October New Jewelry

New Material!

I haven't used my blog in sooooooo long.  OK, I'll be honest.  My jewelry photography was terrible and I couldn't figure out what to do to improve.  I didn't quit making jewelry and, in fact, sold quite a bit thanks to my awesome mom---Kathy Jackson of Icebox Antiques and Collectibles in International Falls, MN!

And then I got hurt.  (That deserves a blog of its own.)

Now, I'm sorta on the mend and working my way back.  While I was pretty completely disabled and hopped up on painkillers, I read a few things.  Some of these few things obviously helped me out on the photography issue.  Tadaaaaa!

Beadwoven Bracelet

Lime Potato Pearls, Olivine Crystals, and Toho Seed Beads

Big Glitzy Ring

Preciosa Crystals (wine to light purple) and Seed Beads

Big Bloom Bracelet

Czech Glass Petals and Olivine Crystals on Wire Cuff

(The flower is about 2 inches wide.)

 Semi-precious Nugget Cuff

Wire-wrapped with Flourite, Aventurine, Garnet, Amethyst and Peridot and 

some other stones I can't remember!

Pretty in Purple Right Angle Weave Bracelet

Beadwoven Toho Seed Beads, 6mm round Swarovski crystals 

in Amethyst, Opal, and Tanzanite with a silver-tone slide clasp.

This Just In!!! Enamel on Copper

Wednesday, June 22, Sara Lukkonen of www.ckoopbeads.com taught a basic enameling class at Beadhive www.beadhivebeads.com in South Minneapolis. Wow! We fired up 10 torches and went at it...we were very eager. The beads on this piece are my very first enamel on copper! They are quite difficult to photograph and get an accurate color representation, so don't be surprised. For instance, there appears to be a lot of pink on these beads and...there is NONE. One has a little splash of dark red copper, but there is no pink. They are browns, light blues, greens and white.

Art Clay Silver

I am in art heaven. There is a product on the market that is known generally as "precious metal clay." There are a couple of primary brands and I am using Art Clay Silver. (The other brand you'll see around is PMC.) A nice explanation of the material can be found at http://www.artclayworld.com/what_is_art_clay.php. It is my understanding that it is a product that makes use of recycled fine metals. More on that as I dig up information.The product is a slightly moist clay (also comes in paste and syringe forms) that can be formed like any clay and then fired with a kiln, burner, or butane torch. I'm using a small torch with butane that I purchased at the local hardware store. The set-up is very economical (especially if you get the starter kit offered at Fire Mountain Gems http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H203256TL. That said, the clay is not. The clay is very small particles of silver held together by an organic binder that burns off upon firing. Once fired, it is over 99% fine silver. Hence the cost (about $45 for 20 ounces.)

Here are some of my first projects:

Above is a Roman-style face pendant (pressed with a $1.50 button I liked)

Below is a long necklace made with miscellaneaous chain (including some I rescued from a vintage lariat.) The Art Clay in this piece is the woman's profile, also from a button but molded in a silicone mold. The lady has a liver of sulfur patina, but she's still fine silver.

Finally, a great project with which to start. The geometric components of this set were stamped with a Close to My Heart set called "Adorable." I love, love, love my necklace and wear it all the time! Some times I don't even resist saying, "Look, I made this!

The Lissette Nugget Garden

Bezel a rivoli????

Beading and jewelry-making has its own dictionary. The first huge lexical speedbump that I encountered was "bezel a rivoli." Huh? a what? I really wanted it to be pronounced "bee-zul a rivoli" but my quest to be informed taught me that it was pronounced "be (short-e)-zul."

A bezel is a jewelry setting that encircles a stone, gem, or other element. It is often a flat-back piece of metal with a lip around the edge. In beading, it is a stitched ring that encases a decorative element.

Once I figured out how to say it and what it was, I set out to learn how to do it! Good fortune would have the front sides turn out fabulously well. Good fortune would also keep you from looking at the back sides...ever.

Reunited!

I know that war is devastating and tornadoes are destructive and that life is generally really hard. For this very reason, I need to rejoice in the little things.

A very little thing, indeed, but a treat for me this year is that I was reunited with earrings. For nearly fifteen years I haven't been able to tolerate the metal in my ears because of instant and painful contact dermatitis. It didn't matter if it was stainless steel or pure gold, it was not happening. One day after I was stricken with the beadworking bug I was thinking how nice it would be if I could wear the earrings I could now make. A simple idea struck...what if the actual metal did not make contact with my skin? I grabbed a pair of earwires and thoroughly painted them with clear fingernail polish. When they were dry, I slipped them in and waited. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes...2 hours, 3 hours. No redness. No pain. No burning. Take it away, Peaches and Herb!