I had mainly been working on the facebook page and newsletter until recently when I took over the updating of the website.

The webpage has profiles of many of our artists and photos of their work.  While I am still waiting on everyone’s information, the site is really coming together.

The gallery is entirely run by the members of the gallery and we take care of all of the promotion, bookkeeping, display, ordering, and administrations of the gallery.

The largest display of my jewelry locally is at the gallery and it is a wonderful community to be a part of.

Take a look here at the Zero Degrees Gallery Website!  Soon I will be updating the about page and the text on the home page to reflect more current info.

Like our Facebook Page

It is fun how spontaneous it is to work with the powdered enamel. I used one some of my previously hand sawn birds for a stencil! I decided to go with black and white so I would not overwhelm myself with all of the color options right away. I did a 3 layers of black base coating, then I set a little hand sawn bird on top and sprinkled white enamel around them to achieve the silhouette.  The second pair down was done a little differently, sprinkling enamel on the silhouette of a bird, on the ground rather than the figure.

On the bottom pair, which is my favorite, I used a scribe to draw tree branches in. I think there will definitely be more enameled trees in my future.

Let me know what you think of these new earrings Enameled Snow Bird Earrings so far.  They are not quite finished yet.

Enameled Bird Earrings by Beth Millner

This past Saturday, New Years Eve, I spent most of the day trying out my enamels.  In the fall I bought out an entire studio worth of tools and supplies from a man who could no longer do metalsmithing.  It would take me quite a long time to list all of the stuff I got, there are so many new things that I have not gotten to experiment with yet.  Many of the tools and equipment were things I used while in college, but since I have been out of school for 4 years, I am a little rusty on all of these techniques.  There are also different things that I have no experience with and no training.

This is my first experimenting with enamels.  While I did get a kiln in the new tools and supplies, I was using the torch fired enameling technique.  I have never tried enameling until this past weekend.  I watched a couple of YouTube videos and paged through the enameling books that I got along with the used tools and equipment.  I probably enameled 10-20 pieces before I got one that I really liked the final outcome.

This video was one of the most useful, I really like the dipping technique she used.

I was also cheating and did not do any of the enamel washing that is suggested in every book I have looked at.  I suppose I should do this in order to have the best results.  Anyway, this is one of the first pieces I created:

Enameled Bird by Beth Millner

One of my objectives I wrote about in my post, “Jewelry Business Objectives 2012” was to do some wax carving.  Lost wax casting is a pretty cool process with many steps.  In order to start casting, I will have to do some practice castings and also get a bigger and more powerful ventilation system.

I should have included Enameling in my Jewelry business objectives for 2012, but since I am calling the shots, I can just add that into the mix.

Often times I want my jewelry to go on a new and interesting path and finding that path can be difficult.  I generally do not know that I am on the right design path until a piece is finished or until I am already on the path.  This understanding of my practice functions as a reminder to let things happen organically and just let the designs and ideas come out naturally.  The only part I am responsible for is getting in the studio and letting go.

While I have made a couple of blog post outlining goals for the next year to help me have a general path to follow, I also need the time to just experiment.  So, if there are two additional items to add to my post, “Jewelry Business Objectives 2012” I would add Experiment and Take Risks.

My best work has come out of experimenting and taking risks and channeling the studio freedom at least one or two days per week might be the best way to further expand and develop my jewelry making skills and practice as an artist.

The enameling was quite fun and I think I will do more experiments this week.  Here are some more YouTube Videos that I found inspiring and informative.

TO DO: 2012

1. Men’s Line of Jewelry
2. More Wedding Bands
3. Engagement Rings/Wedding Band Sets
4. Wax Carving for Lost Wax Casting
5. Lockets

1.  Men’s Line of Jewelry

Men's Tree Wedding Band

I have been thinking a lot more about wedding jewelry and in particular Men’s Jewelry.  I recently bought a pretty large quantity of tools from a man who was unable to continue the craft of metalsmithing.  Some of the items that came along with the tool purchase were a variety of tie tack, cuff link, tuxedo stud and tie clip findings.  Findings are functional components that can be attached to jewelry such as clasps, ear wires, pin backs etc.  I make a lot of the findings in my jewelry own jewelry as I feel that this gives my work a certain aesthetic that I enjoy.

I think the various men’s jewelry findings will be used in my jewelry in the new year.  Some of the design choices I will make in order to design men’s jewelry may be a bit of a challenge, but I am excited to make a new line and new types of jewelry.

2.  More Wedding Bands

Sterling Silver Wedding Rings by Beth Millner

I have a small variety of Wedding Bands currently listed in my Etsy Shop and Website.  I have done really well with these different wedding band designs and I would love to make more.  I have made many custom rings over the last year.  Which can be seen over at Flickr along with other custom pieces.

3.  Engagement Rings with Matching Wedding Bands

I would like to make some Engagement Rings for Women along with wedding bands that correspond to the engagement band.  I imagine I will do more experimentation with various stone setting techniques.

4.  Wax Carving

In the large pile of tools I bought, there was an entire lost wax casting kit.  I also got a pile of wax that will last me forever.  I am interested in doing some work with the wax, carving and creating wax models that I will cast into finished metal pieces.  I am a little nervous about the casting as I have not done any casting since I was a college student.  In my blog post 5 Years in Business as a Jewelry Artist, I talked about building a studio outside of my house.  Part of the reason for this is that my casting set up is currently in my office and I do not really have the proper setup to do this in our home, although I may get some ventilation hooked up and just go for it in the office.

5.  Lockets

I am very pumped about making a new line of lockets.  I am not exactly sure what they will be like at all, but I really have had great success with my current line of lockets and I really enjoy making them.

Woodland Forest Locket in Sterling Silver

2007

Marriage of Disk Metals Necklace 2007 by Beth Millner

2008

Copper Trees of Life Pendant 2008 by Beth Millner

2009

Leafy Copper Tree Pendant 2009 by Beth Millner

2010

Woodland Forest Locket 2010 by Beth Millner

2011

Mixed Metal Landscape Leafy Tree Pendant with Cold Connections 2011 by Beth Millner

Win $150 Shopping Spree for Beth Millner Jewelry!

Nataša Obradović is the WINNER of my $150 Beth Millner Jewelry Shopping Spree!  Congrats!

For a chance to win a $150 shopping spree in my Etsy Shop, follow these instructions:

1. Click over to my Facebook Page and ‘Like’ it.
2. Look around my Etsy Shop, and post a link on my Facebook Page of the piece you might choose if you win and let me know why  you chose this piece.
3. Sign up for my Email Newsletter.  (don’t worry if you are already signed up, you will still be included in the drawing).

Once there are 50 entries, I will use a random number generator to choose the winner!

Nataša Obradović is the WINNER of my $150 Beth Millner Jewelry Shopping Spree!  Congrats!

To place an order online, check out my Etsy Shop!

I hear you saying right now, “Oh NO!  My wife really wanted a piece of Beth Millner Jewelry… “

Do not fret, here are some ways to get around this issue!

1. Place your order online even after Dec 16th and print a picture of the jewelry ordered.  You can put the image of the jewelry in a card and let her know that the piece will arrive in a few days.
2. Order one of my items that has the words, “Ships Next Business Day“ in the item title.
3. Contact me for express shipping options.  I may be able to get an item out to you in time depending on the item.  Additional shipping charges of approximately $25 will apply when having an item express shipped.  If you pick an item that “Ships Next Business Day,” I will very likely be able to express ship it to you to arrive on Christmas Eve if you order by Dec 20th. 
4. Stop in to one of the may Retail Locations that carry my jewelry to make a purchase.  My jewelry is on display in many locations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
5. If you are local (Marquette, MI) and would like to buy a “Ships Next Business Day” item, please Contact Me, and you can come purchase the item from me directly at my home studio.

To place an order online, check out my Etsy Shop!

Mixed Metal Long Leafy Landscape Tree Pendant by Beth Millner

Custom Two Tree Pendant with Recycled Diamond

This got me to thinking.  I know that my business will morph and change throughout time and I am excited for some of the new projects I have conjured up for the next five years of my business.

Here are some of the things that I would like to do over the next 5 years:

1. Video record my Silversmithing Classes and have them available for download.
2. Have a studio outside of the house built on our property.
3. Make my paintings or drawings into another product.
4. Get my designs printed onto organic t-shirts.
5. Photograph Jewelry on Models

I don’t know if these things will happen for sure, but I am excited to explore potential opportunities.

1.  Videotape Classes – Some of my concerns with this are the cost.  I am not entirely sure what this will cost.  I have started doing some preliminary research into this and hope that I can make it happen!  Another decision I will have to make with this is whether to record at Bella Beads, where I teach my classes, or in my home studio.  I think it might be a bit distracting for people who have paid to take the class if there is a camera rolling.  I have considered shooting and editing the video myself, but it may be better to have a trained professional do this for me.

Handmade Lockets by Beth Millner

2. Build a Studio- This is a big one.  I have wanted to build a studio closer to the road for customers to be able to stop in during ‘Open’ hours.  Currently my customers need to make an appointment with me before stopping in to place a custom order.  I think this works pretty well because I can prepare for them coming, but I think I may be missing a good deal of potential walk in customers.  There is also the concern of financing this type of project.  I also want my studio to be environmentally friendly, which may take come haggling with the code officials.  I am thinking of having a straw-bale building with solar power.  I also would like to have a casting set up with good ventilation.   I got a great deal on a bunch of used casting equipment and I really need to put it to use if I am going to have these items.  The studio space would be awesome if there were two somewhat separate spaces.  One room would be the gallery space and the other room would be my working area.  I would like to have these somewhat separate so the dust from my workshop will not get on all of the displays.  My grand idea is to have an attached sauna with a wood stove attached behind the studio.  I would have a sliding glass patio door between the sauna and the studio in order to control the heat.  Attached behind the sauna would hopefully be a greenhouse where we could have veggies grow later into the season and heat it somewhat with the sauna wood stove.  I am pretty set on this idea and have been thinking about it over the last year.  It is a huge commitment, but I think it would be very worthwhile.

Custom Sterling Silver Dragonfly Earrings

3. Paintings: Many of you may not know that I am also a painter.  I have done a few paintings this winter and quite a pile last fall.  I would love to make my paintings into prints in order to lower the cost.  I would also like to make the paintings into other items such as greeting cards and maybe other paper goods.

Beth Millner Paintings

4.  T-shirts: I make many digital designs from my drawings that are printed on paper and then glued to the metal as a template for sawing.  These digital designs could easily be printed onto t-shirts.  I have looked into having someone print some designs on organic t-shirts and then sell them online.  This might be a fun way to expand also.

Woodland Forest Locket by Beth Millner

5.  Model Shots: I would like to have pictures of my jewelry taken on models.  I think this would be great for my online presence to have some fun earthy ladies modeling my jewelry for photos to use on my website and possible for print.

• My question for you is, which one of these things would you like me to move forward on into the future? Please leave a comment below!

I started looking back at my bookkeeping for the year and I have had a 10% growth over last year.  It is very exciting to have some healthy growth in my business.  I also got great news from my accountant, she said I had already made enough estimated tax payments that I would not need to make a payment this quarter!  Yippie!  I will have to put a bit in come tax time, but not nearly as much as I have put in for the last couple of years.

I have been getting many orders on my website www.bethmillner.com and also in my Etsy Shop www.bethmillner.etsy.com.  It is nice to have two places for collectors to find the perfect pieces.  This week I am shipping orders to Australia, France and Germany.  It is really exciting that people around the world are choosing my designs.

I have completed more than 65 custom orders this year and have definitely been spending more time corresponding with people who would like to have a piece of jewelry made.  I used this amazing service called Jotform to create my own custom order form which has streamlined my custom orders and made it a lot easier to keep everyone in order.  I tend to have 20-30 custom orders in progress at all times.  Here is a link to my custom order form on my website: Custom Order Form.

Many of my latest custom pieces are wedding rings and custom pendants for the holidays.

I have also been spending a lot of time promoting a new gallery in Marquette, Michigan called Zero Degrees Gallery.  The gallery is run and operated by 50 local artists, including myself, who display items in the gallery.  I am the publicity chair and I really enjoy my role of promoting the gallery online and writing their monthly newsletter.

I am excited to wrap up my busy holiday season and potentially take a week vacation sometime this winter to refuel my creative juices!

Here is one of the most recent custom orders I finished this week~

Custom Fox Wedding Band 14K Gold a Sterling Silver