HOLY MOLY...{aka Exciting news}...

On Thursday I received what I will now refer to as one of my top five emails ever!  It was from a shopper/decorator who is currently working on a movie filming here in New York.  They were tasked to decorate "Nima's Apartment" and felt that my jewelry would fit the style of the character and wanted to dress her apartment with my pieces!  Me = blown away!

Now...I work in the film business so I know better than to get excited by an email, but then I got the order for 10 of my pieces!  YAY!  They were even kind enough to let me know that they received them and that they look great on the set!  Double YAY!  Okay, okay I also know that I shouldn't get excited until the movie comes out, but I can't help it...I'M EXCITED!

The movie is called Premium Rush. The plot according to IMDB is as follows:

"An action story set in New York City, where a
bike messenger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) picks up a
package at Columbia University and subsequently
catches the attention of a dirty cop (Michael Shannon)."

And just so you know, the first draft of this post basically consisted of my typing 'YAY' over and over so editing it has taken some work!  Anyhow...I can't wait to see the film and I'll keep you updated if I hear anything else!

Exciting news...

I did it!  I somehow found the courage to approach a boutique and....they said YES! So if you're in New York head to BEBE NOIR in Harlem {2164 Frederick Douglass Boulevard b/t 116th & 117th} where there is now a sampling of the AI Collection (including 3 pairs of my new large earrings in fun summer colors not yet in the Etsy shop)!

The boutique is fantastic. I've actually been a fan of the place long before I started CSHM because they saved me when I couldn't find anything to wear to the Duplicity crew screening. The owner is a really talented clothing designer so it is full of great fashion, jewelry, shoes...basically everything you need to look fabulous!

The owner is also amazingly nice and even taught me a thing or two about approaching other boutiques.  My first boutique experience was fantastic and as nervous as I was I am so grateful for that!

The business side of the business [Line Sheets]...

For the past week I've been working toward checking off a major item of my to do list.  This item is the line sheet for my AI Collection.  It's a collection that I feel I can produce multiples of consistently and quickly enough to approach boutiques about placing it on their shelves.  I am excited about the prospect of it all and I really want to do it right.

What's not exciting is the business side of running your own creative business!  Creating this line sheet has been both frustrating and draining.  Tons of research online to figure out what a line sheet is in the first place, customizing it to my pieces so it's not twenty pages and maneuvering around the fact that I am not as computer savvy as I thought I was.

At this point the look of the line sheet has been locked in and I just need to photograph the new Large AI Earrings that I am adding to the collection (in new fun summer colors!) and I'll be done! It's been a tough week, but I know that once I push through this and everything else on my to do list that good things will come.

[The picture is of the first 2 of the 5 pages]

In the Etsy Shop...

The Blue Ocean Necklace is back in the shop!  I know, I know...it's been a little while.  I also know I should keep it in stock considering that it is my best seller.  What's my problem you ask?  Well...

I'll get an idea.  I'll mull it over for a while.  I'll figure out the best way to build the piece.  I'll make it and then I think DONE!  NEXT!  I get such an amazing feeling of accomplishment that all I want to do is come up with another idea so I can feel it again.  It just seems like making something that I've already made would stop me from growing creatively.

I'm slowly starting to realize that this is ridiculous.  Whether I make one or fifty of the same piece, it's my creation so I should be able to get that 'high' off of every one that I make. I need to learn to turn the joy I feel from someone enjoying my work into motivating fuel towards understanding that it's okay to go 'back'. 

Alright, I have to go now.  I have more Blue Ocean Necklaces to make.

See...I'm learning!