Next to a seed bead project that proceeds very very slowly I have been playing with wire again. After having worked on a basis of trial and error I decided I might buy a book to give me a little more to go on and teach me new techniques that I could not figure out from pictures of finished jewellery on the web. Some time ago I came across Sharilyn Miller's blog and really fell for her Elemental Necklace (among other things). Scrutiny of the pictures revealed that there must be a frame hidden underneath all that riot of stones and pearls, that the stones themselves were set in simple basket weave, but how did it all come together? and what gauge to use to carry such a heavy load? etc. So I ordered a book from her hand. A few days ago it came in the mail, and even though I did not have the right wire - believe me, when she says 'dead soft' don't try half hard! - I went ahead and made Something. Tomorrow I will give it to my sister so this is a goodbye picture.
I don't usually follow a tutorial design, but this time I did because it's such a cool, timeless pin. To age it, I held it in a flame. Now it looks as if it has been buried for a long time, an archeological find. In the Allard Pierson museum here in Amsterdam you can find similar pins, from Roman sites. I am quite taken with it, hope my sister - yes, she the Goddess of Felting - will like it and give it a place of honour on one of her fabulous scarves. Another goodbye picture, but this one I will make again for my own pleasure (and probably some more to sell).
Finally a pair of earrings I made some time ago. I love the combination of copper and green, and the glass hearts just needed to be put into some kind of earring. A spring love theme, leaves and hearts.
