bdesigns

Proud

2006-07-28T23:31:14Z

I'm so proud of this piece. Its a handwoven cuff. I'm going to make another one using a different pattern. I think is stunning.

Art Deco Jewelry

2006-07-23T02:33:20Z

A thread created by Victor Allen on Etsy got me thinking about creating pieces from a certain era. To be honest, I never researched any era prior to reading that thread. When I looked into the Art Deco era and pieces from the 20's and 30's, I noticed many similarities with some of the pieces that I have created, enjoy wearing, etc. So, I decided to expand my Fall Collection, and focus on recreating a "vintage" look.

Today, I created 3 pieces and I am beyond pleased with what I have done so far. Its nice to have some sort of focus while creating pieces. All of the pieces posted between Aug 1st through to the end of the year, will have my style. This collection is dedicated to my grandmother Ruby. I can see her wearing these pieces at a dance hall in Harlem in the 30's and 40's.

Each week, I will have a "feature piece". The feature pieces will be made out of Sterling Silver and 14K Gold Plated materials. I will be creating pieces from this era using silver-plated, glass pearls, etc., so everyone will have an opportunity to enjoy a B. Designs piece.

One last thought

2006-07-18T08:10:05Z

After my last post, I thought I would check out my Daily OM. This is today's horoscope:

****
July 18, 2006
The Flux Of Control
Leo Daily Horoscope
You may feel decisive and in control today, with the ability to keep your affairs in order. This mind-set could encourage you to spend time organizing your projects at work and at home in an effort to improve your productivity and make your schedule run more smoothly. While these activities can be beneficial, you may also want to be sure you don’t become too rigid in your thinking and end up organizing yourself into a confining position. If you instead simply focus on striving for improvement rather than perfection today, you will be able to maintain a more flexible state of mind and streamline your activities at the same time.
We can create an efficient work flow and a positive attitude by consciously choosing to remain flexible in our planning. While our desire to stay in control is often motivated by a beneficial intention to be more efficient, events don’t always comply with our wishes. Rather than seeing control as a rigid state, we can instead choose to view it as a constant state of flux. By adopting a more flexible, relaxed mind-set in our activities, we can continuously work on improving our efficiency, while still allowing for the unexpected. This helps us stay focused and motivated, and we can proceed with our tasks in an organized and productive way. By choosing to be more relaxed in your planning today, you can work efficiently within the natural flow of events, even when the unexpected arises.
****

Interesting. I swear I didn't check this before I wrote my last post. Coincidence? Maybe. Anyway, like weighing yourself everyday, I feel checking my horoscope everyday is pointless. However, I'm going to let life take over and come back to this post 7 days from now.

Okay, now I'm going to back to bed.

Ughhh, I can't sleep

2006-07-18T07:49:25Z

Its 3:31pm and I cannot sleep due to being excited about recent orders. I recently received two big orders of pearls, crystals, beads, loom etc. I'm beyond excited to put everything to use and create new pieces. I already have a new piece in my head that I will sketch out later today. The Fall 06' Beauty For You Collection will comprise of intricate designs made with the finest materials. All of the materials will be either Sterling Silver or Gold-Filled. Nine Pieces will make up this collection. Since this is my "alpha" collection, the materials will be what I fell in love with first when I started making jewelry - Swarvoksi Crystals and Freshwater Pearls.

B. Designs will definitely be taking a turn starting in August. I will still offer "plated" materials via bdesigns.etsy.com. However, I plan on taking the designs up a notch. Even my wood & natural materail pieces will be taken a notch higher. My outlet store will open in September. This store will contain fun pieces; pieces at a significant discount; experiment pieces that while are great quality . . . took forever for me to do (hence I won't charge full price). B. Designs is sponsoring events and donating at least 150 promo items (split between 3 events). I want the store to be stocked and ready prior to those events.

I'm not posting or creating anything new until August 1st. Since retail is slow until the fall, I want to just have fun and not try to beat the clock to post. My workspace is a mess and I need to organize everything. I have beads all over the place. My mind cannot function. My apartment is looking better. Books are stacked and ready to go to the library; posted some coats on Ebay. I'm hoping to donate the remaining items to a domestic violence shelter. If they don't want anything by 07/24/06. Everything, and I mean everything is going in the trash. Not only is B. Designs starting fresh, but so is Brenda. I took 3 days off from work next week to dedicate to creating the pieces for my collection; reorganize my store; take wonderful pics. This is why I want my apt. beyond empty and clear. I'm going to get some champagne, light some candles, make a big pot of my favorite stew to pick out of when I'm hungry (along with some cornbread), listen to some jazz and create beautiful pieces.

August 1st marks the beginning of a new journey for me, Brenda, and B. Designs. I'm looking forward to learning new things, meeting new people, accomplishing new goals and enjoying life.

Finding the right market!!!

2006-07-14T20:46:58Z

OMG!!!!! I just checked out Funkyutopia.com and noticed that one of my pieces was SOLD OUT!!!! OMG!!!!!!! It was just posted yesterday (can you tell I'm a newbie designer???).

It was this piece:

http://www.funkyutopia.com/urbanwood.html

I had that piece listed on my Etsy Store for awhile. Lots of views, didn't sell.

OMG, and just in time. I ordered some White Coral and Dark Wood Beads.

OMG!!!!!

My Latest Piece

2006-07-12T00:15:11Z

I posted this piece in my Etsy Store this evening. I was going to send it to a trunk show, but decided to keep it tonight. I think its beautiful. I'm hoping to create more hand sewn pendants in the future.

I want cake

2006-07-10T20:30:47Z

So, I'm having a really bad cake craving. I noticed the Whole Foods in Alexandria, is slicing their cakes a little thinner than before. Not good, Whole Foods, Not good. As I stated in my previous post, I'm eating the food that's in my house. However, that means plenty of carb sources. I think that's why I'm craving cake again. I've been without carbs or on minimal carbs for awhile. I guess my body will readjust as I run out of the simple carbs stuff.

Okay, so enough about cake. I sent a piece to Wickedly Chic to be reviewed and featured. Dear God, I hope it makes it to Canada in one piece. Its one of my weave bracelets (similar to the Copper Dreams Bracelet - http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=249207). They are very delicate and I'm always nervous about sending those pieces in the mail.

Also, B. Designs will be an event day sponsor for the Craftin Outlaws Craft Fair in Columbus, Ohio. I love taking a break from making pieces and churning out promo items. I'm also sending items to a craft fair in St. Louis. I think after Sept, I'm done with Promo Items. I need to build up inventory for my shop and the Squidfire Holiday Bazaar I will be doing in December.

In Haute Pursuit

2006-07-10T00:05:12Z

B. Designs will be giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to a prize winner of In Haute Pursuit's August contest. Check out In Haute Pursuit's website - www.inhautepursuit.com - for more details.

I'm also excited to announce that B. Designs will be a Premier Sponsor for their October contest. I'm looking forward to working with this site in the future.

Sign up for their newsletter via this link: http://inhautepursuit.com/phplist/?p=subscribe

Starving Artist?

2006-07-09T13:59:45Z

Before I begin my sob story, let me clearly state that I do work full time, make a decent salary, my company pays for all of my health benefits and my transportation costs. So, technically, I guess I shouldn't complain. However, I relaunhed my jewelry business in May using my own capital. Of course, I relaunched it during a season that is typically slow for retail. Thus, I'm not making any money. The 10 sales I had at my etsy store (bdesigns.etsy.com) covered my Etsy & paypal fees.

I'm using the slow time during the summer to promote my store, send out promo items & search for consignment opportunities.

Okay, now to my story. Because promo items cost money, I decided to not go food shopping or order out, until I eat everything that's in my fridge. I made a lentil and chicken stew last night. However, I'm down to my last pack of chicken, I will cook that next weekend. Oh, wait I have 7 cans of tuna left for lunch. I have 3 bags of beans left, a bean & veggie stew can make a great protein & carb meal (I'll need to purchase more veggies). I have 3 18-count cartons of eggs left. So, I think I will be okay until the end of the month. I also have a 5lb tub (well, its about 2lbs now) of Strawberry Whey protein powder. So, I will be making some smoothies with that for breakfast, to stretch out the meals (I guess I will have to buy some Almond Milk).

I may lose some weight during the next few weeks, which isn't a bad thing. I have plenty of vitamins to supplement what I may not be getting. I guess the point of eating everything I have is to save money for promo items, new beads, etc. Who knows, I may have some sort of spiritual awakening during this time of cutting back.

Confidence & Taking Risks

2006-07-07T15:38:21Z

While reading Funkyutopia's latest post about Daily OM, I decided to check it out. I so needed this message:

***
You may feel hopeful and expectant today, especially regarding your personal or business goals. This could lend an exciting sense of anticipation to your activities and strengthen your confidence about your capabilities. A good way to apply this confidence is to seek opportunities to take bigger risks. You might begin by reviewing your plans and seeing if there is a way to expand your vision or take larger steps toward your goals. At the same time, you can engage in empowering visualizations that will give you the courage to take action. Simply find a private place where you won’t be disturbed, close your eyes, and conjure a vision of yourself as a confident, dynamic person. See the courage and determination radiating out from your image and allow these feelings to infuse your body and mind today.

Our willingness to expand upon our goals and infuse ourselves with a feeling of empowerment allows us to make greater progress on the creation of our dreams. While optimism about our long-term goals is a positive focus, we can increase the likelihood of success by also empowering ourselves to take bolder actions. By examining our plans and seeking areas worthy of expansion, we begin to stretch our belief of what is possible. If we also work on building our courage and empowering ourselves to make greater strides toward our goals, we are able to move forward more decisively and manifest our dreams with conscious intent. Combining your optimism with courage and bold actions today could give your goals a great leap forward toward success.

****

Throwing your work out there for people to view, sell or buy, is by far, the biggest risk I have ever taken. Moving from NYC to the D.C. are was a piece of cake compared to trying to convince people to buy & sell your work. I always tell people that "if you don't put yourself out there and take chances, you only have yourself to blame for your lack of success." Well, its a lot easier to say then do. Sure, some people said No, or didn't reply to my e-mails when I inquired about a consignment opportunity. However, there have been a few good repsonses. Sure, I wish my stuff was selling on my etsy store (www.bdesigns.etsy.com) a lot faster. But, I'm confident in my work and I know I will do well. Not only was I accepted to consign at a trunk show, but I was accepted last night to consign with a shop in Downtown LA. Eventually, I will bite the bullet and look for wholesale opportunities.

I'm glad I'm taking risks this summer. I have learned alot about myself over the past 8 weeks. There were times I just wanted to cry, pack up the beads and get back on the corporate ladder. When my dog spilled all of my orange czech beads onto the carpet, I questioned myself.

This is hard and there will be mistakes and negatives, but I'm confident I will do well. I'm confident in my work.

Um, yeah, it can only get better

2006-07-06T20:15:49Z

So, today I entered into a consignment agreement with a trunk show happening at a gallery in LA. I'm putting 10 pieces listed on my etsy site (www.bdesigns.etsy.com) into edit mode. I'm beyond excited.

Finally, I'm getting into a groove with the relaunch of my business. Looking at buying supplies in bulk. I found the gift boxes & ribbon I will be using for the holiday season. I can use the bags beyond the holiday season; I just have to change the ribbon style.

Taking time to get into a groove & organized means posting less pieces this month. But, that's okay. I'm using the summer to test new designs, look at pieces that I love and trying to come up with ways to keep them fresh (look for more "rope" pieces in the future).

I'm at work, right now, so I can't post up pics. My new favorite piece is the Red Coral bracelet I posted on the 4th. I love teardrop beads, I need to come up with ideas to keep this design fresh as well.

Its Been Awhile

2006-07-04T14:01:41Z

Its been awhile since I updated this journal. My store has me beyond busy. I was accepted to consign with Funky Utopia (www.funkyutopia.com) and I am beyond excited. I'm sending 5 pieces, attached are a pics of a few of them:

This week, I'm wrapping pieces for Pieces Of Venus. Its a new boutique. I'm excited about this venture as well.

I started hitting the pavement this weekend to do some marketing and look into wholesale opportunities. Also, I started designing the fall collection. It will consist of Sterling Silver and 14K Gold Plated Pieces. Higher end pieces will make up this collection. However, I will continue to post beautiful pieces at affordable prices.

Awesome

2006-06-15T18:07:12Z

Last night was an awesome night for me. My shop sold 5 pieces in 15 minutes. I’m still shocked. I’m also flattered that people like my work and want to purchase it. This has definitely motivated me to create some new & inspiring pieces. I’m looking forward to receiving the beads I ordered on etsy to create my pieces for a boutique in Arizona. Some of my pieces that are currently listed on bdesigns.etsy.com will be going there as well, if they are still hanging around.

Tonight, I’m going to take some pics of pieces I made months ago and just take care of some admin stuff. I’m dedicating the entire weekend to creating really cool pieces.

Still Cloudy

2006-06-13T13:53:11Z

I started throwing away pieces of furniture this morning. I couldn't wait until the evening. I need to clear my place to clear my head. I have to send 10-15 pieces to a boutique in Phoenix and I want them to be original, inspiring, and the coolest pieces in that shop. Am I a little twisted for wanting to clear out the clutter so I can be more creative? I did that with people too before I re-launched this jewelry thing. No negativity or people pulling me down.

Okay, I think I'm going to go order some supplies.

Cloudy Mind

2006-06-13T11:20:28Z

I'm taking the day off from desiging to clean my place and get organized. I've had most of my stff for 5-6 years. I'm tired of looking at it. I have clothes in my closet that are 2 sizes two big. So, I'm literally throwing everything away. I think this will help me with creating cool pieces.

Mind Running A Mile a Minute

2006-06-12T00:13:51Z

Before I begin my rant, I would like to announce that Whipup.net is holding the Whiplash Competition. See whipup.net for entry rules.

I entered the bracelet mentioned in my previous entry. I'm such a spazz that I took a screen shot of my site being mentioned on their webpage for the competition.I'm so happy that sites like Etsy and Whip Up hold competitions to inspire creativity.

Okay, now my rant. I've been so busy keeping my e-store (which is only a week old) fresh, searching every site on the Internet for consignment & wholesale opportunities. So far, my pieces are available for sale on www.artsyfartsycollection.com. And, I'm sending a new line of pieces in July (that will not be available for sale in my store) to the Four White Walls Boutique & Gallery in Phoenix. I will post when those pieces are available w/ links (and yes, I will take screen shots. lol).

I guess the whole marketing and promoting thing has me in a tizzy. My business cards arrived this week, so I will be wearing more of my pieces and trying to hit the social scene (i.e., I won't be running home to the other man in my life, no not the boyfriend . . . my dog, Samson). So, this week, I will go out and have fun, no stress, no searching Craigslist everyday for people looking for designers, and indirectly promote my jewelry.

Okay, whew, I feel better. Now, back to etsy.com to see if the Double Pink Pearl Strand Bracelet, http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=238120, reached 200 views).

Outside of the Box

2006-06-11T13:55:05Z

My first entry in my journal. This blog thing is so outside of the box for me, but I plan to stick with it. Just like a blog is so not me, a piece I created yesterday, is also outside of the box for me.

Last Saturday I created an e-store, bdesigns.etsy.com (stop by, its neat). Anyway, I ran into a creative rut. Just to fill it, I uploaded pieces that I created months ago. While posting in the forum section of Etsy, I came upon a thread titled "Creative Challenge.". I had to create a piece that reminded me of my childhood. In elementary school, I use to draw pictures of circles connected to each other. So, my piece was inspired by those drawings.

It is definitely outside of the box for me. I plan on expanding this design a bit more and taking it as far as I and it can go.

This piece was created by taking 9 small silver-plated hoops and securely connecting the to each other. Then, I created a second row my securely connecting, one hoop (at a time) to two hoops in the first row. I should have took pictures of this process because to be honest, I don't quite remember how I connected them to each other.