Monday, June 02, 2008

Nature Theme - Moon Flower, More Leafy Blue and Stargazer Lily Necklace

Busy weekend, but I managed a few new creations. Just can't keep my fingers still!


Moon Flower Necklace


This happened by accident. I'd made the centre piece to go with the Stargazer Lily necklace (at the bottom of this entry) but when I attached it I didn't like it. It was just too much, so I decided to make it into a pendant.



I've used a lovely vintage opaline bead in the centre which reminded me of the moon, so I cut out a crescent shape from copper sheet, shaped it, filed it, sanded it and then played with the pencil torch until I had a lovely deep red colour with lots of texture and a few highlights.


Below you can see the wonderful fire of the vintage opaline bead.


Here's a the crescent in detail.

Another close up of the opaline bead. I love the way it reflects the light and reflects it back onto the copper.

A simple chain and a handmade clasp finished the design.



Leafy Blue Bangle

Another labour of love. This bangle took me two days off and on. It's to go with the leafy blue earrings, but all three items (earrings, necklace and bangle) will be sold separately in my Etsy shop.



I started off with drawing the shape on copper sheet, then cutting it out as well as I cut with my tin snips. After a LOT of filing and sanding I finally had the shape I was after. I sanded the surface on both sides, then brushed it to give it a soft texture.


To make the bracelet (which at this point was quite delicate) easier to put on and take off, I decided to change the design from the wave bangles to a cuff bangle by adding a thick gauge copper wire frame to the inside, which I attached to the leaf design with wire, adding little blue topaz beads as I went along.



The final touch were the five aquamarine briolettes I added to the front of the bangle.

The bangle now slips easily on and off and due to the design it can also be worn at the top of the arm (if you happen to have a slim arm).




Leafy Blue Necklace


Here is the matching necklace. It was cut from copper sheet, then adorned with blue topaz and aquamarine beads.

A simple chain and a lovely handmade clasp finish it off. The necklace is quite short so it sits flat and looks beautiful with a higher neckline as well as a low neckline.


Here's a closeup of the centre of the necklace with the three aquamarine beads and a cluster of blue topaz beads.


Here is a closeup of the side wher the copper leaf design is attached to the chain.

Here are the links that Alison posted in the comments section. She's right they do look like something much, much older:

Head dress 1
Head dress 2
Head dress 3
Head dress 4


Stargazer Lily Necklace


Finally, here's the necklace that matches the earrings I made a while back.

I made three little flowers cut from copper sheet, filed, sanded and then torched. This time I was a bit more experimental and achieved a beautiful raspberry red colour plus some apricot highlights. I was very pleased with that. :-) I added two different sizes of vintage opaline beads to the flowers to complete them.

Thick copper wire was turned into a 'stick' to attach the flowers to. This was also shaped, filed, sanded and then torched to the same deep raspberry colour.


I used the most gorgeous copper vintage chain to attach the pendant to.


Finally, I made a clasp and a little dangle (a copper leaf with a centre line cut out, a dangle made with a wire wrapped opaline bead and a couple of Miyuki drop beads) to finish off the design. I like the organic feel of the design.

Below you can see the detail of the patina on the copper leaf.


2 comments:

  1. They are all lovely but that leafy bracelet is a masterpiece! I absolutely love it, it's so very pretty and must have taken so much work too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The leafy blue bracelet is magnificent- reminds me a lot of Sumerian and Mesopotamian gold jewellery/leaf shaped headdresses

    http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu/522/puabi/images/headdress2.jpg
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ur-head.jpg
    http://tinyurl.com/6pdhw7

    http://tinyurl.com/6fkp3v

    ReplyDelete

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