Mediterranean-inspired silver wire wrapped necklace with blue enamel pendant and turquoise crystals

The new semester for my enameling class starts in just a few days so I've been trying to finish some incomplete projects. For the past couple of days, I've been working on this Mediterranean-inspired silver wire wrapped and enamel necklace:

I made this blue and turquoise pendant using a technique called sgraffito. Basically, you put down one layer of enamel. Then, when you sift on a second layer, you use something sharp, like a toothpick, to swirl a design into the fine glass powder. When you eventually heat the second layer of enamel in the kiln, the design pops and you can clearly see the two colors.

This technique works best if you use dark and light colors so you can see the contrast. I've done a few sgraffito pieces in red and black, but when I tried to do red and yellow, it didn't work as well. The contrast just wasn't sharp enough. I really like these blues, though (surprise, surprise, right?). One woman in my class said that it reminded her of Mediterranean jewelry, which was a huge compliment since I adored the pieces I saw in Greece.

I'll let you in on a little secret: I'd originally used the copper square to make a champleve pendant, but it didn't turn out well ... and so I covered it with new enamel and went for a different concept. That's the beauty of this type of art! That's also why this piece is so thick; I had to use several layers of enamel, more so than usual, to cover the depressions that I'd etched for champleve. Still, I like the thickness; it gives the pendant more depth and makes it look even more like a Greek tile. My husband even asked if it's made of stone, so it's definitely sturdy.

I really need to go through the rest of my enameling bag and see what else I find. Meantime, check out the rest of my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Red and black enamel sgraffito pendants

Each semester, I'm trying to learn a new technique in my enameling class. This week, I made two red and black sgrafitto pendants: one with red and black spirals and one with a red and black geometric pattern:

Sgraffito basically involves laying down one color of enamel, then adding a coat with a different color; before heating the fine glass powder and making the top coat harden, you use something sharp (like a piece of wire or as I used a sharp wooden stick) to carve out a design. You can then see the color of the undercoat beneath. It's a really cool way to show a contrast between colors and make up a funky pattern.

What's funny is that I didn't even realize that what I was doing had a name. I explained my idea to my teacher and she was like, "Oh, that's sgraffito." And here I thought I was being so clever, LOL!

To highlight the contrast between the red and black, I slightly underfired the black layer. I usually keep pieces this size (these squares are about an inch in height and width) in the kiln for a minute, but I took these out at only 40 seconds. The enamel is still hard, but it has a rougher texture; it's not quite as shiny as the red beneath. I like that it looks slightly raw and unfinished; I think that it adds some more depth to the design and makes it easier to see the different layers.

I need to make some more large show pieces (happily I've sold most of mine!) and have an idea for a sgraffito bib necklace. Sometimes I wish I had my enameling class every day because I'm anxious to get to work on it.

To purchase these pieces or my other jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Enameled Jewelry: Test Of Skill

My enameling skills were put to the test yesterday when I was hit with a "jewelry emergency" and had to race to complete a necklace.

I was away for Labor Day Weekend when I got an e-mail from Etsy saying that I'd sold one of my enamel necklaces. Of course I was thrilled because I haven't sold that many enameled items online; they usually sell much better at craft fairs. I planned to box up the necklace on Monday night so I could get it out first thing Tuesday morning; as a small business owner, I like to ship things as quickly as possible and not make my customers wait.

However, when I got home, I could not find this necklace. I'm pretty organized when it comes to stocking my pieces, but I had no idea where this one went. I don't remember selling it... but I must have since it wasn't with my other enameled jewelry. I'm just surprised that I hadn't marked it as "sold out." Because I don't have a kiln, it isn't as easy to make enameled jewelry -- and the Y's classes don't start up again until the end of the month.

I was determined to get this piece to the customer, though, so I schlepped to Brooklyn to visit the jewelry store where I'd taken classes. About a month ago I contacted the owner to see if I could purchase some bench time and use their kiln; he agreed and told me to show up whenever I wanted. But I haven't had time to make it down there so I never followed up. The store's site said that it was open until 9 p.m., though, so I planned to arrive around 1 p.m. I figured that I'd buy 20 hours of bench time and could spend the afternoon making this piece and then maybe working on some of my champleve jewelry.

Once I arrived, however, the woman in charge told me that she was about to leave -- and that they only had bench time at certain hours on certain days. What? This was NOT what the store owner told me. I repeated his message to me and explained that I had an "emergency." She agreed to give me an hour to make my necklace. GULP.

The thing is, it takes nearly an hour for the kiln to heat to 1500 degrees F if it hasn't been running. Of course, the kiln wasn't on ... which meant that I'd have to wait a very long time for it to be of use. I was desperate, though, and had to do something... so I made most of my piece by simply torching it.

Torching enamel works, but it isn't quite as effective as a kiln because the heat isn't as evenly distributed. It's a little like trying to make a gourmet meal on a hot plate. But I was determined to complete this piece so I worked on the main side. Somehow I managed to torch the cloisonne design into place without melting the silver. The store's materials are terrible, though, especially compared to the Y's. The strikers (used to light the torch) wouldn't, well, strike, and it was very frustrating. But I pressed on and finished the main side with the design. I couldn't do the counter side because I didn't want to burn the main design with the torch flame.

Once I'd laid down the enamel, I wet packed the colors onto the front. Normally I'd add enamel to the counter side to keep the piece from bending and cracking, but as I said above, I had to wait to do that. I also usually wait for the wet enamel to dry before I fire it, but time was running out. I used a cloth to blot at the enamel and prayed that it would fire correctly.

I attempted to fire the piece in the kiln, but it still wasn't hot enough. And then disaster struck. Another girl who was working there bumped me ... and I dropped my piece onto the floor. The enamel hadn't fired correctly so the powdered glass spilled all over the floor. I was ready to scream.

I again wetpacked the colors and didn't even wait for them to dry. I simply fired the glass with the torch. And then I didn't even wait for the piece to cool; I just dipped it into a glass of cold water. You know what? It worked. If my Y teacher saw me skipping these steps, she'd give me a good lecture, but my pendant was starting to come together. I didn't quite feel as if I were in control, especially since I was in a rush, but it looked nice.

By now the kiln had finally reached about 1200 degrees F so I again tried to use it to apply the two coats of counter glass. This time, I kept the piece in for about three minutes -- and this worked. The glass hardened and glossed as it was supposed to. Whew! The other girl working, the one who'd bumped me, even said, "Wow, that's good." So I guess it looked okay to an outsider.

I managed to finish my piece just at the hour mark. I wanted to clean it a bit more, but I could tell that this woman was ready to leave so I figured I'd just fix it up at home. I grabbed my things and hurried out of there, grateful that I'd successfully put together the pendant. And then, just as I was getting off the subway, I remembered that I'd forgotten to turn off the kiln. OOPS!

I called the store as soon as I got home and the woman said that she'd turned off the kiln for me. Thank goodness! I feared that the store would blow up or something.

I'm amazed that I managed to finish this piece in time, and that I could mail it out today. I really hope that the customer likes it. I think that it's pretty, but I didn't like having to rush through the work. I'm not one to cut corners, especially when it comes to putting out quality products. On one hand, I appreciate the fact that the woman stayed for an extra hour so that I could work at the last minute... but on the other hand, I'm annoyed that I hadn't been given the full scoop on bench time hours. Don't tell someone to "just show up" if you don't mean it.

Though I had to race to get this done, it did feel good to get back to enameling. Now that I have 19 hours of bench time left, I might as well use them before class begins. I guess I'll be making more trips to Brooklyn...

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

Silver wire wrapped enamel and cloisonne hamsa pendant necklace

I finally finished my enamel and cloisonné hamsa pendant! I love how the silver foil layer came out. I applied it before I applied the enamel so that the pendant is shimmery and looks a bit like stained glass.

By the way, a hamsa (hand necklace) is a hand-shaped pendant that's meant to protect the wearer from the evil eye. Hence the large eye in the center of the hand. It's a traditional symbol that you see in Jewish/Middle Eastern jewelry. This was my first time delving into Judaica jewelry and I'm proud of how it turned out.

I haven't designed much religious jewelry, but one of the women in my enameling class has suggested that I make Godmother/communion gifts. I suppose I could make some enamel cross necklaces? I'd want to do something beautiful, classy and respectful. I'm about to learn some champlevé techniques (engraving into metal and then filling the depression with enamel) so I'm thinking of etching a cross into a pendant and then using that as a design.

Meantime, my teacher really loved this hamsa. She especially liked the eye and kept showing it to my classmates. She suggested I make more, but this was very time consuming! So for now, this will remain a one-of-a-kind.

Check out my jewelry at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Wire wrapped copper and enamel "Fire And Ice" necklace completed!

Yay! After weeks of work, I've finally finished my wire wrapped copper and enamel "Fire And Ice" bib necklace! Check it out:

This was one of those projects that I didn't think would ever be completed, so it's so satisfying to see it come together. At the same time, I've gotten so used to working on it that it feels strange to not be putting it together. Onto the next project then!

I'm not sure what I want to do next, maybe a bracelet or earrings? I definitely want to do something a little more simple and accessible. I enjoyed this challenge, though, and am up for another one after taking a well-earned break!

To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Silver wire wrapped necklace with blue enamel pendant

It took many hours of labor and a lot of patience, but I finally finished my mom's birthday gift! I made her a silver wire wrapped necklace with blue Swarovski crystals and a handmade blue and aqua cloisonne and enamel pendant:

I enjoyed combining my enamel and wire wrapping jewelry skills, but as I said, it took a lot of time to make. I had some ideas for more complex chains, but didn't have enough silver wire -- and also, my mom probably wouldn't be comfortable wearing something that's too clunky. I just hope that she likes this piece. I chose the shades of blue because like me, she owns a lot of blue clothing, and I figured that she'd be able to match it with an outfit. I also really like the way that blue looks in enamel form. Some other colors, like purples, don't turn out as well, but shades of blue are always very striking.

I'm giving this to my mom this week, so I'll finally get to see what she thinks of my work!

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

Fire and ice enamel necklace project

I've started a new project in my enameling class and it's going to be a complicated one! I'm making a bib necklace featuring 15 enameled circles, which I'm arranging into an upside-down pyramid shape (the bib). Not only that, the necklace is going to be reversable with a different design on the other side of the discs. It's going to be a lot of work!

So far, I've drilled the discs so that I can attach jump rings and connect them into the triangle pattern, and have applied enamel to one side. My teacher suggested that i sift on different colors right against the copper so I can get a cool, swirling design with a hint of the copper beneath. So I used transparent aqua and deep blue enamels, applying half of each color to the discs ... and sure enough, I got what looks like a funky tie-dyed design:

Actually, now that I look at the discs, they look more like little planets, no? My plan is to apply another coat of aqua/dark blue to this side and then apply orange and yellow to the counter side. This way, I'll have cool colors and warm colors -- or fire and ice. I think it'll be a neat contrast and the wearer can display whichever side she wants.

A statement necklace like this will need an amazing chain; I'm thinking of making a copper chain using spiral links. This way, I'll continue the whole circle theme -- and it'll be a nice way to connect my enamel and wire wrapping skills.

There's no enameling class next week, but I'm anxious to get going on my latest work in progress! I'll post more pics as I go along.

To purchase my wire wrapped and enamel jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Shades of blue enamel and cloisonne pendant

I had a great time in my enameling class this week. First up, I made this really cool enamel and cloisonne pendant using glass in different shades of blue. It's not yet finished, but I plan to attach it to a handmade silver chain that's adorned with blue AB crystals. It's going to be gift for my mom's upcoming birthday, so shh!

There are only two classes left in this semester and I'll admit, I was seriously considering taking another class this spring. I've done enamel for three semesters now and am interested in trying out a different technique. However, after I made this piece, my teacher came over to admire it and said to me, "You know, you're really getting quite good at this." She then went on about some ideas for projects that she has for me for next semester. And so I signed up for enameling again! My teacher's praise means a lot to me and if she has faith in my skill, I would like to improve upon it. I really do like enameling, anyway. It's one of the most popular classes offered so it's not like she has to grub for students; her eagerness to work with me is genuine and I want to take her up on it.

Meantime, I'm excited to put this necklace together and just hope that my mom likes it! I'll post the finished product so keep checking in.

To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations.