Cool, Colorful Enamel And Cloisonne Necklaces

Thanks to my trip to California and Superstorm Sandy wreaking havoc on New York City, I missed my enamel class for two weeks. But I returned this Tuesday and managed to get a lot of work done. I ended up completing three new pieces, all of which I'll be selling at this weekend's craft fair:

The first is pretty, but was a real pain the butt to make. This was one of those pieces where I had a clear idea in my head for what I wanted -- a pendant that looks like ocean waves and uses different shades of blue -- but things kept going wrong. My first try at this pendant went awry when I overheated it and the cloisonne wire melted. I started a new pendant from scratch and this time, the cloisonne stuck and didn't melt, but the wire moved during the process. This is why the spirals aren't next to one another; they were supposed to be adjacent so they had that wave effect.

Still, I went ahead and completed the pendant, and thought that it came out looking pretty good. Only after I fired it in the kiln, I realized that I'd sealed in the jumpring hole up top. My teacher drilled it for me using a special diamond drill, but the enamel on the back cracked. I refired it to close up the crack and the pendant stuck to the trivet, causing little black gashes to appear on each edge. I tried to cover them with more blue enamel, but it didn't work ... which is why you see that black speck in the corner. Overall, though, I'm happy with this necklace. My husband liked it when I showed it to him. He thought that the spirals were supposed to be flowers, but he loved the color scheme.

The next two enamel pendants were easier to make. I used a brown color scheme for the first out of sheer laziness; we happened to have brown enamel on the table in front of me and I just used what was there. I think it's pretty, though, especially with the drop of yellow. More thought was put into the bottom necklace, which was designed to resemble Native American jewelry. I used colors typical of the Southwest, like turquoise and red, and am really pleased with how it turned out.

My enamel pendants usually sell pretty well at fairs. Here's hoping that I have another successful Sunday!

To purchase my wire wrapped and enamel 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.

Metalsmithing Basics Class Part III

My silver ring is finally beginning to look, well, ring-like. I'm not quite up to soldering the ends together, but I'm close.

As everything else with this class, each step was a time-consuming procedure. I don't know if it's just this teacher or the process of metalsmithing in general that accounts for there being so much time to each step; I guess it's a combination of both.

I filed the ends of that ring for what felt like ages and even worked on it over the weekend, but it wasn't smooth enough for the instructor. She ended up filing it to perfection for me. Then I was finally able to heat the metal and soften it so I could mold it into a ring shape. Actually holding the flaming torch was a little scary, but it was cool! I felt like a badass knowing that I was melting down solid silver. I then had to dip it in acid to clean it, which again was a little unnerving, but the silver came out looking nice and shiny.

I then hammered the ring around a mandrel until it formed a round shape. And next class, I should be ready to solder the ends together ... uh, I hope.

I'll admit, I'm still not thrilled with this teacher and I can tell that she doesn't much care for me, either. I can be a dumbass when it comes to using machinery. I need a lot of instruction. But I know this. I know my weakness. I know that I need some extra times being shown how to work stuff, but the thing is, I also know that I WILL eventually get it and then I'll be really adept at using whatever computer, drill, torch, etc. So I ask a lot of questions. I suppose it can be annoying when you have to show someone how to do something multiple times, but I'd rather be annoying than pick up a torch and not feel 100 percent with it. I'd rather be safe and ask the "stupid" question and make sure I know what I'm doing.

Unfortunately, I can tell that this teacher who likes to rush through instructions, is fed up with me. She got a little snippy with me when I asked for the third time which way to turn off the gas on the torch. And you know what? I'll probably ask again. We have these classes a week apart (two weeks since the last, actually, since she went on vacation) and that's plenty of time to forget a procedure, especially when you're dealing with dangerous chemicals and there are multiple steps. So she may not like me for my incompetence, but frankly, she can kiss my ass. I paid good money for this class and I am going to learn the way I want to.

I'm still debating whether I want to take Jewelry II. I'd still like to learn more because I like the actual skill, but this awful teacher has soured me on the classroom environment. I've been watching a lot of videos about soldering and am trying to learn more on my own.

For more of my jewelry, head to Naomi's Studio or Naomi's Designs.

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.

Making Jewelry: The Tools I Use

I get a lot of questions from people about my jewelry -- how I make it, whether I bend the wire by hand, if I use tools. I do use tools, though there are times when I bend the wire by hand, if I'm able. But if you want to get started with making jewelry, here are some basic tools to have. You can order beginner jewelry kits online and most have just what you need.

1. Round nose pliers: These have a rounded tip and are great for making loops. They're a necessity for things like floral designs and spirals.

2. Flat nose pliers: These have a flat tip and are great for squeezing things tight. I also use them for making angles, like in my square and triangle pieces. Plus, they're useful for straightening wire.

3. Flush cutters: I use wire cutters that cut on the flush; this way, the wire isn't jagged at the end. You definitely need quality wire cutters because if you try to cut with a regular scissors, you won't get an even cut.

4. Heavy duty wire cutter: I have a much stronger cutter for snipping 14 gauge wire, which is tough! It's good to have different sizes for different sized wire.

5. File: Always file the ends of the wire so it's not sharp. You don't want to stick yourself or someone else. Trust me, it hurts!

6. Wire (duh): I like to use 20 gauge silver plated for most projects, but I'll sometimes use softer (22-28 gauge) or harder (18-14 gauge) if a piece calls for it. For instance, I'll use very hard 14 gauge to make a thick pendant, but will use 28 gauge to connect a stone. I like to use 18 gauge for bracelets because it's flexible, but holds well.

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

My First Craft Fair, a.k.a. Tales From The Dark Side

Today was a big day, my first craft fair. As you can guess from my blog entry title, it had its ups and downs.

Jon and I got up at the butt crack of dawn to get to this thing. I figured that it would take me a while to set up my jewelry, so we got to the lot about two hours before the event. Many other vendors were there already, so there was a festive spirit in the air. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of wind, so my stuff kept blowing over. We attempted to put up a tent, but the entire thing blew away, so we didn't bother. We then tried to hold down my displays with masking tape and rocks, but even then, the strong winds would knock down my things.

Still, I was determined to make the best of things even though I was freezing my ass off, tired and annoyed that my jewelry was getting tangled by the wind. But I tried to enjoy myself. I chatted with other vendors, I ate some yummy chocolate pretzels ... I people watched. There were a few other jewelry booths there, but I seemed to be the only person selling original, handmade stuff.

At 10 a.m., the fair officially opened, but there was very little traffic. Everyone said it was because of the chilly weather and the fact that it's the beginning of the craft fair season. Either way, it was frustrating. A few people glanced at my booth, but didn't say anything. I sat and shivered because I was so cold.

Around noon, things perked up. My parents stopped by to say hello, though they didn't buy anything. Then my friend's little sister came by. She's been meaning to purchase my jewelry online and decided to see my stuff in person instead. She liked a bracelet ... but didn't have money. I put it on hold for her.

Later, people finally began to stop by. I had many potential buyers compliment my pieces and my talent, and ask for a card, but I think my prices (which honestly weren't that high) scared them off. I lowered them a bit for the next interested parties and one woman came close to buying a necklace. But then her evil friend said that the Swarovski beads looked like plastic. There went my sale.

Many more people came by to look and take a card. See, I don't get this. I'm the type of person who either buys something or doesn't, so I don't see why they have to wander around until they make up their minds. Needless to say, no one came back. I have a feeling that my business cards will end up in the garbage, but I'm hopeful. One lady asked me to hold a necklace and earring set for her granddaughter and promised to return. She didn't. Another woman asked if she could buy just one earring. I was willing to bargain it, but she decided not to.

Finally, FINALLY, the crowd began to pick up around 3:30, and a woman bought two pairs of earrings from me. That was my only sale for the day. But I did learn some things. A) I need to lower my prices, especially for the second show I have coming up. B) I need to talk to the customers more; they seem to like that C) Some vendors told me that this particular company doesn't get good crowds, which I saw today. So I need to find a company that does better advertising.

The bad news is, I didn't make much money. But the good news is that people seemed to really like my work. They called it "unique" and "so pretty" and kept saying that I was talented. Many said that they liked that it's different from the average jewelry out there. So I think that with better advertising and lower prices, I'll have a better time at the next show. Glad I got this one out of the way!

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

Gold square pendant on silk, black cord

Sometimes simple is best. That's the case with this gold square pendant. I was looking to make something fun, but elegant and a little abstract. So I let my wire do the talking and ended up with this cool square spiral shape.

People often ask where I get my ideas for my jewelry pieces. This blog is a long, drawn out answer to that question, but a lot of times, I'm inspired by a pattern or by nature. I like clean, geometric shapes, which is why so much of my work consists of spirals or loops or triangles or squares. And I like modern art, which is why a lot of my work is kind of abstract.

When it comes to handling tough 14 gauge wire -- as this pendant is -- usually I'll start to twist it and see where it ends up. It's kind of fun not having a plan and letting the wire take me on an "adventure." It's a little like sculpting; I still marvel at the fact that I can turn an ordinary piece of wire into this attractive finished product.

In other jewelry news, my booth umbrella arrived today. I thought that this thing was going to be light and compact and well, it's not. It's huge! I had it delivered to my office and our mail guy brought over this box that was literally as tall as me. He was like, "Uh, what do you want me to do with this?" and I was like, "Ummmmmmm....." I ended up removing it from its box and placing it on the side of my cubicle, but honestly, I don't think we're going to be able to carry this thing with us. Guess I'll have to function without shade. It shouldn't be too hot in April, anyway.

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

Silver Triangle Necklace With Pink Swarovski Crystals

How do I know that I've gotten way too immersed in making jewelry? I've been dreaming about designs. I'm not kidding. I'll often fall asleep thinking of new ideas for necklaces or bracelets, or of different types of beads and crystals. I think that if doctors were to examine my brain, it would be covered with bling.

I'll also see everyday objects and wonder how they could work as jewelry. For instance, I recently found myself staring at power lines and wondering what gauge wire they were, and if I could make a spiral out of them. Pathetic, huh?

Don't worry, though, I'm not about to make necklaces out of any telephone cords. Today's featured piece was made from regular 14 gauge sterling silver wire.

This is what I've nicknamed my Hershey's Kiss necklace. I'd attempted to bend the wire into a triangle, but the corners came out slightly rounded. I then had this idea to string a band of Swarovski crystals across is, but the only way they'd stay is if I did it at an angle. Because of the not-quite-a-triangle shape and the way the beads were strung, it turned out looking like a Hershey's Kiss with a wrapper.

I still think it's pretty cute, though. It would make a sweet gift for a girlfriend, for example; you could give her this along with real Hershey's Kisses (Mmmm..... chocolate). Or it could be a nice piece of jewelry for a fan of the color pink.

Well, it's almost time for bed over here .... let's see what designs I dream of tonight!

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

Silver square bracelet with multi-colored square crystals

I've been thinking a lot about where I get my jewelry making abilities from. Almost everyone in my family is musical, so it's easy to trace back that talent: my mom is a pianist, my dad plays guitar, my grandfather played violin and my great uncle was a jazz composer. However, as far as I know I'm the only jewelry maker.

My married last name -- my husband's -- is Edelstein, which actually means "precious stone." So someone on his side made or sold jewelry. We have no Edelsteins on my side, to my knowledge.

I suppose I get some of my artistry from my grandmother, who's a seriously talented knitter. I told her that it's a shame that sites like Etsy didn't exist in her youth because she would've made a fortune! She mainly knits for family members or friends, but has rarely sold anything commercially.

Meanwhile, my dad also has some artistic talents. For a while, he was making stained glass projects, but hurt his hand and was unable to continue. Still, he's very handy and you can see his work all over my parents' home. He designed a dining room table out of European tiles and put together the brick work in the living room.

I guess it doesn't matter where I got the talent from, just as along as I enjoy what I'm doing -- which I am! Today's featured item is my silver square wire bracelet with multi-colored square crystals. I'd originally made a version of this with blue squares for my friend's sister. I gave it to her for Christmas and she loved it; she put it on right away and then wore it the next day, as well. I wanted to try the same pattern, but with more color, so I chose crystals of blue, purple orange and green. I think it looks really cool -- fun and funky, but the colors aren't overwhelming.

I'd actually forgotten that I'd made this until I dug some stuff out to photograph yesterday. Now I'm debating whether I should sell this or keep it for myself...

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

Silver bracelet with cloisonne beads

The first time I saw cloisonne was when I was in China with my parents. We visited an artist who made cloisonne pens, of all things, and I remember being intrigued as he painted these gorgeous floral designs onto a pen. I purchased one thinking it would be cool to use such a gorgeous writing instrument in school, but ultimately decided not to use it. To this day, I keep it safe in a velvet case.

The next cloisonne item I owned was a cloisonne Star of David necklace that my mom gave me for my birthday. The star was red and again had a floral-type design on it, and again, it was gorgeous.

That said, I have a pretty sentimental association with cloisonne and wanted to make a piece of jewelry that would showcase it. I'm not skilled to make cloisonne jewelry myself, but I did purchase some lovely cloisonne beads; it was just a matter of deciding what to do with them.

Ultimately, I kept things simple and designed this bracelet that alternates sterling silver wire squiggles with the cloisonne beads. I handmade the squiggles and tried to make each link about the same size of the beads; this way, they wouldn't overshadow the cloisonne. It turned out to be a very slender, but elegant piece of jewelry. Hopefully, whoever ends up buying this will appreciate it as much as I appreciated my cloisonne pieces.

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

My New Business Cards!

Below, I'll share a preview of the business cards I ordered. I feel so "official" now. Before jewelry making was just a hobby, but this makes it a business. It's a bit surreal.

When choosing the design for my card, I tried to go with something that reflects my designs: elegant, chic and fun. I liked the rich, earthy brown colors, which is why I picked them for the background, but there are some swrirly designs on there that remind me of the spirals I often make in my jewelry pieces.

Turning a hobby into a business isn't so easy, I'm discovering. There is a lot to learn. On one hand, the Internet and sites like Etsy make it easy for artists to show off and sell their items. On the other hand, the accessibility means that there's so much competition. I think my pieces are unique, but I still have a lot to improve on in terms of being a salesperson. I feel confident with my skills as a jewelry maker, but not so much as an online entrepreneur.

Still, I'm determined to get there and am sure that I will succeed. Meantime, here's my business card:

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

Silver bracelet with crystals and spirals

First up, good news! I made my first sale online! Now I hope the purchaser likes my item and wears it well. While it's nice to make money from online ventures, honestly, I'm not planning to be a millionaire (though that would be nice). It's more about the idea of people willing to pay me for my art. It's flattering when people want to buy your work and then show it off.

And now on to today's featured item ... my silver geometric bracelet with crystals and spirals. I'm not sure where I got the idea for this, but I wanted to make something unique and funky. At the time, I was playing around with different shapes and wanted to see how they could be combined. I twisted wire into a spiral and triangle design and liked how it looked, so I made some more links, added some crystals and voila! This bracelet was born.

One of the things about jewelry that can be so overwhelming is that there are SO many possibilities. Whenever I see beads I like, I get a million ideas about what to do with them. This is why I'm always challenging myself to make unusual designs and use odd color combos. I want to push the envelope a bit with my jewelry and I think I succeeded with this bracelet.

To buy my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.

Funky spiral silver earrings

These earrings were fun to make and look really cool. There's just something very relaxing about bending wire into spirals and squiggles, and it feels really good when I've made a finished product.

The challenge with making earrings is to get them somewhat uniform, which can be difficult with wire work. But I did my best to keep the spirals the same size and to match the turns in each squiggle. Together, they look evenly matched, though, and when they're worn as a set, you can hardly notice the differences.

Even though these earrings are long and wide, they're very lightweight. When you wear them, you hardly feel as if anything is in your ear. I love dangling earrings, though, because they just make ears look so pretty. That'sprobably a strange thing to say, but I feel a lot more dressed up with longer earrings than I do with shorter ones.

By the way, I got some good news this week: I've been invited to participate in a local craft fair this spring! I'm very excited about getting out there and showing my jewelry to to world ( or at least the neighbothood). More information to follow...

To buy any of my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

Gold and emerald green wire bracelet

I love the way that gold and green look together, so when I got these square, green glass stone, I knew that I had to combine them with gold-colored wire.

My original plan was to do a square bracelet with the stones in the center, but I didn't like how that looked. Instead, I decided to go with an abstract design centered around the green beads. Because the beads are so sturdy, I went with a tougher 16-gauge wire. I often work with 20 gauge, but the 16-gauge is thicker and better matches the stones.

When choosing a pattern for the wire, I went with the squiggles because I liked how they looked against the squares. The beads are so perfect in their shape and I liked playing against that with the not-so-perfect wire design. My friend says that it looks like a snake, but to me, the wire looks more like cresting waves. With the green stones, it gives the bracelet a very "natural" effect.

For more of my work, check out Naomi's Designs.

Wire lattice earrings with blue crystals

One of my favorite patterns to make is the nine-loop lattice design. It's not only fun to twist the loops, but it's a very beautiful and useful pattern. You can link the squares together to form a larger pattern, turn the square sideways to make a diamond, hang gems from the lattice ... the possibilities are endless.

I've always liked the combination of brown and blue so when I got this antiqued-looking brown gunmetal wire, I immediately decided to combine it with ble crystals. I wanted to do something different from just dangling one gemstone so I decided to weave the crystals throughout. I love the way the blue sparkles against the brown. I haven't seen too many earrings like this so I'm proud of the work.

Eventually, I plan to make a matching gunmetal lattice necklace. That'll be way more work, though because I'll have to make the entire chain by hand. It'll be worth it, though, especially if these pieces are worn as a set.

For more of my work, head to Naomi's Designs.

Silver Wire And Paua Shell Bracelet

When I was younger, I used to love collecting shells on the beach. Unfortunately, the shells in New York weren't the most interesting. One summer we went to Florida, though, and the shells there were amazing! They came in shapes and colors like I'd never seen; they almost didn't seem real.

These days, I still have a love of shells and the sea so when I saw these beautiful paua shell squares, I just had to get them. I wanted to create a piece of jewelry that showcased the shells, rather than blending them in with a bunch of other beads. I'd originally planned to make a cuff bracelet, but didn't like how it was coming out. Instead I opted for this simple design which alternates handmade silver wire squares with the paua shells. I feel like the silver and multi-colored shells look good together and the square design frames the beads. The spiral nature of the squares plays upon the natural spiral which forms within many shells.

I've been trying to experiment with different gauges of wire and I liked this gauge, 16, very much. It wasn't too hard, but was tough enough that the squares have depth. I have enough leftover shell beads to make a matching necklace, as well.

For more of my jewelry, head to www.etsy.com/shop/naomirabinowitz