Wire wrapped spiral lava stone pendant necklaces

For the past few weeks, I've been playing around with a different sort of wire wrapped lava stone pendant. I've made plenty of these necklaces in the past, but I've been using two different colors of wire and have been twisting them into more complex spiral designs:

For each one, I'm using the same basic pattern: two types of wire, which I twist into spirals and swirls. However, each design is unique, as you can see. Some look like ocean waves; others look more floral... it's amazing what can be made with a simple spiral! It reminds me a bit of this toy I had as a kid called Spirograph. Do you remember this? Basically, you'd use stencils and spin them to create circular patterns. The end result was always different from the last. I loved that toy!

So far, I'm finding that it's easier to work with regular metal wire (copper, silver, etc.). The color-plated wire is stiff and isn't as easy to bend. I've solved that problem by laying down the color wire first and then adding the silver or brass, or whatever. It's just much easier to do the top wrap with regular wire -- though I do like that stone with the two different blues. Maybe I just need more practice!

Check out my wire wrapped and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations. Check out my novel, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, on Amazon.

Tales From The Craft Fair: Rejected!

I try to be honest about my jewelry business, so while I write about my triumphs, it's only fair that I also document my failures. Unfortunately, Naomi's Designs has been rejected from the upcoming local art fair.

Saying that I am disappointed about this is an understatement. I was in this fair last year and did very well. My wire wrapped copper necklace was actually featured on the poster. Plus, the park where the fair is being held is two minutes from my home! Getting one's work turned down sucks to begin with, but now I'm going to have to pass that park every day and think about it.

I'm not entirely sure why I was rejected, but I'm not accepting this without a fight. I've written a short, but polite, appeal to the organizer explaining why my work should be included and why I'm a perfect example of the "local artists," whom they're seeking for the event. I don't know if I can persuade them to change their minds, but I can certainly try!

If that doesn't work, I plan to speak with some of the restaurants and businesses near the park and see if they will let me set up a table. The pub where I held my 40th birthday party always displays paintings and sculptures by local artists and they know me as a regular. The place is right across from the park, too.

Otherwise, I'll simply do another fair that day. Fall is a busy time for these events because of the holidays, so I have my pick of fairs to choose from. But, truthfully, I REALLY want to be in this particular one. I love my neighborhood so much and enjoyed being able to show off my work to other locals.

This rejection has left me feeling kind of depressed, but I'm trying to think positively. Business has been good and this is just one event of many. I'm the only one who can stop myself from succeeding.

Check out my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. And check out my novel, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Bronze wire wrapped bangle bracelet with garnet red and black crystals

As I've said before on this blog, I often get great ideas for jewelry from customers. Many request custom-made items and have a very specific vision in mind. I try to accommodate them as best as I can.

This week I received a request from a loyal customer who's purchased several bracelets from me. She wants to give a bracelet to a friend who is a fan of University Of South Carolina football, where the Gamecocks' team colors are garnet and black. She asked if I could design a garnet and black bracelet with a gold-colored band. I came up with this:

I don't know if the crystals are garnet, exactly, but they are a shade of deep, rich red. What's interesting is that I couldn't find red and black beads that were the exact same size and shape, so I ended up going with two different, but similar crystals: diamond-shaped black beads and barrel-shaped reds. The wire is 20 gauge bronze, but has that golden color.

I think she has a great sense of style because these colors work well together! The combination looks very regal; perfect for fall. I don't use a lot of reds and blacks; I tend to go for "cooler" colors, like blues, greens and purples, but perhaps I should add more red and black pieces to my repertoire. I also never would've thought to make jewelry based on sports team colors (full disclosure: I don't watch sports AT ALL unless you count ice skating), but this bracelet is appropriate for anyone -- not just fans of SC.

There's that old saying about how the customer is always right. I really don't think it's true, but my customer was right on in this case!

Check out the rest of my wire wrapped jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. And check out my novel, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, at Amazon.

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Copper wire wrapped jade necklace with Swarovski crystals

This year, most of my friends are turning 40. What can I say? 1974 was a great year. Anyway, it was recently the 40th birthday of my college roommate from sophomore year and I wanted to make her something special.

Though this friend is a doctor, she's also an artist -- and double-majored in bio and art back in school. Her specialty was doing sketches and still life drawings; she even once sketched a picture of our messy dorm room.

However, my favorite story has to be when she tried to steal a stuffed monkey from one of the guys who lived on our floor. She kept taking his doll and he kept taking it back; they were just joking around, but it turned into a whole thing where we were trying to help her hide it from him. Finally, she stuffed the monkey in a drawer and handed him back a perfect sketch of his toy. It was very funny at the time!

I knew she'd appreciate receiving something handmade so I created this necklace:

It's a simple design; the pendant is jade and it's wire wrapped with 20 gauge copper and Swarovski crystals. I really like how the spirals turned out, though. It looks a bit like an art-deco design.

My friend liked it, too, and called it one of my "masterpieces." This is high praise coming from someone who's so talented! Perhaps she was just being polite, but I think if anyone appreciates the work that goes into making something, she does.

Check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. And check out my novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD on Amazon.

Handmade carved silver chunky ring: A sale and some closure

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Though I began making jewelry in 2010, I didn't take any jewelry-making classes until Februrary, 2012. As a birthday present to myself, I signed up for a basic metalsmithing class. I figured that I could combine these skills with wire wrapping and could make some more interesting and complex pieces.

Unfortunately, I just did not get along with my instructor. I've written about her before in this blog -- and while she wasn't a bad person, we just didn't hit it off. If a student didn't understand something right away, she'd grow impatient, and I was one of those students who needed that extra practice. I suspect that she's a wonderful teacher when dealing with advanced students, but doesn't do so well with beginners. By the end of the semester, our class of 16 had dwindled down to just 3 women, myself included.

I stuck it out for a few reasons: 1) I paid a lot of money for this class and supplies. 2) I wanted to prove to myself that I could learn a new skill. 3) I wanted to show this teacher that she couldn't make me quit. Eventually, a fourth reason was added to this list when I was laid off in March and decided to work on writing and designing jewelry full-time.

Because I was trying to learn these skills for a job, the class stopped being even remotely fun (not that it was so much fun, anyway) and I put a ridiculous amount of pressure on myself. I'm ashamed to admit that I broke down in tears a few times simply because I couldn't properly solder metal or successfully fuse a piece together. Talk about being a big baby! I took these "failures" way too personally -- and having this particular teacher didn't help.

Anyway, I did manage to complete one project: this chunky, carved ring made from fine silver. Everyone made rings so we could learn how to use a jewelry saw and how to do some basic soldering. I liked how my ring turned out, but I measured it incorrectly and it didn't quite fit my finger. I put it up for sale online, but it's difficult to sell a one-of-a-kind piece that only comes in a specific size.

Well, last night, I FINALLY sold the ring! I'm so happy right now and feel a sense of closure. This ring reminds me of that transitional period and how I pushed myself to get through it. Business has been good, but the sale of this ring has special meaning for me.

Meanwhile, things worked out for me during the next semester. Because I was now working for myself, I was able to take the mid-day enameling class, which is where I met my current instructor. I adore enameling, as well as this teacher and will soon be returning for my 3rd year in her class. She's taught me so much and is also one of my biggest cheerleaders. She's someone whom I admire and consider to be a friend.

I'm not sure when I'll ever feel that I've truly "made it" in this business... but I love making jewelry and am grateful that I get to do something so creative. Please check out my pieces at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. You can also check out my novel, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, on Amazon.

Wire wrapped lava stone pendant with blue and turquoise spirals

It was a slow summer for my jewelry projects, but for the past few days I've been really productive! I'm still working on my Christmas ornaments, plus I've made about a dozen new earrings and necklaces. One of my favorites is this blue and turquoise wire wrapped lava stone pendant:

I don't like working with color-plated wire as much as I like working with plain silver, copper or brass. Colorful wire looks really pretty, but it's a bit more difficult to maneuver -- and it isn't as easy to twist into spirals. Still, it looks nice and I do enjoy making pieces with it. If you've read any of this blog, you know how much I love blue and this necklace is no exception. I didn't add too much wire, but I like the combination of the light and dark shades.

When I used to make these wire wrapped pieces, my designs were pretty random. I'd twist the wire around and just see how it would turn out. I've had a lot of practice by this point, though, so my wire wrap designs are much more deliberate. What's funny is that I've gotten some orders for older pieces and it was now difficult for me to recreate that "random" look.

I have a craft fair in a few weeks and the lava stone pendants are usually well-received. I hope people like this one, too!

Check out the rest of my wire wrapped and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations on Etsy.

Funky silver wire wrapped earrings with Swarovski crystals

With a new season approaching, I've been on a bit of a jewelry-making kick. Sales are picking up again and I have a couple of craft fairs on the horizon, so my creativity is flowing! For the past few days, I took a break from making my enamel Christmas ornaments and have been working on some new wire wrapped silver earring designs:

The ones that feature the rainbow Swarovski crystals and spiral within the square are actually an old design which I've updated. I used to make these with nickel wire, but the 20 gauge silver plated is better looking and easier to work with. I like the randomness of the crystal colors. I call them my "party earrings" because the different color stones look a bit like confetti.

The triangle and zig zag earrings are also a tweaked design. I had a pair of similar looking wire wrapped earrings for sale, only these had triangles with fewer turns of the spiral. I've received several requests from customers to play around with crystal colors so I thought I'd try out a few new combos of my own. The red, orange and yellow triangles remind me of the fall or a fiery sunset; meanwhile, the purple, blue and green earrings feature cool colors and look like water.

The spiral squares are a variation on the geometric triangle earrings. It's the same concept of playing with different shapes, but I hadn't yet made anything with this particular combination. While cleaning out my jewelry supply boxes, I came upon a bag of off-white Swarovski crystals called "sand opal" and decided to use them in these earrings. I really like how they go with the peridot green and pink crystal bicones. I think I'm also going to make these earrings with a bolder colored group of crystals.

Fall is my favorite season so I'm looking forward to working and trying out some new ideas. Meantime, check out my shops Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.