Handmade one bead at a time.
I recently took a train ride to Cambridge. I knew I’d have train time, waiting room time at hospital and some intentional quiet time in specially selected cafes. I made sure I had a few pens and a fresh new pad in my bag.
As it turned out, with delays and getting on the wrong train in the wrong direction I had a lot of train time. It was a really good day!
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I’ve mentioned that I’m obsessed with bead embroidery at the moment and have loved making the 6cm brooches. It occurred to me that the embroidery could also work on smaller format in the form of earrings. I thought for a long while about the base. I needed something that would give me a uniform size and shape and lend itself to being set on ear post. I’ve made the prototype using covered button bases! Today is about test driving the prototypes to see if they can stand the dirl.
Do you get caught in an obsession sometimes? At the moment I’m loving making these bead embroidered badge backed brooches. I think I’ve made around a dozen so far. I’m really enjoying the different textures of bunching beads together and layering up colours and shapes. The end results are lovely little abstract seascapes. Very easy to wear because of the badge back.
I submitted a couple of these to the latest Pandemic Pinswap round. You should check out Carolina’s website and instagram for more info on the pin swap. It’s such a lovely initiative. The range of work submitted from all over the world is so good. I enjoyed stretching myself to go a little over and above. I’ll post my submission here when I find the pictures.
Really enjoyed doing a bit of animation recently and think there’s lots of potential in beaded animations that remind me of crab mouthparts in motion!
Looking for a little project, I came across a collage challenge with a very simple brief by the Edinburgh Collage Collective. The challenge is to make a collage using a matchbox as the anchor point. I’ve made something beaded of course with elements of the prints me and the bairn made recently. This also incorporates cowries ad the tree from home. Took some quick images tonight and will take better shots and submit the images tomorrow.
I had a really good day. I quite like being confined to our lovely house. We finished a decorating job that had been on the to do list for months.
I got a little bit of work done on a collaboration project with a friend who lives a long way away. We’re finding our way in terms of managing remote collaboration.
Frances and I made some great collages. I love cutting and sticking with her.
It’s a while since I posted any actual jewellery as I’ve been living in my sketchbooks. Time to start up some new collections.
Let’s see what I’ve got in the vaults…
So here I am, working from home for the foreseeable. At home with the bairn, trying to work and supervise. We’ll be grand. She’s full of ideas.
I think I’ll get some making done. At the end of my work day I’ll finish work and instantly be in my workshop (dining room). I have plans, maybe this is the end of procrastination time.
How I love Instagram. I use it to show works in progress, my processes and the daily ins and outs of my work.
Somehow it’s free and easy like a sketchbook used to capture fleeting thoughts and impressions.
I’ll freely confess that I live scrolling over my grid as I can see my development and that of my various projects.
That, and I can access the work and machinations of other creatives who are also struggling, triumphing and jubilant and it gives me joy.
Visit me so I can see what you’re working on 🙂
@carol_clark_jewellery
Carol Clark Jewellery