Handmade Monday no. 17

So its Handmade Monday time.  I had accepted that I needed to take a week off as I had nothing to show ...

This week I was planning to complete wirework pendants for my 2nd shelf (in the new shop that I'm always harping on about).  I have concentrated on established designs as they are quicker to make than fiddling with new designs. But I felt that you wouldn't want to see work you can see over at my Polly Polkadot shop.

... and then last night changed everything.  I got the children in bed and asleep by 7pm, we had all eaten, I had washed up and the OH had even hoovered the floor.  So there was nothing for it, but a trip to the studio at the bottom of the garden.

This the only pendant design I would class as finished from last night, the rest are 'designs in progress'!

But I had an excellent session, with lots of ideas to work on.  The following are snapshots taken this morning.

Tree

 I spent ages on the first pendant, but I just couldn't get it to lie how I wanted it, so I think that might go on the noticeboard until I come up with a new way to use it.

Chain of hearts

The second piece was a chain of hearts, I don't think I have the balance right yet, but it has potential.  In addition, I have discovered that I will be able to manage short pieces of wire for earring hearts.

The squiggle

Next I moved onto a squiggle.  I was pleased with the form of this.  I'm not confident with random design, but over all this doesn't look too symmetrical or contrived!











This pendant doesn't have enough curve to the tail, but it is a starting point.

Back again to the treble clef.  I have been intending to make a treble clef for some time, but never getting around to it. I was delighted with the result and this will definitely be in my online shop, and on the infamous second shelf!

OK, so now I must move onto the 3rd shelf, something a bit different just to hedge my bets on sales!

Handmade Easter Monday

Handmade bank holiday Monday or is it bank holiday handmade Monday?

Have you taken a tour around the other participants of Handmade Monday yet?  I usually look at a few more each day through-out the week.  Loads of great products and ideas out there.

Last week on Ali's Craft Studio blog, I spotted her Art Nouveau inspired stain glass window, and it set me thinking.

Some time ago I came across Linda Jones' wirework design for Art Deco earrings.  I just HAD to make it.  That first pair are a firm favourite in my jewellery drawer, but a variation exists in my Polly Polkadot shop too.

I took Ali's window and re-designed it to work simply with wire.

I found a little quiet time to work on the individual wires.

I worked in 0.8mm silver plated wire, because it is easier to manipulate but long term I would like to try 1.2mm wire for a chunky pendant.

I hammered the silverplated wire on my tiny jewellery anvil.

And attached the wires to a header and footer bar.  As you can see, this is still a prototype, accuracy with lengths and angles is needed for a finished product.

I intended to make a pendant from it, but learning from my experiences in my first handmade Monday about pre-conceived ideas, here are a few others ways it could be used.

Homage to Rennie Machintosh - O.H. said it looked like homage to Red Nose Day!

Curve it to make a bracelet?

My favourite is to add the coloured and silver beads to make it into a bracelet, but what do you think?