Guest Post - Manda Jane Rodwell - A Dandelions Tale

Today talented jewellery designer Manda Jane Rodwell joins us as a guest blogger and shares some of the trials and tribulations of transforming ideas into reality.

I can't tell you how excited and honoured I feel to be here as guest designer!  So a really big "hello" to you all!

Lesley Watt is such a talented artist and one that I very much admire and look up too.  So, when she offered me the chance to "have a go" at setting one of her ceramic cabs I bit her hand off,  couldn't believe my luck that she had picked me from all the uber talented artists out there in jewellery land.

This is not my first collaboration but it is the one that I shall remember for teaching me a life lesson or 2 or 3.

The idea was I that I would journal the process of cab to setting to finished piece and share the complete journey with you here.

I had a plan...to complete one cab just to make sure I could do it (I had visions of breaking the cab in 2 at the last minute) and the 2nd would be THE ONE, step by step pictures for you to peruse. However some things never go quite to plan and oh, how I fooled myself.

After 3 aborted attempts I decided to down tools and ditch any thought of a camera. I was letting this cab down horribly, I was not delivering the greatness I had promised. Too fussy, too plain, too contrived, too confident,  not enough confidence…Nerves had got the better of me and panic had set in, I was running out of time!

I had a stiff drink and slept on it!

I'm a weekend maker so it was a whole week before I could tackle it again but the penny had dropped... the cab wasn't the problem I was.  A different approach was called for if I was to get at least one cab set in time with some degree of professionalism.  Armed with a renewed mental confidence it struck me that I was going to have to re-think the technical approach as well, I was not going to be able to treat this ceramic cab in the same way as a glass one - It should have been obvious! Deep breathe and I start again this time with no expectations and no camera, just calm and relaxed...Tah dah - "Dandelion Wind" was born.

She's not how I first visualised her... she's so much better.

Lessons learnt:

1. Panic less, plan time management better.
2. Listen to my own creative voice. 
3. Relax.

I ran out of time to attempt the 2nd one for this post - sorry about that, but I'm confident I can now tackle it with far less anguish!

Health & Safety experts close your eyes NOW.  The aftermath!  I know where everything is, its highly organised really.

Lesley, thank you so much for letting me play with one of your beautiful cabs, for the prods in the right direction and your belief in me!

Manda 
Silver Storm Jewellery