Trying to get away from "pretty"

Hi all. Something that keeps happening is that I want to make things that are a bit edgy.....but pretty stuff keeps coming out instead.
To be fair though it's the pretty things that have gone to new homes so that's paid for more bullion to keep trying to make the edgy stuff.

I got some tanzanite beads recently and wanted to make some pieces that I could photograph with the bluebells that grow in my garden.
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Like I say, pretty, although I'm not knocking pretty really.

So then I tried being deliberately rough - over-cooking the large jump rings that make up these earrings to get some texture on them and using patina to further give them an edge (and to hide the inevitable fire stain that would eventually show up.

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Then I decided to just make one so it could be worn as a single earring, or used as a pendant, this time using garnet beads
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Further photos below...

Here's the over-cooked piece as a pendant;

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And at the weekend I made a couple of bracelets;

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I'll no doubt keep the patinaed garnet one and I'll add some pretty pink tourmaline beads to the silver one and give it to my daughter (for her to promptly put away and never wear!)

Ha ha Deb, it looks as if you are going archaeological. You might like to look at our member Lydia Naziblian on Etsy. At the bottom of the page is a slide show, called creating 'found treasure': a mixture of reticulation mixed metals, added balls and patination. Give you inner devil her voice.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LydiaNiziblian Dennis.

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Ha ha Deb, it looks as if you are going archaeological. You might like to look at our member Lydia Naziblian on Etsy. At the bottom of the page is a slide show, called creating 'found treasure': a mixture of reticulation mixed metals, added balls and patination. Give you inner devil her voice.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LydiaNiziblian Dennis.

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I am already one of Lydia's biggest fans - she's a goddess - and so I'm trying very hard not to copy the fabulous work that she does. And at the same time accept what's coming out of me. It's all a learning curve.

Have you thought about making pieces without gemstone beads?

Personally I find beads in general a bit old fashioned and this may be what is hindering you in achieving a modern edgy style?

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Originally Posted by Taylor Two

Have you thought about making pieces without gemstone beads?

Personally I find beads in general a bit old fashioned and this may be what is hindering you in achieving a modern edgy style?

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That's a very good point, I think there's a bit of me that is hard wired into "pretty" and still likes to use stones. But I'll take that on board, thats good food for thought.

Even if you are trying to get away from it, you do pretty very well, these are all beautiful. Karen

I think the beads add quite a gothic touch to these pieces which is in itself edgy. Not always what sells right away but we need to make things that feed our souls and someone out there will feel the same way. There’s room for both

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Originally Posted by CJ57

I think the beads add quite a gothic touch to these pieces which is in itself edgy. Not always what sells right away but we need to make things that feed our souls and someone out there will feel the same way. There’s room for both

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Like you say, It does have a Gothic touch to it and I particularly like the 'over-cooked' pendant. I think I slightly prefer the edgy pieces, but is hard to choose as they are all so lovely.