All about jewellery making

A couple of posts ago I made reference to the important place that the changing seasons and calendar cycles have for the crafter in terms of inspiration.  This observation, along with the serendipity of finding Sandra Wallace’s books, ‘The Beader’s Colour Mixing Directory’, lead to my further appreciation of the ways in which colours and their combinations are also often closely connected to a seasonal theme.

Colours have very powerful associations from the invigorating, fresh greens of Spring to the warming, deep wine reds familiar during the festive season of Christmas.  It is clear that colours can bring about a psychological reaction and therefore particular colour schemes are likely to have striking effect.  To my eye, for example, yellow and black shown together are jarring, dissident and in fact make me feel slightly ill.  Such reactions are not the same for everybody since we do not share the same associations.

However I do believe that certain colour schemes are generally popular.  For example, blue and white, probably best known as a theme from Delftware but also reflected in crisp blue and white gingham as well as more recent interpretations of this combination in chinaware.  Blue and white together with yellow are often to be found in kitchens, reminescent of Mediterranean climbs, lemon trees and azure blue seas.  Is it the colour scheme per se that appeals here or the concept? 

With the rise in the popularity of ‘vintage style’ and ’shabby chic’ pastel shades have become very popular - pale pinks, blues, greens and beiges.  Looking ahead to making jewellery for Spring I immediately turn to fresh shoot greens, crisp white, the yellows of narcissii and shades of blossom pink.  I have recently noticed especial favour for pink and green accessories for which rose quartz and green aventurine are very well suited.  Another colour referenced at Springtime is deep purple, not just due to religious associations, but the rich , dense, velvety shade of croci, irises and violas.

What colours do you think of at Springtime? - please leave your ideas below as it would be really nice to know how others see this hopeful time of year.

Today I am showing a necklace that I made for my Mum with stock from my bead shop.  I was very pleased with this combination of beads - the necklace includes quite a variety.  The pendant itself is russian jade and this particular example has very beautiful markings and colouration. 

The beads accompanying the pendant are green moss agate, hematite and freshwater pearl.  I used Bali silver bead caps and small Bali silver and hematite beads to create visual interest in terms of profile, shape and size.  The clasp is a Bali style pewter toggle. 

For this type of necklace I use bead stringing wire such as Acculon because it hold the beads nicely and is strong and I attached the pendant to the main body of the necklace by using a homemade headpin.  This type of headpin is very simple to make by forming a straightforward spiral at the end.  I used a wire-wrapped loop at the top for extra security.

Now that Christmas is past and the new year seems to already be whizzing along my thoughts are turning to Spring.  It occured to me how important the seasons and their respective festivities are to crafters.  The turning year provides a rich source of inspiration and our traditions punctuate that cycle.  The next special day on the horizon is Valentine’s Day. 

As with Christmas I have created a section in the Bead Tree bead shop for this occasion.  Here I have gathered a wide selection of heart shaped beads and pendants as well as a variety of pink, red and purple beads.  I have so many items in my shop that it seems to me that clear and helpful arrangement of stock must be helpful to my customers.

Although we usually associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love it is a perfect time to express fondness and affection to all our loved ones.  A simple handmade gift of a Murano style heart on a cord or rose quartz bracelet could really make someones day.  It is with the spirit of spreading a little Valentine’s love that I write this post.

If you have been reading my blog for long enough you may remember the tutorial I wrote last year for a right angle weave Valentine’s beaded heart motif.  This year my energies went into a crochet pattern for vintage style romantic Valentine’s heart bunting, perfect for decorating your home at this time of year.  Pictures of my Valentine’s heart bunting can be found here and the pattern can be purchased from here.

I would like to end this post by wishing all my readers and customers a peaceful and joyful 2008.