Showing posts with label rings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rings. Show all posts

Friday, February 7, 2014

Wire it Up!

After completing some custom strung necklaces, I decided to start practicing my wire wrapping again.  First, I made several ring samples for an upcoming class - simple, fun, fast, easy.  Perfect way to get back into wire!

Wire and Bead Rings

Next I tried combining different metals and materials in this bracelet - chain, filigree, and a bead.  I wanted to add more beads originally (so there would have been more wire wrapping), but it looks complete to me as is!  Instead of forcing the design, I decided to move on to something else....

Bracelet - dyed howlite bead, brass filigree, chain.

Now that I was all warmed up, I moved onto more difficult wire wrapping - binding.  I love the look of square wire, but it can be frustrating to work with!  Getting all the twists out is especially difficult and time consuming - and very necessary for a clean, finished piece!

The above bracelet design is simpler and more clean-lined than most of my work - it was a practice piece from the following book, Wire Wrapping
The authors of Wire Wrapping suggest stacking their bracelets, and I have to agree that they look good like this!  They also make working with square wire seem easy....

My latest piece was a large mystery stone pendant.  I've wrapped pendants before, but it had been a little while.  This is probably my best piece to date - practice makes almost perfect!  The stone is highly polished and has a wood grain pattern to it - more like rings than lines.  It has a lovely moonstone/tiger's eye sheen to it in dark purples and deep greens, reminding me of a peacock eye feather.  It was given to me years ago, unlabeled, so I had no idea what it was.  It has since been identified as rainbow obsidian!

Mystery "Peacock" Pendant - Large Stone (3")
Happy Creating,
PZ

Friday, January 17, 2014

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