With Discovery, A Realization

  There has been a bit of upheaval, of late.
  With the invitation to outside investors, Etsy also invited a lot of scrutiny, which led to some of those same investors realizing, rather late in the game, that Etsy hosts a rather large number of sellers who vend items that infringe upon the copyrights of well-known companies, like Disney, and Sanrio.
   I’m talking about that Hello Kitty necklace and that baby blanket featuring Elsa from “Frozen.”
  Yup, unless the vendor paid to license those characters from their parent companies, they’re likely infringing upon a copyright/trademark by utilizing that imagery on their items (with some exceptions).

Etsy holds a summit on manufacturing in their marketplace

  And once some of the investors who purchased Etsy stock at $30/share and watched it tumble to $16/share shortly after “discovered” these items in the Etsy marketplace, suddenly, they became a problem.
  Of course, you can purchase the same infringing items on Ebay, on Alibaba (where many vendors openly rip-off reputable Etsy artisans and imitate their items/infringe upon their copyrights), and a million other sites, but the rip-offs are a bit less visible when they’re being pumped out by the thousands by large overseas manufacturers tacking-on fake designer labels than an independent artist illustrating an homage to a character they love from a film.
  And then, there’s also not a share price drop to think of with those other companies, either.
   The lawsuit is a loser, as a basic Etsy search would’ve given these investors all the info they needed, and no one can make up for your unwillingness to do your homework.
   But the kerfuffle did bring into focus this whole issue of manufacturing, and the role it plays in the business of art-making.

"Elsa"-inspired crocheted hat, via Etsy

  Many of us, who hand-make our art, whether we’re willing to vocalize it or not, envision these massive, overseas sweatshop-style businesses, that have zero interest in quality, running ginormous machines day and night, spitting out replica after replica of meaningless, rip-off junk, paying dozens of workers pennies to put sloppy finishing touches on before the onslaught of under-priced garbage floods our marketplace.   And then our work, that we slave over, that takes us forever to complete, that we actually care about, that we’re already under-pricing because if we priced it correctly it’d never sell, gets buried in that market, because these manufacturers are getting better and better at faking it.
  But the reality is a bit different.  I’ve done the math, many of us have.  I know, to make a living at what I do, to sell my pieces at the prices I do, to make enough pieces to sell, to achieve any of the goals I have for my life, to buy a home, to travel, it is simply unrealistic to continue hand-making art, one-by-one, and selling at affordable prices.  There are some artists who are exceptions, I imagine, who transition seamlessly from doing crappy art-school paintings to selling individual pieces regularly for $500,000 apiece, with no selling-out in between.  I know a guy.  But they’re exceptions.  And they also bypass the mass-marketplace and go straight to high-end; their work is reserved for the rarefied few who can afford “aaahhht.”
  Any artist who starts to achieve some success at their chosen medium has to figure out how to do what Etsy calls “scaling up.”  I will define it as, “making/selling your stuff in a way that allows you to make enough money to live, but not to go insane/die of exhaustion, but also, achieve your goals.”  And it looks different for every artist.

   I recently heard an interview with Jonathan Adler, of ceramic vase fame, on NPR, and he was talking about how he made it as an artist.  It was a good story, of landing his pots in Barney’s early in his career and taking off from there.

Jonathan Adler, making a pot on the Martha Stewart Show

  I literally watched Jonathan Adler “become.”  I used to watch him on Martha Stewart’s show, showing off his vases, how he made them, etc.  And now he’s an industry, with stores everywhere, and his name is synonymous with “style.”
  But his interview was bullshit.  Because Jonathan Adler probably hasn’t made a freakin’ vase in years.  He probably hasn’t touched a single object in any of his stores in years, he probably doesn’t even know what they sell.  He has a “design brand,” now.  He’s not a famous artist, though he sold himself as one, in this interview.  He’s rich, he’s famous, he has indeed succeeded, but is he a successful artist, if he doesn’t actually MAKE any art any more?  If his success hasn’t come from his art, but from his merchandising, his branding, his expansion into other arenas?
And that difference struck me like a brick.  Because I went into an online artists’ group recently, during a period where I was working through a ton of online orders I’d received on the same day, many of them for the same item, and so I was making almost the same item over and over, my hands were cramping and I was sick of seeing this piece I once loved the design-of.  I wanted to smash it and refuse to make it again.  I was just weary of making things for other people, pieces that felt like they had nothing of me in them any more.  I was satisfying my customers, but not myself.

  And I asked if these other artists in the group ever felt like they were one-person-sweatshops, and just didn’t want to do it any more

Me sculpting a miniature pig for a Hieropice pendant

sometimes.  And several of them totally could relate, but several said, “oh come on, that’s a great problem to have!”
  I literally made ‘sad-face’ upon reading that.
  A great problem to have?!  I knew what they must be thinking, that to have people wanting the things you’ve created, to be willing to spend money on them, and to have steady business is indeed a good thing for an artist.  It’s often the goal when you’re in art school, to “make a living as an artist.”  Huzzah!  Success!
But I also realized, a person who could see this as a “good problem” is not an artist.
   I hadn’t realized until that moment, that perhaps not all of us who are making things and selling them are, in fact, artists.  Or would even call ourselves such.  Our motivations may not be the same.  Some are creating because they enjoy the act of it, and are selling as a bonus.  It’s a pass-time, or a hobby.
  Some are creating because they’re simply able to, they may not always enjoy it, but it brings in income.  They could stop tomorrow and move on to something else they find more interesting.
Some are creating specifically to make revenue, and will, whenever possible, remove themselves from the creative process.  Making is a means to an end, and they are looking for the best possible way to monetize it.
   I’m creating because I feel I’m an artist, it’s my identity, not my hobby or my job.  The urge was there before I sold a thing, before Etsy or craft shows.  I don’t really have a choice whether to create; in fact, I tried majoring in Psycho-Pharmacology in college, but ended up spending all of my time doing artwork instead of reading my textbooks.  Because creating is my passion and the thing that drives me.  I don’t really care whether I sell things (though I very much appreciate that customers are willing to purchase my wares), but I very much care about the integrity of what I create, its originality and quality, and I also very much care about whether I enjoy doing it.  So when it feels rote, repetitive, and divorced of my creativity any more, I don’t want to do it.
   So if I’m honest, I’m fearful of reaching that Jonathan Adler moment.  When I realize I’m not going to achieve the success I want if I insist on my own hands touching each piece of artwork that is sold with my name on it.  It’s very well-accepted in the fashion industry; you know Versace didn’t sew a stitch on that dress you bought, but it still commands the price.  But I still despise the idea of not creating my work with my hands, and I don’t see the manufacturing process as a part of Hieropice’s future.

A collection of Maasai-beaded coasters that I photographed in Tanzania

  When I began, I envisioned working with Maasai women in Tanzania in creating Hieropice's Maasai-beaded line, and I hope to still see that come to fruition, one day.  I wanted to improve upon the traditional beading technique, build up the visibility of my Maasai-inspired pieces here in the West, and head back to TZ to train a small cooperative to create the pieces with me, using fine materials and my designs.  No machines, just women, hand-beading with a (modified) technique that originated in their own community, bringing revenue back into that same community.  That’s about as far away from my own hands as I’m ever willing to go, I think.  Not far.

*Disclaimer – I actually love Jonathan Adler’s stuff, no hating here!  Props to you, Jonathan Adler.

The Etsy IPO, Bjork at MOMA, and Hieropice

Etsy’s Living Wall at their
headquarters – even with
irrigation and proper
lighting, hard to keep
lush and full!

So, in my last post, I had to be a bit cagey about what was coming up, as we were in the “quiet period” (who knew that was a thing?) of the Etsy IPO!  I was honored to be invited to Etsy headquarters to participate in the IPO celebration, along with a small group of Etsy sellers from around the globe.    The group included Etsy vendors who have successfully completed the Craft Entrepreneurship Program as well as educators from the program,  members of the  Etsy Manufacturing Advisory Board, local Etsy Team Captains/vendors working on activating their teams, like myself, and vendors who are successfully scaling up their Etsy businesses as they continue to sell on Etsy.  

  I mentioned in my previous post how hard I’m working to try and get our local team, Etsy Artists of Boston, all the access/tools we need to be successful artists/entrepreneurs, and so I was really thrilled to be recognized and included in this opportunity!

  I had a marathon trip to NYC, and was so excited to see Etsy headquarters, in particular, the “living wall.”  After a delicious dinner with the other sellers and Etsy staff, I high-tailed it to the Hudson Guild to take a BollyX class (which was free, score!) before heading back to the hotel to call it an early night.  Had to wake up early to get to the NASDAQ building on time!
   The IPO “Sellerbration” took place in and around the NASDAQ building in Times Square in Manhattan, New York City, where Etsy staff and sellers gathered with CEO Chad Dickerson to announce Etsy’s public stock options, ring the opening bell of the stock exchange, and offer an amazing outdoor Etsy market.  I’m basically penguin-height so was blocked in many of the photos, but I rang my bell like a champ and was glad Etsy let me take it home!  Chad’s son was the cutest thing ever, rolling on the NASDAQ floor in all of the orange/white confetti (I would’ve done that too if I were a toddler!)

My Bell Ceremony bell and NASDAQ badge

Fourteen vendors, including Supayana (Canada), Shlomit Ofir (Israel), Little Hero Capes (Massachusetts, USA), Malam (France), and others set up adorable little mini shops in the middle of Times Square for the afternoon, selling childrens’ clothing, modern gold/pastel jewelry, iPod/iPad docks of reclaimed wood, screenprints of original illustrations, knit scarves and hats, and more.  I can’t imagine a market like it ever occurring again, with these vendors from all over the world, it was great to see some of these faces I’ve only seen in avatars, in person!  Alas, my overnight bag was small, so no shopping for me, but I was happy to be there. 
  I loved seeing the tangible version of Etsy.

I wished, though, that the small, single-maker, dual-maker, and family-based shops were better-represented.  I know that Etsy’s business-model has changed, and I understand that keeping up with demand requires that some businesses utilize manufacturers.  And that’s fine for those businesses.  But my admiration for Etsy, my attraction to it, came from the concept of honoring small makers who were making things by hand in their homes and studios, not in factories.  And I don’t want that concept to lose its place-of-pride, and I worry about that vision changing.  But, I’m not the CEO! 
  You can read more about Etsy’s IPO, the Sellerbration, etc., on the Etsy Blog.

An adorable mini shop at the Etsy Craft Market in Times Square

  Post Sellerbration, I took the opportunity to check out the Bjork exhibit at the MOMA, as I’ve loved her since I was 9-years-old.  I realized, there, there were music videos of hers I’d never seen (Triumph of a Heart, what?), and I want an Alexander McQueen dress of my very own! 
  The “Black Lake” piece commissioned by the MOMA was heart-breaking to watch, and discovering the back-story of her break-up that inspired it made it even more painful.  Bjork’s a talented lady.  But don’t bring your children to the exhibit.  Or your grandparents.  Unless your super-comfortable with each other. So, so NSFW.  An older couple sat next to me for several of the videos and I felt like I should be apologizing to them for all of the nudity.  And sex.  And self-abuse.  Again, NSFW!
   Then, it was back to Boston, on another marathon shlep!  Thanks to some lovely friends, I discovered my terrarium necklace was in the Etsy Finds e-mail, which was a lovely surprise, and I prepared for our Etsy Artists of Boston meeting on Copyrights and Trademarks, which was very informative.  Due to the overwhelming response to the Finds

Bjork's blue plastic dress at the MOMA

e-mail, I am too overloaded to participate in the opening day of SOWA Boston on May 3rd, but I wish my colleagues the best day ever!  It looks to be fantastic!  I intend to participate next weekend on Mother’s Day.  If my mom allows it!
Spring is actually starting to show itself here in Massachusetts after Snowmageddon.  I can’t wait!

Cheers!

Dara

Woo hoo Etsy Finds!

Just a quick geeking-out post to say, I was so excited to see my mini terrarium necklace featured in the Etsy Finds e-mail on Thursday!  Thanks to friends who made sure I saw it (I would’ve missed it without you!)

Ch-ch-ch-changes!!

Changes are afoot!  But change is a good thing, right?!  Sometimes...
   I launched my website, Hieropice.com, in November.  It was an exciting venture, to create a website that was truly my own, that I could design, tweak, make.  It is a venue accessible to anyone, whether they're familiar with Etsy, or Hieropice, or not.  I can include features there that I can't on Etsy, like images from Polyvore, where users have styled ensembles with Hieropice pieces, as well as my local craft-show itinerary, links to my blog, and a gallery of custom pieces I've made in the past.  I get to control the look and feel of the site, and make it match my brand.
   While making Hieropice items available to customers from a variety of venues is good business sense, it wasn't my sole motivation for opening Hieropice.com.  At the beginning of November, handmade, vintage, and supply site Etsy, which had been Hieropice's primary online home, made some changes to the site's policies which were...difficult for me, as a handmade jewelry artist.
  Shortly before my older brother passed away recently, he asked me, "what's the big deal about handmade anyway?  I don't get what could possibly be better about something someone's making with their hands versus a machine."
   I get his inquiry.   Machine-made things are not only great, but they're sometimes essential.  I expect my car to be machine-made, my electronics, my appliances.  I know these items often have elements of human assembly, but I feel comfortable with the fact that a machine manufactures them primarily, making each one identical to the next, precise, solid, consistent.
   But for things that I connect with in an intimate way, handmade matters.  When I go out to eat at a restaurant, I think about what I'm consuming, where things were grown, even what the creatures I'm consuming consumed when they were alive!  I think about how a dish was prepared, how the surface it was prepared on was prepared, what herbs, spices, fats, proteins and vegetables went into it, the manner in which it was cooked.  Most of us have thought more about these things as our knowledge of the effects of food on our bodies and our environment has grown.  We care where our food comes from, and what's in it, as we care about what it does to us, to those around us, and our environment.  And we appreciate being able to ask the people who grew it, prepared it, cooked it, served it, questions about it.  And knowing that someone is accountable for it.
   Handmade, in whatever form it may take, is valuable for these reasons.  When I create a handmade piece, you can ask me anything under the sun about it.  What is this made of?  Where does the material come from?  What's the history of this technique?  And I can tell you.  (And if I don't know off-hand, I'll certainly do my research!)  I'm accountable for what I make, so, it matters to me what it's made of, where the materials come from and if they were acquired responsibly, whether the piece stands the test of time, whether a buyer is happy with it.  A machine simply doesn't have an opinion about any of those things, and when it's pumping out thousands of one thing at a time with a focus on speed and quantity, it becomes difficult to even determine where issues may arise, where flaws may be, and who's accountable for them.
   For example, there are materials often used in jewelry, like coral and diamonds, that have controversial histories.  Some diamonds originate in areas where violence and exploitation play a major part in their acquisition, and some coral is harvested with methods that destroy environmentally-critical coral reefs.  For me, as a handmade-maker who is accountable, I could never be comfortable with selling pieces that include materials with those origins.  Because I value my work, and am focused on its quality versus the monetary gains it might provide, and I know that my customers would also expect me to make my pieces responsibly, I try to ensure that my work reflects my values.  And if, at any point, I discover a material I'm using has origins I cannot support, I have an obligation to discontinue using it.  Like most handmade artisans, I am a singular, accessible artist.  There's no corporation for me to hide behind with an endless labyrinth of communication barriers, no machinery that must be re-designed or dismantled in the event of a production concern, no "bottom line" I'd have to consider before removing a questionable material from my work.  There's just me!
   A handmade-maker offers a potential customer the ability to collaborate, though they may not be an artist themself, and have a concept they've only imagined realized.  Buying handmade allows you to customize a piece, and have something unique and one-of-a-kind created.  I like knowing the handmade piece I own is the only one in existence.  Or the piece I've designed for a loved one was created with them; their specific preferences, wants and needs, in-mind.  Some of the most fun and creative pieces I've made have been custom requests, like the miniature terrarium necklace I created for a woman to give to her sister, who loves pigs and grew up raising them on the family farm.  The manufactured items in my home are useful, no-doubt, but I'm pretty sure a million other people have the same laptop and bookshelf I do...  Handmade items have a "special-ness" that mass-produced items just don't.
   When a person receives a handmade piece, they get something that someone has connected with, labored over, that contains the artists' imagination and vision, the benefit of their years of study and practice, their skill, their unique method.  You know how groups of people go to those trendy painting parties, and they all try to copy a known painting, and every participant's painting comes out looking totally different at the end of the evening?  Every artist creates differently, and interprets differently, and infuses their distinct perspective into what they create.  While other artisans can imitate pieces that I create, I try very hard to ensure that my pieces are truly my own, and that only I could create them, the way I do, as they are.
   And there's always a story behind a handmade piece, which in itself, has value.  I have always loved nature, and when I learned how to make full-size terrariums; natural environments encased in glass with soil and charcoal and plants and moss, I was SO excited to share them with people.  But while friends, family, and customers appreciated the beauty of those terraria, they expressed fear that they'd be unable to keep the plants lush and green and alive!  So I came up with a concept that would allow fellow nature-lovers to keep an encapsulated natural environment with them, without the maintenance.  And building the miniature terraria allowed me to imagine more and more tiny environments, some that I'd never be able to capture in nature, like the Winter White Terrarium Necklace   And so my obsession continues!  With a handmade piece you get a story, about what inspired it, why the artist made it, how they made it, and their vision for its use.  You get a tale to recount to friends and family when they ask "where'd you get your necklace?"  And there's a certain measure of pride when you can say, "a local artist made it, because..."  I'm not sure if my tea kettle has an interesting story behind it, but I certainly can't ask the machine that made it!
So, that's why handmade is great!  I wish I had answered my brother this way when he asked.  But it was difficult to articulate.  And all of those things, the accountability, the customization, the uniqueness, the artistic vision, the story, have been a part of buying on Etsy, the biggest online handmade marketplace in existence.  But, their policy, as of November 1st, 2013, now reads "Etsy's new policies allow you to partner with manufacturers to produce your designs. A manufacturer is any outside business that helps make your items. For example, you can work with a foundry that casts jewelry you've designed, a studio that fires pottery you've thrown, or a factory that cuts and sews clothing you've created.  Handmade items must begin with the imagination and creativity of the member operating the Etsy shop. Sellers can use the help of other shop members, or outside manufacturers, to bring their visions to life."
   Hmm.  Reading that gave me pause.  Etsy administrators held a "town hall" where they explained how this new version of Etsy would function, with sellers now able to send designs overseas to be manufactured, to have items shipped from other locations directly to their customers.  For some of my Etsy friends, this means wonderful things, like they can now sell books featuring their original illustrations on Etsy.  But the policy change also means that a person's hands don't actually need to participate in the creation of the items they sell on Etsy.  Items can be manufactured by machines, and by their essence, not handmade.  The shop owner has to participate in the creative process of their items, but there's no definition of that participation.  For some, that could be simply choosing the color chair or dress they want made out of a manufacturer's catalog.  And when the items I make contain all of the tenets of handmade I described above, and are in a "handmade" marketplace alongside items that are being pumped out by a factory, it troubles me.  I know that major designers do this typically; Karl Lagerfeld and Diane Von Furstenburg don't sew a single stitch on the garments that bear their names.  And it has honestly always bothered me!  It seems to be the mark of becoming majorly successful as an artist, to become increasingly disconnected from your work.  At the same time, major designers aren't selling their items in a "handmade marketplace," nor claiming they hand-make them themselves.  Etsy has made its name as the preeminent handmade marketplace.  But when items are losing multiple essential elements of handmade; the hand-labor, the uniqueness, the story, the accountability, etc., they no longer meet my expectations of handmade.  So, while I'm keeping Hieropice on Etsy open, I've created Hieropice.com to honor true handmade, and all that that entails.  Etsy is a fine marketplace, that still contains a great deal of truly handmade items, and still deserves your patronage.  There are many dedicated artists who sell on Etsy, including me!  But Hieropice.com will be a handmade venue exclusively featuring my work, and I hope that you'll support it (and true handmade), as well!

Love, Dara

Hieropice.com is now live!

I'm so excited to introduce my brand new website, Hieropice.com.  I've been vending on Etsy for years, and the time has come to add a new online venue, of my own design.  On Hieropice.com, I'll list new creations, as well as old favorites available on Etsy and Facebook.  And you'll still be able to purchase Hieropice items on Etsy, just like before, at Hieropice on Etsy!  Pricing for Hieropice pieces will be a little lower on Hieropice.com, as there won't be a commission to Etsy on every purchase, but wherever you choose to buy, I'll continue to appreciate your support of my handmade original pieces.  Here's to years more of bringing Hieropice to you!

Dara

New Stuff

I've been doing some experimenting with my designs lately, new colors, new shapes, and the like.  I've created some one-of-a-kind pieces in both the Maasai beading and terrarium necklace style, but have also started making some new terrarium necklaces that many folks can purchase/own.  I want to introduce the first of the new terrarium necklaces, the Yellow Miniature Garden Necklace:  I realized there was a dearth of yellow in my terrarium necklace collection, and had to address it!

I've also added a new set to Hieropice on Etsy, the Red Garnet Maasai Beaded Necklace and Earrings Set:
The holidays will be upon us before we know it, so why not make gift-giving a bit easier?!

Cheers!

Dara

Tribal

Just wanted to share a new Treasury List I put together..  I've titled it "Tribal."

And what's new is....

Everyone's out and about these days, enjoying the sunshine (which lasts about 5 minutes here in New England!), myself included; I spent last Saturday sweating it out at Assembled in Assembly Square, and so appreciate all the folks who came out to visit and shop!  I'll be back at Assembled this coming Saturday, July 27th from 11 AM to 4 PM, so if you're in the Greater Boston area, stop by!  There'll be food trucks (Bon Me and Frozen Hoagies, to name a couple!) and a live band and Hieropice in our new spiffed-up tent.  Think carnival-style bunting.

  If you haven't checked out Polyvore yet, you should.  It's a wonderful resource for fashion/style ideas; think a collection of crowd-sourced digital fashion collages.  But, with things you could actually buy.  Without mortgaging your house.  Polyvore users have been virtually-styling Hieropice jewelry in the coolest ways, and coming up with ways to wear our pieces that I'd never thought of!  You can now see some of the collections Polyvore users have put together in our Facebook album, "Hieropice Styled."  The image above is one of the many Polyvore collages featuring Hieropice.  Snap snap Polyvore.
  Citrine Yellow Maasai Beaded Earrings.  We want to make sure you can see our pieces in all their glory, even if it's only virtually!

We've also got some new photos up for Hieropice's Maasai beaded pieces, like our
  And, finally, Hieropice pieces will now be featured at Uni-T in the Natick Mall on an ongoing basis!  Two months were not enough, we just couldn't let go!  So now all of you brick-and-mortar shoppers in the Natick area can see Hieropice pieces in person, try them on....and then buy them.  Cause that last part is important.  :)  Happy days!
See you on Saturday!
Dara

It's Christmas in July!

 

All items on sale on Etsy, in honor of Christmas in July!!

Gifting in the heat of Summer!

Hieropice will be participating in Etsy's "Christmas in July" event, from July 11th through July 21st!   Christmas in July is an Etsy-wide extravaganza where select Etsy vendors offer Etsy fans special Summer deals on featured items.  To celebrate Christmas In July, Hieropice will be offering 10% off EVERYTHING in our store!  We know how much we'd all rather be playing outside instead of sitting in front of our computers, so we're rewarding you for your dilligence with a discount!  Yay for you!!

Christmas in July runs from July 11th through July 21st, but you can redeem your 10% discount any time in July by entering "CHRISTMASINJULY" as your coupon code (no quotation marks, all one word) when you check out at Hieropice on Etsy.  Pick what you'd like to buy in our store, add it to your shopping cart, enter the coupon code and check out, et voila!

Happy July, everyone!
Dara

Simplifying Things

Happy Summer folks,

So, it has been a VERY challenging time.  I have a loved one who is really struggling health-wise, and my family is just hoping for the best.  Your best wishes would be so appreciated!  Things are put into perspective in a very sharp way when things like this happen, and it's been amazing how friends who I haven't seen in years have been so supportive.  I'm trying to keep a healthy balance going, wherein I maintain some semblance of normalcy, which I think is the best approach for anyone in the midst of a stress-inducing event.  So I'm still making, as always, and staying true to my identity as an artist.
 
  I made this pair of earrings years ago, gold with amethyst rounds, that I loved and wore all of the time, but had forgotten about until a dream a few days ago.  I have no idea what brought them to mind, but afterwards, I went on a tear and started making a dozen variations of these earrings, combining a hematite chevron pieces and now, these semiprecious drop pieces.  Making these pieces balances out the very complex, detailed terrarium pieces I'm creating, and as I mentioned earlier, balance is good!  I'll be introducing some necklaces to accompanying the earrings shortly, and will offer them in sets as well.  I hope you enjoy them!

rainbow of semiprecious rounds with these amazing conical beads that I'd hoarded years ago.  I think something in me is really craving simplicity these days, evidenced by the

Cheerio!
Dara

Growing!

Guess what?!  I'm going to be launching Hieropice.com soon, and in celebration, I'm offering 10% EVERYTHING on Hieropice on Etsy (just use coupon code "10PERCENTOFF" when you check out), as well as all Hieropice items at Uni-T in the Natick Mall!!!  And not to worry, Hieropice will still be available on Etsy, we're just expanding!  Happy Summer everyone!

What's new? Oh, this is!

New Necklace!  Still loving chevrons, but this time, keeping it simple, non-lariat-style.  Hope you love it!

- Dara

All New, for You (look, I rhymed!)

Hello all!

Man, today has been tricky!  But, I have some good news to share.  I want to introduce a couple of new pieces of jewelry, that I've just listed on Hieropice on Etsy!  Hematite Chevron Earrings, and Hematite Chevron Lariat Necklace, by Hieropice.

  Chevrons, like owls, putting birds on things (see Portlandia), mustaches; all have been trending at one time or another.  I tend to pretty much ignore trends unless something about them resonates with me personally, and I have to say, there is something about the chevron.  It's just an alluring shape, whether just in its fascinating geometry, or its infinite changeability when modified in color and repetition.  And hematite, a semiprecious stone with an inky-black mercurial surface, and sometimes, magnetic properties, is one of my favorites.  I love using it in jewelry; it's mysterious and classic, and perfect for jewelry you can wear with anything.  I'm one of those people who often thinks, just as I'm about to leave the house, "I don't have any jewelry on!" and then runs back to find some to wear.  These new pieces have become my go-to(s), because they match absolutely everything.  And I truly appreciate not having to think to deeply about what to wear!

   I'm also introducing jewelry sets, by Hieropice.  I know many of us like to wear pieces of jewelry together that reference eachother, without, of course, being too "matchy-matchy."  I have no idea who coined the term "matchy-matchy," maybe Oprah?  Or Stacy and Clinton from "What Not to Wear."  But anyway, it occurred to me that it'd be easier to purchase Hieropice pieces that go together in one-fell-swoop, particularly when you're shopping for gifts for folks you love.  So, Hieropice now offers sets of earrings and necklaces, to be worn together (or separately, if you want!), and you can find them in "Jewelry Sets" on Hieropice on Etsy.  The sets are less expensive than purchasing both pieces separately, because I love ya' and want to make your life easier.

  And finally, Hieropice will continue to be a featured artist at Uni-T at the Natick Mall for the month of June, and I just added a bunch of new pieces there, including many you can't get online yet.  So check it out!
Cheers!
Dara

Introducing: One of A Kind, by Hieropice

  I feel I often begin posts by talking about how excited I am, and am probably getting dangerously close to sounding like I'm perennially hopped-up on something, so, despite the fact that I AM really excited about this announcement, I'm going to refrain from stating that.  At least, not first.
  I've so appreciated all the love folks have shown me, and support for Hieropice.  I think, as an artist, you've got to keep innovating, changing, doing new things, to keep your brain from atrophying, or burning out.  As I was making one of many made-to-order terrarium necklaces recently, I thought, man, I am working SO small, the vessel is so tiny, I really wish I could expand this and create a whole landscape in this thing!  And my next thought was, um.....I can!  So, I started thinking about ways to create miniature landscapes under glass, and for some reason, the first thing that came to mind was Tucson, Arizona, where I lived after high school.  The desert there was the most surprising place I'd been to-date; contrary to my impressions from back East, it was not "deserted" at all, but full of life, and amazing shifting color palates that revolved around the movements of the sun.  I saw more shapes, colors and textures in the desert than any landscape I'd encountered previously, and an abundance of plants with romantic names like "agave" and "ocotillo."  And weird things, inexplicable stacks of boulders balanced on the edge of a cliff, oversized cactus blossoms that only bloom at night and just once a year, and an aspen forest, covered in snow at the peak of Mt. Lemmon in the middle of the city, while miles below, it was eighty degrees and sunny.

Barrel Cactus Detail

   Yeah, all kinds of weird and wondrous, but memories of the desert haunt me now that I've moved back to the northeast, and it seemed fitting to create my first landscape from those memories.  And so, I am introducing the first of Hieropice's new one-of-a-kind Landscape Terrarium Necklaces, the Sonoran Desert Terrarium Necklace.

   My goal with this new line is to experiment with vessel shapes and sizes, creating miniatures incorporating a variety of techniques, like re-creating miniature plants from bits and pieces of other ones, hand-painting, dyeing, etc., with a focus on realism.
 
   This first piece includes a miniature barrel cactus that I impregnated with a slew of little wire spines, a stack of stones that I created to match my memories of Mt. Lemmon, lichen tumbleweeds and layers of sand that I hand-dyed, to recreate the changing landscape of the desert.  Red-tipped agave, cholla, and of course, the iconic Saguaro cactus, that the Arizona desert would be bereft without.  There are a lot of other goodies tucked in there, and the piece so reminds me of the Sonoran, I wish I could crawl into it!

Agave Detail

  The new one of a kind (ooak) pieces will be just that, never to be reproduced, so when they're sold, they're gone.  But I hope their new owners will enjoy having pieces that are unique, and knowing the one they own is the only one in existence.  I'll be listing the new pieces on Etsy as I make them, so stay tuned for future landscapes!

Meet the Press!

It's been a crazy week, with lots of projects going on simultaneously, but I wanted to share my feature in the May 5th, 2013 edition of the Boston Globe with you!  I was interviewed about running a handmade jewelry business online, and some of the ins and outs involved therein.  And I may have mentioned that I go to the post office in my pajamas to ship out Hieropice orders.  But hey, everyone does that, right?!  You can read the article on Boston.com, and it's posted above!
Cheers!
Dara

Spring is Sprung, Assembled, and New Additions

Hi all!
  The sun is finally out, on a regular basis, here in New England.  The sun and I have a troubled relationship (I'm allergic) but I'm still glad to see it!  Things are blooming, and my allergies are punishing me, but I'll take it!  It's Summer show season, and I can get back to taking photos for Hieropice outside, in gorgeous natural light.  Doing that in January was brutal.  We're just coming out of a tricky, scary period here in Boston, and I'm happy to feel good about going outside again.  After the Boston Marathon bombings and the manhunt for the bombers that followed, we were on lock-down here in my neighborhood as they turned up about 10 minutes away, in Watertown.  We were prohibited from leaving our homes, and it turns out the local man who they car-jacked in their escape attempt was car-jacked two blocks from my house.  I have several friends who live in the neighborhood that was a constant fixture on the news for days, as the police exchanged gunfire with the bombers and searched for the surviving bomber in resident's homes.  Everyone I care for is safe, thankfully, and I'm relieved the worst is over.
On a positive note, on May 18th, I'm taking on my first craft show as Producer, and I'm quite nervous, and excited about it!  I've been reaching out to all the artists' whose beautiful work I've seen at shows, purchased on Etsy, found in consignment shops like Boutique Fabulous and Magpie, or elsewhere online, and asking them to apply for the May 18th show, particularly those with Etsy shops. Somerville Beat interviewed me about the show, and did a great piece on it here , wherein they featured my Orange Flower Terrarium Necklace and we chatted about the vision behind the Assembled show on the 18th.  And, I'm even more excited about some new, one-of-a-kind pieces that I'm about to launch.  I'm finishing them up now, and can't wait to show them off, I'm really proud of how they've turned out and they're really different/unique, which is my constant goal.
  I've never seen anything like them in my 31 years of life, so I hope you'll all respond as positively to them as I hope you will!  Anyway, get outside and enjoy the proliferation of Spring, if you can!  I know I will.
I've had this vision of making an all-Etsy craft show happen for a while now, and it's finally going to happen!  The

Cheers!
Dara

Assembled: A Handmade Arts Market

  I've encountered an exciting new opportunity!

  Well, let me back-track a bit.  I've been out-of-the-loop for a little bit while I cared for a loved-one who was ill, but now I'm back, and embarking on something very exciting!

   I've wanted to do an all-Etsy-seller craft show forever now, but logistically, it seemed challenging. BUT, Aigner/Prensky Marketing has launched, with the backing of Federal Realty, a series of Summer craft shows to celebrate the redevelopment of the Assembly Square Mall area in Somerville.  You can read more about what they're hoping to do with the area here: http://www.assemblyrow.com/vision/, but they've got big plans for the it, including creating new housing, restaurants and shops, and it promises to be pretty cool.

  But that's not the big story.  I will be producing the premier show of the Assembled: The Handmade Arts Market at Assembly Row, for Aigner/Prensky Marketing on Saturday, May 18th.  AND it's going to be an all-Etsy show!  A show full of Etsy artisans sharing their unique, handmade wares, to kick off the Summer.  I am so excited.  Sometimes, vending online means you repeatedly interact with people who you never get to meet in person.  You may even talk to them every day, or perhaps they've purchased a number of your pieces, but you have no idea what they look like or who they are and could pass them on the street and never know it.  This show will be such a great opportunity for Etsy sellers to connect to eachother, to supporters of the Etsy marketplace, to chat and exchange ideas. 

 

Where the Assembled market will be held

The show will also feature a workshop on how to start an Etsy shop, tips and tricks for running a successful shop, etc.  So if you have an Etsy shop and feel you have something prurient to share, or you'd like to start and Etsy shop but aren't sure where to begin, or you're already running a shop but could use some help getting it where you want it, come to the workshop!

  Applications for the May 18th, Etsy-themed Assembled show are now being accepted.  Please apply!  Or, if you know of an artist in New England whose work you love, please forward the link along to them: http://www.assemblyrow.com/wp-content/aruploads/2013/03/Application_for_artists-fillable-form.pdf.  I want this show to be spectacular, and with your help, it will be!

Cheers! 
Dara

How's It Done?

So, I mixed a few colors of polymer clay to resemble the natural tones of a live mushroom, and rolled the clay around a wire, topped with a clay mushroom cap carefully shaped with a manicure-tool, and with the point of a pin, applied clay polka dots to the cap.  Likewise, I created mini succulent plants with the green tones of the clay, rolling out and slicing tendrils and pressing them together to form a miniature aloe/agave. 

I began with a variety of miniature glass vessels.  In went the elements of our full-size terraria; colorful sands and bits of fragrant reindeer moss.  I wanted to add something extra-cool; living mushrooms can’t really be cultivated in a terrarium (or at least, to my knowledge) though I’d love to give it a go, but I thought of a way to incorporate adorable little mushrooms into the necklace version, by creating them out of polymer clay.

I love terrariums; the idea of an entire ecosystem existing under glass, green things growing and thriving, bits of nature you can keep close-by on a table or desk.  We make contemporary terrariums at Hieropice, but only sell them at shows, due to the risk of damage during shipping.  I wanted to make a version of our terrariums available to customers who can’t make it to shows in New England; a small, portable version of them that could be worn.

Someone inquired recently about our Lost World Mini Terrarium Necklaces, and how they are made.  The short answer is, very carefully!  Joking aside, they’re the product of a lot of intricate work, and I appreciate the question.  For artists who handmake work for sale, the process is often ignored in favor of the appearance of the finished product.  If you’ve ever hand-made anything, you know that the process, the work, materials, skill, and effort that went into it is 80% of the finished product’s significance.  And those of us who hand-make for a living really love it when someone appreciates the work we do!  So here’s a bit on the process of making these pieces.
I trimmed the wires and the pieces went into the oven, and afterwards, I strategically placed them in the vessels with a narrow pair of tweezers.  Adding additional Spanish moss or sand, and sealing with waterproof adhesive and a decorative stopper finishes them off, and they’re hung on meticulously-selected chain.  Each one is unique, incorporating some elements and not others, created with color, contrast, and balance in mind.  That’s the process, in a nut-shell, and thanks to the fan who inquired!