Adding all sorts of things – like turquoise! – to wire

Hello!

With the change in season, Spring issues of the latest jewelry magazines are popping up.  With all the activities in the last few months, I neglected to share pictures of my jewelry designs that were featured in the Jewelry Affaire Winter 2015 issue.  I’ve gathered up photos that I took myself before I sent my jewelry to the wonderful people of Stampington.

Here is a bronze wire-wrapped bangle.  I wanted to showcase a simple rough-cut rutilated quartz bead.  I’m hoping to find more stones like this when I ever get to a bead show again.

In this wire-wrapped bangle, I challenged myself to take a link from my book, The Missing Link, and turn it into a bracelet!  The entire bangle base is one length of wire, and 3 gauges of wire were used.  Shown here in sterling, brass, and a copper and sterling wire mix.

Last year, I found this amazing antique button.  It was just sitting there on a table mixed with all sorts of stuff.  The button stood out with its beautiful cut steel, brass, and mother of pearl details.  I held on to it, waiting to make something special.  For this necklace, I stitched a few favorite mother of pearl buttons on to brass stampings and used brass wire to connect the button links together.  The antique button was used as an off-center focal.

For this next assemblage-style bracelet, I gathered up all sorts of vintage bits and baubles that I had been collecting.  I found the antique monogrammed locket at my favorite antiquing stomping grounds in PA, just like the button.  An old watch face, vintage buttons, keshi pearls, rhinestone earrings, brass stampings, silk ribbon and even an old dog tag were used to create this sentimental bracelet.

This next necklace was designed to wear alone or with a layer of other necklaces.  I wanted to create the look of a soldered bezel by just using wire.   I cut out a small sterling disc with my disc cutter, added texture, and wrapped a turquoise bead on to the surface with wire.  As with just about all of my wirework, I used liver of sulfur to oxidize the finished piece.

This last necklace is my favorite style to design, and it is a time-consuming but enjoyable process.   I’ve made designs like this in the past, in my Collector’s Club style (going way back here).  I wanted to showcase a stone that I just love – turquoise – with handmade wire links and a mix of Hilltribe silver beads.  Instructions on how to make several of these links are shown in step-by-step detail in The Missing Link.  When I designed this necklace, I started with individual link units and put them together like a puzzle – looking for the right balance. The necklace plays double duty and can be worn long, or as a two-strand necklace.  Here is a before shot –

And Ta Daaaa –

If you’d like to see these designs, as well as those made by an amazing gathering of jewelry designers, you should still be able to find a copy in the stores.  They may be replaced now by the Spring 2015 issue.  You can also purchase a copy online at the Stampington site.

Have a wonderful Easter week!

~ Cindy XOXO

Cindy Wimmer is a jewelry designer with a passion for combining vintage elements with modern wire design.  She is the co-founder of artBLISS, hosting jewelry and mixed media workshops in the DC area. Her best-selling jewelry design book, The Missing Link, was released in the Fall, 2013.