away. Of course here in the South everyone says honey all the time so I don't know why I waited so long to try that LOLOLOL

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  5. Somehow I missed this. But I am glad I found it. Very insightful. I think that the time management thing is key. Who needs sleep? And I do the same thing...really productive for about 4 nights and then not the rest. Except with this big show I now feel GUILTY for resting! You are easy to get along with and relateable (and I am glad to hear that I am not the only one whose inner drunken sailor comes out all briney and cursing!)
    Enjoy the day, L!
    Erin ;-)

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  6. A great peek into a wonderful creative mind!

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