I am very happy to finish week one of my Year of Earrings challenge. I've already learned a lot just from this week and I can't imagine what will become of this in the future.
I began the week with a pair of earrings that had enamel, sterling silver, and a garnet in the center. It did not work out at all but I found out that maybe the design was too conservative for my normal rhythm. It was completely outside of what I usually design and it didn't have all the pizazz I like to add to a piece.
So I started to look around my studio and look through all my tools. There are techniques that I haven't practiced in years and I began to pull out these tools and work with them again. I used to do a ton of stamping and then suddenly I just stopped doing it. I can't even remember why, but it felt really good to get back into it. Stamping, when done properly, can add some beautiful details to the work that are unexpected and unique. With this challenge, I mostly want to see how I can combine a bunch of different techniques into one design to come up with something interesting and surprising.
By my digging through tools, my mom started digging through hers and found these two-part stamps, aka die forms, where I could make hollow forms. Game changer. From Wednesday to today, I have been experimenting with them to see what I could do with them. They are extremely versatile and I can see how this will become an essential to the overall look of my work.
I'm also really excited to be able to offer earrings for anyone on a budget. I had made some castings of an eye for a stud earring but never got around to using them. I will be offering three variations of the eye stud and they are all priced under $100. For years, I have struggled with keeping the prices on my work low because many times the designs I had in mind were very meticulous. These are simple, your everyday earring, and pieces that can be stacked if you have multiple piercings.
That is all for now. Thanks so much for reading.
Stay well,
Caitlin