YOJ: week 34 "Passion Flower"

Not on topic again, but I'm very pleased with my results!! The pendant actually started out as a clasp from a tut of Eni Oken (http://www.enioken.com/jewelry/technique.html) but sort of took on a life of it's own. I realized the necklace looked and hung better as a pendant not a clasp. So I made it a multi-strand necklace with a handmade flower pendant as the focus. Made earrings to match.


Here is a close up of the clasp. I figured especially since I used copper, I needed to make my own clasp as I have very few in copper and none I really think are "fancy" enough for this piece.

And here are the earrings. I had bunches of fun making this set.

YOJ: Week 32: Molten Metal / The Alchemist's Crucible

Wooo hoo!! I'm very very pleased with this piece!!! I finished it Weds? last week, just running a day behind getting it posted. Week's 32 theme is Molten metal, and what is better than Hematite and sterling swirls??? I made a few pendants out of donuts with this pattern, and thought at the time it would look pretty kewl as connectors for a bracelet. I found these hematite donuts ( maybe 20mm? ) and I knew they would be just prefect!! I had 7 of them total, 5 to make the bracelet and 2 for earrings. When I got the links done, I looked around in my clasp stash and tried to decide what looked best. I ended up making my own toggle, which I've never done before, I'm very pleased with the ring part.. my bar needs work! But still for a 1st toggle, I'm very please with myself!!!

The earrings are so cute I want' to keep them, but I've carded them. (If they don't sell quickly I'm going to keep them!! heheeheheeh) Made with 20 GA wire. I got a question the other day on just how much stuff I can make in a week. That's a good question. I don't really have a pat answer, and my output varies greatly. I still work full time, and with a family, I sometimes do not get as much creative time as I would like. This pictures shows all the items I've actually finished from Sunday 8/5/07 to Fri 8/10/07. Now I've got several projects ongoing. Below is a sneak peek at Week 34 project, unless i get an idea that's actually on topic! LOL I've got a few bracelet ideas and a pendant I'm actively working on. I also need to spend time each week with administrative chores associated with running a business at home, answering questions, keeping records and ugh! doing sales tax for various states. (1 ugh! isn't enough here: UGH!) Good question, keep them coming!

YOJ: Week 33 - Sunrise, Sunset / Ring of Fire makes "Victorian Sunset"

This is actually a week ahead, woo hoo! I've been working on and off on this piece for months. I love doing spiral chains, it's probably my favorite seed bead thing to do. I love wire work, and that's a love that just keeps growing and growing... I can't get enough of playing with it. So early this year I decided I would combine my loves and make a whole series of necklaces of spiral chains featuring a wire worked pendant. So far I've made 2. Spiral chains are somewhat time consuming, and designing a chain to go with a special piece to be wire wrapped.... anyway, I started this chain back in Feb I would guess, and I had this wonderful freeform agate cab, and I wasn't sure what style I wanted to do the cab in. I finished the chain except for the clasp months ago. I've been waiting on inspiration to do the cab. Last week I ran across the project looking for something else ( don't you love that!! ) and realized I really wanted to finish the cab now!!
I started it, didn't like how it looked, so decided to embellish it with seeds and crystals to more match the chain and hide the "ugly" part of the wire wrap. Next thing I knew I had this wonderful gaudy ( which isn't a bad word in my opinion!) wrap on a sumptuous chain. And I realized the wrap looked Victorian, and then I realized with the color scheme I had a sunset on my hands... and with that topic coming up next week.. well obviously my subconscious knew what it was looking for even if the rest of me didn't!!!! LOL


I finished the chain with a vintage MOP button, seemed just right with the victorian theme. I made earrings, which aren't in the same style at all. I like them but I'll have to make earrings to match the style at some point.

Year of Jewelry Week 31: Off Topic go figure !

This weeks' theme is Volcanic / Vulcan's Forge. Just couldn't get a handle on it, decided not to get so hung up on themes and make what feels good. I just got these copper watch heads in last week, been dying to make something with them.. and I've been dying to make a watch band with wire! I had to look something up in an old issue of Wire Artist, and hit this design! The original used pearls and kept the middle components open, but I like how mine turned out, they make me think of butterflies! Made with copper wire (16Ga + 24 Ga) Venetian style beads, pearls and crystals.





Boy that was such a good mag, wish it was still being publish, wish the back issues I'm missing were not so expensive!! I found this earring design in another back issue, kind of fun to make. I am doodling designs of making a necklace using components like this. Last of the show and tell is a pearl bracelet. This is woven using fireline. It has lovely drape!!