With the holidays far behind me I have been focusing on pieces for my summer and spring lines. The bright vibrant colors, the beauty of nature at full bloom, the ocean....they are all so inspiring. That's why I love designing for the warmer seasons. Right now I am thinking about a sunny day in June, sitting in my garden with a glass of iced tea admiring the salmon pink oriental poppies that I planted in the early fall...
The poppy is such an elegant, regal looking flower that I thought it deserved center stage. I looked at other poppy themed jewelry online and really couldn't find anything incorporating an oriental poppy. I found that rather odd given that they seem, to me, to be the glamour girls of the poppy world.
Apparently, oriental poppies with their layers of overlapping ruffles are actually complex. When creating a flower I can often simplify it into just two or three layers. That is not possible with a poppy so I had to cut out each petal and solder them individually. There were a total of nine layers that I had to solder! While time consuming, the end result is a very dimensional, lifelike flower.
This solid sterling silver cuff is adorned with a hand forged oriental poppy that has a bezel set onyx cabochon as it's center. With the diameter of the poppy being over 2.25 inches this is a statement piece for sure. A cute sundress and this bold cuff and you are all set for whatever spring brings. Lunch at an outdoor cafe. A lovely outdoor music festival. The farmer's market.
My warm weather dreaming on this dreary winter day...
