New stuff....and a Giveaway!

I have been trying new things lately...and I am LOVING it!  Like this toggle clasp..

Stone Rust Charcoal 

The gorgeous beads above are made by Jody Brimhall (Inspire Glass Studio on Etsy) . I am going to make more of these toggles...in copper and silver.  They have more punch than a wire clasp - which I still love to make!

I made a necklace this week and posted progress photos on Facebook.  I bought a set of "orphan lampwork beads" from Jody as well - each bead was different from the next - but each was a piece of art in my mind's eye so I could not justify breaking up the set.  I envisioned a double strand necklace, but I only had 20 lampwork beads.  I also did not want an extremely heavy necklace.  I had recently finished a DVD from Cassie Donlen - "Metal Jewelry Making with a Micro Torch".  Now, I have taken a soldering class (bad teacher...remember? I won't even link to that blog post because memories of the teacher give me a headache)!  I also have a few other DVD's...I watch these videos for the TIPS!  Each artist has different tips on doing this...or doing that.  And that's what makes the video worth the money to me!  Cassie did an excellent job!

Anyway, one of her projects was a toggle clasp made from fused silver - I digressed a bit and instead made these connectors for my double strand necklace:

I soldered some links from 14 gauge wire.  Now, I have copper solder, but I don't like the color I achieve.  So, I used silver solder and in an effort to cover up the silver, I simply coiled some copper wire on top- I love how these turned out!  It gave the piece incredible texture...which I cannot get enough of!

I made a smaller version of the connectors for the clasp.  And there is that "ladder chain" again!!

Can you see why I did not want to separate these beads?  So pretty!  

I love how this turned out - and it sold already....always a plus!

I loved these connectors so much, that I ventured into making some bangles.  So, I got out my 10 gauge copper (thick!!) and made a set of three bangles.

I will be making more of these - so much fun!

So, Stacie Florer had a tutorial in Bel Armoire Jewelry using thin gauge sheet metal to make earrings.  Stacie is an awesome teacher and I cannot wait until September, as I will be taking another class from her at artBLISS.  Anyway, these are the earrings I made from her tutorial:

SO LIGHTWEIGHT!!  The bottom disc is sterling silver - the top disc is copper, which has been fold-formed.  There is incredible texture on these earrings!  I placed an eyelet at the top, and two rivets on each earring.

Thanks for the tut Stacie!  

Would you like to win these earrings?  Very simple - 

Just do one (or all) of the following and LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT ON MY BLOG for each:

1) Leave a comment

2) Become a follower of my blog - or leave a separate comment telling me you are already a follower

3) Post a link to my blog to Face Book about the giveaway.

I will pick a winner on Monday - July 1st.

Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend!

Patti

Echo Creative Club - July 2013

I am so very excited!  Jeannie asked me to be a participant in her July hop for the Echo Creative Club!  Jeannie sends the participant one of her art beads, hopefully a beautiful design will be made, and the participants post the design to their blog on July 25th.

I asked Jeannie to send me some of her Fractured Art Beads - any color, because quite frankly, each color is fabulous!  

Now, if you have never received beads from Jeannie - you are in for a treat...because her packaging is art within art!  This is what was inside the envelope...

Jeannie is not only a polymer clay bead artist and fabulous jewelry designer - but she also a Mixed Media Artist.  I am NOT Mixed Media artist, so my terminology is limited, but, she "made" that box above!

My beads were wrapped in this most awesome tissue paper, I mean, it says CHOCOLAT people!!!   How appropriate!  My two favorite things...beads and chocolate!

These are the beads Jeannie sent me and they are so beautiful!  I already have an idea  in mind...

I am not a stranger to Jeannie's art beads....I have made several pieces of jewelry in the past,  some off which I remembered to take a picture!

Please visit Jeannie's website to view her most awesome jewelry designs, words of wisdom from her blog, and her of course, her glorious beads!  I will post my final design on July 25th!

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!

Patti