Spring in to Silver

(more pictures of my silver below)

Spring is here, the flowers are blossoming in the garden and the weather is as erratic as ever in Spring this far north. I have been working away building and decorating the new studio, ordering business cards (due this week), shopping for lots of silver and display stands\cases etc and trying to get my head around the bookkeeping!

So as summer edges closer every day I think I had better open a Silver by K8 website. I have purchased my own website and am developing it so that I can take sales direct from it but until it is ready to go I am starting up on Etsy. It's an American owned marketplace for people who create their own things, I love it just to buy something original now and again. Have a look around it, you could even sell your own things on there? Why not? If you do, let me know ;o)

Etsy.com

Expect my shop on Etsy shortly, until then a taste of things done and things yet to come......

The garage before building the studio




And after...






Some products of the studio

Pizza Fridays

Gotta love pizza Fridays and it a good time to update my blog whilst contemplating which kebab pizza I shall have tonight....with salad or chips on top?

This last month has been very busy and has seen me research spring/summer 2010 fashion must haves, produce a few more pieces and prepare the business for action.

Research
Layering of necklaces and bracelets, statement pieces, oversized hoop and chandelier earrings, large cocktail rings and floral patterns. And this is what will influence my current designs for my static line, of course always keeping in mind my philosophy of keeping it elegant and classic. More to come on my spring/summer 2010 line in future posts.

Pieces
I have made a pair of Swedish flag cufflinks to practice my layering of silver and sweating of solder techniques and 4 more pairs of earrings, 3 domed with different finishes and one square, similar to the rectangles already on flickr. None of these creations have had pictures taken yet as I am awaiting my first company purchase, a magnetic tumbler from the US. This little machine is able to polish gold and silver to professional levels in a matter of 20 minutes! I first used one on a course in London about 6 years ago and I promised myself one if I ever took up jewellery professionally.....so here I am waiting for it to arrive.
Otherwise I have been concentrating on the business side of life.

Business
I have applied for my VAT number and some help from the tax man in Sweden and guess what....they are coming to my house for the meeting over fika on Tuesday. Howz about that for service! I have also applied to register my company officially here in Sweden, just waiting for them to confirm "Silver by K8" before I get my logo designed and some business cards done.
I also had a look at the markings used on silver and the requirements here in Sweden for people who produce silver jewellery and amazingly there are no obligatory requirements for silver. There are for gold and platinum but not silver however, it is not permitted to mark silver incorrectly. So right now I am looking in to the cost of getting a Swedish recognised mark on mine so buyers have that piece of mind.
Very good article:
http://www.swedac.se/sdd/swinternet.nsf/webAttDoc/ADMR-64ZHGD/$File/Summary%20Swedish%20Hallmarking%20law.pdf
I have contacted the bank to open a business account too so I am really starting to feel like the business is coming together, still lots to do but making progress. How exciting.