How 'Glitz & Glass' came about...
My name is Colleen Hunter and I live at Maungakaramea, up in the Tangihua Ranges, south-west of Whangarei, Northland, NZ with my husband, Ross and my delightful Jack Russell Terrier, Trixie
(right, I LOVE having my piccy taken! LOL)
I started creating my own handmade beaded jewellery in 2009 and I have been on a 'roller-coaster ride' ever since! :)
I was gifted a Beginners Jewellery Making kit and after making 'alot' of earrings, I was encouraged to try to sell them.
I HAD been creating the most beautiful (yep, I am biased!!) Macrocarpa wooden signs, from the trees we had milled from our property to build our home. Although the signs were stunning and always drew the crowds, marketing them was a challenge! The visiting woodworking men would always make me laugh when they asked "Lady, how do you do your lettering so perfect with a router? Do you use a jig or a template or what?" I always replied "I just hang on and enjoy the ride!"
However, it was the truth! Have you ever tried using a router, freehand? ;)
After attending a couple of mid-winter markets with my new jewellery business, which I had called 'GLiTZ Jewellery' then. I quickly saw what needed to do and I went to work for 2 months to get my display organised. I had decided I was going to have a BIG display and so, I also needed ALOT of stock created!!
Since my very first market with my 'new look', I could see this was something I was supposed to be doing! I have been very fortunate to be able to match colours and textures and still keep it all balanced and for that, I am very grateful. To have been given the chance to create for so many and gift such pleasures from my 'hobby' has truly been a blessing!
In 2011, I was again prompted to look into something new - Dichroic Glass Pendants...
I went home to study up on this, as glass is a whole new world! I bought a beautiful little Skutt kiln - 'Bubba Skutt' as she in now known!
Again, I created a huge display of my new glass wares and I was amazed on my first outing to have sold 1/3 of my display! I took that as a 'green light' for the future of my business! The thought of an automatic controller kept 'niggling' at me! As I wasn't able to connect one to "Bubba Skutt', it mean't I was going to need to upgrade! After making enquiries, I was offered a new, bigger Skutt kiln at a great price. It was early November and I remember saying "I haven't got time to learn a new kiln before Xmas hits!" Alas, I needn't have worried! Between Papa Skutt's' professional finish and my overactive mind - we worked through that Xmas faultlessly!
Before the end of this season was completed, I had an unusual amount of visitors to my stall who were involved in lampworking (making their OWN beads with a torch). I found this surprising, as it was not something I had really been interested in. The start up costs are very high and it is actually a real challenge to make a bead which is saleable. For whatever reason, I found myself going down that track and always reassuring Ross "The reason for it, will 'turn up'!" :) We were on our annual holiday away and I wanted to visit the Mangonui Motel as there is a Bead Studio attached to it. (Sadly, the lady who had built this studio, had passed on but it was still in use by others and the shop was still open.) I was still only half way through setting up my own studio for lampworking and so to be offered a 'look' inside the late Intan's studio, I felt very fortunate. In the shop, there were newspaper stories from years ago which made for very interesting reading! Finally, I saw the most gorgeous fully beaded necklace on a neckform and next to it, stood an empty Bombay Sapphire Gin bottle! WOW - ECO-BEADS! I had been saying to Ross for months "You must be able to smash up a Bombay Gin bottle and make beads from THAT glass. IMAGINE THAT!!"
Upon returning from holiday, my studio was completed and from Day 2 the beads I have made, just amazed me. I still have a long way to go in the art of lampworking but I am loving the journey. And as for the Bombay Gin bottle beads, they were created on Day 3 as I just couldn't wait any longer!
The handmade beads actually COME ALIVE and look like no other beads I have ever purchased for which to make jewellery from. They are absolutely gorgeous!
It has been humbling to see the response to my work and it is always a great pleasure to SEE the my jewellery being worn by the local ladies who love theirs so much, that they are ALWAYS wearing it!
So, as they say - WATCH THIS SPACE! ;)
Thx for taking the time to read my story, I hope you have enjoyed it.
Colleen. :)
(right, I LOVE having my piccy taken! LOL)
I started creating my own handmade beaded jewellery in 2009 and I have been on a 'roller-coaster ride' ever since! :)
I was gifted a Beginners Jewellery Making kit and after making 'alot' of earrings, I was encouraged to try to sell them.
I HAD been creating the most beautiful (yep, I am biased!!) Macrocarpa wooden signs, from the trees we had milled from our property to build our home. Although the signs were stunning and always drew the crowds, marketing them was a challenge! The visiting woodworking men would always make me laugh when they asked "Lady, how do you do your lettering so perfect with a router? Do you use a jig or a template or what?" I always replied "I just hang on and enjoy the ride!"
However, it was the truth! Have you ever tried using a router, freehand? ;)
After attending a couple of mid-winter markets with my new jewellery business, which I had called 'GLiTZ Jewellery' then. I quickly saw what needed to do and I went to work for 2 months to get my display organised. I had decided I was going to have a BIG display and so, I also needed ALOT of stock created!!
Since my very first market with my 'new look', I could see this was something I was supposed to be doing! I have been very fortunate to be able to match colours and textures and still keep it all balanced and for that, I am very grateful. To have been given the chance to create for so many and gift such pleasures from my 'hobby' has truly been a blessing!
In 2011, I was again prompted to look into something new - Dichroic Glass Pendants...
I went home to study up on this, as glass is a whole new world! I bought a beautiful little Skutt kiln - 'Bubba Skutt' as she in now known!
Again, I created a huge display of my new glass wares and I was amazed on my first outing to have sold 1/3 of my display! I took that as a 'green light' for the future of my business! The thought of an automatic controller kept 'niggling' at me! As I wasn't able to connect one to "Bubba Skutt', it mean't I was going to need to upgrade! After making enquiries, I was offered a new, bigger Skutt kiln at a great price. It was early November and I remember saying "I haven't got time to learn a new kiln before Xmas hits!" Alas, I needn't have worried! Between Papa Skutt's' professional finish and my overactive mind - we worked through that Xmas faultlessly!
Before the end of this season was completed, I had an unusual amount of visitors to my stall who were involved in lampworking (making their OWN beads with a torch). I found this surprising, as it was not something I had really been interested in. The start up costs are very high and it is actually a real challenge to make a bead which is saleable. For whatever reason, I found myself going down that track and always reassuring Ross "The reason for it, will 'turn up'!" :) We were on our annual holiday away and I wanted to visit the Mangonui Motel as there is a Bead Studio attached to it. (Sadly, the lady who had built this studio, had passed on but it was still in use by others and the shop was still open.) I was still only half way through setting up my own studio for lampworking and so to be offered a 'look' inside the late Intan's studio, I felt very fortunate. In the shop, there were newspaper stories from years ago which made for very interesting reading! Finally, I saw the most gorgeous fully beaded necklace on a neckform and next to it, stood an empty Bombay Sapphire Gin bottle! WOW - ECO-BEADS! I had been saying to Ross for months "You must be able to smash up a Bombay Gin bottle and make beads from THAT glass. IMAGINE THAT!!"
Upon returning from holiday, my studio was completed and from Day 2 the beads I have made, just amazed me. I still have a long way to go in the art of lampworking but I am loving the journey. And as for the Bombay Gin bottle beads, they were created on Day 3 as I just couldn't wait any longer!
The handmade beads actually COME ALIVE and look like no other beads I have ever purchased for which to make jewellery from. They are absolutely gorgeous!
It has been humbling to see the response to my work and it is always a great pleasure to SEE the my jewellery being worn by the local ladies who love theirs so much, that they are ALWAYS wearing it!
So, as they say - WATCH THIS SPACE! ;)
Thx for taking the time to read my story, I hope you have enjoyed it.
Colleen. :)
