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.

Poor, misunderstood precious metal clay

A couple of summers ago, I took a class in working with precious metal clay. The course was only six weeks long, but I really enjoyed it. There was something very satisfying about digging into that clay and getting my fingers dirty.

Precious metal clay (or PMC at it's known) is a clay that's 99 percent fine silver. When you bake the clay in a kiln, the binders and water are dried out and you're left with a piece of silver. It's a great substance to use for making jewelry.

During my time in that class, I made several pairs of earrings and a few pendants. I made my clay go far. Unfortunately, PMC is REALLY expensive. For about $50, you get a tiny hunk of clay that's the size of a marble. You can stretch the clay -- literally and figuratively -- to be used for a couple of items, but if you want to make anything large, you need a lot of clay. I went through a few packs of clay; so far, it's been my most expensive class at the Y.

I've managed to sell most of my enamel and metal pieces that I've made in class, but I haven't had the same luck with my PMC jewelry. I get a lot of admirers at craft fairs -- "Oh, this is nice! Is it silver?" -- but people seem to balk when I explain that yes, it is silver, but it's silver clay. Maybe people don't like the idea of wearing clay jewelry? I don't know. I'm tempted to just say that my pieces are silver and leave it at that because I'd technically be telling the truth... but then I'd feel guilty about my lie of omission. I always like to share how my pieces were made and what materials were used. It's part of the fun of selling handmade things!

I haven't taken another PMC class because it just costs too much money to do something for fun. I'm all for making jewelry simply for the love of designing, but we also have to pay our rent. But maybe this will be the year that my PMC pieces get some love....

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

Abstract geometric silver wire wrapped bracelet and earrings

I've written several times about how there seem to be little trends within my jewelry stores. For the past few weeks, it's been birthstone infinity rings, as several customers have purchased them as Christmas gifts. This week, though, it's all about abstract geometric silver wire wrapped jewelry -- specifically jewelry pieces made from 16 gauge silver wire.

I really like this gauge of wire because it's really thick and chunky looking, but it's still flexible enough that I can bend it into loops and swirls. 14 gauge wire is great for making large sculpture-like pieces, while 18 and 20 gauge wire is great for doing intricate jewelry work. But 16 gauge is somewhere in-between. Over the past few days, people have purchased my silver abstract earrings and silver and paua shell necklace -- both of which are made with 16 gauge wire:

I haven't actually purchased this size wire in a while because well, I haven't had a reason to. My best sellers are mainly made with 14, 18 and 20 gauge wire. So I wasn't even sure that I had the materials to make the items ... which would've been a problem since the customers wanted their pieces in time for Christmas.

Luckily, I remembered that I did, in fact, have some 16 gauge silver on hand. A few months ago I was working on a failed jewelry project for which I was using it and so I happened to have a bag full of the 16 gauge! I was then able to use that and put together those orders in time. Whew! Just call me the jewellery-making Santa Claus, LOL. My orders are now in the mail and hopefully on the way, but at this point, they're in the hands of the U.S. Mail Service. Still, I did everything within my power, at least, to get them out with plenty of time to spare.

I'm thinking that I should order some more of that silver wire since it seems to be popular for me again. I just never know which pieces of mine will catch my customers' eyes!

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. Free shipping on Etsy for Naomi's Designs through Christmas! To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations. To purchase my novel, check out REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Hand carved copper metal and silver wire wrapped pedants

I'm pleased to share that I've now sold all three of my hand carved mixed metal copper and silver abstract wire wrapped pendants!

This is such a big deal to me because I began to work on these three pieces last March on the day that I was let go from my job. It was a Thursday, so I had my metalsmithing class that night, and I didn't want to go home only to have to turn around and go back to the city. Instead, I went uptown to my husband's office and to keep myself occupied, worked on my jewelry in the conference room. I had a big sheet of copper and my jewelry saw with me, so this was the perfect project with which to keep busy. Though I'll never forget the look on his colleagues' faces when they spied me sawing away!

Doing something rather mindless and time-consuming like sawing copper was a great way for me to deal with my stress and to sort out my confusion from that day. As I carved out the various copper and silver shapes, I became more and more determined and defiant and vowed to make it as a jewelry artist. No, this was not what I studied in college, but this no longer mattered; I wanted to succeed at something that I love to do.

This is why I'm happy about selling those three mixed metal pieces. Those necklaces make me think back to that day and these sales are symbollic of my success. I still love what I do and hope to continue for the long haul.

To purchase my 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.

Funky abstract silver wire wrapped pendant necklaces

Sorry for the long delay between postings. I've been busy with my Virtual Blog Tour and the promotion of my book. I then went to California for a week -- and returned home to face the craziness of Superstorm Sandy in New York City. Fortunately, we were very, very lucky and didn't lose power, heat or water.

This past week, I've been getting back into my jewelry making. Marketing my novel is important, but I want to maintain a balance between everything. So I signed up for a craft fair that's next weekend and got back into the studio.

I had a few feet of 14 gauge silver wire so I decided to work on one of my favorite types of pieces: the minimalist, but really cool, abstract silver necklace. These are so much fun to make because I never know exactly what design I'll come up with -- and when I hammer them to add texture, it's a great way to relieve stress! Plus, these sell well, both online and at fairs. Jewellery trends may come and go, but a simple silver or gold pendant will always stay in style -- and goes with any kind of out from casual to fancy.

Here are the four necklaces that I came up with:

To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations. To purchase my book, check out REVENGE OF A BAD GEEK GONE BAD.

Mixed Metal Copper And Silver Jewelry Pieces

Now that I'm taking a metalsmithing class, I have so many more ideas for pieces. Being able to saw and drill jewelry is a useful skill and gives you so much more room for creativity. That said, I'm now making a series of mixed metal jewelry pieces made of copper and silver.

One is this copper heart that's wire wrapped with silver. I decided to combine my skills and created an industrial looking heart that hangs from a silver chain. That chain is handmade, too, by the way, and took a million years to make. Sawing the heart was a challenge because you have to get that top curve and the indentation, but I like how it came out:

The next piece I made consists of a small silver square hanging over a larger copper square. I turned each on an angle to make them look like diamonds and hammered each to give them texture. This chain is also handmade. One thing to note: silver is harder than copper so it takes longer to saw. It also takes much more force.

This piece is very abstract, but I love the combo of the metals. I plan to get some brass sheets, too, so I can play around with those.

To purchase these pieces or my other jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

Bridal Necklace: Swarovski Crystal Pearl Necklace With Silver Flowers

I was inspired to make this necklace by a friend who loves antique jewelry. She asked if I could make something that looked vintage, which is when I came up with this idea.

I originally set out to make a bib necklace comprised of wire flowers with Swarovski crystal pearls in the center. However, as I created it, I decided that the wire daisies would look better as a smaller pendant. With the way they're connected, they resemble a lace doily -- which to me, always reminds me of my Grandma's home.

The rest of the necklace is fairly simple; I strung some Swarovski crystal pearls and connected them with floral accents. I really like how it came out, though, and think that it does look like a piece that my Grandma would've worn or that you'd find in an antique shop. It's a pearl necklace plus.

What's great about this piece is that it works as a wedding necklace or with a casual outfit. It would work really well with a sweater set. Pearls are great because they're so versatile, both in wearing them and when it comes to incorporating them into jewelry.

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

Asymmetrical Silver Necklace With Swarovski Crystal Pearls

I'm not sure what the inspiration was behind this crazy-looking piece. I kind of wanted to do something off-kilter and a little wacky. I'd just gotten a shipment of Swarovski crystal pearls and wanted to use them in an unusual way, not just strung along a necklace.

I began making spirals, not sure where they would head and eventually came up with this funky-looking necklace. Instead of putting the pendant in the center, I attached a bunch of smaller spirals and then wove the little pearls through them. I think it looks like a solar system with a bunch of planets and moons in orbit. It's very space age.

At a recent craft fair, people weren't sure what to make of it, but I like it. I think it's cool. Maybe it's not the most functional piece, but it's my attempt of using jewelry to make some modern art.

What do you think it looks like?

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

Giant silver hoop earrings

Sometimes less is more, as is the case with these giant silver hoop earrings. I got the inspiration to make these when I had only a little bit of 14 gauge wire left and I wasn't sure what to do with it. Part of the wire was already bent in a teardrop shape, so I continued with that and came up with this cool earring design. When I tried them on, I loved them. They look very funky and very '80s, and remind me of something I would've orn in my youth.

Though a lot of my pieces are embellished with crystals or pearls, I decided to leave these bare. They're already large and have an interesting shape, so nothing else is needed to dress them up. Trust me, they will get noticed when you wear them! I think hoops are a classic kind of earring that will always be in style. These are modern, but also reflect a past era, so in that way, they're timeless.

For more of my work, 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.

Silver geometric earrings with blue Swarovski crystals

I made these earrings while my friend Lani was visiting. I asked her what I should make and she suggested that I make something that had crystals in it. So after playing around with 16 gauge sterling silver wire, I came up with this random, but cool design. I then strung different color blue Swarovski crystals across it using 28 gauge silver wire.

I tend to use a lot of blue beads and crystals because that's my favorite color. I especially love when different shades of blue are combined. For me, blue is very relaxing; it reminds me of the sky or the ocean on a bright, sunny day. It's also a color that I look nice in so I own a lot of blue clothing. Not surprisingly my high school crush had piercing blue eyes!

Anyway, silver is a great color to contrast with blue as you can see with these earrings. The earrings are not exactly identical, but I think that this only adds to their uniqueness.

For more of my jewelry, 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