Sterling Silver Byzantine Bracelet

I finished this wonderful sterling silver byzantine bracelet last night. I made a clasp out of 16 gauge sterling silver, soldering it for added durability. Shhh, made this for a gift for my Mom.

Here is the Zebra and Obsidian Necklace I made as a commission for a lady who is retiring from work. I used my omega holder to accent the focal piece that I wireworked up one side with 28 ga sterling silver and 1.8mm Karen Hill black silver.

Etsy Treasury

This morning I hung around Etsy Treasury. I got one!! In honor of my jewelry friends, I made a treasury of items from my friends in my jewelry forum.

Here is the treasury...

http://www.etsy.com/treasury.php?id=1180360907956U5141665

Botswana & Cornelian Necklace

Here is the necklace that I worked on this morning. I wirewrapped all the stones with 24 gauge sterling silver wire. The round stones are cornelian, they are accented with oxidized Bali daisy spacers, just to keep things different, I threw in some funky Karen Hill lentils. I made the big rings in the necklace, clasp and daisy sterling silver focal. I'm really groovin' this necklace. If you are interested in owning this delightful necklace click on: buy now.

Made 100 Headpins today

1.75 inches 24 gauge headpins

Today I sold two items on Etsy, both headpins. I had to make 100 headpins today, so I was busy melting wire into little balls!!

Other than that, I made one more bracelet for a cause see my previous blog. So here are some of my pieces I've sold recently.

Crooked Lavendar Pendant


Flirty Serpentine Necklace

Ami's Necklace (Iolite with 5mm Swarovski clear rondelles, accented with sterling silver balls.

Tomorrow I need create a special piece of jewellery that I've been commissioned to make for a lady who is retiring up to Robert's Creek.

Metalsmithing

Reticulation and Fusing


Hammered solder jumprings chained to make a necklace
If you are interested in buying this necklace right now, click here buy now


Omega holder


24 ga 1.5" headpins


16ga sturdy fun clasp measures 1 inch


Exclamation Pendant!!!!
Blue Glass Cabochon


In January I took a metalsmithing course at Mountain Gems with Dominique Brechault. Mountain Gems is located in Burnaby and is a wonderful store for Gems and tools for metalsmithing. After figuring out how to really saw through metal with fluidity, I fell in love with metalsmithing and especially soldering. There were several disasters in class which were perfect. I learned so much from Dominique. I learned how to saw, pierce metal, solder, reticulate silver (heating up silver, over and over and melting it so it wrinkles), fuse (joining to metals together without solder), make bezels, and cabochon setting. I took this course every Wednesday for 8 weeks, and after a long day at work, the 3 hours I spent in this class were the best 3 hours of my day (except seeing Emma & Peter afterward). I'm looking forward to taking an advanced metalsmithing course with Dominique in the autumn.

Above I discovered soldering jumprings and joining them is very addictive. I've made several necklaces and bracelets using 16 and 16 gauge sterling silver rings, and then doing my favourite thing hammering the rings afterward for texturing. As well, I've taken my metalsmithing skills to make almost all my on findings (clasps, headpins, jumprings) to truly make my jewellery all handmade by me. The Omega holder above is one of my trademarks for making lanyards for people who work and need to wear ID tags.

The last photo is a whimsical pendant that I made with glass cabochon. This piece is for sell (and will be uploaded to my website this weekend).

Bracelet for Weekend to End Breast Cancer

About a week ago a friend of mine asked me if I would make three bracelets for a friend of hers who are participants in the Weekend To End Breast Cancer. I said absolutely. Today, I got an email from my friend, with a picture, could I make something like this. The above pictures are my interpretation of this bracelet.


I told her the that I would make the bracelet at cost and then cost out the retail price, and have her friends contribute the rest of the money to the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, or have them get someone to sponsor them for the bracelets.

Here is the link. www.endcancer.ca for this fine event, which ironically, I participated in three years ago!

Earthtone Eyeglass holder

Today I was commissioned to make an earthtone eyeglass holder. I try to make these eyeglasses holders with no sharp stones to prevent scratching of the lenses. The length of these eyeglass holders is approximately 22 inches in length.

Peruvian Opal Wirewrapped Necklace

Here is my second Eni Oken style necklace. I made this with Peruvian opals that I bought from the Whole Bead Show in May 2006. I wirewrapped this necklace with 28 gauge sterling silver. This necklace is has an assortment of semi-precious tiny beads with a pearl and bali silver. This necklace is for sell. Please see my online store for more details. Peruvian Opal Necklace

Branching Out with Wirewrap & Stringing

In the summer of last year 2006 I began to use wire designs in my stringing. The above photo is appropriately named "Fairy Raindrop Necklace" by my daughter Emma. She thought the amethyst briolettes looked like raindrops.

As well I incorporated wirewrapping into my jewelry pieces as well. Using herring bone wirewrapping, this bracelet was the first that I made incorporating this design.

My Signature Pendant

Here is my signature piece that started my jewelry business. I have this pendant on all my business cards. This was the first piece that I made without a tutorial and where I went outside the box. I wirewrapped two 18 ga sterling silver wires "S" scrolls, then added freshwater pearls wirewrapped in herringbone.

My Eni Oken Challenge

First Piece Second Piece

Third Piece Final Piece

Here are my challenge pieces that we did on Bead & Button forum for inspirational pieces evolving using one of Eni Oken's tutorials. I started with a simple herringbone weave, and then went from there. THe bottom one with the red cornelian was my first piece. Ironically I sold #2 and #4 piece at a show I was in last October, The Fraser Valley Bead Show.

Wirewrapping!!!

After discovering Eni Oken, www.enioken.com , I become wire-crazed!! Before I could start, I took apart my Mother's necklace that is very special to me (these are the orginal stones/amber that I got to wear when I was 7-years-old as a gypsy for Halloween.

My First Blog Entry - May 21, 2007

Starburst Pendant

Pacific Burst Pendant

I've finally decided to start a blog to keep track of my jewelry evolution. It has just been over a year that I started making jewelry. It started the day after Christmas 2005, when I was cruising around e-Bay. I discovered some sellers who were selling sparkly Swarovski crystals. I thought is would be easy way to make simple earrings and necklaces for my daughter who at that time was 9-year-old. I foolishly thought this was an inexpensive way to make presents for her friends birthdays, little did I know that my jewelry would evolve into something far more.

I gradually acquired materials to making earrings, going to my local bead store (LBS) and buying headpins, earwires, stringing materials, clasps and the list goes on.

In January 2006 I got my first order of 200 - 4mm Swarovski crystals in several colours. I searched the internet for every possible free online tutorial for making wirewrapped headpins, crimping etc. I made my first simple earrings, with 3 - 4mm Swarovski crystals on a silverplated headpin with a simple silverplated store bought kidney earwire (above is a variation of replacing the middle crystal with a freshwater pearl and experimentation of making my own earrwires. One day I fell upon Eni Oken's website, she changed my whole view on jewelry making.

I started right away wirewrapping with sterling silver wire, and spent days making pendants. The above two "burst" pendants are available for purchase through my online shop.