1. Why or how did you get started in making jewelry?
The jewelry really came about after I fell in love with beads. After all, it's super convenient to have something to actually do with the beads. I fell in love with seed beads after seeing an interpretive guide at a local history park use beads in loom weaving as a kid. One craft loom and a bunch of small vials of size 11/0's later, I was off to the races. I would have considered myself a seed-beader throughout most of grade school and early adult hood, but I ran into a woman in my travels who was into (mostly buying) lampwork beads. Another big light bulb moment occurred - if she was buying them, someone was making them - you could make beads! Again, one class at a local art college and a trip to a local glass store, and I was off to a different set of races, one that's subsequently included many other classes and hours of torch time.
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| 2011 - Bead Journal Project |
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| Lamp work made by me |
2. What style(s) of jewelry do you like to make?
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| Yellow, orange and purple. With glass, ceramic and metal. | Not matching. |
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| White Glass - All matching! |
3. What materials do you prefer to use (and which ones do you avoid)?
I'd be lying if I said I didn't like sparkly things. It's the title I use for the blog, and given that I started as a seed beader and continued on to lampwork, glass has played a big part in my jewelry practice. Anything sparkly is fair game though - crystals also work, as do some gemstones. I will use most things, but don't naturally reach for most gemstones, wood or plastic unless they are good quality and will enhance whatever I'm working on. |
| There's plastic in here. |
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| And in here! |
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| Gemstone here |
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| And wood here |
4. Which techniques do you prefer (and are there any that you don't like)?
On the technique side, I like to string, and can do simple wirework - wraps and headpins and links. I took a proper jewelry making class at an art college, so in theory know how to do more advanced stuff like solder, but my current set up doesn't allow for those techniques.
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| One of my very favourite pieces - hand made headpins, riveted charms and soldered chain. |
5. What colors do you use most, and which do you run screaming from?
I hadn't really thought about this much until the question was asked, but I tend to like strong, clear colours. Black, white, primaries and secondary colours are my preferred palate. I will use muted or pastels, but try and mix them up in an unusual way - peach with mauve. Oh - and I wasn't kidding when I said the charm bracelet above is one of my favourites, even though it's all browns. I also try and vary the textures and saturation or transparency of beads in a work - perhaps frosted with opaque or metallic with transparent glass.
Some other random trivia:
- I share a birthday with Price William
- I used to cross-stich, but haven't had the muse in several years. I got the sewing and quilting muse several years ago.
- I love to bake, and will quite happily volunteer to make treats for almost any occasion
Karin
