Adventures in Metalsmithing: New Earrings

WHAT INSPIRES ME

Helen's List

BEADS! I love beads and started making jewelry stringing beads. My friend Marlene and I were sitting at the lunch table at work one day drooling over a rather pricey silver and turquoise bead bracelet in the Sundance jewelry catalogue. I said "I can make that". Marlene said "No way" and I was off and running. Marlene is my style guru and she's always in my thoughts when I'm at my jewelry bench.

Laurie Peters - I take class with Laurie at the University of Vermont where I work. She sets the bar high and is constantly supporting us to improve our craftsmanship and find our voices as artists. She makes class time fun and challenging. Besides that, she walks the walk as well as she talks the talk. I'm constantly in awe of what she knows, her exquisite work and her generosity with her students. Thank you, Laurie! You can see a bit of Laurie's work at the Grannis Gallery website and in person at other galleries. http://www.grannisgallery.com/artists.php?artistcontent=lauriepeters.php

Harold O'Connor - I took a workshop with Harold last year....what a great guy - accessable, quirky sense of humor...just a lovely, down-to-earth man who makes the most incredible, singularly, unique jewelry. It's modern and tribal and out of this world, mysteriously beautiful. Here's a link to his website: http://www.haroldoconnor.com/If you get the chance to do a workshop with Harold - jump! It's a great experience.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

New Earrings

These would be a new pair of earrings to go along with the bracelet I made. These are very simple to make. Each one consists of two 8MM hematite beads. To make the earring I cut a small piece of 1.0MM round wire about 40CM long. I heated the end of the wire to form a ball, then popped on the beads and made a loop with round nose pliers. Couldn't be any easier.