by Staci Louise Smith
Why is it that when we have little to no time left at all, our inspiration kicks it into overdrive?
I have my last jewelry show of the year this coming weekend
(Crafts in the Meadow- Tyler Park PA...it's a wonderful juried show full of amazing artists)
Since Beadfest I have been dying to play with all my beads. Not only the ones I have made, but the ones I bought and traded for.
I have been sketching necklaces for weeks, trying to figure out what to make. I really don't need anymore to fill my booth, but I HAD to make new stuff!!! I have really been loving the way more and more artists are embracing wire, and wanted to really play with wire this year. I got to see some of Susan Lenart Kazmers work in person at Beadfest this year, and I love her free form use of wire. I also loved how she used wire as the back of the necklace in lots of fun ways.....like this piece.
Great use of wire to make a cage sort of neck wire to match the cage on the ammonite. As I admired her work, I promised myself to do even more fun stuff with wire.
Below is one of the necklaces I really adored by Susan.
This may sound funny, but the piece above sort of inspired this new style. I had originally wanted the wire part in the back of the necklace, but liked how it looked in the front better. Plus, its is much more comfortable this way. I love me some fun art jewelry, but it also has to be wearable to me.
They look really nice on as well. It allows me to let the focal shine, yet still gives some character to the necklace.
I also wanted to make more charm necklaces. I have always adored charm necklaces, and haven't made any new styles in this past year. Here are a couple from last year.
I love chunky charm necklaces, and I have tried in the past to do the "over - charmed" look. Yet I can never make it work. It always felt too busy to me.
Then I found this on Pinterest, and I loved that the chunky front was balanced by that wire back that I had been admiring. I thought I would give the "over-kill" charm look a go again.
The necklace is by Allison Bellows
(take a peek, all her stuff is amazing!!!!!!!!!!)
So with this sort of wire in the back, charm necklace idea..I started to draw pictures and think about it. How things lay for me is important, which I think is what always stopped me from completing this style. I like to be able to see everything and don't want things to turn sideways, or be hidden, ect........... I also need things to be very wearable and comfortable, which to me, means they should be adjustable. So, I started to play. I am very happy with the results- and even more happy that I got to use a ton of my favorite beads on each one of these!!!!!!!!!!
This was my first one, not tooooo much charm wise. I added the sari silk last, because I thought it needed another long element and another pop of color.
I decided to use chain in the front, along with one larger element, and then hang the charms off the chain, so that way, they can still lay sort of flat and be seen. Plus, it totally allows this to be adjustable. The hook at the end of the neck wire is where you fasten the chain. even better, the weight of the charms holds the chain down, so it doesn't come undone. I also did little spirals at the end of the hook clasp so it couldn't come off easily.
This was my last one I made.....lol! You can see I made my way to overly charmed! But i like it.
I had some very pricey brass chain I had been hoarding (all these chains are handmade solid brass- not made by me) and so, I made this one for me. I haven't taken it off at all!!! I love the jingly heavy charm feel of it!
Picture of me wearing it. It is soooo mine!
This one I just had some fun with. I had to re-do it quite a few times until it had the right flow to it.
I kinda laughed at myself, because you would think these would be quick to make, just adding this or that, but they all took a lot of adding something, removing something, or shifting it to the side, ect ect.....
Anyhow, I am hooked. Crazy wire everywhere. I had more fun then I can even imagine. I have been sketching and looking at my beads for far too long! Often when I sketch a new idea, it doesn't always pan out, but I think these did.
If you are planning to come out to the show this weekend (if you are local, you should, it is a GREAT show!) please stop by. I have lots of new stuff to show you!
Here are some more pieces I made for this weekend. I still want to spend a couple days doing silver bezels of odd stones. I have movement in mind with that batch, so we will see how movement and silver bezels end up.
Sorry for the loooong post and all the exclamation points. It just felt that good to get to play with all this stuff that has been brewing in my brain.
How about you? Do you sketch your designs? And if yes, how excited are you when they work out????
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