Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

   My last post told how a mixed media wall piece combined wood, metal clay, feathers and ribbons to produce a story.   I introduced the 'Gastornis' - an extinct flightless primitive bird.  This week I'm sharing the 2 pendants I made at the same time I made the 'Gastornis' wall decor.   This post is about telling a story with jewelry and shows how color can add to the message. The pendant on the left above combines warm brass beads, meaningful red prayer beads and a handmade bronze wire clasp.  Does it made you feel excited?  The pendant on the right combines Hubei turquoise with silver and bronze.  The greenish color along with the silver cools the bronze.  Maybe this pendant makes you feel calmer?   Each of us bring our own color experiences with us.  I find it helpful to understand what we like and why.  That makes selections more meaningful and enjoyable.   Let's look at the pendant on the left and I'm going to call it 'The Warm Bird'.  This sto

White satin handmade beads, turquoise, ages old granite beads This week I finished the white satin bead necklace and thought it only fair to share the pictures with you.  If you missed seeing the design phase, please look at the previous post. The white satin beads could have been polished to a brighter silver color but I wanted this to look earthy and from an archeology dig! I wore it one day and found it comfortable and not heavy.  People noticed, asked questions and liked it!  The final design works for me.  What's your opinion?  I'd love to hear from you.

Finished Conceptual Drawing This is one time when the finished product is true to the original drawing and exactly what I pictured. As you scroll  down you will see the entire set - necklace, earrings, bracelet!      There were several challenges and slight adjustments to directions as there are in any journey.  Every design seems to be a journey - sometimes in finding my unique path, sometimes in discovering new twists and turns of materials and sometimes learning or inventing new techniques to achieve the destination.  With each piece of jewelry I design comes a new adventure in creating something special for the end user.  "Wear your individuality" becomes more than a slogan for me and for my company. Taking the 3 strands through the steel tube where they become one strand. Focal I decided to make several earrings of various lengths to go with the necklace. And then I decided to add a bracelet!

  A necklace design with components made from steel clay has been in my mind for quite a while now.  This week I decided to make a sketch so I could move the project along.  I want to use the long orange bead with a Middle Eastern theme as a focal (purchased it at the last Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.) Prima in Saran after pulling it out of the tube  I also want to use some of the basic techniques I learned in Hadar Jacobson’s class.  I bought a large block of Prima (a professional grade plastilina) that has wax and is great for forming a shape, wrapping it in saran and in this design, wrapping steel textured clay around it.  Then when the bead is dry, I will carefully pull out the saran with the Prima in it.  Works great as long as the ends are open enough for the Prima to exit.  I broke one tube doing this.  You also don't want to get the Prima warm as the wax will melt and there will be a mess! Sanding the tube I mix up Hadar’s steel clay, roll it out, texture