Friday, May 10, 2013

Back to Basics: Beading & Jewelry Making

Starting today, I am going back to basics from beading weaves to wires to anything that comes across my path.  I will tamper down my eagerness to plunge headlong into my next project and put the bubbling cauldron of ideas on slow simmer.

Once upon a time, seemingly long ago, I asked what I now know to be one of the most basic questions on Australia's Beading Forum: "What is the best beading stitch to learn?", followed by "How many should we know?"



Many people responded but one answer sticks the most for no reason apparent then: "... the more you know, the more tools you have to work with."  I intellectually got that but it was not till in later years as I pushed, shoved, stumbled, and fumbled my way through trying to bring to life my various ideas and learning surely but slowly along the way that I reached a point when finally my being got it.  I discovered how more ideas could be more elegantly birthed because I knew more techniques and the seemingly disparate techniques started to blend in and unconsciously support the intricacies that the ideas desired.

So now when ideas bubble up, my little repertoire of  possible techniques all wave their raised hands at me and mentally run through the process of how they could solve the challenges that each idea sprouts.  I look back on my early early work and see how many unsatisfactory ad hoc processes I employed with results that were less than satisfactory.  I realize that I still have a biggish hole in my repertoire of techniques.  Working around a challenge with what tools/skills one has is both fun and challenging.  However having more techniques means that I will have more supporting skills that will give me a much more satisfactory road to my end result.

So to that end, I am going to go back to the basics of jewelry making and wire work, etc etc.  I am going to make not projects but wee components and learn more how-tos.  And when I find interesting ones, I will share with you.

So Namaste for today, for now and off I go to play with Basics!  See you soon(ish)!

Tip: When I have them to publish, you will be able to find the Techniques and How-Tos in the Jewelry Making Reference section of this blog.