Mixed metal bracelet

Silversmith class is now on a break for the summer.  I managed to finish off a piece I was working on before we broke up.  Originally this was going to be a necklace, but it morphed into a bracelet.  I am NOW working on the matching necklace!

I showed you in a previous post how I made these rings.  I made soldered rings in copper and silver, then make a series of jump rings from 1mm silver and copper wire to join them together.  I have not copper plated the solder on the copper rings (it would copper plate the silver too!), but I don't think it's that jarring.

I made the toggle clasp from a piece of 2mm square silver wire which I left unhammered to create contrast with the hammered rings.  I soldered half a jump ring on the back and attached it with rings.  It slips through the end circle on the bracelet to do up.

This is the second bracelet I've made from large links and I love it!  It goes very well with my Adidas Superstars which have copper stripes!

I've assembled most of the necklace I'm making, I'm just soldering the jump rings (and there are loads!), but it won't be touched again until September.  Hope I don't forget about it!

Soldering rings

I am rapidly running out of things to show you - hence the lack of posting.  I have this project on the go, and I finished a quilt yesterday which I'll show soon.  Beyond that, I have 2 half finished bags and that's pretty much it!  I honestly don't know where time goes these days.  I have less house work to do as I don't make such a mess as the ex did, so why don't I have time to craft?

Anyway, here's what I've been up to in silversmithing class.

Soldering rings!  That's an elicit shot - if my tutor had seen me take that I would have got a health and safety telling off!  I soldered tons of them.  Copper ones and silver ones.  The plan was to make a simple link bracelet.

I seem to have caught the solder just beginning to melt on this photo!

Here above is the pile of unsoldered rings and the two I'd done.  You can seen how the metal changes colour with the heat.

When they were all soldered I ran them through the rolling mill to make them nice and squashed.  I think this is 2mm round wire I was using.  I love the look of this little pile.

Next, I filed and sanded them, and then took the hammer to them to add some texture.

After making some smaller rings in silver, I dumped them on the table and my tutor remarked that they'd make a nice statement necklace rather than a bracelet.  I spent quite some time messing around the with arrangement, couldn't come up with anything so used some of them to make a bracelet instead!  It's almost finished so I'll show you soon.  I do intend to make the necklace too, I just need to come up with a design.

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.

netted rivoli bracelet and some of the worst photos I've ever taken

Wonderful mum and I took another class at The Bead Shop Nottingham and afterwards I took some of the worst photos I've ever taken and I'm going to inflict them on you!

In the class we made a bracelet made of small components joined together.  There is a rivoli in the centre of each one (it's like a crystal with a pointy back so the light shines through it) and we used a netting stitch and size 11/0 seed beads to make the cages to trap the rivolis in.

I took a few different photos trying to find a decent shot.  Didn't happen.

The other item is a larger rivoli of the same greenish colour.  I wanted to have a go at making a larger cage for the larger rivoli to make a pendent.  I was just experimenting here and I haven't finished it off.

In the class Steph, the tutor, was making a pendent from some of the larger rivolis, and I bought some clear ones to take home with me to make a similar design.  I chose some gorgeous sage seed beads and beaded up the necklace...

Blerghhh!  OK, so the photo is terrible, the lighting is off as I took it at night, but I think you can still see how insipid and dirty looking and just bloody dull that colour is!  I ripped it back.  I'm now having a (quite long) think about which colours to use instead.  

mini button bracelet

At the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC back in February (I think...) I bought a pattern and the beads to make a bracelet and then promptly forgot about it.  The stall holder was wearing the bracelet and we asked if she had a pattern.  She sold it to us for 50p.  When I opened the bag last week to make this bracelet, I noticed that the pattern was by Sabine Lippert!  I'm sure she shouldn't have been selling that pattern - it's just a page photocopied, not a fancy pattern.

The pattern called for Super8s.  In the bag were size 11/0 and 15/0 sead beads, button beads, fire polished crystals (which I remember we'd substituted for the bicones asked for) and some Mini Duos.  I decided I must have bought the Mini Duos as I liked the colour and that the pattern needed the standard Superduos.  No idea why I thought that.  After doing two rounds, I googled Super8 beads and found they're the same dimensions as the Mini Duos...  The sample at the top is done with the Mini Duos, the bottom one with the Superduos.  You can see a difference in size, but I think the pattern would probably work with both.

I just could not get the tension right on this project.  Some squares are far too tight and are kind of curled over at the edges with the button bead popping out the centre.  Others are too loose with the thread showing.

And of course, decent photos were not to be had...

bobbin lace

At the start of last year I cracked open a House of Crafts Bobbin Lace kit and had a go - you can see the results in this post.  For some reason, me being me probably, I didn't pick it up again.  When a bobbin lace class appeared on the 2016 class schedule at The Bead Shop Nottingham, mum fancied a go so I thought I'd give it another try, maybe some tuition would help.

The equipment required is a hay pillow (a large, flat cushion stuffed with hay that means the pins go in and don't wiggle around), sets of bobbins (the beaded spangles on the bottom are to distinguish them), a pricking pattern, pins and some kind of thread.  As we were making jewellery we used S-lon cord which is a thinnish cord.  It is not stranded which helps immensely!  The first stage was to wind the cord onto the bobbins in pairs.  It took bloody ages!  The damn stuff kept slipping off.

Here is the start of my bracelet.  I have to say, I have absolutely no idea what happened here or how this was made.  The teacher opted for the don't-bother-showing-or-telling-them-what-to-do-just-do-it-for-them method of teaching.  I'd like to point out she's not a member of the Bead Shop staff.  I was, to put it mildly, a bit frustrated by this.

Anyway, we soon figured out the actual body of the bracelet and I got the pattern.  It was pretty easy once I got going.  There was supposed to be a row of beads down the sides, but I kept forgetting to push them up so my beads are random.  On purpose, of course.

Twisty!  Here's what the finished article looks like.

I added the buttons for the closure at home.  I just kind of wung it and tied and glued and cut and hoped for the best.

Not the neatest closure.  I had to go for two buttons as in the initial teacher-doing-it-for-me bit, she made the closure loop and I didn't have any buttons big enough to fit it!

It was interesting, and after the initial disappointment, I rather enjoyed it.  AND, I can say I'll be doing this again as I already have!  I've picked up that kit again and I'm a couple of flowers in... that reminds me, I haven't taken any photos...

Silver bracelet

I finally finished another piece in silversmithing class.  I actually finished it a couple of weeks ago but keep forgetting to take photos as it's usually on my wrist rather than in a "to photograph" pile.

The task was to make a silver bracelet using links of soldered wire.  I chose to use a 1.5mm square wire, never one to make things easy on myself, I chose a wire that likes to twist itself round whilst you're trying to solder it!

I made 6 large links - they're about 1", then a slightly smaller link to use as a clasp.  I made some small links which are just over 1/4" to link them together.  I spent a LOT of time filing, sanding and polishing these links so the solder joint is completely invisible.

I made the toggle clasp using a piece of the wire which I hammered to get a lovely texture, I then soldered a little half-circle to the back which I could use to attach it to the bracelet with the jump rings I'd made.  When I put it all together, it was too big.  I was going to discard the link I'd made for the clasp but was worried the toggle would fall out of the larger link, so I experimented with putting the two inside each other and a design was born!

I am incredibly proud of this bracelet.  It took me many hours to make (mostly sanding!) and I love the accidental design.  It's barely been off my wrist and I was no opportunity to shove it in someone's face and say "I made this"!  Next up in silversmithing is a bezel-set cabochon ring.  No idea what that is?  You'll find out...  Just give me a few more weeks to do some serious sanding!

kumihimo with beads

Whilst doing a bit of blog hopping yesterday, I came across a blog called... the crafter's apprentice.  It's a wordpress blog, set up in 2014 (I've been here since 2010).  Surely it's unlikely that someone else would think up the same strange blog name and not check if it's already taken?  I feel a bit strange about it.

My experiments with Kumihimo braiding began in August 2013 and lasted most of the summer.  I don't think I've touched my discs since, but I've always wanted to try kumihimo with beads.  I bought a kit to make a beaded braid at one of the shows and I finally took it out and had a go.

It was really easy.  This is a mixture of pearls and glass faceted beads, so it's nice and sparkly.  Hard to get a photo of...  Unfortunately, there's a major flaw which I discovered the next day when I put it on.  The clasp is absolutely pants.  I doesn't work.  That little toggle is far too small and just drops out and down the bracelet falls!

The toggle is part of the end cap which is glued in so I have no idea how to fix this.  Anyone got any bright ideas?