I wasn’t going to post about this, mostly because I hate to sound like I’m whining, but since failure is a big part of my personal experience as a maker, and I’m sure I’m not alone, I thought I would share.
The marketplace I am currently partnering with, goimagine, holds monthly themed challenges for seller participation. April’s theme is birds and butterflies. I had a vague and admittedly ambitious idea for a butterfly wing inspired beaded necklace, and honestly waited too long to get started.
I scrapped my initial idea after several attempts that did not work and decided to go a different direction. Well, that also didn’t work, so I made some changes. I struggled with the various elements swiveling and tangling, and kept taking it apart, turning, reconnecting, and every time was wrong. Somehow, there was no right direction!
In the end, it looks nothing like my initial idea, nor does it give me the feeling of Monarch wings. I did take a picture after deciding I was not going to waste any more time on it, and it looks like a decent necklace, but I know that it would be impossible to wear due to the constant readjustment required.
I was extremely frustrated having spent several hours on it to no avail, more frustrated than I have been with a beading project in some time. But, some ideas take longer than others to bloom into reality, and some never will. I’m not sure what I am going to do with this, but for now, I am letting it go.
On a more positive note, I am not unhappy with my air dry clay Bird in Flight pendant that once the gloss is dry, I will hang on waxed cotton cord. This clay is very different from the DAS clay. I purchased it from Magic Clay House, and this one is “Pearl.”
https://www.claymagichouse.com/shop/
I also started some air dry clay earrings fitting the butterfly theme, and I think I am getting to the point I can start offering some clay jewelry. I will blog about today’s experience later and share video, but for now, here is a picture of the pendant in progress.
