Creating a Handcrafted Item of Jewellery ... Part One

Todays post is all about how I go about making my Ribbon Necklaces, its not a tutorial but an example of the time, care and attention I take in producing my work.

My Yellow Blossom Ribbon Necklace

Why ? After the recent copying fiasco between a well branded high street store and a designer brand and the mixed feelings raised on the subject, I felt that it was worthwhile showing how much time and effort I put into making and creating each of my jewellery pieces and for my existing customers to show how much care and pride I take in my work.

So for Part One....

9.00am Saturday morning, the old man is off playing SWTOR (a geek thing sorry) on the computer, this means I can get to work on my new ribbon necklace.  I gather all my pieces of scrap clay, the colours needed for mixing and my lilac rose canes made before Christmas.

Everything I need prepped and ready

I need to measure out the base of my beads from the scrap, I'm actually getting a lot better at working out my sizes now and have been making notes for focal jewellery pieces such as my ribbon necklace and millefiori oblate necklaces.

With the base beads prepared its time to prepare my colours for covering, making sure the colour combination is correct and the clay is of the thickness for covering each bead.

9.15am with the colours prepared and rolled its time to start covering each bead, at this point its important for me to make sure the sizing of each bead is correct before the application of the canes.

9.30am With the beads covered and ready for caning I place the beads in the fridge to cool as this will allow for better cane application and stop the bead from distorting and I can have a cup of tea....

Beads are ready for cane application

10.00am The beads are ready for the cane to be applied each bead is covered with various sized slices of my lilac rose cane.  Once each bead is covered its time to create the bead holes and shape the darker purple beads into oblates.

10.40am Bead have been prepared, shaped and are ready for cooking.

Beads are ready for cooking

11.10am Beads are out of the oven and cooling down I like to cool my beads in very cold water this really helps when using translucent clay as it will make the translucency clearer.

So until Part Two Next Week....
Continue To Part Two Now