My New Booth Design

This month has been flying by, I can't believe November will be here this weekend.

I have been in jewelry making mode for the last month or so, building up my inventory for all my holiday shows.

Last weekend I got my show season off to a great start. I had a booth at a fashion show fund raising event, and it was a huge success. It was my perfect target market and everyone was there to shop.

I tried out some new display pieces, and they worked out great. I've needed a new idea for a long time and I am so glad this idea worked.

In my old booth it was very challenging to take jewelry down and put it back up when we had a crowd of people at the table, now it is much easier for me and the customers.

old display

As much as I loved my old display it was really challenging.

New Display

My new display includes the new flat boards, pipe display pieces, and it really emphasizes the industrial hardware theme.

My craft show display has been a work in progress for the last 10 years. Every time I add to it or create a new piece I like it more and more. I think I have finally found the solution to making it easier to show off the items even when it's crowed. 

I have another big 2 day show coming up this weekend and I am looking forward to being able to help customers easier, and hopefully sell lots of pieces.

How has your display evolved over the years?

You Never Know Unless You Try

I recently submitted a few sketches to a gallery to be included in an up coming show. I worked on the sketches for a few days, and I kept telling myself I was wasting my time, but when they were complete I hit the submit button and off they went.

After I sent it I did not give it a second thought. I already had it in my head I was not going to get in so I just put it out of my mind.

Well last week I found out that the piece I sketched out was accepted and they want a couple more pieces.

After I read the email I just sat there shocked. I realized the piece I sketched now had to be made in real life and I needed to come up with more ideas.

I am very excited and thrilled to be part of this event. It will take me a couple of months to complete the three piece, they are nothing like the pieces I design for my Etsy shop, but large pieces that will be in a fashion show and displayed in a gallery for 3 months.

The gallery is a beautiful space

Here is a brief video of last years event


2013 ŏn-sŏm' bəl Review from Jim Kirkhoff on Vimeo.


How often do you not participate in creative opportunities because you don't think you have a chance?

Maybe now is the time to put yourself out there and try something you have never done before.  There are a variety of opportunities online and off, you just have to submit your best work and see what happens.

Have you ever just applied to participate in a show, gallery event, or be featured on a blog? How did it work out?

What is Your Creative Process?

Inspiration is an important part of my creative process. I spend a lot of time looking through my design books, checking out inspiring boards on Pinterest, and planning out my ideas for the new pieces I create.

Sketching out my ideas as I process them is the most important part of planning a new collection. I draw out new ideas, and then I take a few minutes and draw out variations of my main idea.

This really helps me when it's time to create. I can page through my sketch book and start making the pieces that make sense. Usually only a few of my sketched ideas are turned in to pieces for my collection, and many times once I start creating the pieces turns out different from what I originally planned.

Viewing other inspiring jewelry pieces and sketching out my ideas is how I create most of the pieces in my jewelry collection, but I also like the spontaneity of going through my collection of hardware and putting pieces together randomly.

If I am creating from a sketched design or the spontaneity of digging through hardware, I love the act of creating and taking something simple and turning it into something great.

What is your creative process?

Create a Digital Vision Board to Boost Your Holiday Sales

The ideas of creating vision boards or dream boards has been around for a long time. They are great daily reminders of our aspirations and goals.

Vision Boards are also great to reinforce a goal you are working toward achieving. That's why creating a vision board to inspire you to boost your holiday sales can help you meet your goal.

A vision board I created for my studio

There are many ways to create vision boards. You can go through magazines and pull out words and photos of things that encourage your goal. You can create a poster, use a canvas, or pin everything to a cork board and change it as needed.

If you prefer you can keep it simple, create a Pinterest board or boards for every aspect of your life, with photos and words of encouragement  to inspire you. There are also many online options for creating vision boards like Digital Dreamboard and O Dream Board.

Another easy way to create a vision board is to create one on your computer. You can do this in programs like photoshop, publisher, PowerPoint, or PicMonkey.com.

Start by choosing a poster size document (16 x 20). It's the perfect size to hang, but if that seems to large choose a size that works best for you. Next find positive images that and quotes that excite, inspire, and motivate you to reach your goal. Once you have all your images you can copy and paste them in a pleasing arrangement on you poster size document.

When you are done you can send your finished document to a photo shop (such as Walgreens or Costco) to have it printed. It's pretty inexpensive to have it printed, usually under $5. If you are working with a smaller document print it out on your own printer.

Hang your vision board where you can see it in you workspace. When you need a boost take a few minutes and look at the images, read the inspirational messages, and get inspired with new ideas.

Creating a vision board is a great way to get clear about your goals for the holiday season. Your vision board will help you make the connections from vision to reality.

Do you have a vision board?

Share this idea with your social network.

Immerse Yourself

I am obsessed with learning new things. When I want to learn about a subject I read books, blogs, and websites for the latest information, listen to podcasts, watch videos, and write down pages of notes.

I can get a little crazed about a subject and an idea, to the point that I that I have researched pretty much everything I need to know, and I just need to take the leap and put it into action.

We learn best when we immerse ourselves in to a subject. Each piece of new information you encounter you can learn something new.

Each of these steps will make you experience your subject more effective.

Read - books, blog, magazines, and e-books
Listen - podcasts, audio, and other recordings
Watch - videos of workshops, lectures, and online classes
Do - put the best of the info you learn into action, and always continue to tweak it
Teach - sharing the info you learn with others will make it more meaningful for you

It may take all of these steps for the information to have a impact on you and your work.

Just remember not to let the researching become the most important you do. The doing part is what will get you results, so immerses yourself fully, put what you learn into action, and reap the rewards.

What is your favorite way to learn about a new project you want to start?

Switch Gears

When you have been working on something for a long time or you're trying to come up with some new ideas and you get stuck, why not try switching gears.

Stop trying to come up with ideas and start with the technical side of your project. Switching to a new task is a great way to get your creative juices flowing, and thinking about the technical side of things will give you a little insight into your working process and help you see new options.

All you need to do is create a list of all the steps involved in what you are working on, down to the littlest details. Then create a flowchart from where you start your project, your action steps, the decisions you have to make, and where you need to stop.

When you are done with your flowchart you should feel the creative juices flowing back, not to mention you now have a tutorial for your project that you could use in the future.

If you really want to challenge yourself create your list of steps starting from the end and working your way back to the beginning.

Working on the technical side of your project is a great way to get inspired.

Have you ever listed all the steps involved in creating your art?

Remember Everything

Here is a little tip to help you remember information, learn a new technique, and in the process make your brain a little stronger.

The 3 x 10 technique.

Dr. Douglas Fields a neurologist at the National Institute of Heath who researches memory and learning, discovered that your brain makes a stronger connection to remembering what you are reading, practicing, or mastering something new, to do it 3 times rest for 10 minutes and then do it again.

Do this process as many times as needed until you have mastered what you need to remember.

I use this technique all the time when I need to practice a speech or class notes, and when I try a new technique. I have found if I try something 3 times, take a break and come back to it 3 more times, I figure out the steps I need to take and remember them for next time.

Next time you need to remember something give this technique a try, and in the process make your brain a little stronger!

Would this technique be helpful with anything you need to remember?

Do You Have All the Tools You Need?

Sometimes we don't have all the tools or skills we need to get the job done. If you ask around maybe a friend could lend a helping hand or suggest an idea, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to have everything you need when you need it.

Learning a new skill or to use a new tool is a great way to get inspired, since you will gain a new perspective on your materials and process. Plus learning from other creative people opens you up to new ideas and creative opportunities.

To get started on determining what you need to learn or experience, create a list.

Start with a list of all the skills you know a little about but wish you knew more, and all things you would like to learn that would help you create amazing art.

Next review your list. Next to each items on your list add names of friends, other artists, classes, or organization that could help you learn the skills you need. Be as detailed as possible the more information you have the easier it will be to get started.

Then number your list in order of importance. Starting with the most important thing on your list that will benefit you and your creative process.

Now get to work! Contact who you need to contact to get started on learning the necessary skill that is number one on your list.

What is stopping you? The more you know, the more creative you can be. Don't let the fear of not knowing a skill or how to use a tool stop you from creating new and inspiring art.

What new skill or tool do you want to learn?

Idea to Reality

"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. He who looks outside, dreams. He who looks inside, awakens."

Carl Jung

Inspired idea

I walk around all the time with ideas rolling around in my head, and I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how I can make them work. When I get those big ideas I want to remember, I usually write them down in my notebook, and promptly forget about them because I know they are written down.

I realized the other day while paging through my notebook that if I had these ideas on my action board they would stay in the front of my mind inspiring me want to work on them.

My business vision board

Creating a vision board specific to your ideas(s), mind maps, or timeline colleges, are wonderful options to inspire new ideas while working through the process of making your idea a reality. You don't have to do this with every idea, but for those big ideas you know you don't want to forget about, this could be a great way to start the process.

Mind map idea

I am going to start creating mini vision boards with space to add notes and expand my ideas. Want to create your own? Here is a mini Mini vision board for you to plan out your big ideas.

Click here to print out your Mini Vision Board

As creative people we get new ideas all the time, why not keep them where you can see them, and have them inspiring your work toward putting them into action.

How do you stay on top of your big ideas?

DIY Friday - Flowers

The weather is getting warmer and the trees and flowers are starting to bud, and it's nice to add some flowers to the inside of your home. Since their are not a lot of flowers available this time of year, why not try these DIY flowers for that perfect touch of color to accessorize yourself and your home this spring.

Felt flowers

Rolled Paper Flowers

pom pom flowers

Fabric Flowers

Paper map flowers 

Fabric Flowers

Which flower project would you like to try?

Five Questions

Today I have five questions you can ask yourself when starting a new project or working on one of your big significant goals.

These questions are to help you find clarity, give you some direction, and inspire you to get started. 

There are no right or wrong answer, your answers are personal to just you. 

Grab your journal, some art supplies, a pen and pencil, and find a quite place to yourself to answer these five questions:

~ What do you really want to accomplish?

~ What's your plan?

~ What would be the fastest most direct way to accomplish your plan?

~ What are three major obstacles standing in your way, and what can you do to overcome them?

~ Are you on the right path to get there?

I also created a printable document with the five questions.  This document will give you space to work through each question, doodles to color and help relax your mind , and space to add your own. 

printable link

You don't have to answer them all at once, or in this order. Do what is comfortable for you. Once you have your answers, they should help guide you towards creating your plan and getting started on accomplishing your goal. 

How do you prepare when starting a new project?

Deconstructing Inspiration

I am working on a big a project that involves the study of how artist use and interpret a source of inspiration.

While meeting with one of the artists I am working with, he talked about the deconstruction of an inspiration source. This is a idea that as artist we all do, but don't think about.

When I go some place new I have to check out my surroundings and look at all the light fixtures (I love contemporary light fixtures) and the paintings, and other artwork and furniture.  My sister always tells me she can see the little light bulb over my head while I deconstruct and turn everything into jewelry.

Light Fixtures by sunlocked
I love this fixture - see the possibilities?

I have found that even if it's not something I like but find intriguing I will still break it down into parts until I find something that inspires for me.

That's how I am when I watch fashion show, I may not like the clothes but parts of an outfit or element of the style intrigue me and those parts can be very inspiring.

When you see something inspiring do you find yourself deconstructing it into artwork?

Starting Next Week - A New Series

I have been looking into adding guest bloggers to my blog for more interesting content and ideas. I put out a shout out last week in the Etsy forums, and had Rachel from Rasberrykidz respond. We have been sending messages back and forth about what she could do, and in the process I was inspired.

As I search to find inspirational and creative content for my blog, I did not think to look directly into our community until talking with Rachel.

Well a new series is born called: Artist Inspirations.

With this series the artists who participate will have an opportunity to write a guest blog post about what inspires them and how they use their inspiration. It will give us an opportunity to get to know each other and be inspired by the stories of fellow artists in our community.

I am very excited to get this series started! Since Rachel was the inspiration for this new series, she will be my first guest blogger. You can read about Rachel's inspiration next Friday 1/22, you won't want to miss it.

Creativity Boost

Want to jump start your creativity?

Take a break.

Sometimes when you spend a lot of time working on a project or a new ideas, and you don't like anything you create, that's when its time to walk away and take a break. Have you ever noticed that some of your best ideas come when you are out shopping, or in the shower, or even at an event? Well that's because when we are not concentrating on a project our mind is relaxed and can see those blocked ideas freely.

When I need a break I go to the library or the bookstore. I read magazines and look at books of art in all different mediums sketching ideas as they come to me. Usually come home with the idea I need to finish my project and several more to start future projects.

Figure out the best place to let your mind relax. It might be cooking, playing in the park, sitting by a lake, or going to a museum, whatever it is take the time to recharge your minds creative bank and let your creativity start flowing.

Want to read more ideas to boost your creativity check out last weeks post Step out of your Comfort Zone.

From Idea to Reality - Design Development

Design development should resemble a voyage of discovery. On that voyage you will discover a distinct direction for your product development, materials you want to work with, and relevant concepts to build on.

There are three basic elements to developing your design:

Identifying the question

Here are a few examples of questions you might want to start with...
What do you want to create?
What is the message you want to send?
What shapes should I work with?

Thinking Laterally

This one took me a long time to figure out, but basically it means to look at something and seeing past the obvious.

• Try this exercise - Take a common object like scissors, tools, or even a cork screw and start drawing it. As you go through the process change each drawing as you go, make it narrow, wide, do different directions, just draw it parts changing the shapes as you go, put it back together in different way. This will help open up your mind to looking at things differently and seeing all the potential inspiration around you.

Consider your Elements

Here is the basic design checklist of essential elements you should consider during your design development.

Shape - Is it appropriate for your concept? Is the scale right for visual balance?

Form - Have you considered the piece from all angles?

Texture - What finish should your piece have?

Color - What does the color need to achieve?

The 5 senses - How can you make your piece to engage them?

Function - Will the piece be able to perform the function you want it to?

Materials - Are they suitable for your design?

Process - What will you need to do to create your piece? Will it be cost effective?

These are simple ideas. If you incorporate them into your process when you are creating, it will save you time and make the process of taking your idea and turning it into reality.

From Idea to Reality - Tools

A sketchbook is an essential tool for your design process. It’s your diary of your design journey, with your observations, visual images, and ideas explored and developed.

The wonderful thing about a sketchbook is you don’t have to know how to draw to use one. I love my sketchbook. I use it everyday, and take it with me everywhere. You never know when inspiration will hit you.

The process for design is different for everyone. You may like to just start a project with no plan, just jump in with both feet. You may draw everything out from every angle and have very detailed plans. You may be more like me where I sketch to get the ideas down on paper and use them loosely depending on the materials available. Sketching can be your thinking process, how you fine tune your ideas, working things out before you start working with your expensive materials.

Use your sketchbook for your ideas, and as a technical journal. Record experiments you have tried, material you have worked with and techniques that did or did not work. Keep your sketchbooks, you will be surprised how often you go to them as a source of inspiration. Plus it fun to look back and see how your work has changed over the years.

Once you get started with sketching out your ideas it you will be surprised how the ideas will start flowing. It take practice to get into the habit and remember sketching is just for you, so no need to make them perfect. Try these exercise to help develop your mind-hand connection making sketching easier over time.

♦Make on-minute gestures drawing familiar objects or the scene outside a coffee shop
♦Use simple lines or scribbles to capture shapes
♦Doodle – Set your mind free and see what happens

Here are a couple of resources for making your own journal and on how to keep a sketchbook. Check out these Etsy shops that offer beautiful handmade sketchbooks (click on the photo for the shop).

Create your one moleskin sketchbook

How to keep a sketchbook

Question – How do you design? Do you just jump in working with the material you have or do you plan out what you are going to do?

From Idea to Reality - A Series

Since the launch of my new collection ♦VIBRANT ♦ HARDWARE♦ in my Etsy shop, I have been thinking a lot about the process of coming up with a design and making it a reality. I did a lot of research for my new collection, on products to use, design concepts, and of course color choices.

In this series I will share with you design concepts, tools, ideas, and an exercise or two, that you can use in your own process to create new products.

It's important to remember that how each person approaches design will differ, for some people design is and extension for their love of crafting and for others a desire to express something that inspires them. Either way design is about enthusiasm and commitment, and I will share with you the tools I learned for designing and creating new products.

Even if you are not a designer, it will give you insight into the design process.

I want to make this series interactive, let me know what you think, share your process, if you have photo's you would like to share please do. I want to hear from you!

This week's question: What part of the design process do you find most difficult when you are creating?