Byzantine (aka birdcage weave)

This is one of the most used patterns for jewelry. It's a lovely weave, easy to do and it's faster to complete a bracelet than in the boxchain (see previous post).
Ouch, the earrings became so very long, lol!

Can be worn with any top and your regular washed out jeans, it implies a very casual look ;-)

Second set - box weave

I'm on a roll! Just finished this second set, and I love it. Even hubby liked this one, lol.
The weave is called 'box chain', and although I first found it a little more difficult than the European 4 in 1, once I got used to it, I find it actually easier and more fun to do.
Have to work in the ends of the earrings, otherwise they are ready to be worn.



















In the middle, a pair of earrings with a so-called shaggy loops weave. Very easy to make, and it works up very fast.

And last, bracelet and earrings with the shaggy loops weave. Made it within the hour (or two).

Set

I added a pair of earrings to the bracelet today, using the same weave, so here is the pic again with bracelet and earrings included.

Chainmail - new addiction!

I'm so excited, I've just finished my first chainmail bracelet, with the European 4-in-1 weave.
Spider's DVD just arrived yesterday, and this is the result. Now if everybody out there who teaches were using her style, I'd buy everything that's out there, lol!

I don't want to take it off my wrist, and it's time to go to bed, it's 10 minutes to midnight!!










As a matter of trivia, this particular stitch was used in Europe in the medieval times, to create chainmail shirts, coifs, vests, etc. It was used during battles, to prevent arrows or other weapons cutting to the skin.

Here is an example of a chainmail coif using this weave.
(original picture taken from http://www.schmitthenner.com/chainmail.htm)

My first wire bracelet

We went with hubby today to a christening (lunch at a restaurant), so I had some wine, had nice food and felt generally pretty nice and cozy. Coming back in the afternoon, hubby started to watch the tennis match between Bagdhadis and the French guy (well, just found out that Bagdhadis is living in France. I thought he was still living in Cyprus. Oh well, one always learns).

So then I retreated to my room and started following an Eni Oken tutorial for a pendant, which I then turned to a bracelet. Simple, full of mistakes, but it's my first of this type. And definitely not my last.

New earrings

This pair was inspired by something way more beatiful than mine, found it on a Russian beading forum. However after the first few twists, mine became something else entirely (and much simpler, lol).


On Monday we have a bank holiday (Green Monday), which means I get to stay home and rest for 3 days, yeppee!!

It's Valentine

I'm not sure how I feel about Valentine. It's something we never used to celebrate in Europe before. Now it's the rave and a lot of money is going into it. We decided with hubby last year to stop 'celebrating' it, as all those bunnies and what not we always bought each other, end up being thrown away after a while anyway. And the Valentine flowers are the most expensive all year around!

At the bookrelay forum, however, I've taken part in a surprise Valentine exchange, and today we opened all our gifts. I got 5 great books from my wishlist, all paranormals, I'm so happy with them!

Here is a pair of earrings I made tonight, it took me only a few minutes to make them. Beading with wire is definitely faster than with seedbeads!

I 'got' the herringbone!

I've been trying my hands at the herringbone weave from Eni Oken's free tutorial, without success and I was pulling my hair in despair. Then I remembered I bought a DVD from Nix' creations, where this particular technique is explained. Was sort of skeptical, but the lightbulb finally went on and I got it! Yayy!
I still need plenty of practice, this piece is by no means a masterpiece, but hey, it's a start!
Btw, the bead is my own earlier creation, from the time I was dabbing my fingers at lampworking!


And here is my first herringbone pair of earrings. I'm using right now cheap material (glass beads and copper wire) until I learn the techniques well enough to be able to advance to silver and *sigh* gold filled wire...















And I managed a second pair as well. The end loops are not the best, but I do like this pair better than the previous one.

Green lariat

I was browsing last night through some beading books, and saw a very nice lariat in Kate Haxell's The Seed Bead Book, and I decided to try to do it.
This morning I woke up very early and started stringing.
This is the result. For a first project with stringing on wire, I like it enough to wear it.

Wire wrapping again

My second wire wrapped jewelry is a pendant, from a free tutorial by Eni Oken. Funny how the picture shows all the mistakes that the naked eye doesn't see so easily *lol*.
I have a long way to go, but these first pieces will be something to look back at while I'm getting better with the wire and the tools. One thing is sure, I definitely have fun making these...

First thoughts on wire wrapping

My starter kit hasn't arrived yet, but hubby bought me from the local hardware store some tools. Last night I had a go! P loops and eye loops are better now, 8 connectors are 'almost there', but I'm still having problems with wrapped loops. And eye loops when they are on both sides of a bead. But it was only my first day so I'm patient!
I've done my first pair of earrings, which I will keep in my 'crafts museum', to go back to again and again when I want to check on my progress :-)

Since I am not posting my first earrings, here is my second pair. Still not very happy with them, but for a complete newbie at working with wire, they could have been worse :) Hope the next ones will become better and better...
I made the earwires as well, it was fun to do them.

TGIF!

Yayy, Friday!
While waiting for my wire wrapping supplies to arrive, I'm dilligently browsing through online forums, tutorial sites and eye candy. I can't wait to try out some of the things I've seen!
I'm totally in awe with Eni Oken's jewelry, and she has some free tutorials as well. Plus the paid one are not expensive at all. What an eye candy her site is!

In the reading department, I'm making my way through the Kate MacAlister Vampire series, and I'm reading now Sex and a Single Vampire, which is the second one after A Girl's Guide to Vampires. A good series for the cold winter evenings, light and fun.