Look at this image!! Yes, indeed, I did make the bracelet. Lots of right angle weave with Swarovski crystals. It's shiny and beautiful. But it's the picture that captures my attention. Frank was inspired by another photographer's work which we saw on the web today, and while I was napping, he was shooting. Amazing work. Thanks, Frank.
I purchased the directions and the pieces for this bracelet from a wonderful wire artist in Florida. I embossed the flat pieces and then domed them. It has been antiqued and is VERY substantial. I am very pleased with it.
Look what my friend Shafer made for me!!!! I screamed out loud when I saw them!! Look how cleverly the polymer clay acorns match the batik print of the project bag!! Look how perfect they are!! Shafer, you are amazing. Thank you so much.
This grouping of bangles is my latest work. The first and third bangles incorporate handmade copper bead caps and lampwork beads. The middle picture shows a bangle with a freeform wirewrapped bead and includes some small glass beads. They have all been antiqued.
I am loving my copper bangles so much, and this one is no exception. It has three beautiful handmade lampwork beads, each set between matching copper bead caps, and surrounded by twisted and coiled copper wire. The beads are from GraceBeads. She has such lovely things there.
Here are my latest two pieces of wirework with copper. I used 12 g raw copper for the underlying structure, and made yards of twisted copper to intersperse the beads. They are quite substantial, feel good worn, and make a soft jingling sound. I have been wearing them together .
This piece is composed of a length of viking knit, done in 26g copper. The spiral ends were wound around a knitting needle the same diameter as the viking knit, and I used 18 g copper for that. It is all finished off with a heavy gauge raw copper wire swan clasp, which has been hand forged. The clasp lies flat on my wrist and it's a fun piece.
For those of you who think I no longer knit, (based on lack of knitted items in my blog lately) here is some proof! It's handspun, from 80% BFL wool and 20% silk, into a fairly good lace weight and then knit in a 2-row lace pattern. I crocheted a simple fringe on each end and inserted a 6/0 seed bead in the center of each scallop. It weighs less than 2 oz. and is just a mass of froth and lightness.
This necklace has a different feel to it, because of all the scrolled links and the asymmetrical piece supporting the acorn. It was Frank's suggestion to make the the central wire figure extend up on one side, and it's a good idea.
I love this third iteration the most. (Of course, I normally 'love' the piece I just finished!) But I do like the design. I have two more large acorns remaining, and I still have some ideas. The entire necklace has been antiqued with liver of sulfer and the leaves are simply showing some interesting reflections in them - they are not colored except for the patina.
This is necklace #2 of my acorn and leaves series. I am so loving this look.
The first acorn and leaf necklace is finished also, and I chose to use only one leaf for that one.
This design pleases me so much!! I'm not sure if I want to use all the copper leaves or not, since I have ordered more lampwork acorns. I guess I'll be busy making a lot more of them soon.
This is the third iteration of this bracelet, intended for my daughter Chloe. The first one was too big, so it went to my older granddaughter Aoife. The second one was too small, so that went to my younger granddaughter Aisling. I hope this one is JUST right. She picked up the shells on the beach in NC.
Here is a pair of interesting pictures.
I have just created a set of white oak leaves from 24 gauge copper, and after tumbling them, they are very shiny. I will patina them afterward but I was curious about how they would photograph because of all the reflection. I used a light box indoors next to a very sunny window for both. The second one is the first picture I shot. I really like it. However, Frank suggested that I place dark brown construction paper on the inside top of the light box to reflect that color back onto the leaves. The first picture is the result of that shot. I find it fascinating. I think if I used a lot of sheets of the brown, all around the light box, it might be even better.
I've just done a 'happy-dance' around the house with this piece!!! I am so proud of myself. It's an amulet composed of a river stone, two copper bead caps, and 12 gauge sterling bail, and a 14 gauge fine silver balled headpin for the rivet. The instructions are from an online class from Beaducation.com, and is one of several classes I have taken from them. They are super nice and the classes are beautifully done.
Now, I have to decide about a chain for it.
It's amazing what liver of sulfur can do to a piece. When I bought these beads, I had a vision in my head of a darkened copper chain highlighting these gorgeous beads, but as I was making it, I was so disappointed in the look. I thought that I needed to add something to it to make it stand out, but after darkening it, I love it, and it is just what I envisioned. The bright copper wire did nothing for these beads. I made the bead caps with my new disc cutter and dapping tools.
I am madly in love with this piece and wear it whenever I can, even with jeans. I chose not to patina it since it would be almost impossible to clean off the oxidation. It will naturally change color over the next few months and that's fine with me. I made a simple chain to contrast with the wildly spiraling pendant.
This mixed metal piece was made following a video class from Beaducation.com, a wonderful site with lots of video classes. They are having a sale this week too, so I purchased the class before 7:00 am this morning, and here is the finished pendant. The cone has been oxidized and I made the balled head pins after following another video class which I took a year ago. I also have some small leaves which are also very cool and will attach those when I make a necklace chain.
So, my sweet friend Louise, knowing of my love for all things acorn, presented me with this beautiful lampworked acorn, and I knew that I had to do something special with it. I had originally planned on some sort of needlewoven band for it, but after playing with some seed beads, I changed my mind and went with wirework. I made a series of wirewrapped bead links, connected with figure-eight links. I LOVE IT!! Thank you Miss Louise.
I've been trying some new techniques and this project has a few for me to practice! First time using liver of sulfur, as well as punching holes and cutting metal. The link components are not hard enough and tend to move out of shape, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I'm thinking I need to texture the metal a little bit more.
I was on a roll with the ruffled peyote beads and had planned on making another freeform netted necklace similar to the previous one. But I decided to string it instead. The original necklace was sent off to my mother for her birthday today. I hope she'll like it!!
Just finished up a summer tank (now that summer is on its way out) and it turned out beautifully! I'm very happy at the fit and workmanship. The yarn is Dale of Norway Svale which I bought in Yorktown, and consists of cotton, rayon, and silk. It is the most splitty yarn I have knit but it worked up very very nicely and the gauge is very firm. Most cotton yarn will stretch and I did not want that to happen, so I used a size 4 needle. The top has not even been blocked yet (I admit it: I have already worn it) but it looks just fine. I took the sweater to the local bead shop, Tada, at York River Yacht Haven, to look for beads for the end of the cord and with the help of the owner's husband, we determined that sea glass, in soft aqua, was ideal. I just happened to have some in my small sea glass stash and drilled holes in the glass and sewed them on. It looks so sweet!
I used twisted bugle beads along with 11/0 seed beads for the peyote base and fringed the glass and freshwater pearl beads on top of it. It closes with a peyote loop and toggle.
The peyote ruffled beads are simply a circle of peyote with several rows of increasing until the bead ruffles. They are paired with etched glass beads on each side of the ruffle. The necklace is freeform netting.
