Monday 10 March 2014

Making Jewellery Magazine Issue 65 - Tutorial 'Pass the Crown'

The lastest issue of Making Jewellery magazine is on sale now and I'm very pleased to have  another tutorial included. The theme is 'Best of British' and there are some lovely, quirky ideas for a range of projects inside.

I settled on a crown theme but decided against a traditional, gold 'Crown Jewels' style headpiece, and started sketching designs that were more wearable instead (think fairy princess...but with a slightly off-kilter, darker edge to it!). I kept imagining the Miss Havisham character in Charles Dickens 'Great Expectations' and this tied in nicely with the British theme.


I really love the colour of the antique bronze wire (from Palmer Metals) and went for the square shape for an even better effect. I got the pearl bead mix from Jilly Beads and they were a perfect match. Although the design appears to be random, the measurements are quite precise and the wire wrapping is kept symmetrical. This ensures the overall look is balanced and by hiding the spare wire, it ends up with a quality finish.
The extra projects were very simple to make and this time I felt the gold coloured wire worked better.