I find myself being busy all the time and yet achieving very little. I wonder how that happens?
When I find myself lacking inspiration I pick up either a jewellery magazine or book have a browse. This week I used a book by Linda Jones and had a go at making a tiara. It is modelled by my eldest daughter (I should have brushed her hair first). I didn’t have a tiara base so I had to improvise using some 1.5mm gilt wire. I got quite a good shape for the tiara base, but need more practise at the rest of it. It is quite funny when you make something for the first time and you can see the improvement in your technique from one end to the other. The beads are a mixture of freshwater pearls, crystals and clear and white glass beads.
Both the girls love the tiara so it is making its way to the fancy dress box.
I really loved the viking knot bracelet so I made myself another one, this means I now have 3, one in pink, one in pale blue and one in rust-red. What is really good is that I made this one with no mistakes, it really was third time lucky. All I need now is a green one and I should have enough to match all my different outfits!
This necklace to the right is why I haven’t made much this week. For the first time ever I have tried to plan out a piece of jewellery from start to finish. This even included attempting to draw what I was aiming for!
It is for a challenge on a beading forum and the subject is babbling brook. The other people on the forum are all so massively talented and produce such beautiful stuff that I haven’t decided whether or not to enter yet.
The necklace has been through many stages. The chain dangles section was originally half the size and suspended from a wire triangle on a silver chain but it looked so wrong that I had to go back to the drawing board. I then went for what is on the left but again with the silver chain. I still wasn’t happy so I got out all my ribbons, faux suede, fireline etc and tried them all.
I think the pale blue faux suede finishes it off beautifully. The necklace is designed to sit on the collar-bone.
notanotherbead 