Welcome to my blog

Im exploring aspects of mehndi,designs,techniques,significance,function and historical background. I incorporate patterns that are either modern and traditional,Indian or Arabic into contemporary jewellery.





20 August 2012

designing with stamps








stamping with mehndi

figure 1 (stamps,mehndi and patterns)

I used the stamps that I made from piercing patterns off vinyl tiles. I then glued them onto clear perspex so that the actual stamp is visible when patterns are being stamped. I wanted to see if these stamps are successful and stamps the patterns. I used mehndi out of the tube I coloured each stamp and then pressed it onto paper as shown in figure 1 

Now that I know the stamps work I need to find handles for these stamps.At first I wanted to use a nail,with the head being glued at the back of the stamp and a glass bead at the end. I got some wooden dowel pins and wanted to use those instead like shown in figure 2 below.

figure 2 ( stamps with wooden dowel handles)


finished bridal hair chain







15 August 2012

the seed pattern

Patterns by Catherine cartwright jones from the henna page
http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/gallery/twiddle20/

the open heart



http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/gallery/twiddle20/


the bud


http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/gallery/twiddle10/

the hump



http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/gallery/twiddle2/

the kiss pattern



http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/gallery/twiddle15/

sprouts




http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/gallery/twiddle7/

my mehndi kit

I want a fresh start as to how I design and make jewellery. I want to start by finding my patterns. Not full patterns but parts of patterns that when they are put together they form a pattern.im working towards making a book containing these patterns and making stamps of these elements and designing using the stamps to create jewellery. In the book will also illustrate how these elements can be made using different jewellery making skills. Il make one master element and make moulds of them and make jewellery combing all of them.

1. il have the elements
2. il make stamps for them
3. il make a master element
4. il have a mould for each element.

starting off with the stamps,im going back to the mehndi that i wore on my wedding and using bits and pieces from there.

figure 1
a few elements that i like using some that were found in my mehndi

figure 2
 a pattern is drawn onto vinyl with ball point pen and pierced out as shown in figure 2 and 3

figure 3

figure 4

figure 4 shows the pierced out element stuck onto clear perspex backing.reason for getting clear so that it is visible to see how or where the stamp is being placed

figure 5

figure 5 displays a few stamps made so far, now for some handles.....uhmmmmmm!
have to think about this.

matt wax gun and batik tool

figure 1

figure 1 shows paisley patterns made using the batik tool on the right with injecting and beeswax mixture and the left shows the matt wax gun with blue wax.
figure 2
figure 2 shows the close up of figure 1 that was done using the batik tool. What im tying to do is make the pattern more 3 dimensional by turning them over and making blobs on the other side.

figure 3

figure 4
figure 3 and 4 shows the patterns that are flat on the back and raised on the front.

figure 5


figure 6

figure 5 and 6 shows the detail both on the front and the back of the elements.

figure 7

figure 7 are patterns made using 3 different waxes with the matt wax gun. I started with the blue,then the red and then the green. I found the red and green wax works the best when the gun is on medium heat the blue wax needs to be used at a higher tempreture as opposed to the green and red wax.