Another variation, on the same theme :-)

A while ago, I promised to show you another variation on the same basic idea. After the circle, rectangle, square and oval, this is a rhomb, and this time the flower has coral beads on its “petals”, too. I promise, no more versions of this

 

The beginning of a new era

My favourite colours are orange, red, green, brown – it’s only natural that I like to use copper wire for creating my jewelry: it can have a great, rich tone and texture (especially when hammered and oxidized), and it goes perfectly with the beads and stones of the above mentioned colours.

Lately, however, more and more people have suggested that I should try using silver plated wire as well, because there are people – potential buyers -, who prefer that. I’ve tried. Here you have the result that – to my surprise – are not so far from my taste either.

 

Variations on the same theme

I have already shown you the original idea in the Reminders of the summer post (the first photo), but I didn’t stop there: I tried it with circle, ractangle, square (and even with rhomb, but that is a different story, I will post it later). My favourite is the big, round one with the aventurine bead (first photo).

 

 

 

 

Original?

Originality is a delicate question in the world of handmade. When is it taking inspiration, and when copying? Are there any designs nobody has thought about so far? Can we make something totally original?

When I crated this pendant, I was proud of myself: I designed something I have never seem among other wire-artists’ works. When I showed it to a group of “colleagues”, however, immediately came the comment: very nice, but she has seen it already I don’t know where. First I was disappointed, but then I came to the conclusion, that for me I am the inventor, and that is enough originality for now

 

 

Reminders of the summer

I made these small pendants a while ago, in the last days of the summer. Both are made of cooper wire and this time I didn’t oxidize it. The center of the flower pattern is a coral bead, and the 8-shaped pendant contains two glass beads. Two joyful reminders of the summer in the dark days of the autumn.

 

Simple and feminine

These are the first pieces of jewelry I’ve designed for someone else: my college roommate and friend. This way it was easier for me not to keep this set for myself (I have problems in that department , and it was an interesting process to try to come up with a design and materials to suit somebody’s personality. I think it was a successful attempt The elegant rose quartz coins are framed by a simple wire pattern, and the boiled egg treatment gave the pieces a nice, antique-y feeling.

 

 

 

 

Drops of coral

This set is my absolute favorite so far! The coral drops are so beautiful, they have such a rich texture that I only tried to frame them with this simple shape of oxidized copper wire. I think it is a successful combo

 

 

If my grandfather knew… :-)

I have been looking for some time for natural copper wire. I wanted to try it because it can be hammered and oxidized. When I finally managed to order a few meters, I started experimenting with a simple pendant, with some glass pearls. I used a hard boiled egg to oxidize it (the method can be found here). After a few hours, the pendant was covered by black dust. After cleaning and polishing, a rich color started to show, which I instantly fell in love with. I will surely use this method again, although I don’t know, what my grandfather would think if he knew what I did with the eggs laid by his chickens.

Before – after:

 

Almost everything in one

Rose quartz, tulip – almost everything that tends to recur in my jewelry. This pendant is, however, a first in one aspect: it was designed based on a drawing by someone else.

At the end of our vacation, while cleaning the house where I spent a few days with friends, I found a piece of paper one of my friend had drawn a pendant design on. At home, I redrew it to be “wire-suitable”, I found the perfect rose quartz coins  - and this is the result. It can almost be worn on both sides: the back is really nice, too.

 

 

 

Another tulip

… at least that is what this pendant most looks like. It was meant to become an earring, but while making it I realized it was to big for that, so it turned out to be a pendant. Lucky me: I didn’t have to make another one   I included in it three of my last tiny coral beads.