Medieval-Inspired Copper Filigree Necklace

I've been called upon to do all sorts of custom orders, but about a year ago, I received one of my more interesting requests. A woman who recreates Medieval costumes planned to dress as Maria Portinari for a convention and asked me to make a version of the necklace. The painting by Hans Memling dates back to the 1400s and features a 14-year-old Maria on her wedding day. She was a member of Italian nobility and though little is known of her, she actually appears in another painting by Hugo van der Goes, where she's wearing the same ensemble and jewelry. This is Memling's work:

I often work off of jewelry photos, but copying an object that's on a painting was much more difficult. I wasn't 100 percent sure what materials were used or how each piece was connected. Even zoomed in to the painting, it was hard to get a perfect view. One of my friends, who is a mechanical engineer, took a look for fun -- and was also stumped by some of the workings of this necklace. He couldn't figure out if it was one piece where everything had been soldered together or if the black beads were a separate necklace. Again, that's the problem with copying a painting. You're not getting an exact picture (pardon the pun) like you would with a photo. You're getting an interpretation.

However, one of the great things about living in NYC is that I have access to some of the world's best museums -- and, as it turns out, this particular painting is part of the Metropolitan Museum Of Art's permanent collection. I visited the museum so I could see the painting in person and get a better read on this elusive necklace... and while the wing featuring the painting was open, the actual alcove where the painting hangs was closed for construction. I could see Maria from a distance, but could not get close to her. Damn.

Instead, I wandered around the beautiful Medieval exhibit so I could see what kinds of jewelry were worn in her day. I took notes on the styles, materials used, etc. Technically I was working. Yes, I did enjoy myself!

I still wasn't sure I had the skills to pull off this necklace, though, and was honest with the customer. I didn't want her to get a piece that didn't match her expectations. I love a challenge, but am also realistic about my skills. It's one thing to goof around and practice on my own, but I'm not going to make a sub-par product for someone who is paying.

Well, about a year went by and I again heard from my customer. She decided to go with a more simple design for her costume and was still interested in having me create one of my wire wrapped filigree pieces. This I could do! So I made her a longer version of my filigree anklet. It's definitely not a replica of Maria's elaborate necklace, but it does have that Medieval "flavor."

In the end, I didn't successfully make a true Medieval necklace, but I enjoyed being part of this project. It's not every day I get to design jewelry for a historically-inspired outfit! Now I hope that the next time I visit the Met, I'll get to see Maria up close and personal. Maybe I'll even wear some filigree in her honor.

Check out the rest of my handmade glass and wire wrapped jewelry at Naomi's Designs.

Silver wire wrapped necklace with black briolette, black and clear crystals and spirals

Happy New Year! I wish all of you a healthy, happy and peaceful 2017. We rang ours in in the perfect way: we simply spent the night at my in-laws', where we ate Chinese food and watched the Twilight Zone marathon. It was quiet, relaxing -- and just what we needed.

When I was younger, I felt as if my NYE had been a "failure" if I hadn't rung it in in some spectacular way. One time, we went to Atlantic City for the night. Another time, we went down to Washington, D.C. to visit my sister-in-law. Most years, some friend would host a party. However, I no longer feel the need to go crazy on the night of December 31. Truth is, I didn't like those parties all that much. I'm letting them go.

Speaking of letting things go, I've decided to take a break from my enameling class at the Y. I've LOVED that class. I've learned so much, made some beautiful pieces and met wonderful friends... but I'm just not as excited about it as I once was. I've had a lot going on with my glass and music and those have been taking up more of my time. Plus, the enameling class is expensive... and my enamel pieces just don't sell as well as my glass or wire.

The other thing -- and this is hard for me to admit -- is that the class environment has gotten very negative. We've had some memorable discussions about our families, popular culture and world events... but with the way things have gone in 2016, a lot of the talk has been depressing. When it comes to world news, I don't keep my head buried in the sand. I know it's important to be aware. But I really like to keep my art separate from that sort of thing. It's a refuge. I turn to jewelry and music when I need a break from that stuff and enameling was making me feel more anxious than energized.

As of now, I'm simply taking off this semester. I plan to spend my time, well, making jewelry of course, but also networking and seeing if I can get my pieces into some more shops in the area. My goal is to sell my work to two more salons. I also have a similar goal for my music. On Friday, I played a two-hour set at a nearby coffeehouse and really enjoyed the experience. I'd like to book performances at at least two other local restaurants or coffeehouses. So I have a lot of things I'd like to do HERE and figure I should give myself the time to accomplish these goals. I'll see how I feel when the summer semester comes around and can always sign up again, if I want.

Anyway. I haven't made too many pieces in the last couple of weeks because I was preparing for three gigs, but I did finish a few. I made a return to wire wrapping -- yes, I still do that! -- and designed this silver wire wrapped spiral necklace. The black briolettes were a gift from a customer and are large enough to wrap with clear crystals. I then embellished the chain with some additional black and clear crystals. My original plan was to add more crystals to the chain, but I think this is a good balance and doesn't take the design over the top. I also did a version with pink crystals. Really, I can use any color because black is such a versatile base.

It's raining here today, but my husband and I plan to walk downtown. There are several boutiques in the area, so I'm going to mark down the names and then call them this week. See that? I'm already working on my New Year's jewelry resolution!

Start off your 2017 by checking out my handmade jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Wire wrapped pendant necklace with fused blue dichroic glass and wire spiral; "Rhapsody In Blue" necklace

I really love working with glass, but one thing I've learned is that it's really difficult to make custom pieces. Dichroic glass is gorgeous, but it's prismatic, so it has more than one color. Also, those colors are quite complex, so when you fire two pieces -- even if they're made from the same sheet of glass -- you just never know what you're going to get. One piece might be bright blue, while another looks more purple or even gray. This is probably a different case when you're using a professional-level kiln and can spend hours letting a piece heat, but I have to work with my little microwave kiln. It's a great tool, but it does have some limitations.

Right now, I'm working on a necklace and ring for a friend. It's a double pendant, where one square is purple and the other is yellow. She wants a matching ring that's half and half, but I've had a hell of a time finding the perfect purple. I've made several attempts and am still not 100 percent satisfied. She likes at least one of the rings I've created, but I still want to find the right color.

It's much easier for me to simply fire the glass and see what I get. Most of the time, I like the end result! I really love this blue square that has a swirl of turquoise and navy. It reminds me of a tropical ocean.

I wanted to give it some extra "oomph," so I added the brass spiral. That's made from 16 gauge wire, which is quite thick and difficult to twist. I usually attach the backing and then wrap the extra wire around the bail before adding my design, but in this case, I made the backing and spiral from one piece of wire.

I call this necklace "Rhapsody In Blue" for obvious reasons, but I also name it that because I've been performing a Gershwin program on my flute. I wear a few different hats; in addition to designing jewelry, I write and am a musician. I haven't written in a while -- other than writing for this blog -- but I play flute at senior homes around the city. I really enjoy it and the seniors especially liked my Gershwin set. So when I saw this blue, I knew I had to give it that name.

What's interesting about my musical job is that it's beginning to merge with my jewelry work. One of the homes has vendor sales and I've been invited to sell my jewelry. We still haven't come up with a date, but I'm hoping that I can do it this spring. And at another home, the recreation director is seeing if I can teach a jewelry making class to the seniors. You just never know where an opportunity might arise!

I'll fill you in as these events happen (or don't because you never know). Meantime, check out my handmade wire wrapped, fused glass and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Silver wire wrapped bridal necklace with lavender purple stones

I get many requests for custom orders, but a couple of months ago, I got a very special request: my friend, Timothea, asked me to design her wedding necklace. The happy bride-to-be is tying the knot in May and asked me to make a one-of-a-kind piece for her.

Timmie was open to any type of design, but did want me to include a purple stone because her dress has a purple sash. I showed her some different ideas and she chose a teardrop-shaped lavender focal made of crazy lace agate. The stone is dyed; the purple isn't its natural color, but she was more interested in its appearance over the purity. I used silver plated wire for the rest. Again, no materials were expensive, but beauty doesn't have to be costly.

Last year, I designed a bracelet and fancy headpiece to wear to my friends' wedding, but this was actually my first go at making a full-on bridal necklace. Before choosing a design, I studied a photo of Timmie's dress and looked at some pictures of other existing wedding pieces. Timmie's dress is pretty simple with a plunging neckline, so we decided to go for a longish Y-shaped piece to mirror the outline of the bodice. I eventually came up with this design:

Yes, I twisted and created every one of those curls in the filigree design. I don't even know how many Swarovski crystals were included, but I went through almost an entire pack of 144! I originally planned to use just one purple focal... but this is for a wedding. Why not go for two?

The biggest challenge was finding a way to center the stones in those filigree frames -- but to hang the stones in a way that they'd stay secure and not dangle and flop. I ended up threading the wire all the way through the stone and working that portion of the wire into the filigree design.

I have to say, Timmie was the most laid-back bride -- definitely NOT a bridezilla. I sent her photos showing her the piece during each stage of its creation and she kept encouraging me to continue. It felt good to have so much freedom and creativity.

The necklace is now safely in Timmie's hands as she counts down those final days to her wedding. Congrats, my friend! It was an honor to make this for you.

Check out more of my wire wrapped jewelry designs -- or request your own custom piece -- at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Copper wire wrapped marble pendant... and a special jewelry model!!!

Growing up, I went to one of the largest high schools in the country. My GRADUATING class had over 1300 kids and our school was separated into two campuses: Sachem South housed 9th and 10th grades, while Sachem North was home to the juniors and seniors.

Because there were so many students, it was difficult to get to know many very well. I had my group of friends and was then acquainted with, maybe, the 150 other kids or so, who were in my classes. You'd think that with so many people around, it would be easy to be a part of a big group, but the large number of kids actually made me feel rather isolated.

Thanks to Facebook, though, I've reconnected with many of those former acquaintances ... who've become actual friends! I've joked that I now have more high school friends than I did when I was in high school, but it's true! It's funny how things sometimes turn out.

Many of these old/new friends have been extremely supportive of my jewelry and writing ventures. Several have purchased pieces from me and have read my novel. I appreciate any support, but to get it from people who (barely) "knew me when" means so much. I never felt as if I were part of a community in our huge high school, but I do feel some of that now.

One of these friends is Andrea, who played flute with me in band. She purchased my copper wire wrapped mahogany marble necklace and was kind enough to model it for me:

I know she truly appreciates my work because her young daughter, Z, is an artist. Z makes amazing clay figurines and I can seriously see her designing creatures for a program that uses claymation. Since Andrea sees the work that her daughter puts into her art, she has an idea of what it takes for me to make my jewelry.

So, thank you, Andrea, for showing off my necklace. You look great!!!

Check out the rest of my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Silver wire wrapped Rhodonite earrings with Swarovski crystals

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing holiday. Mine was pretty busy with jewelry and book-related stuff (not to mention holiday parties!), but things have settled down as they usually do at the start of the new year.

Happily, my enameling class kicks off the winter/spring session tomorrow; meanwhile, I've had time to make several new jewellery pieces.

A woman recently purchased my silver wire wrapped pink oval necklace with pearls and asked if I had any matching earrings. I'd just happened to buy a string of small, pink, oval Rhodonite stones, so I came up with this pair of earrings to go with the pendant:

Though it's difficult to tell from my photo, the stones are quite small; maybe 3/4 of an inch across at the widest point. I tried making them with pearls to perfectly match the necklace, but the crystal pearls I have were just too big for the design on this size stone. The wire kept buckling and the pearls wouldn't lay right.

After a few attempts, I moved on to using Swarovski crystal bicones, which are much smaller than the pearls. I tried to make the design with two crystals, but again, they didn't fit right. Finally, I went with only one crystal, but enlarged the spiral... and voila! I came up with a design that works!

I'm not a huge fan of pink, but I like the rose color of these Rhodonite stones. The pink isn't too bright and the dusty shade gives the stones a vintage look, especially with the oval shape. When I see them, I think of cameo jewelry, which is why I get a vintage feel from these pieces.

I was surprised when I discovered I'd sold all of my pink stone pieces. When I went to purchase a new batch of beads (yes, these are technically beads, even though they're so large), I couldn't find the stones I'd originally bought -- probably about two years ago or so. Thankfully, I came across these large Rhodonite beads at Fire Mountain Gems.

I haven't used pink that often in my work -- but these pretty stones have made me rethink my color scheme. Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. And check out LOVE NOTES, the anthology which features my novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Wire wrapped jewellery designs: silver wire wrapped filigree necklace with blue crystals

For the past few years, I've made most of my wire wrapped pendants from only one piece of wire. Lately, I've been experimenting with more complex designs. I love filigree -- the swirling, spiraling patterns -- and wanted to make a filigree pendant.

I've never made a filigree piece using solder, but from what I understand, you don't don't solder each piece individually. You arrange the design and apply heat to the entire thing, and the pieces fuse into place. Since I didn't use solder for this necklace, I had to get creative and attached each section of wire by wrapping it. I tried to work the wraps into the pattern to create this teadrop focal:

I'm pleased with how this turned out for my first try, though I do need some more practice. The most difficult part was keeping the wire from getting tangled; I also didn't want to crush the frame when I tightened the ends of the wraps. I like the blue, but I also think a similar piece would look nice in red or even with clear crystals. I love the teardrop shape, but think an abstract form could be interesting.

I'm still not so great at metalsmithing, but would like to take a traditional filigree class. It's such a beautiful art form and I think it would be worth the time and effort to learn how to do it.

Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Large silver wire wrapped lapis lazuli pendant with spirals and blue square AB crystals

I've been having the hardest time finding lapis lazuli stones in the size I want! First, I bought two sets of too-small stones... and in my latest purchase, the stones were a bit larger than what I like. I guess Firemountain Gems just doesn't sell them in that old size? Oh well, the large stones are at least big enough to use for pendants and I've been having a good time playing around with them.

This weekend I made a new silver wire wrapped pendant using one of these big stones, which are about 40 mm. Because there was so much room on the stone's "canvas," I was able to include three medium-sized blue square AB crystals:

When it comes to wire wrapping stones, I almost always incorporate some sort of spiral design, but I swear, it's different every time! It's just that to me, the swirling design looks the best when working with a round base. I've tried making pendants with other shapes and straighter lines, but they just aren't as attractive, in my opinion. I find that following the shape of the stone usually works best.

I'm thinking of making another lapis lazuli necklace using one of these huge stones as a focal and then flanking it with two smaller stones, and then two more of the tiniest. I can already see the piece in my head and am liking the idea! But I'm done ordering lapis for now. I have more than enough, thanks to my shopping "mistakes."

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

Silver wire wrapped statement bubble necklace with lapis lazuli stones, spirals and Swarovski crystals

When it comes to making jewelry, I try to make mistakes work for me whenever I can. Take these lapis lazuli stones that I'd ordered for a customer. TWICE I purchased the wrong sized stones, with the lapis rounds being too small. But rather than get annoyed, I decided to use the second set of stones for a silver wire wrapped statement necklace:

I haven't made such a complex piece of jewelry in a while. Oh, sure, I've made plenty of necklaces, but most are pendants on a chain or black silk cord. I have a couple of craft fairs coming up, though, and want to have some higher-end pieces -- especially for the event that's being held at the 92nd Street Y. If I'm going to be selling my jewelry at this fair, I'm going to be surrounded by very talented artists. I seriously need to step things up and showcase my best work.

The double-tiered wire wrapped spiral pendant was originally going to be one half of a pair of earrings... but when I tried it on, it was much too heavy on my lobe. That's when I turned it into a necklace. Bubble statement necklaces are trendy so I added a few more of the round lapis stones and did a variation on the spiral and Swarovski crystal pattern. I also have tiny lapis stones so I'll see how those work for a matching wire wrapped earring set.

Meanwhile, the correct sized stones have arrived! I can finally finish my order and ship it out... but I'm glad I "accidentally" purchased the wrong materials. I think it worked out for the best!

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

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.

Silver wire wrapped pink marble stone with spiral designs and Swarovski crystal pearls

Tonight, a group of us are celebrating my friend's birthday. She and I have known each other for years but have only recently grown close -- and she's someone whom I really admire. She's a mom of three, runs her own daycare business and is a talented writer. She and I, plus another woman meet up about once a month to read and critique each other's essays, writing clips, etc. This has given us an opportunity to learn more about each other and to become better friends.

She also has great style! She's one of those people who always looks put together, even when she's dressed very casually. Of course, she wears eye-catching jewelry. She's one of my few friends who doesn't have pierced ears, but she almost always wears a pair of cool clip-ons and a funky necklace. I'm constantly asking her about her jewelry and where she got it. She enjoys shopping at craft fairs so many of her pieces are handmade and different from what you see in a department store.

She wanted to do something creative for her birthday so we've signed up for a class at Paint Along New York. For each class a particular painting is chosen and students have to copy the artwork to the best of their abilities. The idea is to experience the different ways in which everyone interprets the piece. I haven't done that much painting, but I'm curious to see how my enameling experience will come in handy. I'll let you know!

Since my friend is having this artsy party, I felt it was appropriate to give her an "artsy" gift -- and I made her a bracelet and one of my wire wrapped stone pendants. I wanted to make something that looks old-fashioned and traditional but has a modern twist, and is unique enough to suit her bold personality. I found the perfect oval pink marble stone as my base and came up with this:

I twisted the 20 gauge silver-plated wire into a series of spirals and swirls and adorned the design with a couple of beige Swarovski crystal pearls. I originally looped the wire back around and had more spirals up top, but felt as if that were overdoing the design -- and so I ended up going with the more simple and traditional look.

I really hope she likes it! I'm a bit nervous to give it to her because she has such particular taste in jewelry, but I think she'll at least appreciate the work that went into it. And now I'm off to paint!

Check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

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.

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.

Wire wrapped lapis lazuli necklace and earrings

Two things have been happening this year: I've been getting a lot more orders from Europe and Australia. I've also been getting many requests for custom pieces. The second matter is especially fun for me because while I think I'm pretty creative, it sometimes helps to get some influence from another person.

The latest custom order came from a woman who purchased my wire wrapped lapis lazuli necklace. She wrote to me asking if I could design a pair of matching earrings. She didn't have a specific vision so I suggested that I create earrings that have a similar, but not exact, design. This way, there would be a little contrast between the jewelry pieces. She agreed and I came up with this jewelry set:

I like working with lapis because the blue color is so striking and the surface is so smooth. It just feels good to have it in your hands! I wrapped it copper because I love the way the wire looks against the stone.

I'm always open to new ideas, so keep those custom orders coming! You help keep my creativity alive!

Check out more of my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Photo Gallery: My Top 40 Wire Wrapped And Enamel Jewelry Pieces, Part IV

... And here are my very favorite 10 pieces from my Top 40 Birthday Collection! Be sure to check out Part 1, Part II and Part III, as well as my shops Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

That silver ring with the cut-outs is the first thing I ever made in my metalsmithing class. Honestly, I didn't care for the class all that much, but I do like the ring. The metal necklaces -- the copper and silver squares, the copper heart and the copper squiggle with turquoise beads -- are important to me because I made them in my husband's office on the day that I was let go from my job at the magazine. I wasn't sure what the future held for me, but making these pieces calmed my nerves and made me feel a bit better about my life. Once I sold them, I felt as if my choice to go into jewelry making full time were validated.

The silver wire wrapped chandelier earrings with blue crystals are a favorite of mine because they remind me of the jewelry I saw when I was in Egypt many years ago. Meanwhile, I'm proud of the complex enamel pieces that I made: the cat (who's based on my cat, Maya), the hamsa pendant and the champleve fish necklace with turquoise beads. That hamsa pendant took forever to make, but was finally sold. The champleve necklace represents me learning a new enameling technique.

By far, my favorite piece of all is the copper wire wrapped necklace and earring set, Nefertitit's Kiss. This took me weeks to make, but it was worth it. It was a finalist in the 2012 Firemountain Gems And Beads Jewelry Making Competition and was featured on the poster for a local art fair last fall. I've also sold a few -- always a bonus!

Thank you for celebrating my 40th birthday with me! It's easy to feel younger when you have a passion -- and making jewelry is one of mine.

Photo Gallery: My Top 40 Wire Wrapped And Enamel Jewelry Pieces, Part II

In honor of my 40th birthday, which is tomorrow, I'm posting photos of my favorite 40 wire wrapped and enamel jewelry pieces. Yesterday, I posted Part I. Here is Part II. All can be found at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

This group is really colorful! That round enamel piece with the pastel colors -- the one that looks a bit like an Easter egg -- is important to me because it's the first piece that I made with cloisonne wire. I was so happy that I got the wire to stay put! Even better, my best friend purchased it from me at a charity event. I believe he gave it to his boss.

That rainbow-colored anodized aluminum bracelet took about a million years to make, but I love how bright and cheerful it is. Same goes for those multicolored anodized aluminum earrings.

That silver spiral wire wrapped necklace is one of the first items I made. I couldn't believe that I'd managed to make an entire necklace out of wire. The other silver wire wrapped necklace with the asymmetrical design is a personal favorite of mine. I love how weird and different it is ... though people don't seem to "get" my design. I've had a lot of questions about it. One woman almost broke it at a craft fair because she thought it was a headband. On the other hand, I've received many compliments for the simple teardrop necklace with the Swarovski crystals.

That blue enamel necklace is special to me because I made it for my mom. I made a similar one last year, but hers came out better, I think. And those wire wrapped bubble bracelets are fairly new items that I've created. They're not only fun to make, but I think they look really interesting!