America's Cup in Venice 2012

Another very different view of Venice.  The America’s cup is currently being held in Venice.  Check out this video of the race – exciting sailing and incredible views.  http://www.youtube.com/americascup

In Venice

So this is a photo of Venice that you don’t see every day!  It’s just kind of cute so I had to include it and a friend of mine owns the company!  Hi Jill!

While exhibiting at Art & Wine Shows, one question that I have been asked several times is “How long does it take you to make a pair of earrings?”   With a chuckle, I respond “After your first 500 or so pairs you get to be pretty quick.” This question makes me wonder, what is my customer really asking?  I suspect they are trying to place a value on that one pair of earrings.  So I thought I would share with you some of the steps that go into offering that one pair of earrings for sale.

My mission at Dolce Beada is to bring you jewelry that combines the traditions of Italian glass bead making with contemporary jewelry styles.  This means selecting authentic high quality beads handmade in Italy.  In doing this I am always researching new color trends and new styles with the best Venetian glass sources.  Choosing new designs is always a risk.  I want to offer a variety of choices but I also have to ask myself, “will this color appeal to my customers?”  ”which colors look best in this new design?”  ”Is this color going to be a classic or too trendy?”  At the same time I am offering new designs, I have to make sure that I have plenty of my most popular styles on hand as well.

 After I have made my decisions about which beads to buy and how many, I have to make sure that I have the other pieces I need to make the jewelry.  So for earrings this would be the sterling earwires, the headpins and the small silver detail beads that I like to add to accent the Venetian beads.  I try to have plenty of these supplies on hand so I can make batches of earrings at one time.

Because each of the Venetian beads are handmade, they all have a little of their own “personality”.  So when I make earrings I have to hand match each pair.  I look at the thickness, the size, the depth of color, even how the foil lays under the glass in order to match up the best pair of earrings.  And sometimes a bead does not match well enough and ends up in my collection of earrings without mates hopefully to be used at a different time.

Earrings without mates.

Once the earrings are made, they are put on a display card, priced and stored until they are ready to be presented at a show or they may need to be photographed to be offered online for sale.

Venetian blown glass earrings

Once I have put together a collection of choices, it is up to you to find the pair that you value the most.

I recently had a friend ask me “What’s the big deal with Pinterest?”  So I was explaining to her what I like about it which is basically that it is a great way to collect images in one place, which is fabulous for anyone who is a “visual” type.  I have a few of the standard boards that they suggest when you sign up and a couple that I have added.  But definitely my favorite board is Scenes of Venice.  I find these images to be inspirational and at the same time very calming.  I love the way that the light and the buildings reflect off of the water.  To capture these moments in a photograph is amazing and makes me feel like I am right there.  I wanted to share one of my favorite photographs above by Ashleigh Hodges from her Etsy shop.

I hope you find inspiration today.

By Kuster & Wildhaber Photography

I have a confession to make and I feel very ashamed.  When I first visited Venice, I couldn’t wait to leave it behind.  I know, I hear the collective gasping of air.  As our train pulled in I loved it because it is an amazing sight – a city built on water.  But once we got there I guess it was too much for me.  The water was dark and smelly, we were constantly getting lost in the maze of “streets”, our hotel room was crazy tiny and the food was sooo expensive and not even very tasty.  This was not meeting my expectation of “the city of Romance”.

Fast forward about 20 years.

The last time I was in Venice, I didn’t want to leave.  And I am trying to figure out how this happened.  In those 20 years have I gained a new sense of adventure?  A greater level of patience?  Perhaps a less rigid expectation?  Definitely an appreciation of some alone time with my husband!  But visiting Venice now that maze of “streets” calls me into its’ mystery.  Every bridge and every building connect me to the traditions of the ancient city.  The tales of the ebb and flow of the water and their affects on the lives of the Venetians beg me to listen.  Now it is a city of Enchantment.  A place that beckons me to return again and again.

Do you have a city of Enchantment?

I just saw my necklace featured in the latest Giftware News Magazine From the Heart Section.  It is always a thrill to see your work displayed in print and I am honored to be included with such a lovely selection of gifts.

I have been working with wholesale clients since I did my first show in San Francisco in 2004.  Because my jewelry features the highest quality glass beads handmade in Venice and Murano, I have been featured in some wonderful museums including The Field Museum, The National Gallery of Art and The Frye Museum.  I also have several boutiques and gift shops that I have worked with for a number of years including Delaney Street Mercantile in Lake Geneva, WI.

My jewelry is not trendy, it is classic and elegant just like Italy.  Yet I always carry the latest in bead designs and colors from the most skilled Venetian bead makers.  All of my jewelry pieces are handmade in my California studio in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  All Pendants come on slip knotted leather cords and on display cards which tell the story of Venetian glass bead making.  Perfect for gift giving.  Please check out my Etsy shop to see a sampling of my current offerings.

If you are interested in consideration as a retailer for Dolce Beada, please feel free to contact me at angelakeller(at)dolcebeada.com, I would love to talk with you about the possibilities.

Ciao,

Angela

Dolce Beada outdoor booth photo

‘Tis the season!

I know many of you may be doing your first ever Art or Craft show and I just thought I would share a few tips and thoughts I have for you.  (it’s the mother in me!)

BE Confident!  You know your product and you believe in it – share that with your customers.  One of the first few shows I did, a customer muttered under her breath that my prices are high and you can buy these beads at Michael’s and do this yourself.  This was an ah-hah moment.  I realized that my customers were not familiar with Venetian glass beads and therefore did not see the value in them.  I learned that I needed to educate my customers on what sets Venetian glass apart and now I hear, “oh, these are very reasonably priced.”

BE Flexible!  Things happen at shows – sometimes your set up is not exactly what you had envisioned.  Sometimes you forget something.  Maybe the weather is not cooperating.  I try to have a couple of different options for my setup.  I also highly recommend velcro, fishing line and duct tape.   These things have saved me on many occasions.  Also – don’t be afraid to ask your neighbors if you can borrow something – we’ve all had days where we forgot a mirror.  It’s okay to ask.  And that brings me to my last point…

BE Happy!  Even if you are not having the best day – pretend to be happy.  The attitude and energy of the show are set by those in attendance.   If you have your arms crossed or you’re bored and you don’t engage your customers, they pick up on that.  If you complain to your neighbor about your bad sales – it brings their attitude down.  So stay positive and always HAVE FUN!

Best of Luck!

I started with a Venetian bead cabachon that I glued down to the backing and then did a peyote stitch around it to “secure” it.  From that point it just becomes a matter of choosing various size beads and finding a pattern that is pleasing to the eye.  I love the varying texture that comes from the different beads.  A fish hook style earwire is attached to the back and then covered in ultrasuede making the whole backing very neat.

I think I enjoy this technique so much because it is basically hand sewing beads and reminds me of quilting.  My first job was in a small quilting shop and all of my great grandmothers were prolific quilters. This pair of earrings probably took me about 6-7 hours!  I completed them in a couple of very late nights while my husband was out of town.

Stay tuned for my next endeavor!

I have been wanting to try some bead embroidery since I saw a purse done by Sherry Serafini in a magazine several years ago.  The one with the skulls – but they are all so amazing.  Check out her handbag page and be prepared to ooh and ahhh.

The opportunity to try some bead embroidery presented itself when I came across the large Venetian disc which had a chip in the edge.:-( Because of the chip in the glass I could not use it in my usual pendants but I had hung onto it because I hate to waste ANYTHING.  With bead embroidery you glue the cabachon or bead onto a backing and then bead around it so the chip would be completely covered.  Perfect solution!

So my plan was to make a bracelet but as always happens when you start on these things, they begin to take on a life of their own.  I found a peyote stitch pattern from a necklace entitled Pearly Mosaic by Lisa Kan which I modified for the circular links surrounding silver foil venetian glass beads.  I did not want to take these all the way to the back of the necklace so I made up a chain pattern again by modifying the original Lisa Kan necklace.

work in progress

I began this project in June (and we were in Alaska for the entire month of July) and I worked on it sporadically partly because I was trying to decide how to proceed, partly because it was all new techniques for me so there was a learning curve.  Even though I kept the bead embroidery portion pretty simple it was a great project to get started on.  I have already completed my 2nd bead embroidery project which I will post soon.