What Happens When You Buy My Work?

The first thing I do every morning is check my e-mail.  This morning, I found someone had purchased my "Butterfly Collection" necklace.  What happens next never ceases to amaze me!

I feel tremendously energized when someone decides to buy something I have made. I wonder if this is true for all makers?  Let me show you how my morning went.

First I auditioned velvets to be made into the box liner for this work.  I want the buyer to feel good when she opens her purchase.  I want my caring about the work I do, and about her purchase, to be visible in my presentation.  I decided the white allowed the work to show itself to best advantage.



Then I traced my pattern on the velvet, cut, pinned, and stitched it up, still in my nightgown, mind.

All this time, I am thinking about a new piece that has just occurred to me.

Then I created the shipping label, and discovered my print profile over charged her by $.70.  Rats!  So I processed a return for the over-charge, and stopped on my way up to the printer to pull out some materials for this new idea I have.

I hustled back to my studio and typed up a bit of info about the work, taken from my listing.  What I was thinking when I make it, why I chose the colors I did, why there is a tiny flower component, why the white pearls, why the fiery sparkle.  Because I am fully aware this buyer will have her own meanings to ascribe to this work, but I want her to know mine too.  We now share these ideas.  I have said before, and will always believe, her choice to buy and display my art on her body/gallery is for me, the final creative act in the process.  I add some care instructions for the beadwork, like, avoiding perfume, hairspray, lotions, things that can damage bead finishes, a great lesson from the Etsy Beadweavers Team.



I tied a little orange ribbon around the box, wrapped it in tissue, put it in its Priority Mail box, afixed the label, and out to the mailbox it goes.  (I did put on my robe for this part, in case you are concerned.) Then I made my breakfast, and ate it looking at the materials I had collected, and dreamed about how they will come together.

I had written in my listing (use the link and scroll down if you want to read it):
"I love this piece, and was not sure I wanted to sell it, but how many pieces of jewelry can a girl own?"  

I think there is some magic in sending work out into the world. I can draw some analogies, like sending a child off to college or to a first job.  My part is done, and now, that beloved baby has to stand on its own.  But I think there is also a new space left in my soul for further creation when my work sells.

I have spent the last year learning to write tutorials, and while I am a very long shot from perfect, that skill is functional, I think, and it's been interesting and rewarding.

But I think making is my first and best love.  And I am so glad today to celebrate the potential for more making, created by a simple sale.  How do you feel, when your work sells?