CWJ's Year of Jewelry 2008

Sea Swans - Coiled Sterling Wire, Apatite, Chrome Diopside, Chrysoprase Earrings

Playing around with more coiling and base shapes and came up with these...I names them "swans" after the popular style of handwrought wire clasp!  Swirls of 18g sterling wire were formed, then coiled with 28g sterling wire.  Originally, these were going to be  embellished with more of the gemstones, but they were looking a bit busy, so I opted for these tiny Hill Tribe silver beads.  They actually make the earrings more sturdy as well.  I chose this combination of chrome diopside, apatite, and chrysoprase (well, you know me and my "green" thing) because I thought the grouping was unexpected.

Oxidized for a vintage-like patina and dangling approximately 2.5 inches from handwrought sterling earwires, these cool-hued lovelies are sure to add a breath of salty sea air to your outlook!

Thanks for looking...comments always welcomed!

~M

website

etsy

blog

Melissa Muir - Week 24

Okay, this is the last one for today. Sorry to hog the front page.

In my never ending quest to be like Maggie, I bought the book "Elegant Wire Jewelry" By Kathy Frey. The pieces in here were a lot of fun and it was so much fun to play with wire again. I have a lot of practicing to do to make my wraps look nice and neat. But one day I might figure it out. ;)
 

Week 24 - Gemini

Gemini are the twins, so I made two of one thing, just like twins, and look! They make a pair of earrings!! So yeah, I basically cheated. I used the last matched pair of this amazing lemon quartz marquises. I knew I wanted to do a pair of earrings like this with those quartz, I had seen a pair of earrings similar on calista flockhart on the red carpet. After having the idea for quite some time, I finally took the plunge and did them. I really like how they came out. They're just oxidised SS and the marquises. My baby twins :)

Not on theme

In week 11 I made a neckring for the Barbados culture theme.  I finally finished the earrings.  They are simple copper disks, stamped and dapped to match the necklace and placed on wire wrapped silver rings. 

Carolyn    aka  Lily and Iris

week 24 Dichro and seed beads

There is just no way that I can stay on theme and be on time so I have given up trying to be on theme and am just letting the creative breeze blow me where it may! 
This is a dichro cab I purchased wrapped with sterling on a crochet rope.

MOMMAKAT: Winter Queen's Crown II

Made with 16 & 24GA sterling wire, sterling beads and pearls.  for more info and pictures please check out my blog:

http://mkpbeadart.blogspot.com/2008/06/yoj-week-24th-winter-queens-crown-ii.html#links

Gemini- Totally off topic

OK so this has nothing to do with twins or anything like that.  I guess if you stretch it way way out there, there are twin copper beads on the side!  LOL  Anyway, I got in the mood to wire wrap.  So, I took a drilled chunk of black agate and worked it into this!  I am trying to decided if I will cut the tail and work it to the back as a pendent or use it to connect to a frame of more agate stones.

Nubian Looking Glass

Wk. 24 - Janice

This came out nothing like what I had envisioned, but the result isn't horrible.....I actually like it, it just needs a bit of tweaking.

Its garnet and sterling, the stone is tube set and the shank hammer textured. The whole thing is very sparkly. :)

~Janice
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com

Week 24: Gemini Zodiac Sign

The colors of the Gemini Zodiac sign are blue and yellow so I decided to use this as the base for my theme piece. The design was inspired by my handmade glass beads in beautiful tropical ocean blue with shimmering dichroic glass and a coating of pale transparent yellow. Between each glass bead are gorgeous champagne quartz faceted ovals in the prettiest yellow that glows. Dangling from the center of each bead and oval quartz are fancy lemon quartz bell faceted briolettes and beautiful aqua blue faceted apatite heart briolettes.

The center focal was created entirely from scratch using solid sterling silver wire. The base was formed and hammered flat then wrapped in fine sterling silver wire. In the center oval are tiny faceted blue apatite rondelles fading from light to deep aqua blue from one side to the next. And in the center is another champagne quartz faceted oval. Dropping below the focal is a faceted lemon quartz kiss shaped briolette. At the top is a faceted deep aqua blue apatite heart briolette, more of the tiny apatite rondelles clustered along with a fancy lemon quartz bell briolette wrapped on either side of the focal piece.

Thanks and as always comments are welcome! :)

Additional pictures will be posted in my etsy shop: http://www.jewelsbyldesigns.etsy.com

Week 24

This is so unlike me, not even my style, but I was drawn to the summer colors. Still have to complete the 2nd earring but I put it's frame in the px. Although this looks like beading, it is actually 80% wire work. I should have taken a px of the back to show you. Copper wire, riverstone and turquoise. www.Ebbdesigns.com