The Evolution of a Jewelry Design

Almost...but not quite...take one...La Cage Prototype One (Before) Copyright Margot Potter 2009

La Cage (final) Copyright Margot Potter 2009

Incognito First Strand Copyright Margot Potter

Yesterday I started working on some 'in-use' designs. These are designs created for manufacturers that showcase their products in innovative and interesting ways. This work isn't easy because there are perameters and limitations you have to navigate. I've been working with architectural and sculptural wire designs for many years. My brain likes to think dimensionally, which is why I should really study casting and soldering and jewelry making techniques that would allow me to fully expand on that tendency. For now, I spent a lot of time making wire do what it doesn't want to do naturally and making a lot of glorious messes in the process.

There is value in those glorious messes, because that's where my brain is formulating new pathways. I began with a series of woven wire bits and pieces working on some ideas I had for dimensional designs and eventually I created this pendant, which I really like. It's basically a concave 'cage' in which I've suspended the new CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements disk. It's created from a single core wire wrapped with a thinner gauge of binding wire and crystals. After I finished the pendant I needed to create a foundation. I began with this intuitive beaded design and realized when it was finished that...it wasn't quite gelling. So I put it out there for other folks to see and got some great feedback. In the meantime I began reworking the foundation and came up with this.

I hammered some of the metal components and left others shiny. I created a small hook with the same wire I used in the pendant. I really like how the foundation supports the pendant without detracting from it. Everything leads the eye towards center and this looks really fabulous on a neck.

I know that seems sort of silly to state, but I can't tell you how many times I've created something I think is awesome and then tried it on and realized it didn't work on a body. It's a really good idea to try on your designs or throw them on a jewelry form as you're working just to be sure they're wearable.

I'm using the core beaded necklace for a multi-strand idea. (Forgive the lighting, it's dismal here today and I had a heckuva time getting decent shots!) I added a little felt flower from ArtGirlz I embellished with a sequin and a crystal on a head pin. I'm seeing chains and exposed wire strands layering down from this top strand in a bib effect. I'll show you the final result when I get there.

Back to the bead mines!

xoxo
Madge