Calling LD and Other Jewelry Makers

[chrono]

Star in,
Excellent choice of material. I like the contrast of colour and texture.

LD,
I like the pink necklace; I see it as a bold eye catching piece.

 

[LD]

Starzin - fab pieces. Lava rock doesn't seem to sell well in the UK (although I've used some natural colour ones with gold and blue to give a summer look) and our Jewellery Maker TV station are selling strands for £1!!!!!!!! Love the wire wrapping.

 

[Lovinggems]

Great work everyone

 

[Starzin]

Minou & Chrono - thank you. Friend had said she wanted pearls and left the black up to me. I thought the lava texture was interesting and I'm pleased you think so too.

LD - I've never seen lava beads in any colour but black and I don't know if £1 is good or bad for you...I paid about $8 for that strand. I'm not really happy with any of my wire wrapping at the moment but thank you

 

[LD]

Minou & Chrono - thank you. Friend had said she wanted pearls and left the black up to me. I thought the lava texture was interesting and I'm pleased you think so too.

LD - I've never seen lava beads in any colour but black and I don't know if £1 is good or bad for you...I paid about $8 for that strand. I'm not really happy with any of my wire wrapping at the moment but thank you

Starzin you can get lava rock in white, neutral, blue, purple, a dull pink and I can't remember what others! You get about 10 pieces on a strand and £1 is very very cheap!

Your wire wrapping IS good. I think it's definitely something that you develop a knack for. My wire wrapping isn't good but I enjoy doing it (even though I make a mess and it's unuseable)!

 

[Starzin]

That's interesting I've never seen another colour of lava beads advertised on any of the sites I've visited...and believe me that's a LOT The cost makes sense now too, the $8 was for a 16" strand of 8mm whereas your 10 beads for (equivalent) $1.50 would probably work out approximately the same.

You're very kind about my wire wrapping and yes it does take more practise than I've done too - I've abandoned several! I think I'm too wary of wasting silver so must get something from the hardware store to practise on that I won't mind wasting if it doesn't turn out. Mind you I'll also be pist if it turns out beautifully and I have to do it all over again!

 

[Starzin]

Aaaargh! I ran out of jumprings! However having posted the heart and carnelians I've hooked this together with a safety pin and taken some photos anyway. I may well have to take it apart and move the calcite/topaz links closer to the centrepiece also. Oh well, we live and learn - all good practice

Yellow jasper heart, red carnelian, yellow calcite nuggets and tiny faceted topaz with gold filled beads and findings.





Thanks for looking.

 

[LD]

Starzin - lovely work and I wouldn't change it. I think the heart stands on its own and you've got the balance just right. Very pretty and when you make the clasp, enjoy wearing it. I wouldn't recommend wearing it with a safety pin

 

[Starzin]

No, the safety pin is a tad difficult to do up to boot! but thank you for your kind comments

I was thinking of adjusting the design because it's longer than I anticipated and there are still two carnelians and the toggle to fit when I get more jump rings, which is going to make it longer by about 2" and currently the first calcite links (from the heart) are almost lying next to my neck rather than setting off /complementing the heart more. I guess I just have to decide if I will like it longer.

 

[Skippy123]

oh wow, these are beautiful, ladies

 

[LD]

I'd forgotton about this thread!

Here are two more of my new ventures! The first is a fluorite and silver necklace and the second is my first foray into making thing from silver. These are two tiny charms and my very first silver items so very rough and I need practice. The lovely thing is that these are made from 99% silver so more pure than Sterling and you can see that in the final colour!

 

[Circe]

Just made this l'il guy, inspired by the lovely profiles of some vintage pieces. I know i am tooting my own horn, but i really like how the gallery turned out: less so the shank, which is a two-tone triple-wire, but let's hope that practice makes perfect. Center is a faintly roval white spinel ....

Just a few crappy iPhone shots - hope I can take some better ones soon! I'm particularly proud of the fact that I pulled off decent milgrain on the bezel, and it doesn't even SHOW!

 

[michellechan2211]

Circe: That is one lovely ring! *_*

 

[minousbijoux]

Circe that looks professional! I love the gallery too. If you please, more shots would be great including a dead on shot looking down at in on your hand. In the meantime, I'll patiently wait, being totally impressed with you!

 

[Rosebloom]

Circe! Wowzers! I agree that we need many more pictures.

LD - gorgeous silver work! I'm so impressed!

 

[LD]

Circe? Seriously? That's amazing - I think we know who we'll be sending our unset gems to now! I can really appreciate how much work has gone into that ring and the craftwork. It's simply brilliant! Please can I request more photos? You really need to showcase this.

I made my first venture into working with copper yesterday and although I have A LOT to learn, I really really really enjoyed making these and I'm already planning my next project! The calla lily pendant has chocolate brown cultured pearls that for some reason have come out looking green in this photo but I think that's the lustre of the pearls!

 

[chrono]

Woah! You ladies are amazing! These look good enough to set up shop and sell.

 

[minousbijoux]

Wow, LD, leaps and bounds in such a short time with those materials! Really creative and lovely!

 

[LD]

Wow, LD, leaps and bounds in such a short time with those materials! Really creative and lovely!

Thanks Minou. I'm finding it far easier to work with copper than silver - and thankfully love the colour of the finish (and yes, it does look a bit like rose gold )

 

[Starzin]

LD both of your latest pieces are stunning! I luuuurve the calla lillies Can't wait to see this finished

Circe! What a stunning ring! I vote for more pics too - the gallery is just lovely!!!

 

[LD]

LD both of your latest pieces are stunning! I luuuurve the calla lillies Can't wait to see this finished

Circe! What a stunning ring! I vote for more pics too - the gallery is just lovely!!!

Starzin I finished one necklace today. It's my first attempt at proper wirework but it's incredibly light and when on the neckline sits very well (despite how it looks in the photo). I'm so proud of the clasp as well - all handmade!!!

 

[Starzin]

Oh wow! Whatever you do for a living, I hope you are planning to go into the jewellery design business. You are one amazing lady and have definitely found a niche methinks - this is superb!!!

 

[LD]

Oh Starzin what a lovely thing to say. Thank you so much but you're no slouch yourself Mrs!!!! Have you anything to confess/show please?

 

[Starzin]

Unfortunately no - I've been really slack the last couple of months and not getting to my jewellery making at all

ETA: Keep posting your lovelies though... it helps inspire me!

 

[Circe]

Circe I don't sell anything I make - although I make presents for friends etc so Etsy is a "no no" for me BUT I'd be interested in sharing ideas with other crafters (whatever the medium). I wonder if PS would allow us to have our own section? Crafters unite or something like that!!!!! I guess if people see what we're making and then they want something they could ask either in that forum or in the sale section? As I said, this is not a business for me but I'd be happy to contribute.

Woah, I missed the responses the first time around - laxness on my part! I would LOVE a PS crafts section (and check it more than I do CS - it was sheer luck that this had been close to the top a little while ago, and stuck in my head while I was smithing the ring). So between you ... and me ... and ....

Circe: First off, I had no idea you were hiding such talent! Congratulations, and yes, you should do something with all that talent and the lovely pieces you make. Secondly, I would love a craft thread or collaborative working thread, if that's what you mean (not sure I understood)...

First of all, thank you, and second, THAT'S A MOTION PASSED. We should agitate for it, but certainly start with a thread ....

Circe,
Your work is stunningly professional level looking and you do quite a variety of work. It would be great if PS allows a new subsection for crafters.

Chrono, thank you! And,

And in a big 'ole game of catch up ... Starzin, LD, I LOVE what you're doing with beads. And LD ... you're getting some awesome results with the charms and the lilies. Are you using lost wax, or that silver clay, or ...? Because, damn, like somebody else said, AMAZING PROGRESS. These last pieces are pro-quality!!!

 

[Circe]

And, responding to more recent posts ....

Circe: That is one lovely ring! *_*

Michelle, thank you! I kept staring at all those gorgeous, bulbous-galleried pieces coming out from JBEG and ERD and I finally just had to have one to see how it would wear. It was an interesting learning curve making it!

Circe that looks professional! I love the gallery too. If you please, more shots would be great including a dead on shot looking down at in on your hand. In the meantime, I'll patiently wait, being totally impressed with you!

Minous, merci! I managed to miss that angle in my quick-and-dirty photo-shoot, but I also forgot Starzin wanted to see the finished little house, so methinks the camera will be coming out again tomorrow. The stone is something like ... 9 by 11? Just off round. So it faces up more or less like a three-carat stone, measurement-wise. I should take a shot of it by my anniversary ring, actually: I was actually surprised by how a bigger stone in a bezel didn't have that much more presence on the hand than a smaller stone in a fishtail prong setting. Guess what my next project will be?

Circe! Wowzers! I agree that we need many more pictures.

LD - gorgeous silver work! I'm so impressed!

Rosebloom, thank you! I need sunlight. SUNLIGHT, I tell you! I feel like a plant wilting on the ledge in NY these days. Blah, late January.

Aside: LD, your calla lilies are to die for. I would snap that up, if I saw them listed somewhere. And I'm kind of madly in love with the leaf. What are you planning to do with that design? It'd make for an amazing earring ....

I did snap a few actually in-focus shots, even managing to capture the milgrain: I kept looking at the tri-wire shank in dissatisfaction before filing it down to a knife-edge, which is another look I'd been wanting to check out! But the tri-wire is going to be the next experiment. You know, like the vintage style so beloved of Fay Cullen, with the wire shoulders? Anyway. In the meantime ....

 

[Starzin]

I'll third that! I'd love to see a jewellery craft section perhaps splitting the techniques into silversmithing, wirework, polymerclay etc

 

[Starzin]

Hey! Just saw the new pics and it's looks even BETTER if that's possible. Wonderful work Circe!! Lovely ring!

 

[michellechan2211]

Circe: Maybe you should start a commission shop. XP It looked perfect!

And LD: This just kindasorta made me want the half eternity to be done in bronze/copper. I really like the color much more than rose gold or silver... Its lovely and perfect <3

 

[bunnycat]

Look at all the fab talent in here!

Circe! That ring is fantastic! And LD- love those calla shapes!

I make glass beads mainly but also dabble in jewelry now and then, but am woefully out of practice. What I do most days is called lampworking. In a nutshell, it's basically heating rods of glass and wrap them around a coated steel mandrel and shape them. The beads get made in to jewelry most of the time, by me or someone out there who's generally much more talented! Usually I am just the starting point in the process