Enameled Bangle Bracelet Sets

I don’t know why I decided to make these when it’s the hottest time of the year. It takes a while to torch fire a whole bangle in the garage with no air conditioning. Especially when I have to redo one because I don’t like the way the enameling turned out. Sometimes I don’t get the enamel melted in smooth and I don’t noticed until after it’s cooled off and I pick it up and find a rough spot.

I usually use pearls where the little rock is but I ran out of rice shaped pearls so I used little drilled rocks instead for the wire bracelets. I sell these as a set because I think it’s cool to wear both together.

Published in: on August 18, 2012 at 11:21 am  Comments Off on Enameled Bangle Bracelet Sets  
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Almost All Glass Bead Necklace

I’m naming this necklace – Prima Donna, for Donna Conklin that taught me how to make these beads. Or at least most of them. She made a necklace similar to this one and I just loved it so I finally got a chance to make my own.

The only bead that isn’t glass is the pewter Green Girl bead on the left. The rest are all glass.

Published in: on August 4, 2012 at 1:58 pm  Comments Off on Almost All Glass Bead Necklace  
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Laurel Burch Etched Pendant

I bought some Laurel Burch rubber stamps eons ago and loaned them to my friend to use so she could use them to etch copper. She gave me some of the etchings. I made this simple pendant with one of them today.

I didn’t have a lot of excess copper so I couldn’t get a better shape. The copper is riveted onto a back of sterling silver and the bail is soldered on. I also added a little cab for interest.

Published in: on August 3, 2012 at 7:19 pm  Comments Off on Laurel Burch Etched Pendant  
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Red Cord Flower Necklace

I like the way this one turned out. But then I like red and pink. And on a black dress or top, I think it would look great.

I did this one a little differently. Not that anyone can tell. I made the flowers with a hole all the way through, instead of making them on a copper wire. I sewed them directly onto the cord. I thought it would be easier to place the flowers but it’s still a little difficult to get them where I want them.

 

Published in: on July 25, 2012 at 8:34 pm  Comments Off on Red Cord Flower Necklace  
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Lariat Style Cord Necklace

I won’t really have much to say about this piece. I made the glass components and sewed them onto the cording. I found this one a bit harder to do than the one I made earlier with the thicker cording. This cording is thinner and longer so I was able to make it into a lariat type necklace. Here’s two different views of the same necklace:

I haven’t decided whether to dye the cording. I like the different colors I get when I dye them but the dye tends to make the cording a lot darker. Not sure if all the glass components will show up very well on a darker cording. Still thinking about it….

Published in: on July 19, 2012 at 8:27 pm  Comments Off on Lariat Style Cord Necklace  
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Porthole Pendants Galore

I finished up an order for several porthole pendants. I still have one more to do, just didn’t get the end caps and button clasp made last weekend for it.

These are tough to get a good picture of since they have a glass domed cab on the top. I did all the same end caps and button clasp on all of them so I’m only going to show one since they are all the same except in different colors to match the silk ribbon.

And since I’ve never shown the back of one of these, here’s a picture of one.

I use etched copper sheets for the backs. I’ve etched a bunch of copper sheets with different designs on them to use for different projects.

 

Published in: on July 16, 2012 at 9:43 pm  Comments Off on Porthole Pendants Galore  
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Another Ladder Bracelet

I got an order for a ladder bracelet. I decided to use my new flower implosion button on it. I used a bunch of leftover semi-precious gemstone beads from previous bracelets I’ve made. I thought about doing them in some kind of order or pattern but went with the easiest way – to mix them all up.

Published in: on July 1, 2012 at 2:08 pm  Comments Off on Another Ladder Bracelet  
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Totally New Necklace

I’ve been working on making the glass components to use in some necklaces and I finally got one assembled. It took me all morning to sew on all the components, then when I went to glue the end caps on, I got glue on the fabric cording. Yuck. The only way I could think of covering the glue up was to dye the cording. I used Ranger’s Adirondack Alcohol Inks. They are supposed to be permanent. Guess I’ll know once I wear it.

I make the components on the ends of copper wire so technically they aren’t really beads but more like decorative head pins that I make a loop on the back so I can sew them onto the cording.

Published in: on June 23, 2012 at 2:46 pm  Comments Off on Totally New Necklace  
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Bracelets And Key Chains

I’m now stuck on leather. I’m really liking working with it. Especially the distressed leather.

This one is similar to the other two I made previously. Just used different beads. I made the glass ones in this bracelet.

This is a multi-strand bracelet with big holed pearls and sterling silver. It has a magnetic clasp.

Some key chains that I just finished up making.

Published in: on May 25, 2012 at 12:02 pm  Comments Off on Bracelets And Key Chains  
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Just Beads

I badge holder keeps breaking and the big bead I had on it got fractured in a few places when it fell on the concrete. I thought it was time to replace it. I made some BIG beads, none I really like but I don’t want to spend any more time making a big bead. So these are the ones I got done last night.

How did that small bead get in to the picture? I didn’t like these at all. I was a bit tired and shouldn’t have tried the top bead. It takes forever to make them. The bottom bead is silver glass. I made a mistake on how the glass was supposed to be layered so I got some weird reaction that isn’t pleasing.

This is the bead I used for the badge holder. I just strung it on some leather cord. Kind of cracks me up. I make all kinds of jewelry and this is the best I can do for my badge holder.

Published in: on May 19, 2012 at 12:54 pm  Comments Off on Just Beads  
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