Two Necklaces

Bound

This is the newest necklace in my Etsy shop.

I started this piece with the key from the handcuffs I bought at a novelty store as a teenager. As I was working on it, I was remembering owning them; how risqué I felt buying them (I was pretty sheltered), and how audacious I felt wearing them to a show, cuffed with my goth boyfriend, when I was 17. At that time of my life, I used to wear them as jewelry (both on one wrist).

When I had one half of the necklace done, I showed it to Zak. He liked it, but I thought it might be a bit boring. I was trying to think of how to make the second half more interesting but still compatible with the first half, when Zak thought of adding the awesome cherub.

This necklace is the first one that's been a collaborative effort. It seems appropriate that we make at least one together, as the shop name derives from the name we made years ago from our combined last names (Moore and Greant). It also seems appropriate that both its appearance and its contents make me reflect on what I used to think I knew about love, and what I know now.



Diary 4

One thing that's been interesting about selling necklaces is that my choices are influenced by what sells. The 4 necklaces that have sold in my Etsy shop have been built around keys. I like the keys, but admittedly I'm more motivated to keep using them than I would be if they weren't selling, or if the other necklaces were selling as well.

I've been making things as long as I can remember, but this is the first time that I've really tried to sell anything I make. I've resisted selling in the past for a number of reasons, and this has been one of them: I generally just want to explore my ideas without worrying about whether things will sell.

On the other hand, having a parameter provided can often inspire great creative problem-solving solutions. Maybe using keys (not always, but often) can do the same thing for me.

I've now bought more keys. I'll be interested to see where they take me.