Artist Profile: Jewelry Artist Kate Szabone

Dear Readers, I am finally getting back on track with my Featured Jewelry Artist profiles!

If you are one of those who have been following my featured artists on my Jewelry Making by Cg Handmade Blog (www.cghandmade.blogspot.com) thank you so much for your patience. I do so appreciate it.

I guess I should have realized that summer would be a write-off for me with my busy 2 and 4 year-olds, their many playdates and excursions, our camping trips, and all the other summertime things going on.

Hopefully I can keep on track and post my articles a bit quicker now. This site is where I will be posting any new featured artist articles from now on. If you would like to read the previous Featured Artist Articles, you can view them here:www.cghandmade.blogspot.com

This interview with Kate Szabone dates back to June I think.

Before you go on to read the interview, let me gush a little bit about Kate’s work. I love it! In my own jewelry-making endeavors, I really enjoy working with precious metal wire and gemstones so I guess I was naturally attracted to her work the first time I came across it on the net. I see a lot of similarities in our techniques although our styles are very different.

Here are some examples of Kate’s gorgeous jewelry (click on image to enlarge) :

Gold-Dipped Eucalyptis Leaf Necklace-This one-of-a-kind necklace is made with a beautiful gold-dipped eucalyptis leaf and faceted smokey quartz and garnet gemstones. Strung on 14k gold-filled chain, this piece is lovely in it’s natural simplicity. Leaf measures 1.25 inches in length. Chain length is 22-inches, but can be made shorter upon request.

Aquamarine Wide Bangle-Like a waterfall on your wrist, this beautiful bracelet is made with sterling silver wire and faceted aquamarine rondelles. March’s birthstone. Fits small to medium wrists.

Prehnite and Onyx Wrapped Earrings-These one-of-a-kind earrings are made from handformed teardrops wrapped in fine sterling silver wire and adorned with stunning faceted prehnite and onyx gemstones. On sterling silver french earwires. Approx.

2-inches in length from top of earwire.

Gorgeous no? You can view more of her work on her website www.kateszabone.com

Christine: Hi Kate! Tell me a bit about yourself and how you came to become a jewelry artist.

Kate: I am 27 years of age, married with a 3 year old daughter. It was while trying to balance my life between family, home and working as a real estate agent, that I realized I was not enjoying life. So I left real estate and redirected my interests into my love for jewelry, especially one-of-a-kind.

Christine: I find it so interesting that you say that. I have not found one person that makes jewelry that started out making jewelry. Every jewelry artist seems to have had a previous life. As many of my blog readers know, I was previously a mental health counsellor and previous to that, a corporate purchasing agent. Okay, okay, blah blah blah, I know it’s not all about me. So Kate, you are Canadian, as I am (one more thing in there about me, now I’m done).

Where do you live, Kate, and where do you work. Do you have a home studio?

Kate: I do work from home. Our new home in Whitby, Ontario, has a very large basement with a room that has become my main work area and lots of room to expand.

Christine: Sounds ideal. How did you learn your craft?

Kate: I am largely self-taught, taking courses as I can through schools such as Haliburton School of Arts. The internet became an invaluable source as I searched out web sites of individual artists and later discovered Etsy.

Christine: I hear you saying that you find a lot of inspiration on the internet. I do too - there is so much talent out there! One of my challenges is not taking someone else’s great idea and running with it. Of course I don’t – because that is wrong wrong wrong (that’s for any unscrupulous cretins out there, and also to remind myself) and really bad karma too.

Kate: I am proud to say that my designs are my own although occasionally a family member comes up with an idea which I can translate into my style.

In fact I have learned and been inspired over the years by my mother, a photographer, spinner and weaver. Her sense of design and love of gemstones has been invaluable to me.

Christine: It sounds like creativity really runs in your family. I hope my kids will speak so adoringly about me when they grow up. My daughter says she wants to make jewelry like mommy when she grows up.

There I go again, off another tangent. Back to you Kate. Tell me more about your work. I love your jewelry. I have often visited your website for inspiration, and just to admire. I had you bookmarked back in my pre-business days.

Kate: That’s so nice to hear! To answer your question about my work, here it is in a nutshell. My work is in silver or gold, with or without the use of gemstones, and most of my designs are very simple and organic.

Christine: And I understand you are taking some new courses too. Will we be seeing some different design as a result do you think?

Kate: This summer I will be studying at Haliburton learning to make cuffs using sheet metal with silver, gold and copper. Metal Clay art, is also a new technique I am experimenting with. Designs for both techniques are in the works and new items will be ready for my web site and Etsy by September.

Christine: How fun! I look forward to seeing those new designs, especially the metal clay. I promised my husband I wouldn’t take on anything new that would require a new outlay for supplies and tools – at least not until I become profitable. I’m jealous!

Let’s move on to the business aspect. You have an Etsy shop and a website.

Kate: Yes. I joined Etsy in January 2007. Although I have a web site my main source of sales is Etsy. I think I mentioned that I have a 3 year old daughter. I am able to work from home while my daughter is in daycare three days a week. My sales on Etsy are my full part-time job. I love it!

Christine: That is really inspiring to me that you make the bulk of your sales on Etsy. I am so intrigued when others say they make a lot of jewelry sales online. Jewelry is so often an impulse purchase and people like to touch, feel, and try on jewelry. That is so wonderful to me that you sell mostly online.

I would love to know more about how you make most of your sales online. Do you have a system/ daily/ weekly routine for posting new items, reposting, online marketing strategy, any of that stuff?

Kate: I try to keep a weekly and daily system which includes renewing an item or two on slow days, listing a new item each week, and of course re-posting sold items promptly. I haven’t had time to work on an online marketing strategy yet, but I hope that updating my webpage and taking advantage of all blog interviews and inexpensive advertising.

: I try to keep a weekly and daily system which includes renewing an item or two on slow days, listing a new item each week, and of course re-posting sold items promptly. I haven’t had time to work on an online marketing strategy yet, but I hope that updating my webpage and taking advantage of all blog interviews and inexpensive advertising.

I also have a facebook group where members get monthly discounts and draws for gift certificates and jewellery. I am in the midst of re-vamping my website with a new colour scheme and feel (see new Etsy banner - it will take on that “look”).

With the Holiday season coming up I am doing my best to pre-make orders and have lined up a couple of lucrative jewellery parties. I am very excited about it all!

Christine: I took a look at your Etsy shop - I love your new banner. You have a great sense of color. It’s always difficult to figure out what exactly makes people buy something, but in your case, I bet the sense of calm you create goes a long way towards creating the proper emotional atmosphere.

Marketing Lesson: Kate’s website is a great example of what I call “emotional positioning”. Emotional Positioning is creating a certain “feel”. This is a good marketing lesson for you if you are just starting out, or if you are wondering how to improve sales. If you think about it from the buyers perspective, the buyer wants to feel good about buying something, especially online where they can’t touch or feel something. Purchasing is emotional more than anything else. I think Kate’s colour scheme, combined with the way she sets up and shoots her product photos creates a really wonderful, almost tangible sense of calm.

And you say you work from home. I think most of my readers do as well. Have you always worked from home?

Kate: I have only been working out of my home for 9 months now.

Christine: I know from experience that it is tough working from home because home and work get all mixed together and you can’t really escape either an focus on just one. It’s exceptionally hard when you have small children around like you and I both do. Can you speak a little to that?

Kate: I agree with you there. I find the hardest part of working from home for me is separating myself from daily life. I find it hard to discipline myself, not so much to get to work, but to get out of my home office to the house end of life. There is a constant ‘desire’ to keep checking for new orders, cruise new artists and just look around for new information.

Christine: Sounds like me too. I always love to hear that others have the same struggles - makes me feel like I am not alone! Any advice for those of us in the same boat?

Kate: I guess my best advice is that you must always remember you have a life. It is called family and friends. They are as important to your development as an artist and the time you spend on the internet or reading books and magazines.

Christine: Great advice. I sometime fall short on that myself. Kate, I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me, and i look forward to seeing some new work from you!

Kate: Thank you again for taking the time to do this. I wish you all the best and much luck with your business!

Resources mentioned in this article:
Kate Szabone’s website: http://www.kateszabone.com