Copper Beads from Scratch

My latest class project has been using up some copper sheet I've had in my toolbox for a while now! I decided to make beads and display them on sterling silver so the copper looks pretty high end. They're not perfect but I think that the end product is very elegant... what do you think?

I'm not planning on selling these but I might change my mind!

Pendant for Chain Project

This pendant started with a fashion drawing-inspired sketch.
Here's the silver version. (There's a tab above her head that will wrap around the chain to hold the pendant) This one is definitely a statement piece of jewelry! It measures 4" tall (including the silver disc that hangs from the bottom). This pendant is going to hang on the chain that I made in my class. I'll put up a picture when I have the pieces put together!!

Class Project: Riveting

I made this pendant in my jewelry class. It's made out of copper and brass, with a copper wire rivet and a copper tube rivet. I don't have a chain for it yet but I'll wear it around when I get a gold chain!

Finished Class Project!

I soldered the bezel (the piece of silver that goes around the stone) in class last week, cut out the pendant piece on my own, and soldered the bezel onto the pendant in class today! Setting stones is pretty fun... I think I'll do it again in my next class project. For my next project, I'm going to be making the chain as well as the pendant! Woah! The chain starts out as sterling silver wire... yikes! I'm excited to eventually have a necklace that's all handmade!

My plan is to keep all of the things that I make in my class (not try to sell them), sort of as portfolio pieces. I may eventually give them away, though!

Rhythm

I think I've found a rhythm! I work on the designing of jewelry on Monday mornings and go to class in the afternoons. Then on Thursdays I can make what I designed on Monday. I think that as long as I keep doing this, I'll be able to get a nice little selection for my Etsy store.

Me Lucky Charm

I made this ring in my class yesterday in honor of St. Patrick's Day!

New Class Started Today!

Yay! My new jewelry class started today over at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center!

I'm still very much a beginner, as I'm doing the second project one can do in the jewelry classes. I'm going to learn how to rivet 2 pieces of metal together. I started today by designing a pendant and cutting the metal out. It will be made out of base metals, copper and brass. I think it'll look pretty cool though.

Jewelry Class

My last jewelry making class is tomorrow night. Boohoo! I didn't get into the next one because they fill up too quickly. I like the slot and tab bracelet project a lot, and I think that I'm going to do it again! I have some of the tools that I need to do it on my own; I just need to buy a saw frame, bench pin, more saw blades, and sheet metal. I think that as long as I'm creative I will be able to make a wide range of designs just using simple techniques.

Since I went to design school I don't feel the need to "experiment" too much with materials. There's nothing wrong with that but I just want to make beautiful things. I don't feel like I have to prove my creativity... I have a whole portfolio to show show it!

I'll post some pictures of the finished bracelet once Jacob is home from Japan (with the camera).

The knitting project is on hold until I get some jewelry done and the holiday excitement is calming down!

No Jewelry Class Last Night

So sad today... my class was canceled last night because the teacher is sick. I'm going to an open studio on Saturday (unless something else comes up), so I will be able to show an update of my project then!

Jewelry Class Progress: Part Un!

I had my jewelry class last night, and I cut out the shapes for my slot and tab bracelet. Right now the pieces are pretty jagged and ugly from sawing the shapes out of sheet metal. Next week I'll start to file the pieces so they look pretty and uniform.

Here is what the bracelet will (kind of) look like! I'm really excited, and I'll update next week!

Ready to Take a Class!

It seems like the jewelry-making class I want to take is never going to get here! Registration isn't open until the 22nd, and the class doesn't start until November. Boo. I hope that jewelry making will come back to me, like riding a bike. I'm going to be taking a beginner's class, so I guess it won't really matter if I remember... haha!

More Books!

I also got the three jewelry making books that I ordered! So far I've looked through them a little, and decided that this whole jewelry thing is soooo exciting!

I tried to register for the jewelry making class today, but the evening beginner classes were all booked... boohoo. It's okay though, because the next set of classes start in November, so it's not like I have to wait for a year. I just didn't know that some of the classes fill up on the first day. I'm thinking that I will start on some projects that require less tools than cloisonné enameling (which is the method I'm really excited to start working on), like making chains. I would need a fair amount of tools to start making my own chain designs, but I wouldn't need my own kiln!

::okay, now I will read::