Black diamond enamel pendant with abstract triangle design

Going through my bags of jewelry supplies can sometimes be like digging for buried treasure. I try to keep my stuff organized, but I have so many beads, spools of wire, etc. that things often get lost in the shuffle -- such as this enamel pendant that I found at the bottom of the bag where I keep my supplies for class.

I made this black diamond pendant last spring. I'd been working on a major project all semester (which has yet to be completed) and needed a break. And so I came up with this little abstract piece. The large necklace I'd been designing is turquoise and blue, and I was sick of looking at those colored enamels. This is why this pendant is black, red and yellow. I wanted to work with a completely different color scheme!

I didn't have any fine silver cloisonne wire on hand, so I improvised and used fine silver bezel wire instead. Bezel wire is similar, but is thicker so it can support a stone. I simply cut the wire in half down the center and it worked just as well.

Only two and a half more weeks until class! I'm eager to return and start some new projects, so keep checking back in. Meantime, you can see the rest of my wire wrapped and enamel 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.

Silver wire wrapped abstract enamel and cloisonne pendant in blue

A few months ago, I made an enamel and cloisonne pendant for my mom's birthday. She likes blues, so I created an abstract design that incorporated different shades of blue: aqua, turquoise and nitric blue, which is a deeper version of the hue.

I really liked how this necklace turned out and planned to make another ... and finally designed another version of it. This one doesn't look exactly the same, plus the blues are a little different (I used water blue, aqua and sky blue), but the basic idea is the same:

What's interesting about this newer piece is that I used a bit of silver foil in the design; it's beneath the darker blues. If you look closely, you can see that the color shimmers a bit more than in the other areas.

I also didn't actually use cloisonne wire for this pendant because it's the end of the semester and I ran out. Instead, I improvised and used fine silver bezel wire, which is meant for wrapping cabochons and gems. Bezel wire is a bit thicker than cloisonne wire, so I had to slice it down the center to make it a more suitable length. But fine silver is fine silver and it worked! You just can't use sterling silver when making an enamel piece because it won't heat correctly. As with the other necklace, I made the chain from silver plated wire and added blue crystals.

My plan (among many others) is to do a little series that features these geometric pendants. I have one class left before our winter break. I think I might make another version of this using enamels in purple, yellow and raspberry -- a big change from these cool blues. What do you think?

To purchase my jewelry, 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.

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.