Where to Start?

Over the past few years, I've collected what seems like tons of tutorials and books -- everything from wire work to lampwork, metalsmithing to beadweaving. I have a huge three-ring binder that houses only a portion of these tutorials, and facing that notebook, the shelves of books, and my clock can be daunting.


Where in the world to start?


Out comes the trusty day planner.


I started flipping through the weeks, writing down on random days random tutorials. "Try spiral beadweaving" reads one. "Experiment with etching metal" reads another.

(Etched charms by Jeannette Blix).

I already use a lot of wire work in my normal day-to-day designs, but I want to use more intricate designs, so I didn't write this down, knowing that after my show in March, trying those techniques will just be a natural process.

Ditto for lampwork. My work bench faces the glass doors that lead out into the backyard, and I face the glass studio every single time I sit at the table, so it's hard to ignore that building calling to me. Besides, I know that once I light up the torch for the first time, the siren call of glass rods and colorful frit will be impossible to ignore.

(Shed before it was rebuilt for the lampwork studio.)

Starting anything is usually the hardest part, whether it's starting a diet, starting a marathon, or starting a new chapter in your life. If you're new to jewelry design, don't wait. Don't tell yourself, "I can't". Make an appointment on your calendar, a date with yourself, and start. Take that first step.



Lori Anderson's jewelry can be seen at www.lorianderson.net. Her other blog can be read at www.prettythingsblog.com.