NEW COLOR INSPIRATION FROM JAMES TAYLOR!

James Taylor inspired necklace

Here’s my latest Color Inspiration – JT in Concert and FREE DIY from WireJewelry.com so you can make your own beauty inspired by James Taylor!

James Taylor in concert this summer

I’m a HUGE James Taylor fan!

I’ve lost track of how many live concerts I’ve been to AND how many t-shirts I have. Each concert is like a treasure that I anticipate from the moment I buy the ticket! Don’t we all have a love affair with music? We can relive a past event with just the first few notes of a song. And many of our faves helped us get through some pretty rough times. That’s James Taylor for me in a nutshell.

I was so fortunate to recently go to JT’s outdoor concert in Colorado and it was magical. I took this picture and wanted to use it as an inspiration for a piece of jewelry. I loved the dramatic color pallet and of course the memory of that event will linger each time I wear the necklace.

I used a combo of gemstones, Czech glass and crystals for this piece. It’s a lot of wrapped loops so even if you’re not good at them in the beginning-you will be by the end of the project! Of course I had to use an actual guitar pick for the focal and a little musical charm for an accent.

Creatively,

Kristal

Advertisement

NEW COLOR INSPIRATION – TROPICAL BREEZE

Tropical Breeze

Here’s my latest Color Inspiration – Tropical Breeze and FREE DIY from WireJewelry.com so you can make your own Tropical Breeze crystal chain!

Tropical Breeze Color Inspiration

One look at this beachy delight and all problems disappear! If you take a few moments to really experience this image, I invite you to breathe in the seashore smells, feel the warm sunny breeze on your body and dip those toes into the ocean – take a deep breath and release with a loud sigh. Now, don’t you feel better? That’s what powerful images can do for you and your jewelry making!

I made this focal piece using traditional stained glass techniques of soldering with bevels and encasing a piece of my hand painted silk fabric. I considered using a simple commercial chain but I wanted to really pop the focal and pull in more depth with the complementary wire and texture using the lovely crystal links. When you need something simple and functional, consider making your own chain. Then see where it takes you! To add a focal piece or not – that is the question (sorry Shakespeare)!

Here’s the link for Tropical Breeze crystal chain FREE DIY!

Creatively,
Kristal

Hello Strangers!

It’s been eons since I’ve blogged for all my creative peeps and I miss YOU!

So, here goes and it’s VERY good to be back!

Misty Mountain Bracelet

I LOVE creating jewelry projects with an interesting Color Inspiration, don’t you? I write articles about Color Inspiration where I take an image, create a color pallet using that image. Then I make a piece of jewelry using that color pallet. It’s a great way to broaden your artistic horizons and helps get out of any color rut you may be in. It’s a delightful exercise for any type of designer and I enjoy sharing with my artistic peeps!

Here’s my latest Color Inspiration – Misty Mountains Bracelet and FREE DIY link from WireJewelry.com so you can make it yourself!

Misty Mountains Color Inspiration

Living in the stunning state of Colorado, I am forever in awe of the beauty and nature’s everchanging color pallet. Usually, I am drawn to brighter tones for my jewelry inspiration so this one is out of my “normal” comfort zone. I tuned into the monochromatic mountain feeling of this image and this bracelet was born! It was a really satisfying experience to jump into an unfamiliar color pallet and see where that path led me artistically.

I also experimented with a “new to me wire”-aluminum. Recently, I’ve had many customers request more lighter weight jewelry so I gave it a try. I love the results! Light weight and very easy to work with so double the fun. I usually gravitate to large links for bracelets as I did in this one, but you could make this same design using the smaller oval mandrel pliers for a more delicate look. Join me and step out of your color comfort zone!

Here’s the link for Misty Mountain Bracelet FREE DIY: WireJewelry.com

Creatively,

Kristal