Giveaway by K S Jewellery Designs

Head over to my Facebook Page to enter my giveaway... a chance to win a pair of my new FLOWER PEBBLE STUD EARRINGS that I have handmade from sterling silver.  You can choose between 3 different textures: BLOSSOM, DAISY or STAR FLOWER

 

Good luck

Kristin :) 

Giveaway by K S Jewellery Designs

I am holding a giveaway on my Facebook page for a chance to win a FEATHER PENDANT – handmade by me from sterling silver sheet and wire.

Please read the terms and conditions below…

·      Please ‘Like’ my Facebook page (or be an existing ‘liker’). This giveaway is open to all my ‘likers’ – worldwide

·      Please comment below the Facebook giveaway post and tell me which chain length you would prefer:  either 16” or 18” (‘share’ with your friends if you would be kind to but this is NOT part of the terms of this giveaway)

I will randomly draw one winner on MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2015·      I will randomly draw one winner on MONDAY 14^th SEPTEMBER 2015I will randomly draw one winner on MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2015 – please remember to check back then to see if you have been lucky to winI will randomly draw one winner on MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2015 – please remember to check back then to see if you have been lucky to winI will randomly draw one winner on MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2015 – please remember to check back on my Facebook page then to see if you have been lucky to win

 

Rings, rings and more rings

I love making rings and recently I have been making lots of different rings... some commissioned rings where I have worked with the customer to create their own design, some rings where I have challenged myself to create a ring design that will fit many different sized fingers and some rings where I have been trying out new techniques...

Kyanite Flower and Swirls Sterling Silver Ring

 

This ring was an engagement ring I made for a customer.  He specified that he wanted a kyanite gemstone with a flower setting and allowed me to freely create the swirly design.  It was so much fun making this ring as I started with a basic sketch and then added extra swirls and circle to balance the design and to add strength.

Sapphire Swirl Sterling Silver Ring

 



Another engagement ring where my customer wanted a simple swirl setting with a sapphire which is his girlfriend's birthstone.  The sapphire is set in a tube setting.

Labradorite Flowering Vine Sterling Silver Ring

 

This ring design came about when I was exploring the idea of 'one ring fits all sizes'.  This adjustable ring band is not soldered closed but is a bit like a spring.  It can be stretched larger or squeezed smaller.  It is ideal for fingers with larger knuckles as it can be placed on the finger and then lightly pushed around to fit.





 

Five Petal Flowering Vine Sterling Silver Ring

 

Another adjustable ring with a flower and two leaves.



Turquoise Fancy Bezel Sterling Silver Ring

 

A recent addition to my ring designs where I have been exploring adding hand stamped textures.  A 'big and bold' ring, not for the shy ring wearer!  This ring measures 2.5cm across and I have stamped around the bezel setting and given it a scalloped edge.

Blue Chalcedony Striped Ring

 

Another bezel set ring.  The faceted blue chalcedony gemstone is an irregular shape, so I gave it an irregular shaped striped patterned setting.

Some of these rings can be found in the 'Rings' section on my website: http://ksjewellerydesigns.co.uk/ either as 'made to order' or 'ready to send' items.

Giveaway from K S Jewellery Designs

Enter this giveaway on my Facebook page for a chance to win this handmade STAMPED FLOWER DISC PENDANT… This is a brand new design for March 2015, not even in my shops yet. The winner will be the first person to own one!

Please read the terms and conditions below…

·         Please ‘Like’ my Facebook page (or be an existing ‘liker’). This giveaway is open to all my ‘likers’ – worldwide

·         Please comment below the Facebook giveaway post and tell me which chain length you would prefer:  either 16” or 18” (‘share’ with your friends if you would be kind to but this is NOT part of the terms of this giveaway)

·         I will put all entrants’ names into a hat and draw one winner on MONDAY 16^TH MARCH 2015 – please remember to check back on my Facebook page then to see if you have been lucky to win

Labradorite Decorative Headdress Pendant

Labradorite Decorative Headdress Sterling Silver

 

 

Often my jewellery designs are inspired by nature or my interpretation of nature where I simplify shapes and lines I see.  Other times my jewellery designs are created by playing around with and putting together wire shapes.  The design for this Labradorite Decorative Headdress Pendant was inspired by a painting I saw on Facebook by Sarah Travis of Sarah Travis Art, Design and Illustration entitled Indian Summer.

 

Focussing on some of the shapes within Sarah's painting, I made some initial sketches thinking about different shaped cabochons.  Then I chose a labradorite teardrop cabochon from my materials stock and created a design based on the shape of that cabochon.

 

 

Next I made a bezel setting for the cabochon and created some decorative embellishments with handmade silver balls and hammered wire loop shapes.  I had to change the design a little at this stage as I had to take into consideration how I would attach the wire shapes to the bezel setting. I discovered I was able to solder beaded wire on to the top of hammered wire and am looking forward to using this technique in future designs.

 



Whilst I was creating the pendant, I decided to add some beaded wire around the lower part of the bezel setting.

I really enjoyed designing and making this pendant and am already pondering over variations using different shaped cabochons.

K S Jewellery Designs Giveaway on Facebook

Happy New Year to one and all!  After a very busy Christmas and New Year and slow recovery from severe back pain caused by poor posture at my workbench (tut, tut!), I am happy to announce my first giveaway of 2015. 

I made this ring yesterday and it is based on my 'Rustic Blossom' design that I have used to make stud earrings but wanted to extend the design to other pieces of jewellery.  On my Facebook page, I am giving people a chance to win this ring (made to their size).

To enter please follow this like to the giveaway post:
https://www.facebook.com/KSJewelleryDesigns/photos/a.199556913454417.49815.128806170529492/763165110426925/?type=1&theater

Around The World Blog Hop – K S Jewellery Designs

The idea behind the Blog Hop is for creative bloggers to write a post based around a few questions.  Their answers offer an insight into their creative thoughts and processes.  The blog ‘baton’ is then passed on to a another artisan and so the trip around the globe gathers pace.

 

I was asked by Tracy of Cinnamon Jewellery to continue the hop.  Tracy is a fellow jewellery maker who inspires me with her beautiful copper, silver and colourful enamel creations.  Her blog is always generously informative about her processes and one of my favourite ones to follow.

 

Why do I create what I do?

This journey I am currently on, is it for ‘business or pleasure’?!  The answer to this has to be for pleasure. Of course, I want to be a highly successful jewellery designer who has customers clambering for my next line of jewellery… but I have to be realistic, don’t I!

I never set out to make jewellery.  By qualifications I am a primary teacher, but I am taking time out from that to pursue my ‘jewellery making’.  I love being creative. It makes me really happy to follow an idea through to a final piece of jewellery.  It’s such a satisfying process and then even more so if someone else likes it enough to buy it and wear it.  I get a real kick out of seeing someone wearing my jewellery.

 

How does my creating process work?

My creating process nearly always starts with a shape.  I see ‘shapes’ everywhere… out the car window, in my garden, within the centre of a flower, in a pattern of a dress someone is wearing, a section of a wrought iron gate…  Shapes that appeal to me are linear with negative space.  That sounds very ‘arty’ when I write that, but I think I know what I mean!  What I am trying to say is that the lines of a shape create another shape within them which is equally interesting to me.

 

 

Sometimes I have to draw shapes I like down on paper as soon as possible so I don’t forget them.  Then later, when I have time, I will ponder over them and decide how I could turn them into a jewellery design.  Other times I feel like the shapes have been mulling around in my brain for a while and it’s only when I rest that they take form.  When I lie in bed trying to get to sleep, instead of counting sheep, I imagine shapes and swirls.  I always have a notebook by my bed for those moments.  The next morning my husband will find me at my workbench, wire and pliers in hand, trying out an idea that came to me the night before.

 

 What am I working on?

Actually at the moment, I am currently having a ‘break from the norm’!  My usual jewellery designs are often based on my interpretation of natural forms, mainly flowers and leaves. 

However, a couple of days ago I was doodling spirals on my shopping list (!) and adding other shapes.  When I looked at what I had drawn, I realised the doodles had a geometric and Aztec feel to them. 

 

From that initial design, I made a pair of earrings.  The new challenge in making these earrings was whether I could solder a spiral together and fill the gaps with solder.  Would the solder flow where I wanted it to?  It worked!  Now I am currently working a co-ordinating pendant using similar design principles.

 

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I think what makes my jewellery a little different from others is to do with my journey from wirework to metalwork techniques.  My wirework designs have strongly influenced my metalwork designs.

 

 

I started out making simple beaded jewellery back in 2008 and then quickly moved onto to wirework.  Wirework suited me as I have always said it is like ‘drawing with wire’. I felt I could recreate my drawings and doodles into jewellery by using wire instead of pencil.  The challenge was always how to join and secure the design and how to embellish the jewellery pieces with gemstones.  Through wirework, I discovered my love of hammering, especially flattening wire and adding texture.

Last year, I attended an adult education course on silversmithing.  I wanted to learn metalworking techniques but I also wanted to work out how I could adapt my wirework designs into metalwork designs.  With metalwork, the challenge is still how to join and secure wire shapes but also how to control the heat of my torch so I don’t damage the wire.  I’m still learning!

* * * * * 

Thank you for reading my blog post.  It has been very thought provoking for me to write it as I don’t often think ‘why’ when I am making my jewellery. It has been good to step back and try and explain my processes.

The next Around the World Blog Hop post will come right across the world from me, a huge ‘hop’ from UK to Australia.  It will be from the very talented Emma from Little Cherry Hill.  I am a big fan of her jewellery.  She has an excellent eye for design and cleverly combines texture and colour within her pieces.  I recommend you take a look!

New Wirework Tutorial - Swirl Leaves - Reduced Introductory Price

I am delighted to announce my new wirework tutorial SWIRL LEAVES is now available for purchase in all my online shops (£3.00/$5.00), however, for a short time, it is for sale in my website shop at a REDUCED INTRODUCTORY PRICE OF ONLY £2.50 (approximately $4.11): http://ksjewellerydesigns.co.uk/ourshop/prod_3570296-SWIRL-LEAVES-Wirework-Jewellery-Tutorial-emailed-PDF-download.html