Monday, September 15, 2008

Psssst....Your Crimps are Showing!


They say that "the Devil is in the details", and with jewelry design that is certainly true. Even artists who design and create assemblage or salvage-type jewelry that looks rough-and-tumble or even "unfinished" will tell you that hours and hours are spent perfecting every "imperfection". Details matter--period. That's why I feel that it is so important for artists of every skill level to make certain not to skip basic details of jewelry design. You can have a fantastic design/creation fall short for the want of a few simple steps. One of the first things I learned as a "newbie" jewelry designer was to COVER MY CRIMPS. Back in the "olden days" before commercial crimp covers were even thought of, I was squinting into my magnifying light, forcing 3 and 5mm seamed sterling silver beads open with a bead reamer to fit over my crimps. I'd then squeeze the bead closed and "Voila", the crimp now was a bead. I also always made sure to tuck my thread ends into adjacent beads so no loose threads or bead wire ever shows. This may sound silly, but details like these make a huge difference and will translate into better sales and better designs. So, don't get caught with your crimps showing--your jewelry will thank you for it!

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