Q:     Hi How are you doing today?

A.     Fine? Is your next question going to be as insightful and hard hitting as your last one?

Q.     (Gerr) No

Question 25:     We touched on your confidence already.   Do you have any fears?

Answer 25:     Of course I do.   We all have fears you just have to pull up your big girl underoos and face them head on or they will just keep trying to overwhelm you.   Though we all have fears that we struggle with every day.   For example I suffer terribly from Mephobia.

Q.     Dear Lord what is that?

Answer 25 Continued:   I  t's the Fear that if I become anymore Awesome the human race could not handle it and everyone would die.   It is a constant burden on my heart.  (looks down with a troubled expression)

Q.     Can you be serious for 5 minutes? ( in a loud voice, face turning red)

A.     I am being serious... mostly.

Q.   (Jumps up, lunges over table)

…........

Q.   Sorry, sorry I lost my cool for a second.

A.   (cough, cough) I didn't realize attempted strangulation was part of the interview possess. No wonder celebrities are always complaining about having to do them.

Q.   Look I said I was Sorry (Glare)

A.   OK, ok I'll answer anything you want to know. (hands up waving in a defensive posture)

Q.   Really anything? (evil grin)

A.   Um....

Q.    How about religion or politics?

A.   …(long pause)... I think I would rather go back to the strangulation. (totally dead pan)

And that is how the Q&A ended on a not so high note.

Question 21:   You said it takes a really long time to make a picture truly look like the product.   Can you show us a before and after?

Answer 21:   Sure.   Here is a picture of my “Yoga, Pepole Pin”  (you can find it above and below since I'm long winded).  The picture on the Left is the before... well mostly before it's been cropped.   As you can see I use a gray background,  I used to use white,  but when I took the picture the digital camera would distort the colors of the product to much.   The picture on the Right is the after.   I cleaned up the background so it was all white,  lightened and corrected the colors so it would more accurately represent the true colors of the pin,  then I had to re-draw the picture on the charm since the color correction proses faded it out.   When you hold the pin in your hand you can see the picture on the charm is a very dark gray, most people would call it black.   However after the color correction it's a light gray or almost invisible in some places so I re-draw it in a very dark gray.   The only thing I can never get perfect is the charm background since most of them are white,  but if I fix it completely then the differences between the charm and the background of the photo is not great enough to tell where one begins and the other ends.

Question 22:   This question comes from a customer.  "I have allergies to some metals.  What are your bracelets metal components made of?"

Answer 22:   This is a great question and one anyone that is sensitive should ask.   I use a variety of metals copper, pewter, stainless steal, silver, brass, bronze, and some times base metal.   I try VERY hard to make sure that all my components are nickle free and lead free.   However since I don't have a way of testing the metals myself I have to rely on the company's that I order from to have accurate information.   I am very confident that the Ear Wires I use are Surgical Stainless Steal since they are made by a US company.   However not all of my components are made in the US and some country's have lax testing standards.   I will say that I am sensitive and my assistant Tig  (Tig is great she helps out with sales) is crazy sensitive and neither one of us has ever had a problem,  and in the 15 years I have been in businesses I have only had to make one return because of sensitivity reasons.   Hopefully this means that I'm doing a good job at finding materials that truly are nickle free and lead free.  

Q.   Wow a straightforward couple of answers. I might just die of shock. (hand held to hart)

A.   humph

Question 23:   What if the customer is sensitive to your product.  Can they return it?

Answer 23:   As long as the item is in good shape i.e. it was not chewed on by the dog, run over by a car or played ruffly with by a kid,  Sure.   I will say that it is my policy to not make returns for people that are mean to me  (it's only happened once in 15 years so it's a rarely used policy),  I don't like to be yelled at or made to cry.

Q.   Who Dose?  (hands in a spread open gesture)

A.   Masochists?   (head tilted to side with a look of total innocence)   Anyway I'm not one,  so I don't want to cry.  However if someone is not mean I'm fairly laid back about my return policy.   I want my customers to be happy,  so I'll repair, exchange,  or if I have to even return an item.   I admit I want to keep the money my customers gave me so I would rather repair or exchange,  but I also want them to have warm fuzzes when they think about me so I try my best to achieve that end.

Question 24:  Do you like Chocolate?

Answer 24:   Yes.  

A.   Was that the best question you could come up with?

Q.    I lost my notes and was stalling for time.

A.  Oh for the love of Pete.  (sigh)

Question 16:   Recently you posted about hand making your own charms.   Could you go into further detail.

Answer 16:   I would LOVE to.   Charms are one of the basic building blocks of my jewelry.   I have used them in just about everything I make, and even thought I love metal charms I have always been frustrated with the lack of options.

Q.  Wait. Lack of options?   There's thousands heck tens of thousands of options for metal charms out there.

A.  True.   However to get the best price I have to order 200 or 1008 (weird number I know) of the same charm.   Plus a lot of those options are within the same category i.e.  you can find almost every flower out there in charm form.   So I ended up with a much smaller selection that I would like.

Answer 16 Continued:   So about 2 years ago I started making my own charms.   I found this really cool artistic medium.   When I first started making my own charms I would hand cut the shapes and stamp the picture.   This gave me a good idea of how the finished product would look and how my customers would react to a hand-made charm.   I was thrilled with the end result and my customers where quite happy as well.   So I invested in a CAD system,  the cheapest one I could find.   Now 98% of my charms I cut out using my CAD system then I hand draw each and every picture onto the charms.    The great thing is it's a bit cheaper to make my own charms the down side it has dubbed my work load  (ugg).    However I'm happy with the end results.

Q. CAD

A. Computer-Aided Design.   The original CAD systems did drawings, mostly for blue-prints and other technical things, but now there are CAD systems for all sorts of things.   Mine cuts things out for me.   (do you think I used the word things enough?)  The cool thing about CAD.... (deleted do to length)

Q.   (eyes glassed over) You do know I'm going to delete most of what you just said.   I think my brains have turned to mush. (trying to push fingers through skull)

A.   Sorry  (dose not look sorry at all)

Question 17:   Where do you get your pictures from?

Answer 17:   Some pictures I will completely create from scratch.   This is particularly true for the charms that have a definite shape (out line shape of the thing) like a wine glass, bunny, rainbow or cat.   I will free hand in the lines to create shadow, shape, form and/or texture.   A large portion of my charms are not outline shapes, but simple blanks like a tear drop, circle, tag, or Moroccan widow cutout.   These charms I hand draw the pictures on.   A few I will do a free-hand sketch, but for most of them I will trace a picture since this gives me a much more consistence end result.   A lot of the art work is my own, but to be honest I just don't have the time to make all the pictures from scratch, so I find some artwork or photo that is close to what I want and then I will Photoshop the heck out of it.     Since what I draw is really small I have to delete most of the detail and then draw lines and fill in to create negative space  (a lot of the silhouettes started out as a picture).   I learned this technique in art class when I was in collage, but it was not on the computer it was all by hand.   My professors where all about the hands on experience.   They would say things like “learn how to do it in real life, it will translate easily to Photoshop”.   A few of the pictures I use where created by friends of mine  “Hay while your just sitting there could you draw a horse for me?”.   I just love talented friends.   And some customers have sent pictures to me because they really wanted a particular thing.   I still have to Photoshop these pictures, but not to the same degree.   The on the rare occasion I will be browsing royalty free clip art online and find something that is perfect just the way it is,  I just have to re-size it.   Oh do I love these gems,  the time savings, Joy.   I do still stamp some of the pictures onto the charms, but it's a small portion.   I think I hand make something around 2500 different charms and about 20 of them are stamped.   I should mention I also make a few of my charms out of polymer clay.   Oh one last thing about the charms.  I draw everything in revers so I have gotten really good at mirror writing (writing backwards).

Below are a few different examples of the charms.  The type of picture will be to the left.

  Free Clip Art  Oh how I love you.   Still had to trace by hand

  Free-hand.   Doodled strait onto the charm.  Yea 12 years of art classes

  Photoshoped from photo.  Was a picture of a cat, got rid of the background, cropped and filled everything, but the eyes.  After all that was done had to trace by hand.  Turned out really well I think

   Created the shape on my CAD system let it cut out the shape and hand-inked in the starfish. 

Question 18:   What charms do you have to make the most of?

Answer 18:   As you might imagine wine glasses, alcohol themed in general, cats, and dogs. Are all very popular.    Also my Geek themes are really big.

Q.   Geek Themed?

A.   Oh yes Geek is big.   Actually it was the need for my inner geek to come out that really lead me to hand-make my own charms in a big way, not just dabbling.   As a jeweler it's next to impossible to find well made not crazy expensive geek charms.   This translates to the customer.   It's very hard to find well made, attractive geek themed jewelry at a reasonable price, though this is changing.   Because geek is big.

Question 19:   You said you have used charms since the beginning, but what do you use them for and what is the item that used up the most charms?

Answer 19:   Everything and Funky Bracelets...

Q.   Your doing it on purpose aren't you (glare)

A.   (smirk) Yep

Q.   Fine

Question 20:   Tell me about your Funky Bracelets why do you use most of your charms on them

Answer 20:   I came up with my Funky Bracelets after visiting my brother in Seattle (he lived there at the time).   We had gone to this cracked-out store called Archie McPhees and my now sister-in-law bought me these small plastic ninjas.   When I got home having been inspired by my trip I made the first few funky bracelets, one of them had the ninjas.   A few weeks latter I had a dream about wearing one of the bracelets as a necklace.   I think I must have completely designed the adapter in my sleep, because it only took me... I usually say it only took me 5 minutes to make it, but that is probably an exaggeration I loose track of time when I'm creating.   Anyway, so each Funky Bracelet is created around a theme and comes with an adapter so you can also ware it as a necklace.   Each Funky Bracelet has 5 charms and 20 beads.   They always have the same number of beads and charms so I can keep the price the same.  Also they all have a name

Q.   They each have a theme?

A.   Yep.   Some themes are normal(ish).   Like wine, cats, dogs, shopping, but I also make bracelets that are inspired by movies, TV shows, books, fairy tails, geek, and things that make me laugh.

Q.   Give me an example of one that makes you laugh, include the name.

A.   “I Scream, You Scream, The Police Come It's Awkward” It has Ice Cream Cone's and Handcuffs and the beads are in sherbert colors.

Q.   (snort) Really? That is funny. (giggle)

A.   (smile) It's one of my favorites.

Q.   You said books, movies, geek, fairy tails.   Examples please

A.   “Gone With the Wind” it has silhouettes and quotes and the beads are in red and white (since most of Scarlet's outfits in the movie had red or white in them,   “Princess Bride” Inconceivable, As you Wish, Sword, Castle and done in mostly creams and crystal because she was a bride, yellow for Princess Buttercup and blue for his eyes (yes I do over think these things).    Um... Alice in Wonderland,  Little Red Riding Hood,  "Wizard of Oz" done all in green's for the emerald city, "I Don't Like I Obsess"  this bracelet has charms to represent 5 different fandoms, I usually change the charms out to the persons particular taste,  but to start it has 5 of my favorite fandoms represented,  Puss In Boots,  I just made Hansel and Gretel,  “I Don't Believe in Humans”  this bracelet was inspired by a sketch I saw.   “Happy Endings Are For The Weak”  done in greens and has 3 Witches/Queens an apple and “I do what I want” because the evil queen dose not get enough press, "Labyrinth"  I made this one because a customer wanted it , liked it so much I had to make more and "Loki" .    A lot of the ones listed are available on my website, I have a bunch more that are not and I can make just about anything someone wants.   In some ways I find it easier to make a bracelet around a concrete theme, in other ways it's more challenging, but that is part of the fun too.

    A customer asked me a question.  YEA!

Q. "I have allergies to some metals. What are your bracelets metal components made of?"

A.   This is a great question and one anyone that is sensitive should ask.  I use a variety of metals copper, pewter, stainless steal, silver, brass, bronze, and some times base metal.  I try VERY hard to make sure that all my components are nickle free and lead free.  However since I don't have a way of testing the metals myself I have to rely on the company's that I order from to have accurate information.  I am very confident that the Ear Wires I use are Surgical Stainless Steal since they are made by a US company.  However not all of my components are made in the US and some country's have lax testing standards.  I will say that I am sensitive and my assistant Tig  (Tig is great she helps out with sales) is crazy sensitive and neither one of us has ever had a problem, and in the 15 years I have been in businesses I have only had to make one return because of sensitivity reasons.  Hopefully this means that I'm doing a good job at finding materials that truly are nickle free and lead free.  

Question 11:   Do you have any more stories about Ninjas and Chickens?
Answer 11:   Yes quite a few.  For example did you know there are actually 4 types of chickens?  The differences are as great in some cases as the Blue Whale and Hippopotamus.  Now you might ask “Wouldn't that mean that they are different specie?”.   However genitally speaking the hippo is the closet relative to the whale.   Crazy hu?

Question 12:   Would you tell me more about Ninjas and Chickens?
Answer 12:   I would be happy to, but maybe we can keep this line of questing for a different Q&A session and go back to the more getting to know you kind of questions.

Q.  Fair enough.

Question 13?:   Are you in shape?
Answer 13:   Yes, round is a shape.

Q.  Ugg.  (bangs head on table) back to the sass I see

Question 13 Revised:  Do you work out, exorcize, or do anything at all to say in shape?
Answer:  I stretch regularly and do some weight training so I don't hurt myself when I'm setting up or taking down my booth and when the weather is nice I walk, but if I had to run for my life I would probably die.

Q.   Well that was honest.
A.  It's not like I can tell you all I'm a swimsuit model when you can easily find me at a show.   Well OK I could tell you that because I am awesome and sexy, but I'm not the shape that the boring people in fashion are looking for. (sigh)

Question 14:   Do you have a hobby?
Answer 14:   Yes.   My hobby is fixing, painting and repurposing old furniture.   Look here is a picture of an old piano bench I turned into a side table.

A.   (Pulls out phone) Would you like to see some of the other things I've done?
…..... 30 minutes later.....
Q.   Why did I ask that question? (mumble) It's like asking someone about their kids or pets.
A.   Oh pet's I have cat pictures too. Want to see? (looks way to happy)
Q.   No that's alright we still need to get the Q&A over.
A.   (face falls) ok

Question 15:   You said in the introduction that you work 90 hours a week. Is that true? If so how do you have time to have a hobby?
Answer 15:   Yes it is true, however it's more of an average than a strait forward ever week sort of thing.  During the months of October, November, and half of December I will work 110 hours in a week.  However in January and July I might only work 40 hours in a week.  I give myself about 2 weeks a year; usually in December, to just sit at home and stare at the walls, do other craft projects, or bake.  During my shorter work weeks I will work on furniture or some other project.  The rest of the year I will do small craft projects that don't take up much time, but allow me to express my creativity in a new or different way.  Or I'll have a large project that I can do in small bites of time.

Question 9: Did you say that in your universe Ninjas and Chickens are Mortal Enemy's? (look of confusion)

Answer 9: Yes.    Before you glare at me there is a short answer, a long answer, and a really long answer which would you like?

Q. Lets start with the short answer.

A. Have you ever seen any of the old (1970's) Asian Kung Fu Movies?

Q. No

A. There is a trope in those movies that a ninja sneaking into a building/place will only be tripped up by a chicken that just just happens to flap in his face and they fall over or bump into something or the chicken leave a bit of bird poo in just the wrong place and the ninja falls down.

Q. OK. So what dose that have to do with your universe?

Answer 9 Continued: So in my universe the chickens really do protect the hearth and home from ninjas.  They are not just being annoying birds when the cluck an odd hours, peck your feet, flap around, and live presents on top of your roof.  They are in reality practicing for when the ninja arrives.  People just don't give chicken enough credit. For example people think chickens are so stupid that they will drown in rain.  This is not true. What is really happening is that they are looking around for the ninjas that would use the cover of a storm to sneak in.  They are actually risking their lives for you.

Q. Wow I had no idea that chickens where so cool.

A. Got to respect the chickens. (nodes head)

Question 10: How did this all start? The enmity between Chickens and Ninjas that is. It seams like an unlikely pairing for enemy's.

Answer 10: It all started with a bet.... This is a fairly long story lets take a little brake and I'll tell you the story of the bet.
Q: Works for me.

Question 5: You Really don't seam to lack self confidence. Why is that?

Answer 5: I have a saying that I came up with that answers that question perfectly “When God Makes You This Wonderful, Being Modest Is Just Rude” (nodes head sagely).  Oh or the other one that I came up with works too “You Can't Put This Much Sexy Into A Skinny Body”.

Q. I'm not sure how the second one answers the question, but OK

A. What? It's perfect, it means love yourself an all that you are.

Q. Yes, but that just....( sigh)  Never mind I will not get into that with you.  Lets get back to the Q&A

A. OK (smile)

Question 6: I am told that you believe that we all live in our own little universe is that true?

Answer 6: Yes.... (nodes head vigorously)   Oh should I expand on that?

Q. (Glare)

Answer 6 continued: I believe that each person lives in there own universe or dimension.  There is a lot of overlap between these places that's how we can all touch one another and communicate.  However there is always something that works differently in your universe than in someone else. It might be big or small, but it's always there.  This is how conflicts and misunderstandings happen, particularly the kind of conflicts/ misunderstandings that occur because you both think your talking about the something, but in reality your not. It can also effect greatly how you venue the world compared to other people.

Question 7: Give me 2 examples of how your universe differs from most others.

Answer 7: In my universe the word Fondle is a good word and Ninjas and Chickens are mortal enemy's.

Question 8: Did you say fondle was a good word?   (blush)

Answer 8: Yes I tell my customers to fondle my jewelry all the time.  The technical definition of the word fondle is: to touch in a loving and careful way or to receive a large amount of personal pleasure from touching.  Since I would like my customers to both enjoy touching my jewelry and to treat it gently I think it's a perfect word.

Question 8b: Um what about the other meaning?

Answer 8b: Get your mind out of the gutter. Gees. I don't even want to know what your thinking about doing to thous earrings.

Q. What? No! That's not what I meant. (blush furiously)

A. (Falls over laughing) Sorry, sorry just could not help myself.

Q. (Glare) You are a sick and twisted woman.

Q. OK wow that was a long answer to what I thought was a small question.  Umm I'm almost afraid ask the next one... Right (square shoulders).

Question 2: Has Unique Creations been your only source of income since you started your business?

Answer 2: No

Q. No?  That's it?  Your first answer was so long and now I just get a No.

A. I was trying to be more concise.

Q. Gerrr... A few more words would be OK

A. You really are noisy. Is it that interesting?

Q. People what to know about this sort of thing most people don't start there own business.

A. Fine (sigh)

Answer 2 (revised): For the first 4 years I would work odd jobs to fill in the gaps in what I made.  Then for years 5 and 6 I would get a temp job in January just for something to do since that was my down time.  This is fairly normal when you are first starting out.  They say that if you can make it 5 years then you are good to go as a business.

Question 3: What changed after year 6?

Answer 3: I realized that not everything I made had to be a precious little snowflake and I could make more than one of something that I liked.   So now I spend January and February making stock for the year. This has really helped with my time keeping since I don't have to rush to replace everything I just sold at my last show.   I still make all year long, but this gives me a chance to make several of things I really like.

Question 4: Are you ever wrong when making extra sock?

Answer 4: Heck yea.  I have made things that I thought everyone would just love and never sold a one, but to be honest it happens rarely because I'm awesome.

Q. Yes, yes your fabulous (roll eyes)

A. I am and thank you for noticing (absolutely strait faced)

Q. Rrrright. Well then Next question.

Hi everyone and welcome to my first ever blog post.   I have been putting off starting a blog for YEARS. Mostly because I already work 90 hours a week and it's just one more thing, plus my spelling is atrocious and I'm forgetful.  However I'm going to do my best to post once a week, I'm thinking Tuesday's (I'll post on Monday and Thursday for the first few weeks). For my first few blogs I'm going to do question and answer about me and how awesome I am. After that who knows what I'll write about, It might be a jewelry project, or an up coming sale, a show that I have just been to, some strange event or mundane that has happened in my life, the latest craft project, or even my favorite recipe.   Really it will just be what ever comes to mind with no real direction... or at least that's the current plan.

Q: Hi nice to meet you I have a few questions for you today.
A: I'll do my best.
Q: Great lets start the Q&A.

Question 1. How Long have you been making Jewelry?

Answer 1: You know I get this question ALL the time and I am always conflicted on how I should answer that. Keep in mind that I have always been into crafting so for most of the years until I started my business I did not focus on any one thing, I tried a little of everything. Painting, Drawing, Pottery, Sewing, Sculpture, Jewelry Making, Candle Making, and any other craft that popped into mind.          Now back to the main focus.

Do I tell you about the first time I made any jewelry by myself? I was in Kindergarten and I pulled out the beads from Mom's crafting closet grabbed my dental-floss (cinnamon flavored) and made a necklace just for me. I still have the necklace and if you rub the beads back and forth along the strand it still smells like cinnamon. However my Honey-Bunny says this is a cheat since kids are always making crafts.

My next answer would be in High School we had a student art teacher for about 6 weeks and he was all about trying new things. One of the projects was to gather up odds and ends plus some normal jewelry making supply's and create a necklace or bracelet.  Loved that project, but I don't remember what I made or what happened to the piece just that it was really fun.   It was; I think, what started my addiction to collecting beads.  The making of jewelry was only now and then, mostly I enjoyed collected the beads planing on doing something later.

My last answer would be how I started my business. Jump forward about 7-8 years to when I was 24.  I had just gone to a bead show, it's a show open to the public where you can buy beads not available at the local stores.  I could have bought it all online, but at the time I was all about buying the beads I did make things, but buying the beads was the best part.  I went to my Honey-Bunny's house before going home to show him what I had found.   I was so proud of my little bag of beads.   When I told him how much I spent on the small bag of beads he gave me a look that clearly said that I had lost my mind. When I pulled out a VERY small bag of beads and told him how much it was for an ounce, he told me that if he was not looking at what I had bought he would think I was talking about buying Drugs and that clearly something was wrong with this situation.   I must admit looking back he had a very good point.   Then he convened me to get a wholesale license and just buy my beads that way.   After some thought I went to downtown Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) and registered my company (not having thought of a name until I was filling out the form, so what I'm saying is Unique Creations was born in a 5 minute brain fry) and got a Tax ID.   My first order of beads; which granted was not of the best quality, cost around the same as the small bag of beads that I had bought at the show.   However when the box came to my door it was 100 pounds of beads. Yikes!  What was going to do with all these beads?   So I made a bunch of things went to a craft show and amazingly people liked what I had and gave me money for it.   I actually made more in my first 4 shows (all small 1 day shows) then I did in a month of my Executive Administrative Assistant job.   When my boss asked if there was anyone that would be willing to be “Right Sized” (fired) and if someone volunteered they would get a severance package (small) I took the leap of faith.   With the money for volunteering, odd jobs and unemployment I was able to get my company going in only 6 months and have been a happy crafter ever since.

More of Q&A to come