Indigoskye Bead Fashions

One of the joys of winter is journeying to Tucson, AZ where I participated in the giant gem and lapidary shows that engulf that southwestern city for a couple of weeks in February. This is my first buying trip to Tucson and I must say that I was well pleased with the selection of stones and gems that were available for purchase. One of the finds that I am featuring in a new line of fully loaded dangle bracelets are good quality, chunky, prehenite stone chips. Prehenite is a translucent sage green stone with some dark brown matrix.

This one of a kind fully loaded dangle bracelet features 89 handwrapped prehenite stations and a lovely fine silver Karen Hill Tribe handmade heart bead. All the findings are solid sterling silver and it measures 7 1/2 inches flat. It is a heavy bracelet and one that will be sure to catch the eyes of everyone. This is only the first of a series of similar bracelets that will feature different stones that I have in the pipeline.

Recently, I created a poker champion bracelet that served as a trophy in a local poker tournament. I normally do not create jewelry for men, so this project was quite a challenge to me. I am available to make champion bracelets for other events, please feel free to email me for details.

This bracelet is 8 1/2 inches in length and is made of solid sterling silver. The chain is 8mm wide and is a handwoven “Queen’s Link” chainmaile pattern made entirely from jumprings. The centerpiece was cut from sterling silver sheet, handstamped with the name of the event and the year and then joined to the chain via 16 gauge jumprings. The clasp is a large lobster claw that lends a more masculine appeal to the bracelet. The entire piece was tumble polished to give it a lustrous shine.

One of the new wire wrap designs that I did for my booth last fall was a neckpiece/collar design that I discovered in Step by Step Wire. I used the tutorial as a starting point and then went on to use my own materials and created a series of necklaces that were unique to me.

The double drilled carnelian stones were the first challenge of this project. The holes were too small for the thicker gauge of wire that I was using for the frame of the neckpiece. Since they are the supports of the collar, the wire absolutely had to go through the stones. I ended up using my dremel with new diamond bits for it and teach myself how to drill stones. After many false starts, I figured out a technique of drilling the stones under water that worked quickly and prevented the stones from cracking. Once the torque was wrapped and the ends hammered, I made a byzantine chain for the necklace and a big loop, hammered clasp to finish it. The necklace is 18″ in length, but can be shortened to choker length. The carnelian stones have agate banding in the large focal beads and are a tomato red hue.

Update: This item has sold.  Thank you! 

This past winter, I’ve been experimenting with new wire wrapping techniques that feature twisting of very fine sterling silver wire around stone beads to create an interesting bezel effect.

These earrings feature a pair of 25mm aventurine pi stones with black onyx accent beads that have been wrapped with fine gauge wire and tiny hill tribe silver beads. The look is classic, yet different enough to turn heads. I will be featuring many more of this style of earrings in my booth this spring along with similar style pendants.

I love to work with copper.  There is something that is warm and inviting about the reddish hue and the sheen of this metal.   These earrings were commissioned from me by a nice lady at Bates Nut Farm.  She had the idea of the swirls, but wanted to have a fringe to it.  These earrings are what I came up with.

The swirl is 18 gauge copper wire with 20 gauge hammered fringe.  The small beads are ocean jasper stones.  I completed the earrings with hammered french earwires also made of copper metal.

Preparations for my fall schedule of fine craft shows and vendor fairs has been slow going this late summer. I feel as if I’m being pulled in many directions at once. First by the fabrication metals classes I took this summer and by a wonderful weekend workshop I participated in with Connie Fox this past September. There have been so many new ideas thrust upon me that I hardly know what to make first or what to plan for this coming season. Needless to say, my jewelry style is going to go through drastic changes as all the new ideas filter into my old style of doing jewelry and techniques and ideas begin to mesh.

Just as I was starting to kick into gear and manufacture for my October venues, I ended up with a pinched nerve and was unable to walk for a good week, let alone work! With therapy and some bed rest, I am now back to my bench making jewelry and above is the first result after my illness.

This necklace features iolite stones and sterling silver that has been woven in two different byzantine weave variations. The clasp is bali and features an iolite cab. It is a substantial piece with some weight, but not heavy.

Last April, I joined a group of fine ladies to work on a necklace that would be composed of charms made by all of us. At the end of July, the necklace was assembled by our coordinator and friend, Cyndi Lavin. All that was said to each of us was to follow an “ocean theme”, after that, what charm you submitted was up to you. Each and every charm was a unique piece of art and I’m proud to have been part of the project.

Now that the necklace is complete, each of the artists that submitted a charm will wear the necklace to a special occasion and then pass the necklace on to the next artist in the list. Once we all get a chance to wear the art piece, it will then be auctioned off on eBay and the proceeds given to cancer research.

My time with the necklace has come and gone. I wore it while visiting Spokane, Washington during my husband’s college reunion. I wore the necklace while visiting Arbor Crest and Mountain Dome wineries. Later that same day, I wore it during an evening cruise on Lake Cordelane. There is something magical about this necklace. Everywhere I went, people had to come up and touch it. They examined each of the charms, trying to decide which they liked best and to hear the story behind this piece of art. I had an enchanting time wearing the ocean necklace and was glad that I included it during this special event.

Above is the charm that I submited to the necklace. It is made of sterling silver with glass beads wire wrapped onto the hammered frame. I chose pearls and blues to compliment the ocean theme of the necklace.

If you are interested in the necklace, it will be for sale on eBay in August of 2007. All proceeds will go to cancer research. I will post on my blog more details about the sale as we get closer to the event.

Working with wire is a freeing experience. This is the first vessel style pendant I’ve created with wire.

The rim is made of 14g copper that has been formed into a rough oval. Then 16g wire was used to create the main spokes of the vessel. 20g copper wire was woven inbetween all the spokes to create a loose basket effect and then pilers tweeked each of the wires to create a flowing movement to the piece. It measures 3 1/2 across and is 5 in length including the fringe. The leash is black leather that is adjustable from 18 in length all the way to 30. You just slide the little ceramic beads until you get the length that looks best on you. The ceramic slides hold the necklace in place.

After creating the little framed pendants/charms for the necklace project, I found that I enjoyed wire wrapping and wanted to try a larger project.  Thus, when I spotted a tutorial for a woven wire neckpiece featuring double holed beads in Step by Step Wire, I was intrigued.  I’ve had these double drilled fancy jasper stones for years, but never could figure out what to do with them.  Suddenly, they were calling to me.  Their necklace had been found!

From the start this neckpiece was a challenge.  I had to drill the focal beads to accept the thicker gauge of wire and getting those holes to go cleanly all the way through proved to be difficult.  After switching diamond drill bits a few times, I found the right size to accomodate the wire.  The first attempt of wrapping had to be taken out since I didn’t like the first placement of the stones, but after that, all was well and the neckpiece flowed quickly.  I had made the byzantine chains the night before and all that was needed was to pop them into the tumbler to remove burrs and the task was completed.

The neckpiece is an 8 inch frame of 16g sterling silver with additional sterling wire creating a web to hold the mix of organic hues.  Reds, Greens and Cream along with bright silver beads form the focals of this neckpiece.  The chain is more of my thick byzantine sterling and it has an adjustable set of links so that the neckpiece can be worn at choker length all the way down to 18″.  The clasp is a handmade big hook that has been hammered.

Due to the unbearable heat outside, I’ve been staying indoors in front of a fan. It is not a perfect solution, but I’m cool enough to be able to work and that is what is important.

My shipment of sterling jumprings arrived from Chainweavers on Friday. I was pleased to see that they were packaged in little metal canisters and were clearly labeled. The rings are nicely finished and ready to work with out of the box.

I’ve been looking forward to giving chain maille a try and have selected a series of basic chains to make for my booth this fall. The first bracelet I am making is a simple “byzantine” or “king’s link”. I’ve selected 18 gauge sterling silver round wire in a 3.5mm diameter for this first project. It has been slow going for me as I get the weave of the rings into my fingers. I’m using mismatched pilers, basically what I have on hand in my toolbox. For an awl, I’m using my soldering pick!

I’ve been working on the bracelet on and off during the day, taking breaks to cool off as I go or to help my husband with various chores around the house. With each completed set of links, I find that the work becomes easier and I find the entire process to be relaxing.