Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Working on a New Design

Every once in a while an idea strikes and we must drop everything and work on it RIGHT NOW. That exact thing happened one day last week. I was literally in the middle of making a pair of earrings when an image of this pendant popped into my brain. I had to try and make it.







I planned it all out: used a Sharpie to mark where to drill the holes, made 3 copper headpins with the torch (quench them in ice water to get that pretty pink color), cut the lengths of sterling and brass wire. Of course, the last hole I drilled didn't go so well and I scratched the sterling disc very badly. That's OK, this is only the prototype.

The part I didn't plan at all was how to finish the piece. In other words, the back is a mess! The copper headpins became rivets and they are neatly hammered flat on the back. The other wires? They're just there. I'm thinking I need another disc, a bit larger and made from copper, for contrast, that I can rivet to this main piece. I will do it with a spacer of some sort so the wires on the back have a place to hide.

If you have a more creative and artistic idea for how to finish this, I would love to hear it!

2 comments:

Libellula Jewelry™ said...

I like that brooch idea! You could add the stems first and make them from red brass wire (which will torch ball) and simply ball the ends at the back. A quick dip in the vinegar/peroxide pickle to remove the copper gilding from the brass wire and you'd be ready to add all the other elements.

brokenteepee said...

It's really pretty. I thought they were stones at first not copper headpins.