vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Kandice Seeber" :
]But if you notice, Valentine's Day beads and spring colors are going really ]well on ebay.
very possibly true. but i bought for Valentines day last fall - so i would have time to work with things. it'll be a close call for this year if i buy something now.
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan
The color thing isn't just about planning ahead as a designer, either. She assumes people are going to buy a piece of jewelry, and wear it once? I wouldn't buy a Christmas piece days before Christmas, because I'd only get to wear it a couple of times; I'm much more likely to buy seasonal pieces, and COLORS, a month or more in advance. That makes it worth more, too, because I'd get more use out of it.
I definitely think she should have left out some of the specific color advice; the stuff about taking from mother nature, getting an artists wheel, that's fine; but, *I* don't like silvered ivory, or ivory anything, and it's kinda lame that she assumes everyone would. I can't stand gold, or any earth-tones, for that matter. Color is such a personal thing, I would never have the balls to stand up and say "I'll tell you what colors will sell...here it is".
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.compuppies (Dr. Sooz) :
]To me, she wasn't firm, and she wasn't attempting satire (as others on this ]thread have suggested). ]She vacillated between having strong opinions, and then backpedaling by seeming ]to make excuses for what she said. Or adding ha-has, trying to inject levity. ]I thought her style of expressing herself with words was lame and weak. If ]she'd been firm, it would've earned grudging respect. If it'd been successful ]satire, it would've made us chuckle, at least a little. She did neither. Her ]writing meandered and wobbled -- she couldn't decide whether she wanted to ]endear herself to the writer or make a brave stand in defense of her points, so ]she achieved neither.
exactly the same reaction i had.
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan
OK, so, I went through her entire site, and read everything she had to say. IMO, she's not being negative, she's just blunt. She seems very genuine, actually, in that she has a silly sense of humor, and makes her little comments whenever she feels like it. She writes as if she were right there talking to you. She's not out to change the world, or eBay, so she is not trying to write eloquently, or *professionally*; she just has an opinion that she thinks may be useful to some, and in case they happen to stumble upon her site, there it is. No candy coating, no fluff. I'm willing to bet that if you asked her, "Hey, Diane, what do you think about lampwork on eBay?", this is exactly what she would have said to you...with a smile on her face, and big hand gestures. It's not like she's up at a podium at The eBay Lampworkers Association's Annual Press Conference ;o) She seems very comfortable, like she is talking to friends, or at least respected colleagues.
Her points are valid, for some people at least. They could have been made very professional, and tactful, and would have impressed the ideas onto as many people as possible. But I just don't think that's her intention; she just had something to say, and said it. I can relate to that ;o)
(I had to go back and delete half a dozen of my own silly comments-in-parentheses while writing this post! So, here, now you're just stuck with one ;o)
Yeah, I agree. Catch more flies with honey, and all that. But I have known quite a few people with loud personalities, and even louder opinions. That's just what this writer reminds me of.
I think it would have been easier to swallow if she had split it up. Like, "My color advice", or "Pricing your work on eBay". Smaller doses would have helped her stay focused, too. I noticed there are a lot of places where she says things to the effect of, "I meant to say this earlier...", which made the articles seem cluttered and hard to follow (for me, anyway).
I think this comes very close to how I felt when reading her stuff. Like she was basically talking to her peers and voicing her opinion. I may have felt irritated with her tone if I hadn't agreed with her so much. :)
For what it's worth, I think Corina can come across as incredibly snotty at times, too. LOL It seems to depend on how far I am into my day if/when I read her latest missive.
Karen (who hasn't even started thinking about making hearts yet)
I agree totally. Writing is a different medium than talking, and word choice and tone are more important in writing than in conversation because of the lack of visual and sound cues. Writing a missive on a website, even a humorous one, should still retain a sense of formal writing technique. More so than a post on a NG or other conversational format.
I don't assume a negative tone, so this doesn't dtrike me as negative. Grumbling sure, but I think grumbling is OK. Better than bottling things up. It's not very wise, but not terrible either.
Regarding her observations:
I too think a large list of cabs doesn't belong with hand made lampwork, and usually want to see it among,"view other by artist". I also think Gonzie's lists look like just more of the same all clumped in a bunch. And I agree that I don't really take in the details with so many all in a row. I give up on looking for the differences between them. And speaking of Gonzie, are all of "Gonzie's beads" made by her? Or all in her studio, or what? I see different names attatched to them.
I also like staggered times when I might want a two of five things (eg) and want to either snipe in person for the bead, or I got one or two beads so I don't want to pursue more. (Or didn't get what I want and another would work).
I think when talking about what works for an artist she is referring to someone's identifiable style. And I agree, no one should copy, be we all get to learn from one another. And yes, it can urge an artistto progress in their style instead of stagnate. I do think it's a shame that some artists always want to go to the next level. It can mean that they don't stick with excellence. And it can mean that they abandon a style that is still very much in demand.
I also agree that it would be nice if you could do your finest beads in one format, and other beads in another (like MAWGA, and Off Broadway).
It is ironic that she (and I) want 10 or 20 beads for $20-40, but want the best. Have to keep bead costs within a price range that let's me sell. But agree the higher priced beads are worth the price.
The thing about color is interesting. I think most people have a seasonal color cycle. Even people who always use brown. Just as I have a fall preference, and never include brown. And then I think there are colors that work all the time. Like a yellowy green (like the stone peridot). With pink it's spring, with rust it's fall, etc. Mostly, I think people have a feel for whatever their palette is, and should stick with it.
I don't know that I would have put these comments up on a site where I sell jewelry. But I think her comments would be reasonable here at rcb.
Ther more I think about it, the more I wonder if people feel that way about MY writing style in books and articles. I do a lot of the same things as that other writer (whose name I didn't catch, deliberately), in terms of attempting to inject humor, emphasis with cap letters, exclamation points. Definately the never shutting up part is painfully true.
I'm glad that my next book is not very text oriented!!
yes...that's what's making me fidget, because *I'M* like that. Its a swift lesson in public perceptions.
I try very diligently to not come off as "bossy" because I so very often am giving information. The line between is a very very thin one, I think. Sarajane
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