Your opinions please guys...

[Lou]

Hi Everyone,
I've posted this thread in the jewellery folder too, but incase some of you don't visit there I thought I'd post this here too.

Hope you're all ok?

Your opinions please...

So what constitues "handmade" jewellery. I've been making jewellery for the past few years buying both handmade beads and machine made beads. When I sell pieces I will describe them in accordance with the beads I've used. So if all beads are handmade I will advertise the piece as handmade if I've used machine made beads I will advertise the piece as hand finished as in my opinion it would be untrue to say the piece is handmade.

(really interested to hear from any bead makers)

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.
Take care,
Lou

[Katianne]

My opinion

Hmm, I'm a bit torn on this one. I don't make jewellery myself, but as a buyer of any crafts, in one way I would count handmade as anything where the maker has created their own designs and products by hand in some way. So, it could be that they make the beads or that they use existing beads to make a product.

I do I like the way you describe the later as hand finished though.

One way that would I differentiate is using handcrafted for products made completed by you, and handmade as those using other materials to make your own designs.

I personally do agree that its nice to have a distinction. I think the way you currently describe your products is a good way to do it. Hope all that rambling makes some sense!

[nattynetty]

I'm not a bead or jewelery maker but thought I'd throw in my tuppence worth.

I really admire the fact that you want to give full credit to the bead-makers and don't wish to claim something as all your work when it's not - but I just wonder how many other people would do the same?

Also just be careful of the term 'hand finished' as I know in the world of mass produced greetings cards they advertise them as such when they've had someone on a production line just stick a bow on them all.

Maybe do as someone suggested on the other thread and label them as 'handmade by Lou with beads made by ***' or similar.

[Apple Tree Crafts]

Ok...I think...

.......if you are putting together anything, whether it be sewing, jewellery etc, using your hands then it's handmade. Handmade means NOT mass produced imho.

I use both my sewing machine and hand stitching in my products and I sell them as handmade. Because I made them with MY hands. Because only I have spent hours on them.

With beads, you can't say it's a machine made product if all the beads are made by machine. The machines didn't make the end product - YOU did! Therefore it is HANDMADE...don't sell yourself short. You put it together with your hands in your time!

Most fabrics are machine-made these days, but if I assemble an item, then it's handmade by me, not a faceless machine in a factory. I have personally put the item together with care and attention (and, in some cases, blood, sweat & tears...)

My thoughts are that if a human has designed, assembled and been personally responsible for a product, then that product is handmade.

Gosh, it's high on this soapbox, isn't it? I'll just get down......ladder, anyone? Please.........

Jules

[nattynetty]

...don't sell yourself short.

Jules

Exactly!!!

[Lou]

hey guys,
really appreciate your opinions - thanks alot You've helped!