Flowers and colour

Everything is about bright colours for me at the moment. I need spring to get into full swing and am really looking forward to summer. The few days of sunshine we had over the bank holiday weekend were a wonderful hint of warm days to come, but it’s gone back to wind and rain all to quickly!

But with my beads and wire, I’m in control. So flowers, greenery and brightness have been prominent. 

Spring flower garden cuff

Pink orbit ring

Green buds necklace

Swirling heart pendant

Candy bright bracelet

Green pearl pendant

A Christmas commission

The build up to Christmas is hectic for everyone and this year has been no exception! I’ve had the additional fun of having a special commission. The brief was quite vague, a red statement piece to ware with a black top. It can be quite liberating to work with an open brief like that, but also very risky. One person’s idea of a statement piece is another person’s idea of over the top! And with no guidance as to what kind of jewellery was expected - necklace, bracelet, broach or hair slide - the potential for disappointment was huge!

As I know the lady it was intended for very well, I decided that a necklace would be the best option as she rarely wears any other form of jewellery. That decided it was time to get out the sketch book and start planning a design.

40 hours and over 25 meters of vivid red wire later the final piece was finished! Unfortunately I did not have any time booked in with my product photographer before it had to be handed over, so the only photos I have are my own, not a mistake I intend to make again!

Commission statement necklace

It’s 8cm by 8cm, made with 0.9mm and 0.5mm plated coper wire with high grade crystals. The lady is was made for loved it and has been proudly wearing her new necklace at every opportunity. It’s such a good feeling when the time and effort of a commission piece is loved, worth every second of the work that goes into them!

I am now in the process of designing a range of slightly smaller pendants based on the same principals. And I have time booked with my photographer to get some good photos of them! 

Growing things

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With Christmas over and the snows falling I find myself longing for spring. This is reflected in the jewellery designs I most want to make. Flowers and leaves always feature a lot in my work, but at this time of year when I'm most craving to see the real world bloom they are particularly satisfying to make.

Leaf earrings

These leaf earrings may take a lot of concentration and time to make, despite being only 1.5cm long (plus hook), but are very satisfying for that part of me that wants winter to hurry up and go! And they look particularly good with the matching leaf necklace.

Leaf necklace

Of course, Silent Bob is just as eager for the warm weather to come and spends his time watching me work!

Silent Bob, watching me work

Lampies

 

The wonderful multi-talented MagicFlying Boots over at The Other Fickle Pixie recently made a set of lamp work beads for me. They are a lovely set, made on a base of purple glass with light blue raised dots, the focal bead also has red raised dots. They have sat on my work bench for a good few weeks whilst I  tried to decide what to make with them. I wanted something that would show them off to their full potential and not drown them out in lots of fussy wirework or swamp them in other spacer beads.

Lampwork bead set

Eventually I decided on a simple S link chain, the lampies connected using wrapped loops. I found some lovely pony seed beads which change colour depending on hour the light hits them – ranging from purple to blue and just a hint of green to contrast the focal. The focal dangles from the chain on a spiral headpin and the chain continues, using simple S links and pony bead units, round to the back where it's fastened with a hook and loop. A lovely elegant necklace for some beautiful beads!

Finished necklace with lampwork beads

 

Rain

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We've had quite a lot of rain this bank holiday weekend! 

Personally, I love the rain. I like the way light sparkles through it as the rain first comes in, and the way it makes everything feel like a bit of an adventure. Then there's the smell! I might think differently if I had an outdoor job, until then I'll carry on getting inspiration from rain drops.

Raindrop