Tag: jewelry

Throwback Thursday: beaded daisy sculpture

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

Back in June of 2012 I was still making jewelry to enter into the Fire Mountain Gem contest. I was just starting to put my head toward marketing and using purchased elements rather than components made from scratch. The contest really is to motivate buyers to purchase from the company, so the designs that win need to have a wow factor and inspire makers to buy. Custom sculpted elements aren’t usually in the standard beaders repertoire.

I fell short of the mark on this design. I love it, but it did not make the short list in the contest. I used a purchased wire knit chain and braided it, used purchased ribbon ends and clasp, and built a daisy pin using plated button and pin findings, crystal petals, crystal beads, and seed beads.

Photo description: daisy pin necklace with Viking knit chain and crystal beaded pin
Photo description: closeup of the daisy pin center
Photo description: side view of the pin, showing a peek of the base elements

I certainly had a long list of purchased elements, but maybe my color scheme didn’t fit what the judges were looking for, or I used difficult to decipher techniques. Hard to tell. I was getting better taking project photos, though.

Throwback Thursday: butterfly wings

On By CarynIn Craft, Insects

Here is a quick project for found butterfly wings. We often find deceased butterflies in the yard, and in December 2011, we had some amazingly intact wings. Jewelry sections of hobby stores often have premade pendant frames that are two pieces of thin glass or plastic held together with a metal frame. I found these square frames, opened them, and carefully cut the butterfly wings to fit the glass.

Photo description: four square framed pendants with monarch butterfly wings sandwiched between glass

I am amazed at the durability of these pendants. I decided they looked better on our tree, so rather than necklaces, I made them into ornaments by adding a hook. They are some of my favorite ornaments and are still gracing our tree 13 years later.

Jewelry repair: teardrop pendant

On By CarynIn Craft

Here is another requested repair from my mother-in-law. This is a pretty nested tear drop design made from several colored loops. Here, the component holding all the loops broke in half.

Photo description: four layer teardrop pendant with broken connecting link (upside down)

Rather than glue the link back together, which surely would have broken again, I crafted a new linkage from twisted square sterling silver wire. I liked the rustic look of the twisted wire, and how it coordinated with the existing loops.

Photo description: looped twisted square sterling silver wire holding the tear drop loops

I did accidentally break the silver colored tear drop, but a little sanding removed the burr and I was able to still use it in the repaired pendant.

Photo description: repaired pendant as it would hang on the chain

Did I remember to take a photo of the pendant on the chain? Sigh, no.

Throwback Thursday: button necklace

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

In September 2011 I was experimenting with ways to make jewelry from buttons without destroying the button. One of Grandma’s pet peeves was when buttons had been glued or cut to “upcycle” them (she was a button collector).

I came up with a wire wrap that utilized a four hole button, making it into a link component.

Photo description: first step of a button spiral cluster using two pieces of 20 gauge sterling silver wire threaded though hand made wire coils, then the button holes, then interlocked
Photo description: step 2 begins making each leg of wire into a spiral
Photo description: close up of finished spiral cluster securing a button nondestructively
Photo description: full necklace with identical buttons wire wrapped in silver

I actually took production photos for this necklace, for which I am now very thankful.

Jewelry repair: bracelet

On By CarynIn Craft

My mother-in-law asked me to take a look at a broken bracelet. It is a lovely piece with metal beads and a metal focal, that was strung with elastic. The elastic had been knotted and fitted with knot covers that then connected to jump rings, and those knot covers were where the elastic failed. Knot covers are risky jewelry components. They work well for silk strung lightweight beads with a large solid knot that will hold inside the knot cover. Elastic is hard to knot securely, especially at the end. Metal beads are also hard on both elastic and silk, and tend to fray the stringing material faster than smooth beads.

Photo description: broken bracelet laid out on a bead board with remaining components

Rather than risk another elastic mishap, I switched the bracelet to a clasp style. The focal actually works well to receive a lobster style clasp. I used 49 strand beading wire with double crimp beads for durability and added some coordinating metal beads to make enough length that the bracelet is loose when clasped.

Photo description: repaired bracelet on a bead board
Photo description: bracelet shown clasped

I can’t guarantee the bracelet won’t break again. It is one of the reasons I don’t make and sell jewelry anymore: even well made jewelry wears out and is prone to breakage. I don’t mind this kind of fixing, though.

The other reasons I don’t make jewelry: over a third of booths at every craft show I’ve been to sell jewelry, and I don’t wear necklaces and rarely bracelets so I’m not even advertising my own work.