What Goes into a Design?

That's a question that I get asked a lot. How do you know where everything is going to end up? Its a skill that comes naturally I think as well as honing in from skills that I have learned along the years.

I look for inspiration first. Usually Pinterest is a great start, but for these particular designs the inspiration came from millinery. I had attended a couple of millinery courses in Melbourne Victoria, made a couple of hats and fell in love with feathers!!!! I was also already creating with polymer clay, so I thought lets combine the 2.

My first thought was that I wanted to embed the feathers into the clay while it was wet and then cure the clay with heat. Would the feathers stand up to this heat? To my surprise they did, and there was no cremation of feathers at the end. Woo Hoo... Go Me.

Second idea. Using a "string" strong enough to hold the weight of the beads and the focal piece. I was already working with wire. Coated copper wire but I really felt that for these designs it had to be special, so sterling silver or 14 carat gold filled wires were the winner.

So once the focal piece and a few complimentary pieces were made, I then went to the bead stash.....and boy do I have a stash. I have a crazy love for Swarovski crystals. I love the bling they bring. So I set all of the pieces out together playing with colour and design. some pieces make the cut others don't.

I have the "base" necklace design worked out pretty much just setting it flat on the table, making sure the length is going to be correct. Then once the base is on the wire I then go in with tiger tail a stainless steel wire that threads and weaves itself through the design like a snake of Swarovski crystals and seed beads, and because polymer clay can be drilled, I can put holes in where ever I like, remembering though of structure and strength.

So this is the finished piece a one-of-a-kind art designed wearable necklace. So what does go into a design? Firstly I think of how you are going to make that person feel when they wear such a special piece, how it will fit on the body, the weight, the structure, making sure nothing is going to irritate the skin, and Love lots of love. It makes me happy when they find their forever home, and the person that gets to wear it loves it as much as I do.

Dee xx