Win Some, Lose Some

There are times when I get and idea so stuck in my head that I can't get any other work done until I get the road blocking idea out of the way. I think it happens when I have fully developed a design in my mind, but still can't quite picture it. I mean, I have figured out the logistics of making it, I have basically built it in my mind's eye, but I need to actually hold it in my hands to know how it will really be.

These bangles were one of those blocking ideas. When the idea for them POPPED into my head, I couldn't move onto anything else until I just sat down and did them. Lauren had been wearing a bunch of rubber bands on her wrist when I said to myself... "what if I make the same thing with wire?"

Now, the title of this post is "Win Some, Lose Some" because half the time I get stuck on one of these ideas, it doesn't turn out all that great. (I have a lots of wire links laying around that are perfect examples.) I think these bangles are one of those ideas. They are just okay. I am not thrilled with them, but then again, I don't hate them either. Very blah.

Do I think I wasted my time making these? No. It was a great learning experience. I practiced my "silver core" technique for lining the beads. I got to work on my soldering a little bit and tried sanding to really smoothing out the joints. What will happen to these? Well, they will probably float around the studio for a while. Lauren will wear them too. And they will be like that until someday when I am out of 16gauge wire and desperately need a few inches to finish a project... then I will cut them apart and recycle the wire.

Another interesting thing happened as a result of these... after I finished them, I went on Etsy and typed in "wire bangles" to the search field. I wanted to see if anyone else was doing anything like this. I was kind of shocked by what I saw. Not these bangles... but a number of my "Sandy Lantern" bangles. And you know, not a single one gave credit to me (or the magazine for that matter) for the design. It got me to thinking... are people scared to acknowledge sources? Do they think they will lose all their customers to the original creator? Why is it so hard to admit you didn't come up with the idea?!?!

Don't get me wrong, I am not mad about it. Which is another thing I got out of this project. I actually surprised myself. I wasn't as upset as I was in the past by situations like this. I would be furious and frustrated to see someone claiming it as their own and teaching it... but these were single artisans selling one or two in their virtual shops. I found it more disappointing then anything else. I think that is me evolving a little as an artist. I have said in the past that someday (hopefully) it won't bother me at all... I think I am moving down that path of thought.