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.

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 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.

More wire wrapped lava stone pendants with pink and blue wire and Swarovski crystals

Much as I like to experiment with new jewelry designs, there are some "classics" that I always return to -- such as my wire wrapped lava stone pendants with Swarovski crystals.

I've made dozens of these necklaces for friends and craft fairs and I never tire of putting them together. The wire has a life of its own and I never quite know what the end result is going to be. It's fun to bend and twist and swirl the wire; it reminds me a bit of that drawing game I had as a kid called Spirograph. You'd use stencils to swirl different colors together and though you had some idea of what your pattern would look like, you never knew for sure.

Lately I've been making these lava pendants with different colored wire. So far, I like the way blues and pinks look the best. Purple gets a bit drowned out by the black. I haven't yet used yellow, but I think that would look pretty good, too. I attempted to combine a bunch of different colors in one piece ... but it ended up looking as if a clown threw up on the lava. Sometimes it's better to keep things simple!

I've wire wrapped many different types of stones, but I like lava the best. The black works nicely with a lot of wires and I love the way the rough rock looks when it's gussied up. Plus, it's fun to wear something that's a little out there.

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

Selling Handmade Jewelry: Charity Event

Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays. While I used to love dressing up and collecting candy as a child, I'm no longer into that. We don't get many trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood so my husband and I usually stay indoors and hide out from the older kids who wander the streets spraying people with shaving cream.

This year, however, we actually got to celebrate. Our friend Christopher, who has an October birthday, LOVES Halloween -- especially the dressing-up part -- and hosted a costume party. As I said, I hadn't dressed up for years, but Jon and I wore the formal outfits that were made for us when we attended our friend's wedding in Nigeria last year. I had to admit; I enjoyed dressing up (even if my outfit technically wasn't a costume and it was fun to see what kinds of get-ups the other guests wore. No one was sprayed with shaving cream and everyone seemed to have a really great time.

This party wasn't just for Halloween, though; Christopher held it so that he could raise money for the school where he works, which is for children with cerebral palsy. He's very passionate about his job and wants to see his students have as many opportunities in life, as possible. By having this Halloween party, he managed to combine two of his loves in one event. Happily, he raised over $700 for the school, the money which will be used for computers, sports and arts equipment, etc. Woo hoo!

Christopher asked if I could donate a few of my jewelry pieces for the raffle and, of course, I agreed. I chose several of my wire wrapped pendants because these necklaces fit almost everyone and they're pretty popular among my customers. I was very pleased to see that they got many bids throughout the night! A few people complimented me on my work, which was nice, but more importantly, they helped raise money for this important cause. I didn't make a dime, but know what? Making these "sales" gave me even more satisfaction than usual. I'm glad that I was able to help out in some way, even if it was just from making a small contribution.

I'm so proud of Christopher for pulling off such a fun and spectacular party, and for managing to raise so much money. I'm sure that his students will appreciate his work. So thank you, Christopher, for including me in your event -- and for reminding me why Halloween can be such an enjoyable holiday.

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

Wire wrapped lava, jade and lapis lazuli pendants

I've been on such a wire wrapping kick lately that I ended up making three more wire wrapped necklaces. For these, I used several different kinds of copper wrapped stones: one is lava, one is jade and one is lapis lazuli:

For the lava stone, I wanted to do something very different from my usual style. When making wire wrapped pendants, I tend to create swirling, spiraling designs, but in this case, I went for something modern and angular that works with the blue square crystal. Of course, I couldn't resist adding in one spiral! I think that it looks a bit as if I gift-wrapped the lava, no?

I went the opposite way with the jade and practically covered the stone with an intricate, ornate wrap that looks a little like lace. I added three small Swavorvski crystals in pink and blue-green.

The design on the blue lapis lazuli is a little like a frame as I worked the wrap along the edges of the stone. I added a couple of navy blue Swarovski crystal pearls as an accent. The design is almost symmetrical, but not quite, giving the piece a little "quirkiness."

Making wire wrapped jewelry is just so much fun, which I why I keep doing it! I'm planning to order some stones in colors I haven't yet used and am anxious to keep playing around.

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.

Wire wrapped lava stone necklaces with Swarovski crystals

I made four new wire wrapped lava stone necklaces with Swarovski crystals. What's interesting about these pendants is that I took the same basic template -- a medium-sized, round, black volcanic rock -- but adorned each stone in a very different and unique way.

This pendant's filigree design was made with 20 gauge copper wire and garnet red Swarovski crystals. I went for a very fancy, intricate design here and the bright colors -- red and copper -- are very rich and regal. I like the way the "upscale" design plays against the rough, raw texture of the lava stone; somehow, they just work together.

This lava stone was wire wrapped with 20 gauge silver wire and pink and clear Swarovski crystals. For this necklace, I went with a much more minimalist and modern pattern that highlights the volcanic rock. I love the silver, pink, clear and black when placed together. It's just such a classic and pretty combination of colors.

I wire wrapped this pendant with 20 gauge silver, as well, but this rainbow design is very whimsical. I wanted the rainbow Swarovski crystals to be the centerpiece so they go right through the middle of the rock and the filigree pattern.

20 gauge gunmetal was used for the wire wrap in this final necklace. I created big, bold spirals and swirls for its pattern and went for a very organic and natural design. I thought about the way that lava flows and tried to emulate the swirling of it as it cascades down the sides of a volcano. I added green and pink Swarovski crystals, which look a bit like a little flower -- again very natural, Earthy colors.

So there you have it! Four necklaces made with the same basic materials: black lava stone, 20 gauge wire and Swarovski crystal bicones. But each has a very distinct look. I enjoy working with lava stone because it acts as a great canvas for wire wrapping -- and these are just a few samples of what can be done with a volcanic rock pendant.

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.

Silver wire wrapped lapis lazuli necklace with pearls

My wire wrapped necklaces are some of my most-noticed and commented upon items at craft fairs. I've also sold a bunch on Etsy. So for 2013, it only make sense for me to design more of these beautiful pendants.

The most recent pendant that I made has a deep blue lapis lazuli base and a silver wire wrap design. I then adorned the design with several beige Swarovski crystal pearls. I love lapis because it's such a cool blue color and the round shape makes it look like a planet -- especially when I lay the wire wrap on top of it. I also like the contrast between the blue, the light-colored pearls and the shiny silver. These are colors that go well together; the idea of the wrap is to add some texture and intrigue.

For most of my wire wrapped items, I add two or three pearls, but this pendant has four. That may not sound like a big difference, but each pearl or crystal added means that I have to figure out where to place it in the wire wrap design. I don't want to obsure the silver pattern or the stone itself, so I do put thought into how my wrap is arranged.

I really like how this one turned out and as always, it was fun to make! Ultimately, that's what is really important -- that I enjoy my job.

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

Silver wire wrapped black stone with Swarovski crystal pearls

Here's another piece from my wire wrapped pendant collection. This time, I used a piece of teardrop-shaped black marble, which I adorned with two beige Swarovski crystal pearls. The wire used in the wire wrap is 20 gauge silver plated nickel.

The challenge in wire wrapping a stone or cabochon is that you don't want the wrap to be random; it should accentuate the stone's beauty and not obscure it. Since this piece of marble had an odd shape, I tried to play off of that and created some loops in the wrap where the stone dips and curves. I like to add little gems or beads or pearls to my wraps because it gives them an extra pop of color and texture. When wearing jewelry, I like to have that little extra sparkle.

I've been experimenting with different types of stones. I'd love to find some more natural looking pieces. Pretty soon I'll post a gallery of my wire wrapped stones, but for now, here is the piece in question:

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

Wire Wrapped Lava Stone Pendant With Blue Swarovski Crystals And Filigree Design

I call this silver wire wrapped lava stone pendant Dark Side Of The Moon. The way that the wire wrap turned out looks a little like craters to me, which is why I gave it this name.

Lately, I've been experimenting with more complicated wire wraps. I'm trying to do tighter, more detailed designs that take more planning out, and this is an example of one.

I wanted to do some layers on the wire wrap to give it texture, so I had to go back over the initial wrap and add some loops -- but getting them to be in the exact right position took a lot of maneuvering and adjusting. Still, I'm happy with how this came out. I like the little blue Swarovski crystals; they add an extra sparkly touch!

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

My Newest Handmade Wire Jewelry Designs: Sterling Silver Wire Wrapped Pendant

This abstract sterling silver wire wrapped pendant is another one of my "sculpture" pieces. I got these beautiful silver saucer beads and wanted to do something that featured them because they're the type of bead that's usually used as an accent and not the main event. So I used 28 gauge silver wire -- a very thin wire -- to wire wrap them around this geometric shape that I created. I finished off the necklace with a black silk cord.

As for the pendant itself, well, I'm not sure what it is! I made it with 14 gauge sterling silver wire, which, frankly, can be a real bitch to bend by hand, but I like how it came out. And part of the fun is deciding for yourself what it looks like.

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

Wire Wrapped Pendant -- Black Lava Stone With Pink Crystals And Silver Wire

This is another one of my wire wrapped lava stone necklaces. As I've said, I've love working with lava because it's like a "blank slate" that I can adorn. It's also smooth and easy to wrap.

I always try to do something different with each wrap, so for this I chose some small, round pink crystals. I like the way the pink looks with the silver and black -- very classic and elegant.

I finished it off with a leather cord. To be honest, I hadn't considered leather util a customer requested it in place of silk. But I think it suits the lava in terms of mixing textures.

I'm thinking of making some other lava pendants with mixed metal or color wire. It's fun to take one concept and then experiment with it.

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

Black Lava Stone Pendant With Copper Wire Wrap

When I was in Hawaii, I was surprised to see how beautiful lava is. I assumed that it would just look like dirt, but it doesn't: there are shapes and curves and shades of the black rocks. It's actually pretty amazing.

I love working with lava stone because it's kind of a blank canvas. You can use any kind of wire or stone on it and it will work.

When I first started wire wrapping, I'd twist the wire into random curls and angles, but I've learned how to "fine tune" it. I can now bend the wire into very precise shapes and patterns, even when wrapping a stone. That's what I did with this copper wire. I made tiny curls so that they enhance the stone, but don't obscure it.

I love how it came out. It looks very organic. See, lava can be elegant.

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