Posts from — September 2008

Vintage with a modern flair!   and…

No wire wrapping skills needed! These lovely filigree and chain earrings are made with pieces of chain attached to the gunmetal filigree with petite size jumprings. Lightweight for measuring 2 and 1/2 inches long.

Tips to follow: 

1. Determine how long you want the earrings to be. Hey they're your creations you decide length.The longest piece of chain used in the sample above measures 4 inches.
2. Start with the longest chain first, then add the shortest section next. From here you can fill in the spaces with chain sections you think look best.
3. You connect the fine gunmetal chain to the filigree with small jumprings . In this case I used 2 sterling silver jumpring to each ring of the filigree. The silver adds a whisper of light to the earrings.
4. I also connected a 3mm sterling silver round bead on the single strand with a gunmetal headpin looped to the chain link.
5. Connect the leverback earwire directly to the top loop of the filigree. The ring on the leverback opens easily using a slight twist of the wrist while holding a needle nose plier. 

The most important advice I can give you is to cut lengths of chain for each filigree at the same time. This helps you have earrings looking like a matched pair, while avoiding frustration and wasting chain.

Ingredients list: 

1 package gunmetal filigree 

Sterling silver jumprings

3 mm sterling silver beads

Gunmetal leverbacks

Gunmetal headpins

1-2 feet of gunmetal double rollo chain #28 

All the Best,

Cynthia 

Popularity: 4% [?]

Who else needs wants more sterling silver earwires? I sure do! These sterling silver earwires just arrived and are loaded up on the shopping cart at ohiobeads.com.

It's always a thrill to open new packages of findings. These new kidney wires are popping up in the antique brass marketplace and like them just as well in sterling, with two sizes to choose from. The long ball end earwire will look fantastic with pearl coins or cz drops.  The circle ball earwire is delicate and just plain cute.  Click this link to get more details about these happy new additions.

Popularity: 2% [?]

I wrote yesterday about the chain locket necklace Alyssa made for a friend's birthday. I needed to make a gift for my sister who recently celebrated a very special birthday. The cubic zirconia add a lot of sparkle but not too dressy!

These earrings use 2 components.

• One pair of plain front sterling silver leverback earwires
• 2 cubic zirconia 6mm princess cut and sterling silver drop with a flat front ring

Thats It!!

Use a needle nose plier and gently open the ring of the leverback. Just a gentle twist of the wrist will do.

Once the ring is open attach the CZ ring to the open ring and close the ring using your needle pliers.

My sister loved them…Friends and family were impressed!  

Popularity: 13% [?]

Both Alyssa and I had to make birthday gifts for friends and family this weekend. And while I pondered the "what" and "where" part of the gift buying, my Alyssa was busily designing a necklace that looked very adorable. Tomorrow I will post the really easy earrings I made for my dearest sister in Part II.

I like how she used the fine double rollo gunmetal chain as the support for the heart locket. You will notice in the second shot that she attached the locket with a matching gunmetal headpin and made two wire wraps with the added sparkle of vitrail color crystal. In this case the top loop slides freely on the chain. But you could easily attach directly to the link of the chain. Another thing I like about this is the use of the the larger link chain in the back as the chain extension. This simple gunmetal cable chain is still light weight, which does not over power the delicate rollo chain. It ads interest and and gives the wearer the option to lengthen their necklace with ease.

Below I've listed the components used in this necklace design. Oh by the way…The lockets our currently on sale. Hint, Hint!! They are sterling silver plate over brass, and they look fantastic mixed with gunmetal chain.

• 16 inches of gunmetal chain #28 double rollo
• 3-4 inches of gunmetal chain #29 plain cable
• 1 medium size lobster claw 
• 1 package of thin 2 inch gunmetal headpins 
• 1 sterling silver plated locket
• 3 4mm crystals or other beads you like

Stay Tuned for Part II

Popularity: 14% [?]