I'm so excited to announce the 2018 Fall/Winter Jewelry Collection is here!
Designed and crafted here in my studio, the 2018 Fall/Winter Jewelry Collection really speaks to my overall design aesthetic. Mixing natural stones with man-made materials, playing with textures and shapes, I aimed to create pieces that had a truly timeless feel. Pieces that could transcend season, occasion, and lifestyles.
I'm going to walk you through how this collection came to life. From idea conception, sourcing materials, sample making, final production, to photographing.
As a designer creating a collection, I find the hardest part of creating is putting my own ideas out here. Into the world to be looked at and critiqued. Did I use the right stones? Metals? Are the designs original enough?
Everyone has a different process when it comes to creating. How Tiffany & Co creates jewelry is different than how Chanel or David Yurman create. And I can guarantee you their process is much different than mine. With limited tools, funds and manpower, I work with what I have. And I hope this blog post will provide you with some insight on now my jewelry is made and maybe inspire you to not let anything hold you back.
With this being my first collection, I wasn't really sure where to start. So I went back to the pieces I've created and pulled the ones that had the most positive feedback from customers. These pieces also happen to be my favorites too. Now, below is a basic outline of the steps taken.
1.) Sketch - I had tons of sketches. Once I edited them down to the couple of pieces I felt made a cohesive collection, but still provided enough variety, it was time to find materials.
2.) Source Materials - Finding the perfect materials to make the pieces out of was very hard. I needed to keep the costs down so the collection would be affordable to the average person without sacrificing quality. So after a lot of research I came up with a list of materials that met my standards.
3.) Create - Once I had the ideas down and the materials in hand, it was time to get to work. Sawing, filing edges, drilling holes, texturing and transforming the metal. This is my favorite part.
4.) Photograph - After the pieces were completed, I photographed them in my homemade photo booth. It isn't fancy; just some foam board and a simple point and shoot camera. I placed it near a window for some natural light and added a few lights to get rid of any harsh shadows.
5.) Put It Out There - Adding the collection to the website takes time. Writing captivating descriptions unitizing keywords to help with SEO is harder than it sounds. Posting to social media on daily basis is a whole job in and of itself. But I really enjoy it because it is here where I get to see/hear people's opinions and feedback. And I've decided to take my jewelry collection to the next level and work with boutiques around the country to get more eyes on my work. Also collaborating with social media influencer's helps bring in more people than you could reach on your own. And you meet some really great people along the way!
I hope you stop by and check out the new collection. Just click here! And I would love to hear your feedback on it. So feel free to comment below, reach out to me on social media or email directly at info@hammerandheartboutique.com
-Katie
"Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come."
-Dwayne Johnson