Industrial - #30-33: the steampunk commission

Making jewelry can be a pain in the ass. It is not a cakewalk and there is no way around that. Your fingers get calloused, your hands get sore, and sometimes you get so frustrated that you just need to walk away for a while or the whole project will end up in the trash. At least, that's my take on it.

That said, I find that the more I do it, the more I want to do it. I recently read an interview with artist Richard Salley (amazing work) who said, "Imagination always runs ahead of execution, which is to say that an idea does not always come out as planned. I have found that jewelry making involves a good deal of problem solving."
I am finding inspiration all around me and I feel as though by actually creating things, there are now all manner of possibilities ahead and all sorts of things to make and for a variety of reasons.

The idea for this set was proposed to me as a request for some theme-specific pieces and can be considered my first commission. These pictures document how the necklace evolved through the planning and execution stages as well as pictures of the pendant in greater detail

I made the pendant using two items I already had on hand as well as added wire and O-rings.

Final result - a Chicos pendant combined with a Dr Who pocketwatch with the front pried off, a strand of gear bits hooked with O-rings, and a variety of chains and charms.

The earrings also evolved into something that I hadn't initially planned. Due to length and weight concerns, I ended up making two pairs instead of one. They were made using the same material as the necklace: gear bits (glued together), chains, charms, etc.

The bracelet was bought with lobster clasps already installed and I built on it from there using a strip of ombre cloth, a strand of chain, and various charms.

This was such a fun set to make and has given me a lot of ideas for future work.