~Something About Mary~

Coming up on my 11 year glass melting anniversary! I can't even believe it!

When I first started offering my beads for sale most of what I made was encased florals. When I tried to branch out into other things buyers rejected the idea. I think at the time certain beadmakers were sought for certain things and when you tried to step out of that the buyers didn't go for it. (I'm talking strictly eBay here...that was the it place for online lampworkers at the time.) This kinda made me feel bossed around and one day I flat out quit making encased florals. I didn't make any more florals until the other things started to sell. Once I didn't feel like a one-trick pony anymore I started making florals again. Yes, I am the queen of cutting my nose off to spite my face.

That little attack of rebellion cost me a lot of money because I wouldn't make what the buyers wanted. It wasn't because I didn't like my customers. I loved my customers. But this isn't a factory type mentality. You have to want to make what you are making or it's crap. I was so flippin' sick of flower beads I can't even express how much I hated making them. LOL

After 11 years of experience nothing has changed, not really. Buyers still want certain things from certain people (I do this, too.) And I still hate having to make what I don't want to make just to earn a living. So I've taken a bit of a creative break and spent the last week just having a ROYAL BLAST. I've made sets, which I hardly ever do, picked up new tools, made some finished pieces. Played around with ideas that basically let me get out of the car I've been driving for over 2 years and stretch my legs! I didn't make a single dragon, either. Well...I made one yesterday but it was the last thing in my week of rebellion. LOL

Here are some pictures of what I've been having fun with. Now I can go back to work and not feel so trapped. There is another very positive thing I learned this past week. I am extremely grateful that I am ABLE to make so many different types of things. It opens a lot of avenues for me in sculptural work. Having the technical skills that I have keeps my options unlimited. It's possible to have killer stringer control, but not be able to encase. Or do sculptural but not be able to make a perfectly round bead with nice holes. If there is anything that my rebellion has given to me, it is a diverse set of skills. I'll take it! :-)