CWJ's Year of Jewelry 2008

Week 20

When I'm forced to sit and be quiet, like on a train or in a waiting room, I tend to get ideas for jewelry. Sometimes I get frustrated that I can never really leave work at work, but the bottom line is that I love what I do because there's so much there within the jewelry category. So yesterday I was sitting in a lecture, about a cup of coffee short of my RDA, and I had trouble focusing on the topic at hand. I started doodling in my notebook and came up with these earrings.

A lot of artists start with sketches, but that usually doesn't work for me. If I get an idea when I'm out and about I try to jot it down, but I rarely sit down to create something and start with a drawing. I just want to get it done, so I pick up my tools and go to work and the design evolves as I go. These earrings were a rare instance where I had a sketch first, and actually made something that looked like the drawing. 

Do you sketch first or jump right in?

Anne

Website    Tutorials    Etsy    Blog

MOMMAKAT: Taurus

The last few astrological signs I couldn't really get into-  I'm not really sure why, maybe it's just a timing issue. I felt better about this one, and the work and details I put into it shows I think. I started out with 16GA wire as the frame, and bound it with 24Ga round and 22GA half round sterling silver. One of the stones for Taurus is Sapphire so I used a large vintage Sapphire Swarovski crystal from my stash. I wanted the crystal to have movement, which it does, but the frame isn't quite large enough to allow swinging as I envisioned. I might redo that part at some point. I'm quite pleased with the wrapping and herringbone wrapping on this piece however. I've only done a few projects with herringbone weaving, and this piece shows improvement! The "horns" is another piece of 16GA, which I hammered for texture. I think it's abstract enough to appeal to someone who isn't a Taurus, but looks enough like Taurus to make a Taurus person happy with it.  For more info and pictures please check out my blog, thank you! 

http://mkpbeadart.blogspot.com/2008/05/yoj-week-19-taurus.html#links

Week 19 -- Golden

Let me start out by saying I like the "idea" of this pendant, with  that being said I will explain the obvious. The "seamless" beads I purchased turned out that SOME are not so "seamless", this I didnt figure out until a couple separated and one completely fell, off close to completion. After, some huffing and puffing, I decided to finish it in some not so clean wrapping and take the pic. I will revisit it this piece and fix it up but for now here it is.
Thanks
Eleanor

Catching up--Week 18 Sacred Rights Birth

This piece took me somewhere I normally dont go, that is why I'm going with Sacred Right. What I envisioned is not what appears before you. I'm not really sure about it but I learned a lot through its creation. BTW, It is a pendant LOL, Sterling Silver wire/beads, rock crystal and small ruby. C&C are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks
Eleanor

Spring Flower - Hammered Sterling and Pink Sapphire

I have been trying different ways to make flowers and wanted to create a simple hammered wire one, and this is what I came up with over the weekend as one of my prototypes.  Not especially happy with it, but I wore it to work today on a simple 16 inch snake chain and actually got a couple of compliments - go figure!  So, I guess this one is mine...back to the drawing board. :)

Melissa

My Blog

Melissa Meman Designs

Week 19 Not on Theme

I just couldn't wait to jump on Eni's new heart pendant tutorial, so I've sorta ignored the taurus theme for this week (apologies to taurans everwhere!). I just used portions of her tutorial because, I'll be honest, I don't have the patience for weaving two hearts, LOL, especially not with the 26 gauge wire I currently have at my disposal. And let me just stress how 26 gauge wire is NOT conducive to beautiful, even weaving. But, it was good practice, and I've got a grasp on it now, so when my silver comes in, I'll be having a field day! The stones are recreation phoenix stone, which I don't think I'd ever come across before, so I snagged 'em up. They may be re-created, but the colors are beautiful.

Plus, I just wanted to try out the tutorial in different ways and test out its versatility, my meager talents not withstanding. So, here it is... made in 18 g and 26 g red brass wire.

Nik

Week 19 Baby Bull

He's not mean enough to be a full grown bull, but he will grow up some day. He's really not smiling, that's a ring I added to his nose to fill up the empty space that was driving me crazy.  He's actually a Chinese knot that I manipulated the horns and goldstone eyes are added. (I didn't have any emeralds.) Anyhow, I won't try this again, but I did stay on theme!

Chinese Culture, Jade

I sorta skipped Taurus (but I'll try to get something up for that tomorrow), and went straight for Chinese Culture. My best friend is Chinese, and has tons of beautiful jade jewelry that was passed on to her by her late mother, and there is such beauty in the ornateness of jade carvings and jewelry in general. Recently, she was explaining to me her latest trip to China to see relatives, and spoke of a temple she visited, so this piece is sorta inspired by that tale.

This pendant is constructed from copper, using Korean jade, red jasper and hematite beads. It reminds me of Chinese headdresses worn in the 12th century. (And I still can't thank Eni enough for her netted bezel tut!)

Nik

Late

Well I am Late, and not sure if I am Worthy to follow in Iza steps. She does such unique things, I hope one day my muse is at least half of hers. Well any way I bought her tut Feather earrings which I did in 16g and 26g I had no 18g, also no chains, so I followed her entries here on YOJ  with a bead at the top. The second picture is something I started last night using the same weave pattern on a no hole stone. well as always C&C welcome. Linda  My web site

The Promise

The Promise was composed by Michael Nyman to illustrate one of my favourite films - The Piano.
I wanted to create something that would refer to this film and to Nyman's incredible music. This pendant seems to do it so perfectly. It's form bringd the spirit of those times and colours are a reflection of the way Jane Campion presented New Zealand - rain and salty sea water, mud and exotic plants...
I've decided not to wipe the oxide, but only to polish the piece, hence the silver turned out alost identical in colour to tiny freshwater pearls used in this piece - opalescent in brown, black and grey but also blue and green. The stones are tourmaline quartz in a form of a large briolette and faceted aquamarines in green shades. All in sterling and fine silver. The pendant measures 8cm / 3.2''. I will probably change the clasp - this one seems to be off topic ;) (and so I did: here's a new clasp ).
More pictures in my gallery.

Thank you,
Iza

Week 19 - Mixed Metal Pendant - Randi/Dax58

Some silver, some copper, and a little brass.... yes - it's another one of my mixed metal pieces! This features textured silver with an etched copper disc, held together with a micro brass bolt. It's been dapped and antiqued, and buffed to a soft sheen.

Comments are always welcome... check out StudioDax for more about my teaching, My Jewelry Blog for more on my FSOJ projects, and My Website for more of my jewelry.

Thanks,  Randi

Waning Moon

This is the finished necklace that I started last week.  I added a ring around the planet on the upper left corner and cleaned up some silver that appeared on the copper moon.  Then I filed the pink copper substance off the bronze crescent moon and added a bail.  The chain was made with iridized crystals added to make a person think of stars.  All in all, I like the combination of fusing and soldering. Tell me what you think.

Carolyn   aka Lily and Iris 

Taurus Zodiac-Off Topic-Coiled Link Necklace-Week 19

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL ON YOJ2008!!!

I made this coiled link necklace awhile ago.  I submitted it to the Beading Daily forum and it was published Friday, April 9 as a Free Project entitled Southwest Desert.  The lampwork bead was made by a friend of mine.   

Week 19 lace bezel

This week just a simple net bezel, one of Eni's tutorials.   A friend gave me a bunch of cabs, with several really nice pieces of turquoise in the lot.  This is the practice piece for the  I want to use.  My 24 g. copper ended up being too stiff to make the double loop I wanted to try,  I think the 28 g silver I actually have to make the final piece will work just fine. 

Week 19

I'm working on a new link design... My goal is to turn a flat bead into a 3-D link so it rolls, so this one has orbiting wires to create sort of a cage.  I use a lot of spirals in my work, so instead of finishing the loose ends of the wire with those, I tried something a little different.  The tips stay on the bead so there isn't a likelihood of sweater-snagging, but I'm not totally sold on the design. 

Let me know what you think either way!

Anne

Website    Tutorials    Etsy    Blog

Week 18

This is a paua shell pendant that does have a hole drilled in the top, but I decided to make a wire bail and dress it up a little with a Viking bezel.  For those of you who have done Viking Knit, it utilizes the same stitch (but mistakes on the bezel show up better because you don't have the drawplate step to hide them!)

This is going to my wonderful mother tomorrow, totally her colors.

Anne

Tutorials (including Viking Bezel & Weave)

Website    Etsy    Blog

Off Topic - GODDESS

I have an art event all weekend so I know I am not going to get around to actually creating something on the topic of Taurus so instead I am posting my most recent piece. I decided to finally give Iza's bead cap tutorial a try. I must say that I now have a MUCH greater appreciation for all of the wire weaving... not that I didn't before, but now that I have actually created a piece using this style it just means more to me. Overall I am happy with this piece but I can defnitely use more practice. :)

The glass lampwork focal bead was handmade by me. I really love the results of this floral bead. My favorite blues, greens and some black all layered amongst some dichroic glass give this bead so much depth and that shimmer I love so much. THe bead cap was created using only solid sterling silver wire and then oxidized to bring out the weave pattern. I added a cluster of faceted prehnite briolettes, faceted green fluorite nuggets, faceted apatite nuggets and a faceted lime green chalcedony briolette at the bottom to bring out all the colors in the glass focal bead. The pendant hangs from a handmade strand of fine sterling silver chain and gems.

As always would love to hear what you think. :) Thanks, Laura

www.jewelsbyldesigns.etsy.com

Aries the ram

It's late but here it is.  Aries the ram under a golden sun.

From My Heart to Yours (Mother's Day)

This is a pendant I made specifically for my mother, so there's nothing overtly "birth" or "sacred rites" about its construction. Her birthstone is garnet, and because I didn't have any nice garnets, I decided to use some beautiful faceted poppyseed jasper. It's 14k gold-filled, which I had to dig and scrape for out of the bits and pieces I had left, lol, but luckily I had enough to make something I think turned out very nice. I didn't want to wait until my next wire order came in for fear this wouldn't arrive to her in time for Mother's Day. It's larger than she generally wears, but I think (hope, anyway) that she'll love it. The smaller hanging heart represents me, and the larger heart represents her.

She just suffered a mild stroke two days ago and, though she's going to pull through and be fine, it scared me a LOT since I live 1200 miles away. All my sisters and my brother are with her, however, so I'm set at ease a bit. Since all this happened, it was doubly important for me to create something for her so she'll know how much I love her. It's a simple pendant, but our relationship has been so complicated over the years that I felt simplicity was the best approach.

Enjoy.

Nikki

Week 19 - Taurus

Well, I know I'm being a little bit cheesy lately, but time is sparse.  And I keep trying to make smaller pieces for those customers that want tiny ones.  So, here is an Emerald for Taurus.