trend moodboard for mix'n craft

According to the jewellery trend forecasting website Trendvision, the trend that is hot at the moment in the jewellery world is mix'n craft. Mix'n craft is a name that Trendvision has come up with for for this particular theme. The theme is mixing  traditional with contemporary knowledge . "It is necessary to learn to live together, to reconcile various generation and  different cultures,looking for alternative ways to be together in a genuine exchange between old and new".

 http://www.trendvisionforecasting.com/public/eng/Pagina72.asp

Gucci Sping 2012

 http://stylebloguk.com/tag/art-deco/

I'm thinking about making a piece for one of the outfits on the Gucci spring\summer 2012 collection. It has green lines and I thought I would incorporate the colour by adding patina on some of the metal beads.maybe  I could also get  a different coloured string to see how it will look without the bright red.

Art-Deco inspired pendant

Still looking at my Art-Deco mood board I've and geometric lines on the clutch bag by Judith Leiber, I'm working on a pendant that in a follow up from the Art-Deco earrings I made.

problem solving

I'm trying to fix the pair of earrings that were  prototypes for the platinum project. The problem was trying to hide the red string when I make turns while stitching the metal beads up. The only way I can think of solving this is by deliberately making the string visible all around the earrings, now my only problem is ending my piece with out making it look ugly.    

Art-deco

first attempt with tubes

second attempt with chain


My first pair of earrings didn't  come out the way I wanted them to, first my beaded panel was a bit to big for the frame I had made so I was trying to force then panel in the frame which resulted to the frame bulging  on the sides and the the wire which I used to sting the metal beads for  the tassels was to stiff  so there was not much movement which was a disappointment. On my second  pain of earrings decided not to add the dots to metal because it wasn't neat on the first one and I made the beaded panel first so that it fits on the frame that i have changed slightly to to give it a more
art-deco feel from the curved lines. I went with chain for the tassels and i am now happy with the movement.

Art Deco

 This is a   art-Deco inspired gown by Georges Chakra. The pieces then I am currently making are for this dress and I chose it because of the simple but bold geometric line on them which I am trying to accomplish with my beaded panels.     

Art Deco

Trying to bead the Art Deco panel  design for the frame of the  earrings that I'm making of the top of my head has been a mission so to make my life a bit easier I have coloured
A clear panel on paper in the way I want to bead the black and gold beads to go.

Art Deco

This is a sketch I did for the earrings that I am making. I have made the frames which are next to the drawing on in the picture but I have discovered that I need to have the beaded panel which will go inside the frame first so that I know exactly how I need the frame be in terms of size

Art Deco

This is a Art Deco inspired dress from Gucci spring 2011/2012 that I'm looking at for designing my Art Deco earrings

Artdeco

This is a Judith Leiber Crystal Chain strap Clutch bag which i will be looking at for my beaded panel which will go inside the earring I'm currently working on for the Art Deco exhibition.


 http://www.luluscouture.com/lulus-fashion/judith-leiber-gives-us-irresistible-1920s-glamour/

Artdeco

Art Deco mood board

For the Art Deco exhibition which is going to take place early next month I am looking at the many modern designers in different disciplines  that have looked at art Deco as inspiration to create their own work and took my favourite images to made a mood board.    

Most buildings that  I came across the were not from the Art Deco period but are more recent buildings like the Hearst Tower in New York City completed in 2006 and the united state Air Force Chapel in Colorado Springs completed in 1962. You cannot ignore the Art Deco influence when looking at the buildings, the furniture, and fashion; old and new . fashion designers have been looking at Art Deco for inspiration more recently from  Gucci and David Koma's spring/summer 11/12 collections,  Herves Legers  spring 2013 and the George Chakra gown  was worn by Kelly Roland on the 2013 Grammy awards. There are also fashion accessories that are interesting from the way the Art Deco theme is interpreted, just to name a couple of what I have included in my mood board is the Judith Leiber crystal-encrusted clutch bag and the Charlotte Olympia sunset T-strap sandal.  

  From my mood board I have decided to use  the colours black, gold, white and cream  for the next set of jewellery pieces that I will be making. i will be using gold plated silver tubes and glass beads for the other colours.  

Long statement piece

Bracelet

Colour

Silver folding

Jumpring beads

Ceramic work

Tube beads

Fold aluminium piece

Green statement necklaces

Simplifying prototypes

I spent a lot of my time working on test pieces, last term, this process took too long as I had been making actual metal beads. Currently I am looking for a simpler way of making  prototypes so that I can find a more efficient way to plan out my pieces. To solve this problem I have now started to use cut up straws to save time on save time on the design process.

Perfect triangle

Fanily figured out how to make a perfect triangle with the jump rings I made

Framing

Im trying to come up with a way that can help me frame my beading and give it a bit more structure

Making beads bend

I want to be able make the rope stitch bend so Im beading around wire so that I can be able to shape it in what I want

Rope sticth

Trying a different stitch for my work to look more three dimensional

Shapes

This is an attempt to make a triangular shape with the brick stitch but it is to narrow therefore I need to find a way to make the triangle more equal sided

Nongoma pattern

Beading the Nongoma pattern with the silver and copper jump rings

Pattern design

I'm trying to get different kind of patterns from my jump rings 

Beading tubes

After our first b-tech meeting of the year I wanted to try doing something that would make my my beaded jewellery look like it has been done by a jeweller and add in some jewellery making skills
So I decided to make my own beads from silver and copper tubes and then tried to bead a few test pieces. 

Beading jump rings

Using tiny jump rings as beads.

Statement

Just trying something new by braiding strings off beads together to create one big neckpiece. Now I want to figure out how to incorporate jewellery making skills with this.

Designing

The bigger beads that I have used as a base for my have smaller holes this time around so after they have been beaded it will be impossible to add some silver wire in it. I have been thinking of different ways of actually making my piece.

Getting help

I hired someone to make my beaded beads for me but the problem was that I found that person through someone else and I had explained qhat I wanted and how I wanted it to the other person, when I collected the beads they where not what I expected and where not completely round. I realised that I hadn't explained what I needed to that lady so we sat down and I showed her how I want my beads to be done and she did them again.

Making stock

The patina pieces are a good way to make  pieces that get sold quickly and are easy to make plus they are alot cheaper.

Pieces for the market

I made a whole new range of my enamelled leaves jewellery  for the festive season to give to Rosey for the market.

New technique

Trying to get the triangle from the Nongoma beading by arranging the beads in a triangle while enamelling

Test piece

This is the first piece I have made by making patterns from beads while enamelling. I'm excited about using this technique in my jewellery and wait to design beautiful jewellery.