The CraftStar Community
Collection: Galleria di Giani
The CraftStar: http://thecraftstar.com/shop/galleriadigiani.html
My love of crafting
started as a kid. We lived across the street from a city park.
During the summers, on weekend afternoons, the park sponsored arts and
crafts. We learned how to make all kind of things. We did
birdhouses out of popsicle sticks, we made pot holders using stretchy fabric
loops on a loom, we made lanyards and wallets, and all sorts of crafts.
As a teen, I had one of
those really small bead looms. I made several strands of a Native
American design, and used it to adorn a plain black cotton vest that I
wore.
As an adult, I remember
going to a bead show once with my friend Anne. Every few months we’d do a
“road trip” as we called it. We’d just pick a place to go in the city,
and went. Sometimes it was just lunch, sometimes it was a photo outing,
but one time she chose a bead show.
My first sale on The CraftStar:
I hadn’t done any crafting
in some time, so thought it would be fun. One of the first booths we went
to had hematite loops. I hadn’t seen anything like it before, and thought
they were just the coolest thing. At the same table, I found a strand of
tiger eye beads that were just the right size for fitting inside the
loops. I took them home, strung them together, and made my very first
necklace. This was around 1996 or 1997, somewhere in there.
Tiger Eye in my The CraftStar Collection:
So many people liked it,
and asked me where I got it. When I told them I made it myself, they
wanted to know where I sold them. At that time, I hadn’t even remotely
thought in those terms. A few months later, I met this couple who had a
craft shop, and the rest, as they say, is history. I have been selling
jewelry through consignment shops, wholesale, craft fairs, and online ever
since.
When I started selling
through shops, I was using my real name. It wasn’t until I started
selling online that I started to think about having a “business name”.
When it came time to choose one, I started to think about what I wanted to say,
as a designer. Being Italian, I knew that Italy has a long tradition of
being in the jewelry business. I also knew that having an Italian name
would be classier than using my real name, John. My maternal grandmother
was the only person who ever called me Johnny. However, on my birthday
and on Christmas, she would always write my name as “Giani”. I decided it
would be the perfect name to use for my jewelry business.
Aromatherapy or Perfume
Necklace – Moonstone in my The CraftStar Collection:
I have inherited so many
things from her, such as her sense of humor (oh did she love to laugh), the way
that nothing slowed her down (she lived by herself into her late 80’s!), and
her love of cooking for people. So, it was only natural that I chose the
name she used for me for my business.
My favorite pieces on The
CraftStar:
Blue Coral and Onyx Set:
One of the things that I
strive for in my collection is versatility. By doing this set as three
separate necklace, instead of one three-strand necklace, I give the user an
amazing amount of versatility. Rather than only being able to wear it the
one way, by making them three separate necklaces, the wearer gets *seven*
different ways. They can wear any one by itself, any two together, or all
three. This gives them the ability to match a single strand to any
neckline they are wearing, or wear any number of them to suit the outfit, or
the occasion. That is the kind of versatility that I love to give my
customers.
Lampwork Glass and
Sterling Silver Necklace:
This piece was part of my
newest collection, and I designed it as a challenge for myself. I have
never done station necklaces and always wanted to. Since I am still
learning how to wire wrap, I decided to use regular beading line and crimp
beads/covers for the stations. I wanted to make sure it looked its
best! The lampwork beads are also something new for me. I had only
worked with gemstones before and wanted to branch out a little bit. So,
in my newest collection, there are several pieces made with lampwork
beads. I really love the creativity of lampwork artists, and I know I
will continue to use them in the future. At 52” in length, this is
another of those versatile pieces I was speaking about. You can wear is
in a single strand, double it, even triple it. You have to love
options!
Jade, Pearl and Sterling Silver
Necklace and Earring Set
:
Many of my pieces are made
from unique stones. As a result, it is often difficult to acquire them in
large enough batches to make multiple pieces. This makes wholesaling a
very difficult endeavor. How can you wholesale when almost every item you
make is singular or limited quantity? So, in m newest collection, I
decided I needed a design that could stand as the cornerstone to my new
wholesale collection. What I love about this set is that is uses a small
amount of beads. This means if I acquire two or three strands of
something (such as something unique I see at a gem show), I can get multiple
pieces out of it, and can wholesale it in a number larger than one. Another
thing I love about this design is that it also makes it a great piece for using
up those last few beads you have lying around from other projects. So, if
you only have a few of something left, you won’t be able to make enough to
wholesale, but this is a design you can produce and put it in your shop as
well. Win/win!
My The CraftStar Collection:
In putting together my
collection, I really wanted to accomplish three things: I wanted to
acknowledge some of my chat friends, say thanks to the people who have
favorited my shop or items, and to show the wonderful diversity of items that
The CraftStar has to offer. I think I succeeded in all three.
Enjoy!
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