Over at Love my Art Jewelry we started a new challenge, no more Strut your Stuff, we are going hardcore with Boot Camp! You can read all about it here. Basically, we wanna teach you some new fundamental techniques, and then let you try it out and run with it, and then, have a blog hop at the end of it all. This month we spent a lot of time working out the bugs, but its blog hop time.
If you want to hop along you can enter by adding your blog by inlinkz here. Remember to link your blog to ours (LMAJ) so your friends can hop along too!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is what I made with the balled headpins technique.
I have used LONG balled head pins balled on both sides to create dangles, such as in my jellyfish earrings.
I have used them to create texture on pieces too.
But for this challenge I wanted to do something new, so thought about using them as a connection. Balling a headpin, dropping it through and balling the other side to connect two things together.
I also happend to be making bronze clay beads, and I often like to layer them with sheet metal. So here is what I came up with. It is a trilobite fossil in bronze, with balled head pins to connect it to a nickle silver backing.
The bail on this piece is also a head pin, balled on one side, fed through a hole and balled again.
So I hope you had fun with boot camp, and learned to make some headpins and found some new ways to use them in your jewelry making.
Remember to go to to Love my Art Jewlery to hop along and see what everyone did!
Your earrings are wonderful (I *want* those jellyfish!) and I really like your new bail for the trilobite. The balled wire not only looks very secure but very attractive. It's nice when we can achieve both at the same time!
ReplyDeleteOMG - that trilobite piece is fantastic!!!
ReplyDeleteI love all these designs. The long head pins on the jellyfish are so elegant! And it seems we had similar thoughts about using the head pins as connectors - though we've approached it slightly differently. I love that we have so many options when working with metal.
ReplyDeleteWOW - those earrings totally ROCK Staci!!! Your work is just hands down amazing! Keep up that momentum!!!
ReplyDeleteIncredible, as always!!!!
ReplyDeleteReally fun designs...love those earrings that are like a jelly fish!! So striking!!
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you connected the trilobite with the balled head pins and how you made the bail. So so unique and cool.
ReplyDeleteLove those EARRINGS!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes..I can see the jellyfish, but to me it evokes a cloud raining...and I WANT IT!!! Gorgeous gorgeous stuff!
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at your work I just stare at it thinking, how did she think of this? You are so unique and original. Your designs always amaze me. Those earrings are the best, so whimsical,those little jellyfish. The other earrings are so natural feeling...I never would have thought to put the little contrasting balls on the side and the indentations like that...very cool. Trilobite, you have stolen my heart! Never thought I'd say that in my lifetime. You certainly have impressed!!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I love the jellies! And your explorations using the head pins as connectors is inspired. Thanks so much for the tutorial. It gave me the courage to pick up the torch and give these a try. Don't think I'll spend another cent on purchased ball head pins again.
ReplyDeleteLynda