Rolling Mill Pendants and Handmade Neckwires

My posts have dropped to about once a month - I've been busy adding tools, techniques, and new designs to my shop and my local artists' studio.  One tool I've been playing with again is my rolling mill - I still love this alternative to etching that is chemical and waste free!  Plus, it's more versatile too.

Copper pendant - patterned in a rolling mill and "painted" with fire.

Here are a pair of pendants that I created with the rolling mill - another cool thing about the mill is that when you make a metal sandwich to impress your pattern, you get two imprints at the same time!  I chose to use sterling silver and copper so the pendants are similar but different. 

Silver pendant - patterned with a rolling mill and hammer; painted with LOS.

I added additional texture to the silver pendant in the form of dots along the petals.  Both the copper and the silver pendant have been patinaed for create the variation of color on their surfaces.  Next, I made neckwires for both.

Completed necklace with handmade neckwire.

For the copper one, I flattened one side of the copper with the rolling mill and then hand twisted the wire.  For the silver one, I twisted gold-filled and sterling silver together and then finished it off with a handmade chain and clasp.

Completed necklace with handmade neckwire with chain.

Until next time!
Hannah

A Silvery Summer

I continue to be busy and love every minute of it!  Here are a few more pendants I've crafted recently - I've also picked up a several more cabochons that I can't wait to set including more amazonite and lapis!

Chrysocolla, azurite, and sphalerite cabochon.

Dark green jasper and sterling silver beads.

Two-sided honey onyx pendant with sterling silver and gold-filled wire.

Amazonite cabochon in sterling silver with dragonfly cutout.

Thanks for looking!
~SSS

Local Boutique Items!

I'm so excited - I will have a few of my pendants on display in a local boutique called The Collective by June 1st!  The shop is for locally made artisan crafts only, and your work is juried to get in - I got in! 

I've been busy getting more equipment for my studio (a kiln!), filling custom bookmark orders, designing displays, and getting packaging and tags ready for the store, so I haven't made a lot of jewelry lately, but here are a couple pieces that I finished last week:

Mariposite set in sterling silver and yellow gold-filled wire.

Petrified wood set in sterling silver and rose gold-filled wire.

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Creating,
SSS

Remaking a Design

Today I'm showing some designs I restrung for my sister.  What I should have done was take before and after photos, but I didn't....

The first one features a dragon pendant, and another little dragon charm at the end of the chain!  It was on waxed cotton cord with a few red and green wooden beads.  My sister wanted something more sophisticated to wear, but still fun!  I chose to string it with gemstone nuggets, crystals, and seed bead spacers.

Dragon Pendant - redesigned and restrung with gemstones and crystals.

The next piece is a multi-strand necklace.  Originally it was all teal and green, about 10-12 strands of seed beads and chunky glass beads strung randomly and all twisted together.  There wasn't really anything wrong with the design, but some of the beads were loosing color (cheaply painted beads) and it was too bulky for my sister's taste. 

Multi-strand Necklace - redesigned and restrung with a removable pendant.

So I remade it with only 5 strands, and a couple of those are very light.  I reused the salvageable seed beads and some of the smaller glass beads, and added bugle beads and gold beads.  My sister also had a pin she wanted me to do something with, and I thought it would work perfectly with the necklace as a removable pendant! 

She loves both designs, so my work here is done!  Until she give me more jewelry to remake - or until I redo some of my old designs!  Don't be afraid to remake a piece - practice brings you closer to perfection!


Happy Creating,
PZ

Custom Pieces - Designed for You!

While I love making jewelry that I've designed just because I can, I REALLY love making special pieces for a person, whether I know them personally (family and friends) or not (customers)!  I love custom requests - to use a certain type of bead or gemstone, color combo, style, technique..... The challenge is grand and the added stress is worth it because the satisfaction of a happy customer is priceless.

Custom Sky Blue Topaz and Sterling Silver Ring

I had a couple custom requests at the end of last year and this ring is one that I'm truly proud of - I took an older simpler spiral design and made it unique while keeping the same feel to the piece.  It's made from sterling silver wire and sky blue topaz.  The customer seems very happy, too!

Gabrielle's Neutral featuring gemstone focal and faceted gemstone accents.

My sister and I often shop for beads together over the holidays, or really whenever I'm in her neighborhood.  We both pick out beads, and then I take them all home!  She was wanting some longer necklaces in neutral colors, and this is one of them that I've completed (2nd design of the New Year!).

Gabrielle's Turquoise featuring dyed druzy beads with pink accent  and a simple beaded chain.

She is a bright, fun person and couldn't be pulled away from some bright turquoise druzy beads - so not all her new necklaces are neutral in color!  This was my first design of 2014, but I really like them both.

And I still have more beads from her so I can happily keep designing for another couple weeks.....

Happy Creating,
PZ