Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Hard Candy

I whipped out the beads yesterday after being inspired by some fantastic artists I found on Etsy:

tigerburningbright



emilygrayjewels



SkyDreams



They all have absolutely amazing and beautiful pieces! And I noticed that they all used a technique/style that I haven't really seen much of before. It appears to be a form of wire wrapping or wire sculpture where you take a thin wire, coil it all the way around a thicker wire and then shape it into any shape that pleases you. It's like making your own earring components in any shape you'd like. I personally think the style is gorgeous! Couple it with the sparkly stones they can afford to use in their designs and you have jewelry fit for royalty.

So! As you've probably figured out, I wanted to have a go at this. I was sure I had some left over 18 or 20 gauge wire somewhere. But being sure doesn't always equal reality! So unfortunately I didn't get to go crazy with wire wrapping. I decided I would at least try to make something without using headpins though. I would just use wrapped wire to hold my beads in place. I think it came out pretty nicely in the end!

I used gold-colored wire and findings (I can't afford the good stuff), some purple-y Czech beads as accent beads, and I'm not sure what the main rectangle-shaped beads are. I think they're probably rhodochrosite or rhodonite or something, but I honestly can't remember. They're about 5.5 cm long, not including the ear hook. I had fun (and frustration) playing with the wire and figuring out exactly what I wanted them to look like and I'm pleased with the results!

Hard CandyHard Candy
Hard CandyHard Candy



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