Still Thinking

I've continued with the fish theme (still thinking of summer) and have designed some fun new pieces including necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.  I call these new pieces part of the "minnow series":

Two minnow bracelets; top bracelet with three silver minnows and one 18k yellow gold minnow linked with silver jumprings.  The second bracelet has 5 sterling silver linked minnows with a hook clasp.

This necklace is 30 inches long and hangs lightly around the neck.  It is made from 10 silver minnows that are linked with even lengths of sterling silver rolo chain.

Another necklace is made with 5 sterling silver minnows that are linked with flat, oval, blue kyanite beads.  It's 16 inches long and is ready for summer fun. 

One last picture for the night--a pair of silver hooked fish earrings.   

I guess I'm "hooked" on fish for the time being.  Keep an eye out for more jewelry designs coming soon. 

Thinking of Summer

The little blast of spring weather made me dream of summer and warm sunshine.  After some brainstorming and inspiring talk with Mom, I was prompted to think of some new designs with summer as inspiration. 

Fish--what could be more summer-like?!

I started by sawing out little minnows and larger fish shapes.

Here are the minnows on the soldering block.  They are awaiting the torch to solder the jumprings to their mouths.  

After working up the fish pendants, I started playing with watery-color beads.  Here's a couple in process.

And finally the finished pieces:

A large alewife pendant strung on blue chalcedony beads.  I think my favorite part is the fish clasp.  I like to pay particular attention to the finishing of necklaces--the clasp is as important as the pendant and also adds interest and design to the back side of the necklace.  

 These silver minnows are one inch high and strung with watery-green apatite coin beads. 

And the last piece for today is a large sunfinsh pendant strung on a double strand of amazonite coin beads.  

It's a great start to some summer inventory.  There are more fish-inspired pieces to come, I only wish the weather was as cooperative!  It's snowing--again!

Necklaces

Have I ever said that I really LOVE making necklaces?!  Well I do and I can't help myself.  Long, short, chunky, fine, beaded, metal, or pearls, I love the impact of jewels around the neck.  Whenever I go into my studio and I don't know what to do, I'm always drawn into creating a necklace and here is one of the latest designs:  

  

Flat turquoise beads are strung with two sizes of handmade double dome reticulated beads and finished with a sterling hook and eye clasp.  I used little 3mm round sterling beads between all the beads--it brings attention to each and allows for a gentle separation. 

Here's a close up of one of the double dome beads.  It is one inch around, knowing that you can see the turquoise beads range in size from wider than 2+ inches to the smallest at about 3/4 of an inch wide.  The turquoise color is bright and clean and fresh and mixed with the silver beads exudes a modern, yet classic look. 

Spring has been in the air the last few days.  Just wait to see what's coming next!

A Knockout Necklace

As you can see by the last number of posts, I am still hooked on creating in my reticulation series.  I'm using the same technique, but trying to mix it up a bit and think I've really made something with this necklace.  

Perhaps you remember these beautiful black tourmaline beads?  I've been looking at them for months and finally the design came to me...I reticulated and then hand formed the hollow silver beads in a similar shape to the tourmaline; embellished the beads with silver balls and small silver jump rings around the bead holes.  The design is meant to be slightly off-center with a hidden box clasp in the back bead.  Here are a couple of details of the beads:

It sits comfortably like a collar, flat around your neck AND the black tourmaline beads are perfectly smooth against your skin. 

More new designs using this same technique are coming along.  Watch for more soon--exciting things are happening!

Doodling

I've always been a doodler.  Writing and scribbling on everything--working through thoughts and ideas.  I found it was important to keep my mind busy and so I still doodle.  These days not only do I doodle on paper, but I "scribble" in three-dimensions as well.

I call these rings doodles.  I had an idea, but needed to work through it and it wasn't happening on a piece of paper.  So I grabbed some metal and got busy.

These were made in the same fashion as the cuffs--reticulated silver, fused and soldered and then embellished with balls and bars.  Some are simple, while others are busy.  I think a couple are more successful than others, but each one serves as a step toward what's next.