Variations on a theme

I enjoy taking commissions for my jewellery making and often they evolve from something I have already made and sold. At my friend Karen's jewellery party last autumn I put out a set of one of a kind glass beads I bought from a talented lampworker I regularly buy from. They were this set below. Sometimes I do this, rather than make up a finished necklace, as people have different ideas as to finished pieces. Buyers then get their exact piece of unique jewellery.

They were very pretty lentil beads with blue murrini pieces in and some flashes of silver mirror glass.

 At the party a lady admired the necklace shown below, which had already been sold.

 I knew I only had 1 more of the spider agate coin beads at home so I could only re make a similar necklace with one bead as the  focal. She was quite happy for me to make this as she really loved the bold rock quartz shards I had used. The necklace re made is shown below.

She also wanted a matching bracelet. I explained that I did only have the one coin bead left. I tend to buy lots of "one off" unique beads at bead fairs and once I have sold them I do not (and usually cannot ) replace them.
She decided that she would like to have a bracelet made using the same chunky rock crystal and she then spotted the loose glass lampwork lentils on the table. It was decided I would use 3 of these in a bracelet.

This (on the right) is what I came up with and she was delighted with it.

Now whilst I was working on this commission the dangerous situation arose that my daughter came to stay and of course was interested in my work in progress.
She loved this bracelet and I heard enough ooh and aah hints to realise that a similar necklace and bracelet would be a very welcome addition to her Christmas stocking. 

So I got busy making and came up with this chunky necklace...








and this matching bracelet below.....

Now the story does not stop there as whilst I was making my daughter's jewellery I had my own open house and a lady there spotted my WIP and asked if she could have the same glass lentil beads but with black onyx. Now this did create a slight problem as by now I had also run out of the original lentil glass lampwork beads. Luckily I was able to contact the maker who was able to make up a few more....they were not identical (they never can be and that is the beauty of one of a kind glass lampwork beads) but just as pretty.

So  I was able to make a final necklace which was totally the design of my buyer. She wanted just very simple small black onyx beads with the lampwork.

And here is the very final necklace. This is a close up...you can see the lentils are slightly different but still very beautiful. It is so interesting to see how different  it looks to the rock crystal versions.













And here is the necklace full length.

I do find it so fascinating to see how projects just branch out one from another. What started with just glass beads on string became no less that 4 very different items of jewellery.

Real variations on a theme!

I hope you are enjoying some of this glorious spring weather which has arrived. Despite chilly nights the sun is warming up. Today is no exception, the cloud is breaking up and the sun is being to glimmer through into my garden...bliss! It makes me even more grateful of my life here when I see the events in Japan at the moment. My thoughts are with the Japanese people and I hope they can start to recover from this terrible tragedy soon and start to rebuild their shattered lives.......

Back on a brighter note no doubt my Billy will be out and about in the garden  later, he sends everyone a purr. He is also looking forward to getting back out in the sunshine too....

Bye for now,

Jane x