Copper Piecrust Pendant with Chain

I decided to turn this pendant into a larger piece by using turquoise beads with chain and some silver pieces. I like this and hope that someone who loves large jewelry will like it also!

SOLD

Copper and Silver Two-Tone

I just got back some of my jewelry from Chama and will start photographing it. I want to be prepared for the Oktoberfest sale at Sun City Grand on October 9 and wanted some of my inventory from there. It is like seeing old friends to go through my stash of finished jewelry now.

Copper and Turquoise Links

I made this pendant a few weeks ago and have been mulling how to suspend it until yesterday when I found I had some matching turquoise beads to pair with it. I like to separate the stone beads with hand-made links since it cuts down on the considerable weight of these natural stone beads when wearing. Plus, that makes for more copper to show!

SOLD

Copper and Sodalite Pendant

I cut and hammered this pendant base yesterday and added the beads this morning. I like the pairing of the copper with its complementary color of blue beads.

I am mulling taking off that bale component and trying something a bit different for that part of the piece. I have some more ideas, anyway.

Copper Calla Lily

I felt compelled to get out my torch the other day and start bending copper to make this cone which I paired with turquoise beads. Lots of bending of metal and wire went into this one! I like it and hope that others will, too.

SOLD

Copper and Turquoise Pendants

Once again, I feel compelled to make pendants, reaching for my favs of turquoise and copper components to make some. I have quite a collection of copper components and turquoise beads so they sort of speak to me when I start putting them together. I like the simplicity and lighter weight of using the natural stones to make pendants rather than heavy beaded necklaces.

Glass and Copper

I have had these glass beads for awhile and hadn't decided what to do with them. Today, when I looked at them I decided to make a chunky bracelet with them and it feels good on the wrist. Love those colors, each bead is a bit different.

Pie Crust Cabachon

I spent the morning trying to figure out how to make a free form cabachon wrap with sheet copper. I saw some examples of "pie crust wrapping" and decided to make it work for myself. This is a very free form piece and I love the organic nature of it. This could also be termed as "crude", but I like the fact that it is a unique piece. I also love how torching the copper brings out so many colors!

Finally, Jewelry!

I must apologize for ignoring this blog for over a month. We were on a planned monthlong vacation, during which I made lots of jewelry in the motorhome but neglected to photograph it. Plus, I was taking it up to the RV park office for their display case to sell it and that was my main concern, greedy person that I am. At the end of the summer, if there is anything left I will photo it and show it here then. My jewelry items do seem to be selling.





These are among my fav earrings I have made. I started with a sheet of copper that I flamed to bring out the colors, cut the blanks out, punched the holes in with my metal punch and then textured and domed the discs. I then beaded them with brass beads and hung brass dinosaur bones from them. I just love them and may have to keep these for myself. The other earrings here were made with brass and copper blanks I cut and then put them together in this fashion with the suspended dino bones. I hung the tiny copper blanks on both sides since these earrings have so much movement that they need to be reversible. SOLD



These are just some fun earrings I made from some of the strand of red glass heart beads I bought some time ago just because I thought they looked like such fun beads. I still do!

Art/Jewelry Sale Yesterday

I participated in an art sale yesterday to raise funds for the Arizona Artists Guild new building fund for operating expenses, maintenance, etc. I "bought" my table and was allowed to keep any proceeds I made. I had mainly artisan jewelry for sale, but also a few racks of unframed, but matted prints and original paintings. It was an okay day; not the worst jewelry sale nor the largest jewelry sale I have done, so that is okay with me. AAG seemed to be doing very well with table sales and donated items sales, so that was good. I do wish the traffic could have been more, but this was our inaugural event so we will have to see how this evolves in the future. But, at any rate, this is my table(s), my buddy, Carol, had bought a table and then was too sick (respiratory virus, yuk!) on that day to participate so I inherited her table as well. I was situated in front of the wall containing a few nudes in Conte, etc. That was either a boon for my table or not, I don't know. I do know that those who did not even bring a cloth to cover their tables, nor organize their wares well remarked that my table was the best in the room. Jewelry displays necessitate their own display formats! So, here it is, warts and all....

Latest Projects

I found this Butterfly at Confetti Beads, locally last year and didn't know what I was going to do with it, I just liked it. In January I found these delicate glass beads at Gem World in Quartzsite so thought they would look together. I made individual bead units and connected them for the necklace. I made earrings to match.



I also found this copper chain at Quartzsite at a gem show and saved it for this charm bracelet made from pure copper beads and silver. I love making dangly little charms like these!



After helping with a kitchen plumbing job recently, I was inspired by the unused brass compression washers that were left. I thought they would look good to make bead units paired with some carnelian beads I had in two sizes so I made a necklace and bracelet set. I love the look of copper and brass together!



I have been wanting to make a fan necklace but hadn't found the fan beads I wanted until I saw these. I paired them with silver-toned cubes, nice look I think.

SOLD

Eyeglass Chain 2

This is another eyeglass chain I made for a friend's approval. I like making the eyeglass chains with wired bead components instead of out of beads strung on beading wire, I think they are stronger, which is important with eyeglass chains.

Copper Blossom 2

This is another of my copper blossoms necklaces. I so enjoy hammering and shaping these discs I cut out from the flamed sheets of copper. I am also enjoying making more necklaces with hand-twisted links, forming bead components. I feel they are stronger and I just like the look over that of beads on beading wire.

Deming Stone - Polished

This is one of the stones I found while rock-hounding near Deming, NM. It was tumbled and polished and I wire wrapped it in copper wire with brass half-round wraps. I love this stone and found quite a bit of it while at this place. I will start another tumbler full of stones later this month. I wore this all day yesterday and most of today, road testing it, and found it to be not very heavy and was comfortable.

Turquoise and Copper Eyeglass Holder

I made this pending the approval of a friend who requested a turquoise and copper eyeglass holder and wanted a finer touch than the copper tubes and turquoise beads shown before. We'll see if she likes this one. I do like to do the connected bead units for eyeglass holders, they are much more secure than those beaded on wire.


SOLD

Earrings for Carol

Last year a good friend, Carol, purchased one of my copper and calsilica bead necklaces from me and now wanted earrings to go with them. I was able to match the coils and washers and designed these for her. Both the necklace and earrings were oxidized using Liver of Sulfur.

SOLD

Latest Fun

I have spent the last few days working on these two projects. I want to work on designs for eyeglass holders. I know many people who wear their "readers" hanging round their necks and I think I should design some funky and interesting designs that will be sturdy and worn well. This is my first one.

While I was cutting copper tubing for the eyeglass chain, I decided I would also work that idea into a necklace design. I used calsilica beads for the necklace and like those a lot.

I am so pleased to announce that these two necklaces were among the many of my pieces that sold during the Art Faire at Sun City Grand on Saturday. They went to good homes!


SOLD

Green stone Cross and Beads

I was asked to restring a friend's necklace since it originally came on a wire neck ring that was too small. I wanted to keep with the simplicity of the nice green stone beads and cross and make it a simple, yet longer necklace. I like this look, pending approval from my friend.


SOLD

Copper Rectangle

This is a another copper pendant I finished this morning. I am having fun with the dapping and doming set and my hammer! I added a macro shot of the pendant for a closer view.

I wore the Copper and Brass pendant (below)to the Arizona Artists Guild meeting last night and the pendant was noticed quite a bit. I think I am on to something with these copper pieces, I know I sure enjoy wearing them when I road-test and market-test them!



SOLD

Artisan Jewelry Sale

Last Saturday I participated for one day in an art sale at the Sun City Grand Art Club. I was pleasantly surprised with my successful sales that day and even more that I sold more of the mid to high end pieces than the less expensive line of jewelry I had on display also. I met so many people who were interested in hand made jewelry, and interested in the process of how it is created. It was a good day!

The Valentine's Bear was one of my presents from my honey for Valentine's. I thought he added such a fun air to the scene!