Soddering 101

Several weeks back, I took a soddering jewelry class.  I made three pendants, charms, or whatever you want to title them.  I had so much fun doing this!  I want to do it more. 

For my first pendant, I used a picture of myself and Lou from our wedding pictures.  I cut out our faces and glued them together, back to back.  Using two pieces of pre-cut glass, I cut the pictures to size.  Using cooper tape and soddering, I framed the pictures, one side is my picture and the other side is Lou's picture. 

For the second piece I used some little pictures that Tammy had in the store. Both pictures represent friendship and friends for life.  I have made it for a special friend of mine, only she doesn't know it yet.

Fun with metal

I recently took a class in introduction to metal work.  I got to play with FIRE!  It was an awesome experience and I had such great fun.  I made this pendant from a piece of metal.  Using a propane tank (since map gas is being recalled), I heated the piece until it was super red and then was able to manipulate moving it.  I more or less crimped it in the middle.  I then punched various holes into it for deco and other purposes. After that I added a liquid base to the piece and used special dry paint to give it so some colors. After each color was added, the piece was heated again. I used three different colors.  The ending piece has the same texture and quality of glass. I love the piece.  It is just so fun to wear and was fun, fun, fun to make!

Green Quartz Wire Wrapped pendant

I made my second wire wrapped necklace this weeked. The stone is faceted green quartz and it is really a beautiful stone.  The wire I used to wrap it is 21 gauge round soft silver. The binding is 21 guage half round soft silver.  The beads on the necklace are silver plated.  The pendant is easily removable from the necklace so the necklace can be worn by itself and the pendant can be worn with something else.  Two for one!

Blue Picasso beads, pendant, brass findings, spacers, and clasp.

This necklace is a remake of any earlier one I made that I did not like because it did not sit well. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the first necklace. I like this one so much better!  And, it sits well too!  The pendant is fun. It can actually be worn with the other side of the pendant facing up and it would have a different look. Forgot to take a picture of that part!  The blue beads are called blue picasso beads. In between the blue picasso beads are blue glass cathedral beads. There are three different spacer beads, 15 each. Flat, round and smaller rounds. The clasp is brass as well.  I DO like my brass colored findings!