Black Lava Stone Pendant With Copper Wire Wrap

When I was in Hawaii, I was surprised to see how beautiful lava is. I assumed that it would just look like dirt, but it doesn't: there are shapes and curves and shades of the black rocks. It's actually pretty amazing.

I love working with lava stone because it's kind of a blank canvas. You can use any kind of wire or stone on it and it will work.

When I first started wire wrapping, I'd twist the wire into random curls and angles, but I've learned how to "fine tune" it. I can now bend the wire into very precise shapes and patterns, even when wrapping a stone. That's what I did with this copper wire. I made tiny curls so that they enhance the stone, but don't obscure it.

I love how it came out. It looks very organic. See, lava can be elegant.

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

Gold Pendant On Black Silk Cord

Don't ask me what this gold pendant is supposed to be -- it looks like an alien.... or maybe a tadpole. Or sperm.

This was one of those cases where the metal did the talking. I had a strip of 14 gauge gold wire (really thick and chunky wire) so I twisted it this way and that -- and came up with this cool design. I then hammered it down a bit to give it some texture.

I go into most of my projects with a basic plan, especially if I want to make a particular shape or pattern. But sometimes it's fun to just go a little crazy and see where your creativity will take you. Now you're seeing the result of mine!

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

New Jewelry Making Skills

I had my second metalsmithing class tonight. It went well, though the instructor goes at warp speed and the other students aren't very friendly. But I did learn some new jewelry making skills!

First, I got to use a drill so I could put holes in my ring design. I was ervous about using a tool that could, well, put a hole in me, but it went smoothly and there were no injuries.

Next, I had to use a jeweler's saw to cut out my ring and the interior design. It took me a few tries (and a few broken blades) to get the hang of it, but once I did, it was fun -- very relaxing.

We'll be soldering our rings in the next class (and I'll get to use mor scary tools), but in the meantime, I now know how to saw shapes out of metal. This is really cool because I can now make pendants and charms and other metal elements. I love working with wire, but I'd like to expand my repertoire. So expect to see some cool copper cut-outs sometime soon!

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

Heart Of Gold Earrings: Silver Chandelier Statement Earrings With Gold Swarovski Crystal Hearts And Sterling Silver Beads

These silver chandelier earrings are super-luxurious. They're the type of jewelry that you wear to a wedding or a prom. I'm not kidding when I say they're statement earrings: they're over four inches long and just skim the shoulders. They're MEANT to be noticed.

I got the idea for them when I purchased these gorgeous gold Swarovski crystal hearts. Who knew they came in gold? By now you must know how much I love, love, love Swarovski hearts and I just had to do something special with golden ones. Talk about being a gold standard, ha ha.

I used my famous lattice design for both parts, only the top has nine loops and the bottom, sixteen. I then attached the hearts and sterling siver saucer beads to long strands of wire. The result is these crazy, over-the-top chandelier earrings. I'll be honest, I was tempted to add a third layer with a 20-loop lattice, but stopped when they hit my shoulder. There's that old saying about wearing jewelry, about how you should always remove one item. I think that goes for making jewelry, too!

To buy my jewelry, check out Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Metalsmithing Class

Guess what? I'm now taking a metalsmithing class at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. They have a very intensive jewelry making program, so I'm starting with the class that's called Absolute Beginners. I consider myself to be intermediate when it comes to wirework, but I know squat about soldering. It should be an interesting experience.

So far, we've only had one class so we haven't done much. We had to buy about 50 items for it, though, so it's getting to be pretty expensive. Happily, I've been making more sales in the last few months so I hope to eventually make up the difference. Anyway, our instructor had us draw a pattern for a ring and then showed us how to use a drill and a saw. It frightens me a bit that I'll be handling tools that could potentially cause me to bleed if I slip up.

Still, I'm excited to be learning a new skill! If I like this course, I'll continue with Jewelry II and III, and then take a course in stone cutting. I want to know as much about making jewelry as I can. Though I sort of stumbled upon making jewelry by accident (I needed something to do while I was out with a broken leg), it's truly become a passion.

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

My Fire Mountain Gems And Beads Jewelry-Making Contest Pieces

This year, I decided to take a chance and enter a few of my pieces in the Fire Mountain Gems And Beads jewelry-making contest. They have several categories, including ones for seed beads and Swarovski elements. I entered the one for wirework, metal and metal clay. The grand prize is $1000 credit at their online store. Imagine how many beads you could buy!!!

This contest was challenging for me because I wanted to, of course, make quality items, but they also had to be more than just everyday earrings and necklaces. They had to be art. This forced me to think outside of the box and come up with ideas and patterns that I hadn't yet conceived -- and at the same time, make wearable and functional jewelry. It took a lot of work, but I was happy with my results, whether I win something or not. Anyway, here are the designs I submitted:

Nefertiti's Kiss: This is a Middle-Eastern jewelry set made of copper wire and dark purple Swarovski crystal pearls. It's based on the lavish jewelry I saw when I visited Egypt as a child. Let me tell you -- making all of those tiny spirals was a labor of love!

Try, Tri Again: This necklace is made up completely of triangle pieces, each a different metal (copper, bronze and silver). I liked the idea of using one shape to build a larger structure. The name is not only a play on words, but reflects my approach to making this as it really did take me several tries to get what I wanted:

Pretty In Pink: These earrings are simple compared to the other two, but I wanted to submit something that included some basic wire wrapping. I used pink marble as the canvas and then wrapped each with silver wire and Swarovski crystal pearls.

To see or purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs On Etsy.

Happy Heart Earrings: Silver Chandelier Earrings With Rainbow Swarovski Crystal Hearts

These earrings have been selling pretty well on my Etsy shop -- probably because two things that most people love are hearts and rainbows. I mean, we all want to be happy, right? And what better way to get some cheer than to wear pretty colors in the shape of love.

The idea for these chandelier earrings came about when I was organizing the billion or so Swarovski crystal hearts that I'd purchased online. I love Swarovski, but they have a really wasteful way of packaging. They put two hearts in their little plastic boxes, so if you want a dozen of a certain color heart, you end up with six boxes (though you can get certain kinds in bulk). Anyway, I'd gone a little heart crazy and literally had hundreds of the things so I decided to do something creative with them -- and my Happy Heart Earrings were born.

Though they're long earrings, they're very lightweight. I like using silver plated nickel wire because it's non-tarnish, inexpensive and durable -- all good qualities when making costume jewelry. More importantly, it looks nice.

I love this lattice design because it looks cool on its own, but it's also a practical template for making jewelry. You can link it together to make bracelets or necklaces or in this case, hang things from it to make chandelier earrings. You'd be amazed by how versatile this pattern is.

To purchase my Happy Hearts or any other item in my shop, head to:
Naomi's Designs