The Impatient Crafter : jewelry design

Showing posts with label jewelry design. Show all posts

Bringing the Sparkle

Make your own simply swingy fun necklace using Beadalon's QuickLinks for AC Moore, get the instructions here!

Of all of the creative things I do, I think writing is my favorite. I love opening up my brain and my heart and letting the words trip off of my fingertips on to a keyboard. Tap, tap, tap...tappity tap.

I process things through writing. It's a catharsis and it brings clarity. Some may scream it out or punch it out or paint it out...but for me it almost always comes down to writing it out.

I used to share my sad stories in my blog. But I don't anymore. We all have sad stories. It's part of being human. I do believe it is important to speak them and release them, I just don't know if the internet is where that has to happen. Sad stories mostly just make us sad. Angry words mostly just make us angry. Divisive thoughts mostly just divide.

I want to tell happy stories, that mostly just make me and you, gentle reader, happy.

The world needs a lot more sparkle and a lot less snark.

It is my new and improved mission to bring more sparkle and less snark.

Words are powerful. Choose them wisely.

I choose "joy."

I love this definition of "joy" from BraveHeart Women.

"We are the music makers, we are the dreamers of the dream." from Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy

Sparkle on,
Madge

I Do Stuff. Yup.

Above are two designs using some delightfully simple and striking components from Beadalon called QuickLinks. These particular links are exclusive to Jewelry Television, you can find them here! I love these components because they're like a lovely little blank canvas for your creativity and they are absurdly easy to use. Each shape is connected by a small figure eight or peanut shaped metal connector you simply compress closed around the links using chain nose pliers. The links are then stationed in place and ready for your creativity. Wire wrap them, add beads, connect them to rosary style beaded segments...it's truly endless.

I like to add lots of kinetic movement to my pieces, jewelry that moves is sexy and playful. The first design features textured links and oxidized vintage rhinestone beads that were pulled from my bead stash. I love the simplicity of this piece, it has an Art Deco appeal, but still feels really modern. The second piece is asymmetrical with large faceted black onyx rectangles, hypersthene squares that have a lovely light play, black onyx teardrops that swing and sway inside of the links and one large turquoise bead for a pop of color. This piece is long and can be worn Opera length or doubled. These took hardly any time at all to construct and I think they're the kind of pieces you'd wear over and over again.

Fun...fast...fabulous!

And that's some of what I do here at Studio Madge. I do stuff. Yup.

Love
Madge

Something Starfishy Around Here...

Happy Spring! Flowers are popping up all over the Smokies and the trees are starting to sprout leaves, this is my favorite time of year. I LOVE SPRING! Alas and alack, spring does not love me.

Snerg.

I made this jewelry with the plastique beads I bought in Tucson from The Beadin' Path and I've added a judicious smattering of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. I adore working with plastic. It's big and bold and light weight, you can pile it on and it won't weight you down. Try making a necklace with bubble gum sized gemstones, far too heavy!

I am currently loving these saturated colors. Kelly green, bright yellow, orange...very citrusy. Light and summery and fun, yes? I added red to the bracelet which really gives it a vintage vibe. You may remember the bracelet from an earlier post when I mentioned wanting to add one more element, so after some thought I decided on some vintage gum ball machine charm scotty dogs. Let's face it, put a scotty dog on it and it's instant cute!

These are for me to wear to some upcoming events. I would love to make a line of jewelry like this...but I'm not sure who would buy it. Thoughts? Who do you see wearing this big, bold, playful jewelry, well...besides me?

And with that I am back to the grindstone at Studio Madge. Have a craftacular day! Be a Crazy Craft Lady! Hooray! "T'aint nobody's business if you do!"

xoxo

Madge

Mud Pie Necklace!

Yup, another design for the shows. This was a rework of a design I shared recently on JTV's Jewel School. I decided it needed more color and movement. The faux DZI agate beads I scored for a song in Tucson last year. These are longer rosary style links and I'm pleased as punch with how this came out. I've added serpentine, smoky quartz and a judicious smattering of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. It's all put together with lovely silver plated Beadalon components.

Cheers,
Madge

Runway Design Reveal

A while back I shared a sneak peek of a runway project for a manufacturer and today I'm revealing the whole shebang! This is not for the shy or retiring. It features huge freeform tendrils organically wrapped with large vintage faux pearls and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. I made the necklace and earrings and Drew made the coordinating bracelet. It was a wonderful, intuitive process. I really didn't want to go into it with relentlessly specific plans, I just started playing with the wire and eventually got to this. What's great about this thick gauge of wire is that it's much more forgiving and looks fabulous hammered. I can't wait to see pictures of these on a model!

To make something similar, you need 10 gauge tinned copper Artistic Wire, 22 gauge silver plated German style wire and an array of large and small faux pearls and crystals. Then bend, hammer and wrap to your heart's content! The core of the necklace is Remembrance memory wire, which is perfect for heavier necklaces because it's tempered steel.

xoxo
Madge

Evolution of a Design

I created this necklace for one of my design clients. I began with 10 gauge tinned copper wire, hammering and forming it into a simple choker, then added a sprinkling of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS sew on stones attached with a thinner gauge of wire. (This is the design I'm wearing in the Create Your Style video.) I was really going for something simple, striking and primitive here with a big nod to Alexander Calder's wire jewelry work. Unfortunately the client didn't like the first version and asked me to cover up the wire wraps and the exposed hammered wire at the front of the design. I had to work and rework and rework the piece because it's all secured with tension and has to be wearable or it's pointless. Yes, I can be patient, though it usually involves a smattering of juicy expletives. The two arms of the thicker wire actually create the tension that secures the necklace around the neck, so the smaller stones had to be out of the way of that action. The large stone had to go, unfortunately, but that gave the design a more curvilinear feel. Honestly, I like both versions, but they're very different. Alas, after the rework and though the client genuinely liked it, they asked me to scrap this one and start over using different techniques and materials. So...I'll be wearing this at some upcoming events. This is part of the deal of being a freelance designer, not my favorite part, but one that can't be avoided I'm afraid.

What do you think, the first version, the second version or neither?! What do you think about editing your work? How do your designs evolve?

That's a prompt for you to converse with me! Be not afraid. Oh and, Tune in tomorrow, I've got a giveaway!

Cheers,
Madge

Beadalon's Wire Mesh

This is a design I created recently for Beadalon to showcase their fabulous new Artistic Wire mesh and their stunning antique brass finish chain. Oversized SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS polygon beads gave it a little sparkle to reflect the understated metallic color palette. It was a very intuitive design born from play. Some of my best work comes from not having an agenda. I'm quite pleased with how this turned out, very bold, simple and striking. These mesh poppies would work nicely on accessories: headbands, shoes, hats or purses. I used felt to back them and give them a little stability. (I'd sew around the edges with a 26 or 28 gauge matching wire to keep them from fraying if using them on a bag or shoes.)

Love
Madge

Free Jewelry Making Project from Bead Chic Week #1

Leave a comment and I'll select TWO people to get signed copies of the book on next Thursday.

This is the first of four free projects I'll be sharing from my new book Bead Chic. For photo step by steps, you'll need to get a copy of the book. It's a really great book, trust me. There are 15 gorgeous variation projects from 13 well known designers in the craft and jewelry making industry and a lot of variety in terms of style and techniques. I give you a bit of everything, including stringing, exposed wire weaving, wire wrapping, metal stamping and hammering, making your own findings...but the focus of the book is on design. You'll explore how you take a design that inspires your creativity and make it your own through small changes in color, scale, pattern, texture, focal elements and foundations.

This is the project we did at my Beadalon make it and take its at CHA and it's very easy and satisfying. I don't know why, but to me, taking some wire and bending, coiling and hammering it into a pair of earrings never fails to blow my mind. It's just a copper wire, until you forge it into something fabulous. Like every project in the book, this is all about making it your own, so think about what you might change to make this project suit your design style.

Bead Chic
Curlicue Earrings
Chapter Three-Texture
Copyright Margot Potter

When coiling wire around a jump ring maker tool I pulled the coil off and gently tugged it apart and got these great little curlicues! They add just the right touch of whimsy to simple hammered copper earrings. You can take this idea so many places...so what are you waiting for?!

Materials
20 gauge copper Artistic Wire

Tools
Jump ring maker tool with ¼” dowel
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Wire cutters
Chasing hammer
Mini anvil or steel bench block
Bench block pad

(Tools and materials courtesy Beadalon)

1. Cut off a 3” segment of wire. Round over a large dowel or use fingers to create a hoop shape.

2. Create a small loop at one end of the wire.

3. Bend the other end up at a 90 degree angle.

4. Use rounded end of hammer on a mini anvil to add texture to both sides of your ear wires.

5. Adjust shape after hammering.

6. Wrap wire around a jump ring maker with a ¼” dowel.

7. Remove coil and gently pull apart.

8. Move down every four coils and cut off coiled segments.

9. Use round nose pliers to make a small loop in one end and a larger loop in the opposite end. Make fourteen coils.

10. Thread larger end of 7 looped wires on earring. (Be sure coils are all facing the same direction.) Repeat for second earring.

The Evolution of a Jewelry Design

Almost...but not quite...take one...

Incognito First Strand Copyright Margot Potter

Yesterday I started working on some 'in-use' designs. These are designs created for manufacturers that showcase their products in innovative and interesting ways. This work isn't easy because there are perameters and limitations you have to navigate. I've been working with architectural and sculptural wire designs for many years. My brain likes to think dimensionally, which is why I should really study casting and soldering and jewelry making techniques that would allow me to fully expand on that tendency. For now, I spent a lot of time making wire do what it doesn't want to do naturally and making a lot of glorious messes in the process.

There is value in those glorious messes, because that's where my brain is formulating new pathways. I began with a series of woven wire bits and pieces working on some ideas I had for dimensional designs and eventually I created this pendant, which I really like. It's basically a concave 'cage' in which I've suspended the new CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements disk. It's created from a single core wire wrapped with a thinner gauge of binding wire and crystals. After I finished the pendant I needed to create a foundation. I began with this intuitive beaded design and realized when it was finished that...it wasn't quite gelling. So I put it out there for other folks to see and got some great feedback. In the meantime I began reworking the foundation and came up with this.

I hammered some of the metal components and left others shiny. I created a small hook with the same wire I used in the pendant. I really like how the foundation supports the pendant without detracting from it. Everything leads the eye towards center and this looks really fabulous on a neck.

I know that seems sort of silly to state, but I can't tell you how many times I've created something I think is awesome and then tried it on and realized it didn't work on a body. It's a really good idea to try on your designs or throw them on a jewelry form as you're working just to be sure they're wearable.

I'm using the core beaded necklace for a multi-strand idea. (Forgive the lighting, it's dismal here today and I had a heckuva time getting decent shots!) I added a little felt flower from ArtGirlz I embellished with a sequin and a crystal on a head pin. I'm seeing chains and exposed wire strands layering down from this top strand in a bib effect. I'll show you the final result when I get there.

Back to the bead mines!

xoxo
Madge