Month: July 2020

Day 203. I have been loving using pearls in my jewellery lately. The bracelet features beads made from recycled and Italian glass.

Day 202. I have been loving this beautiful galas colour. It’s bright and cheerful and reminds me of summer days…not long now!

Day 201. One of the “rules” of my work is that if I am using silver it should be sterling silver. Most galleries expect that, so the rule has some merit. But while I was browsing in a bead shop the other day I found these crinkly nickel disks that I loved and I thought now is the time to try something new. I know of people who have nickel allergies, hence why sterling silver is the preferred metal. But lots of people are not allergic to nickel. Anyway, I like the silver disks and I am still thinking about whether they are “OK” to use or not.

Day 200. Wow, 200 pairs of earrings! It has been fun to look back on the last 200 days and see which pairs of earrings: That I have loved making. That I have hated making. That people have loved. That have sold. That have been taken apart again. That have inspired new ideas. That have been inspired by old ideas. That have made me feel a bit happier during some pretty crazy times. That might end up in an exhibition. It’s been a challenging challenge indeed!

Day 199. Another day, another pair of earrings 🙂

Day 198. Last year my SALA exhibition featured jewellery made only from recycled glass bottles that were blue. This limitation/restriction helped me to be creative in different ways – different shaped beads, different additions like enamelled copper and blue rubber tube. This year I am lifting all restrictions on my work! It makes it both easier and harder to be creative! Easier, because I can do whatever I like. Harder, because it still needs to be a cohesive exhibition and sometimes too much freedom can make it tricky to start things! I have the opportunity to tell three different stories in this exhibition and I have worked out two of them. With two weeks to go I am wondering what the third story will be? I am trusting that I will work it out soon. Anyway, these earrings are from my ocean inspired story, and I have used some copper tubes leftover from last years exhibition, and added some new enamels to make them even more layered in colours.

Day 197. Loving all of the colours and shapes coming through for my exhibition. Can’t wait to see it all together! Not long now til setup.

Day 196. I did make more wave beads and mixed them with freshwater pearls in earrings, a bracelet and a necklace.

 

Day 195. While I was making wave beads the other day I wondered what they would look like with two shades of transparent glass, so I made a few test beads and I really like how they turned out. Definitely going to make some more of these.

Day 194. I love it when ideas just take hold and it becomes exciting to try new ways of making them work. I am really liking the drops under the beads at the moment, and was curious to see what pearls and beads would look like. With 2 beads I don’t really need the ring holding them together, and I like the shortened version. These wave beads will be a feature in my SALA exhibition at @stationmaster5255 gallery and I have been making them in all sorts of colours and combinations of colours!! Thank you @salafestival for going ahead this year!