The left shows the start of the findings. For this I used the ImpressArt's proprietary Alkeme blanks. Any time my stamping was too far off I would start over. The difficulty that came when moving forward was making sure the pieces would cut and bend properly. Alkeme seems to separate and/or crack if bent too much or can have issues with end cuts. Getting it done in the right order and knowing the limitations takes a fair amount of trial and error.
The right side shows the beginning of the mantra charms. Stamping with a 1.5mm font can be rather tricky so using the guide stickers was very important and needed to be done first. From there if it was too off center or the holes punched were too close to the side I would start over.
I've learned that the preparation work in most things is critical to success and metal stamping is no different. These photos show the exact layout I was going for and the ideal way for the charms to work. One disc makes three charms if you make no errors. Which of course, I made errors.
Working through the layout and elements until it all came together. You never know how it will all work out until you start putting it together. Some elements work, and others need to be reworked. The process keeps going until you get to a point you are happy with. In this case, the plain chain was just not working for me neither aesthetically nor physically. Finding that I needed a larger back half of the necklace to help with how the stamped pieces would lay was crucial. From there other elements were added and subtracted until all the problems were worked out and the look was cohesive.
The earrings were actually the first pieces I made. I wanted to test out how to make the findings that would hold the lava rocks and then also general way the pieces would hang and fit together. After wearing them, taking note of how the construction moved while in use, and then also making them for the necklace, I was able to improve their design.