B'sue Boutiques Build A Line Challenge Blog Hop Post #1--What's Your Theme?

It's time for the first hop!

I LOVE this class!! (In fact, I've already learned so much, I realized I have way too much for one post (or three)! So, I'll be spreading my thoughts out between hops in order to get right to the meaty goodness today.)

This was starting my point--a collage of previous pieces I've made:

"Lovely bunch of designers, isn't it? Wait, it's all one person?"

Over the years, I've done a lot of different things, as you can see, but I've never created a jewelry line on purpose with the intent of presenting pieces as a group. Especially reproducible ones. As a result, my customers may have experienced both the good and the bad side of never knowing what to expect from me.

I draw from so many things, enjoy so many techniques...where would I start? What to keep, toss, or transform? Who is my customer? Who am I? It can get pretty introspective pretty quickly, but you learn so much just by asking yourself these things. (Now you know why I need more than one post to tell you about what I've discovered, stay tuned!)

I've joined the B'sue Boutiques Build A Line Challenge this year in the hopes to sort some of this out.

One challenge here is for me to learn the practice of creating a set of pieces that have elements that tie them together; that look like they all came from the same person, that all sing the same song...even if I don't have my style "voice" nailed just yet.

"You're singing right now, aren't you?"
Maybe. I do have that "teach the world to sing" song stuck in my head now, though.

Those of us in the class each picked a theme that would be at the center of our lines, and for this first blog hop, we get to reveal them! So here is mine:

"Wait, what? Did you drop ink on your B'sue order?"

No, no...my theme is BLACK. I've been gathering supplies and feeling out some ideas.

"You're making mourning jewelry? When did you go full-on Goth?"

Well, no. There's going to be more. It's more like "Black & Something."

"That's not a good name for a line."

We're working on that.

As I've been nosing about researching historical periods and peeping in on current runway shows (and boy at the posts that'll be coming out of that), I realized my theme has given me a great gift...and a challenge unto itself. If black is the thread that weaves the line together, I can meander around different styles to a degree--do some experimentation, even, and it will all still work together. I could technically use anything.

Anything?

Anything.

So much to explore... I can't wait to see where this goes! The blog hop, though, goes onward!

Check out my classmates' blogs and see their themes!

Brenda Sue Lansdowne Jewelry Making Outside the Box --our Host and wonderful Teacher!

Diana Buynak Butterfly Emporium Ceramic Studio

Irene Hoffman, Heart's Dezire by Irene

Clare Wells Nemeth, Creative Magick

Mary Reckmeyer, Afrayed Not

Marcia Tuzzolino, Aurora Designs

Elisabeth Wilks, Wearable Art by Lizzie

Jeanette Rose Belmont, One Canvas At A Time

Lyn Joy Reeve, A Journey From Jewels To Jubilation

Belinda Reed-Ingle, Vogue Rocks

Beth Trubman, The Journey of Jewelry

Carole Carlson, Bead Sophisticate

Jann Tague, Clever Designs by Jann

Shari Gardner, SLG Jewelry Designs

Susan Bolton, Fern's Place

Chris Kemp, Noodle Pie Bracelets

Barbara Kelley, Angels' Keep

Susan Bowerman, Woodside Wireworks

Pamela Anger, Novegatti Designs

Joan Donovan, Hailey's Cottage

Alison Huie, Ally's Baubles

Sharon Palac, Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Erica Olmos, Beeb's Closet

Erin Whitacre, Shattered Time Jewelry

Fran Sitton, Sitton Up Front

Ginger Hammond, Lynn Leigh Designs

Paula Gaskill, Lovely LaylaBug Jewels

Mary Deis, The Rose Sword

Renee Webb Allen, Small Stuff Design

Valerie Tilghman, ArtJewelsandGifts

Chris Cravens, Vintage Cravens

Leslie Carver, Adorn Divine Designs  you are here!

Donna Parry, JewelryDonna

Gina-Marie Hammer, Tangles, Twists and Treasures

Kelly Wymer, Winged Wisdom Enchantments