Custom design does not mean costly, or complicated, and it doesn't take a long time. What it does mean, is that you will get a perfect piece of jewelry, made to your exact specifications for color, length, and materials. Please call or e-mail me, sarah@vineyardsky.com, to discuss your needs.
We have lots of ways to work creatively together, even over the Internet. A bride once e-mailed me a website link so I could see the style and the color of the gown she selected. I was able to create an elaborate pair of earrings that complimented her wedding dress. Another client mailed me three color pictures from a magazine. I made her a lovely necklace using those color themes. Let me know what you want, and I can suggest patterns, designs, color schemes, and price ranges that will give you an idea of what is possible. If you need something quickly, just let me know, we can work it out.
Custom design is one of my favorite things to do. A whole different kind of creative energy goes into making a piece for a special occasion, or for a special person.
Call me today at 508-696-8700. Let's get started!
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Custom Order
Here's a new one made at the request of one of my studio neighbors! I've been doing lots of wire wrapping of late and after seeing these new designs Myrtle asked for her very own pair. She admired the ornate detail of this technique and thought the gold-filled metal which seldom tarnishes would be a nice change from Sterling. The colors I used here are rather vibrant and together with the shape of the earring, remind me of peacock feathers. Myrtle is very fond of bright, playful colors and I began this design by choosing the larger focal bead. The deep capri blue and sparking facets of the vintage European glass are accented with a variety of smaller glass seed beads in both cool and bright green hues. This curvaceous earring has lots of movement, can't wait to see them swinging in the summer sunshine!
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Something as simple as a few pencils and pieces of paper is enough to get me started. My friend Elizabeth admired my Hoop Frame earring designs and asked if I could make several pair for her to match the colors she is fond of wearing.
As you can see the colors are a soft blue, rather like faded denim, a sage green and several warm tones that remind me of spices, and wheat. I start the design process by selecting the pendant beads for the center of the earring design. Once I've found that I sort through the various sizes and colors of seed beads, all made with glass from either the Czech Republic or Japan, to find several complementary shades and a variety of surface textures.
Not a fan of bold, showy jewelry, Elizabeth asked if I could make the diameter a bit smaller than usual. This design is quite versatile, it can be made round or tear-drop, and was inspired by the popular chandelier style. The lightness of the frame allows me to use color for impact rather than size and can easily be adapted to work with beads of various sizes. Each pair of earrings varies slightly from one another, yet is distinct on its own.
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Examples from the Fall of 2009
I was pleasantly surprised by a visit to my studio from a couple who were planning their September wedding. The had remembered seeing my jewelry the previous year and decided to look me up. Sara, the bride to be, tried on several of my current designs and was taken with a necklace made with semi-precious stones in shade of green and aqua. To offer her another option, we also looked at some photos of sold work that more prominentely featured Freshwater pearls. We had a bit of time before the wedding date so I suggested she think about what she had seen before we made a decision.
A few days later we metagain and Sara asked if I could possibly create something similar in length and weight to the green stone necklace, but using shades of blue and purple, her favorites. Thanks to my more than adequate stash of beads, color options are seldom a problem and indeed I had several stones to consider working with. Since Sara would not be trying the necklace on with her dress, I suggested that a adjustable closure would give her some versatility of length.
After some discussion and decision making , Sara's final choices can be seen in the group of beads in the photo just above. Once I reach this stage in the process the actual completion of the design can happen rather quickly. It always feels good to see a project through to completion, especially so when the jewelry is to be worn for such a special occasion. It was a real treat to have had a hand in this wedding, which took place outdoors on a beautiful sunny fall day.
The finished necklace is shown below.
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Off to a flying start, this was the first custom order for 2009.
An exciting project that was requested by my friend Tara. She was visiting with her family in England this fall and one of her favorite things to do there is to attend the local outdoor market. There are a variety of things sold there, fruits, vegetables and best of all, antiques of all sorts. This multi-stone pendant was a treasured find from that visit. As shown, there are four bezel set stones connected to one another and there were stitches attaching a scrap of fabric at the top. I wonder how this was worn in its original state? I can imagine it as a rather Victorian choker with a black satin ribbon circling a slender neck.
Other than some guidelines as to length, I was at liberty to compose the design in whatever manner I chose. My first thought was to combine the pendant with some seed beads in hues that would both complement and accentuate the soft, cool green. I found the colors I needed and then moved onto selecting the threading material. My plan evolved a bit here when I remembered the soft cinnamon colored nylon that I had stashed from a months-ago buying trip. I decided that macramé would be an interesting method of carrying the beadwork and nicely displaying the pendant. The variety of textures that macramé allows contrasts with the cool smoothness of the stone in the pendant.
Within the knotwork there are fan patterns that reflect the triangular positioning of the stones in the top portion of the pendant. The areas that are more lacy and open are farther away from the pendant.
Notice that moving down the necklace, increasing the concentration of both beading and knotwork lends visual weight, and draws the eye toward the focal point.
In my treasure trove of buttons I found an old brass button with a feminine floral motif. The tone of the brass mirrors the metal surrounding the pendant stones.
This project was both a challenge and a pleasure to work on. I love the opportunity to further my design experience with macramé. This is a rather time consuming technique, so it’s harder to find the time to indulge in this very often. While I was working on this creation, as so often happens, I had some other ideas and will be doing more macramé soon.
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Project number 2 - Joan Lost an Earring
There was some very delicate chain used in the earring to suspend the wire that carries the five crystal drops and in each drop themselves. I decided that it would be fun to add a few of my own details. The coils on the ends of the wire and central drop added a swirl of feminine detail. On each of the five drops I added a tiny silver Charlotte, for even more sparkle.
With my replica finished I had the chance to compare the two side to side and decided that rather than cut apart the original I would make a second earring. The older crystals looked a bit worn and I thought that taking the time to remove and clean them was not worth it. Here are the two side by side, older on the left and new on the right.
