Nos. 18, 19, 20 And Summer Is Here

Here they are, some light summery party pairs resting on Coney Island shells.

This pair is my first attempt at using a jig. I got mine at wigjig. Wigjig also features lengthy tutorials on working with wire, including one on how to form the swirly elements. They were originally intended to be bracelet components.

This pair involved some free twirling. I wanted to suspend the bead in the middle of the oval hoop and ended up using a jump ring to hang up the bead.

And last, but not least, some hoops strung with stone chips and seed beads. They strike me as kind of tribal something one of the Flintstone girls might wear.

No. 17 Chain Maille

I’m intrigued by chain maille. I love the beautiful shapes you can create just by linking rings together. At times, trying to follow a chain maille pattern can be like solving a brain teaser. These earrings use 6 mm and 4 mm rings. The pendants are, again, tagua nut beads. For more chain maille ideas check out the web site of the Maille Artisans International League

No. 7 More Blue Drops

Here is a variation on the blue glass drops. I like the little twirl at the end of a wrap. I noticed it on a bracelet I saw in Manhattan and all of the sudden I see it everywhere.

Isn’t it odd how until something is of interest to you, you don’t really notice it? For example, it wasn’t until I was pregnant that I suddenly noticed all these pregnant women and strollers. The angel has been on my bathroom wall for a while. I took it down to dust it for the “photo shoot” and discovered that it was a Fontanini angel from 1967, which of course didn’t mean anything to me until I googled it. My grandmother gave it to me a while ago and I’m sure she knows all about these things without the almighty Google engine.

No. 5 Industrial Spring

Lately, I’ve really liked the look of exposed stringing wire. I find it looks industrial and yet delicate. These earrings feature two stringing wires with a faceted bead strung on one of them together with a crimp bead to position it. The drop is strung over both wires and that whole contraption is held together with two larger crimp beads. Perfect for a sunny February day when the crocuses are just starting to peek through the dirt. Happy Valentine’s Day.