Jewelry of the Week

I made this pendant before I left for Portland.

The base is a strip of copper sheet. I torched the copper to give it a little color. I used cold connections to attach the copper wire and beads. I strung this on a simple black cord, rather than adding more beads. Sometimes pendants are stunning when just left as is.

Jewelry of the Week

Maybe you've guessed by my studio name that blue is the color that inspires me most. It works beautifully with silver, which is my metal of choice. I made this necklace, which I call Shimmering Silver, to showcase a beautiful blue glass bead I found at a bead show.


I used 18 guage silver wire and made every piece to it except the length of chain at the top. I wrapped the wire, twisted it, hammered it and bent it. I added a few more beads for a little spark of color. The focal bead is hanging below a wrapped hook, which I felt helped it stand out even more. This necklace doesn't have a clasp because it's long enough to go over your head. I love the feel of just the thin chain on my neck. This looks beautiful with a simple black top.

Jewelry of the Week

Sometimes you find a bead you think is so beautiful, you just want to showcase it by itself. I don't even remember where I got this bead, but it probably came from a jewelry show. I seem to find the best glass beads from shows. I made a simple silver wire hanger, and placed it on a multi-strand ribbon. These ribbon necklaces may not be for everyone, but I love them.

Jewelry of the Week

I made this necklace when I was experimenting with velvet ribbon as an addition to jewelry. A friend doesn't like the feel of chain on her neck, so I came up with this soft ribbon as an alternative. I used all sterling silver accents, wrapping a 24 gauge wire around the ribbon to attach it to jump rings. The focal point is a free form wire pendant with a beautiful glass bead. I think I used 18 gauge for it. The long dark beads are actually silk ribbon wrapped around silver, with a 22 gauge wire and beads wrapped around to hold the ribbon in place. Some artists call these "cocoon beads." This necklace was fun to make.

Jewelry of the Week

I've decided I'd like to showcase a jewelry item each week. I use a variety of jewelry elements in my creations, such as crystals, twisted wire, metal, and pottery beads, and I really think I should show more pictures here so my readers can see what I've made.

The first Jewelry of the Week is a necklace that I've called Forest Lightning. The inspiration came from the raku-fired bead dangling at the bottom. The bead has such a spark and movement to it, that it reminded me of lightning. I wanted to create a wire piece to hang it, and I knew copper wire was the way to go. The green glass bead above the wire is one I've had for awhile. I don't usually work in greens, I'm more of a blue girl, but I loved the variegated colors in this bead so I had to get it. Using the raku and the green beads, I searched for more beads to accent them. I found a strand of oddly-shaped glass beads, and it all came together. The muted greens reminded me of a forest when the sky is dark gray ready for a thunderstorm. And here you have, Forest Lightning.