Friday, April 13, 2012

When Designers Screw Up!

Sometimes things just don't go well...sometimes you just screw up :)

It's been a few days of things not going the way I want them to, it happens and I don't get upset about it, it's the nature of the beast for a designer.
But I thought it might be interesting if I showed you how I manage to screw up and at some point you'll see how I worked through it.

I'm doing a challenge....Layne's Legacy better known as BFAC or Beading For A Cure.  You buy a kit...which are limited and sell out super fast...and then create something which you will donate so it can be auctioned off to raise funds.  It's my first time and I was super excited to get the kit and see what we were given to work with.

I was thrilled with the colors...very in my comfort zone and decided I would make an evening bag.  So I started pulling things from my stash to add to it. Got all this done :)


And, have to say I'm loving it, I know the design will work and the only issue I was having was going to be parting with it.

Then I reread the challenge rules!!!

Silly me missed the part about only being able to add ONE other bead type...by this point I think I'd added four!

POOP!

So....this is set aside to be worked on when I have time and I had the brainwave that most of the beads in the kit are what it takes for my Lace Cufflette and I wondered if it would work with a multi-color palette.

Well..here it is, and though I like some things about it, like the design I worked into the lace I am not happy with it.  There are two things I really do not like....the bugles are too heavy....larger than the size I used and they just over power it. The other thing is the brick red...too much of it.

I designed the lace for 15/0s and I really think it needs to be that to really capture the lace quality.
And some of you may squirm when I tell you I will probably take my scissors to this but sometimes that's what you need to do.


There are really no mistakes if you learn something so I take this week as a school week :) 

I did receive my antiqued silver ear wires for the latest tutorial I'm working on (which would have been finished if I hadn't been doing the two things above).
So I did manage to finish the earrings and take the photos for the tutorial.

I had fun taking the pictures...I wanted to make the cubes float as if in space because they totally remind me of the Borg ship from Star Trek: TNG :)


The little box pendant can also be made as a ring box.
The tutorial is called "HoneyCube" and will be in my store next week :)


Quite the week!

Monday, April 9, 2012

The Yummiest of Books

 So....after a few days of pulling myself up by  my bootstraps I'm back :)

And I'm back to talk about something that helped me through a little patch of depression....the amazing book....

21st Century Jewelry
by Marthe Le Van


When this one first arrived I had a hard time putting it down and it tended to go with me from room to room.  It has to be the most inspiring book of jewelry I've ever seen and I can't recommend it enough.
Yes...it can be overwhelming and humbling to see such freaking awesome jewelry designs but if you can put intimidation aside and just soak in the pure brilliance of the work it will lift you, inspire you....and take the blues out of any day :)

I just chose two photos to give you a sneak peek....and I could have chosen any so I just let the book open where it wanted and it gave me two/three perfect pieces to illustrate how wide ranging this book is.

The first is simple elegance in the rings of Yesim Yuksek....here are "Deco Bride" and "Gothic Bride". Gee...the Gothic one makes me consider getting married just so I could have this one on my finger.


And from simple we go to sublime in this amazing piece by Vina Rust, "Eastern Cottonwood Defense".  The organic quality of this piece is staggeringly beautiful though I confess I wouldn't want to wear it.
Why wouldn't I want to wear it? Because I wouldn't be able to see it!!! 
I could look at this piece for ages and would rather frame it and hang it right in front of my desk!

Eastern Cottonwood Defense 2008

Though the pieces I've shown are metal, do not be deceived this book contains jewelry in just about every material out there.....from plastic & ribbon to post-its (yes, post its!) to precious metals.  It illustrates perfectly that if you have an idea you can create it with any material around...blue corn, OMG!

I don't know how I can recommend you buy this book more than saying "Just do it", if you have to search through the sofa for loose change....do it!
You will not regret it :)


The second book I'm going to talk about is also by Marthe Le Van (I want her job ;))  and is about one of the crazy challenges that happen in the jewelry community.....this one is also the title of the book

Ring A Day


Some one came up with the idea to challenge people to design a ring every day for a year....use whatever you have wherever you are.
This makes for a very interesting book that also shows us there are no limits to supplies if you're willing to think outside the box.

And to illustrate that here's one by Maria Apostolou..."Olive Leaf"


Ring-A-Day #1, 01/06/2010 "Olive Leaf"

Now this one may not have a long life but you have to admire the innovation and the design...and from here, where could you take it?  A silver leaf sewn with gold thread?   I've always been one to search for inspiration in unusual places (the color palette from rotten fruit) so this book makes me smile and inspires me further.

As a lover of sushi this one totally appealed to me, created by the extremely talented and Volcano Roll eating Lora Hart with, of all things, plastic sushi grass.  

RAD 51/365

This is a totally fun book!  And if you want to learn where inspiration comes from this is like 'Inspiration 101'. Want to learn how to come up with original designs?  Buy this book....it will make you smile, it will make you laugh and you'll be teaching your muse to think outside the box without even thinking about it!

Do Google the designers, I did, and I was amazed at their creativity!


So....two more from the pile of awesomeness from Lark Books.
These two definitely lifted my sagging spirits and made me feel that excitement about designing deep in my soul again.  Maybe they'll do the same for you :)