Tuesday Morning Tutorial and Invitation~ May 21, 2013

Good morning!

I’m so excited that Love My Art Jewelry just posted the invitation to their 3rd Boot Camp.

 

I’ve participated in their first two and had a fantastic time of learning and fun.

This one is all about wire work!

If you have never tried this before or even if you are a veteran at working with wire,

do go check it out.

This group of artisans provide inspiration, tutorials and encouragement

to stretch your jewelry making repetoire by adding some new skills

or looking at new ways to apply ones you may have already  mastered.

 Their first post also includes a tutorial on the traditional method of rustic wire wrapped briolettes.

I have posted before my struggles with neatly wire wrapping these types of stones and beads,

so I’m going to post a little tutorial here with an alternative way to do this

that I have found suits me better.

 This is NOT my discovery…but in searching for some help, I came across someone else’s tutorial.

Sadly I don’t know whose, but will continue to search out the original and amend this post.

If you know who might have posted this first, I’d be grateful for a name.

 I am indebted to this creative soul for helping me get more comfortable with wrapping up brios,

because they are beautiful additions to jewelry when done well.

That said, this style of rustic wraps is a favorite of mine for two reasons…

First, they don’t have to be perfect!  In fact, imperfect if perfectly wonderful!

Secondly, I absolutely love the effect of oxidizing both copper and sterling wire

with all the interesting nooks and crannies in the wrapping.

This is only my second photo tutorial, so thanks for bearing with me.

For this tutorial, I used an inexpensive faceted glass briolette and 22 gauge copper wire.

Supplies and tools needed:

large briolette

dead soft wire that comfortable fits through the brio holes

nippers

    round nose pliers

   chain nose pliers

Step One:  Cut an 18 inch piece of wire and make a wrapped loop on one end with only two wire wraps.

(note:  If you are making earrings, I’d highly recommend doing them at the same time,step by step.

I’ve found that I have better luck achieving more similarity in the pair of briolettes when I do this.

Actually, this is great advise when making anything in pairs or multiples.)

Step Two: Insert the wire into the briolette and

bend the loop to sit just above the very top of the brio.

Step Three:  With your fingers or pliers bend the loop to ‘sit’ upright on the top of the brio.

Step Four:  Bend the wire end up to cross the wrapped loop.

(note: you could finish the wrap up here and have a simple wire wrapped briolette)

Step Five:  Begin wire wrapping down the brio and stop when the wire covers the side holes.

These wraps do not need to be perfect, but serve as an under layer, covering the brio.

Step Six:  Now, the fun part! Begin loosely wrapping the wire back up the brio,

criss-crossing a few is great. Finish with a tight wrapping up under the top loop.

Step Seven:  Oxidizing with Liver of Sulphur or some other agent is optional,

but I promise you that it will give an amazing finish to this style of wire wrapped bead.

These are the finished pair of earrings with a dark oxidized finish on the copper wire.

If any of you decide to give this tut a try, I’d love to have some feedback…

was it helpful or not, too much or too little info, something needs more clarity???

 Or anything else you’d like to tell me, I’d be ever so grateful!

Again, I’d love it if you all hopped on over to the Love My Art Jewelry blog

and checked out their post on this great opportunity to learn more about the art of wire work!

They will be posting some great lessons and techniques over the next month or so.

More Signs of Spring May 2, 2013

Mama Hummer’s perseverance has finally paid off!

 We’re pretty sure there are two babies in the nest,

but didn’t want to disturb the nesting site trying to get a better look inside.

It’s much more roomy inside the nest than it appears.

The opening has a visibly smaller diameter.

Fuzzy little heads were tucked down close to the body.

 Must be nap time.

  For a better peek, click the photos to enlarge.

Another spring day project…

making more earrings for the Tin Botanical collection.

These are from Brighton jewelry box tins.

Fun and a bit flirty.

Last is a class update…

we’re back to some bezel work, which is fantastic.

Making one ring certainly does not make me proficient at this.

 This time, it’s all earrings.

For this project, I chose two smallish turquoise cabochons

and a fine silver scallop edged bezel strip.

I decided to keep the stone setting simple and forgo adding any trim strip.

However, I’m not a big fan of post earrings myself,

so I began thinking about how to add a piece to the top of the bezel

so they could hang from an ear wire.   Hmmn…just solder on a jump ring??

 After doodling a few wire designs on a post it note

and checking with Pam about the ‘do-ability’ of my plan,

I settled on a simple spiral wire design to solder to the top of each bezel.

Gonna give it my best shot next class.

Stay tuned…

Copper Works April 17, 2013

This post will be mostly photos.

The textured copper post earrings were made in jewelry class last night and are not quite finished.

My first time attempting to attach sterling silver wire posts…a bit tricky for me.

I included a shot of an earring where the post “popped” off in the pickle solution,

which means that it really wasn’t a good soldering job.  GRRR… Try again.

 I’m also going to try and give the left earring a bit more texture to match the right one a little better.

Pam had purchased some really cool texturing hammers for us to use.

Then, into the tumbler for a good polishing.

Also thinking about adding some aquamarine nugget dangles.  Not sure…what do you think??

Last is a bracelet with a toggle clasp I made from a piece of copper sheet.

Added some of those pale green aquamarine nuggets.

Pam showed us a little different method of soldering on a post from Rio Grande.

See the tiny sterling jump ring?

You put the solder piece into the middle of the jump ring.

Then when they start to ‘liquify’ you quickly stick the end of the post wire into the puddle

and take the flame away and let the solder cool.

Nifty when it works! And a very strong earring post.

Copper and Aquamarine Bracelet just listed in my Etsy shop today…

Returning to Class April 10, 2013

I had so much fun in the last session of Adult School that I signed up again.

This time it’s all earrings…my favorite things to make.

And learning all sorts skills and techniques…some review and some new.

Last night, oh my!

 I have to say that there are only a few jewelry making areas that I swore I’d never get into.

Polymer clay, chain maille, and seed beading.

Well, last year I tried poly clay and loved it for certain things I was making.

Granted, I’m only doing some basic cookie cutter and paint kinds of beads.

Last night in class, Pam presented us with trays of sterling jump rings in four different sizes

and told us to grab some baggies and start counting out some.

My gut started churning…oh, no, Chain Maille, I thought.

Do I even have the eye sight, let alone patience for this??

The earrings we were going to tackle used the tapered Byzantine weave.

Or as some call it, Idiot’s Delight.  I’d buy the idiot’s part.

Supplies:  sterling open jump rings

24    22 g. (0.6mm)

24    20 g.  (0.8mm)

24     18 g. (1.0mm)

4       16 g.  (1.3mm)

This is where my appreciation for Pam as a teacher soared even higher…

she was so patient, calm, and encouraging with all of us.

Bringing our little messes to her to correct.

Then sending us back to work with an “atta girl”.

While I readily admit that these earrings have interesting detail in the weave

and a wonderfully fluid movement, this is a ONE OF A KIND for me!

Glad I gave it a try, but don’t need to do that again.  I’ll leave it to the experts.

Speaking of which…David Plumlee.

If you’d like to see some fabulous chain maille, he’s one of the best around…

visit David Chain Jewelry .

Close to My Heart March 30, 2013

Jewelry making is certainly a passion of mine.

But not the only one.

I’ve been a supporter and volunteer with Amor Ministries for a long time.

We’ve been on many house builds in some of the poorest neighborhoods of Tijuana

and once at the San Carlos Apache Reservation near Globe, Arizona.

This faith-based non-profit has been working to provide housing for the neediest families for over 25 years.

Next week, my husband and I will be part of a team of adults and youth that will build a house in four days

for the Cardenas Faria family, a husband, wife, and their four children.

The father works as a mason’s assistant and makes $83 a week.

They currently live in a one room house made out of used lumber,

bad roof, no electricity, no drinkable water, no propane…

Amor also has a Clean Water for Life program.

For $100,  the family can receive a water purification system that will provide them

with 1,000,000 gallons of clean water. That’s enough for their family for life!

 I created a line of jewelry a while back to support the purchase of this amazing gift to the families.

Pure Water Designs

I chose the small opalite briolette drops for these designs

because they look so much like perfectly pure water droplets.

And now, with my new easy shop, it’s available for purchase to a wider audience.

100 percent of the profit goes to this water purification program.

These pieces are currently available in my Etsy Shop.

If you’d like to buy a little jewelry and support this venture,

I will be meeting a family soon who would be very grateful for this gift of clean water.

Tomorrow, Christians around the world join together with joyous shouts…

He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!

Wishing you all a joyous Easter,

Lynda

Join Me at Boot Camp! March 19, 2013

Love My Art Jewelry just opened up their latest boot camp just for us!

This time it’s all about hand texturing metals.

And they even provide weekly tutorials or videos to give you encouragement,

skills, and ideas.

The blog tour for this challenge is on April 8th,

so there’s still plenty of time to go raid your tool box, garage and junk drawers

for fun things to use to texture metals and create some jewelry.

Click here for more details. I really hope some of you will come join the fun.

Even if you decide not to take part in the blog tour,

I bet you’ll definitely learn some new techniques and skills with this one.

So I did go scavenging in the garage and found some good possibilities.

 And in the first week’s video, Barbara suggested trying bits of steel wire

bent into interesting shapes to use.

You can see that I smashed the heck out of the steel wire on this copper disc.

 I thought the results of my experiments with these tools was okay

and decided to continue with a domed pendant idea.

I also soldered on three small sterling silver balls that I made out of my scrap bits.

 Oxidized and scrubbed the piece, then into the tumbler for 3 hours.

Here’s the finished necklace. I must admit that I never, ever thought

I’d be making this type of jewelry.

But this semester’s experiences in sheet metal and soldering

have given both the skills and confidence to give it a go at home.

Also tried just using the chisel to dent the edges of these sterling hoops I made.

 And another excuse to solder on more of those sterling balls.

I was just awe-struck watching the sterling wire bits glow

and turn liquid and just ball up.     Magic!

Hugs and Kisses earrings from letter stamps

Copper Rain earrings…textured with the claw end of a hammer.

So, what do you think?  Want to come and play?

The earrings are listed in my Etsy Shop.

 

Going to the Source March 13, 2013

Last night was Week Eight of class. One more to go in this session.

I was doing some thinking about what I most enjoyed, learned, explored…

Sheet metals.

Aluminum, copper, some sterling silver and sterling plated.

Then it occurred to me that over the past year, I have enjoyed and challenged myself

to go to the source materials in making jewelry.

By that I mean to make more and more of my own findings and components,

 instead of buying from others.

Ear wires, head pins, jump rings, clasps, metal components and some polymer beads.

 To make from scratch as much of the piece of jewelry as I can

or have the time and energy to do.

Not always, but working toward starting with “the raw”.

 This has meant some “not so interesting” time spent in factory mode…

longish sessions making those head pins, ear wires,

and clasps to have a supply on hand, ready to go.

But in the end, very satisfying to use in the work.

So on to what I’ve made from copper and tin sheet metal this week.

 

These copper cuffs and discs are going to be used for experimentation work

in the newest Love My Art Jewelry Boot Camp…hand texturing metal!

If you want to play along or just see what it’s about,

I encourage you to check out their post.

These grungy looking copper blanks are annealed for softness

in order to get better texturing.

Absolutely love using the disc cutter in class.

And Pam brought out a large set of decorative metal punches for stamping

that I barely had time to try out.

I definitely need lots more practice on this.

And ta-dah!  My new workbench!

Woodworking by my hubby with painting by me.

I’m spending a delightful time this morning organizing the pegboard

to hold some of my tools and gadgets.

What are you working on this week?  I’d love to hear!

Chain Gang March 10, 2013

In reorganizing my supplies, I came across a baggie of sterling silver chain

I’d purchased awhile ago.

Some very fine ball chain that I thought was so pretty and delicate…

but I became concerned that it might be so fine that breakage would be a problem.

And some link chain…the links are so tiny that most wire didn’t fit through.

Hmmm…what to do with it?

With matte sterling balls

With prehnite coins

With faceted raspberry dyed jade

With sterling charms

With peach coin pearls

Dishing It Up! March 4, 2013

Remember those copper blanks I punched out in class last week…

here’s a few pair of earrings that have my new favorite shape.

 I think of them as hammered, convex little serving dishes for special beads or stones.

First, I textured them all over with the round end of a ball peen hammer

on the steel bench block.

Punched a hole for the ear wire.

The back of the hole can be very rough and scratchy,

so this is the time to file the edges smooth.

Next step is to dome the piece.

I used an inexpensive wood dapping block (50% off Michael’s coupon!)

Wood was recommended so as not to lose too much of the texture.

Next I chose to finish them with three different patina finishes. 

First one was oxidized, then scrubbed with fine steel wool.

This pair was oxidized with LOS too,

but I loved the steely gray and just shined it up.

And of course, just had to give one pair the flame.

I definitely need to give another shout out to the amazing Bo Hulley Beads…

used up the last of the stash I won awhile ago from Teresa.

Gotta get some more of these…so colorful and fun to design with.

Longish post today, but I just have to show something I’m so excited about…

my new workbench!  Well, it will be very soon.

My dear husband is out in the garage right now building

the framed pegboard for my tool rack .

His dad built this workbench eons ago

and we’ve had it for probably 20 years in our garage…

well used and an ugly blue. I painted it a delicious chocolate-brown.

It’s also getting a new top (a large left over piece of our Corian kitchen counter).

Zowie!

Copper Kick February 23, 2013

Sometimes I find myself honed in on something…

could be a technique, a color palette, or a material to work with.

I seem to return again and again to copper.

I know I’ve written many posts about its joys…

malleability, affordability (actually cheap or FREE), and beauty in the variety of patinas.

Plus so many colors look fabulous  paired with copper.

Here’s the finished bracelet from the 1/4 inch copper tubing

I put through the rolling mill a couple of weeks ago.

Decided to wrap on a trio of raw amethysts and finish it off as a bangle.

And the copper heart…into this sweet necklace.

Cut some copper sheet into simple rectangles

and gave them the same texturing and heat patina.

 

 

Remember the cool s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d copper washers?

Again a simple finish to showcase the copper”s beauty.

 

 

Finally, a pair of pretty oxidized leaf earrings with deep teal glass drops.

Do you have anything you keep returning to?

What is it that keeps drawing you back?