Processing

Choosing photos from iPhoto

I thought I’d go into a little detail about the process of putting photos of my jewelry on the web for those of you considering creating an Etsy store of your own.  It is a longer process than you might think, and requires a substantial time commitment. 

1. I went through all 833 of my jewelry photos in iPhoto, picking out 5-7 for each piece.  A variety of views are ideal, so the shopper has a strong idea of what they are buying.
2. I listed the file names in a notebook.
3. Each file was opened in Photoshop and saved with a descriptive file name.
4. The photos were then organized into files: The Collection Name > Type (Ring, Necklace, etc) > Name of Design > Individual Photos

Recording file names to keep track

The next step is to go into each photo using Photoshop to crop and clean up the image. 

If I don’t post much about my progress, know that I am working on this.  It is hard for my back and neck to sit at the computer for hours on end, so I’ll be doing a little at a time, taking lots of breaks along the way.  Once I have my store up and running, this will be easier.  I’ll just post a few new pieces at a time.

Organizing photos into computer files

Box of Memories

My Grandmother's charm bracelets.

To those who have collected jewelry all their life, a journey through the jewelry box is a trip back in time. 

My collection is like a photo album.  When I hold necklaces that belonged to my grandmothers I see their faces shining back at me.  My favorite pendants from childhood remind me of a particular age, outfit, holiday or feeling.  Some pieces are from my first trip to San Francisco, gifts from friends and former students, visits to street festivals, and special vacations.  My jewelry box also contains a record of different phases in my life; the 80’s, my rhinestone period (before "Bling"), the Goddess years, world culture hippie, and “small and delicate”.  I have a few necklaces I made when I was little and many I’ve made as an adult. 

For me, the value of a piece of jewelry is not its materials or artistry, but the story it tells.  This explains why I have so much trouble clearing away the clutter.  As long as I have space, and can keep it organized, I don’t mind.  Every so often I get rid of things because their sentimental value has slipped away and I know I’ll never wear it again.  But I don’t throw them out.  Necklaces and earrings get disassembled and added to my workshop to be repurposed into new wearable art.

Organization

Organization is key for beaders.  Over time I’ve collected thousands of beads. Most of my beads are organized by color and type.  I like to think of them as my palette.  I need to spread them out, or at least have quick access when working on a design.  The question is how do I store them so I can find what I need?  Some of my beads are in the storage cases pictured above.  The ones with the plastic wrap are seed beads.  The wrap is to protect them from spilling all over if the unit should fall.  I hope it works.  Living in earthquake country, I fear the inevitable.  The storage units are secured to the bookcases they are in, which in turn are secured to the wall.  Still, I cringe at the thought of picking up all those mixed up beads off the floor.  Knock on wood!