What do you display your 'bits' on for best effect??

[Solunar Silver Studio]

I have been up since just after 4 this morning - working on putting these display boxes together. Obviously there is still a lot of finishing, painting and 'interior design' to do yet but I'm sure you get the idea!


I have been looking around for ages trying to find just the right sort of things that I can display my work on and in - something that would be sympathetic to the mainly silver work that I do...although since I am starting to introduce beads and enamel now there is a bit of colour creeping in.

I want to avoid black as it seems to drain the life out of everything I put on it ....and anyway I want it to look different! I also want it to be ultra adaptable so I can use it in someone's tiny dining room if necessary as well as in any shows that I eventually get round to doing...I also want something that will protect my 'best bits' without making them look too untouchable... I don't want much really!! And I have no money!! So the only option left is a do-it-yourself job! Anything is better than the hodge podge of items I use at the moment!

I bought these 2 (16"x20") brushed aluminium covered wood frames (for a pound a piece) at car boot sale on Sunday and that kick started my ideas!
I have also bought some cream and some blue 'velvet' fabrics which reflect the colours on my website and I want to use these to keep a colour theme running through everything...I want to try to make my own 'necks' later - so that should be fun!! and I'm working on other bits and bobs too.

I have also bought a load of reduced, almost plain, cream, cotton/synthetic mix curtaining which I plan to cut and hem into three 60 inch square table covers that can be used side by side, or as overlapping diamond shapes, or individually as the situation dictates.

What sort of colour schemes do you use to give a bit of character to your display? And what is your favourite or most successful piece of display equipment? I am particularly stuck for good earring display ideas so all suggestions are eagerly awaited!!

[bustagasket]

love your boxes hun, you are so adaptable And the jewellery to go in them is bloody nice too lol which helps

[Di Sandland]

This is the area at which I am crap I think you've made a good start, but I'm not to sure about the depth of those boxes - could you put something in/on one to show me how you meant to use them?

That Rene Kingsberg site (or whatever her name is) has some brilliant ideas for making necks and stuff. I've been thinking along the lines of cheap acrylic blocks to give height interest.

Colourwise, I think silver looks good on deep jewel colours rather than pastels - midnight blue/cobalt blue type stuff. I think the main colour thing tho is, as you said, having a theme. Like company colours type of thing.

If you're wanting portable then most natural things, likes rocks and stuff are out of the question. Perhaps thats the best place to start, come to think of it, where are you planning to do most of your display work?

[Petal]

Hi Barbara,


I have my 'best' pieces displayed on necks with wooden tops to them ( black and white) , then my slightly less expensive pieces on acrilic wraparound necks. My display is black velvet (for things that look good on black), cream fabric (for things that look good on cream) , which has a textured effect. Then I have a 'board' which my OH has adapted from a B&Q decorating table and we clamp that to the corner of the stall. Then I use dressmaking pins to hang my jewellery from. I did a bit of research going to shops, seeing other peoples displays at events and seeing what stands were 'busy' and which ones were not! The stands that were busy, were ones where the first thing a 'customer' sees is the jewellery and not the stallholder! I saw a stand with beautiful jewellery, but it was all on the flat and not one person was looking at it ( I watched for about 5-10 minutes) - its because the person is 'intimidating' and it makes people move onto somewhere where they can look at stuff without being directly seen.

Having said all that, making your own display necks sounds like a good idea and I wished I'd done that in the first place.

I like your displays, are you putting lids on them??

hope that helps

Jules x

[Solunar Silver Studio]

This is the area at which I am crap I think you've made a good start, but I'm not to sure about the depth of those boxes - could you put something in/on one to show me how you meant to use them?

Colourwise, I think silver looks good on deep jewel colours rather than pastels - midnight blue/cobalt blue type stuff. I think the main colour thing tho is, as you said, having a theme. Like company colours type of thing.


Perhaps thats the best place to start, come to think of it, where are you planning to do most of your display work?

I'm planning to do a kind of stepped arrangement inside so that everything can be laid out so that it is more or less the same distance from the glass (well, perspex actually!) And they are not as big as they look - only just over 9 inches at the back - sorry I don't 'do' metric!! The angle of the glass was designed to mirror the angle that most people would lean over the box to have a look in - thus doing away with a lot of random reflection - and making everything as visible as possible. You will have to wait for this bit as I'm fitting all this in as and when I find time (hence the 4am start!!).

I'm not sure yet whether to do one blue and one cream inside or have removable interior 'stageing' so that I can have a pair of either colour to give me ultimate adaptability!! My totally silver stuff looks best on the blue and the coloured stuff seems to do better on the cream so I'm still mentally churning that one through!

Most of the sales I do at the moment are in peoples homes so that can mean having all manner of table arrangements to display on so I need adaptability but when I have a bit of money behind me to pay for them I do want to do some shows which obviously have a more substantial table area to cover.

In case you haven't guessed I am winging it a bit - but I seem to work better that way...I enjoy the 'I wonder what would happen if I....' side of it all!!

[Solunar Silver Studio]

Hi Barbara,


I have my 'best' pieces displayed on necks with wooden tops to them ( black and white) , then my slightly less expensive pieces on acrilic wraparound necks. My display is black velvet (for things that look good on black), cream fabric (for things that look good on cream) , which has a textured effect. Then I have a 'board' which my OH has adapted from a B&Q decorating table and we clamp that to the corner of the stall. Then I use dressmaking pins to hang my jewellery from. I did a bit of research going to shops, seeing other peoples displays at events and seeing what stands were 'busy' and which ones were not! The stands that were busy, were ones where the first thing a 'customer' sees is the jewellery and not the stallholder! I saw a stand with beautiful jewellery, but it was all on the flat and not one person was looking at it ( I watched for about 5-10 minutes) - its because the person is 'intimidating' and it makes people move onto somewhere where they can look at stuff without being directly seen.

Having said all that, making your own display necks sounds like a good idea and I wished I'd done that in the first place.

hope that helps

Jules x

Yes - it sure does!! I must admit - I have never thought of doing that sort of 'research' - whenever I have been to a show I'm too busy noseying around and I don't think I ever look up!! Stallholder???...What stallholder?? . So thank you for that!!

[The Bijou Dragon]

I use anything that comes to had at the moment as I have to clear the working space to put up something to take photos on and then clear it off again to work once more.

However, when I move to my new house (when I find one that hasn't been snapped up before we even call lol) I will probably be making much more use of several items.

Planishing block - ALOT of people have commented on how nice it looks so I might just get a huge piece of brushed steel from a local DIY place
Slate - As someone reminded me recently on here that I actually have a huge slab I will make an attempt to use that in some way, perhaps with some other pebbles from the beach... *goes off into designing mode*
The Sainsbury's Hand - Yes, I joined 'The Sainsbury's Hand' brigade (maybe we should form a club lol. I will be buying another one and painting it black however just incase I need a contrast.
Acrylic Bust - I have seen somewhere of late some beautiful frosted acrylic busts which I covet and will buy when we have got the move sorted and paid for
Other miscellaneous stuff - I will of course buy some other odds and sods for laying bracelets on and what-not but I might go au natural and just use driftwood and pretty rocks and pebbles that I spy on my journey along the coast!

I'm afraid I am a rather self-sufficient person and I like to try and make things myself rather than spend a huge chunk of money (which I haven't got) on all the fancy things I have seen. I do also kind of like the idea of the natural look, slate, rocks and wood etc as there certainly isn't anything more beautiful than nature...

I do have a light box which I bought not so long ago from e-Bay for a very reasonable (read cheap) price and am just waiting to buy some stands for lights now then I can use it properly.

[caroleallen]

I've put a picture of my display in my profile. I use perspex cubes to get height.

[Di Sandland]

I've put a picture of my display in my profile. I use perspex cubes to get height.

Nice, very nice

[bustagasket]

I've put a picture of my display in my profile. I use perspex cubes to get height.

Wow thats one very professional display. Its lovely