Whats on My Bench

Happy Saturday, and welcome to our latest edition of Whats on My Bench. Today JET Team member Bev of Linkouture reveals how she overcame a bout of "jewelry designers block" while at her workbench...

"I can only get to the jewelry studio about once a month now, so it's important that I'm as productive as possible while I'm there. Not long ago I was in the studio with the equivalent of writer’s block. I was feeling unmotivated and had no idea what to make, when a classmate lent me her ideas notebook. I must get one of these! Within a few minutes of flipping through her notes, ideas for two pairs of earrings began to formulate in my head. Before they vanished, I drew some rough sketches and then got to work hammering some wire. Incidentally, hammering a piece of metal is a very therapeutic and also productive way to get rid of tension!

Although my first idea didn't work out, I began to get excited as my second design idea - for oval teardrop earrings - began to turn out beautifully! I drilled a few holes and tested out my prototype to see if it would work, before making some more out of recycled sterling silver. Once I got home I tumbled the prototype to make it shiny, and attached my hand-forged earwires to check that the design really did work as earrings. And it did! When I posted my new design idea on social media, I had such a terrific response I was only bummed that I hadn’t made more!

I’m delighted with my design and will be back in the studio soon, super pumped to make some more of them! I've been wearing my prototype earrings and they’re super lightweight and go with just about any outfit, regardless of the occasion. Like all of my items, I struggled with the price a bit, but finally decided on an amount that I felt comfortable charging, hoping that one day they may also make it into some of the shops where I consign."

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Bev!

Until next time!
Donna