Trends in jewelry...

...tend to favor simpler, cleaner designs. Why, oh why do I have trouble with that concept? My work generally is more complicated and I'm pretty sure that look isn't what jewelry and bead buyers are buying. At least in a set...for a single focal bead, I suppose that can work.

I've decided after examining this set, that the centers of the flowers will be nothing more than single balls of clay impressed with a stylus. I like 5 beads in a set with 5 petals each, graduated in size, but I will re-arrange the petals so that they line up nicely when strung together. 6 petals look too much like a star. And, I don't even think I like more petals in the center anymore as shown in the focal bead. But who knows...I could change my mind tomorrow *g*

I love using the foils and powders, but they seem to take over most of the design. So, there will be no microbeads with foils and no leafing pen. I will save those for the caned and antiqued florals. But I always have trouble when I work keeping the "less is more" theory in mind. Gotta work on that :o)

I'll be attending the ACRE show in Vegas in April to begin investigating wholesale and if it might be good for me. At the very least I will probably join wholesalecrafts.com in the next few months...