YOJ Project Week 25 - Solstice

This pendant has nothing to do with solstice, however it's the first jewelry piece I made since my mojo left me, and since it's literally (hot) summer here, it has become my summer solstice piece.

It's just something I did on the spur of the moment using various waves, a green cats eye bead and some agate brown beads. Was fun to do, so hopefully I'll start creating regularly again. If it weren't just so dar hot here (around 40C every day this month so far).

YOJ Project 2013 Week 23 - Twin Hearts

I've skipped the last week's YOJ project, which was about twins, so I made now this pendant to catch up. It's about twin hearts. It's in my series of 'going back to basics' where I'm practicing symmetrical scrolls and wraps. When learning to make jewelry I've kind of skipped this step and I know that I'm lacking in this department, so with these simpler pieces I'm focusing more on 'getting it right'.

Here are a few pictures that I took from this piece. It's so amazing how different it looks under various lighting conditions.

Inspiration for this piece was Jodi Bombardier's set of earrings from her latest book (also mentioned in my previous post).

June Synchroblog - Pinterest Project And YOJ 2013 Week 24

This post will be about a simple pendant that I made to fit two different projects: the June Synchroblog, which this month is about something that inspired us on Pinterest, and also about the Week 24 of the YOJ project 2014.

I've kind of lost my mojo the last week or so, I didn't feel like making jewelry at all. I guess we all go through  those uninspired times, and I'm right now in one of them.

But I knew I have to do something for the two projects, so I made this basic pendant with a dyed turquoise bead.

First starting with the Synchroblog project, a group of artists who blog every month about something specific. I've linked the project here, so you can read more about it, if interested.

As to this month's Pinterest inspiration, I saw this particular pin of a lovely copper pendant with a dyed turquoise, when I remembered I have somewhere one of these dyed beads as well.

As for the YOJ project week 24, the entries are about Commitment. So with this simple pendant I'm committing to go back to basics of making jewelry. I've been doing all sorts of rather complex things, but I can't for the life of me two two identical shapes. So having bought just now Jodi Bombardier's new book called Artisan Filigree and started working through the first project. There are tons of beautiful filigree shapes that can really get me up to speed with these types of scrolls and weaves, so I'l work through each of the projects in the book.

So here are a few photos of the piece I made with copper and dyed turquoise bead that I had at home.

Finally, let me end with the links to the other Synchroblog members so that if you're into blog hopping, you can check them out as well. I know I will.

http://amyestellemetalworks.blogspot.com/
http://www.islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.ca/
http://www.wrapturewirejewellery.on.ca/blog
www.elenorbuffington.blogspot.com
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/
http://lesliervillarreal.blogspot.com/
http://www.journeyinjewelry.com/blog/My-Journey-in-Jewelry
http://simpledesignjewelry.blogspot.com/
http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com/
www.createrecklessly.com
http://design.kcjewelbox.com/
www.allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
http://shaktipajdesigns.com/blog/
http://silversmithblog.com/
http://stonezjewelry.com/blog/
www.beadsbythebay.blogspot.com

YOJ 2013 - Week 22 - Sponge Coral Pendant

Here is my entry for week 22 of the YOJ 2013 - and yes I skipped for now week 21 because it was about cuffs and I don't really do them. I might come back to it at a later time.

For now the topic was circles, squares and triangles, so I entered the new pendant based on Nicole Hanna's egg pendant tutorial because it has plenty of swirls and circles. I think this is my favorite of all Nicole's tutorials, it's versatile, not as difficult as I initially thought and you can really make some beautiful things with it.

The bead is sponge coral and I think it goes well with the copper wire. The whole piece is a bit short of 3 cm.

Here are a few pictures that I took this morning. I added to it a black cord for the last picture only, just to see how it looks like hanging.

10 Minutes Earrings - YOJ 2013 Week 20 Entry

Last week's theme for the Year Of Jewelry week 20 was 'Made in 10 minutes'. I work rather slowly when it comes to making jewelry so 10 minutes was dearly little to do anything more elaborate and complex than this simple sterling silver pair with little amethyst beads dangling from the bottom.

All jump rings have been soldered and pickled and the earrings have been in the tumbler for way more than 10 minutes, so in fact fully completing them took maybe more than an hour (I never like to tumble less than 30-40 minutes, not only to make the jewelry shiny, but also to work harden the wire).

The length of the earrings including the ear wires is around 5 cm (about 2 inches?)

YOJ Project - Week 18 Pantone 2013 - Copper Pendant

For this week's theme at the Year Of Wire Jewelry Project I chose a Nicole Hanna design. I bought several of her tutorials over the last year and only now I'm slowly slowly daring to get to them. It took me a few months to get back to making jewelry again and become more confident to tackle these.

The actual tutorial calls for earrings, but I made it into a pendant. The bead is something I bought in Czech Republic several years ago. The whole piece is so tiny, about 2.5 cm without the bail.

Here are some pics I took of it this morning after taking it out from the tumbler.

It is up on my Dawanda shop ready to buy.

YOJ Week 17 - Organically Yours

My entry for this YOJ week - 17 is based on a tutorial by Iza Malczyk based on her popular Gemini earrings. I took the tutorial and made my own version, a mix of sterling silver and copper.

The earrings are quite tiny, about 4.5cm with the earwires. (less than 2"). Very cute and easy to wear.