Making waves

There's a new pattern on the block. Japanese inspired, it came about when I was doing my usual doodling of repeating patterns. 

I've been developing it for a couple of months now and have finally released a range of jewellery that uses it.  I use it for both the paper element and an etched silver element and each of those took a long time to finesse. Here's how I designed it. 

Making the paper element

Step 1: Drawing the pattern. 

Step 2: Scan the pattern.  Refine digitally including amending the scale and colour before printing out on recycled card.

Cut my card shapes and laminate these together.  Varnish. Then add layers of resin, allowing to dry between layers. The end result is these 'gemstones' which will be added to the silver elements created below.

Making the etched silver element

Step 1: Scan in the drawing as above and translate it to a cut file. Cut out of vinyl on a cutting machine. Pick out the unwanted vinyl areas as per below.

Step 2: Stick the vinyl to prepared silver sheet and place in acid bath for a few hours. Peel remaining vinyl away and clean up silver again. 

Step 3: Cut required shapes from silver.

Step 4: Construct pieces, including soldering various elements. 

Step 5: Clean up pieces by filing and sandpapering. Oxidise pieces that will be blackened. Finally add in the 'gemstones'. Check out the new collection here.