Object Obsession: Wood Disc Pendants

So....sometimes you start making a certain style or type of piece, and you kindof...sortof...maybe get a little obsessed with making it.  This has happened to me with wooden disc pendants.  I get these pendants with no embellishment whatsoever and then add decals, transfers or rub ons.  

They can then have any type of look.  Some are playful while others will be more whimsical.  I sell them both in finished pieces as well as by themselves.  

The different tones of the woods can go with different images and words, but I find those decals/rub ons that are more opaque work better.  Those with translucency will lose much of their effect when placed over the wood, especially with the lighter tones of wood.  

While I have a number of them available for sale individually in my etsy store, I am thinking of making more and more of them into finished pieces.  You can always play off of the colors in the image, as well as the tones of the wood. 

The disc pendants do already have a hole drilled in them, but it is rather small.  I find that they work well with small ice pick bails, but may not work as well with jumprings.  You would definitely need to use a jumpring thinner than 18 gauge.  

So this is the item that I keep making.  Eventually I will run out of ideas of how to use it, or run out of images to put on it.  We will see which comes first. 

Winged Wine and Champagne Necklace

This necklace is part of a set that was made for a friend at their request.  The earrings have appeared in a previous post. 

 As with the earrings, the color scheme was silver, golden shadow crystals and Crystal Bordeaux crystal pearls. To add to the focal component of the wing, I also used a navette pendant in the golden shadow.  I knew that most of the necklace length was going to be composed of chain, so I wanted to add some beaded links in between the lengths of chain.  I actually had made a couple for use with the earrings and ended up not using them, so I reserved them for use with the necklace.

It took some adjusting for me to get the links, drops and other components put together and I actually ended up taking it apart a few times.  Don't be afraid to do this! Sometimes it ends up better if you try multiple options before settling completely on your design.  I had started with one idea, but once put together, I didn't like the way it looked.  Being flexible enough to take it apart is a great factor of the creative process and will sometimes end up making your piece even better. 

I love the way this necklace turned out.  I ended up putting one of the drops behind the wing drop and one in front.  Both of them in front took too much away from the wing itself, so I changed things up a bit.  With the earrings, this necklace makes a great set.  While they were created for the purpose of the holiday season, they could easily be worn any time.

Winged Wine and Champagne Earrings

I made these earrings (as well as a matching necklace which will be seen in another post) for a friend who gave me the main components as well as the color scheme, but otherwise let me do what I wanted. I started with the wing drops, as well as some Crystal Bordeaux crystal pearls by Swarovski as well as some golden shadow crystals in varying shapes. 

The crystals and crystal pearls are the only color in the piece, but still an accent to the wings.  I didn't want to overwhelm the wings, so I ended up re-working them a number of times til they were exactly as I wanted them.  I knew that I wanted a couple of dangles with the crystals, but again did not want them to be more than an accent to the wings.  If they drew too much attention, then not only would they overshadow the wings but there would also be too much going on.

I made a number of drops and beaded links to try and figure out the direction I wanted to go.  After connecting the sterling silver filled earwires to the wings, I was able to use them as a template to figure out how I would like everything to lay.  I used a silver plated chain as it went well with the silver color of the wings, and overall, I am happy with how these came out.  The friend that I made them for loved them, and that is what really matters. 

More Fun Stretch Bracelets

I've discussed making these bracelets in earlier posts, but with some of these designs I mixed things up and thought I would share some photos.  I know winter and the holiday season are over, but it's never too early to prepare for next year! 

It's been a while....

I have somewhat neglected this blog and jewelry making for the last couple of months.  I have had far too much going on in my personal life that required much more of my attention.  There are certain things in life that just take precedence and are more important.  I apologize that this blog and my jewelry making were put on hold, but it was something I had to do.  I won't go into extreme details, as the pain is still too sharp, and there are some things that I prefer not to share here.  The short version and the most important information is that after a battle with cancer and liver failure, my father passed away.  Thankfully, in the past couple months I was able to spend time with him and help my parents, which is what was most important to me.

I have a few blog posts already prepared that need to go up and will hopefully be available soon.  I'm working on getting things started up again and getting back to my creativity.  Thank you all for understanding and sticking with me!