Finally I have managed to finish and photograph the soap pieces I’ve mentioned previously, after much mind changing and frustration! I ended up making a series of brooches, along with a one off pendant which really came about as a happy accident.

All of the work is intended to explore intimacy – which is the reason why I decided to work with soap, as it’s a material which ‘knows’ our bodies more intimately than almost anything else I can think of.

This neckpiece, entitled Intimacy, is extremely simple and the only materials used are handcarved and saw pierced soap, along with silk thread which has been unravelled and washed.

I loved the combination of the deep, silky, blood-like red when combined with the pure, matte white of the soap. So I decided to add nothing further to this piece and leave it as a very simple piece to get my idea across. I’m really happy with it!

The series below of three brooches (or ‘pins’ for my American friends!) is what I was actually working towards when I decided to create the Intimacy neckpiece above.

The pieces have been through several incarnations and went from back and forth from being a neckpiece to a set of brooches numerous times. Eventually I settled on the series of brooches and the use of the lovely Pears transluscent soap.

Again, intimacy is being explored, but this time in combination with secrets, with each of the soap panels used to partially obscure some ’secrets’ which have been etched into the sterling silver panels behind them. The only way to fully reveal the secrets would be to break or use up the soap.

Both of the above pieces have been submitted as entries to the 2007 Contemporary Wearables awarded exhibition. I’ve really got no idea if I’ll be accepted – competition to enter the exhibition is always very stiff and there are always far more entries than there is space to accommodate them, this really being the most important contemporary jewellery exhibition held in Australia (and only every two years!).

I’ve also submitted the first piece, Intimacy, along with the piece above, Velvet Locket for possible inclusion in the forthcoming Lark Books publication, 500 Pendants & Lockets.

The Velvet Locket is actually several years old, having been made in 2000. It’s constructed from two pieces of repoussed fine silver, over which deep red velvet has been hand-stitched. The clasp for the locket is a plaited length of cotton thread which loops over a freshwater pearl, both of which have been stitched to the velvet.

It was an incredibly fiddly piece to make and remains one of my favourites to wear for special occasions. It was also incredibly difficult to get a decent photograph of for some reason! Over the years I’ve tried numerous times to do so, but finally I think I’ve done it!