Lately, in the Studio

Lately, I've been having lots of fun playing with new work in the studio, tinkering around with bits of silver and dashes of colour, just the way I like things.

I've started playing with a new range inspired by the scales on Japanese Koinobori banners.  I want the pieces stackable with variations in colours that will blend together, these are some of my results so far....

I've also started extending my "Rock Pool" range.  My scarlet Rock Pool drop earrings are my go-to earrings, they go with most things in my wardrobe and I feel instantly more glamourous just by slipping them on.  I'm now working on some stacking rings to add to the range in a variety of different hues.

And of course, the main purpose of my recent trip to Japan was to source new fabric and handmade papers for the Kimono Reincarnate signature ranges.  I really love the treasures I found and how they're turning out.

And pssst... there are some new "Quilted" designs being added to my Kyoto Collection.

Recently I took an online drawing class with Lisa Congdon on Creativebug.  Even though I have a degree in Visual Arts, I realised that other than quick not-good-enough-to-show-anyone sketches of jewellery design ideas, I haven't done any pen sketching since my second year of university, which was a very long time ago.  While I'm still feeling rather rusty, it's been great to get pen back on paper and to doodle away.

I have plans for some of those doodles too.... and have been getting a few prototypes made which hopefully I can show you in the next couple of months...

This week the work in the studio is all about getting ready for the GoMA Winter Design Market.  It's on this Saturday, 19th July at the entrance to the Queensland GoMA gallery, South Brisbane.

Then, for a couple of weeks after the market I'll be working on a big update of my website to include the new designs.

Pencil Jewellery

I love some of the pencil jewellery I've been seeing on the internet lately.  While my favourite is still the amazing work by Maria Cristina Bellucci some of the more simple pieces are also really sweet.

Recently on Pinterest, I stumbled on this pencil jewellery tutorial by Design Mom.  I really love the brooch and the pencil beads.

Photo from Design Mom

These pencil necklaces by Karolin Felix are really sweet too, I love the detail on the pencils.  She also has some simple brooches in her store.

Image taken from Beyond Beyond

Hmmm.... I think my little one had better start guarding her pencil case... I can feel some crafting coming along...

Three in One

I love pieces that are versatile and so my latest kanzashi necklace/brooch style was born.

It can be worn like this for a bit of sweet fun...

... or like this for a funkier, sexier look...

... or taken off the neck all together and worn as a brooch.

Modelled by my fabulous cousin, Dan.

Kawaii Kokeshi - Blogtoberfest Day 6

A new range of pendants, the "Kawaii Cottons" range. Getting ready for a resin pouring session early tomorrow morning (and yes, they will get straightened up before that happens).

I think they look like little family portraits.

In Store

Bad storekeeper, bad storekeeper! These pendants have been waiting ever-so-patiently (they are Japanese after all), to go out in the world and I've been a bad storekeeper by not listing them. Well that was remedied tonight - they are finally in my Etsy store. I've only done about ten of this style and should be listing the glass pendants as well, soon.

Captured History

Antique and vintage kimono fabric captured under hand-fired glass.

I'm really happy with how they are turning out. I still have to finish some of the backs, attach the bails and wait for the necklaces to arrive and then they and many more will be in my Etsy store.

What To Do When Your Workroom Is Such A Mess You Can't Work In There.....

If you thought the correct response to that was to tidy up said workroom, you were wrong. That's just silly! You take over another part of the apartment of course!

I went into jewellery making mode yesterday. I'm trying to find the best method to get the effect I want while still being do-able without too much set up and mess. Nowadays, something that I can set up and leave somewhere at least for a few days is perfect.

I've been playing with combinations of silver, fabric, paper, transfers, glass, resin, metal, solder, glaze, bamboo.. I think that's all. Tomorrow there will be a bit of clay involved as well.

I'll post some results once I know which direction I'm heading in.

In my very short online times between obsessing about pendants, I saw this kimono wrap skirt that Assemblage had made. I'm in love... with the skirt that is... and maybe have just a bit of a blog crush on the maker herself... how I'd love for her to make my wardrobe!

Kimono Fabric and Geisha

I really enjoyed my date with my sewing machine yesterday. I didn't get very far with the top I'd planned on making. Actually, I didn't get anywhere with the top as I had trouble downloading the pattern. I had actually planned on lengthening the top to make it into a cross-over dress. Being as stubborn as I am sometimes, I was still determined to make one. I have one that I like the cut of, so made a pattern from it. It's still a work in progress, but I'd like to have it finished on Monday, so I can wear it to the airport to pick up hubby on Tuesday.

This is the fabric I'm using for the dress. It's really cute as the line of geisha is only at the bottom of the fabric (and I will use for the bottom of the skirt) and the rest is black with a few flowers dotted here and there. I'm really hoping it works out!



I had another moment of realising how much I'm going to miss this country. I took a break from the machine and dropped into my local shopping centre. I sat at Starbucks for a while to do some writing, browsed through the Japanese craft books in the books shop, picked up some super cute Japanese fabric from the craft shop and bought some yummy sushi from the supermarket for dinner. Ahh... I've only got another seven months of this life!

By the time I got home, we were in the middle of a huge electrical storm, so the computer and sewing machine were pulled out of the sockets. To amuse myself I played with making some kimono fabric pendants. I'm really pleased with how they worked out (the square ones weren't actually finished when I took this photo, so look a bit funny). They have a lovely silver coloured metal finish on the back.

All in all, a great day. Please summer holidays, don't ever end!

This is... my jewellery box

Well, I don't have a jewellery box in the traditional sense I suppose, most of my jewellery is either hanging on the wall in the bedroom, in wall pockets in the bathroom, in their individual boxes in drawers or in a jewellery roll in a drawer. Mmm... not wonder it takes me so long to get dressed in the morning...

I do have one little wooden box that I keep my favourite rings in though. It's a sweet thing that I picked up in a flea market, with you guessed it, a kimono fabric insert. I'm actually starting to get a little embarrassed... people will really start to figure out just how obsessed I am with kimono fabric and Japanese design...


So here it is, full of pieces that I love to wear.

This is a close-up of the contents. Other than the pieces either covered in kimono fabric, embedded with kimono fabric or structured from kimono fabric, many pieces are either silver or white gold, and big and chunky. Just how I like them.

Thank you to the hostess with the mostest, Three Buttons, for this week's theme!

In the next few days, I've got some photo to post of some of the bags in progress and Saturday's festivities! I had a ball, it was a fabulous kimono spotting day! Will tell more soon...

This is... my creation!

.... and I'm so excited!

This post could also be called "This is... what I've been doing instead of all the other stuff I should be doing considering I fly out for my holidays in a couple of days"... but we won't worry about that will we? Thanks to Betty the Geek for this week's theme.

This was my second attempt using the silver clay. You can see my first attempt here. While I'm a complete beginner, I still thought you might be interested in how it all works and the mistakes I made along the way.

I found myself moving to different areas of the apartment for different stages. So this really was workspace number one.

What I have here is a packet of PMC3 and the PMC3 syringe. I've covered my cutting board in baking paper so that the clay doesn't stick. Under the baking paper is a mark out of the pieces I want to make and their sizes. On top of the baking paper, on either side of that markup is a few pieces of cardboard stacked to equal the height of what I want the clay pieces to be. In one bowl is water, the other olive oil. The olive oil is good to stop the clay from sticking to your hands and utensils. There's a straw to help shape the bead at the top and a film container to collect dry bits of clay. I put some of those bits into the lid with a bit of water and use a paintbrush to create slip, to help join pieces together. I have a dry and a wet hand towel. There's also a rolling pin, some kitchen towel and a knife.

The clay comes out like plasticine. It's really easy to use. I rolled it out and cut out the pieces in the sizes I'd marked out. I then let the clay sit to dry out a little. I left the olive oil coated straw in the bead to help it keep shape as it dried. When the clay was not longer so soft, I stamped a little butterfly into the back of the main piece using a normal rubber stamp.

Once the pieces were harder and could be moved around without changing shape, using the slip from the syringe, I joined the pieces together to create a box.

This is the back of the box.

And this is why I won't make a box shape again. It was so fragile. When I went to sand it pre-firing, bits broke off. Using the syringe, I repaired it, but was again too rough with it so once again, it came apart. I believe it would be much stronger after the firing, but I didn't want to take the risk. Instead, I reconstituted the clay (added water to it and stuck it in cling wrap overnight) and used it again.

This time I rolled a thicker piece of clay and used a baking paper covered rubber stamp to dent in the space I wanted. I rolled a little snake of clay and joined it at the top.

Once the clay is bone dry, it's ready to fire. There are a number of ways to fire the clay, but with the space considerations we have here in Japan, my husband bought me the "pot" kit. It's really cute. The heat comes from a solid fuel and once it's burnt out, as long as the piece isn't too big, it should be done. It all sits on a fire-resistant board. I love the little rosy-cheeked face the pot has when firing ;)

When it's fired and cool, the piece comes out looking very white. It's not a coating but actually the silver particles sitting straight up.

I had a few little explosions with my piece, I suspect there must have been a little moisture still in there (this is where my lack of patience comes in...). Luckily though, the three bumps were not in a critical place.

With a wire brush, you rub over the piece to bring out it's silver look. I also used some little files to sand off as much of those bumps as I could before I lost feeling in my hands. I also used them to file the top loop to make the shape a bit better. To get the piece to really shine, I then sanded it again, and again and again, each time working with a finer sandpaper, and then in the end with a silver polishing cloth.

The piece was then ready for the fabric. I backed the obi fabric with iron-on interfacing, cut it to shape and used a really good craft glue to adhere it. I had planned on using resin over the top (hence the original box design) but this piece wasn't deep enough for it.

I have to say, this is going to be a very addictive, but expensive hobby. I went to pick up some more silver clay the other day and boy, it's not cheap!

Before I go... here's a sneak peek at another work in progress....