Question of the Week: What Field of Study Are You Into?

Welcome to this week’s installment of the Sheffield Says Question of the Week. Each week we’ll ask readers a question pertinent to being creative, earning a living, do-it-yourself projects, and much, much more. We’re excited to hear what you have to say!

Last week’s question was simple. Do you use Pinterest?

This week, we want to know what field of study you are most interested in. As some of you may know, the Sheffield School prides itself on the quality of our courses. And those courses cover a variety of subjects.

We know that not all of our blog readers are students, so we would like to know which field you’re most interested in. Share your answer below, and don’t be afraid to use the comments to tell us why you’re interested in that field!

What Sheffield School Field of Study Interests You the Most?
	Interior Design
	Wedding and Event Planning
	Jewelry Design
	Feng Shui
pollcode.com free polls

Catch you next week. Same time, same place.

Jewelry Design Frustration: Bent Wire

Bent wire isn't necessarily a problem when it comes to making jewelry pieces. In fact, you have tools to help you bend thick or thin wire to meet the particulars of your design.

But have you ever gotten some thick or thin wire from your jewelry supply wholesaler or retailer and you wound up taking home something amazingly bent, twisted, or misshapen? It happens all the time, particularly when you get wire off the end of a spool - it's just naturally bent in order to begin the wrapping process. And you'll want to start your wire bending process with a straight piece of wire, so this unintentional bending needs to be rectified.

We found this helpful video from jewelry designer Nancy LT Hamilton on wire-straightening tips. No more wire messes!

READ MORE: If you're designing your own jewelry, be sure to read our in-depth look at The Importance of Play and how it will help you create more interesting pieces.

As lead curriculum developer for Sheffield School, I enjoy finding video tutorials for our students from experts like jewelry designer Nancy LT Hamilton. If you're interested in learning the craft of jewelry design, then I encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

• Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
• Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Notice: Jewelry Call for Entries!

Here at Sheffield we are big fans of goal setting for accomplishment.  A great way to give yourself a little push is to decide to throw your hand in to a Call for Entry. 

Here are some good ones coming up!

CU|29: Contemporary Work in Copper:  Deadline 15 November 2011

Find application and details here!

This competion is all about featuring copper, our 29th element, as the dominent material for making jewelry pieces.  If selected, pieces will be feautred at the SNAG conference in Arizona.  So, go to it with the copper and create something gorgeous that utilizes copper's excellent malleability.

The Body Adorned:  Deadline 9 December 2011

Find application and details here!

This competion is sponsored by SNAG, the Society of North American Goldsmiths -- don't be fooled by the name, which has become outdated and has been in discussion for change for some time now-- most work that gets recognized here is very unconventional, often asking the question "what is jewelry?"  So go ahead and step up to the challenge and show your own answer!

A beautiful and delicate example of this king of work is Memento (shown Left) by Rebecca Barton.  To see more of her ephemeral and nature inspired work click here!  

This is the perfect competion for some of your out-of-the-box pieces! Let your imagination be your guide here and it will likely be rewarded!

Click to read more ...

Summer Color: DIY Style

From Left: 1) Chan Luu's leather + semi-precious bracelet, 2) Aurelie Bidermann's woven chain + shell bracelet, 3) Missoni's fabric + chain plait bracelet, 4) Marni's Wool woven chain necklace

Summer has burst open the seasonal door and out has sprung a melange of colorful accessories!  Heavy hitting jewelry designers from Aurelie Bidermann and Chan Luu to fashion powerhouses like Marni and Missoni are all on board with a mixed-media color infusion for this Summer's bijoux selection.  Take a look at some of the stand-outs and get inspired to make some of your own! 

Click to read more ...

Marketing Tools Promote Jewelry Designers

If you're a jewelry designer, you want to get the word out about your creations - unless you're designing for you and only you. Case in point, Sarah from Brown Dog Studio. She's put together the underpinnings of a great marketing program. 

• Her Brown Dog Studio blog showcases her work, and her posts allow Sarah to talk about her creative process and get readers inside her head. (It's a very entertaining and engaging ride!) She also uses the blog to push out her creations with direct sales and invitations to email her for her studio address. She invites custom work and promotes trunk shows and public sales from her website.
• She recently hired a professional photographer to do a photoshoot of her creative process and final creative results.
• Sarah put the photographs of her work into a video, and it displays the creative process and wraps a feel-good song about working with your "own two hands" around her work. Here's the result, providing a very effective marketing piece for her business.

Click to read more ...