No Copper Allowed

Jewelry Lessons is planning a new contest and I'm excited about it! You can find details here if interested http://www.jewelrylessons.com/article/jewelry-contest-overcoming-economic-crisis

The idea is that artists are to make something that is just as rich and valuable as their best works but replace half the silver or gold with some other type of material, as long as it isn't copper. (EDIT: JL has revised their contest to allow copper. Seems less challenging to me, but I know many other poeple will be happier) It seems very challenging! JL was also very smart to allow two months for the contest to complete, this gives poeple plenty of time to participate. ...Now what to make?.....

I started a necklace that was meant to be a prototype for a silver design, but somewhere along the way I crossed the line and it became the real thing. It turned out to have a surprisingly gothic/romantic feel. It hangs really well around the neckline!









I've also been playing with some 10 gauge copper wire. Oww-y on the wrists and hands! But I love the forged look of this copper bangle. I hammered it and annealed it and shaped it into a bangle and I love the textures that came out in the metal.






I also tried texturing the wire using the concrete in my patio, but I didn't care for that one as much.

Brooches

I drove to the post office saturday afternoon and kept having near misses. Why are the roads so unsafe I ask myself? Am I driving badly? OH!! holiday shopping! I am reminded that the roads here in LA will continue to be hurried, rushed, and full until the Holiday season is over.

On the other hand - The HOLIDAY season is here!! Hurray!

I did not solve my soldering problems. I feel like I've wrestled an alligator and lost. I put alot of time and effort into it and have nothing to show for it. I hate that:( Will take break from soldering efforts until later date when hopeful again.

Added some failed projects to the failed project box. Saved them for a future post when we all need a good laugh:)

Hooked on making brooches right now. I love the flying fantasy one alot. He makes me smile:)

This Week

This week, I did a little bit of everything, but not much of anything. I cleaned the house a little bit, I worked wire a little bit. I was playful a little bit, responsible a little bit, and I did a little bit of nothing at all:) Seems like nothing much at all got accomplished, but I will do the same thing next week, and I hope a little bit of everything will have a cumulative effect over time:)

This was a tool buying week. I broke my best cutters. I felt so helpless and vulnerable without them . (((shiver)))

I won't say what I was doing, except to say I deserved for them to break:)

I replaced them with these Lindstrom Ultra Flush cutters:

My new cutters don't get into small spaces the way my old ones did:( Another pair of Lindstrom cutters added to the tool buy list.

My new cutters make the best jump rings ever!! A million kisses all over my jump rings!




This week I learned not to use solder purchased from the hardware store:( The wonderful people over at The Creative Wire Jewelry Forum set me straight:) http://forums.delphiforums.com/wirejewelry

I bought new solder, and now my butane torch can't melt it:( New torch added to the tool buy list.

This week I fussed with combining my two opposing design loves. I love fat organic wire in very simple forms, while also loving extravagantly detailed ornate wire wraps. I always feel like I have to sacrifice one to have the other, and I hate to sacrifice!

This moon brooch met the ultimate goal of bringing both forms to one piece. Though the detail part fell short for me a little bit, in that I wanted it to be even MORE eye-poppingly ornate. Still I was happy with what I accomplished so far:)


This week, Dear Blog Reader, I made you a cup of tea in my favorite teacup:)


This week I reworked an old design into a lush feast of simple pleasures, fat pearls, fat wire, and color, for you to enjoy with your tea.



oh,




and




would you like a chocolate Bob bon to go with that? ;)

Fan Necklace

This fan was one of the most ambitious projects I have done to date. I would love to make another fan that would include some improvements and lessons learned but I don't know when I will have the time.

Happy Birthday Aaren!

My only offspring turns 22 today. Every year I give her a piece of jewelry in the early morning as a wake up gift. I used to buy this jewelry until I started working with wire.

I usually try to give her the best thing I can make at the time. She always says "Thanks Mom- it's nice". She means it too.

BUT - this is the first year she is actually excited about her upcoming jewelry gift. To my mind, that is the best compliment of all:))

This is was she got... some type of flying fantasy, huge labradorite pendant, modified eni oken stlye clasp.

Have a lovely day honey!

Harry Potter's Wand for YOJ

I am often fascinated by the wood like attributes in twisted wire. It can take on the appearance of a gnarled old tree. I would like to develop that fascination further without having to resort to making an actual tree.

This is as far as I've gotten with that fascination for now.

Aged red brass, labradorite, and fine silver.