There are a lot of different ways to approach designing jewelry. Sometimes an idea will pop into my head, and I can sit down and create a piece right away and it works out just fine, no glitches, no problem. That's exactly the case when I made these Rose Quartz and Pewter Earrings. Other times, though, an idea has to percolate a little in my head, develop over time. This was the case with a more recently jewelry project, Blue Sea Glass and Pewter Treasure Necklace. That's when it can be helpful to have a few tricks of the trade handy to use.
For example, the other day I was listening to a crafting podcast (totally unrelated to jewelry), and one idea the designers discussed was using a mood board. This is basically a bulletin board that they hang over their work areas and stick inspirational items on, like yarn, scraps of lace, photographs, or cut-outs from magazines. I thought this was an awesome idea for any kind of craft designing, especially jewelry. So I may have to try that.
Another trick I do very often is to sketch out ideas. I have a number of sketch pads, and while I am not that great at drawing by any means, I sketch out design ideas so that I can refer to them later. I also will sketch out multiple ideas for one piece because, when I go to make a prototype, one may work better than the other.
I have other design how-to's posted here. Do you use a mood board or have a sketch pad? Are there other designing tricks you use to inspire, collect, and create? Leave your ideas in the comments and share.
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