Design Retrospective

Over the past few weeks I've been having a clear out of my photographic files. I love that the digital age makes it so easy to take and store photographs but that ease also means I tend to hang on to too much for too long so a cull was necessary. Needless to say this has taken longer than planned because the photographs are in themselves a distraction and much time was spent reminiscing.

Obviously I have many, many photographs of the jewellery I've designed and whilst going through these I realised that they charted a clear path in the development of my relationship with Art beads and hand made design elements.

I've not been making jewellery that long in the scheme of things - just seven years or so and I originally took it up as an antidote to s stressful job and something to do on winter evenings. My first bead purchases were commercial hobby store and online bead shop buys which and the resulting jewellery utilised very basic techniques.

Always one to search out something more with whatever I'm doing I spent hours trawling the Internet and before very long I had discovered the wonders of lampwork beads... I was completely Smitten and my art bead stash was born.  Sterling silver accents and finding also made their first appearance at this point as I felt the art beads deserved some better and silver had yet to go through the roof in price!

Lampwork implosion beads by Sally Carver

Lampwork beads by Kaz Baildon

Lampwork beads by Julie Fountain

Again these techniques involved with these pieces were fairly  basic stringing and wiring and I really wanted my designs to have more of me in them. I started playing with wire to add another dimension and a new love affair began that still continues...
 

Lampwork beads by Kaz Baildon and Sally Carver

Further down the line leather leather began to work it's way into my designs. I loved the casual, colourful, boho feel you could get with  this very versatile medium and it very much suited my own personal taste in jewellery.

Lampwork beads by Julie Cannon

Lampwork beads by Lori Lochner

Whilst developing these techniques for myself I also attended workshops in silversmithing and metal clay and that saw me combining my own metal pieces with my beloved beads.

Lampwork beads by Pinocean

Lampwork bead by Sally Carver

Later a further workshop added enameling into the mix....

One of the last elements I added to my design repertoire was ceramic beads and little did I know at the time that I would end up making these myself and love them above all others. I continued to mix and match with other mediums to develop what I hope is my own style.

Ceramic elements by Karen Totten and Diana Ptaszynski

When I started making jewellery I had no idea than I would ever make jewellery components to sell to other people or that that aspect would takeoff and become the bigger part of my business. This inevitably means that these days I make a lot less jewellery but when I do you can still see these earlier design elements and techniques making an appearance and forming the foundation of my design ethic. 

Ceramic cabachon by Lesley Watt - Polymer clay mixed media technique by Jenny Davies-Reazor

Polymer clay roses by Leah Curtis

Pendant by Lesley Watt

Lampwork bead by Julie Cannon

Etched copper focal by Lesley Watt - Polymer clay mixed media technique by Jenny Davies-Reazor

So what do you see when you see when you look back on your old designs is there an identifiable trend or have you taken yourself of in a completely new or surprising direction...That's the beauty of jewellery design...so many things to try! Happy designing.

Note: Apologies for beads that have not been credited but I no longer have the details for some of them and my memory is not what it was..

Beach Vacation Jewelry Designing

I'm getting ready to leave tomorrow with the boys on a much deserved trip to the beach!  Yay! Fun in the sun, or not, as the weather report seems fraught with clouds, rain and storms. (sad face)  As much as that seems like a downer, I don't really care.  If I can look at the waves, and hear them thunder to the shore and walk with sand (wet or dry) under my bare feet, I think I will be okay!

From our trip to the same beach a couple years back!

If you are like me,  when you go on a family trip, you need some creative things to keep your hands busy when you are bored or the rest of the fam wants to do something you are not particularly interested in.  What to bring, though?  Lately, my jewelry creation interests have been in the fabrication mode...soldering, enameling, metal clay and polymer clay firing. Can't bring the kiln, torch or toaster oven!  So, I usually resort to...beads and wire.

This trip I have decided to focus on some unfinished projects first...

My mixed-media pendants and metal clay pendant in various stages.

These are in various stages of completion...some just need a clasp, some need to have more links added, etc.  They have been in my "to do" pile long enough.

I also want to start a new "rosary" project.  I put quotations, because this will not be a traditional Catholic rosary in the sense that I am going to use my metal clay components, and I may or may not do the full 50 Aves with 6 Pater beads.  I guess we'll see.

My white copper components and gorgeous tiger-eye!

This is a perfect beach project for me, as all I need are wire, beads, pliers and a cutter.  How to pack it, though, so it doesn't take up much room and is all in one place?  I found these cool boxes at The Container Store ages ago and I like the flat, briefcase-like design.

Nice and flat, so it can stack in your suitcase.

Just add your materials, toss in your new favorite jewelry magazine for beach reading and for stabilization of the contents and you are all set!

I do have a couple of projects I wanted to get done before I leave...something new for me to wear!  My beach jewelry wear is usually very simple...just earrings, and maybe a bracelet or necklace at night.

I hoped to get a couple new pairs of earrings made for me...these are on my table right now:

Gorgeous stoneware by Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio, ceramic flowers by Joan Miller, and my favorite Czech glass beads.  Combinations to be decided and probably changed 20 times!

I would also like to create a beachy-themed bracelet with these gorgeous beads and maybe some leather...love Diana's starfish connector....I have been saving it! Don't Sue Kennedy's ridged lampwork beads fit with Diana's mix perfectly?

Yummy mix of beachy colors!

So, this is my rainy day beach plan!  Who knows, if we have wonderful weather, there may not be any free time to sit and do any of this, but at least I am prepared!  I'll try to follow-up and show any finished pieces next time!

How about you?  What kind of creative projects do you like to take with you on vacation?  We would love to know!!!!

Bead Fest - Sneak Peek

When I sat down to write today's post I knew there was only one thing I could write about because right now there is only one thing on my mind...Bead Fest! It is finally dawning on me that in a little over 4 weeks time I will be boarding a plane at Heathrow airport and winging my way to Newark airport to meet my lovely AJE team mate Diana and that a few days later we will be heading off to Bead Fest...Oh My God!!

I have a lot to thank AJE for since this trip is only possible thanks to the kindness of some of my colleagues who are putting me up and showing me around during my two week stay in the US. Diana is not only hosting me for the first part of my visit but she has very generously invited me to have a small selection of my work available for sale on her Suburban Girl booth #471A - how cool is that!

Of course - now it's come down to making inventory it's a little more nerve wracking. We don't have bead shows on this scale in the UK and apart from a specialist lampworking event, I know of nothing that brings together such an awesome array of artisans as Bead Fest does. Intimidated... me...? you bet I am!

When I was trying to think about what to make I soon had a list as long as my arm and realised just as quickly that that wasn't practical and I had to be more selective.  As I'm working mostly in ceramic at the moment I knew that's what I wanted to concentrate on and I wanted to have some new things to show so, rather than make lists I did what I usually do and just sat down and started making.

So far I'm pretty happy with how it's going but what do you think..? Here's a little sneak peek at some of the things that might be going stateside with me...

I wanted to bring a little bit of England across the pond with me and what better from a country obsessed with tea than these cute little teapot charms/pendants in fun and funky brights...

Or rustic farmhouse hues. Many thanks to Jenny Davie-Reazor for the idea to add the drops of tea.

Lovely kites catching on a summer breeze...

A flotilla of sail boats....

 

It's still only nine months since I started working with clay, learning all the time and trying out new techniques like this painterly effect with under glaze on unglazed flecked stoneware...

And of course ammonites are always going to feature somewhere in my repertoire...

Since Bead Fest is in late summer I've also been thinking ahead to the next change in seasons...

And owls, there has to be owls...these are favourites from my bronze range and I think they cope quite well with the change of medium.

I do have a few other things that I've not started on yet (very busy few weeks ahead) and I do want to try and take some bronze pieces with me but it's a lot heavier to ship/carry.

If you're going to Bead Fest do come and say hello to the AJE team - as well as Diana and myself, Jen, Jennifer, Karen and Sue will all be vending and other team members are visiting so keep a look out here and on Facebook for updates on what treats they might have for you.

If you're not going well I will certainly be filling my shop with some of these goodies when I get back and might even list a few before I go - time permitting.

So either way - happy shopping!

Lesley
The Gossiping Goddess

Easy Earring Tutorial

I made these super easy earrings a few months ago and thought I would share how to make them.

I adore these very rustic discs that Diana P makes (find some here and here, here and here.). After making these earrings, I bought a couple more pairs because I love them so much.

To make these, you will need:

-Glass headpins by moi (Jen Cameron) that look their best when viewed from the top down (some look better from the side). I have no headpins listed right now, but probably about 50 of them sitting in a box in my studio if you're interested.

-Ceramic Discs by Diana Ptaszynski (Suburban Girl Studio)

-Ear wires (I used Vintaj)

-plus basic pliers, hammer and bench block. Possibly wire cutters 

Instructions:

Just a warning, it will take longer to read the directions than to make a single earring.

-If you are particular about length, measure about 3/4" to 1" length of wire from behind head. Otherwise, eyeball it. The length is determined by personal preference and also how far from the edge the hole of the disc is.

-Bend wire at the length determined in the last step. Gently fold wire into a U with the disc at the bottom of the U and glass head on the short wire side in the front of the disc.

-Bend the end of the wire containing the glass head and cross it over the other leg of the U. Decide where you would like the wrap would be. Grasp both legs with needle nose pliers and wrap the head around the other leg until it's facing the front again.

-It should now look like this:

-Then you will make a loop to hang from the ear wire. Bend wire to one side.

-Make loop using round nose pliers.

-Once you've done that, you will make messy wraps above and below the glass head. This adds an interesting design element and locks the head into place.

-I hammered the loop holding the discs and the loop holding the ear wires for this pair.

-Repeat for the 2nd earring.

-Wear them. Or gift them, if you can stand to part with them...

What do you think of the bark? It's my new photo prop. 

Have fun with this and show me what you make!

-Jen Cameron

Glass Addictions