Photo Jewelry Series – Part Three of Three

These are the two products I use to secure and seal my photographs when creating my photo jewelry.

They can each be found at most national craft retailers or online.

The Glossy Accents is thick and great for filling in a "well" or covering small beads, findings or paper layers. It has it's own applicator and can fit in small areas. A very tiny amount can be applied to the back of your photograph to secure it to the piece of jewelry before covering the top.

The Triple Thick is thinner and easier to spread over larger surfaces. I use a clean, soft, synthetic craft brush to apply it. It gives a uniform look to a wider surface. You must take care not to over-brush the top or your photo might smear.

I also sometimes use a spray fixative (found at any art store) to "fix" or seal my photographs or paper art before finishing with one of the above products.

Be sure to experiment with any product you use and get comfortable with it. There can be a slight learning curve and it will make for happier creating if you feel secure with your supplies.

Photo Jewelry Series – Part Two of Three

These are an example of the earrings from the photo jewelry collection I created a few years ago.

Mounted on a small, flat, matte-black charm...the photos highlighted my love for photography and nature.

I selected pictures that I felt would reduce well and then cut two sections out of the same image for each pair of earrings.

I didn't want them to "match" but I wanted them to coordinate.

What I ended up with was two pieces of the same image...tied together by their common colors and themes.

I attached them to hand made sterling silver ear wires and created a small silver plated scroll charm to cover the utilitarian loop.

After signing the back of each they were ready to go!

How to Store your Photo Props!

I really enjoy using props in my work photos...

but being a recovering pack-rat...it was hard to edit and store all of the items I was quickly accumulating.

I found this unit in a national office supply store and it has worked perfectly!

It wasn't expensive, is very sturdy and has adjustable drawer heights. I like the clean lines and as you may have read in my previous posts...for me, out of sight is out of mind...so the open mesh drawers help me remember what I have.

An added bonus is the sturdy table top surface it provides...great for baskets with more props or even my light box.

There are small plaques on the front of the shelves where you can attach labels...but I haven't gotten quite that organized yet!

Work in progress, right?!

Natures Earrings

On a recent trip to California I took a bunch of pictures of the beautiful desert wildlife.

I am sharing some of these to show how inspiration for jewelry pieces can be found everywhere.

The flowers on this bush, when grouped all together, kind of got lost…but I think when you separate them and focus on just one the look like delicate, dangling earrings handmade by Mother Nature.

It made me picture a thin chain with long tube beads attached…capped off by little floating crystals…what does this picture make you think about?

Does it inspire certain materials, colors, shapes?

Picture making something this shape using only wire…or all one color…or a shorter length.

Next time you are out in nature…take a closer look…or better yet…take your camera!

Simple Contrast

This is a picture I took on a recent trip to California.

While the flower itself is so pretty…it was the contrast of light and dark and the simple color pallet that drew me to this particular photo.

I think the feeling of this could translate into beautiful jewelry.

The rose…creamy and ivory set against the deep black reminds me of a more romantic time. It makes me think of some kind of light focal piece framed by onyx, jet black or midnight bluestone.

In a necklace that could mean a beautiful light pendant dangling from a strand of dark beads. For a bracelet it could be multiple strands of dark stones secured with a light clasp. For earrings it could be a dark bead with a waterfall of light strands flowing from beneath.

Mostly it is about the contrast of dark to light and a simple color pallet…

classic…in shades of two colors.

Color combinations don’t have to be complicated…play with the intensity of just a few colors and see what magic can happen.

Scrapbook Supplies as Jewelry Photo Props

Craft stores are a great place to find small props to make your jewelry photographs more interesting.

I found these cool little pre-made cards at a national arts and crafts store in their scrapbooking supply section.

At the time, I wasn't sure how they would work but I liked how graphic they were and what they said.

Below are a couple of ways that I decided to use them.



I think they add visual interest and create an eye catching background.