Smoky Quartz Necklace Improved

As a person new to jewellery design, a surprise to me has been the usefulness of photographing your jewellery and then looking at it again.  When I first designed this piece it looked fine but as soon as I photographed it, the flaws became more apparent.  After seeing the photograph it was clear that all the rows of smoky quartz were too dominant, that it needed to be broken up with a lighter more delicate bead and one that matched the crystal drop.  In my mind this now looks a lot better.  The ends are still a bit 'top heavy' but a lot of that goes around the back so is not obvious.  However, maybe when I put it on and photograph the back I might want something less strong.  This has been such fun!

Smoky Quartz Necklace

Sitting in front of the TV at night I often wish I had something to do while I watch and I so enjoyed putting the last piece of jewellery together in front of the TV that I did another one.  I bought a string of Smoky Quartz beads sometime back and recently found a brooch that I could use as a focal point so I have been itching to put a necklace together as I wear a fair amount of brown and this would be a super piece to wear in the evening.  I intend to make it longer and improve the connection to the crystal drop but wanted to see what it looked like so far.  Will probably intersperse some clear glass beads amongst the quartz.  Have to go out and find some pretty clasps.  Yet another piece without a clasp!

Vintage Jewellery Creation

As well as photo manipulation, one of my other interests (well, another one of my MANY interests) is jewellery making. Last year I did a fantastic online course with Deryn Mentock and created a necklace for my sister and I've been dying to do something for myself but haven't got around to it.  Finally, I sat down and created the necklace that I wanted for a special occasion coming up soon.  I just need to get a nice clasp for it otherwise here it is:

Making Jewellery with Polymer Clay

I'm still busy with my online jewellery course and I have some pink beads that I wanted to use but no focal bead to use with them so I got out the old polymer clay to see if I could make something suitable.  I liked the hearts and beads that I made but they didn't really suit the beads I had - or maybe I'm too fussy.  I find it hard to put together the right beads to make a necklace look stunning.  Maybe I will just make a plain necklace with my pink beads with a couple of silver beads and findings around them.  Here are the polymer clay hearts I made:

Doing an Online Jewellery Course

Is it really almost a whole week since I posted last?!  I am giving quite a few courses this month and needed to refresh some of the content.  And yet what have I done, signed up for yet ANOTHER online course in ANOTHER craft.  All those people who say that they wouldn't know what to do if they gave up work - I would have no problem!  I would just create stuff all day.

SO, I have signed up for a jewellery course given by Deryn Mentock called The Build Zone:

I love different, striking or vintage type jewellery and so looking foward to putting something special together.