Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive, we offer a prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard and tell us what you think. The following week a winner is chosen at random from all eligible entries.
Congratulations to Kristina on winning a selection of books from Erin!
Contact her to claim your prize!
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Sometimes my Inside The Studio post comes round and I find I’m wanting something to tell you about, something beyond just me being ‘inside the studio’ (or at the table, in my case) making things. But, that’s all I have to tell you about this month: I’ve just been making things, by and large. Since I last did an ITS post I have made, glazed, listed, sold, and sent off rather a lot of beads. In my last ITS post I showed you a few images of beads awaiting glaze. Now I can share a few before and after shots!
Good old colour, hey? Most of these have sold, I’m afraid, but there’s still the odd one or two in my bead shop. While I was working on this last batch of beads, I kept feeling this jewellery-making itch. I kept thinking of various fresh supplies I’d had to squirrel away. With the monster batch of beads out of the way, I’ve been allowing myself some unadulterated jewellery making time. So far, I’ve been focused mainly on earrings. I’ve made a stack of pairs, nearly all containing art beads (do you ever feel that a piece isn’t quite complete without one?). I’ll just share a few here.
(ceramic discs – Ragged Robyn; ear wires – Lucy Haslam)
(ceramic drop – Scorched Earth)
(fibre beads – Jimena’s Treasures; ceramic discs – Ragged Robyn)
(ceramic drops – Scorched Earth)
(fibre beads – Carolyn Saxby)
(ceramic droppers – Something to do Beads)
You can see many more here. In the last day or so I’ve moved on to necklaces. This one is nearly done; just can’t decide whether to trims those tails or add some beaded tassels.
(art beads: Nadia Terra, Something to do Beads, Gaea, Nature Scavenger, Blueberribeads, Scorched Earth)
I just finished this one, which also has a Scorched Earth focal. (Please excuse the greying bead matts!)
These are more works-in-progress.
(art beads: Happy Fish Things, Something to do Beads, Calisto, Shipwreck Dandy, Nell’s Embroidery, Scorched Earth)
They are, mostly, just going to be pendant pieces, without further beads around the neck. It’s the style of necklace that I wear the most and as they’re so easy to wear I hope they’ll appeal to others. That plum-y, copper-y one on the outside right definitely still needs more work!! I’ve been giving quite a bit of thought to what to put around the neck. I don’t really want just chain, but I don’t want anything too fussy or distracting. So I’ve been looking at and – inevitably! – buying various cords and fibres, which I may or may not mix or combine with chain. We’ll see…
I’ve had some of the components I’ve used in these kinda totem pendants bagged up together for a while. Planning these pieces out really makes me wish I had more work space. In a former phase of life, I knew an academic who used to have a room wholly given over to jigsaws. There were numerous tables, each with a different puzzle on it, and she’d move between them, working on one then moving to another, as she fancied. Well, I wish I had a separate large table (or tables!) where I could lay out components for multiple projects, and leave them for days on end, so I could add to them, move things around, mull them over, and just keep looking and thinking. Which brings me to this week’s giveaway. My question is: if space and money were no object, how would you alter your workspace to aid your design process?
The prize this week is $15 credit to spend in either my bead shop or jewellery shop.
Just comment below for a chance to win.
Bye for now, Claire
Rebekah
September 4, 2015 at 6:39 amTables!!! I'm right there with you Claire… I need more work space so badly! I currently have one biggish table were I do all my bead making work, a small one for jewelry making (it usually is covered in various supplies though), a small packaging table, and my computer table. Oh! I also have 2 tv tables: one for my "studio away from the studio" and one for photography. On any given day any or all of these tables could be piled high in bead making stuff! I'd like to have at least 2 – 3 more large tables. Tied for second on my list would be lots more lighting and shelving/storage stuff. I've always felt that a good studio place that's easy to manage AND inspiring to work in is so important… so I'd love to do a bit more to decorate and really turn my space into a place I love working in even more! One day…. 🙂
Loved seeing the before and after of your beads! Stunning and inspiring, as always. What a fun in the studio post!
Dawn of LaTouchables
September 4, 2015 at 10:24 amMy heart just skipped a beat–those gorgeous insects are not for sale because they have already been sold! I was just about to beg you to hold one for me. Your cairn type pendants…gorgeousness!
Jess Green
September 4, 2015 at 11:55 amLoving the pendant stacks! I've been trying to put some together myself but I think you have a better knack for it than me!
I flat out need a whole new room to turn into a studio – working in my tiny little bedroom is not ideal and I do a lot of work just sat on my bed, which is terrible for my back and neck!
Katherine Thompson
September 4, 2015 at 12:35 pmI would have an attached studio wwith a seperate big tool area and a kiln. I also need a chef to bring me delicious food!
Sarajo Wentling
September 4, 2015 at 2:00 pmThanks for sharing your before and after shots of your creations… and your jewelry! I'm dying for those little buggies! My big wish for my work space is to be able to convert our office space into a studio for metal work, painting, and all the messier aspects of jewelry making. My main "studio" space is really the table in the middle of our basement so I occasionally am forced to clean it all up. Maybe that's a good thing since it creates a blank slate for starting new projects but I'm always forgetting where I squirreled something away!
Julie Wong Sontag
September 4, 2015 at 6:51 pmAhh… lovely post, as always! You know how I feel about your new work. Never ceases to amaze. xo — julie
Kathy
September 4, 2015 at 7:00 pmI love your new pieces! I like how organic they are and I think the color/patterns you picked are wonderful. Someday I will have a studio that is separate from my house with wonderful windows to let in natural light, tons of storage, cool mosaics on the walls, lots of work space, and stained cement floors (for the kiln). (I haven't though about this or anything.) 🙂
–Kathy Bullock
Kristi Bowman
September 4, 2015 at 7:23 pmI love your work, so creative!! Those bugs are crazy cool!!!
Carol Briody
September 5, 2015 at 2:18 amLoving everything you created! I love the little burlap earrings!..that is a cool idea!
Kristen
September 5, 2015 at 11:04 amI love the insects! I am lucky to have a whole room dedicated to my artistic adventures, but I wish I had some space just for jewelry making. My bead tray gets shuffled around and piled with stuff. I would love to make more jewelry with my own components and start using some of the art beads I have hoarded,er,collected over the years. I would also love a table just for my sewing machine that I could keep set up.
Dawn of LaTouchables
September 5, 2015 at 3:00 pmI think I forgot to mention my answer to your question. I would like to have more light and better storage. I can imagine a full metalsmithing layout next to my sewing machines, with a kiln and a view of the sea–possibly in my cliffside house on stilts…hope that's not to much to ask 🙂
Renetha Stanziano
September 5, 2015 at 10:36 pmWow! I was amazed by the beauty of the components once they were glazed. I also loved the jewelry designed with the beads too. If space and money were no object, I would have a workspace away from home. I can't seem to concentrate with interruptions from my boys and husband. I need space large enough for my dollmaking supplies, quilting, beading, polymer clay, and…..
Elizabeth
September 6, 2015 at 4:22 amEverything would be in see through boxes, bins! My walls would be all peg board painted a soft turquoise so that my space would be more vertical, especially for tools.
Shaiha
September 6, 2015 at 7:57 amI have a lot of space since I can expand through my whole basement. Hmmm. I think I would hire someone to organize and remodel my basement. I would demand built in drawers 2 1/2 high.
SueBeads
September 6, 2015 at 2:11 pmI definitely need a whole room to do what I want – currently I work in three different small spaces in three different rooms. And may I say WOW to your new work and jewelry!
Klassy Joolz
September 6, 2015 at 8:03 pmWonderful post and wonderful pieces…really like the Moth's (?). I would just like a space other than my large desk. A craft room would be a dream come true…I can only dream.
Midnight Star Designs
September 7, 2015 at 2:23 pmYour work is really amazing Claire, I am lucky enough to have grabbed some of your cala pendants in the past and am finding it very hard to part with them, is lovely to have an insight into your creating 🙂
Lottie me
September 7, 2015 at 9:09 pmJoy, oh joy, oh joy! Just looking at them brings me so much happiness! I wish that I had a teensy weensy bit of you talent!
Carolyn
September 7, 2015 at 9:25 pmLike what your beads look like after you have finished them.
My dream work space would be more table space and more shelf space.
Thanks for letting us into your studio.
Carolyn