In the Studio video

Just finished a new video.  I have been wanting to do something like this to take to shows so people can see a little bit of how I make things.  Of course, I just used some pictures that I had on hand.  Anyway, here it is:

Volunteering at the Gallery

The other day I spent the afternoon volunteering at the gallery, so I took some glass cabs and wire along with me.  With all the pendants sitting there, I just had to take a picture, so I thought I'd share what I got accomplished:

These are all either copper, Argentium sterling, or gold filled.  Now I just have to photograph and list them.

12 Types of Handmade Jewelry

Black Onyx and White Jade Necklace, Shadow Dog Designs

There are many different types of handmade jewelry, so I thought I'd share a few of them with you here.  Maybe you'll discover something new!  These are in no particular order.

1.  STRINGING:  First of all, we have stringing.  This is basically just stringing the beads on beading wire or cord.  Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs does a great job of this.  Here is one of my favorites.  It's not so obvious here, but when you look at the whole necklace, it reminds me of our California Banded King Snake named Ringo!  Stringing is usually the first thing a jewelry designer learns to do.  Although, some people are more talented at it than others, and Catherine is certainly one of them.

Wire-wrapped Nautilus Pendant in Copper, Wagoner Wire Works

2. WIRE-WRAPPING:  Wire wrapping involves making things out of wire.  It could be as simple as connecting two beads together, putting a little accent on something, or making a bail to attach a pendant.  Then there's the advanced version, and this copper wire wrapped pendant by Wagoner Wire Works is definitely a prime example.  I can't imagine the skill and the time involved to make something like this nautilus pendant.  I also love the back lighting in this photo!

Teal and Orange Flower Earrings, Blue Morning Expressions

3.  POLYMER CLAY: This is special clay that when you bake it in the oven it turns into something like plastic.  Crafty people have all kinds of fun with this, including making miniature food, etc. Also it doesn't require a lot of equipment to be able to do it.  A talented polymer clay artist can make very intricate and beautiful designs,  Floral designs are popular, such as these teal and orange floral earrings by Blue Morning Expressions.

Picture Jasper Cuff Bracelet, Lunar Skies

Dragonfly Necklace, Rio Rheba Boutiques

 4. METALSMITHING - This is the traditional sawing, forging, soldering that most of us jewelry makers aspire to do.   Quentin of Lunar Skies certainly has it down pat.  In this bracelet we see all of those skills put to work and more.  He even cuts his own stones!  I am a big fan!  Since the jasper looks like a mountain landscape, he continued the mountain design onto the cuff itself.  The sky on the cuff has been textured and a patina added to make the mountains stand out.








5. RESIN:  Resin jewelry has become very popular lately.  It's easy to make and doesn't require a lot of equipment or special skill.  People who make this type of jewelry frequently purchase a bezel to use, although some make their own.  You can cut out a photograph, text or patterned image for a background then pour the resin on top.  This necklace by Rio Rheba Boutiques looks like she has two images, the dragonfly on top of a newspaper clipping.  If your bezel is thick enough you can add rhinestones, small flowers or other 3D objects under the resin.  It can also add color to jewelry when depressions in the metal are filled with colored resin.

Lampwork Glass Bead Earrings, Crystal Bazaar

6. LAMPWORK:  Making lampwork glass beads does not require a lot of equipment, but it does require skill.  You have to be able to put that hot glass in just the right spot to get the desired result.  At left is a pair of lampwork bead earrings by Sally of Crystal Bazaar.  The blue dots in these beads were drops of molten glass, as were the white dots underneath those.  To get them all about the same size and place them exactly where they need to be, and then to get them round and smooth, takes some talent in my opinion.

Multi Color Swirl Woven Cuff, Irish Expressions

7. WEAVING:  Weaving involves making something on a loom.  This involves two different sets of threads going perpendicular to each other, warp and weft.  When thinking of weaving, if you're like me, you think of people weaving big rugs on big wooden looms with a shuttle that goes back and forth.  That's not always the case.  When I was a child, I was taught to do seed beading.  My loom was a cardboard box with little slits in each end to hold the thread!  Most woven jewelry is made with seed beads, and you can make the most awesome, intricate designs.  Here is a colorful woven cuff by Irish Expressions.

Antique Yemeni Chain Mail Bracelet, Crafts of the Past

Reflection of Tree in Pond Pendant, Meant 2B Cherished

Enameled Leaf Pendant by Iron Mountain Jewelry

8. CHAIN MAIL - Chain mail (sometimes called chain maille) jewelry is made by attaching lots of jump rings together tightly in a pattern.  This can be fairly simple, as in a pair of earrings, or very complicated, for example if you are trying to make a ring in a certain size.  I came across this antique chain mail bracelet at Crafts of the Past.  This pattern is so tight, I'm guessing the person who made it may have pulled it through a draw plate to make it smaller and tighter.

Turquoise and Beaded Earrings by Bijoir Designs

9. FUSED GLASS: The difference between fused and lampwork is you need a kiln to make fused glass.  Compatible glass, usually in sheet form, is stacked on the shelf and then melted.  This is why it usually has a flat bottom.  Metallic looking dichroic glass is very popular with fusers, as are enamel or gold fuse on decals, like the tree on this beautiful wire wrapped pendant by Maureen of Meant 2B Cherished.











10. ENAMELING:  Enamel is actually powdered glass that is fused? onto a base layer of metal.  This is usually done with a kiln, but can also be done with a torch!  There are many different enameling techniques, most of them with French names.  My favorites are cloisonne and plique-a-jour.  I'm not sure what enamel technique this is, other than maybe what is called "painted enamel".  The round green bead is actually a lampwork bead, but the green on the leaf is the enamel.  This copper and brass pendant is made by Iron Mountain Jewelry.












11.  BEADING:  Native Americans are known for this type of jewelry.  I think often the beads are stitched onto a supporting piece of fabric or leather, but they don't have to be.  I have seen some unbelievable beaded creations at the Bead and Button show.  Here is a pair of beaded turquoise earrings by one of our newer members, Bijour Designs.

Textured Reverse of Desert Rain Pendant, Shanghai Tai

12. METAL CLAY:  A a relatively new medium on the jewelry scene, this clay is made from microscopic bits of metal mixed with an organic binder.  You can shape it like clay, then fire it in the kiln and all the organic material burns away.  Only the metal is left.  It is wonderful for putting textures in metal.  This is actually the back of a pendant by Roxanne of Shanghai Tai.  This one is fine silver, but it also comes in gold, copper, bronze and even steel!








So, I'm not saying these are the only methods, or the best methods, they are just twelve that popped into my head.  (So don't send me angry emails!)   Thank you to all the artists of the Jewelry Creators Unite in Numbers (JCUIN) guild for providing the jewelry photos!

Hidden Treasures Redux

Websters defines "redux" as "brought back".  It originates from the Latin word "reducere", meaning "lead back".  So I think the name is appropriate here.  A while back it I did a Hidden Treasures collection and blog post.  The pieces chosen were a hit, so much so that you can no longer see the collection on Artfire because too many of the pieces sold.  So I hope that will be the case for this sequel.

So, without further ado, let me lead you back through the Jewelry Creators Unite In Numbers (JCUIN) guild to find some new Hidden Treasures:  (Click on the pictures for more info on each item.)

Sun Earrings, by Pretty Gonzo

You know, I don't remember when it was, but I have loved these earrings since the day I first saw them.  I think because they remind me of New Mexico (and vacation).  It's obviously the sun motif  silver focal beads and the desert colors in the African sand-cast resin beads on either side of the suns.  The blue suede fringe is perfectly matched.  These earrings are made by Mary of Pretty Gonzo.  I really think earrings are her thing.  Sometimes I can just see a picture of earrings and I know that she made them.  That means she has found her style, something I certainly still aspire to do.

Labradorite Crescent Moon Pendant by Jewelry Art by Dawn

This crescent moon shaped pendant is certainly a treasure that was hidden until I recently stumbled upon it.  A very creative design, with one copper wire circle inside another to create a moon in a circle.  Then the moon is filled in with tiny Labradorite beads delicately wire wrapped inside the crescent.  The finishing touch is a faceted Citrine briolette dangling from the bottom of the moon.  It's like a miniature work of art brought to you by Dawn, of Jewelry Art By Dawn.  By the way, she also paints!

Embossed Brass Leaf Pendant by Iron Mountain Jewelry

This pendant by Iron Mountain Jewelry is awesome.  I thought the shape of it was just random until I read the title and realized it is actually in the shape of a leaf.  I also thought at first that it was made from metal clay because of the texture on it.  Turns out its actually embossed.  I would sure like to know more about the process; I'm wondering if it's done with a rolling mill.  (Maybe that's not embossed, I don't know.)  Anyway, it's a treasure in my book!

Bronze Fold Form Forged Bracelet by Jan E O Jewelry

Here's a hidden gem!  This is a fold-formed bracelet in brass by Jan E O Jewelry.  I can appreciate this because I have taken a class in fold-forming and made some earrings.  I love the rustic look and the detailed texture that you see in some of the sections of the bracelet.  I also think it has a really great flame patina!

Sonoran Sunrise and Sterling Silver Earrings by Lunar Skies

These Sonoran Sunrise and sterling earrings by Lunar Skies are exquisite.  I think I picked these because of the gorgeous colors, because I just as easily could have picked anything in his studio.  They are all treasures!  I am not familiar with the stone called sonora sunrise, but apparently it is a combination of three different stones (from top to bottom): cuprite, tenorite, and chrysocolla.  Also I should tell you that the artist cuts his own stones.  (I know where I'm going to go shopping for cabs after I get better at soldering!)

Cerulean Wave by Shanghai Tai

OK, last but not least, I get to do a bit of self promotion.  This is Cerulean Wave, the redux version.  It is made of metal clay and blue dichroic glass.  I make many pendants, and don't always make them into necklaces.  I had photographed and listed this pendant on a blue cord that, while matching the dark blue in the dichroic glass, didn't do the pendant justice.  So I have added this gorgeous sterling silver chain.  It's wave pattern goes perfectly with the wave pattern in the bezel of the pendant.  People say sequels aren't as good, but the redux is better.






I hope you enjoyed this virtual treasure hunt back through the JCUIN guild!  Oh, if you'd like to see the Artfire Collection, you can find it here:

Hidden Treasures Redux

Wrap It Up!

This month for my Jewelry Creators Unite In Numbers (JCUIN) guild collection, the theme was Wrap It Up.  It featured wire-wrapped jewelry from JCUIN members.  There are so many talented wire wrap artists, I thought I would share a few more pieces here that weren't in the collection.

At the right is Copper and Blue Lace Glass Barrette by Wagoner Wire Works.  I think a wire-wrapped barette is fairly unusual.  This is a great color combination.  The blue beads are made of glass, but are supposed to look like blue lace agate.   They sure fooled me, because in the picture I was sure that it was blue lace agate.  Click here to sree other pieces by Wagoner Wire Works













At left is a wire-wrapped gemstone ring by Pink Sunset Jewelry Designs.  Tammi has used a red howlite bead and silver plated wire to make this eye catching ring.  The ring shown here is a size 7 1/4, but if that's not your size, she can custom make one for you in the size you need.  To see more of Tammi's work at Pink Sunset Jewelry, click here.

These wire wrapped earrings shown on the right were made by Sally of Crystal Bazaar.  These earrings are also a unique design.  She has wrapped bronze colored Swarovski pearls with fine silver wire to make elegant stud earrings.  (Fine silver is .999 silver, which is a higher silver content than sterling, which is .925 silver.)  To see more designs by Crystal Bazaar, click here.







At left is a wire wrapped pendant by Dianes Dangles.  When it comes to wire-wrapping, I think pendants are the most popular thing to do.  Maybe because it's such a creative way to capture a stone or cabochon that doesn't have a hole drilled through it.  In this case Diane has wrapped a citrine nugget with brass wire for a very elegant look.  Click here to see more from Diane's Dangles.





Here is a pair of very unusual earrings by Catherine's     Jewelry.  Although it's not normally what we think of when we think of wire-wrapped jewelry. they are made ot of wire.  They have open loops instead of closed loops.  They are so unique I thought they deserved to be included here.  Catherine has made these of gold-colored copper wire with lapis lazuli dangles.  These may have been inspired by The Vampire Diaries TV show because she has sent them to the show for possible use in the show.  To see  more designs from Catherine's Jewelry, click here.







Here is some wire-wrapping that is probably a little more traditional.  This is a wire wrapped necklace (or belt) by Roxanne (me) of Shanghai Tai.  It is 54" long and made of faceted glass beads and Swarovski crystals in various sea tones wrapped with sterling silver wire.  To see more of Shanghai Tai's designs, click here.

I hope you enjoyed this little foray into wire-wrapped jewelry.  Maybe it will inspire you to keep your eyes open for some new and unusual wire-wrapped pieces.  If you would like to see the Wrap It Up collection, you can find it here:

Wrap It Up collection on Artfire