A cheerful rainbow of color, by Elizabeth
I started our mini-jewelry making class today with a group of 8 women, a nice mixture of returning and new women. Today’s earring project was basic/intermediate level, since I knew the class would be mixed, and wanted to be sure it was challenging enough for the old women but easy enough for new women to catch on.
Green with envy, by Marleny
Earlier this week, I purchased a bag of beautiful bicone beads at the local jewelry store, making sure to pick colors that the returning women enjoy working with. At this point, I know each woman’s individual style and can predict what colors they will choose (we had a good laugh about this today when I went around the table and named each woman and their favorite colors). I was excited to have them work with these beautiful, sparkly beads since quality materials lend themselves to more creative possibilities. Although there are cheaper beads available, I find spending a little bit more on beads that feel special give the women a creative burst of energy.
A beautiful color scheme by Lucila
Obviously, the women did not disappoint! As you can see from the photos, the women had the opportunity to customize the design and the placement of their beads, as well as chose from gold or silver plated wire. As much as possible, I try to make the designs flexible to encourage the women to think outside of my sample pieces and design for their tastes. This has been one of the biggest challenges of the jewelry making class, and over the years the women have learned to come at each project with their unique perspective. Creativity is a muscle, and the women, like all of us, need the time and space to strengthen it.
Design credit: These earrings are a modification on a bracelt design by Barb Switzer, www.beadswitzer.com