Bold oversize anodized aluminum abstract star ring wire wrapped with silver band

By now you're probably sick of reading about anodized aluminum pieces, but here's one more for tonight: my deconstructed star ring. Usually stars have six points and this one has about eight, but that's the fun of creating abstract art; you can show common things from a slightly different perspective.

I think I like making colorful jewelry because it makes me feel happy. It reminds me of rainbows, party balloons, confetti... all which relate to celebrations. Yeah, that's probably a little cheesy, but it's true. And I figure that if my pieces make me feel good then they're hopefully making others happy, as well.

What's funny is that I'm not a loud dresser in my life. I'm actually pretty conservative and tend to wear subdued colors (blues and greens and pinks) and subtle prints and patterns. That goes for my jewelry, too, as I usually don't wear a lot of statement pieces.

But when it comes to making jewelry, I like to go a little crazy and experiment with patterns and shapes and colors. Maybe this is another side of me that's coming out? Maybe this is why I enjoy making jewelry so much; because I get to be creative and let that wilder part of me come loose.

Anyway, here are shot of my abstract star ring:

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Moon and star earrings made of blue and yellow anodized aluminum, wire wrapped with Swarovski crystal

Anodized aluminum is so cool! Because it's fairly easy to cut compared to other metals, you can make funky designs with it. I decided to explore my artistic side and make these little night sky landscapes with a moon and Swarovski crystal star on the horizon.

To make them, I first sawed out the moons. They look a little like the moons you'd find in Lucky Charms, but whatever; they're cute. I then cut out the blue squares, which were a lot easier to deal with.

Attaching them was the biggest challenge. I decided to drill tiny holes and use a very thin wire -- 28 gauge silver -- so that I wouldn't compromise the design too much. I think it works and I'm happy with how they came out. I love moon shaped jewelry in general -- it's so peaceful -- so this is my take on it.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Blue and turquoise anodized aluminum earrings wire wrapped with silver and aquamarine square crystals

This is the first time I've worked with my anodized aluminum. I had fun making these colorful abstract earrings and am pleased with the way that they turned out.

I wanted to practice cutting simple shapes so I sawed out rectangular strips -- and to my pleasant surprise, 24 gauge anodized aluminum is very easy to cut through. I made the blue strips longer than the turquoise so that when I layered them, it would look as if the colors were fading into one another.

Because anodized aluminum can't be soldered, I had to come up with a way to attach the strips and decide to go with a silver wire wrapped design. I have these square aquamarine crystals that work really well with the blues so I attached them to the wire wrapped design using very thin 28 gauge silver wire.

I had a great time making these and can't wait to experiment with more anodized aluminum designs!

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Anodized Aluminum Jewelry!

I just got my shipment of anodized aluminum strips! Aren't they pretty/

Aluminum is anodized when it's submerged in an acid electrolyte bath and then an electric current is run through. This changes the structure so that the metal becomes hard and durable. It also allows it to be dyed brilliant colors, though it can't be soldered. Since anodized aluminum doesn't oxidize, it doesn't corrode or rust.

I ordered 24 gauge sheets. They look a little like construction paper, though they're obviously tougher than that. They're really easy to cut, though. I was able to saw through them in only a few minutes -- and without getting a hand cramp! This was a nice change after sawing through copper and 20 gauge silver, which is REALLY tough.

I've enjoyed working with silver and copper, which has been an interesting change from all wire projects. Now I can add even more color into my work.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.