Business of Art - Production Work

When you are doing your art as a way to make a living, production work is a necessary task. Early on, everything I made was one of a kind. But at some point you reach a level of sales where that is just not possible anymore. For me that was a number of years ago.

Simply defined, production work is making multiples of the same thing. Usually the copies are exactly the same, but often I just can not help myself from making at least one change on each item. The advantage of production work is that it is an efficient use of time. I can lay out components and then create multiples of the same or similar item completing one step on all items at a time.

In this example I am making multiple pairs of hammered earrings at once. I gather materials and lay them out. I add beads to copper headpins. In this case I am making slight variations so that each pair is unique.

Next I cut and bend the wires on all of the beaded components and layout the wire to create the hand hammered daggers and coil dangles. I hammer all the daggers at once and then create all of the coils. Another efficiency step is that the daggers and coils are usually created from the tops of the headpins I have cut from the beaded components. No waste!

When all the components are ready I create the earrings paying attention to the order of the dangles so that each half of a pair is a mirror image of the other. 

The last step is to prepare the earring cards and hang the earrings on their cards.. I create and print my own cards. I cut them using a paper cutter, punch holes for the ear wires and fold them. Again, this is a type of production work. Each card is priced and a description of the materials used is added. The finished earrings are counted and added to inventory and then set near my light box for photography.

Production work is good for popular items and for items that are similar in design. But do not fear, every piece I make is still given thought and care in its creation.

All About Ears

I started making a new earring design last winter using a double drilled stone. It is my new favorite! They are selling well so I will be seeking these stones in a wider variety of colors.

Turritella agate on sterling silver.  These have sold. 

 Turritella agate on sterling silver. The ones on the right have sold.

 Brecciated jasper on sterling silver. The two on the left have sold.

Red Creek jasper on sterling silver. These have sold. 

 

 And this year I am bringing back another favorite. Long, hammered copper daggers. 

Look for more colors and sterling coming soon.

 And then I played around with some new designs. 

These all sold their first weekend on display so I will be making more!

All About Ears - Making Hammered Daggers

My "how-to" posts are popular so here is another. In these pics I am making earrings that combine glass and metal beads with hammered copper or sterling daggers. Because I need things in quantity I use an assembly line method, doing the same step on several pairs of earrings at the same time.

 I start by laying out all the components. Headpins, wire cut to length, glass and metal beads, metal rings and ear wires. Then I add beads to headpins.

 Next step is to bend the tops of the beaded headpins at a 90 degree angle.

 Then I make loops at the top of all the headpins and the cut wires as well as form the circular dangles.

 Next step is to hammer the daggers. I use a tiny anvil and small hammer.

 Then comes assembly. I make each earring  a mirror image of its mate.

 The last step in the creation process is earring cards. They get small holes punched for the earrings, folded, labeled and priced. Since I do shows outside in all kinds of weather, I put plastic backs on to insure the earrings stay on the cards.

The earrings on the top left and bottom center have been SOLD.

Then I take photos. I take photos of everything I make for my records and to list in my online store or include in a blog post. Items get placed in my light box - currently a cardboard box with 2 very bright lights and a tripod and digital camera.

 Now I start the process over for the sterling silver ones.