Simply Strung

My friend Sara chose this bracelet from my inventory to give her sister for Christmas. Mary and Sara both have very small wrists, so today I resized/restrung it for her. It has a commercially made lobster clasp & ring connection made of rose gold plated copper. I hand formed the little copper spiral dangle.

handcrafted hammered copper closure

with glass and metal beads . Finished this bracelet today. I did have the bead design all  laid out on the bead board last night so I was ready to start stringing first thing this morning. It feels really good to finally be productive in the studio again. 

Bracelet 12142011

Here is the newest bracelet, just finished yesterday.

This is just a quicky documentation photo.

Setting up the photo booth on the dining room table.

A little tin to foster big ideas

Copper Components

Here are some of the components I've been creating with copper wire lately. Practice makes perfect and I have a way to go. Also, some of the methods that pros use are a challenge for me because of the fibromyalgia. Part of my learning curve here is finding ways to get great results with methods I'm devising as I go that are kinder to my hands and shoulders. After spending many hours creating a few small units, taking frequent breaks, the morning after can be a surprise as to where it hurts !!!

Metalwork

In Saturday's Metal Smith Class,

I made three rings from sterling silver flat wire, and a pendant from sterling silver sheet. Cutting, filing, shaping, and soldering. After the soldering everything goes into a solution called the pickle and emerges looking like this.

 The next step is polishing and buffing away that whitish haze with this machine.

Then some more polishing and buffing with my Dremel with it's flexible shaft and smaller cleaning and buffing wheels to reach the inside of the rings and the small design areas.

Wirework

Today's project is to PRACTICE !!

I made this sterling silver bracelet in a class at TLD Designs and I like it a lot. The link is called FISHING LURE. This simple bracelet is a very different look for me as my design style is usually "more is more". When I wear it I NEED another bracelet with it, but that's just me. I know there are alot of you out there who really prefer this unadorned style, handcrafted from quality materials and simple design.

I hesitated to use that word, until I looked it up in Websters'. He explains it this way; 

SIMPLE - "Consisting of one thing; single; uncombined; without embellishment; plain; unadorned."

The great thing, today we can each choose to wear what we like.  We reach a point in life when we don't need or even want to wear "what's in today, and out tomorrow". 

I'm using copper wire for practice, it costs less, and I have lots of other bracelets it will be just perfect with.

Mixed Metal Mania

This newly released book, by Kim St. Jean, is on it's way, should be here in the next few days. This should give me plenty to do while the snowstorm they say is coming, rages outside.

I LOVE new books, actually I pretty much LOVE all books, but new technique books are always on the top of my wish list.

I was able to view a good deal of the inside of the book on Amazon's website before I pre-ordered it. There was enough new info and cool ideas to get my fires burning.

I'm so excited !!!

JEWELRY ARTS: WIRE TWISTS / LINKS and CHARM BRACELET

This class introduces the beginner jewelry student to the basic wire twist link that is a building block for most jewelry art assemblage. Students will learn how to make a collection of links and dangle components using head pins, eye pins and straight wire and then proceed to learn how to connect them for earrings, bracelets and necklaces or choose to make a charm bracelet.  Regardless of your choice this class will offer the repetition needed to gain skill at professional looking wire wrapping. Projects may include one-of-a-kind lampwork beads, Bali silver beads, charms and Swarovski crystals (purchased separately). The bead obsessed will enjoy this class since we put a heavy dose of design strategy into our beading classes that will take students beyond the "cookie cutter" approach and challenges each participant to create their own wearable art.

I’ve signed up for 4 classes between now and the end of the year. This is the next one on Friday, Nov. 5th. I need lots of practice to perfect my wire wrapping skills, this seems like a good chance to have some fun at the same time.

TLD Design Center and Gallery

Metalsmith I

This is the pendant I made when I took Janice's class about a year ago. It is sterling silver sheet cut to shape with the saw. The tube is also sterling silver, but comes in the tube shape. I wrapped the copper wire around it and used only a little solder to hold the two peices in place. This past Saturday I learned to do the polishing with the wheel.

Really pleased how it has turned out. Not sure what type of "chain" I want to use yet. Considering twisted copper and silver wire. I am retaking both Metalsmith I & II again. This coming Saturday we will be learning to set a stone with a bezel. I will be using one of my fused glass elements for this project.

JANICE BAILEY

Metal smith Instructor Extraordinaire

Janice and I have been friends for 20 years. She has been a metal smith, jewelry artist and instructor all the time I've known her. In the summer she exhibits consistently at art & craft fairs in the Chicago area, so her collectors know where to find her. She designs and sells under her own label, "JJB’s Silver & More". Her graceful designs and high quality workmanship have made her a collectible designer. All of her work is hand made, unique and crafted with the finest quality sterling silver often including Semi-Precious Stones, Fused Glass and her own Lampwork Beads. Janice regularly teaches at TLD Designs, Instructing Classes in: Metal Smith (Beginner ~ Advanced), Chain Making, Techniques in Wire Work, and Beginner level Bead/Pearl Stringing.

She taught me to do this

and then this

and then this