Nikki Druce - Making Steampunk Jewellery

Making
Steampunk
Jewellery

NIKKI DRUCE

THE CROWOOD PRESS

Making
Steampunk
Jewellery

First published in 2016 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2016

Nikki Druce 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 215 1

Frontispiece: Seeking adventure

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank those that have helped me, through the kindness of their hearts, in creating this book: Becca and Sean at Twisted Pix Studios and Chilli Chapel, the beautiful model, who worked tirelessly on shooting, editing and producing some of the most beautiful photographs in the book. Katt Johnson for the loan of her DSLR camera - without you, there would have been no tutorial photos! My mum for sending me lots of helpful pieces of Victorian jewellery she had stashed away. My partner Neil for putting up with my moaning throughout the writing process and requests for chocolate and trips to the seaside. Kelly Marie Saunders for her help with Cosplay research. Tim Colivet for being my best friend and accompanying me on trips to the library when hed much rather be doing something else and, finally, my two cats Newt and Daisy, who provided cuddles, headbutts and paper organization.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my family, friends and my partner Neil but in particular my Gran, Vera Bennett, and my Mum, Avril Druce. Without you both I wouldnt have learned how to make plenty of somethings from a lot of nothings.

Sometimes, you have to step outside of the person youve been and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you want to be. The person you are.

H.G.WELLS

Necklace design by Devine Delinquents. (Charis Talbot Photography)

Jewellery is a timeless aesthetic. Its no wonder that you have probably had a few pieces of Grannys beloved jewels handed down to you or that you coveted the gorgeous gold-plated shell cameo that your great-grandmother used to wear. Have you ever found yourself staring in wonder through the window of a dusty antique shop at the glittering glass beads that sparkle in the light? Or perhaps rummaging to find the best pieces at the local jumble sale?

Jewellery is for the magpies of the world. It is for those who like to feel adorned and for those who know that the making of an outfit is down to the small touches and not the clothes themselves. Jewellery can be simple, understated, delicate and humble.

It can be grandiose and extravagant, sometimes opulent to the point of vulgarity.

In times where everyone is feeling the pinch, thrift and craft have become readily used buzzwords. Being able to make something yourself, however small or simple it may be, carries a new weight of pride. I found myself making jewellery and accessories for this very reason.

I was finding that I was spending an increasing amount of money on accessories instead of clothing, as it was a way of breathing a new lease of life into my wardrobe for a smaller amount of money. A simple t-shirt with a large necklace can make the t-shirt look brand new. So, with this in mind and having been inspired by video blogs, online craft forums and social networks, I decided to order a few supplies to get started.

When I first sat in front of my desk, I hit a wall. I had no idea what the fiddly bits to join jewellery together were called. I had to do some research and take time to learn a few basics before taking the leap. I ordered a basic kit online of what I thought I would need and sat down one night to start making. It was challenging and I truly had no idea what I was doing.

With a lot of mistakes, swearing and perspiring, my first necklace was made a very simple chain with an antique-style fan charm on the end. I cannot describe the elation that followed once it was done. I felt as if I had won a battle!

I am, by nature, a very stubborn and determined character. I dont let things beat me easily. I felt that I had won this time and it left me wanting to try more projects.

So with my recent crafty conquest under my belt and after considering the type of jewellery I wanted to make, I started to think about the jewellery I really liked to wear. I have always been fascinated with miniatures, making dioramas and small dolls house food and furniture: a theme I still appropriate in some of my current work. This led me to think about designs that would allow me to create dioramas suspended in time. I ordered some crystal clear resin, did a lot more research into how best to work with the material, and started making resin pendants. I discovered that using silicone moulds was the easiest and simplest way to form the resin.

I came up against a wall when trying to figure out how to attach the jump rings onto the pendants. Placing them into the resin made them sink, gluing them onto the pieces often led to them falling off, and drilling through the pendants led to the pendants cracking and breaking. So eventually, after even more research, I discovered glue-on bails and strong jewellery adhesive, which made it incredibly simple and quick for me to finish the pendants to a high standard. Without this period of learning and trial and error, I wouldnt have developed the skills I have today. I am now an accomplished maker because I took the time to try things out and enjoyed the experience of them failing, even though it was frustrating at the time.

Necklace design by Devine Delinquents.

Resin is a very difficult medium to use, and Im not afraid to tell you that there were a few accidents and a lot of wasted product. However, I look back at that time now and see it as a very valuable learning experience. I grabbed hold of the technique and ran with it, not afraid to try out all manner of experimental techniques to achieve the results I was looking for.

Looking back, perhaps a potentially dangerous substance was not the best thing to start learning with, but it helped to shape my future in jewellery design and I had to learn fast or give up and I wont let myself quit! Eventually the time came when I grew out of resin. I decided that the process was too time-consuming and it was time to find something more suited to the amount of time I had to dedicate to jewellery-making. At this point I was still running my jewellery business alongside a full-time job. All my spare time was taken up with discovering my new craft, and most evenings and weekends were spent sweating or freezing in a poorly insulated garage which doubled as my workshop.

I continued to branch out into simpler forms of design and I found that the more fluid the design was, the better it was received by friends and the more timeless and versatile the creation was. At this time, I didnt have a customer base and I started to explore niche markets. I have always been drawn to alternative culture since my early teens, so it felt natural to delve into that realm as it was something I knew about. I started researching into goth, punk, rock and any culture that had a strong musical influence. I then stumbled across Steampunk.