Kate's pendant

Unique birthday present for a special lady.

Keeping her in, mind I choose the lampwork bead and thought about keeping the wire rough but polished at the same time.

I didn't know if I'd liked it to start with. However since I'm not the wearer, it doesn't matter. 

Kate liked it!

Cuff, cuff, cuff...links

Mr Stitch'n Knit acquired double-cuffed shirts which require cufflinks. Pronto presto, a pair of branded cufflinks to look extra professional with clients. 

You'll need a pair of blanks cufflinks cabochons with matching glass domes and a picture.

First glue the domes onto what you'd like to show with PVA glue.

Then once it is dry, cut around the domes with either scissors if they're square or a craft knife for odd shapes.

Finally glue the dome onto the cufflinks.

Ta daaaaa

The logo represents Flybrid Automotive. If you want to know more about Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, in everyday talk, have a read of Top Gear's article. 

Mulher Gata Bracelet and Earring set

An amazing friend turned 40, 2 years ago now...Time flies.

The friend is a gorgeous and bubbly person with wonderful friends. Her birthday party was amazing, her closest friends remade the Madonna's video Hung Up, with leotards and all. It was hilarious.

The bracelet and earrings are made of fresh water pearls, sterling silver beads and finding as well as turquoise beads I purchased during a trip to South America.

The bracelet is made of sterling silver chain with beads. I've fitted a big lobster clasp as there is nothing more annoying than fighting to close a bracelet.

The earrings are finished with a little twisted "squiggle" instead of using a ball head pin. I guess either I didn't have sterling silver ones, or I must have run out.

Where do you get your crafty supplies? I'm all ears.

Xmas pressies for 2013 - Jewellery

Since I had a little more time this year re-Christmas, I decided to make most of the 2013's Christmas presents.

I am always torn between using existing skills and being on the safe side or trying something new and exciting which could potentially turn bad. I also do not tend to leave myself enough time as creativity isn't always there when you need it. Maybe we should have loan-in muse for such times.

Do you plan you present well in advance, even if it means loosing the thrill of a timely present, or do you hope to find the perfect fit risking to rush or have to settle for an okay present?
If you're the former, then being late is not an issue.
If you're the latter, like me, adrenalin is your friend.

I started a bit of an industrial making of little lingerie bags. After tuning in an excel document to get the dimensions rights (did I mention I loooove Excel?) I made 4.
Fabric is key with this model and good quality cotton is delightful to work with, especially the interfacing bit. I'll create a post on this at a later date.

Today let's talk about...beads and jewellery.

In the midst of pressure and not many ideas, I set off to put together a few things most of the ladies awaiting a gift. These pieces had to be small and light enough to go by post. Once mad and posted, I would light up a small candle for the parcel to arrive and on time. And it did!

The first item is a sterling silver bracelet with pearls and beads purchased in South America. I used freshwater pearls, silver findings and tiger eyes with silver pieces to give the impression of fullness with clean lines.
The bracelet closes with a toggle clasp for ease of fastening and has a bigger fresh water pearl dangling to keep the bracelet facing the right way up. The weight of the dangling pearl positions the fastening facing down.

  

The second bracelet is made of many garnet pearls mounted on a silver plated chain. The fastening is a sterling silver toggle on this one too. I thought it would be much easier to fasten given the weight of the bracelet.
The garnet was initially mounted on a pair of earring a friend gave me with the instruction "I'm not wearing those anymore, do something nice with them". I'm glad they found a new lease of life.

 

For this present, I wanted to create a classic piece that this person could wear for a long time. I knew it wasn't the type of jewellery she was into right now, however the idea is that this would be a failsafe necklace for a special occasion. The 3 freshwater pearls are mounted on a sterling wire pin and fastened with 2 twists. The chain is a 16" snake chain.

 

The last pendant was created for a younger lady who has a very unique sense of style. A young a urban-stylish lady. The chain is different this time, it is what is called a "trace" chain. the links make it very flexible, which makes it interesting to attached a weighty pendant! The pendant is made of 5 freshwater pearls stacked up and threaded onto a sterling silver pin.

 

What did you craft for Christmas?

Lamp-work session

I guess one of my drivers in life is "if somebody can do it, I can" coupled with "if it was made, I can make it too". I do face set backs due to a evident lack of brute strength (I'm very petite) and wanting quick results.

Being a wee bit *ahem*geeky, I was keen on learning to make my own beads. I've followed somewhat distantly the Pandora/Troll/Chamilla bead craze since:

             1. I don't like wild-fire trends,

             2. The beads, bracelets, spacers are overpriced (all machine made too),

             3. It is in fashion, a charm bracelet is dangling from every female wrist,

             4. It is not original anymore.

Several months back, I'd been to a very friendly bead and wire workshop at Amy Surman's. She is a lovely lady and knows her stuff. Her workshop is now bigger and Amy can now hosts lampwork sessions. Lampworking is pretty simple, it is about melting glass with fire to shape it and mix it artistically. It is amazing the extend of options one has with respect to mixing colours, shaping, playing with different sizes, melting again, creating protrusions... The possibilities are virtually endless. I guess one of the drawbacks is the amount of kit required, from gas bottles, burners, safety googles, aerated room to oxygen purifiers to increase the flame efficiency. Not something you would set up in your living room.

Getting the hang of it is pretty quick and very regimented with respect to choosing colours first, setting all the tools then opening the gas and oxygen machine to lighting up the torch and starting the fun!

To make a bead, it is all about creating a big blob of melted glass at the tip of your glass wand. Then wrap it around a rod and even the shape out using warmer or cooler flame areas and gravity. There are many techniques to add other colours and shape.

You can also twist a tongue-shape of molten glass and make lovely pendants.

Add bubbles of air, add colours by spreading the layer below instead of adding another coat...

Foreground, L-R: rectangular bead with clear and mat green, oblong drop with ivory and green (I overcooked the ivory, however the darker smoky lines are fancy) and red & ivory round bead with 5 mm hole (I wanted to make very precise red spots however the melting point of the red rod was lower than the white...lesson learnt).

Foreground, L-R: spacer blue bead with white melted spots, 2 clear beads with dark shade of "spritz" (glass crumbles incorporated into bead) see below as earrings, big round dark clear blue bead with blue mat spots.

Lampwork marine beads earrings with Swarovski faceted beads and uncut clear diamond on sterling silver wire and hooks

Pearls of wisdom

I have been looking for a simple and silver like pair of dangling earring with 9mm cream pearls.

I've looked and looked, but couldn't find what I wanted:

- closed loop earring (about 10mm)

- silver or white gold

- dangling pearls (paramount for dangling earrings)

- medium-sized cream pearl (non-dyed)

I looked online for the right loop and pearl size. Again I couldn't quite find what I wanted, all I knew it that I wanted it! Can one have a crafty single track mind? 

 Then I had a light-bulb moment - doesn't happen that often, let's hold the thought. 

Ok I may not have the exact size earring, however I have some leftover pearls.

Ok the pearls are drilled through and not half bore, anyway I wasn't keen on using glue, it is not that secure. I hear you whisper "Duh, do you know what superglue is?". I crowned myself Queen of the Superglue, it runs in the family, let is be known superglue can fail you! And it's great for suturing clean wounds (I insist on "clean"). I can use pins, I have tons of pins.

Ok the pins are plated and not sterling silver, I need to go shopping.

I have the tools, I have wire, let's put this together.

1st trial: Ta daaaa

9mm cream cultured pearl with twisted wire on sterling silver loops

 

2nd trial: re Ta daaaaa

I bought bigger loops and I'm waiting for sterling silver headpins. As you can see, the plated pins have already started to tarnish.

I will only do 1 or 2 twists maximum with the new headpins.

Fancy a tutorial about setting a pearl/bead on a headpin?

Tie me in with some light!

Last year I posted a picture if this pendant I made some years ago during a lovely silversmithing workshop.

The copper had tarnished, which was a lovely consequence with this metal. I cleaned it et voilà!

 I like the result, do you?

Sterling silver and copper pendant on snake chain

Father Xmas'Bag

2010's Xmas presents

Open necklace and double-layered bracelet made with tiger tail and beads

Dotted necklace

Silver wire bracelet in with fimo and foil beads

Bracelet

Detail

Spring hot water bottle cover

Hot water bottle - 1L

Winter hot water bottle

Winter cover - 1L

Back

Plated Jewellery

Rat tail bracelet with a series of beads  en queue de rat tressé avec un assortiment de perles monté sur fil d'argent plaqué 

(et hombre de queue de chat sur la première photo en bas à gauche)

Green Geometry

Earrings with silver wire and tiger's eye beads

Star stoned bracelet

Silver wire bracelet with sparkly blue beads made several years ago. The clasp is handmade.

Xmas elf

Xmas workshop

Winter poppy

Ribbon and black spinel stitched on black rat's tail with silver wire ring.

Tie-me in!

This is a pendant I made several years ago during a silver jewellery workshop (the only one I ever attended).

It is made with two discs, a small one in copper and worked with a ball-point hammer and a bigger one in silver which went in a press with a piece of grainy fabric to print some texture.
The pin is also in silver and was melted to keep the two elements together. .

The copper has now tarnished . It aged well, however I think I will polish it since I like shinny things.

Heart pendant

Whilst battling with a ever-lasting synusitis, I dragged myself to a silver wire and beading workshop in one of Oxford bead shop. Amy Surnam thought us very well and her shop is fantastic and she had a great learning room.

I was the only one not to have made a full bracelet. I think my leargy got the best of my creativity. I was up to learn new techniques and play with tools but inspiration wasn't there.


I managed to combine aesthetically the circles and finish the suspension link after three attempts.

This is the result: Swarovski faceted bead and foiled bead mounted on silver plated wire. 

May bracelets

Dangle dangle

The older I get the more I like dangly braeclet that dubbbed as toy.
Indian glass beads set on a plated silver chaine for a small wrist (mine).

Grappes

Cultured pearls and rice pearls

Cloud of stone

Pink quarz and garnet individually tied on silver plated wire.

Swarovsky necklace

I took some inspiration in Nelsa's wedding necklace for a friend's birthday present.

I used 3 tiger wire length and 2 difference Swarowsky crystal sizes. Pour l’anniversaire d’une amie j’ai décidé de m’inspirer du modèle du collier de Nelsa.

Something rather nice with Swarowsky beads is that the colors are identical wherever you buy them (if they're genuine, of course). So I can buy online with my eyes closed and I know I will receive the correct tone.  I bought those in a bead shop in Kent. We don't have much in the region of bead shops in Oxford.

I put the necklace in a lovely box.