... so, I tried something different this week and wonder if the shape is too traditional? I've casted a pendant which is filled with lots of 'stuff' - including blue sea glass, beads, a faux pearl, twisted wire, a sprinkling of glitter & a sparkly vintage rhinestone. Comments are very welcome! (More examples can be found on my eBay site)

I like jewelry with "things" inside things.  Great job!

Hi Laura, I really like combining different 'things' together. And I don't do it to showcase one item over another, but rather to compliment one another. Kind of like wearing rhinestones and jeans. I just wasn't sure if the heart shape made it too conformist-looking. I pride myself in the uniqueness of my work and I don't want to start having it look too common. Thanks for your comment, I appreciate that you took the time!

A.

 

I didn't get a sense of "commonness" at all.

 Oh, wow, I think it is lovely!  Keep up the great work!

 while hearts are a very common shape, it's the execution that determines if your piece is common. yours is different and I like it. I do a lot of hearts too but nobody calls my work common because of the way I do them! I like the way you incorporate the materials inside. usually these types of pendants look crafty but yours looks higher-end.

Thanks katmaz and sparklebee...! Positive feedback is so encouraging. Thanks for letting me feel like it's okay to pursue the direction my work takes me to. I find that creating seems to evolve for me and I guess I'm never sure if I should continue to explore or stay the course.

 I really believe you should go with your heart (no pun intended)  If you have that urge to explore something further you really must.  I am sometimes surprised to look back on some pieces I thought were great years ago and now I wonder what I was thinking!!!  On the other hand there are some that I really still love!  Keep up the exploration and keep sharing the results!

Fabulous!!!  I'm in awe.

Laura Z.

 Thanks for the kind words Laura, much appreciated!

 A.
 

 I am new to these boards but I think you did a great job.  It's very professional looking. Can I ask you what you used to make the pendant and how you did it?  Once again, you did a great job!!!  

 

Hi, thanks for your compliment. The pendant has been created with a process called casting. It's really pretty simple. You need a mold and casting resin, which can be bought at any large craft store or even from the internet. It includes two products (epoxy/resin and hardener) that are mixed together and harden like glass within a couple of days. A chemical reaction occurs when mixing the two liquids and years ago the odor was pretty awful and actually harmful if not used in a ventilated area. Now however a newer version advertises a 'low odor' and it's much better to use. It's a fun process, but you have to layer and work sort of backward and be certain to mix exactly as the directions instruct. If you try it, let me know what you think!