Copper Domed Disc Earrings and Pendant

In my last post I had talked about my girls and I making jewelry out on our deck and that I had been working on several new pair of earrings. Well here they are.

The steps to making these started with my disc cutter and sheet copper, these required a bit of filing to smooth the edges, I then stamped them using my metal stamps and domed them. I made several head pins with the heat forged tiny buds on the end and got busy putting them together.

I chose a variety of gemstone beads this time and wire wrapped dangles using copper wire. I then made a the earwires in mostly a traditional shape. I love making the earwires and have to tell you that I have had several of my Etsy customers that are jewelry designers themselves give me huge compliments that my ear wires are the best they have ever purchased. (Pat on the back and big grins.)

After the earrings were completed I added the patina using liver of sulfur, sanded them applied more when needed and removed some when needed until I was happy with the overall effect. A final polish and they were ready to go.

This was quite a task and I will rethink adding the patina to finished earrings and instead probably add the patina before assembling next time. Most had to be taken apart in order to do the job right this time, so it was twice the work and took time I really didn't have to spare.

With 5 small children I have to use my time wisely. lol. Any way I am extremely pleased with these earrings and look forward to making more. The best part is one pair sold just minutes after being listed as well as the pendant I will be adding a photo of. Woohooooo.
The pendant (necklace) is another new design that I was really proud of and I will be making more in the near future.

I hope you all enjoy seeing them and please feel free to contact me through me Etsy shop if you ever have any questions or would like to have something you see here made just for you. Or just leave a comment, I love hearing from you!!!!

To see more of my work take a look at my Etsy mini and visit the store, I'm really proud of the items I list in my Etsy store and only list items of top quality. If it is a second or has a flaw it would be stated in the description and at a greatly reduced price.

Copper Rings, Amber and Purple Necklace

I hope this finds you all enjoying the rest of you summer days, We sure are.

Today my girls and I sat on the deck making jewelry ( Our favorite place ). The girls are learning to make there own bead and wire links using beads that Ruby sent them. Ruby is a very talented artist from the about.com jewelry forum. If you like beaded jewelry Ruby offers many free tutorials and many many links to other free sights for tutorial, she has also written a book that you may find of interest. So check out her sight at http://www.rubysbeadwork.com/

Any way my girls are working on a bracelet and necklace for themselves. I spent my day cutting out copper disc for my new earrings that will be listed in my Etsy shop soon and finished two new necklace that I'll be sharing photo's of here today.

The necklace are made using hammered 8 gauge copper wire formed into rings using a 5/8" and 1" mandrel. I have hammered them then soldered them using sterling silver solder and also soldered them together while adding the bail. After they were soldered and the metal was annealed I put them in the pickle pot to remove the fire scale.
The next step was to stamp them and add the copper chain. The chain consist of two lengths of copper chain then bead links made using copper wire and translucent amber and translucent purple glass beads more copper chain and a matching ring and clasp closure with an added 2" extender chain with a tiny purple teardrop bead, wire wrapped using one of my heat forged bud head pins.
The length of the chain is 18" from clasp to clasp and adjustable to 20. The ring closure and extender chain add such a decorative touch to the back of your neck and looks great if you wear you hair pulled up and your neckline is bare. It's a different look than the average lobster claw clasp and it's fun to look good both coming and going. LOL.
The pendant itself measures 1 3/4" including the bail and has an added fused translucent amber charm on one and a fused translucent purple charm on the other, although it appears black in the photo. Both charms are wire wrapped in copper.

I am so very happy with the way these turned out. I liked the first one so well I had to make the second one. These rings work well for so many of my projects. I have used them in necklace, bracelet and earrings. The few stamps I use are my favorites and even though I have a few more stamps I generally stick with my favorite 3 for embellishing the metal.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing them as I have enjoyed making them.

You can view more of my work by visiting my Etsy mini.

Thanks so much for taking time to visit my little part of the world.