Making a Custom Elven Lantern
I’m very fortunate I get to bring some amazing concepts to life. Collaborating with customers to create something truly unique is the best part of my job. Every so often though, the stars align and I get the ultimate commission with the quintessential elements; a grand idea, creative freedom, an unrestrictive budget and a healthy dose of challenge. The Elven Lantern is just such a rarity and as such I thought worth sharing! The brief for this one was appropriately, well, brief. Simply create a lantern which fits a candle inspired by the architecture of the Elven city of Rivendell from Lord of the Rings. Obviously there was nothing simple about it, the design process alone took over a week and involved a cardboard mock-up to get the shapes and dimensions spot on.Hand piercing all 34 elements took about 4 days, then I spent a further 2-3 days to engrave, shape and rivet everything together. I think it was the most relaxing week I’ve enjoyed this year. The completed lantern is made from copper and brass and a total of 84 rivets (yes, I do make every single one from scratch from wire. No, it doesn’t bother me, repetitive tasks make my brain happy). This thing should outlive me by centuries. And I may not be an architect, but if you do need a miniature village handmade from metal I’m ready and willing. If you would like to commission a piece of your own simply fill out the custom request form and I’ll be in touch ASAP! https://www.skadijewellery.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PXL_20230808_030441123.TS_.mp4
Saw Pierce Your Own Pendant – Video Tutorial
Saw piercing metal can be an absolute dream when done right! You can lose yourself for hours when you get in the groove but like anything worth doing it takes practice. I’ve been practicing for over a decade and a half now and I want to share some of the helpful techniques I’ve picked up. I’m going to tell you all of the things I wish someone had told me when I started! Enter the saw piercing video tutorial! If you want to be cutting fairly detailed designs out of metal this is a great place to start. Accompanying the downloadable video is a template for two different floral pendant designs so you can create a necklace on your own. As a bonus I’ve included a beginner’s exercise which is great to practice with before tackling the main event. So if you’re wondering how to learn jewellery making from the comfort of your own home (without the need for a torch), this will set you on the right path. The video covers the whole pendant making process from applying the pattern, drilling, choosing sawblades and saw frames, cutting techniques to finishing. Happy saw piercing! Clare Download the full tutorial and templates
Book Recommendations from a Gothic Jeweller
If you’re fond of my jewellery, you may very well like these books! Fair warning, they are all Fantasy but you won’t find any elves, dragons or damsels in distress, that’s not really my cup of tea. Think more murder, mayhem, mystery, magic and mirth.As a librarian my partner is actually far more qualified to make book recommendations. I’m more of an amateur book fancier but I thought I’d share a few that have affected me personally in some way and you’ll almost certainly see some of their imagery in my work. These are the kind of books which you would miss meals to finish reading. I won’t give a full synopsis of each story as a professional has already written those far more competently than me, I’ll just let you know what I loved about them in the hope it helps you discover a hidden gem. The Barbed Coil by J. V. Jones I had to start with the Barbed Coil as this is the only book I’ve ever read where I got the eerie feeling it was written just for me. I recognise that sounds extraordinarily egotistical but hear me out. Somehow J. V. Jones manages to encapsulate the magical experience of designing highly intricate patterns within a thrilling Fantasy adventure. It’s like Lord of the Rings meets the Book of Kells. She makes the creation of illuminated manuscripts feel like climbing a cliff without a rope. There’s even a sinister knotted, thorned gold ring which features heavily throughout the tale. This author just gets me! And if you’re wondering what it’s like to get lost in a design without actually drawing something, reading this book is as close as you can get. There’s also a highly compelling narrative involving monks, armies, sorcery and a lot of blood. So you know, something for everyone. https://www.patreon.com/jvjones The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks For some reason I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for assassin books but this particular trilogy definitely tops the list. The designer in me loves the way Brent Weeks paints weapons as objects of art and accurately depicts the protagonist’s difficult journey to acquiring the skills necessary to master their art. In this case of course that’s chaos and death, but the creativity employed to achieve those ends is really quite inspiring. It’s always nice to learn about people who truly excel at their craft and fictional characters are no exception. Like a particularly satisfying whodunnit, I constantly find myself thinking ‘oh that’s clever’ when reading these books.And let’s not forget the imbued jewellery which compels people to do different things as well as self sealing earrings. Where can I get my hands on some of those?! Throw war, Gods, a little unconventional romance and non stop action into the bargain and these page turners will keep you entertained for days! https://www.brentweeks.com/series/night-angel/https://twitter.com/BrentWeeks The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick Unsurprisingly this one features some exceptional fictional designs and imagery also (I’m just noticing a pattern here). The costumes, accessories (the eponymous mask of mirrors included) and architecture really come alive in such a way that turning the book into a movie would require no interpretation at all. It made me seriously consider getting into costume jewellery design.The book gives life to the parallel world of dreams and nightmares, a concept which holds specific appeal to me as someone with particularly vivid dreams. I get the distinct impression the authors can relate to the idea of sometimes not being able to tell the difference between dream and reality.But generally it ticked all the boxes for me by seamlessly weaving together murder, mystery, politics, adventure, horror, history, romance, sorcery, intrigue and even fashion design (have I missed any genres?). It’s the kind of all encompassing book you give to a teenager who isn’t sure what they’re into yet but you desperately want them to get into reading. I made the mistake of judging this book by it’s cover and assumed it might be directed at teenage girls. Fortunately a more useful part of my brain overrode my initial prejudice because I hate to think of missing out on this thrilling story. https://www.macarrick.com/writing-type/novels/https://www.instagram.com/alychelms/ Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell This one actually has a character who is a jeweller so we’re off to a good start! I first read this book as a teenager and it was a real rollercoaster of emotions! In hindsight I should have twigged then when reading about Riamfada the jeweller and thinking ‘that sounds marvellous! Can I do that?’ that I would follow that path. But it wasn’t until I was 18 that I realised you could actually legitimately make jewellery for a living. Thanks to this book for planting the seed. Now that I think about it, it also kindled my nascent interest in Mythology and history so I guess I owe this one more than I realised!Like all of David Gemmell’s work, not one word is wasted, not one sentence carries extraneous information. If like me you struggle with novels that move at a sedate pace, rest assured this tormented tale of fate will not leave you sleepy. In fact, if you’re just a fan of history, myth, fancy weapons and a jolly good fight generally, you might as well read his entire back catalogue. There’s also some humour to balance out the brutality. Enjoy! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett A guy covered in magical tattoos who fights demons! Do I even need to go on? Well I will because the concept for this one grabbed me instantly but I’m rather fond of tattoos so maybe you need more. So, in this world you can delicately paint or carve intricate symbols which draw in magic to repel or fight demons in different ways? You got me, Tell me more! Cover yourself in these wards from head to toe so you’re perpetually protected, seems logical, why has no one else thought of it? Well I won’t
The Valentina Collection
How a 1 star review became a beautiful collaboration Serendipity isn’t a word I use often but the manifestation of The Valentina Collection, a collaboration between myself and Vanyanis, sure felt like it.It all began back in 2019 when I was surprised by a message I received one day enquiring why I had left a 1 star Facebook review (understandable as a bad review for a small business can be devastating). Now I’m usually the kind of person who only leaves very positive reviews for businesses I’ve had a great experience with and want to support. If I receive poor service I’d rather just forget about it and move on so this unexpected message left me scratching my head and assuming they had the wrong person. But sure enough, when I looked up the business in question (which I had never heard of) they had a 1 star review from me with no explanation! As I wasn’t aware of my account being hacked or someone playing a sick jest, the only logical conclusion was that having my two lovely cats constantly walking across (and sometimes sleeping on) my keyboard was more than just disruptive to my work. After we worked out an explanation and I of course changed the 1 star to a 5 star review, Lowana from Vanyanis and I got chatting and realised that not only did we live in the same city but there was a strong mutual appreciation for each other’s work. The moment Lowana suggested a collaboration is when I felt the stars align and jumped at the opportunity! https://www.skadijewellery.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Vanyanis-Skadi-Jewellery-Teaser-1-Design.mp4 Video courtesy of Vanyanis, edited by @triskellepictures The design Lowana’s main idea was to create a collection based around the opulent Baroque style of her corset themed logo (as you could imagine this was right up my alley). We both wanted to design something special, something that makes the wearer feel glamorous and formidable. As Lowana says “Investing in special jewellery that you love, is an investment in yourself. What we wear and how we present outselves has incredible power to change the way you feel about yourself. Choosing something that you know will fit no matter how you change is powerful because you know you can always count on it to make you feel wonderful.”Lowana also suggested using Swarovski crystals for extra sparkle and I was delighted when she tracked down some black crystals resembling chandelier pendalogues. So I got sketching and in a surprisingly short amount of time we had a complete set of earrings, pendant, ring and statement necklace ready to test. Building a collection Utilising mainly saw piercing and hand engraving for a delicate appearance, I created some samples we could use to experiment with chain lengths, sizes, crystal colour etc. We tried especially to consider all of the things we would appreciate in a decadent set of jewels. For example for Lowana proportions were key: “It’s always been a pet peeve of mine when sets like this all feature pendants in the same size – I’ve always felt from a design perspective the necklace pendant should be bigger so that’s a design choice we made for this set.”As for me, apart from the usual aesthetic and technical considerations, I was focused on making sure each piece looked spectacular from every angle (you’ll notice this in small details like the tiny charm Lowana suggested we put on the end of the extender chain). Once the necessary tweaks were made we settled on the idea of having the full range available in Brass, Silver or Gold in order to have a varied choice of price points and colours. https://www.skadijewellery.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Vanyanis-Skadi-Jewellery-Teaser-2-Making.mp4 Video courtesy of Vanyanis, edited by @triskellepictures Due to the pandemic we had to postpone the Valentina release but you can finally view the collection in full or make a purchase by heading to the Vanyanis online store. The collection is limited not only because I make each piece by hand to order, but also because the Swarovski crystals we’re using have been discontinued for small businesses. Maybe we’ll cook up something new when they’re sold out, in the meantime enjoy what two mischievous cats, a laptop and a lot of luck can create. It sure feels a lot like destiny. -Clare View the full collection
What is your style of Gothic jewellery?
So you like a bit of darkness and you’re looking for jewellery styling ideas for every occasion? I have some suggestions! I’ve been getting called Goth since I was a teenager just because of my predominantly black wardrobe. Back then it irked me because I thought I was a cool metal kid and if someone had handed me crushed velvet I would have set fire to it. Of course I grew up in small town Tasmania where anyone mildly alternative would have been labelled either Goth or Hippy (depending on your colour quotient). I’m older and wiser now, living in the eminently more accepting Melbourne / Naarm, and I’ve come to embrace Gothic because it’s an umbrella term which encompasses so many wonderful things. Personally the Gothic aesthetic that tickles me is Medieval, especially in regards to jewellery. Give me soaring pointy towers, gargoyles, stone, stained glass windows and tracery and I’m set! My jewellery does tend to reflect this but also draws inspiration from some of the many other facets of Gothic culture like pretty filigree from Victorian, bold shapes from Industrial, symbols from Traditional, a little death and mayhem from Metal, a touch of poetry from the Romantics and occasionally some sensuality from Fetish. With these tools in my belt I’ve compiled some dark accessory collections for inspiration and whatever your mood may be. Something simple for work Portal Remains Ring Attic Shadows Midi Ring Medieval Manicule Earrings Treasure Chest Locket Necklace SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW Feeling sinister Abaddon Ring Cursed Scroll Necklace Pit Pendulum Earrings Knight Errant Pin SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW Paint the town black Cathedral Eye Ring Balistrarias Necklace Cathedral Phantom Reflection Earrings SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW Seductive & dangerous Siren Talon Claw Rings Cathedral Phantom Reflection Necklace Cathedral Phantom Chandelier Earrings SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW Gothic ball Scutum Rex Full Finger Rings Winter Nights Necklace Fountain of Fates Earrings SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SEE THE FULL GOTHIC RANGE
Create your own Gothic coat of arms jewellery
Have you ever wanted your own coat of arms? Some heraldry to proudly hang above your door or print on stationery? Here in Melbourne / Naarm, there’s a dearth of both castles and elaborate Medieval Gothic family crests and I feel like we’re missing out. Maybe large tapestries or grand carved stone fireplaces are impractical, but a small custom insignia in the form of jewellery might be more attainable. If you are fortunate enough to have a family coat of arms stretching back centuries, chances are the symbols and motto aren’t quite so relevant as they once were. Amongst many of the European Arms there’s a tendency toward featuring a Latin declaration exalting truth, pride or victory in some form (usually by God’s grace) accompanied by some kind of disfigured animal. My own Davidson family crest features a stag and the motto ‘sapienter si sincere’ (wisely if sincerely). It’s a lovely sentiment and the stag is rather majestic, but the point is that while I’m sure it was pertinent to one of my very distant ancestors, I can’t say it accurately depicts my interests and values. So what if I had my very own personal coat of arms? Perhaps one that doesn’t celebrate being a man hunting other men or animals… Pick your favourite symbol Picking a symbol and frame There’s nothing better than personalised jewellery, whether for yourself or as a gift. To have a keepsake that you know is the only one in existence and represents you as a person is a rather special feeling. Having said that, when commissioning such a piece, starting from scratch with no idea what speaks to you can be intimidating! And so when it comes to building your very own coat of arms I decided to create some options.Firstly you need a frame for your shield, some noble creatures or decoration. In this case you can choose from wolves rampant, cats rampant, foliage or gryphons rampant. Then you get to pick the symbol you feel best illustrates you. Perhaps it embodies your occupation, interests or personality? So far I have a crown, castle, rose, axe, hammer, anvil, sword, goblet, book, cat, snowflake, candle and key. Of course I’m also open to suggestions! Make up a motto Now this is the tricky bit! Under the shield is a banner designed for a hand engraved motto. So what few words describe you? Not such an easy task is it? When trying to think of something for myself I suddenly had a lot more sympathy for those medieval meathead knights and their formulaic ‘conquer or die’ maxims. Of course if you don’t have a catchy phrase, provocative proverb or clever expression, you could use that space for a name, date or location. Hell, you could choose a series of emojis if it feels right (maybe not dancing girl or something equally detailed, it’s a small space)! https://www.skadijewellery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Untitled-Sequence-01-24.mp4 And that’s all there is to it! Just 3 simple choices and you have your very own one of a kind silver keepsake perfect for yourself, as an heirloom or a personal gift which is sure to impress.If you have a different idea for the frame or symbol or maybe you’d prefer the coat of arms to take the form of a necklace or ring, just fill out the custom request form so we can discuss the possibilities. – Clare Check out these other customisable pieces Custom Monogram – Ring Medieval Manicule – Necklace Illuminated Manuscript – Necklace SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW
Ode to Secret Compartments in Jewellery
I’m a big admirer of secret compartments in jewellery (and furniture. And anything else really). Any hidden message, photo, puzzle, diorama or niche tickles me. If it’s miniature and concealed let me at it! Basically if a piece of jewellery is mysterious that greatly increases it’s value in my estimation. Secret cavities in jewellery can take many forms such as the classic locket necklace, poison ring or vial pendant but the best ones are always unique and unpredictable. Think of the magic of seeing a Fabergé egg for the first time with no clue as to it’s contents! There’s nothing better than wearing a piece of jewellery which holds a secret only you know, especially if it’s personalised.Recently I created a necklace which is my ode to secret compartments in their purest form. Not to hide a photo or message, but celebrating a hidden thing for it’s own sake. All of the pieces I cut out for the Winter Nights necklace I like to hide things… Sometimes when you’re a jewellery designer and you’re very very fortunate you might get the chance to create something just to amuse yourself. Winter is here (my favourite season) and things start to slow down, so it’s around this time every year that I take a moment to celebrate and make something entirely frivolous and joyful. This year I’ve been feeling particularly pleased with the comfort of my new house and wanted to capture that feeling embodied by the most wonderful part of Winter; sitting in front of a blazing fire on a cold dark night. But what is a grand Gothic fireplace without a secret button, a rotating stone sculpture or sconce lever? Even before my love of fantasy books and ancient castles Indiana Jones left an indelible mark.And just because it makes me happy, what you’re left with is an imposing Gothic mantelpiece and mirror, complete with rotating wyverns, roaring fire, hidden medieval weapons chamber and wrought iron style decoration. Did I miss anything? With a total of 19 individual pieces and 19 blind rivets you can understand why I don’t hide things in every piece of jewellery I make, but I do take every possible opportunity. Secret Compartment ideas So how many ways can you utilise a secret compartment? There are several different mechanisms which could be involved from cogs, rivets, springs and hinges to buttons, and actions like sliding, rotating, screwing, swinging and swivelling (and that’s just using metal!). Quite often the more complicated the mechanism the more thrilling the find (something involving a combination lock is particularly fun!). Great places to find inspiration for different ways to hide things in jewellery include puzzle boxes, furniture, fairytales, music boxes, clockwork automatons, safes and of course jewellery boxes! Simple ideas include sliding drawers and hinged doors but what if you could wind something like a jack-in-the-box? Some of the most creative people in history have worked on toys, the Transformers I had as a child were ingenious! And when it comes to the things you can conceal don’t just stick to the obvious like photos, locks of hair or engraved messages and dates. Almost anything can be miniaturised, why not try a cheeky animal figurine, a painting or a plant? Think of the things that have the most meaning to you and go from there. https://www.skadijewellery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/video-1656392900.mp4 The next time you’re looking for a gift for yourself or someone else consider secret compartments in jewellery and what you could hide in them. There’s nothing more special than a present containing a personalised secret short of the giver making the gift themselves (you should also consider that if you have the time!).If you have an idea you’d like to explore and discuss simply fill out the custom request form to get in touch. – Clare Check out these other pieces with hidden compartments Winter Nights – Necklace Treasure Chest – Locket Lock and Key – Locket SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW Haunted Horloge – Locket Grim Fable – Necklace Lost Leaf – Locket SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW
Learning a new technique: PMC
For years I’ve been curious about the magical material known as precious metal clay (PMC). Until recently I believed it was only the purview of people with fancy kilns and more than adequate ventilation but I was wrong! In the simplest of terms PMC is a clay-like substance consisting of silver particles, an organic binder and water. This means that you can sculpt, shape and mould it, let it dry then fire it just like clay. The fundamental difference being that when you fire it (in a kiln or with a torch) the organic binder is burned away and you’re left with just silver! Pure wizardry! Of course there is a small amount of shrinkage (around 10-15%) which is delightful to watch, much like Shrinky Dinks. The original sculpt for the Clandestine Library Necklace Sculpting Apart from the general novelty of working with such a fascinating material and the obvious benefit of achieving dimensionality, what I really wanted was to learn a new technique which enabled me to produce equally detailed work in less time (this may come as a surprise to many but saw piercing can be time consuming and strenuous 😉 ). This led me to the process of making a mould which I could use to make multiple items, saving me a little time and my shoulder muscles. To make the mould I first sculpted a little bookcase out of a polymer clay (yes I did make my design ridiculously tiny and detailed. Yes I did have to sculpt it with a pin. And yes, there is a cat in it. It’s in my nature). Then I created a well and covered the clay in resin in order to get a hard mould.I won’t pretend that pressing the PMC into all the nooks and crannies of the mould while it’s coated in oil then trying to get it out again before it dries isn’t a little tricky. That bit is a work in progress. Firing So this is the part which held me back for years! I was under the impression that you needed a kiln to fire the PMC when in fact if you’re just using the fine silver version you can get away with a simple torch. Revelation! The best bit is that with a torch (after drying out the piece so there’s no water left) it only takes about 3 minutes to transform a piece of clay into a silver jewel. It’s like alchemy but better.After firing (and trying very hard not to melt it) you simply clean it up and finish it however you usually would a cast piece (I like to oxidise it then use a brass brush on the highest surfaces to increase the contrast and sense of dimension). You can achieve a surprising amount of detail and it really is quite fun. However, if you’re a novice with the torch I would recommend testing out your firing technique on a small piece first as PMC is considerably more expensive than regular silver sheet or granules. https://www.skadijewellery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-Sequence-01-1.mp4 So far I’ve just tested out a couple of designs (see below) but my poor brain is overwhelmed with the possibilities. Don’t worry, I haven’t abandoned my beloved sawframe, hopefully I can use both techniques in tandem to create something truly exciting. Stay tuned! – Clare See more pieces made from PMC Clandestine Library – Necklace Timekeeper – Necklace Medieval Manicule – Necklace SHOP NOW SHOP NOW SHOP NOW Timekeeper – Earrings Medieval Manicule – Earrings SHOP NOW SHOP NOW
Treasure Exhibition
Treasure exhibition: past, present and future What does Treasure mean to you? Treasure : Something valuable that is hidden or kept in a safe place.What Treasure are you hiding in your mind? Born from the depths of our consciousness, Treasure explores the relationship between idea and creation. We’ve assembled 16 artists from Narrm, Warrang, and Meanjin (aka Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) to explore this idea and present to you our creations. We hope you find the Treasure you are looking for! Featuring artworks by:Midnight Kiss Jewellery | Christina Gore Jewellery | Vincent Jewellery | Emma Rea | Subtle Chains | Holla Ceramics | Gang Of Babes Photography | Serpent Rouge Jewellery | Cut Off Your Hands Jewellery | Ophelia Weeps | Skadi Jewellery Design | Halo & Hurt | Tatiana Craufurd Gormly | Cloudstreet Calling | Cybergoth | Tay Bassi From the moment I was asked to be part of the Treasure Exhibition my brain was overflowing with ideas. I couldn’t have picked a better theme myself! Then I saw all of the other incredible artists who were to be involved and I felt so honoured to participate (and like I needed to pull my socks up and create something special to avoid embarrassing myself!). To me, the things which conceal treasure are often more beautiful than the treasure itself. Whether it’s the story of the quest, the unravelling of a mystery or puzzle, hidden compartments or even the details in a receptacle for the loot. As a jeweller, obviously I’m still drawn to shiny things, but it’s the shiny things with a story that are the most compelling. My Artworks Bluebeard’s Door Sea of Monsters Guardian Earrings SHOP NOW SHOP NOW Treasure Chest Lock & Key Necklace Sanctuary SHOP NOW SHOP NOW The Treasure Exhibition will be held at Honey Bones in Collingwood on December 9th and 10th. The collection includes jewellery, ceramics, resin and photographs. It will run for one night and one day, but sales will remain online for a week. It will be ticketed (free) for covid reasons. This show will highlight the creativity of women and non binary folk, and there will be an opportunity for everyone (including allies) to attend. This will be a dry event and is proudly sponsored by Killjoy drinks. All unsold artworks are available to purchase here
How it’s made – custom silver monogram ring video
