YOJ 2012 Week 12: Picasso Jasper heart pendant, fine silver

This is a Picasso Jasper heart that I have wire wrapped with fine silver and sterling silver. I have added a small Ruby bead to it. The stone got a bit scratched while wrapping....and I read later that this stone is very delicate and soft, and can get damaged easily. Next time I'll be more careful. It took me a long time to make this, because the stone and the wires were not in any mood to cooperate with each other. However, I do think it turned out nice. After taking pictures I can see that I need to file the wire ends on the curls more...and I'll do that before listing it on my Artfire store.

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! :-).

YOJ 2012 - Week 2 Goldfilled wire and unknown beads bracelet

In carrying on with my "Turning a New Leaf" resolution, and finishing all unfinished projects, I fished this piece out. Someone had given me these beads some 3 or more years ago to make a bracelet for her. I know...shameless of me :-((! But what happened was, I had these beads in my purse. The purse got stolen. Then the purse got recovered. Then I started to lose all interest in everything possible, including jewelry making, and even though I had started this bracelet, I never finished it...just like many other pieces. Now that I have solemnly resolved to hereby complete everything, I dug this out too. I hope the owner of these beads is not too mad at me. Of course I will not charge her a dime for this. But I sure do want her to have this. And I hope she likes it, and receives many blessings. I don't know what these beads are. They look really pretty though. And they are quite light. So this is my YOJ week 2 project.

Puffy Marquis Champagne Quartz, Tourmaline, 14k goldfilled, handmade, wire wrapped earrings

I fell in love with these gorgeous puffy marquis champagne quartz briolettes when I saw them at the Intergem gemshow. Bought myself the whole strand :-). And this is the first thing I have made with these brios. I have them listed at my Artfire store:

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1523378

14k gold filled wire wrapped bangle bracelet

This is the first time I have made a bangle like this. I have made soldered single bangles before. And strung bracelets. But not this kind. I had actually made these for an order, but they ended up being at least 2 sizes larger than required size. So I put them together and wove them...a weaving style I have learned from Iza Malczyk from one of her earring tutorials. My friend, a gifted wire artist, Mary of The Angsty Artist, has made a silver ring like this. I have been wanting to make a similar ring too, but for now, here is a bangle of that style. The wires are 18gauge 14k gold filled, and 26gauge 14k gold filled. Each individual bangle is soldered. And then they are all woven together. Next time I make this, I will not solder them individually. Instead, I will just coil the 18 gauge wire a few times to desirable width.

Sterling silver and Citrine earrings

I found these gorgeous Citrines in my stack from my gemshow loot a few years back, and wondered why I hadn't used them! So out they came from their packets, and I pulled out some sterling silver wires, and set them in these prongs to make these delicate earrings. My handmade earwires have tiny Citrine beads wire wrapped on them.