Gong Xi Fa Chai 2011 - Year of the Rabbit

I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year of the Rabbit.
May all your dreams come true this year and be blessed with good health, abundance of joy and abundance of wealth.
Happy holidays and best wishes!

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!!!