Copper and silver necklace

There'll be no review of 2018 or goals for 2019 from me.  I did so little craft last year, I can barely believe it.  I would like to craft more this year, but I'm not putting any pressure on myself, so I'll make what I make and post when I post!

I finished this necklace before Christmas.  I've shown you peeks of me making it.  In this post from March last year, I showed you a bit of the technique!  Making soldered chain IS a time-consuming process, but I'm also quite slow and made various other things at the same time!

It's made from copper and sterling silver.  I made large jump rings, soldered them and cleaned them up, then rolled them through the rolling mill to flatten them.  They were then hammered to add texture.  I then made what felt like about a gazillion small jump rings and soldered it all together.  I then spent a LONG time filing and sanding each and every link!

It is finished with a hand made and hammered toggle clasp.  I love it.  I love mixed metal jewellery and I love rings like this.  I'm not sure I'd embark on making another chain from scratch though!

Silver and gold necklace

I managed to start and finish a piece of silver jewellery in just a couple of weeks rather than a few months or a year or more!  OK, so I started it back in July before the summer break, but technically it was only a few weeks!  

I thought I had some process photos of this necklace, but I can't find them so maybe I don't.  I used argentium, which I used before making my brother's ring, and again I used pieces of my mum's wedding ring.

I pierced out the five pieces of argentium in varying sizes and cleaned them up.  I punched the circles from mum's wedding ring using the hydrolic press and my circle punch kit.  The original idea was to completely inlay them into the silver batons, as I did with my brother's ring.  After fusing the gold to the argentium, I loved the way they protruded, so decided not to roll them in.

I bought some thin tube and the omega chain, then cut the tube to fit the backs of the batons.  I soldered them in place before cleaning everything up.  I then cut more pieces of tube to act as spacers.

You can see them on the photo above.  Then it was just a case of threading everything on to the chain and resoldering the clasp.  Job done!  This is a necklace I will treasure.

A memory ring

I actually finished this ring a few weeks ago, but I have been struck with a mystery virus which means I've mainly been lying on the sofa, watching TV and moaning.

When we lost mum, I kept hold of her wedding ring.  My dad is the most unsentimental person in the world and treasures his memories of mum rather than her possessions.  I am not over sentimental, but this is her wedding ring.  However, I don't much like yellow gold, it's far too big for me and it's not something I would wear.  After a quick discussion with my brother, we decided I'd make a piece of jewellery for each of us using some of mum's ring.

My brother wanted a skinny ring.  After seeing a demo by my silversmithing tutor a couple of months ago on how to inlay gold into silver, I knew what I was going to do.  The wire in the picture above is argentium.  It is basically sterling silver with 1% of an element called Geranium in it.  This means it doesn't need soldering and will fuse to itself.  This was my first time using it.  The ring is mum's wedding ring.

I pierced a piece out with a saw and filed the edges.  This was incredibly emotional.  I didn't think it would effect me like that, but it did.

The sliver of yellow gold was then inlaid on the silver wire before forming it into a ring.  I don't have many pictures of the process, but I took a few of the finished ring.  I hope you can make it out.  After picking, filing, sanding and barrel polishing, the yellow gold went very dull and hard to make out.  My brother reports that it is becoming more yellow as he wears it.

The yellow is to the right of the centre in this photo.  You can also see where I fused it at the back.  I didn't do a great job, but the lack of solder meant I couldn't hide the join more.

The sliver is more obvious in this photo.

Next up is a pendent for me.  Not sure if you'll see it soon as we only have 3 more classes left before the summer break and I've also been working on a necklace for the past 300 years that I'm trying to finish!

The anklets of doom

A bit of a dramatic title perhaps?  Hmmm.  For some simple stringing to make some simple jewellery, it's been a right palaver!

It's summer and, for once, we're having a hot one in England!  OK, not every day, but some days.  And that's enough for me.  Because of the nice weather, I've been wearing cut of trousers with my usual trainers.  I needed a bit of bling on my ankle.  I found these flower beads in mum's craft stash, added some Swarovski crystals, some beading wire, crimp beads and a clasp.  

This was made in the same way with a variety of beads: cheap crystals, millifiore beads, drops and some cool black nickel donuts.  I had everything in my stash and it took minutes to string.

Then I wore them.  And the crimps came undone.  And they fell apart.  

So I restrung them, this time using nymo thread and knots.  

And the flower one stretched and fell under my foot.

Back to the drawing board....

Silver triangle

I know my silversmithing posts aren't very popular, but I do want to keep this blog as a journal for me too, so I'm going to post about it anyway!  Also, I love this piece, I'm so proud of it.

I posted about my copper triangle at the end of last year.  I then went on to make one out of silver and I'm in love with it!

This is a hollow form.  It's made with 0.8mm sheet silver, cut and soldered together and then filed to remove the joins.  The top piece has been textured by rolling it through a mill with a piece of fabric.

After finishing, I drilled a hole across one of the points to string it.

The back was polished to perfection, but I've worn it a lot and it's become marked already!

I strung it on a pre-bought sterling-silver chain.  I think it works perfectly with the design.  Now I just need to string the copper version...

checkerboard bracelet

Happy Boxing Day!  I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have eaten and drunk far too much?

Today's post is a bracelet I made at a workshop at The Bead Shop Nottingham last month.  I wore it on Friday and realised that I hadn't blogged about it.

It's a Right Angle Weave bracelet made of fire polished beads.  The class sample was a single colour, but I wanted to make a checkerboard effect.  The photo above was taken in the class and shows a range of sample edgings I was adding as I'd finished it quite quickly.  I made a few, then decided on one and so undid it.

The bottom edge is the same as the pattern that Steph wrote for the workshop.  The top edge is my own design, I think it looks like lace.

I love the fire polished beads, I wish I'd bought some now!

Stamped silver bangle

Silversmithing class started again in September but I don't really have much to show.  I made this bangle before the summer break, but finished it off and polished it in the first class back.

It's made from 3.5mm round sterling silver wire.  I formed it, cut and soldered, then filed and polished.  Before it was formed I stamped on it. I stamped the word miłość (Polish for love).  The third letter is pronounced like a W and clearly we didn't have a stamp for that, or the accents, so I improvised.  I added a pattern using various sized hole cutters, but obviously didn't punch all the way through!  I wasn't very happy with how it turned out.  The large hole cutters didn't make a very even mark on the metal.

I can also see the join.  I filed it down and sanded it, but I took off so much silver that I can see that it's slightly thinner in that area.  I should have continued stamping after it was soldered to continue the pattern, but decided to leave it on the front only.

I had also planned to make a copper bangle the same size, but I haven't got round to it.  I've only worn the bangle once or twice as I actually find it really annoying, especially at work as it bangs on the desk as I type!

Never mind, not everything can be successful!

more finishing

As I mention, a lot, I've not been crafting much outside the classes I take with mum, but I have been doing something, I've been finishing a few things off.

I made these enamelled copper pieces at the Manor House hotel, 2 years ago now.  You can see the original post http://thecraftersapprentice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/manor-house-enamelling.html.  They have been lying in my jewellery WIP box ever since.  I'd open it, look at them, put them back and forget about them!  This time I took them out so I wouldn't forget and they sat on the table for a couple of months instead!

I made each one a different pendent, using various pieces of chain I have.  I often buy fancy chain at craft shows and this seemed a good use for it as it can overwhelm a beaded pendant.  I've forgotten how to spell pendant again.  I could have made kumihimo or beadwoven straps for them, but I quite like them simple.

In my last finishing post, I showed you that I'd finished this goldwork piece.  I had to order an embroidery hoop for it as I wanted a 4" hoop but only had 3" or 5" ones at home.  Then it took me an age to decorate it as I wanted to paint it but couldn't find my paints anywhere.  I still can't find them and, as I'm sitting here typing this, I remember where I put them!  Too late now.  I decopatched it instead.

I chose red, gold and silver papers and stuck then down in the same order each time.  I'm not sure if this will damage the embroidery, but then it's hardly a heirloom piece and I don't have any heirs anyway!

Finally, I finished these pieces.  I made a really long red kumihimo cord, then cut it into two.  I threaded a bell flower on the necklace piece and made the other piece into a double-wrap bracelet.  I'd be nice with some charms on it so I may add to it at some stage.  The necklace on the right was actually made by my friend Kerry, but the ribbon was too long.  I'm short and very chesty and long necklaces looks stupid on me and are probably dangerous with the way they swing!  I shortened it by a few inches and added new ribbon clasps.

Now I just need to buy some red clothes...

frilly flowers

Today's post is about a beading class we took at The Bead Shop Nottingham with guest tutor Kerrie Slade.  It took place during National Beading Week which was at the beginning of August.  I'm definitely not one of these bloggers that makes something in the morning and posts about it in the afternoon!

We learned to make these lovely daisies.  They are made using 8mm Swarovski pearls in the centre, we brick stitched around them using size 11/0 delicas which are cylindrical beads so sit together really nicely.  I couldn't make my mind up which colours to use, so used them both!  The daisies weren't too difficult, but were quite time consuming and I only got these three done in the class.

You might be able to see the loop on the right.  In the pattern there is a loop on each end of the bracelet and it is fastened with a ribbon.  This is really not a look that I like, so I decided to put the loop on one end and make a toggle for the other.

I made a toggle using the delicas and following instructions in one of Beth Stone's excellent books.  I much prefer it like this.

Luckily the toggle fits nicely through the loop and neither is too big.

The class sample had 6 flowers, but was too tight for me, even though I have quite small wrists.  I made 7 flowers and it has enough dangle in it.

I have to confess.  The class may have been in August, but I didn't actually finish this until the end of September!  At least I got it done though!

Bugling

I know it seems like I'm only posting stuff that I've made in classes over the last few months, but that's all the making I've been doing.  I'm seriously worried that my creative motivation has upped and left me for good.  I can concentrate in a class, and really enjoy it, but crafting in my own time just doesn't happen.  

So today is the result of another class, this one was at The Bead Shop Nottingham and involved a bit of bead weaving using bugle beads which I've never used before.  Bugle beads are the small, long, tubular beads that you see a lot.

You can see them in the picture above.  On the left are silver 11/0 sead beads, then the blue bugles and then Swarovski bi-cones.  Aren't those bugles a beautiful colour?  Steph, the tutor, had made a sample using those silver and blue shades with red bicone crystals.  I chose to use the same colours as I love them, though I changed the crystals for purple ones. 

I finished this in the class, but it took longer than it usually would.  I just couldn't get my head round it.  I think this class was just after I'd had a change in medication and was suffering from terrible brain fog.  I saw someone on Facebook recently sneering at the term "brain fog" but actually it's a thing and it's really unpleasant.  

I really love the design of this bracelet, I think it's quite Art Deco and I really love the Art Deco style.

It's finished with a toggle clasp, which is my favourite kind of clasp.  Instead of attaching a metal one, we used an empty diamond and made a toggle to pass through it to fasten the bracelet.

More craft class news coming up, and feel free to try to kick me back into crafting, I really need it in my life and feel a loss because of it.

cabochon ring

I have another silversmithing project that I haven't yet shared, and, as I wrote that, I remembered that I've been working on a bracelet too and was meaning to finish it during the summer break!

This is a cabochon ring.  A cabochon is a flat backed stone (or piece of resin, plastic, whatever), I've used them before in bead weaving and bead embroidery.  To mount a cabochon, using whatever technique, you create a bezel, in this case a strip of silver which surrounds the stone.

When I bought the supplies for this project, I didn't want to spend too much money and luckily, the stone I liked the best was this blue goldstone.  I think it cost me all of £1.90.  I don't have it on as I type this, so I can't check, but I think it's about 8mm diameter.

The process is to cut a piece of bezel strip (thin silver) to the right height using tin snips.  The day we made this I had terrible shakes due to the medication withdrawal so Lisa (the tutor) had to do it for me.  Usually I hate a tutor doing any part of my project for me, but I had no choice, I just couldn't do it, the fact they were right handed tin snips and I'm left handed didn't help but I'm usually quite good with right handed tools.  I formed it into a circle to fit the stone, then soldered it to a piece of 0.8mm silver sheet, I then pierced out around it with a jewellery saw.  The stone was put into place and then the top of the bezel strip is pushed down on to the top of the ring, just slightly round the edges so the stone can't escape.

I made a simple ring from 2mm round wire, though of course you could use any kind of wire, or flat sheet, you could texture it or stamp it first... the possibilities are endless.  I found it a really fiddly process and couldn't see myself doing it again, but I like the finished ring and I bought another stone at the same time (can't remember what it is now!) so I might have to try another.

More finishing things off

I did a post a few weeks ago about some languishing UFOs which I'd finally finished.  Well I've finished some more.

This bead embroidered pendent was made in October 2015, you can see the original post here.

When I was putting pendents on chains the other week, I tried this one on a chain, but it wasn't right.  it needed something different.  I thought I'd try a beaded rope so I got out some suitable seed beads and my copy of Seed Bead Stitching by Beth Stone.

The photo above shows the samples I made.  On the left is a spiral which just didn't look right, I can't remember what the middle one is, and the one on the right is a peyote tube.  I really like the peyote tube but it was too big for this pendent.  Instead I chose a tri-stitch from Bead Play everyday, also by Beth Stone.

I didn't take a close up of the beaded chain but it is quite delicate.  I've worn this a few times recently.

I can't find the origins of this project.  It was cross stitched a long time ago, at least 4 years I think.  All it needed was stuffing and the turning gap sewing up.  I'd neglected it so long as I'd cut the linen too close to the seam and it was fraying.

I put lavender in it and sewed it up as best I could.  It now lives in my knicker drawer so I don't suppose the messy seam matters.

Finally I have this rather strange bunny to show you.  Again, I can't find a post about him, but I think I made him before my nephew was born and he's 4 now.

I made the pattern up myself, I have no idea where I got the idea for such a weird bunny from!  The pink bits on the ears are appliqued and I embroidered a face, but I used a pale pink so it's barely visible.

All I had to do on this fella was stuff him, sew up the turning gap and sew on his tail.  There were three different pompoms with him so I selected the one below.

I wasn't sure what to do with him, I was just pleased to get him out of the UFO basket (or rather drawer, though I do have UFO baskets, and bags and piles...) so he lives with my Jellycat bunnies in the bedroom.

I've got to keep on top of this finishing off, I must have scores of UFOs...