This Is What Kept Me Up 'til 2 am Last Night

Sometimes my brain and my fingers just take over and I play around on autopilot. Take last night for instance. At about 9 pm I (thought I had) finished up the last blog post with a few words about the silver filigree and stampings I had bought from Accessories Susan. That got me wondering if there was a way to make my own filigree. I started Googling around.

I didn't really find anything immediately accessible, like web tutorials or even downloadable .pdfs, although there is a book I might be getting. Just looking at the cover, I knew that it would be a major equipment and supply investment to do filigree that way. (by the way, if you'd like to buy this book and you do it from clicking this link, I get a few pennies).

But I did get an idea of how I could use what I had on hand to attempt something filigree-ish. I didn't want to try and copy what was on the cover, but I thought to myself, I can make curlicues and wire them together, right? So I grabbed my 22 gauge wire (yeah, the expensive sterling stuff again - ouch) and started making spirals and wrapping them together, lather rinse repeat...and this is where I ended up at 2:30 am (you can click to enlarge):

The beads are from the Beads of the Month assortment I posted about on the 8th- I particularly was happy that there was a larger bead that is embossed with tiny swirls, and the little "honeybun" beads - all in lovely shades of lavender and purple.

It's still in 'draft' - I need to step away from it for a while, look at the picture, maybe even print a few copies out and draw on them...to see what needs changing. I like the off-center look, but there's still balance to be considered, and the side on the left of the photo seems too light because of the larger bead on the right and the heavier wrapping that comes from the middle and curves to the right (an artifact of starting at what ended up as the center of the design and building from there.

And, as you can see, I used a Rings & Things choker form to hold the design. It's the clear coated, 16" steel, magnet clasp form. If I get this to a place where I like it, I will invest in a sterling silver choker form for it.

I also think, when I look at the picture above, that the backdrop I use in my photos may have subconsciously influenced the design...the backdrop is a pillow sham I put over a rectangle of styrofoam and prop up behind the necklace display bust. It comes from a heavy cotton, white on white Jacobean embroidery coverlet and sham set. Yep, lots of swirly curly there...