And the Truth will Set You Free!!!

I have been on a major experiment phase this week!!!

For some reason I was (past tense) extremely fixated on figuring out how to add a new look to my jewelry.  I guess what got me started was a picture I saw.  It was a picture of a vintage bar from an upscale hotel/resort.  Not the type of bar you would belly up to and ask for a Bud Light.  It was the kind of bar that a women would sit patiently, wearing her blue silk dress and sip on a a pink Cosmopolitan.  Her husband would finally arrive in his tux, dressed for the evening.  She would smile at him as he approached her and they would exchange soft, gentle pleasantries.  Placing her half empty glass on the bar, she would grab her fur wrap and they would disappear into the corner...That was the kind of bar it was!!!  Inlaid into this beautiful vintage bar was a river of deep vibrant color.  It was so unexpected.  What was this beautiful splash of color doing in a bar??  I wanted that look for my jewelry.  Just a flash of unexpected color...but the color would knock you on your ass.  So am I making any sense here???

I enjoy the transparency, the color, and the many different looks you can get from enameling...however, this inlay stuff has really piqued my interest...so I thought I would take a little journey (come with me).

As far as inlay goes, I thought I would start with opals as I love the fire in an opal.

I have opals however,  I wanted the color to be embedded/ inlaid, not protruding.  An accent, not a feature.

Well to make a L O N G story short...my train of thought went something like this...

1. Opals, to
2. Crushed gemstones in resin, to
3. Opal "paper" and gold leaf in resin, to
4. Fantasy film and embossing powder, and gold leaf in resin, to
5. Polymer clay with gold leaf, and alcohol inks, to
6. Glass and gold leaf, and UTEE, to...

 Wait...why am I now into scrap booking supplies??? 

All the stuff I google seems to come up with results saying. "faux" this (enamel) and "faux" that (dichroic).  I CAN MAKE REAL dichroic and I CAN enamel...so why would I want this "FAUX" stuff??? 

Did I really just come full circle and come back to ENAMEL?????

So... here I am, realizing for the umpteenth time...I LOVE to enamel...so I should just focus on this!!!

Below is some stuff I "made" or experimented with in my search for "The Truth"  

I purchased a few Abalone beads (top left) that I still want to try and saw up and inlay.

I also want to do something with the crushed sapphire(middle).

I did make a ring out of some of this stuff...and sterling.   

I guess it's a work in progress!!

I will go now...I have A LOT to clean up!

Good Luck on your journey!!