Saturday 31 May 2014

Moving forward

                 

The BSBP (see my reveal post here) has provided me with a lot of confidence to move forward with my jewellery making. I received some wonderful encouragement from all the participants and the compliments on my wirework really spurred me on to experiment more with wire. I also received some good advice froma friend who told me that she loves my large art pieces by that there was nothing wrong with scaling things back and exploring the possibilities of popular and saleable items. I will always do one of a kind but I did a bit of a search of "popular" to see what would appeal to me. As an avid fan of Revenge I see that the infinity symbol trend is still going strong. I wanted to incorporate this into something but didn't want it to be really obvious. I decided to do a copper wire prototype and this is what I came up with. I really enjoy working with wire. It's complex enough to stop me from getting bored but simple enough to do in a day. I wore this yesterday and I feel I've come a long way since I first tried wire. It fits, there are no sharp edges, it sits well and I like it. I might make a similar one in silver but of course it will look different. I am in between working on a really large freeform design. If I can manage to stock up on a few designs of bracelets and necklaces I may take the next step of booking a stall at the school markets. I will see where my crazy life takes me. 

Saturday 10 May 2014

BSBP EIGHT REVEAL!!!

The day has come to reveal my BSBP pieces. This is a first for me and I was very fortunate to be paired with Agata who has similar colour tastes to me. Although I chose seeds I wanted to challenge myself so I decided to use wire and chain. I still designed freeform pieces because I like to show a bit of me in every piece I do. I do think my pieces look fairly beginner and did somewhat deviate from my original plans but I love them none the less. 

My main piece is a freeform beaded pendant incorporating many of the beads that Agata sent. I had originally had a very spherical concept true to my inspiration (Davinci's Demons) designed but it was all too bulky and the star was much more suited to a flowing design. The wire wrapping was a huge challenge and I had to try to make the colours gel with the clasp. This is very true to Clarice Orsini's style in the show, she wears a layered necklace with lots of different elements so I have named it Clarice.







The next challenge I set myself was a wire bracelet. I kept adding and twisting and adding until I was happy with the end result. I love this and have worn it every day. This reminded me of a hair piece full of beautiful flowers, something that Vanessa Moschella, a free spirited character would wear. Hence this piece is called Vanessa.




Last but not least are the earrings I designed. My one issue with these earrings are the wires are a different colour. I want to be able to wear them as I love them but I cannot tolerate base metals in my ears so sterling it is. They are something that Lucrezia would wear. So they are to be named Lucrezia I hope I have done my beautiful soup from Agata justice as she has done with mine.



There is just one thing left to say and that is a HUGE thank you to my swap partner Agata and the wonderful Ms Lori who despite challenges was able to put together this wonderful party. Also to everyone who has supported me behind the scenes.

Please don't just stop by my blog, check out the host Blog: Pretty Things and all the wonderful links. Please don't forget to see what Agata did with her soup at Inaurem.

Saturday 3 May 2014

BSBP and the Liebster Award



I was expecting to post some pretty raw designs today for the BSBP. However, sadly our host Lori is unwell and she's had to postpone. I don't think any one is bothered by the one week postponement as it gives us all a chance to refine our designs, hopefully Lori is well soon. 

I was browsing Bloglovin' as I often do on a Saturday morning and saw my name and a link to this blog on the lovely Bead Recipes. The talented Melissa has nominated me for something called the Liebster award. The Liebster award is a chain letter designed to bring new visitors to small, unknown blogs. “Liebster” is a German word that translates to “dearest”, “most favourite”. 

You must follow the rules below to participate:

  • You have to link the person who nominated/tagged you.
  • You have to answer the 11 questions your nominator asked you
  • Pick 11 bloggers whose blogs have less than 200 followers, tag them, and don’t forget to inform them about it.
  • Come up with 11 new questions for the persons you’ve tagged.
So, here are my questions and answers:

Dog or cat?
Dog, definitely dog :-). I have three, two Border Collies named Milo and Scooby and a Labrador named Luna. 

Dark chocolate or milk?
Dark chocolate seems to sit better in my tummy. 

What’s your favourite time of year (season or holiday) and why?
Spring, when It's not too hot, here in Queensland it is generally September, October around my birthday.

What’s your favourite recipe? Link to it if it’s online!
Mainly my favourites of my mums that I know off by heart, egg and bacon pie is my all time favourite to eat and cook. 

Where in the world would you most like to travel?
I have never been out of Australia and dream of the Greek Isles. 

Name three books that you really really enjoyed reading.
Just three? The Potato Factory, 'Tis, The Hunger Games are amongst my favourite but I love to read. 

If you could travel in time, which period would you most want to visit?
I would go back to my time in country Victoria, when I was 12 and 13. Although there were so e tough times then they were amongst the most fun moments of my life. 

What’s your favourite gemstone?
I'm partial to citrine. 
When was the last time you dressed up in a costume? And what did you wear?
I think it was 2 years ago and it was a pirate wench. 

What craft or technique would you really like to learn?
Knitting, I've tried and tried but I'm not so good. 

Do you live close to where you grew up, or far away?
Far away. I was born in Kalgoorlie in WA and we moved a lot after leaving WA in 1989. 

OK so I might be breaking the rules, just for now as I haven't time to pull up more blogs that I don't readily know but I have added my friends, family, and followers that I would love to see develop their blogs more and I shall add to the list over the coming week before the BSBP reveal.

Nominator: Melissa from Bead Recipes
Ana from AC Beads
Molly from Beaute Beads
Danielle from Cilla & Mint
Lori Finney from Using My Beads
Lorelle from Beady Art
Nan Smith from Nanmade

Here are my questions:
What is your favourite movie?
Who inspires you the most in your creative endeavors?
Where was the last place you danced?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What colour are your eyes?
How many pets do you own?
What are your biggest phobias?
How would your best friend describe you?
Are you loud or quiet?
Do you do sport, if so what?
If you could only eat one food for a whole day, what would it be?