Week 10: Blue Sapphire Pendant

This is an opaque blue Sapphire I had bought quite sometime back. Finally got around to making something with it. The wires are sterling silver and fine silver.

Please visit my blog at http://takung.blogspot.com
And my Etsy shop at http://purpleflowerswati.etsy.com

February 27, 2009. Week 10 - Due 3/8. 7 comments.

Week 9: Back to Simplicity

I had these lovely pink blush colored faux pearls, and didn't know what to do with them. Finally I decided to go really simple and make this 3 bead earrings and pendant set.

Please visit my blog at http://takung.blogspot.com

and my Etsy shop at http://purpleflowerswati.etsy.com

February 27, 2009. Week 09 - Due 3/1. 2 comments.

Corps Bride

I wasn't sure where to go with this theme, but here is what I came up with. First of all, this pendant was mostly inspired by a pendant created by our own Nancy Wickman that you can see here. The large bead is a 3/4 inch round faceted piece of natural Whitby jet rescued from a broken Victorian mourning necklace circa mid-late 1800s.

Jet
is the mineral(oid) that inspired the description "jet black." Because
of its color and modest appearance, jet was the favored mourning
jewelry worn by Queen Victoria after the passing of her husband,
Albert. It was Queen Victoria's influence that propelled jet jewelry to
the height of its popularity in the mid to late 1800s.The finest
specimens were mined in the town of Whitby, England.

Above the
jet bead is a bouquet of gemstones including amethyst, lavender and
peacock freshwater pearls, and blue and periwinkle chalcedony. Topping
off the pendant is a filigree bali silver bead and a wire wrapped bail. The
pendant is 2 inches long hangs from a 18 inch sterling silver rope
chain.

February 26, 2009. Week 07 - Due 2/15. 2 comments.

Beads, Beads, and More Beads

Or should I say gems, gems, and more gems! These are my Sangria earrings. A yummy and refreshing spirited punch of wine-red garnets garnished with tangerine carnelian, lemon citrine, and lime peridot. Made with sterling and fine silver and hand made earwires. They hang 2 1/8 inches long. As always, more photos in my etsy shop: joslinjewels.etsy.com.

February 26, 2009. Week 08 - Due 2/22. 5 comments.

Beads, beads and more beads.

Pearl Pendant

Using a 20mm coin pearl as the focus for this pendant I decided to bezel set the pearl.

With bezel wire measured to fit…it was soldered together then into the pickle it went. While waiting for it I sketched an idea on graph paper to create a template

The template was adhered to the 28 gauge sheet by using rubber cement. Once it had set up I cut the piece away from the sheet using metal sheers. I then used a jeweler's saw to follow the design's lines to remove the excess sheet.

To cut the inside portion out I used a center punch to mark the spot where a hole would be drilled. Once drilled the blade on the jeweler's saw was loosened and inserted in the hole…then the blade was tightened back up in the saw. Following the line with the saw the sheet was removed.

With the bezel wire in place other wire was added to create some adornment along with a bail. Tube rivets were put in place for a clean look from which the coral and turquoise hang.

The final touch was applying liver of sulfur with a Q-tip.

Thank you,

Deborah aka Sneekbead

February 26, 2009. Week 08 - Due 2/22. 2 comments.

Week 5-Bronze Age-Cut out Copper

This was my first project cutting out shapes from copper sheet and brass sheet.  I'm finding that I love to rivet, albeit not very well yet.  I made the jumprings and coils to connect the coper shapes and added a couple of spiral dangles for good measure.

If you have a moment, visit Perles and Life

KittyD

February 26, 2009. Week 05 - Due 2/1. 1 comment.

Week 8- bangles

  Something else from my party.  Three bangles that started as 12 gauge wire, formed, soldered, filed and polished.  Then I realized that they aren't exactly the same size, just a little off… hmmm, okay, lets add something that holds them and makes them seem more cohesive.. I took 22 guage silver sheet and cut a retangle, formed a circle, solder and then added the grandules as an accent.  What I like:  love the sound and happy with the handcrafted tube. what I don't like, should have been more careful with size!

February 26, 2009. Week 08 - Due 2/22. Leave a comment.

Week 7- Reticulated Pendant

  I made tons of jewelry the last two weeks for my open house, but this is one of my favorites.  I took an overheated blob of silver, tweaked by filing off odd ends and then added these fine silver grandulars and I just love it!  No one purchased it however, so it might just become mine. What I like– the fact that I used recycled boo-boo silver!  What I don't like– the photo, (will I ever get better!)

Debora

February 26, 2009. Week 07 - Due 2/15. Leave a comment.

Week 4-Memoires of a Geisha-A Little bit of This….and That

  I may have gotten carried away with it….but I love the results.  It's a little bit of found objects…an earring, a charm from another piece of jewelry that's been staring at me asking me…"why haven't you worn me lately?" and some twists and turns of copper wire.

I made headpins on two pieces of 16 gauge wire, flattened the balled ends, and drilled holes in the flattened balled ends.  Cut a piece of brass tubing and inserted SS wire in the tubing extending out beyond the tubing in order to rivet each end.  I put replica chinese coins and the earring on the tubing before riveting.  The rest of the piece took on a design of its own from that point forward.

I guess I've created a series of pins as you will see from my previous posts this year (except for one week).  So I will call January my Pin Series. Maybe I should start a series each month…. that's a big MAYBE.  I'm hopelessly behind.

If you have a moment, visit Perles and Life.

KittyD

February 24, 2009. Week 04 - Due 1/25. 2 comments.