A blank canvas

Lately I've accumulated a small stash of "blank canvases", pendants and bezels I plan to use for collaged resin jewellery, decoupage and so on. Only drawback is that I only buy one of each -- my wallet doesn't allow more -- so can't experiment as much as I want to; I can't make three different versions of a resin bezel cuff just to try different methods, styles or angles. So I have to think through all options before testing the one I feel is the best or most interesting to try.

And the more expensive the pendant or bezel is, the more reluctant I am to use it. "I want to save it for something special" -- am I the only one to say that? I'm glad I rarely work in silver or karat gold or nothing would be used!


But it's not only a matter of not using a pendant because I only have one and it would mean the end of a scarce supply. The oval pendant above is one I already have an idea for. One idea so no competition between different designs. But... To make I need to lacquer an important feature and, of cause, I own not one bottle of spray lacquer. And I can't buy any right now. Isn't that frustrating?

And what else is frustrating? When you have no ideas at all -- or, almost worst, half an idea. It can be a good thing: many times, you can start working with just "half an idea" -- maybe you know how the centrepiece will look or you want to try a fun way of connecting the parts -- but other times you just can't find those details or connecting ideas that will hold it all together. I have messed up projects that way. But I have also felt the satisfaction of completing a project I didn't know how to tie together when beginning.



This pendant, I've already shown before in Working on a copper pendant. Originally, the project was just to make a bail of the link and connect it to a pendant blank. I never thought about what more to do with it. So now I have to come up with some sort of idea for it. Stamping is popular, but not really my thing. Perhaps I will make some sort of scenic pendant à la doxallo anyway.


What will happen to the pieces I've shown here? (1) no ideas right now. (2) as said, awaiting lacquer. (3) know what I want to do with the border (sort of). (4) Have ideas, unsure of how to procede -- should I paint the motif or just go look for some nice papers? (5) no idea... stamp it? I will show pics when -- may it be so and not a question of if -- finished.