Mixed metal anodized aluminum earrings in gold, silver and bronze

I haven't made anodized aluminum jewelry in a while, so I decided to take a break from making wire wrapped or enamel pieces. I came across some sheets of gold, bronze and silver metal which I hadn't yet used so, of course, I just had to make something with them. I ended up creating these funky geometric chandelier earrings featuring gold, silver and bronze diamonds of anodized aluminum:

The last time I created anodized aluminum jewelry, I used a jeweler's saw to cut through the metal. AA is pretty thin and light, but it's still metal so it took a while to cut. This time, I used my Joyce Chen scissors and it took only a few minutes to cut my shapes.

These earrings were still pretty time-consuming to make, though, because I had to cut so many diamonds and make sure they were all even in size. I then filed all of the ends so they wouldn't be sharp. Nothing like wearing earrings only to have them poke you in your head!

I really like this pattern so next time I'm going to try a blue, silver and black combo. I think that those colors will work well together. Meantime, check out my other jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. Also check out my novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD on Amazon.

Hand carved copper metal and silver wire wrapped pedants

I'm pleased to share that I've now sold all three of my hand carved mixed metal copper and silver abstract wire wrapped pendants!

This is such a big deal to me because I began to work on these three pieces last March on the day that I was let go from my job. It was a Thursday, so I had my metalsmithing class that night, and I didn't want to go home only to have to turn around and go back to the city. Instead, I went uptown to my husband's office and to keep myself occupied, worked on my jewelry in the conference room. I had a big sheet of copper and my jewelry saw with me, so this was the perfect project with which to keep busy. Though I'll never forget the look on his colleagues' faces when they spied me sawing away!

Doing something rather mindless and time-consuming like sawing copper was a great way for me to deal with my stress and to sort out my confusion from that day. As I carved out the various copper and silver shapes, I became more and more determined and defiant and vowed to make it as a jewelry artist. No, this was not what I studied in college, but this no longer mattered; I wanted to succeed at something that I love to do.

This is why I'm happy about selling those three mixed metal pieces. Those necklaces make me think back to that day and these sales are symbollic of my success. I still love what I do and hope to continue for the long haul.

To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations. To purchase my novel, check out REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Mixed metal jewelry designs

After having such a good experience at the craft fair this weekend, I decided to go ahead and finish the jewelry projects that I'd started in class. I could wait until I begin advanced metalsmithing tomorrow and work on my pieces at the school, but I'd rather put them behind me and work on something new. Besides, I'm happy with the way my stuff turned out. My last teacher would probably say that they're not shiny enough and would criticize me for not soldering the jumprings, but I think they're pretty and would proudly wear them.

I made an abstract copper pendant with a silver bezel and blue glass cabochon:

And then made a pair of abstract copper earrings with silver earring hooks:

The earrings are actually made of material that was leftover from the pendant. I spent over an hour hammering a sheet of copper to get that textured design and had a lot left over after sawing out the disc. I didn't want the rest to go to waste and had just enough to make a cute pair of earrings.

Carving out the designs with a jeweler's saw was a challenge, but I'm getting the hang out it. The hardest part, believe it or not, was sawing out the circle for the pendant. I was so careful with it because I wanted to keep it round and not accidentally saw into the space, so it took me forever to finish it.

I'm happy with my work, though. I may not be the best metalsmith -- yet -- but I like how my stuff came out. And really, that's all I can ask for, right?

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