Saturday, January 21, 2012

Day 18 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

Wow!  We had a BUSY day at the shop today and my legs are tired!  It's been several weeks since i've had the chance to put out like that (just checking to see if anybody's reading this) and i'm feeling it!  Whew.  I need a lie-down.

OK.  Today's earrings are inspired by new product samples that one of our vendors had sent to us.  It's basically the "wrapped loop dangle(s)" approach and reminds me of the hammered silver earring from early on, but different beads and elements make this pair unique.

Supplies:
(2) curved tubes in matte silver (NEW finish from Gordon's Nevada)
(2) 6mm Swarovski rounds (blue zircon)
1 foot of 22gauge German style plated copper core wire by Beadsmith
(2) leverback plated ear wires
(2) 4mm plated open rings

Assemble, and Bob's yer uncle Frannie's yer aunt.

Just 347 pairs left to do.  How many pairs have you made?  Check out our earring group on Facebook.  There are some wild earring women on the loose!  You ought to get in on the fun.  Seriously.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Day 17 of Challenge 2012

The grandbaby is visiting tonight so the earrings were quick and easy - truly! - and today's post will be even shorter. 

(6) crystal discs
6mm round Swarovski crystal
(2) sterling bead tip headpins
24gauge plated wire
ear wires

See you tomorrow!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Day 16 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

There's been lots of conversation at the shop about this challenge of making 365 earrings in as many days.  And i will be the first to say it is silly and, really, what's the point?  The point is that its got folks talking about their creativity.  And it's got folks sitting down and expressing themselves through their craft.  Some are lucky enough to be able to create a lil sumthin every day.  Others are making a pair of earrings every so often.  Still others are on the bracelet a month track.  And the best part?  It's building a community of people who are sharing their love of making jewelry and who are reaching out to each other with words of encouragement and who are having fun together!  It makes me feel better just typing those words!  Play along.  Make something.  Post your photos on our earrings group Facebook page.  And,most importantly, enjoy!

Today was Late Night Thursday at the shop so Day 16's offering is as easy as i could make it.

I've had these apple green glass discs made by Melissa for a couple, three years.  They caught my eye as potential earrings early on in this adventure  (Look!  TWO of something!) and they've been lying on the mat waiting patiently.

When i used the ear wire design by  Denise Peck in the Feb-Mar 2012 issue of step by step Wire Jewelry magazine for Day 13, i knew i'd be using it again with these discs.  And sure enough, i did.  But this time i used 20gauge wire instead of 18gauge and i much prefer the smaller wire.

The design called for spacers which, of course, i didn't have on hand <sigh> so i made some out of 22gauge color coated copper core wire.  Black.  Spirals.  Ha ha!  Necessity is the mother of desperation or some such.  And with the copper wire for the ear wires, the design has a kind of freedom of expression about it that makes it fun.  Which is our theme for today and most days, so it's all good.

Supplies:
(2) 6inch pieces of 20gauge wire
(2) glass discs
scrap wire to make coiled spacers

Here they be.  Just 349 more fundays left!  Seriously?  Is that all?


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Day 15 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

Today was definitely going to be an easy breezy project.  And for the most part it was.

Except.....

I wanted to thread freshwater pearls onto the wire and they didn't fit.  Imagine that.  So instead of compromising my design (never!) and using a different bead, i pulled out that handy little tool we used with the corks back on Day 7.  It takes a bit o' time and a bit more patience, but i was able to ream out the holes for both pearls quite easily. I really think i'm just going to have to put that mini hand drill in my tool pouch and let Terry borrow it from me.

Supplies:
(2) 4inch pieces of 22gauge fancy round wire by Artistic Wire
(2) glass beads
(2) freshwater pearls
(2) 4mm jump rings
leverback ear wires

That fancy wire is quite soft but adds such a nice glint to the design that it's worth fussing with.  So i fussed with it a few times and finally got it to where i was satisfied.  Remember, this was to be an easy day.  The glass beads are a bit large and quite clear and the drill hole is obvious.  What to do.  What to do.

Ha!  Turn them on their sides!  That's what i did.  Day 15 is done.
Gone the sun.  From the lakes.  From the hills.  From the sky.
(Was anybody else a Girl Scout?)
All is well.  Safely rest.  God is nigh.

         And just nigh onto 350 days til i'm done.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Day 14 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

Bringin' in the big guns tonight!  Well...their bitty bullets anyways.  Terry bought me a brick of .45 brass shell casings as components for earrings.  Awww...it must be love!

He was also there to resolve the first - and for a change, only - problem of today's project.  The base metal head pins slipped right through the beads we had selected.  grrr.  And making a loop at the bottom of the bead spoiled the rounded look we were after.

So he took a length of 18gauge non-tarnish brass plated copper core wire, filed the cut end smooth, gripped the wire in a pair of pliers and then flattened the end with a brass hammer.  Sweeeeeeeeeet!


You can see the wire below the pliers if you look hard.  The copper core wire is soft enough and the 18gauge is big enough so that the wire flattens out into a headpin effect. 



Armed with perfect caliber headpins, it was a quick draw to Day 14's pair.  Bang!
Sure as shootin, we're aiming for just 351 more! 
Corny, no?




Monday, January 16, 2012

Day 13 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

Wow.  I should have more days off from work.  Here it is before dinner time and today's earrings are finished and i'm writing the blog.  Might even get to bed before midnight!

The design intent for today was to make a cage for...something.  Something undrilled.  Something unusual.  Something.  Anything.  Found a couple of stones that i thought would work.  Dyed a sorta pretty pinkish purple, these stones didn't need to be front and center.  They needed to be camoflauged.  Perfect.


First question:  How long a piece of wire does one need to make a cage for something that is approximately 20mm?   First answer:  I don't know.

My first attempt fell woefully short.  Then ten inches wasn't enough.  Twelve inches wasn't enough.  Any bigger and these caged stones would be too heavy for earrings.  OK.  I get it.  These stones are not going to be included in the earrings of the day.  But dang it!  I want to cage something!!  grrr.



Back to the cage made from the 10" piece of wire.  Good size and nicely done...hmmmm...

Searched around the house.  Found an old necklace i never wear.  Didn't like it then.  Don't like it now.  But the beads might work.  Colorful and, best of all, lightweight.  Let's cut that bad girl up and recycle a couple of those beads.  Perfect!

Supplies:
(2) 10" pieces of 18gauge brass plated copper core wire  (all wire is non-tarnish brass by Artistic Wire)
2 random beads (with holes)
(2) 4" pieces of 22gauge brass plated copper core wire (20gauge would have been better but....)
(2) 5" pieces of 18 guage brass plated copper core wire for earwires

To make a cage, start at one end of the wire and make a spiral to the middle of the wire.  Make a second spiral starting from the other end so that you have kind of an S shape.
Fold one spiral over the other and then pulll the wire from the ends to open the cage up a bit.  You can manipulate the wire to open it as much or as little as you like.
Insert bead and since these beads have holes, i threaded a wire through to attach them to the earrings.

Then inspiration struck!  I love when that happens. Instead of hanging the cages top to bottom from the earwires, i hung them SIDEWAYS!  Wowser!  They went from nice to neat-o!  From basic to da bomb!

Did my version of the briolette wrap.....

 

Then i made earwires following the design by Denise Peck in the Feb-Mar 2012 issue of step by step Wire Jewelry magazine.  Great idea but i'm not a fan of 18gauge wire for earwires.  It's just too big for my piercings.  Had i had 20gauge on hand i would have used that.  But i really like the possibilities for this earwire and will definitely keep it in my earring design book.

Day 13 presents.  I like this pair!  And just 352 likeable pairs to go.  I can dooooooooo it!

                                                 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Day 12 of Challenge 2012

I'm going to have to hurry to get this post written before midnight!

First, though.  Terry insisted i repost the photo from yesterday's earrings.  He said the earrings looked much darker than their actual color so here is a better photo.  Look!  You can actually see the white drops at the end of the chain.  Niiiice.  I see lots of potential using this basic earring design.  I like the long wire in the back.  You could definitely change the front wire and incorporate some different elements for a completely different look.

But onward.  We have Day 12 at hand! 

The inspiration for today's pair of earrings came from the hat band i've been making for Terry's black Stetson.  I've been making this hat band for, oh, three years?  But i'm thisclose to getting 'er done and since it is sitting out on the table begging to be finished, i used the colors in today's design.  Here's the as yet unfinished hat band.
This was my first real attempt at off loom beadwork.  It was to be a bracelet but i liked the design so much that i just kept stitching.  The pattern is an original design by - me! 

Today i had a little extra time so i figured i could finish a pair of fringe earrings using the Cheyenne Brick Stitch and a pattern from Irene Louise's book.  Hahahahaha!  I should so know better!

                                Picture of BK329-01, Cheyenne Stitch Vol 1
It took me soooooooooooooooo long that i ended up stopping halfway through the design and foregoing the fringe effect all together so that i could finish the second earring.  But i really like this stitch and will definitely attempt it again.  When i have an entire day, perhaps. 

Irene Louise likes to use 15/0 hex beads in her earrings.  I didn't have those anywhere on hand at home or at the shop so i used 11/0 seeds.  I actually prefer the look of the round seeds, especially for the Native American designs. 
Supplies:
11/0 seeds in turquoise, black, copper and silver
kidney ear wires

And because i didn't do the fringe, i added a picot edging to finish it off.  Very pretty, don't you think?  I'd definitely wear these.

So much for Day 12.  What do you think we'll do tomorrow?  Only one way to find out!