Spinner Ring Redux

Remember the crystal spinner ring I created for the Bead Soup Blog Party?

I guess the heat affected the ring after all, because a few days after the BSBP reveal, the crystal just split in half and fell off the ring.

This is what I was left with:

I briefly considered leaving it like this.

Then I started pondering what I could put on the pin. Which isn't detachable, by the way.

Can't get another bead on there.
Jumprings - yeah, they'll go on there. Big deal.
Coiled wire - I could do it, but it didn't really float my boat.

Here's what I finally did:

I was going to do a multicolored peyote bead or similar beaded bead, stitching it directly to the pin, and using several different bead sizes to get a nice, bumpy texture. I tried several different seed bead combos, but they weren't really making me happy.

I finally decided to make a burgundy peyote tube base with 11/0s, and then a narrower, larger diameter copper peyote tube around the burgundy one, using 8/0s. Both the peyote tubes spin, independently of each other. I like it!

Copper and Aluminum Earrings

Another project I started during our metal studio day earlier this week, and finished a couple of days later:

These earrings combine sheet aluminum that I textured with a smaller piece of sheet copper. Very simple and lightweight.

For some reason, these earrings are very difficult to photograph - wish I understood why! In every photo I took except the one above, it looks like I only textured one of the earrings:

Odd.

Enameled Flower Earrings

Hot on the heels of the Bead Soup Reveal, I created this pair of earrings, using a design I stole from my Bead Soup partner - she created a strikingly similar pair of earrings with components I sent her for the Bead Soup Swap, and I loved them so much, I made a pair, too:

After seeing Kate's earrings, I wanted to punch holes in the floral bead caps prior to enameling them, but....I FORGOT. Hate when that happens! (You can't punch holes after enameling, because the enamel is glass, and it will just shatter!)

I enameled the beadcaps peacock blue, then wired freshwater pearls in the centers, and also as dangles below. I'll make these again, but I sure won't forget to punch the holes first next time!

They're available on Etsy!

Lace-up Aluminum Cuff

Here is one of the metal projects I started in the studio on Monday:

 Handforged aluminum lace-up cuff with blue sari ribbon

It started with sheet aluminum, which I cut, sanded, hammered, and folded (after testing the dimensions on a paper template, of course!) I then placed grommets across the front, shaped the bracelet on a mandrel, and then laced it up with this gorgeous blue sari ribbon.

I had never worked with aluminum before, and it's so much more affordable than sterling! It's easy to work with, too - I never had to anneal this piece, which is amazing, considering all the folding and hammering it went through! But I tried to highlight the texture with liver of sulfur, and discovered that the aluminum won't take the LOS - it just sheeted up and beaded right off, like water on a duck's back!

The cuff is somewhat adjustable, as most are, and will fit from sizes 6 to 7. It's very lightweight (the ribbon might weight more than the metal!)

It's available on Etsy!

Lapiz and Topaz necklace

Here is the completed custom-ordered lapis and topaz necklace that I was working on yesterday:

I had to change up the design a little bit from what I showed yesterday; I had originally grouped the lapis rounds in groups of 3, and the topaz cylinders in groups of 3, and was going to alternate them. But as I started to build the necklace, the 3 grouped lapis beads were too visually heavy in contrast with the paler, smaller, and more visually delicate topaz, so I needed to balance the elements better.

Good thing I had made all the links with simple loops as opposed to wrapped loops! I could simply open up a loop, remove one link, and add another. Yay!

The topaz is so pale, it barely shows against these white backgrounds. Sorry!

I don't make much dainty jewelry - I am more a bold, chunky, statement sort of designer, but I really like how this piece turned out. Hope the customer does!

And it feels so good to start and finish something over a period of a couple of days!

Wednesday Worktable

On today's worktable?

Absolutely beautiful lapis rounds with stunning gold colorations, and pale blue topaz cylinders.

This is a custom order for a lady who wants a "very dainty" 16 inch necklace. Her herbalist recommended she wear lapis around her neck area for a thyroid problem.

I never, ever make ANYthing with simple loops, because they are weak. One pull, and a project falls apart. So I had initially linked these beads together with wrapped loops, but there were 2 problems:
1) the links were way too long, because the wrapped loops took up so much space
2) the links completely lost any hope they had for daintiness - the wrapped loops are bulky visually

So I cut apart all the wrapped loops, and made the links with simple loops. I'll be connecting the links, alternating the lapis with the aquamarine, with some very fine sterling chain. I think the final result will be very pretty, and just what the customer wants!

And this will be the first piece of jewelry I've created with simple loops - proving, once again: Never say "Never."

Enameled Copper Pendants

Sonya and I had a metal studio playdate yesterday, and I made these enameled copper pendants:

After cutting and prepping the copper, I textured one of the pendants (the reddish one at bottom left) with the Sissix Big Shot. I knew from previous experience that texturing pendants before enameling is often wasted effort, because as the enamel liquefies, it tends to pool in the depressions of the texture, obliterating any texture you've worked to achieve. But I had a plan for that!

I applied 3 coats of clear enamel via torch immersion, so that the front and back were well covered. For the blue and green pendants, I chose opaque colors, placed the pendants on trivets, and sifted on the chosen colors (lichen for the green, peacock for the blue). For the textured pendant, after placing it on a trivet, I sifted on a transparent color (raspberry), hoping that even when the enamel pooled, the fact that it was transparent would allow the texture to show through. Then I fired them in the kiln.

After cooling, I sifted one more coat of the chosen color on each pendant, and then started decorating. I had wanted to try kiln-firing for these because I was hoping that the even heat of the kiln would allow the large millefiore pieces to flatten nicely; they flattened some, but not entirely. But firing these in the kiln was so much easier than in the torch (and preserves my precious MAPP gas!) that I am going to make all my pendants this way - the initial coating in the torch puts on a "sealant" coat of enamel that prevents firescale in the kiln, so I didn't have to worry about using Klyr-Fyr, sifting on the enamel, waiting for it to dry, then flipping the piece over, only to have most of what I had just applied fall off. No more worrying about firescale and counter enameling - successful experiment!

Plus, 3 cool pendants!

After finishing my enameled pendants, I switched gears and starting working on some cold connections projects. It's been ages (it seems) like I did some metal work like this, except for the clasp I made for my partner for the recent Bead Soup Swap - and I guess I'm not counting that because I gave it away.

I got several things started, but not finished, so I'll be working on them later this week, and hopefully sharing them soon!