Technical Difficulties...

This morning when I got into the gallery, I answered the phone and directed the caller on signing up for a workshop. She informed me that the Creative Genius website was not working and nothing showed up when she went to it....well, that was unexpected and I immediately checked it out, only to discover the same missing website that my client had experienced.
As it happens, it was an easy problem to fix which took approximately 90 minutes to accomplish. That's right, NINETY MINUTES. Somehow, when you have to fix any sort of problem that involves calling someone these days, inevitably you are met with a bunch of choices (select option one for billing...blahblahblah) and just as inevitably you are left waiting for a long time once your selections are made. And if you are fortunate enough to have someone answer the phone right away, that person generally fits into the following set of options:
a-can't solve your problem because they are actually in the wrong department
OR
b-doesn't speak english well (probably because they are in a call center somewhere far far away) and therefore you can't understand them to begin to resolve your problem
OR
c-that person disconnects you by accident, of course, and you must resort to starting the entire process over again.
It's a wonder we're all not crazy...
Thankfully, the Creative Genius website is now up and running...at least until next year, when some other unplanned atrocities could strike again.
Someone should just shoot me when that happens....

If Tim Burton was a lampworker...

As soon as I saw these, I thought they were really unique. My first thought was, if Tim Burton was a lampworker instead of a director, I bet he would make perfume bottles just like these. My assistant and I both agreed that these are very different and very cool. Certainly they are something that I would add to my fine craft collection. They have come to us from Deb DeMarco and in addition to these there are also some beautiful button glass pendants from her which are very well done and easy on the eyes.

If you are looking for a unique and special gift that doesn't take up a lot of room and doesn't break the bank, these are definitely worth a look.

One of the many fun parts of my job...

One of the best parts of my job is the process of finding cool new things that my clients get as excited about as I do. There is a plethora of hand-crafted work out there but not all of it is at a high standard and in many cases, the lack of a professional product is a hindrance. I mean, it is always great to create something and sell it but hand-crafted work still needs to meet a standard and should not look unprofessional, cheap or like it is going to fall apart as soon as it arrives home with you. Sadly, that is often the case and I always feel badly for those artists because sometimes they aren't even told how to improve their work to make it present better. I am never insulting towards someone's creation but I very often will give advice, when solicited, for how to improve an item's presentation or saleable. I certainly don't consider myself an expert but I HAVE been doing what I do for almost eight years so I might have something of value to add, if someone is open to the feedback.

For me, in finding new items for Creative Genius to represent, it can be very challenging to weed through the lower level items to come up with a product that meets my own internal standards for both creativity as well as something that looks professional and is well-made. I have encountered many people who think their creations are of a high level. Yet they have not even explored the industry further to gain a better understanding of what is out there, what the market will bear for their product and the level that others working in a similar medium might be creating at. All of these things are important to know. It is fine to create off your kitchen table if the products you are creating are professional, finished looking and sell at a level that is consistent for that medium.

Especially with the upsurge of upcycling that has become in vogue in recent years in the crafts community, it is even more important to seek a high standard of creativity as well as professionalism when I am adding art to the existing Creative Genius environment. Our latest artist addition has definitely found the right balance between creativity and a professional product that anyone would be proud to wear. There is nothing junky about her jewelry creations and we're excited to have her as a part of Creative Genius...welcome Tracy!