Comments on: Inspiration for a New Collection

By: Erinn LaMattery

Erinn LaMattery — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 03:27:16 +0000

Beautiful designs and necklaces! Well done!

By: Lady Mockingbird

Lady Mockingbird — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 13:47:15 +0000

Nat,
Yes, taking on the challenge of custom requests has frequently birthed entire new ideas just from the need to rethink how I go about doing things in order to fulfill the client’s request(s). I know a lot of jewelry makers don’t like taking on custom orders because some clients can be impossible to please. But I’ve found that most custom clients can be talked down from unreasonable requests through simple information sharing. Because they don’t know,, what they don’t know about jewelry making. And those who cannot, usually really need a different jeweller with vastly different skill sets and resources than mine. On those occasions I happily refer the client to other makers. It takes nothing away from my own business to do this, and lets the customer know there are options for them to get exactly what they want.

By: Natsuko

Natsuko — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 13:05:02 +0000

I LOVE your lariat! I made few lariat in the past but it didn’t stick with me. it is so hard to get it just right and I never found the balance! but I too love to get custom request from customer. a lot of my design that I love come from custom request first. thank you for sharing your story & beautiful design:) Nat

By: Colleen

Colleen — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:41:27 +0000

I’ve always wanted to try a lariat style necklace, I think you have just inspired me to venture out! Thank you for sharing your mechanics, that should help out a lot. After all these years of making jewelry, I’m not sure I have found my niche yet.
Your work is beautiful, I love the simplicity of it.
Thank you again for sharing!!!

By: Leslie Schmidt

Leslie Schmidt — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 05:58:37 +0000

I have always wanted to do more wire-wrapping but hesitated because so many designs seemed too busy or difficult. I started teaching basic jewelry techniques at a local craft store and students wanted to learn to wire wrap beach glass. So I was forced to quickly learn easy ways to do it plus teach it and provide written instructions. Thank you You Tube videos for so much help!!! I also taught myself (and my students) easier ways to design some basic wraps without having to use different or complicated wire wraps but following the glass contours instead. Our designs are clean and simple without being fussy, using artistic colored wires for color contrasts.

By: Ladymockingbird@gmail.com

Ladymockingbird@gmail.com — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 18:32:56 +0000

Wow, I had no idea this article would inspire questions. I figured that it would draw more stories from our community on how each of you has had a random client question set your minds and creativity loose in a new direction.

The mechanics are pretty simple really. It is a question of balancing weight of the lariat dangle with friction on the back of the neck and of the chain against the lariat loop. If you look at the one with the ruby you’ll see I doubled up the ultra fine sterling chain. I did that because in single chain form there wasn’t sufficient friction to keep the weight of the dangle during natural motions from dragging.

On bare skin, movement and sliding is less of an issue than if the piece is hung around a turtle neck for instance. Because the shiny surfaces of the chain will cling a little to the skin.

Rolo and cable chains with a bid larger links will ‘catch’ on the lariat loop provided the lariat loop has an edge or if round is narrow enough gauge to serve as a bit of a mini-brake for the little valley where one link is joined to another to sit. Kind of like a gear tooth fitting into a sprocket groove.

So larger heavier pendants require a more bumpy heavier gauge chain, while small delicate pendants can work readily with a narrower slinkier chain.

In the end it was pretty simple, my fear was exaggerated in my own mind.
Lady M

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 17:57:01 +0000

Please share your “mechanics” with us even if it is in a tutorial that must be purchased!!!

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 17:11:35 +0000

I, too, have never attempted the lariat style due to a quandary whether it would sell and if I could keep it from strangling the wearer. How did you come about the formula for balancing all the elements of the necklace?

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 14:25:14 +0000

These are just stunning and I can see why your customer was thrilled! Can you explain how you were able to figure out the ‘mechanics’ of the lariat style, as you mentioned? I have never entertained making this style of necklace, precisely for the reason you describe. Thank you for sharing these beauties with us!
Andrea