Beyond inspiration

Inspiration can strike you in many different ways but many  times I don't rely on inspiration to create my jewelry designs simply because many times I am not inspired by anything at all, neither thinking about anything specifically. 

Most of the time I only have in my mind a color palette and everything else born from that deep desire of working and manipulating components on those colors that for some reason are talking to me.

The necklace below was created last year for the latest Beadalon catalog #30 and the initial idea was to showcase the white stringing wire - that actually is one of my favorites among many of the wide range colors available by its brand.

I've detected two fabulous print media that could have been used by me as the original inspirations for this necklace because both- a magazine cover and a product ad - are modern, sleek, vibrant and hip.  Check out the 3 following images:

On my design the color white is the main element. On the magazine cover black and white takes the main role. Then on the product ad yellow speaks loud and vibrantly sets the whole mood. All of the 3 images deliver the same color palette and obvious each color was explored with a different intention.

Necklace photographed by John Fritzinger for Beadalon © 2009.

Organic Murano

In the picture above: Organic aquamarine chunks mixed with filigree spacers, Swarovski Elements and Murano glass beads. Non treated Brazilian aquamarine large chips adds a funky and edgier vibe to the refinement and sophistications of crystals and Venetian glass beads.

Two rhodium plated star key rings were used as connectors and it can be found @ Beadalon.

In the last picture above,  wood and coconut shell beads are combined with crystals to showcase a Venetian pendant with "millifiore" accents. Crystal circle bail holds focal point in place.

Designs created by Fernando Dasilva for Murano Glass beads .

Book cover: "Modern Expressions"

This is the cover of my upcoming book, "Modern Expressions".

Turn heads by creating fabulous and fashion-forward jewelry!

"Modern Expressions" features 25 step-by-step projects featuring some of the coolest products available in the jewelry making industry today.

Learn to create chic necklaces, earrings and bracelets using basic jewelry techniques building a strong foundation to create your own one-of-a-kind pieces. Fashion sketches accompanies 15 of the projects to provide you an excellent guidance on how to pairing it with clothing choices.

A men jewelry gallery offer a fresh vision on male accessories.

Coming in January 2011  by North Light Books an imprint of F+W Media Inc.

Sexy hoops with Garnet CZ's

The folks from Artbeads.com sent me a couple of fancy cut Cubic Zirconia drops (pendants)  and I was waiting for the right moment to make something ultra sexy and feminine with them.

I got several ideas going on. I love fancy cuts and on those situations there is no need to do too much with it because the wow effect is the stone itself.

After months and months storaged inside my secret drawer here it is my design incorporating them into a fun, sassy, sexy and luscious pair of hoops - long and flowing, like I think it should be.

I 've decided to use a wide flat circle disc as a frame for the pendants; I wire wrapped around with spaced and longs wraps using copper Artistic Wire, then I created simple dangles of flat oval garnets to be added to the end of gold filled chain. The focal components are the garnet CZ drops. I love this fan shape cut and it has a little of art deco in it.

Design and photos by Fernando Dasilva © 2010.

CZ garnet fan cut drops by Artbeads.com
Product score:   ✫✫✫✫✫

Disclosure:  
A pair of garnet CZ faceted fan pendant CZ-GARN-FN18  was kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Bead and Button 2010 - Beadalon new products application

Playing with findings and new products is always fun if is not done under pressure and that is the recipe for successful use of unexpected products.

Beadalon just came out with a sparkle thread that pushes my boundaries into a more crafty and artsy place. I still was able to add Swarovski Elements and make it something fun and fresh.

Below is the picture of a necklace made by me during my demo hours using the hollow mesh tubing filled with crystal beads and spaced with strands of sparkle thread tied between the beads...triple strand to make it luscious...the sparkle thread  worked as spacers keeping the beads in place mimicking cages. A little bit of a "fantasy look" for girlie days.

 

My second necklace below was structured by gun metal chain and interesting focal beads serving an opaque carnelian off-shape bead turning into a pendant.

I used adhesive squares to glue Swarovski Elements on each side of a Lucite orange bead.

Another new fave of mine appears here again - an off-shape (love those) rich animal print metallic peacock bead by Canadian jewelry supplier John Bead Corporation. have you seen those? If not you should run to the closest bead shop and ask for them...those beads are amazingly fashionable and very versatile. There are many "lines" to select from, I went with one that coordinates better with the other Swarovski crystals I have used - , red magma roundelle, crystal dorado bicones and golden shadow cubist. 

This necklace will add pizazz to either a summer or fall outfit, and can be worn on day or nightlight. 

Chic, simple and trendy! That is all you need to feel expressively modern and beautiful...but hey don't forget about an upbeat attitude..that is a must have.

Energy to all!

Fernando.

Fashion, Forward and Findings

I made a very few pieces during the demo time at the Beadalon booth at Bead and Button 2010 Show last month.
Earrings are the quickest pieces to make it but sometimes I c only make one side and finish the pair once I am back home.
Below are few earrings made using the new very modern ear wires by Beadalon. I am sure lots of them will be sold by other companies down on the road, but once again Beadalon has introduced them to my design world and here are some of my favorite ones.

Above is a large cherry chalcedony drop held by a hinge pinch bail ear wire...if you're looking for instant gratification and don't want to spend any of your precious time wire wrapping nor opening/closing jump rings and needs a new pair of earrings to add pizazz to a new outfit,  this is the right ear wire for you. It doesn't require hardly any of your time at all...it's a less than 2 minutes pair of earrings...better than that only online shopping darling! The findings is sleek, modern and perfect to showcase a fat briolette or a long fabulous faceted drop. Shazan!

Oh..I love those...still modern and sleek but on this hoops the ear wire has a back ring. It doesn't interfere on the look of your beads and you can add any combination of components and it will work.

Oval light purple peacock Czech beads by  John Bead Corporation  are the focal element combined with crystals by  Swarovski Elements  ...the new baroque pearls are sensational.

I used satin silver bead bumpers against all the wire wrapped loops to add more texture and interest to the design element itself.   

On the pair of earrings above, I used a hinge oval ear wire that gives a touch of high end jewelry look to a street wear piece. Swarovski Elements copper octagon pendants (two holes) works as connectors adding movement and sassiness to the milky surface of bamboo coral components. These earrings offer a snap-close feature without the need for an earnut. 

I hope you enjoy the first designs of July 2010.

See you again in a couple of days.

Fer.

Fernando Dasilva creations © 2010.