The Spark in a Heart

April 7, 2015

elein ombre heartA focal point can pop without a lot of shimmer or shine. This poor, but beautiful, little heart looks like it’s been through a rough time or two or ten. But, it has this one bright spot on its battered surface–an off-white accent that almost glows against the deep, dark colors of the rest of the heart.

This kind of real world heart is the creation of Greece’s Helen P. of Eleins Kingdom on Etsy. It’s kind of difficult to pull our glance from the one light colored spot here, but there is also a bit of lovely filigree work to pull you to the left side with a network that includes some lighter showings within some canes. But still, that one spot, out in the open landscape of this heart, draws the eye back. Here it is the contrast in color and value situated in a relatively open space that makes this focal jump out. A simple technique, but a very effective one.

Helen has many more of these kinds of hearts, as well as other charming pieces to catch your eye in her Etsy shop.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.

 

     TPA_McGuire_blog ad    sfxpaad-diffuse

Hot Juxtaposition

January 6, 2015

button red circles2There is nothing like a rich, brilliant red to heat things up. The reds in this necklace by Cecilia Botton really pop. The red gradient in the disk and under the peek-a-boo cut-out of the focal bead give those pieces a visual glow, but I think it’s the black that pushes the feel of warmth and the idea of fire. The matte blacks are not unlike charcoal or lava rock; so, when they’re juxtaposed with the glow of red, what else would come to mind but something heated and fiery.

Experimenting with color, gradients and the juxtaposition of elements are a primary focus in Cecilia’s works. Her pieces are rarely, if ever, static or meek. Have fun looking through her varied pieces on her Flickr photostream with a hot cup of something tasty beside you. We’re enjoying a rare and sudden warm-up here for the day, but I’m going to keep with the hot theme for the week because I know this won’t last long and much of the rest of the US sure looks like it could use some heating up. Stay warm and safe out there.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front    PolymerArts Kaleidoscope     lpedit

Front Side Connections

May 28, 2013

Since I brought up polymer clasps yesterday, I thought I’d talk about a variation on that type of connection: the front side toggle, and derivations of it. The connection for a necklace does not have to be at the back. If you are making a piece with a central focal bead, why not make the bead a connectors as well?

One of my favorite versions of this is the almost  bolo-like polymer and filigree pieces Janet Pitcher creates for her Petal Pushers line of polymer jewelry. The focal bead is like the entry point half of a toggle; but instead of an insertion piece that will back up against the opening of the entry point, Janet creates weighted lengths of ribbons with beads created from the same petal canes as the center piece. The bead-weighted ribbons are threaded through the focal bead, and hang there as part of the design.

374569_490928570968903_1227148469_n

 

This is not, by far, the only option for front side connections. A really showy or beautifully done toggle type clasp can operate as a focal bead, or a large bead sliced in half with magnets in either half can be the central focus of a necklace or bead design. Just don’t relegate your beautiful connectors to the back of the necklace or bracelet if showing them off out front will make for a gorgeous piece of jewelry.

Switching Structure Between Forms

November 5, 2012

If you make a particularly beautiful bead, the inclination is to make it the focus of a new piece. Focal beads are commonly worked into necklaces, sometimes bracelets. Either way the usual construction is a focal bead plus a series of complimentary beads to string with it. One could try stringing it solo but that usually doesn’t do much to frame and showcase the prized bead.

I like that Maryanne Loveless has created a bracelet structure that can showcase a bead in such a lovely manner. These bracelets are kept relatively simple but given just enough pizzazz on the ends of the encircling polymer to frame the bead and make it look that much more elegant.

Often times I think, with beaded pieces a very pretty but subtle bead will get lost in the business of the piece. This solution is good food for thought. If a focal bead can stand on its own regardless of what it’s matched with then it’s not an issue. But if the bead needs to be supported by the rest of the piece in order to shine, a simple, understated structure might be just the ticket.

 

 

The Spark in a Heart

April 7, 2015
Posted in

elein ombre heartA focal point can pop without a lot of shimmer or shine. This poor, but beautiful, little heart looks like it’s been through a rough time or two or ten. But, it has this one bright spot on its battered surface–an off-white accent that almost glows against the deep, dark colors of the rest of the heart.

This kind of real world heart is the creation of Greece’s Helen P. of Eleins Kingdom on Etsy. It’s kind of difficult to pull our glance from the one light colored spot here, but there is also a bit of lovely filigree work to pull you to the left side with a network that includes some lighter showings within some canes. But still, that one spot, out in the open landscape of this heart, draws the eye back. Here it is the contrast in color and value situated in a relatively open space that makes this focal jump out. A simple technique, but a very effective one.

Helen has many more of these kinds of hearts, as well as other charming pieces to catch your eye in her Etsy shop.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.

 

     TPA_McGuire_blog ad    sfxpaad-diffuse

Read More

Hot Juxtaposition

January 6, 2015
Posted in

button red circles2There is nothing like a rich, brilliant red to heat things up. The reds in this necklace by Cecilia Botton really pop. The red gradient in the disk and under the peek-a-boo cut-out of the focal bead give those pieces a visual glow, but I think it’s the black that pushes the feel of warmth and the idea of fire. The matte blacks are not unlike charcoal or lava rock; so, when they’re juxtaposed with the glow of red, what else would come to mind but something heated and fiery.

Experimenting with color, gradients and the juxtaposition of elements are a primary focus in Cecilia’s works. Her pieces are rarely, if ever, static or meek. Have fun looking through her varied pieces on her Flickr photostream with a hot cup of something tasty beside you. We’re enjoying a rare and sudden warm-up here for the day, but I’m going to keep with the hot theme for the week because I know this won’t last long and much of the rest of the US sure looks like it could use some heating up. Stay warm and safe out there.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front    PolymerArts Kaleidoscope     lpedit

Read More

Front Side Connections

May 28, 2013
Posted in

Since I brought up polymer clasps yesterday, I thought I’d talk about a variation on that type of connection: the front side toggle, and derivations of it. The connection for a necklace does not have to be at the back. If you are making a piece with a central focal bead, why not make the bead a connectors as well?

One of my favorite versions of this is the almost  bolo-like polymer and filigree pieces Janet Pitcher creates for her Petal Pushers line of polymer jewelry. The focal bead is like the entry point half of a toggle; but instead of an insertion piece that will back up against the opening of the entry point, Janet creates weighted lengths of ribbons with beads created from the same petal canes as the center piece. The bead-weighted ribbons are threaded through the focal bead, and hang there as part of the design.

374569_490928570968903_1227148469_n

 

This is not, by far, the only option for front side connections. A really showy or beautifully done toggle type clasp can operate as a focal bead, or a large bead sliced in half with magnets in either half can be the central focus of a necklace or bead design. Just don’t relegate your beautiful connectors to the back of the necklace or bracelet if showing them off out front will make for a gorgeous piece of jewelry.

Read More

Switching Structure Between Forms

November 5, 2012
Posted in

If you make a particularly beautiful bead, the inclination is to make it the focus of a new piece. Focal beads are commonly worked into necklaces, sometimes bracelets. Either way the usual construction is a focal bead plus a series of complimentary beads to string with it. One could try stringing it solo but that usually doesn’t do much to frame and showcase the prized bead.

I like that Maryanne Loveless has created a bracelet structure that can showcase a bead in such a lovely manner. These bracelets are kept relatively simple but given just enough pizzazz on the ends of the encircling polymer to frame the bead and make it look that much more elegant.

Often times I think, with beaded pieces a very pretty but subtle bead will get lost in the business of the piece. This solution is good food for thought. If a focal bead can stand on its own regardless of what it’s matched with then it’s not an issue. But if the bead needs to be supported by the rest of the piece in order to shine, a simple, understated structure might be just the ticket.

 

 

Read More
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