The Jewelry Game

[Cudedog]

As everyone here probably knows, I love making hand-made jewelry.

I am not a person that likes to do the same thing, over and over again. Basically, I never make the same thing twice. Partly because I think it would be boring - partly because I can't!

I am pretty much "in the zone" when I am doing the creating thing. When I finish a piece, and look at it again in a day or two, I really don't know how I put it together - it just kind of "happened"!!

I do spend a LOT of time browsing jewelry online (shhhh - don't tell anyone - but more than a few hours every day). I am never looking to copy what someone else has done - basically, because of the way my mind works, I can't.

But I can gain excitement and inspiration when looking at something new and different.

I recently ran across a photo of this piece (more of my post below the photo):



This one has really got my juices flowing! I have ordered a couple of brass lizards and brass flowers and leaves (I already have a couple of nice Malachite cabochons), I'm thinking I will try something like this - which, truth be told, is totally beyond my current skill set.

But this piece is delicious!! I really admire the "ebb and flow" of it.

Again, I won't attempt to copy the design, just try to do something equally edgy with whirling wire with maybe a lizard or dragonfly or two.

This first effort will probably end in the trash can - most of my initial efforts generally do. But I am a "learn by doing" sort of person - and I'll never know if I can "get there" until I give it a try!

Thought I would share! Should be fun!

Anne

[Bethers]

Anne, that's beautiful. I can't wait to see what you do. Inspiration is great, wherever it comes from.

[monik7]

That’s really pretty Anne. I bet you’ll come up with something even better and prettier. Go for it girl!
Sandi

[BirdbyBird]

Great inspiration……

[Cudedog]

Beth, Sandi, Tina - really appreciate your comments and support. Thank you.

One of the many things that I really like about this piece is that the focal stone (the main large green stone in the piece) seems kind of just somehow "floating" and it isn't really obvious at all what is holding the stone in place, or even what exactly is holding the piece together.

It is the wire holding the stone and the piece together (of course) - and probably also the feet of the lizard, at least a little bit. This isn't really obvious until one studies it a bit (also there will be wire behind the focal stone that one can't see - this also will contribute to the stability of the piece).

But the illusion that the focal stone is just somehow floating in space without it much being attached to anything, is one of the many things I admire about this piece.

This is a technique that is fairly difficult to achieve - creating a piece that is swirly and floaty - but is in reality very firmly held together (as of course it needs to be).

I can't wait to try this!

Anne

[JudyJB]

It is beautiful, so I hope you put a high enough price on it!!

[snowball]

wow that is beautiful... is it heavy it looks like it...
have fun coming up with your own version of it...
when we got married I bought Larry a watchband that was it's one of a spelling that I can't come up close enough for it to find the spelling but we all know it it's highly used in Southwest jewelry and silver... beautiful piece had a snake in it it may not have had the green stone it's been years since I saw it he laid in on a car to work on it and there it went it took me a long time but I finally found one similar to it again with the snake... there was one Indian family that used the snake in their or his or her not sure which jewelry I loved how the snake was there but it wasn't so in your face .... this piece you see the lizard but you don't fixate on it... have fun working with this and making it your own
sheila

[Cudedog]

It is beautiful, so I hope you put a high enough price on it!!

Judy, this is not one of my creations.

I just like to look around the web at intricate and "different" pieces of jewelry. Looking at pieces like this one gives me inspiration, something to work towards, and motivation to try something new.

Since this one was quite unusual, I decided to share it with everyone.

I'm glad you like it. I sure do!

Anne

[Cudedog]

wow that is beautiful... is it heavy it looks like it...
have fun coming up with your own version of it...
when we got married I bought Larry a watchband that was it's one of a spelling that I can't come up close enough for it to find the spelling but we all know it it's highly used in Southwest jewelry and silver... beautiful piece had a snake in it it may not have had the green stone it's been years since I saw it he laid in on a car to work on it and there it went it took me a long time but I finally found one similar to it again with the snake... there was one Indian family that used the snake in their or his or her not sure which jewelry I loved how the snake was there but it wasn't so in your face .... this piece you see the lizard but you don't fixate on it... have fun working with this and making it your own
sheila

Sheila, thank you for the story about your husband's watch band. It must have been a really lovely piece.

Yes about the lizard! As you said, "You see it, but you don't fixate on it". Exactly my thought - in a way, the lizard blends in, almost chameleon like - and then, as it is noticed, takes one by surprise.

I don't know if the piece is heavy or not - I have never seen it "in person", just in this photo. It looks like it may be made of brass (possibly copper that has been polished). Hard to tell the weight of it - but you are probably right about it being somewhat heavy.

Anne

[OregonLuvr]

I cant wait to see what design you come up with. I used to wear jewelry but working we were not allowed to wear jewelry other than wedding ring or stud earrings. I sure like to admire unusual pieces tho. You make beautiful jewelry . Is that piece that has you interested a brooch or a necklace. I couldnt tell LOL but I am no expert.

[Colliemom]

That’s beautiful Annie. I know you are going to create something really spectacular. I’m like you, I can’t work on the same thing over and over because it gets boring. I sometimes have to go snooping for deas for decorating or making woodcrafts for my ladder or yard. The company that I order my woodcraft patterns from, has a tremendous inventory of patterns, so I can always find ideas from them for most stuff. People have suggested that I should go to craft shows with this stuff, but I say no because it gets too boring and I am not set up for mass production. It’s just a little hobby that I like to do. It takes a lot of time to do these and I have other things to do besides that. Right now I am going to be glad when I am done with what I’m doing, because I’ve got outside work and other things I want to do around my house here. Time to take a break from that stuff.

[Cudedog]

I’m like you, I can’t work on the same thing over and over because it gets boring. I sometimes have to go snooping for ideas for decorating or making woodcrafts for my ladder or yard.

Sue, "Great Minds Think Alike", for sure!! I am constantly "snooping" for jewelry "bits" (findings and such to use in my jewelry creations), as well as new designs and different kinds of stones. I SO know what you are talking about!!

The "bits" I ordered so that I could go forward with a new design came the other day, just as I was leaving to visit my best friend that I haven't had a long visit with since before the pandemic. It was to her and her husband's house I evacuated during the great Oroville dam scare in 2017.

I have been thinking on what to do/where to start with a new design, and I have (tentatively!) decided to re-make a piece I made about a year ago. I loved it at the time I finished it, but as time has gone on (and it hasn't sold) I can see how I could have done it better, so I'm thinking it needs a re-do to "charge it up".

Here is a photo of how it looks currently (the focal stone is a shimmery light blue Amazonite - the "shimmer" doesn't of course show in the photo):



I like the folded copper of it, and the wire work - but the single wire at the top (which helps to hold the stone in place) needs to go, or at least be hidden. It just doesn't look "right", and I now see it as amaturish. I didn't know how to do that (hide the single top wire) when this piece was made, I have a lot of ideas of how I can do it now.

Live and learn, as they say! And I learn something new with each piece that I make.

I am also thinking of substituting the beaded necklace for a plain braided leather cord. That should definitely make it more interesting!

I hope to spend a couple of hours on it today, but (to steal a phrase from Karen!) "we shall see". My house at least needs some "pick up", if not a thorough cleaning. But jewelry-making is always more fun!!

Thanks, Sue!!

Anne

[OregonLuvr]

I like it. Not sure why it hasnt sold either. You do beautiful work. I didnt get that artsy fartsy gene. I am more of a techy. Oh well that is what stores like yours are for ha ha I bought a few things on Etsy a couple weeks ago (not jewelry as I dont wear it anymore) I like cruising that site.

[BarbaraRose]

am pretty much "in the zone" when I am doing the creating thing. When I finish a piece, and look at it again in a day or two, I really don't know how I put it together - it just kind of "happened"!!

I do spend a LOT of time browsing jewelry online (shhhh - don't tell anyone - but more than a few hours every day). I am never looking to copy what someone else has done - basically, because of the way my mind works, I can't.

But I can gain excitement and inspiration when looking at something new and different.

I can totally relate to this! I get in the "zone" when working on gourds and also when I used to do floral design. I would just whip those arrangements together, stand back and go "wow! How did I do that?!". Was like I was on some sort of creative auto pilot!

I also go online to look at lots of gourd art to get ideas from. Sometimes I like the color combinations, or carving ideas, or shapes, designs, etc. I even look at non-gourd stuff, like patterns on shirts, etc that I could use on a gourd. I get inspiration from all sorts of things! I copy and paste those ideas to a file under "gourd ideas" for future reference. I always have a ton of ideas swimming around in my head! The really gorgeous gourd art I see is way beyond my ability but is something to strive for. I am just a beginner, after all, so I have a lot of room for improvement!

It is all so fun! Good luck with whatever you come up with! Every piece is unique as it should be!

[Redetotry]

Anne your work is really beautiful!!! Are you also a photographer, your photos are amazing.

I looked again and bought The Eye of The Storm. It was a toss up with Craters of the Moon. So many beautiful ones it was hard to decide.