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...

2 Years of Simmering  Sometimes ideas sit and simmer.  Sometimes for years and then they need to be revisited. 2 years of moving these beads around my studio After cleaning off my work space in the studio many small containers of red beads appeared.  A couple of years ago (you know how time flies...) I had a idea for a necklace.  One group of beads I made were thin discs cut from a floral cane.  They cured on small muffin tins so they flared and ruffled.   The smaller thicker red discs and some much smaller round beads were added.  Then I stopped.  Probably a different idea got my attention and the red beads sat there.  Several times over the following weeks and months they were moved from place to place.  Then thinking about having to sand all those beads before I used them made me wonder exactly how I would put them together.  There were times I wondered why I just didn't throw them away. But there they ...