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...

Lines and Squares, Inspired by Curves and Circles

Dave from Rings & Things tweeted about a choker that Margot Potter (The Impatient Crafter and star of wonderful crafting videos) made using one of the choker forms from Rings & Things (see my earlier post and review of those forms). I went to visit her site and take a look at the necklace - it's gorgeous. (And she has a contest going on as well, be sure to leave her a comment).

As I mentioned in her comments, her design got me thinking about using the red choker form from Rings & Things to make something that radiated out around the neck, too, but taking a different stylistic approach. So I got out some beads and sterling wire and got started. Here's the work so far - still need to add a few more bits if I want to get that radiating look. It's definitely an 'apprentice' piece, where I'm learning more what not to do as I go than what works (so maybe I shouldn't have used that sterling wire, but it was the right gauge and handy)...but I think I'll get to something I can be happy with eventually.

At first I was thinking Mondrian was the inspiration, because I was going for a simple primary palette and angular design, but I'm not so sure that's it. My background is woefully limited when it comes to modern art and artists.

Editing to add: I just realized (after reading some back posts on her blog) that the wire wrapping part of my choker, above, came from JustATish - she showed one of her choker form ideas in this post where she does a beautiful design with copper wire (or is it something else?), lampwork beads and turquoise dyed howlite. I truly regret the curse of CRS that caused me to forget where the inspiration to use wire wrapping on my piece came from!

Wiry Monday

Loaded another necklace lanyard on Etsy today - tried one more idea for the main photo. The lanyard is made with baroque freshwater cultured pearls and various shapes of garnets. Would be interested in comments on the main photo idea.

I also am playing around with ideas using silver wire wrapped loops. I have a sunstone and aventurine bead necklace in progress, something with large jasper stones and this little ring I made as an experiment with some 18 gauge silver plated wire. After I finished it, I wished I'd had some sterling wire in 18 gauge - I like how it turned out, but I can't really polish out the few tool marks I left on it, because I'd probably end up polishing down to the metal under the plating.

For a funny little peek behind the scenes, it turns out that a pocket-sized Aleve tube container is exactly the right circumference for a size 7 ring...