Project Runway Jewelry Challenge: Sparkle, Shimmer & Shine!

Feathery Earrings

Last week's project runway was fun. The designers were to create a glitzy stage costume inspired by Bob Mackie's designs. An over the top garment that would stop the show. The EtsyMetal Jewelry Challenge was streamlined to simply create something with sparkle. I wondered what Mr. Mackie had done with jewelry so I did a search and didn't find much - some Christmas pins was all I found, but Bob Mackie did design a line of furniture, and I've always thought that hardware on furniture is quite jewelry like. There was one piece that I found especially show stopping. Just look at the inlay of wood surrounding the simple hardware on this chest. Very Cher and feathers, right?

I will admit that I left this until the last moment, so my entry may not have pushed the envelope outside my comfort zone, as those projects tend to take time. The feathery earrings do have shine. Using the feather motif, I've attached six pieces of hand cut patterned brass feather or leaf shapes to strips of sterling silver as if they were sequins, pinned with a bit of fine silver. They move freely on their pins and catch the light nicely. I am letting them dangle from ear wires so they can swing with the wearer's movement.

Other Sparkly, Shimmery & Shiny things:

MetalRiot

RubyGirlCreations

Mike&Mary (Rachelle)

Alisa Miller

Sara Westermark

BethCyrJewelry

WildflowerDesigns

experimetal

corbethy

See them all on the EtsyMetal Blog!

Blog Carnival: First Piece of Metalsmithed Jewelry

The very first piece of finished metalsmithed jewelry I made may have been this piece. It is certainly from my first class. My mother has another piece I made which may have been slightly earlier, and I was unable to photograph it, so I'll talk about this ring.

What did it mean to you?

This ring would have been one of the first times I worked in sterling silver and I remember being terrified of making a mistake. I had purchased a very small piece of sterling silver sheet and making a mistake meant driving an hour to only local store I knew of that sold jewelry supply.

What materials?

This ring is made with 20 gauge sterling silver sheet, a purchased prong setting, and a blue faceted stone (I don't know what stone). The assignment was to make a band ring.

Were you in class/home?

I took my first metals class as an undergraduate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. I was a Theatre Arts major and looking to take an art class as an elective. I saw "Beginning Jewelry Design" in the coarse catalog and didn't hesitate. I didn't even read the description, and when I showed up for class, I remember being slightly surprised that I would be working with metal. My instructor was Sue Dorman who talked about materials as if she were in a dream. I loved it.

What would you do different now to it?

Oh, so many things! If I was making this ring again, it probably wouldn't resemble this ring, but if I had to re-make it to do so, I'd use much thicker metal to fabricate. I would clean up those saw marks. I've never had much patience for sanding, but it doesn't look like I did any at all here. It looks like I had some trouble with the sizing as there are lots of hammer marks on the back, like I needed to stretch the ring. So most of the things I would do have to do with clean up and finishing, but the design isn't very interesting. I think now that when you're learning a new technique, that simple is better - first, learn how to do it, then design around the technique.

What did you learn making it?

I would have learned band ring construction - how to spring a ring and solder. I had learned piercing on practice sheets of copper and brass, but that was new as well. Here's a picture of my first piercing and sweat soldering exercise - not a finished piece of jewelry, but fun to look at.

Here is a list of other wonderful jewelers who are participating in this blog carnival!

Sara Westermark

Danielle Miller-Gilliam

Beth Cyr

duckduckGoose

Caitlyn Davey

Laura Crawford

Tamra Gentry

andes cruz

Cynthia Del Giudice

Libby Rosas

Nina Dinoff

Clare Stoker

kerin rose

Quercus Silver

Delias Thompson

Tangerine Treehouse

A New Toy

This is a fun new tool! The Industrial Tube-Wringer is meant to squeeze the very last little bit out of a tube of something like toothpaste. But we can use it to pleat thin gauge metal sheet and wire. I tested it with some paper card stock and then dove into my scrap to try it out on some little bits! It's fun and easy, but you must anneal the metal first. Time to design some jewelry with bits of pleated metal!