Artisan Clay: The Clock and Dagger

This month, Kristie sent us buttons.....buttons....wha??

To be fair, she let us pick our poison, and I chose the long skinny blue button right in the center of this picture. (I suppose I was feeling a challenge)

Here's my creation:

I must say, I love the way it came out. It's very Pirate Steampunk-ish.

Kind of a cross between Sherlock Holmes meets H.G.Wells meets Jack Sparrow.

I took Kristie's button, sawed and distressed two thin sheets of copper, riveted them to the two center holes of the button and then riveted them together along the outside.

The center is a clock gear and a watch hand (both of which spin!) and I hung it from the outside rivets with a couple of Elaine Ray beads that were hanging around in my stash and some deep copper chain.

I wasn't planning on listing it, however, if you know you'll be shopping this Christmas for a Steampunk Pirate and want to pick up a funky necklace with some moveable watch gears that also has secret time travel powers, you can convo me here.

Enjoy your weekend and drop by Kristie's blog to see all the other artists' creations from her design team!

MIssFickleMedia Update

Okay,

I talked to Shannon yesterday about the oval links and she told me she's been having trouble with her supplier and doesn't know when she'll be able to get some more links in. (Boooo!)

So...

I thought I'd show you one of my other pendants that I created with her links to give you some options.

This pendant uses the same exact method as the oval pendant from the tutorial (see previous post) but with some slight differences.

What you'll need for this pendant:
- A MissFickleMedia connector (25mm)

- Size 8, 11 and 15  beads in whatever colors you choose

Follow the instructions from the previous tutorial with these changes:

1. Round 1: Add a size 8, size 11, and size 8.

2. Round 2: Add a size 11 of a different color in this round. (or try the same color for a different effect)

3. Round 3: Alternate between adding two size 15's and one size 11 in the same color.

4. Round 4: Add one size 11 in your fifth color.

If you'd like to suspend a bead in the center, use an eye pin and slip it onto the connector between two beads. Create the loop at the top of the pendant as you did for the oval pendant, and hang your pendant!

You really can't go wrong with this method, you get the fancy look of beadwoven jewelry with clean lines and simple shapes that are very modern. (To be honest with you, I like big grand pieces, but when you've got beader's ADD, this is a perfect project.)

Let me say, if you really, really, want the oval look. Go ahead and search on Etsy for "metal oval links" or "metal oval connectors". I did find a few that had color to them, but I honestly can't recommend a product that I've never used. Artbeads.com and Fusion Beads also has some untreated links that are just solid copper or silver.

Oh, and stay tuned because when I talked to Shannon, I put in an order for a handful of her 16mm links! I asked her to put together a custom order for me. I've got three each of these gorgeous links headed in my direction and plans to work some pendant magic!

Have a great day all and thanks so much for your response to the tutorial,  

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Free Jewelry Tutorial! - The $10 Handmade Christmas Gift

Christmas is close y'all.

I know the economy stinks and everyone is trying to find a way to give really special and unique gifts for less money and handmade....by you that is....is the way to go.

I've had quite a few requests for a tutorial explaining my secret behind the Looking Glass Pendant that I created a while back.

So, I thought, why not make a free tutorial explaining exactly how to create it.

This one is simple, and I mean even-if-you're-not-a-beadweaver simple.

I've given you steps, pictures and even cross-section illustrations, so you can do this.

I completed this one in an hour and It's unique and interesting, and you can make the whole thing for about $10 and an hour of your time.

Ready?

Here's what you'll need:

- MissFickleMedia oval connector (you could also use her round links)

- Size 8 Matte Gun Metal Japanese Seed Beads (A)

- Size 11 Japanese Seed Beads Metallic Iris Purple (B)

- Size 8 Raku Plum/Teal Iris Japanese Seed Beads (C)

- Size 11 Matte Pewter Japanese Seed Beads (D)

- Size 15 Silver-Lined Dark Teal Japanese Seed Beads (E)

- Wildfire beading thread (or Fireline, but do not use nymo)

- Size 12 beading needle

- one jump ring (any size)
-chain of any color and size that you'd like

*Please note: Change it up! Don't like turquoise or purple? Shannon has the coolest colors of links that you could use to combine colors.

Here's how you'll do it:

1. Cut a length of thread 5' in length and tie the thread onto the oval connector using a double knot and leaving a 6" tail.

2. String 1A, 1B, 1A.

*Pass your needle through the connector from the back and up through the second A bead that you added. This will form a loop around the metal connector, and hook the second A to the metal edge. Pull tight so that the size 11 beads pops up between the two size 8 beads.

3. String 1B and 1A and complete step 2 from the * above.

Complete step 3 until you have gone completely around the metal connector. You'll be working in a clockwise direction.

4. When you come to the end, string just 1B, pass down through the first A that you added in Step 2. Loop your thread around the metal connector and come back up through that same A. Pull tight.

5. Pass back through the B that you just added. String 1C and pass through the next B. Continue in this manner working around the connector (flip it over so you're not working in a counter-clockwise direction.) After you add the last C, pass through the B and the first C that you added.

Tip: Try to use "fatter" beads in the curves where the gaps between size B beads are larger and skinnier beads along the edges where the gaps are smaller.

6. If you are in a curve of the pendant, add 2D (choose slimmer beads) and pass through the next C. If you are along one of the edges of the pendant, string only 1D. Continue around the pendant in this manner, adding 2D along the curves of the pendant where the gaps are larger, and 1D along the edges where the gaps are slimmer. When you come to the end, pass through the C and the first D that you added in this round.

TIP: You'll have to be very intuitive. If the bead feels like it's sitting too tight in the gap, take it out and choose a slimmer bead.

7. String 2E and pass through the next D (or 2D if you're in a curve). Continue in this manner around the pendant until you have completed the last outside row and pass through the 2D.

8. Pass your needle through the beadwork until you have exited from 2E that are sitting at the top of the pendant. String 5B and pass through the next 2E. This will create a loop on top of the pendant that you'll string your jump ring on.

Pass your needle into the beadwork, knot the thread around some of the threads in the beadwork. Do this two or three times with the working thread and the tail thread. Trim the excess.

And you're done!

String your pendant on some chain. You can wear it high or low, or even attach a little charm in the center.

Try making it in different colors. Try using one of Shannon's round links instead of the oval. (The upside to the round link? Because there are no sharp curves, the beading will be much more even, no adding two beads instead of one.)

(Look closely at the silver beads in this photo. Do you see how I have doubled them along the curves of the oval. This will account for the extra width between your C beads as you come to the curves.)

I hope you enjoy creating and giving handmade this holiday season.

Also, if you'd like to continue creating presents with beadweaving this Christmas. 

My shop is packed full of tutorials here. 

Shannon's shop, MissFickleMedia, is also packed full of goodies for making gifts.

Enjoy your weekend all!

High Fashion Inspiration

I normally avoid the drama of reality shows.

That said...my favorite Friday morning activity is catching up on Thursday night Project Runway.

I find the process of creating with limitations to be so inspiring and I'm a sucker for a good color mix or flawless execution of a design.

So, I often find myself perusing the fashion runway for inspiration on shape and color and I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you.

I tried to pick a good selection of color combos that I saw popping up in all the designers work, and also to pick some of the more "wearable" fashions that us plebians would consider more accessible.

(notice I didn't use the word affordable!)

First up is a Fall 2011 design from Italian design house Etro.

Why this works:

My mother (artist extraordinare) always told me that the darker color should be on the bottom giving the eye a base or foundation and the lighter colors on top, it draws attention to the face and

it creates balance and keeps the design from looking too top heavy.

I'm going to agree. Especially on this look.

I love the flow of dark to light from the bottom up and the dark sleeves add a nice contrast without being too heavy.

In jewelry, however, you might want to work it backwards. Have the necklace fade to darker colors as it makes the turn around the neck, drawing the attention toward the focal pendant or bead which hands just below the face of the wearer, again drawing attention to the face.

In this design from Gucci, the palette is very understated.

Just two colors with a gray foundation to avoid overkill of the teal.

(Very Katherine Hepburn if you ask me.)

This is a great tip if you have a very intense focal pendant that is full of eye-catching color. Don't try to create a necklace that competes with the focal. Make the necklace simply a backdrop using a neutral color to really show off the brightness of the focal. 

This next one is Dior and my favorite color palette of the bunch.

This garnet, almost plum color is gorgeous on its own, but the lime green really adds interest to the whole ensemble.

I think that's a great tip, the next time your monochromatic design feels a little blah, try adding a pop of color from the opposite side of the color wheel for a little flash.

Also, if you'll notice, the designer has mixed finishes in this outfit, the sheen of the satin dress contrasted with the soft brushed wool of the coat.

Try mixing fabric beads with lampworked beads to achieve the same look.

Another Christine Dior features that same plum color mixed with a deep almost royal blue.

I'm really partial to tailored styles and I like the cut of this jacket.

This is another very simple color palette, but by keeping the colors both very dark and intense, the mix is pleasing to the eye and very balanced.

I think this would look good in a stripe, maybe of differing widths in a cuff.

This last design is from Pilotto and is a twist on the classic red/black color scheme.

In this dress, the red is a more muted softer rust and the white neckline is almost a soft gray.

By softening up your colors, you create a palette that is less harsh and more pleasing to the eyes.

I also added the deeper rust to the color palette for a little additional depth.

I hope you found one or two of these palettes inspiring and I think there's a lot to be learned about color and balance from these top designers.

Each of these photos can be found here as part of the Fall 2011 collection and I created the color palettes on my own to inspire you to try your own designs inspired by high fashion.

What are you inspired by these days?

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Fall Soup

I was so glad to get my soup from Patty Miller.

She sent me such a beautiful copper pendant, some gorgeous coral rounds and czech glass. 

Her pendant and toggle were handmade by her, etched and patinaed and I really fell in love with the richness of the color.  

I wanted to create a warm piece with beautiful colors and I really love the resulting piece.

Thank you Patty!

I hope you all enjoy hopping around and visiting soups today.

Thanks Lori for putting the whole thing together!

I had so much fun with my soup and I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Be sure to stop by Lori's blog for the list, and by Patty's website for some beautiful copper components.

Have a great weekend!

A very real question...

First of all, thank you for your sweet comments on my necklace yesterday,
they definitely made me smile. :)

I'm so enjoying working with metal, and if you're thinking at all about getting into it, I highly suggest it, it's definitely worth it.

It is a slightly more expensive hobby than beading, but you are truly only limited by your imagination.

My question is this:

What are your thoughts about silver vs. copper?
Do you own any silver jewelry?

Do you own any copper jewelry?

Which do you like more and why?

Have you recently purchased either?

I bought a sliver of silver not long ago about the size of my palm to use for rings and swallowed hard when I saw the purchase price. 

I'd like to buy more but I'm in a debate with myself based solely on the cost. 

I'd just like to hear some other opinions.

Thanks again for your comments, and for those of you who asked, I won't be selling this piece.

It's really my first completed piece of jewelry, and I think I'll be wearing and enjoying it this fall!

Have a great day guys!

Something Solid

I wanted it to look like it was falling.

Like it had tumbled from the low-hanging branch of a majestic forest king.

A tree that was perhaps the last of its kind.

And I had been lucky enough to stand under that tree at that moment to catch the last remnants of what would soon be forgotten.

It's solid through and through. Each little leaf point cut by hand.

A solid piece of creek jasper sporting all the colors of the northern hemisphere in October.

Polished and rubbed by hand with little creek jasper dangles
that move like autumn leaves floating from autumn trees.

No, it's not silver, it's copper.
But I'd make it copper again even if I had the choice.
Besides, I'm not accustomed to accepting another's definition of "precious". 

Something solid.

A Book Review

First off, allow me to say that I am probably a little biased when it comes to this book review considering the author is the one and only person I've ever taken jewelry-making classes from.

However, I also spent a little over three years as a teacher whose job was to make information accessible, understandable, and organized, so I know a good textbook when I see it, and this one is excellent.

The book is

Jewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations and Explorations in Metal

by Melissa Manley

I was so impressed with the way she organized the book.

It contains 52 "labs" designed to act as a springboard for the beginner metal artist.

Each lab will teach you a basic skill in metalworking and they become progressively more challenging as you work through the book.

In the first few labs, you're working with just hands and hammers manipulating metal into shapes and creating beautiful textures using found objects.

(I remember Melissa telling me one of her favorite textures for metal was concrete!)

From there, Melissa teaches the basics of etching, rolling, soldering, and riveting.

She also explains how to use non-traditional objects in jewelry to create the found look that has become her trademark.

At the beginning of the book, she explains materials and tools and at the end, she leaves you with charts and resources that will end up being your best friend in the studio.

I highly recommend this book if you're just becoming interested in metalworking, it's like a full course of Metals 101 for a fraction of the price.

The most common response I've heard from others who have purchased her book is a resounding
"I can do this!" and you can.

It's a beginning point, a springboard to creativity and I suggest buying a little notebook to keep with you as you work through the book, to give yourself space to jot down your own ideas and paths that you want to follow using her techniques as your base.

Thanks Melissa for such a great resource for us beginning metalsmithers and for taking the guesswork out of working with metal!

For more info, check out her sites:
Blog: http://melissamanleystudios.blogspot.com/

website: http://melissamanleystudios.com/

From Amanda:

"I have been thinking about what I've learned from your patterns, and I think it's mostly been about color.

Color is one of the things I love about working with beads, but I have dealt with it in a very conservative way, mostly using similar colors and shades. Your designs use contrasting colors in a very elegant way, and that's been a great challenge for me as I work with them.

I have felt that most when making La Catedral - every time I go round the bangle I am adding colors or shades, and it makes me feel like a painter, using a broad palette to get a beautiful end result."

Thank you.

Here and There

 Just wanted you to know that the instructions for making this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

also this:

and if you're feeling gutsy, this:

Also, if you want to make this:

here's a bigger photo:

Hope these color combos inspired you!

Also, there are only two days left if you'd like to purchase a piece of jewelry from my shop and for the next two jewelry purchasers, there is a 25% refund waiting for you.

On September 6th, I'm deactivating all my jewelry listings. If you want something, now's your only chance.

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend.