YOJ 2012 - Week 7 Pottery from the past

To buy this, go to:

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/fleurviolettejewelry/4386346

To buy this, go to:

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/fleurviolettejewelry/4386346

I made this using the new wire my new friend Nicole Hanna told me about (her blog link is in my blogroll). It is copper wire, painted with antique bronze, and then enameled. I LOVE how this wire looks. It is a lot harder to make this kind of pottery with it because it is not as soft as pure fine silver wire. But I sure do love its looks, and the price doesn't hurt either :-).

This piece is based on the earthenware pots we used to have when I was a child, growing up in India. We stored water in them to keep water cool. We called this kind of a pot "Surahi".

I couldn't find any ready made chains in this finish/material. I was trying to find those to keep the price of the piece down. As it is, this type of weaving and shaping with this wire took a long time and plenty of blisters, I didn't want to add more to the labor cost by hand making the chain as well. However, I found no chain that looked just like this wire, so I created my own with 24 gauge wire of the same kind, and cream colored fresh water pearls. I have kept the chain long because this kind of a pendant does not look nice on a short chain. I have not really measured the chain, but the pendant falls around the heart or just below. The chain is so long it does not need a clasp, so instead of a clasp, I added a BIG white fresh water pearl, and made a scroll on it with the wire I am so in love with.

So...what you think?

I have been wanting to learn pottery for ages now. But no time for that. So I will use wire to do my own pottery :-).

Oh...and the last 2 pictures...that was just something I was playing with in Photobucket edit mode after seeing Nicole's black and white picture with color splash :-D.

In case you are wondering where I got this lovely wire from, I got it from Etsy...this store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/UnkamenSupplies?ref=top_trail  The owner Ralph is a really nice and friendly person. Very helpful too! :-).

Turning over a new leaf in 2012

I haven't been making jewelry for the longest time. And when I would try to, I would end up leaving projects incomplete. I have a whole graveyard full of stuff that need to be completed. So I decided to turn over a new leaf this year...and decided to get back to making jewelry again, and completing all my past projects. So I joined YOJ to motivate me. I had made this leaf with PMC, and then did nothing with it. It was made from a leaf from a tree just outside my home. So I fished out the leaf, and added a Ruby brio, and several Peridots to it. Added a chain, and made a clasp for my first piece for YOJ 2012.

Click on the picture to see it enlarged and clearer.

Carnelian, Garnet, Pearls, Citrine, Sterling silver necklace

Note: To see enlarged photos, click on the pictures.

I had started this necklace long back. Months back. Then I stopped mid way. I had some health issues at first because of which I couldn't do any jewelry work. And after that followed a long "blah" period when I felt totally uninspired, and didn't want to do anything. I thought I wouldn't make jewelry ever again. But the last Emerald piece..the story...everything brought the passion back, and I completed this too.

The main stone in the pendant is a delicious Carnelian. The two small yellow beads under it are top class Citrines. And the briolette hanging underneath is a beautiful Garnet. The stones have been brought together as a pendant by means of weaving and sculpting sterling silver wires.

I have made the chain with sterling silver wire and fresh water pearls. The clasp is hand made too. There is a chain extension added to the chain, so that the necklace can be between 16" and 20".

To gauge the approximate size of the pendant and the stones, see the picture of the pendant on my hand.

Bio Lemon drops necklace, earrings

These Bio-Lemon briolettes are simply GORGEOUS! I am unable to photograph them well. But they are really really LOVELY! The colors of those drops is a beautiful golden brown...kind of hard to describe. They are beautifully translucent, with awesome deeper brown line patterns inside. But in the photograph they're looking like dark brown opaque blobs! LOL! I will have to try and photograph them better. The wire is fine silver and sterling silver. The set is embellished with a sprinkle of fresh water pearls. The knot on the top of the pendant is called a "Danish Knot". Love this knot! :-) To see more detail, click on the pictures to see them enlarged.

Back to simplicity

To buy these, click here.

These are pink blush faux pearls. The earwires and pendant are made of sterling silver wire.

YOJ Week2: Chunky Blue Sapphire necklace

The pendant is a huge Blue Sapphire, 167 carats, opaque, wrapped in hand woven sterling silver wire. The chain is really long, and made of segments of handmade sterling silver viking knit (single knit), and Sodalite beads and silver Bali beads. The clasp too is handmade with 16 gauge sterling silver wire. To see the picture clearly, click on the picture, and you'll see an enlarged version.

Valentine's Day...romance, love, affection...sweetness: Carnelian Heart Necklace

To buy this, please go to my Etsy Store.

With Christmas and New year gone, I was thinking how there's going to be a long blah period. I totally forgot the sweetness that Valentines Day brings! What does Valentine's Day mean to you? When I was younger, it meant romance. But now as a wife, a mum, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister, a friend, a sister-in-law, aunt...and so many other roles that have become important, Valentines Day means simply Love....sweetness. It is also the day I met my sweet hubby for the first time. Valentines Day is a day for me to wish anyone I love...and there are so many I love. So many that I can't count. I hope it is the same with you.

So for Valentine's Day, I made this sweet necklace. A deep orange Carnelian heart, wrapped in sterling silver wires, following Judy Feskun's tutorial. Pearls too stand for innocence, love and sweetness for me, so I hung this pendant on a simple string of pearls, finished with a hand made sterling silver clasp. The fresh water pearls chain is 17.5" with the clasp.

This got me thinking...love is a great subject. I think for a while I will focus on making pieces on themes of love...on the world's greatest romances, Divine Love, affection, love between different relations. Do you have a great love story to tell me on which I could possibly base a piece? If you do, email me at cobaltblueastrid@yahoo.com.

Peas for Mary

This pendant is made for a wonderful person called Mary. The pea pod is adapted from a tutorial on peapods at http://www.rings-things.com/ (go to the design link, and then to the "sweet pea" tutorial). Or, go to http://www.rings-things.com/gallery/thumbnails-55.html and click on the Sweet Pea tutorial. For some reason I can't get to the direct link. Dave (owner of the Rings-Things store) has graciously given the direct link here in the comments...see if you can get there by clicking it. For some reason I cannot. At any rate, its a great online store for jewelry supplies, tutorials etc. Take a look around over there :-).

I have changed it a little by twisting the shape of the pod instead of keeping it straight, so the pod twists to the left. And I did not making any holes...instead I soldered the wire and made tendrils with it. The sheet is sterling silver and the wire is fine silver.

Ruby necklace

The stone is an opaque Ruby, color enhanced. The pendant is made with sterling silver, and the chain is a single knit Viking knit chain. The clasp and chain extensions are made with sterling silver wire. The necklace has been heavily antiqued.

Jade Necklace

Made with Orange Jade central briolette, fresh water pearls, tiny white and honey Jade beads and sterling silver and fine silver wire.

All cold connections piece

This is a Jasper set in sterling silver...this piece uses only cold connections...no torch has been used. The chain is made with fine silver wire and green fresh water pearls.

Tarun's Cradle

This necklace is made for a new mum, who is absolutely in love with her baby. The sentiment behind this necklace is, "I will always cradle you within my heart, my child, my love, my Tarun". Tarun is the name of the baby. The pendant is a cradle, made of sterling silver and fine silver. There is a hand made fine silver heart inside the cradle with Tarun's name written on it. Also attached to the heart is a green fresh water pearl. Four Turquoise beads hang from the cradle. The chain is a sterling silver rolo chain. The clasp is handmade too with sterling silver, fine silver and a fresh water pearl. :-)

Click on a picture to see an enlarged photo.

YOJ 2008 week #4: Blustery

This piece is based on a blustery night that is well known by most people. The night Jesus calmed the raging storms and the sea and the gusty winds to stop the boat and the apostles from drowning. The silver wire fish symbolizes Jesus, there is a boat within, and winds and the sea storm are depicted by the swirly silver wire and Aquamarine beads, Peridot beads, and tiny fresh water pearls. A 10mm pearl depicts the moon. The chain & clasp are hand made too with silver wire and Amazonite beads.

Jade set

This is a Jade heart pendant, Yellow Turquoise beads and gold-filled wire necklace. I learnt this style of wrapping a heart from Judy of http://stix-n-stones.ca/. This is the second one I made in this style. I like it, but it hasn't yet turned out as lovely as hers does. But I am happy with it.The first one was the coral heart I did below.

I am also happy with how the chain links turned out. And I love the way they sound -- ching ching ching! LOL! Feels great to wear this set. I feel gooooood and quite divinely royal when I wear it!
:-)))))))))))))

And here are the matching earrings....again...feels great to wear them. The beads are Yellow Turquoise.

A fine silver Viking Knit necklace

I love making these, and still have to finish a thicker fine silver chain and a gold-filled filled chain with end cones and clasps. I love how this turned out, and I love how my clasps are getting better and better! :-) Great to wear by itself or wear it with a fine silver pendant.

The Egyptian Coil necklace

I made this one in Copper, and this is the first piece I have ever used Liver of Sulphur on...the first piece I have antiqued. And I must say I like it! I can see that the coils need more practice, and the clasp needs to be redone.

Another set for mum

This was the second set I made. Made of some beads I bought from Michaels and fresh water pearls, gold-filled wire and vermiel spacers.