Irina's Blog
Inspiration is all around us. My top 10 inspirations for new jewellery and jewellery box designs.
April 24, 2012
Now that spring is in full bloom and days are brighter and warmer, I feel inspired and it seems like my creativity has no limits. I find inspiration to be a very important part of the design process as it boosts creativity and helps come up with new themes and design ideas. And when is a better time to talk about inspiration than in the spring time?
So, I’d like to share with you some of the things in my life that have inspired me and helped me come up with some unique design ideas. And I hope this story will help you understand some of my creations better or inspire you with your own creativity and designs. You'll also very often find some hints in the names of my creations on what inspiration stands behind the design. Here are my top 10 inspirations:
1. Beauty of nature
Imagine walking in the park on a beautiful spring day when the sun is shining and birds are singing and thinking to yourself that life is beautiful. That's one of those special moments that gives me special energy and inspires me to create. Many of my jewellery designs are inspired by nature and beautiful landscapes. From the beautiful beach to the rose garden to exotic birds and the list goes on and on. Here are some examples of the jewellery and box designs I've created that were inspired by the special things created by nature.
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2. Changing seasons
I love the change of seasons and adore the special moments and beauty that each season brings. I really enjoy watching the colourful foliage of the autumn, the white sparkling snow of the winter, the fresh greens and rain of the spring and the beautiful flower fields of the summer time. Each season has a beauty of its own and something really special to get inspired by. Here are some examples of my work that were inspired by the changing seasons.
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3. Travel adventures
Traveling is one of the best ways to escape from the everyday routine and get inspired with new ideas, landscapes and cultures. Traveling transfroms us to a different place where we can think in a different way and discover new ways of perceiving things. I've created jewellery designs inspired by Oriental, African and Parisian cultures but there is no limit. The world is so rich in different cultures, there is so much to discover and get inspired by. I can't wait for my next travel adventure!
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4. Holidays and traditions
Just like travel offers a wealth of different experiences to get inspired by, different holidays and traditions from around the world also offer a great variety of inspiring themes and ideas. Some of my designs were inspired by some beautiful holidays and traditions we celebrate at home such as Valentine's Day and Christmas. While others were inspired by more exotic holidays from around the world such as the Venetian Masquerade Ball and a Chinese New Year of the Dragon.
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Chinese New Year of the Dragon
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5. Books, dance, music and art
Different arts and book stories are also very inspiring to my creative process and design. For example, I've created necklaces inspired by fictional characters such as fairies (in light rose colours) and romantic images of gypsy queens (dramatic bright red black and white colours). These designs seem to capture the essence of these characters and look like something they would wear. I've also designed jewellery boxes inspired by dance, music and paintings (see some examples below). I've only scratched the surface in this category as it's so rich in many different ideas and possibilities.
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6. History and designs styles
Some of my designs are drawn from history and past design styles such as Art Nouveau or Victorian styles. For example, I've created a number of necklaces with cameo pendants and beads which are characteristic of the Victorian period. I've also created designs with a vintage flair by incorporating filigree and antiqued metal findings. Some of my jewellery boxes have been designed in Art nouveau style as I've incoporated beautiful Alphonse Mucha postcards in their design.
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7. Trying new techniques
The following designs just started out with my curiosity and desire to try new jewellery-making techniques as there are so many. For example, some of my jewellery designs are made with a beading string while others are made with chains and pins. Some designs have one strand while others have up to three or more. There is also a variety of ways that these strands can be layered or interlaced.
I also love looking through a variety of beading magazines, websites and jewellery boutiques. These sources provide me with new ideas and inspire me to try different styles and techniques. I never replicate the exact same look but create my own with similar elements.
Some of my jewellery box designs have been driven by my desire to experiment with new decorating techniques such as mosaics, wood-burning, glass-painting, etc.
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8. Experimenting with colours
Some of my designs are simply inspired by a variety of colours and different colour combinations. I might see a beautifully coloured fabric or a painting with a gorgeous colour scheme and these colours inspire a new design. Sometimes, it can be as simple as combining violet and yellow to create a beautiful necklace and then I look for the right beads in these colours and voila - a new jewellery creation is born.
Below are some examples where some of my favourite colours have been combined for a beautiful colour scheme, such as strawberry and chocolate, turquoise and caramel as well as sage and cognac colours. Also, working with a colour wheel also helps to come up with colours that work great together (ex. complimentary colours). Finally, latest colour trends also help decide on what colours to work with. Usually, we match our jewellery to the clothes we wear, so the jewellery colours should work well with the latest fashions.
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9. Unique beads, pendants and finds
The following jewellery designs have been simply sparked by unique beads and unusual pendants. For example, I found these beautiful china beads with blue and white pattern and it made me think of the beautiful Oriental vases in white and blue. Then, I combined these beads with the blue lapis lazuli chip beads and a unique Oriental-style necklace is born. Another time, I find some beautiful pendants that become an inspiration for the rest of the necklace design as I combine the colours or other unique elements present in the pendant.
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10. Culinary favourites
Finally, some of my designs (jewellery boxes in particular) have been inspired by some of my culinary favourites such as coffee, cupcakes, wine and citrus fruits. These have been really fun to work with!
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I hope that you've enjoyed reading this blog post and got better acquainted with the inspiration behind my designs. And perhaps some of these ideas and examples will inspire you with your own creative adventures.
Until next time,
Irina K.
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