Boot Camp - hoops

It is time for Boot Camp again - and this time it is all about hoops.  I don't know about you but when I think hoops, I automatically think earrings.  But I have a confession for you - I make jewellery but I don't have pierced ears.  People have looked at me incredulously about this for a while now but I've just never fancied having them done - plus I'm a bit of a baby about pain!!  I decided to make a pendant instead.

I made three silver hoops and textured two with different hammers and left one untextured.  Then I soldered them all together at the top.  While digging around in my scrap silver pot I came up with a perfect curled piece of silver that I'd chopped off a bezel I was making.  I soldered that at the top together with a silver ball (love making those!).  I also made a toggle clasp and then pulled everything together with some prehnite beads and a few black tourmaline rough stones.

I hope that you like the necklace.  Please go and have a look at everyone else's take on hoops - there is sure to be some interesting and inspiring work on show.

Boot Camp

It is time for Boot Camp again and this time it is all about clasps.  Last time I showed you some coiling work that I'd done with the Coiling Gizmo - and I wondered if I could make a clasp with these coiled components.  The answer is yes!  I've made a series of coiled links, incorporating some glass beads for some added interest.  I've paired this with a resin leaf that I made some time ago - it has been sitting in my 'to be completed' pile for a while now and it is good to find it a home!

Here is a close-up on the clasp since this is what Boot Camp is all about........................

Please go and have a look at what everyone else has been making for boot camp - there is always beautiful  and varied work on show.  

Quail's egg necklace

I really liked how my previous quail's egg necklace had come out so I decided to strengthen another quail's egg with resin and see if I could set it in silver.....and I could!........

(Sterling Silver, resin, quail's egg)

I kept the setting simple because I just wanted to see how it would work - I may try again and make something more elaborate.  I do like to have something to fiddle with and eggs have such a pleasing shape and texture - I'm loving having one around my neck to play with while I'm mulling something over!  

In unrelated news, Barbara has written a post about her favourite pieces from this month's Love My Art Jewelry Boot Camp.....and I got a mention!  Thanks Barbara!!

Boot Camp 3

This time Boot Camp was all about wire work. Coincidently, I made an impulse purchase of a Coiling Gizmo a week before Boot Camp was announced so I decided to put my new toy through its paces for this challenge.........and I love it!  I've been coiling like a demented person ever since!!  Here is what I came up with.....

I was experimenting with coiling different colours of copper wire together and came up with the links at the bottom which I really liked - they have an almost ancient Egyptian feel to them (for me anyway) so I made the rest of the necklace to fit in with that theme.  It is mostly all wire, with a few Czech Glass beads thrown into the mix.
Please go and have a look at what other people have made for this boot camp - I'm always amazed at the creativity shown in these challenges.  Thanks to folks from the Love my Art Jewelry blog for organising this fun challenge.

Art Jewellery Boot Camp

The second Boot Camp is all about texturing metal using things that you find around the house.  To be honest I nearly gave Boot Camp a miss this time.  Ordinarily, I go to a metal-working studio - the studio is very well equipped so I haven't needed to get many tools at home.  However, I've torn all the ligaments in my ankle (ouch!) and driving (and walking!) are pretty much out at the moment.  I haven't made it to the studio for a while - I'm missing it!!  When Boot Camp came around, I thought how can I do a metal-working challenge without all the tools I normally use?  But I'd had a lot of fun with the last Boot Camp and didn't want to miss out - so I decided that not only would I use household materials to texture metal, I would see what tools and materials I could find in my house too. 

I dug around in my household tool box and pulled out the heavy-duty hammer and a couple of copper washers.  Now to find something to texture with.  The answer came as I was mulling over a work problem in front of the laptop.  I always fiddle with things when I do this and this time I picked up a paper clip.  Eureka moment!  I hammered the paper clip in a random pattern onto the washers.  I cheated slightly on my self-imposed challenge of using only things I could find in the house and bought some Liver of Sulphur online to emphasise the paper clip texture.  I do all my resin work at home so I had those supplies.  I filled the centre of the washers with tissue paper and resin.  This added some colour but because it is tissue paper it remains somewhat translucent and the light still shines through.  Finally, I made some very basic ear wires and called them done. 

The paper clip held up surprisingly well to being battered with a hammer - though its days of clipping paper are definitely over!  I'd pulled out several clips expecting to have to use a few to get the job done.  But I used the same clip for both washers. 

So there you have it - a very simple design but the best I could do in the circumstances.  I suspect I'm going to be embarrassed by its simplicity when I see the intricate work that others have done!  Please take a look at what everyone has been working on.  I'm pleased with what I could achieve using things from around my house - but I'm still going to be scurrying back to the metal-working tools at the earliest opportunity!

Art Jewelry Boot Camp

I recently came across a blog challenge that seemed right up my street.  The Art Jewelry Boot Camp - run by the Love My Art Jewelry blog - gives a tutorial on a particular technique and then challenges you to do something creative with it.  The first challenge was to make balled head pins (have a look at the tutorial if you want to know how).  I’ve done this before – for example for this necklace - so I thought I’d do something I haven’t tried and balled both ends of the head pin to make a link.  

First, I balled one end of the wire and strung on two of the silver rectangles.  I then bent the wire into a semi-circle and scooted both rectangles out of the way and balled the other end of the wire – taking great care not to melt anything I didn’t mean to!  It got quite challenging to keep everything out of the flame as the chain got long!!  Here is a close-up of the links so you see what I mean…..

I like a bit of asymmetry so I added a couple of extra rectangles as a tassle (using balled head pins of course!) on one side. 

Go and have a look at the blog to see what other people have done with their head pins - you won't be disappointed, there are some wonderful designs.