Reita is another crafty Amtgarder. From drawing to bringing her favorite monsters to life to jewelry making and singing! Today we discuss jewelry making with her. She leans towards a larping style of jewelry crafting using more natural materials such as bone, wood and crystals, along with leather and feathers. She creates beautiful pieces from other materials like metal wire and pearls and beads as well, but lets focus on the natural methods first!
What is your most favorite piece you have done?
My favorite piece so far is “Mother’s Tears”. I particularly enjoy making things with faux crystals, which I call “dragvyn”. The lore behind dragvyn is it’s a very particular crystal, as it will only grow where a dragon has died. The wearer of dragvyn will command the terror and presence of a dragon. The color, quality, and effectiveness of dragvyn depends on the dragon it came from. This particular dragvyn necklace came from a silver dragon.
The hardest lesson to learn when you started out?
The hardest lesson to learn was what you think will look good might not look great as a finished piece, or even be functional. For example, a layered waterfall necklace might seem great on paper, or even on a jewelry stand, but if someone wears it, it’s going to get horribly tangled. Or the beads you thought would compliment each other actually clash, and make the piece look clunky and gaudy. It’s trial and error, and lots of starting over.
What tools are good to get started with?
A bead board is an EXCELLENT tool, and can be used for necklaces or bracelets. These trays are usually made of plastic and a soft, velvety surface, and are used to lay out your project before putting it together. This way you can try out bead patterns, different lengths, all without having to string, unstring, and restring repeatedly. Besides this, a simple set of jewelry pliers will serve you well. They are used for many things, such as attaching clasps, twisting wire, and so much more. You don’t have to get an expensive set, just something to start with!
What are your go-to methods of creation?
I’ll decide what “type” of a piece to go with first, be it a bead-based, metal-based, or natural. From there I’ll play with the materials I have, placing them in different combinations on my bead board until I find something I like. Some days I’ll do this for an hour and not be happy with anything, other days I sit down and get something I like on the first try! Don’t be discouraged, and always try again tomorrow.
How do you get started?
I’d recommend looking up all sorts of jewelry online and finding what you like. There are so many different styles and materials to use, and don’t be afraid to mix and match! Don’t be afraid to try anything.
Favorite tutorials you have found:
https://www.allfreejewelrymaking.com/
This is a great site to find finishing techniques, inspiration, and step-by-step processes on how to make the style of jewelry you like!
How long can it take to make one piece?
A single piece can take up several hours, or as little as thirty minutes. It all depends on the materials, and how many times I mess up.
What is the most unique material you have used to create a piece?
Perhaps the most unique material I have used is a mink skull. It was my first time working with bone, and I like how that piece turned out!
What inspired you to begin to work with jewelry?
I’ve always enjoyed how expressive jewelry is, and how it can pull an entire outfit together. It’s not just for ladies either, guys can rock the designs just as well!
How do you come up with designs?
I mostly take inspiration from the people I know. To me, most of my pieces represent a person I know, with few exceptions. I’m also inspired by the places I’ve traveled to, or my mood.
What kinds of MATERIALS work well together, and which ones do not?
Honestly, everything can work with everything, you just need to find a way to “bridge the gap” so to speak. For example, you may not think of putting bones and pearls together, but what if you go for a “deadly siren” kind of theme? Or leather and fine crystals might not seem like they go along but try using a rough crystal instead. Just play around, and have fun with it!
When is enough enough?
You are done with your project whenever you feel you are! When you look at a project and are happy with the result, you know it’s good to go. If you look at it and feel like it’s missing something but you don’t know what, don’t be afraid to set it down and look at it again tomorrow!
What is your favorite type of jewelry to make and why?
My favorite type of jewelry to make are more natural, fantasy-based pieces. I write lore to go with each piece as if it were an item in a video game. I find this helps with the creative process too!
Favorite places to shop for supplies/where to find things to use in jewelry making:
I try to find most materials on sale, so I keep close tabs on Joann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby. They usually have coupons online too! If I’m looking for a specific piece (like a mink skull) I look on Etsy. I also like to check flea markets for items to repurpose.
While Reita very much enjoys crafting, she doesn't do it to make a living from it; she only sells things so she's able to create more. Much like some video game merchants, her shop only pops up once in awhile at certain events. Though she usually posts pictures of her work on Facebook or Instagram, so if you see something you like, send her a message!