silver wire and gemstone jewellery in development by Gayle Bird
Did I never show you my idea for a bridal necklace?
Huh.
This is last year’s but I found the image recently. The idea is that there would be chain at the sides to clasp in the back. This is also something that could be flipped and used as a tiara, which I love.
I’ve finally managed to get a real sort of update onto my website. I replaced the Rings and Earrings pages with representative images instead of individual works for sale, as that just never worked out very well – those always have a high turnover and I just can’t keep the site up-to-date.
I’m hoping to have more betterer updates soon!
For the past few weeks my friend Angie and I have been working in her amazing paper studio. She’s teaching me things and letting me use some of her materials while she works on her own projects, and I am making boxes in which to store, display, and sell my large neckpieces.
Wanna see?
Of course you do…
(these photos are not the best quality, it’s just that the boxes are staring at me and I can’t wait to get into my photo studio to take better ones!)
How smart do I feel?
I printed off the gemstones on a small postcard-sized piece of photo paper(and might get actual postcards done up); the beach glass is printed on letter-sized photo paper. I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself, because these are all photos of my actual stock, and the beach glass is all stuff I found myself (or my family found on a trip with me).
The beach glass one is all finished, but I think I’ll continue with my original plan and create a template to print out for the gemstones, and glue the actual stones to cardstock – I also really want to write a sentence or so for each, although that may be too ambitious right now.
Off to the dollar store for some cheap frames!
I’m taking a Jewellery Fabrication course over the next two weekends – 24 hours in total – and I’m totally psyched. Over the weekend I attended the Atlantic Craft Trade Show, a journey that helped me clearly define the direction I’m going in by highlighting what I do NOT want to do: wholesaling. Not interested. I want to stay small, do local craft markets and home jewellery shows, and focus on unique pieces with meaning. Yes ladies, that means my wedding crowns are just around the corner 
I’ll be teaching four classes in basic wire-wrapping over the next couple of months, which is exciting; they’ll be paying for the fabrication course I’m taking. I love when the world balances out. OK. Lots of ideas teeming, no time to get them out! I’ll be back after the weekend with some photos of my new fabricated pieces. Very exciting!
I’m putting on two wire-wrapping classes in the next month or so. First, with the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, fourth one down the page. Second, with Richmond County Municipal Services, front page of their newsletter, baby! Fun!