Carve Your Niche: Create a Work Space for Jewelry Design

Creative space from blog Soul PrettyIf you're anything like me and Sheffield jewelry design instructor Haley Mindes, you look forward to a shopping trip to a bead or craft store more than the mall. If so, you may already have an area in your home carved out for creating. Below you'll find some key elements that come into play in setting up a work space that's not only functional but also inspiring, encouraging you to sit down and create more often. Haley's told me what she thought better organization was all about.

I'd like to say that organization is the major contributor to my imaginative process - but in actuality, the messier my space, the more creative I'm being. If my work area is cleaned up it means I have completed a project or company is coming over! 

We all have projects we've been “meaning” to get to. Having a workspace that inspires you may have you sitting down to start on those projects sooner than later. Your work area may be on your dining room table, at a corner desk, or in a dedicated room that you can close the door to (lucky you, with no constant cleanup!). Haley and I hope that Corner desk by Martha Stewart on Home Depotthese tips will help you to create or improve your work space, and have you excited to sit down and start making!
 

Organization

Make it easy for yourself. Keeping organized means that you don’t have to spend lots of time hunting down what you need. You'll waste less time searching for things if they're always put away in the same place when you're not using them. Recycled glass jars, a magnetic spice rack, and pinned or clipped buckets or fabric bags can be great for storage.

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My Favorite Things

You’ve probably received your holiday gifts and chances are your wish list is still unfulfilled.  I always like to gift myself from my own wish list (hey, I gifted everyone first!) as a reward for just getting through the year. (Wink, wink!)

Being a designer, my wish list for design books is VERY long, so I’d like to share some of the books that inspire me and maybe they will end up on your wish list too!  These books come from all industries – I don’t limit myself just to my field of interior design.  You never know where inspiration may come from so I keep myself open and attuned to all trends in other fields. 

From Design Magazines:

• Abitare: 50 Years of Design: The Best of Architecture, Interiors, Photography, Travel and Trends 1961-2011

Abitare, an Italian design magazine launched in 1961, informed the world of the latest trends in the design world, from interiors to accessories to graphic design, bringing it all under one cover.  This compilation reproduces the best articles of the magazine in Italian and English.

 From Photography:

• Cecil Beaton: The New York Years by Donald Albrecht

The Museum of the City of New York is currently hosting a retrospective of Photographer Cecil Beaton’s works – a beautiful reminder of the work that’s he done including photographs of the beautiful and famous as well as illustrations of costume designs for the opera. Beaton photographed icons such as Greta Garbo, Truman Capote, Audrey Hepburn and Andy Warhol.

• Bill Cunningham New York – DVD – Richard Press, Director

"We all get dressed for Bill," says Vogue editor Anna Wintour of Bill Cunningham, New York Times Photographer. His column, On the Street, for the Style section is a must-see for the fashionistas as well as for those who aspire to be street photographers. 

From Fashion Design:

• Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (Metropolitan Museum of Art) by Andrew Bolton

The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently hosted a blockbuster retrospective on the recently deceased fashion designer, Alexander McQueen.  The exhibit was jam-packed with his breathtaking creations and equally jam-packed with viewers! If you weren't lucky enough to see the exhibit, then this book will give you a taste of his genius. 

• Emilio Pucci by Vanessa Friedman

This book is covered in fabric using one of Pucci’s fabulous patterns (you have several choices) and quite hefty, hence very expensive. But the author spans Pucci's fashion creations throughout his career– great snapshots of la dolce vita - molto bella!

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Braving the "Open See" at Henri Bendel

Participating in the "Open See", an open call to designers for Henri Bendel, can feel a bit like being adrift on an expanse of ocean, but the rush of anticipation combined with the chance to be seen by Bendel buyers can easily make it worth it! 

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The Importance of Play

Remember that fearless approach to exploration that you had when you were little and attempting something new?  You didn’t think about it. You just proudly marched forward.  You know what I’m talking about.  That fearless exploration where you just started something without making judgements.   That initial questioning about whether or not you were finding success with your explorations did not enter into the equation.  Now, think about your approach to something new today.  No, really!   One of the most difficult things to do as an adult is to allow yourself to try new things with the freedom to make mistakes. 

Channeling that beautifully naïve approach to tackling something new can be the key that unlocks the door to discovery!  Yeah, sure, you are running the risk of failure. You are also broaching a path of discovery that could uncover what may become your best work!  You won’t know if you don’t just dive in and try. 

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Jewelry Design Student Postcard: Debbie Bruce

It is said that it is always hard to be the first--- not so, if you ask Debbie Bruce, the first graduate of Sheffield's Jewelry Design Course!!!  If Mrs. Bruce is setting a precedent then it seems that Sheffield's Jewelry Design Program is off to a good start!

Debbie chose the plains of the Serengeti in Africa with its abundant wild life and palette of lush greens, golds and baked earth for the story to ground her graduating collection.   Her color scheme also perfectly launches us into fall!!  So timely, her collection takes the landscape and translated it into visual motifs-- swirls of forged brass-- and a lush mix of baubles in Golden Jade, Green Aventurine, Phoenix Jasper, Smokey Quartz, mocha and cream colored fresh water pearls and a mix of Swarovski crystals.   Taking these materials and elements Debbie mixed and wove them into myriad of stunning and wearable jewelry silhouettes.

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