Paua Shell Earrings and the Eyes

This pair of Paua earrings was completed few weeks back.
Came across these pictures while clearing some files from the laptop.
They are large, about 5cm across but lightweight.
(Paua shell is gift from SIL who came back for holiday recently - thanks Jee Chee)
Hmmm....I have not wire wrap anything since the last two weeks. Now that Chinese New Year is just around the corner, I doubt I'd be able to hold my pliers and wires just yet.

Besides, William just started his swimming lessons 3 weekends ago. So now, Saturday is full - Taekwando in the morning and swimming in the afternoon. There goes my weekend! Look here...

He was enjoying it in the beginning. After about half an hour he complained his eyes being uncomfortable. Actually they were red. My fault! I didn't get him his goggle. So, off we went in search of his goggle, online and offline. You wouldn't know until you experience them yourself, how time consuming it is to search for their swimming trunk and goggle, etc. etc..well at least here in Kuching....or maybe we got too distracted by these popular sunglasses and these wholesale kids sunglasses. Keep reminding myself that I am not looking for sunglasses for myself :)
Yes, we got William his goggle. He's so happy with them that he wanted to bring them to bed with him..duh!
Still on eyes and eyeglasses, Hubby got his reading glasses last night!
Yeah! he needs them earlier than me...hehe...but I can use them too...which means I am going to need them very very soon :( Not something I am looking forward to though.
Look at this...

 Happy Sunday and take very good care of your eyes.

Learn How She Made It

Tracey of Tracey's Treasure include one of my tutorials - Braided Wire Cuff - in her Etsy Treasury entitled - Learn How She Made It.
A very appropriate concept as the treasury highlights not only tutorials on how to make jewelry but other crafts as well - bag, purse, dolls, pillow, wall deco, polymer clay, etc. Check them out and you might get hook on something...:D

My Braided Wire Cuff Tutorial is right at the bottom left hand corner here.
Thank you Tracey :)

Blooming Pendant

How time flies and its almost mid January already.
I have not been able to post since school started for the boys earlier this month and I am swarmed with work since 2010 ended. I foresee lots of traveling (for work) these two or three months.....
Anyway, no matter what, lets start the year with this bloom :D
Hope this year would be a smooth one, filled with blooms of happiness and success.

 

Have a beautiful Blooming Year 2011 :)

Related Blooming Pendants:

Discovery of Nectar

Another Flora Pendant

The First Flora Pendant

The Second Flora Pendant

The Third Flora Pendant

My Last/First Post for 2010/2011 - New Medium

Happy New Year 2011!

I hope year 2011 will be the best of best for you and yours.
Best in health, best in career, best in prosperity, best in love, best in luck, best in everything.
PEACE to the world!

No! I have no New Year resolution.
Mostly I will continue on with my 2010 resolutions.
Still a long list to go.....

Actually I have hard time keeping my eyes open at the moment.
....feel so sleepy but I got to finish this last/first post before the clock strike 12:00, 2011.
I can hear fireworks already.

Here is something I am looking forward to this new year...metal work + wire work.
My first time working with copper sheet!

Started off with an easy project - Peas in a Pod...
Google for it and you'll find lots of inspirations for it.
Took me about 3 hours to make these three Peas in a Pod pendants.
No heating or soldering, just hammering to harden the sheet and fold 3.
For now, I think it is easier than wire wrapping...but wire wrapping is still my first love...<3

 

Not sure how thick the copper sheet is but its rather thin...wish it is a wee bit thicker.

Will need to hunt for it next year :)

Getting inspired already :)?

Here I come 2011.

Swirly Square Pendant - Not as Easy as it Looks

This swirly wire wrap square pendant looks easy to make but this is really one of the more difficult one.
Wasted lots of wire on this.
This final pendant is the 4th try.

This is done freehand-no mandrel.
Main tools are flat nose and round nose pliers. Oh! hammer too.
The most difficult part is getting the sharp bend for all 4 corners and ensuring the same for every round of wire.
Well, it doesn't have to be 90 degree but as sharp as possible would be best to get the squarish look.

The first try ended up like half round, half square - not square and not round!
After some hammering, the bends do look a bit rounded but thankfully still squarish.

Back of the pendant.

One of the casualties.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Murano Bracelet and Car Service

So here I am, at Toyota Service Center waiting for my car.
I have another 2 hours to kill but it will not be a boring 2 hours with internet access, comfortable sitting area and a small table all for myself. With free breakfast, perfect!
Haha! Just joking! Here's a peek of the place.
Pic on the left is on my right hand side - registration area, while pic on the right is in front of me - waiting area.

Back to jewelry, here is a recently completed bracelet. A simple wire wrapped Murano Bracelet for Marcia.
It goes very well with her dress but I didn't get to snap pictures of her wearing both in their rush to a wedding dinner last night. But it really matches her dress!!! Next time maybe.

Added some "LingLingLongLong!" (my interpretation of charms) to give it a bit of...well..charms :)
I love those long straight flattened wires. I was going all out hammering them. Ok, exaggerated a bit there :)
Somehow hammering makes me....hmmm....rather happy. Why is that I wonder?
Maybe I am imagining hammering something else or someone else...LOL...

I was actually at the local bead shop looking for pandora style beads but this one caught my eyes immediately, and I was "Hey! this matches Marcia's dress!!". Get it!!
A pair of matching earrings is next but that will be for later today.
Hopefully we don't have other plans for the day and I don't get distracted.
Seems like this is happening a lot these days - distractions! Those unplanned ones especially.

Anyway, while we are still with Murano beads, here are some of my collection.
I have more actually (show off!!!) but I didn't dig deeper into my chest of treasures last night..hehehe.., so these are the easy to reach ones only.

The glassy and black ones as well as the murano pendants (top left corner, orange and white - sorry! I missed taking a good shot at that one. Must have been sleepy!) are gift from Ahmi. She got them when she was in Europe and they are for keepsake. They are awesome glass beads.
Sometimes, I got lost staring at and within them and wonder how they are made and who are the artists producing them.
That's all for now and I wish all of you a happy and productive weekend.