Interview with our 2011 “Mailler of the Year”: Marge Hummel

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Last year, we started our monthly “Featured Product” contests as a way to challenge folks to create creative chainmaille jewelry and share just how talented our customers are.  At the end of the year, we thought it would be fun to have all the monthly contest winners go head to head to choose an ultimate winner for the year.  And thus, our “Mailler of the Year” competition was born.

As this year draws to a close, so does the reign of our first ever “Mailler of the Year”, Marge Hummel (winning piece, “Edwardian Splendor” shown left.)  Before all the 2012 contest winners go head to head to crown a new reigning champion, we thought we’d catch up with Marge and see what she’s been up to this year.

Read our interview below to get to know this great gal better and make sure to stay tuned to vote for this year’s big winner.

So, did you put the “Mailler of the Year” bragging rights to good use? *wink* Only kidding…but did you?

 

*grin* Of course!!! It’s been very, very proudly touted at all the shows that I’ve done – along with displaying the necklace that won that honor. That necklace is also on all my business cards so that I can KEEP bragging every time someone sees my card! The bragging rights were all the more special because of two things: 1) it was voted on by fellow maillers and 2) because it was a contest run by B3 and I consider you all to be my mentors. Most definitely the absolute most exhilarating honor I’ve ever had!

Okay, getting more serious now. Describe your jewelry in 10 words or less:


Timeless. Elegant. Bold. Romantic. …Marrying medieval and modern.

How did you get started making chainmaille jewelry?

 

I got bored one day and saw an ad for chainmaille in the back of a magazine. I ordered a kit and became an instant addict. It’s been a grand journey since then (almost 6 years now!) and I only see it becoming more a part of my life.

In the last year, what role did chainmaille play in your life?

 

Chainmaille has had a huge role in my life in the past year. It’s how I wind down at the end of the day. It’s also what actually helps me think. I see the rings and the possibilities with them and they inspire me to think differently, try new things, and look at things from different angles. When my mind is clouded I actually free it up by linking the rings and playing with the colors. When I’m feeling down I make something and it makes me unbelievably happy. When I can’t sleep, I start creating…not exactly lulling my mind back to sleep, but the results are awesome! There isn’t a part of my life that doesn’t involve creating with the rings.

What do you think is the most common misconception about chainmaille as a craft?


I think that most people look at it and dismiss it as impossible right off the bat. They see it as complicated and something they could never do or learn. I think it’s a combination of the intricate look of many of the weaves and the fact that it’s done with metal. Add to that patterns in color and I think the intimidation factor catapults into the stratosphere for some people. When I see that, if I have pliers and rings on me, I ask them if they’d like to just try opening and closing a couple rings. If nothing else, I’ve given someone a deeper appreciation for the art form.

What advice do you have for folks new to the craft or intimidated about trying it?


Just try it…just give it an hour and try it. Obviously I never suggest they start with a weave like dragonscale – although they all love that weave! I always suggest something easier and then let them work their way up. One never knows until one actually tries. There really is nothing to lose and a whole world to discover.

Okay, one more just for fun… Other than making chainmaille, do you have an hidden talents?


*grin* Other than tying cherry stems in a knot with my tongue? Let’s see….I sing, crochet – mostly doilies, curtains, and collector dolls (think Louis XVI and the like), sew, and write. Cooking, decorating and entertaining are all on that list, too. I also have a talent for getting into all sorts of predicaments…but that’s not too hidden. Hang out with me for a while and you’ll see…and probably laugh.

Featured Weave Contest: January

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Our contest is changing for 2013!

FEATURED WEAVE FOR JANUARY – Byzantine


For 2013, we’re changing our “Featured Product” contest into a “Featured WEAVE” contest. That means, starting in January, you can use any and all B3 products to create your entry, but it must showcase the month’s “Featured Weave” in some way.

January’s weave (as highly requested by our fans on Facebook) will be byzantine. We totally understand why our community clamored for this weave as it has tons of potential for variation and is also a great beginning-level weave. To get some inspiration, as well as ring sizes and counts for byzantine, visit the “Weave Ideas” section of our blog or check out the stats & uses pages for base metal and silver rings.


HOW TO PARTICIPATE:




Make a project which primarily uses the featured weave or a variation of the featured weave. The project can use any and all B3 supplies and can use other weaves, but the featured weave should be the star. Please see the complete rules and details below for more information about qualifications.




Take a picture of your project and submit it using our official Featured Weave Contest form (link below.) You may post the piece online somewhere and provide us with a link, or upload it directly in the form. You will be asked to provide your name and an email address we can use to contact you in case anything goes wrong with your submission—or if you are the winner of the contest!

GO TO THE SUBMISSION FORM

Submissions are closed at midnight CT on 15th of every month and are limited to 2 entry pieces per person.



Get Votes! Submissions will close on the 15th of each month at which point the B3 Staff will choose our favorites. The top entries will be eligible for voting through a survey which we will post to our blog. If you are one of the finalists, feel free to share the link with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter or any other means.

Voting will close on the last day of the month.

 


We will award the top voted finalist each month with a $25 B3 Gift Certificate and will feature YOUR project in a special blog post and possibly even future B3 ads to inspire fellow chainmaillers all over the world.



Complete contest rules and details: Submissions are limited to 2 per person and must use the featured product of the month as determined by Blue Buddha Boutique. The project is not required to be made from Blue Buddha Boutique rings, however any winning projects that use primarily rings from another supplier or rings made by the artist will not be eligible for posting on our blog or use in our ads to prevent false advertising. Pieces do not have to be specially created for the contest but should be no more than 12 months old. Current employees and interns of Blue Buddha Boutique are not eligible for this contest. Finalists are chosen by Blue Buddha Boutique and voted upon anonymously by the public to determine a winner. Submissions may be disqualified at the discretion of Blue Buddha Boutique if they are deemed inappropriate in any way. If a winner does not claim their prize within 15 days of notification, the second place winner will be awarded the prize.

Most Memorable B3 Moments of 2012

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Holy cow!  2012 is almost over and it was quite a year for us.  We experienced tremendous growth and change (we say that a lot, but this year felt significant.) Our team grew, our space grew (finally!!) and our vision for our future grew as well.  Not everything memorable we experienced was big though.  In fact, lots of our favorite moments from this year are more fun and personal.  We credit that with the great group of people we have working here.  Despite tight quarters and heavy workloads, our team became more tightly knit this year and our memories from the year show it.

We hope you enjoy this peek into our past year.  We can’t wait to start fresh in our new space in 2013 and make a whole new year of memories!

First “Mailler of the Year”


In January, we crowned our first “Mailler of the Year“, Marge Hummel. Stay tuned for an interview with her coming to our blog later this week and get ready to vote to select 2012’s reigning champ!

Jello Jiggler Jump Rings


Here’s one of those small but mighty memorable moments: We LOVED these Jello Jiggler Jump Rings that B3 community member Tracy K.B. posted to our wall on Facebook. They look delicious and we love the extra touch of the stats labels on the bags!

Blue Buddha’s 9th Birthday


In February, B3 celebrated its 9th birthday and wouldn’t you know it, our jump rings threw us a little birthday party complete with delicious cake and candles!

Our Googly-Eyed Cutie on allgoogly.com


One of the ways we like to keep everyone in good spirits in our office is to leave funny little things around for people to find (often involving googly eyes.) Naturally, we had to submit this Googly-Eyed Cutie (clementine) to allgoogly.com and you better believe we were pretty darn excited when it was featured on the website!

Rebeca’s Jewelry in the MCA Store


Another exciting moment was when Rebeca’s jewelry was carried in the store at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The MCA Store is considered by many artsy folks to be one of the best in the city. It was truly an honor to have her jewelry available there!

Matt’s Titanic Dinner


April marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and our web guru Matt Hucke honored the occasion by recreating the dinner served on the ship for the dinner group he and Rebeca are part of. Not only did he recreate the meal but he updated it to be meat free and more healthy – quite an amazing feat!

10 Year Maille-versary for Rebeca


In May, Rebeca celebrated a decade of making maille and shared some of her first pieces as well as the tools she first used. Amazing how far she has come in 10 years. We can’t wait to see what the next 10 hold!

Bead&Button Show 2012


We can’t have a yearly round up without mentioning the Bead&Button Show. This year, we had our biggest booth ever allowing us to offer two FREE “Make n Take” projects and serve even more customers with our artist-designed kits and quality supplies. Rebeca also taught a bunch of classes and had lots of awesome new students. We can’t wait for 2013!

Employee Appreciation Day


In July, we had our first ever Employee Appreciation Day at Six Flags Great America. This was definitely on the top of the list for most memorable for many employees (rivaled only by “Acrocats”…more on that later.) It was well-earned and well-enjoyed by all as evidenced by the photos we posted on our page on Facebook!

Edge Fest in our (soon-to-be) new Neighborhood


In August we participated in Edge Fest, a street festival held in our soon-to-be new neighborhood of Edgewater. We had a great time meeting our new community members but the most memorable part of the show was surviving a torrential downpour and otherwise crazy storm! Luckily, we didn’t wash away and now we have a fun story to tell :)

One word: “Acrocats!”


Part of our team bonding this year came from a new B3 team perk called “Employee Fun Time”. Each month, the team selects an inexpensive activity to participate with financial support from the company. Again, it’s not that they are big, fancy events, but they are very memorable. Our trip to see an incredibly humane cat circus called “Acrocats” for example topped the list for many employees as THE most memorable moment of 2012. Incidentally, it also inspired Rebeca to try training her cat Apollo to play the piano (video below.)

Second Annual “Show Off Your Maille” Week


We started “Show Off Your Maille” week in 2011 and continued this new tradition in October of this year. Each day, we shared pics of pieces B3 team members were sporting in the studio and encouraged you to show off the chainmaille pieces you were wearing on our wall on Facebook. We had lots of online community members participate and loved seeing all your amazing creations!

“Jumpstart the New B3” Campaign


In October, we officially announced the plans for our new space and created special products and perks for our customers to buy to help us renovate it and begin making it a destination for creativity. To date, our “Jumpstart” campaign has more than $18,000 with the help of more than 100 customers to support this big step.

Starter Pack Blog Hop & Giveaway


We released Chainmaille Starter Packs in November and kicked off this exciting launch with a blog hop and giveaway across six really cool, crafty blogs. We offered a grand prize of an “All-in-One” starter pack on our blog and had almost 400 people enter the contest! It was so great to read all the comments and know that these packs could potentially introduce the craft we love so much to so many new people!

First B3 Holiday Party in our New Home!


We finished out the year celebrating in our new space. Ok, so maybe it was still missing some walls…but we didn’t mind! Our awesome party-planning team decorated, got us yummy sushi and planned fun games. We all had a great time and it rejuvenated our excitement about our new home.

One great reason to contribute to our Jumpstart campaign…OUR TEAM!

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We’ve been sharing updates recently about the progress on our new space and the impact our Jumpstart supporters have had thusfar on making it a safe and usable working environment.  Plumbing, electrical work and walls are all important, but we think the most compelling reason to support this project is our hard-working team.

No one is more excited about moving into our awesome new space than these dedicated individuals. Your purchase of one or more of our Jumpstart perks means we can improve our new work environment, building more walls for private meetings, small-group lessons, and quiet customer phone calls.  We can improving the efficiency of our order processing area and creating an inviting employee lounge for our team members to “take 5” so they can get back to processing your orders with refreshed bodies and minds.

C’mon in and experience “A Day in the Life…”

Because of the impact your contributions have on our team, we decided to create our first two “Day in the Life” videos featuring Aimee, our Customer Care Supervisor and Lisa, our Picker Extraordinaire.  Watching each video puts you in their shoes for 60 seconds and might just inspire you to scoop up one or more of the cool packages we have available as part of our Jumpstart campaign.  The products that are part of this campaign start at just $15 and you’ll get some sweet perks in return (seems like win/win to us!)  We’ve even added  a couple new “VIP Perks” that start at just $18 and result in some very special treatment—including discounts!—for you and your order.

A day in the life of….AIMEE!


Lots of our customers know Aimee as the friendly voice on the other end of the line when they call or email us.  She is our Customer Care Supervisor and works hard to make sure folks have a great experience with B3.

What will you not miss about our little studio? I won’t miss running into people ….or book shelves ….or wall storage units. 

What are you most looking forward to in our new space? I look forward to our own Customer Care office with a door for quiet phone calls with way less background noise.

Watch the 60 second video below to see what a day in the life of Aimee is like.  Then visit our Jumpstart campaign to make a contribution that will make her new workspace fabulous like she is!

A day in the life of….LISA!


Lisa picks many of the orders that come through our website and as such, spends a lot of time moving through our inventory spaces which means running into people, tripping over things and otherwise doing what we like to call “The B3 Shuffle” (backing up so someone can get by, doing a turn around a co-worker, you get the picture!)

 

What will you not miss about our little studio? I will not miss our cramped working conditions.  There’s not even enough room to roller skate around to pick orders!  Just kidding 😉  Seriously though,  I also won’t miss our kitchen of horrors or getting stuck in “danger alley” (a very narrow hallway of active stock.)

What are you most looking forward to in our new space? I’m looking forward to have a spacious area for ring babies to grow, new picking cart for multiple-order picking fun, and the new employee lounge.

Watch the 60 second video below to see what a day in the life of Lisa is like.  Then visit our Jumpstart campaign to make a contribution that will make her new workspace fabulous like she is!

Want to help make Aimee and Lisa’s new workspace totally fantastic? Visit our Jumpstart campaign and purchase one or more of these cool products and perks. With your help, we’ll reach our $50,000 goal and make the new B3 better than we have even imagined!

Attention future chainmaille students: Vote for your preferred class times & classroom furniture!

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We’re moving into our new Edgewater location soon which means we will finally have space to start chainmaille classes, open studios and other crafty events back up – hooray!  We’re currently focusing on scheduling classes as well as furnishing our classrooms and we’d like your feedback to help us with both.

If you foresee being a Blue Buddha Boutique student, we want your opinion on preferred class times and classroom furniture.  We do ask that ONLY folks who really feel they’ll attend classes here in Chicago complete the class times portion of this survey (otherwise, we’re concerned it could skew the results and we’ll schedule classes for days and times that local folks might not really be able to make work, which would be a total bummer.)  That said, voting on classroom furniture is open to anyone.  We can definitely use some keen eyes and opinions from folks who have taken long (3+ hour) classes before when it comes to choosing a chair that will keep students comfy :)