Unhinged

Before you scroll down to look at the other photos, can you guess what this is? I love this shot!! What you are looking at is my new "Unhinged" bangle!! I really don't know what has gotten in to me. Yesterday, I had that mini rant about how unball-like my day/week has been. But out of the blue, I found everyone behaving/playing nice and I was in my studio poppin' out all sorts of new things. These new bangles are just the tip of the jewelry iceberg that came through here!

So, where the idea come from for these bangles... I have mentioned several times that I am in love with Stephanie Sersich's glass work. Last week, I got my copy of her new book, Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads. I first heard about this book right from Stephanie when I was at the B&B Show last year. (I bought one of her awesome heart pendants!)

At first glance, I didn't really think the projects in the book were for me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the book, especially the beads through the ages portion, but I think I lust after her beads more then I lust after her jewelry style. But then, there was this one project that I kept turning back to. Turns out it is a project featured in the latest issue of Stringing Magazine too (page 66). It is called "Double-Clasp Bracelet".


The timing of this inspiration is perfect... lemme explain. Recently over at Lampwork Etc, Linda Campbell of Black Bear Art Glass posted a link to THIS ARTICLE written by Dick Lehman for Ceramics Monthly Magazine. The article is fantastic! Period... you just have to read it. I have been hoping for an excuse to post a link to it. I couldn't more eloquently phrase how I feel about inspiration/borrowing/copying. I know you are probably thinking "what does making bowls have to do with making jewelry?" Well, not much but what I loved about it is the idea that you should "steal" others ideas, then take those ideas and change them so much that one wouldn't know where the ideas ever originiate. I think there is a lot of "borrowing" going on out there and not enough "stealing"... read the article, you'll know what I mean.

I think this new bangle is a great example of "stealing"! I stole Stephanie's idea to make a two part bracelet. Then I transferred it into my style... wire. Then I decided that interchangeable wasn't for me and I made a hinge in the middle instead. So see... I was inspired but the end result was so far removed from that inspiration that you couldn't tell one influenced the other!!

Another thing I liked about this article is the parts on sharing knowledge. I think the idea that all artists are standing on the artists of those that came before them is so true. And sharing ideas, techniques, methods... everything... is so important to the growth of an art form. It is why I write my tutorials and one of the reasons I am writing my book. I want to share how I do things and I want to see how others take the next step, make things better/different... essentially "steal" my ideas and take it to the point that you wouldn't know it was mine to begin with.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box now. But I would love to hear your thoughts on this!! Please leave me some comments. Tell me what you think of the bangles... tell me what you think of the article... tell me, tell me, tell me!