Merry Go Round

Each month, a group of craftswomen from around the world join together and give their reponses to the same question. This month, our question is:

What is your Purple Cow?

This question refers to Seth Godin, who maintained that the key to success is to find a way to stand out and be remarkable - to be the purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins.

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more! I mean, when we look at successful artists and crafters work, we can intuitively see what it is that gives them an edge...what makes them stand out. Maybe they have something to offer that no-one else provides or maybe their superb craftsmanship is evident. Whatever it is, they've got it in spades.

But what about me...? What is my purple cow? Yikes. Do I even have one? I'm not sure. Or about the success part, either. So, I cast an eye over my Etsy feedback that I've received over the past 18 months. That was helpful. Then, I asked my family. Tell me about my work, I said. Throw some words at me that sum it up. Go on, I can take it...and these are the words that my girls and the woodcutter came up with:

pretty - I like this word. It sums up all things girly and feminine. All women want to feel pretty, don't they?

bold - Good! I like to think that if you're going to wear jewellery, wear it! Let it be seen and get you noticed! It's not for everyone, but I try to put a bit of boldness into each piece I create.

colourful - colour is important - it lifts your spirits, it says so much about you. It captures your attention. I need colour in my otherwise rather monochrome life (yes, I tend to live in black!).

intricate - I just love details. It's all in the detail. Sometimes, it's just that one little extra bead that you need to add to a piece to create a certain sparkle and allure, or just one more layer of fabric to complete the story. Without it, a piece can seem almost lifeless.

Now that I re-read this back to myself, I can see that it has made me think a bit clearer about my purple cow - I'm going to name my purple cow 'complexity'. I realise that every item I create combines all of the above...a bit of this and a bit of that; old bits and new bits; layer upon layer of fabrics; multitudes of beads...I use it all. I like to think this results in the viewer being intrigued and totally drawn in by the complexities of each piece. I can hope...

I found that quite thought provoking and tough to answer. I wonder how my fellow Merry Go Rounders got on this month? Find out by clicking on the links in the sidebar...purple cows await you!

On My Desk Wednesday

I'm hoping that this will pass muster as to what's on my desk today...it is sitting there, right next to me....
As promised yesterday, here's the collar to co-ordinate with the Rochester wrist cuff made last week. It isn't an exact match - I like to live dangerously! What is it called, when you have a matching set of jewellery? I'm sure there's a name for it...would it be 'wardrobe'?

This should be added to my shop later this evening (probably around midnight - don't ask why it's so late!). Update: in the store now.

For more desk activity, do pop in to kootoyoo and take a little peek - while you're there, why not put your name down and join in?!

On My Desk Wednesday

Things are moving very slowly here this week, for various reasons. Mumble, mumble....

Despite that, my desk today bore some WIP (now completed and waiting to be popped into the shop) that just required a bit of handstitching and of course, a shower of beads. Where would I be without beads??!
This wrist cuff is mainly silk (courtesy of a friend of a friend - thank you! - who creates wedding gowns...mmmnn). The outer silk is embroidered with metallic silver threads, the underside is my favourite silver grey silk, which also forms part of the mini ruffle along the edge. Add to that some taffeta blooms and a bit of sparkle...I call that finished!

Pop on over to kootoyoo for more desk activity. You know you want to....