As you may have noticed if you are following me on Twitter, I have closed the Twitter account of Silverlight and Whiteleaf Jewellery.
Twitter is a lot of fun, and I have enjoyed using it. However, in the past month or so I realised that I was spending time tweeting when I should have been creating new designs. This simply wasn't good for my business or for my customers.
There are so many people on Twitter, and so many crafters and small businesses using Twitter to drum up business instead of using Twitter as it was intended to be used: for conversing, keeping in touch, and chatting with people all over the world. It is so easy to become a spammer on Twitter rather than using it as a natural extension of one's business and activities.
So I have decided to close down Silverlight and Whiteleaf Jewellery's Twitter account, ten months after I opened it in July 2010 (as posted here). In that ten months, I amassed 2,450 followers, but I doubt that any of them will miss my tweets. And maybe that's a good thing.
So: farewell, Twitter, and happy tweeting to all of my fellow Twitterers! Thank you for all the fun times. May the little blue birdie continue to bring you happiness.
29 May, 2011
Bye bye birdie!
07 March, 2011
Too Precious To Wear: my policy on animal-derived materials
Mentioning in a blog post last month that there are certain animal-derived materials that I don't use in my jewellery reminded me that I have never fully explained which materials I don't use and why. Herewith, I explain.
I love the look of freshwater pearls. They are absolutely stunning. Their irregular, organic beauty makes me drool.
I also love the look of coral, for the same reason. The shapes are incredible; like underwater trees.
I love fur, and leather, and silk.
But I don't love where those materials come from.
In order for pearls, leather, fur, silk, and coral to be obtained, living creatures have to die. Occasionally, those materials can be gained from animals that died of natural causes, but far more often than not the animals are killed for their bodies so that we can make beautiful things out of them. Every animal-derived product was once a living creature with a personality of its own.
Fur is beautiful, but even more so when it is lived in and maintained by its original owner.
Whiteleaf Jewellery and Silverlight Jewellery use no coral, horn, shell, bone, pearls, new silk, or new leather. All leather and silk is either synthetic imitation stuff, recycled or 'upcycled' material from old clothes, vintage old stock that has been sitting around idle for years (and will simply continue to sit around idle if it is not used), or off-cuts that would be thrown away if they were not made into something beautiful. All pearls are imitations – usually glass or crystal based. All feathers are from a cruelty-free source – that is, they are either naturally moulted and collected, or taken from birds that died of natural causes.
This decision was made when the Whiteleaf Jewellery brand was being planned, but the below article – from The Storque, the blog of Etsy.com – made me realise that I had never actually explained this decision in detail to my customers.
My earlier comparison of coral to 'underwater trees' is actually quite accurate, as it turns out.
This is the twenty-first century. We have the means, now, to make synthetic versions of all the natural materials that we love so much.
Please note that I am not condemning or criticising artists who do use new leather, or coral or pearls, etc., in their work. As said above, I love those materials. I'm merely explaining why I don't use them.
Often the imitations of animal-derived products are more durable than the real thing. Swarovski pearls are of particularly high quality, having a crystal core that simulates the weight and feel of a real pearl. They have a flawless surface that is fade- and perfume-resistant – unlike that of a real pearl. The faux suede thonging that I use is actually synthetic microfibre, which – unlike genuine leather – will not crack, smell, or peel.
While I am not a vegan, I do think that the idea of a vegan world has some very attractive qualities.
Coral, pearls, silk, fur, and all other 'animal materials' are beautiful in themselves ... but the creatures themselves are more beautiful still.
Let's use the synthetics, and let the animals grace the earth alive.
(Special thanks to ADelicateWorld and ttlensphotography for giving me permission to use their magnificent animal photographs. Now that's the way to shoot a tiger!)
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07 February, 2011
Copyright: what not to do
Deryn Mentock has written an interesting blog post regarding copyright. She compares stealing from another's work to committing a fashion faux pas, while using your own ideas, she says, is like wearing what looks good on you.
Mentock also quotes a letter from Hazel Wheaton, editor of Art Jewelry magazine, regarding the nature of copyright.
The blog post is interesting and informative, and deals with an onerous topic without being too heavy. Take a look!
11 November, 2010
Five quotes: Integrity
