On the agenda:

Just doing a few test shots of my pieces on the body today!

Things Thus Far

So, I'm currently striving to create my graduate collection. Here's how things are looking so far.
It's all work in progress but I thought I'd give a little snippet of how things are shaping up!
I have to say, this is the most excited I've ever been about my work and it is a VERY nice feeling.
So what am I doing?
My work is based on the way in which animals are farmed for their bodies. Obviously they are used for their meat, but I want to show the other products they are harmed to produce. For example, cows are inhumanly conditioned to produce vast and unnatural quantities of milk. And pigs are kept in sectioned cars with barely enough room to stand.
There will be an apparent humour to my pieces but an underlying conceptual concern for the welfare of these animals. Just as humans laugh at a pig for being a 'stupid' or unimportant creature my pieces are designed to look silly and foolish but actually have a lot more to them.
Anyway, see what you think so far. I shall be updating soon with further developments!

Oops I did it again...

So, it looks like I've been missing for a while! Fear not, I have been busy fabricating bejewelled delights to endorse your eyes with!
Here are some snaps of what I've been up to:

Taking Over The Web

Well, times have been very exciting in CVGTville!
I've been developing my stalactite rings and selling them online! An online company (Dixi) approached me and asked if I'd be interested in letting them carry my collection. Of course I was! Here's a lil' peak of the new blingage:

You like? If you do feel free to email me or comment below if you're interested in having one of your own!

I'm also looking to develop this collection into bangles and hoop earrings. I'm also making a special pendant for my housemate upon request!
It's an exciting time right now. I'm also working on a project that I'm becoming extremely passionate about, but I'll save the details of that until it's fit for public exposure!

The Gift That Keeps Giving ;)

Sooooooo I said I'd catch y'all up on what I've been up to lately at Uni. So here it is:

This term has been split into four three week projects. They were entitled:
- The Alchemist
- The Transformation
- The Secret Ingredient
- The  Big Issue

SO

The Alchemist:

‘Regurgitations of Consumerism’

My pieces represent consumerism in its most simple sense, gluttony. Through the medium of confectionary I have created symbols of what will happen when someone ‘over consumes’. The result is something of revulsion and disgust. These pieces are not just representations of gluttony but are a symbol of the effect consumerism has, as a whole, upon mankind.

The Transformation:
‘Feast and Famine’

Not what you'd expect from a jewellery student is it? Well, the whole purpose of this project was to transform the silhouette.

I explored the shape of the body associated with both words. When thinking of the word ‘feast’ one would normally picture a large, or obese, person, and with ‘famine’ they would envisage a skinny, bony one.
I overlapped the two associations to develop a combination of the two. I used the angles (bony bits) of a skinny person, and the scale, albeit rather exaggerated, of a well feasted body.
The piece also affected the way the wearer moved. There was restricted leg movement to sympathise with the uncomfortable movements of a larger body.

The Secret Ingredient 

Profession: Milkman

This piece was designed for a stereotypical Milkman. This would be a promiscuous man who would typically be suspected of having affairs with women on his Round. 

My piece has a fairly whimsical purpose. It is to be used as a tool to aid the Milkman in picking which of his favourite women on his round he’s going to visit. The Milkman would spin the piece in front of his comrades, jesting about how many women he has to pick from.

The secret function of the piece is that it is weighted to land on the one woman the majority of the time, his favourite, the one he’s falling in love with.

(sorry about the poor quality of these last two photos, I left the good ones on my Uni account, eep!)

The Big Issue

‘Blood Diamonds’

My piece highlights the relationship between the diamond miner and the rest of the World. The shovel represents the miners; it is entrapped by the diamond, as is Africa and its people. Many people that were released from slavery in the mines have had to return, under their own will, for a source of income, however poor it is.

One side of the piece is ‘cut’ almost like a gem, and the other has been left ‘rough’. One side is Africa, ones side is the outside world.

You can’t see straight through to the piece inside. The vision is clouded. It can be ignored and disregarded. On the ‘rough’ side the shovel is almost touchable, almost free, but it never will be.

(and the same for these photos!)

Everything's Rosey

Hey guys! So, I've not posted in a LONG time, but that doesn't mean nothing's been happening. Quite the opposite actually. A hella of a lot has happened! This term at uni's been manic. We've had 3 projects over the past 12 weeks. It's been hard, but fun. I'll post about that over the Easter break, when I have a little more 'me' time. I have lots of other exciting things to babble on about too. But at the moment I'm on the cusp of a deadline so I'll just keep this post short!

Remember the stalagmite inspired pieces I made before? The bumpy organic ones? Well, I finally finished them up!

Here, have a gander at MY pleasure :)

Some of the pictures seem to have vanished between my camera and here... I'll hunt them down (never fear!) and pop them up asap.

OH and just so you know. I'm making more of these over Easter and will be selling them soon after. If you're interested, let me know. Email me at caitling-t@live.co.uk and we'll make it happen!

Final Pieces:

Silver and 24 carat gold plated.

The rings are stackable to create your own mini cave!

Rearrange the layers to suit yourself.

The earrings are solid silver with 24 carat gold plating and are oxidised on the back layer.