Update: Queen Anne's Lace Bracelet and Earrings

Back in February I participated in the Halcraft Pretty Palette Challenge and created the Queen Anne's Lace necklace and earrings set below:

I was quite happy with how the necklace turned out, but (as I mentioned in the original post) I wasn't really satisfied with the earrings--they were just too big to be easily wearable, and I knew I wanted to remake them. I thought perhaps I could create new, smaller earrings and instead use the large wire-wrapped frames from the original earrings to create a bracelet. And I finally did!

I took the two original earring frames and remade them into one central focal element (an exact replica of the focal components in the matching necklace) for the bracelet, and then added several chains of glass pearls on each side to connect to a handmade toggle clasp.

I created a pair of earrings to match the set, although they do not directly mimic the focal elements of the necklace and bracelet. They are much more wearable--lighter and smaller--though I'm not sure I feel that their design meshes with the necklace and bracelet well enough. I really don't want to remake them AGAIN though, so this is how they'll stay.

The wire components are all handmade with German style copper wire, and the beads are a mix of quartzite, shell, agate, crystal, freshwater pearls, and glass pearls.

I think my favorite part is the freshwater-pearl-and-jewel-encrusted toggle clasp on the bracelet! It's the finishing details that can really make a piece special, like handmade clasps and artistic earwires. Overall, I think these new pieces will create a really beautiful set when paired with the original necklace:

A set perfect for a bride with a pink-themed wedding, or maybe the honoree at a sweet quinceanera celebration. Until then, I will happily find every occasion to wear these fancy pieces in everyday life for no reason at all.

Do you enjoy wearing matching jewelry sets? What do you think about the earrings not perfectly mimicking the necklace? I'd love to know.

Sarah


Possibly linking up with:

Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish Whims
Show and Tell Link Party at Flamingo Toes

Halcraft Pretty Pallette Challenge: 'Queen Anne's Lace' Necklace and Earrings Set

You might have noticed a major lack of blog posts over the last few months. I confess: I've been in a major creative slump. About four months ago my husband and I moved from New Mexico to Southern California, and it took awhile for the moving chaos to die down and my jewelry supplies to be unpacked. And if you happen to be a long-time reader of this blog, you might remember that I struggle with autoimmune disease, and major stress events (i.e. an interstate move) are a huge trigger for me. When my autoimmune issues flare up I feel pretty awful, and the last thing I want to do with my very limited energy is be creative when I have a million other necessary things that need to be done. That said, I'm finally feeling back to my old self, and when I saw that the theme of Halcraft's February Pretty Palette Challenge was 'lace', I was really inspired.

I often compare the wire focal elements that I create to lacy designs, so I figured this challenge would fit perfectly with my style. I'm not generally a huge pink person--at least not the pale pink this challenge included--but with Valentine's Day being a prominent holiday this month I decided to take the plunge. Of course I added in some brighter and darker pinks because, well, me.

I used a variety of beads in shades of pink including agate, quartzite, and bamboo coral, as well as glass crystals and glass pearls. All of the beads I used excepting the glass peals are Bead Gallery beads (Halcraft) from Michaels. The glass pearls (shown above on the upper right) are Crystazzi brand, also from Michaels. I used glass pearls in 6mm and 8mm sizes in the necklace, and in 4mm size in the earrings. I also used tiny freshwater pearls (Bead Gallery/Halcraft) on the toggle clasp, which are not pictured above. I forewent my usual mixed metal signature style and stuck with all copper wire for this project, as I felt the rosy copper color really paired nicely with all of the shades of pink and kept the whole piece feeling very feminine and rosy.

These are the lace images that I took my design ideas from:

(source)

(source)

I liked the idea of swirling shapes connected  by simple geometric lines, and thought it would translate nicely to wire. In an ode to Valentine's Day I incorporated a heart shape in the design of the wire focal elements, a shape I generally don't gravitate toward but thought added a sweet touch. 

 

I created my wire focals the same way I always do (you can find the tutorial here), hammering and wrapping them for stability.

For these focals it was easiest and most efficient to create smaller wire shapes and then wrap them together (like a mirror image), rather than to create one large shape. 

 

Once I had my three large focal elements and each side connector created I laid them out and played around with the color scheme and beads I wanted to use.

(This was my original design, although you'll  notice a few changes in the final product.)

(You can find the tutorial for how I embellish my wire focals with beads here.) I was pleased with how these large focals turned out. I don't usually work on such a large scale because it's difficult to keep symmetry of shape, but I think these turned out pretty well. (You can see another large focal element made of multiple wire shapes wrapped together here...as much as I love that older piece, I think these turned out much better!)

Once the focals were finished it was fairly smooth sailing--just wrapping together the strands of pearls and fussing over how many to use in each strand to get the focals to drape just right. The photos above were my original version, but I didn't like where the pearls were positioned or the heavy feeling of the coral beads on the sides. On a side note, isn't it amazing how different the colors look on a white background vs. a black background? I find this often since I use a lot of translucent beads, but the drastic difference still always amazes me. It's like getting two necklaces in one!

This is the final product, and I think I made the right choice in switching the placement of the pearl strands and switching out the coral beads. This one feels just right! It turned out feeling quite a bit more lavish and extravagant than my usual creations, so I decided some big, bold, extravagant matching earrings were in order.

These actually turned out quite large, although not heavy at all. The only element of any weight is the coral stone bead dangle in the center, so the earrings do not really weigh down the lobes much. 

I first started out with a traditional chandelier (above left), but it felt sort of boring to me compared to the necklace. So, I flipped it upside down (above right) and added another layer of draped pearls to better echo the design of the necklace. I really like this funkier version but these are definitely big, even for me (again, if you're a longtime blog follower than you also know I have great love for big earrings). These are the sort of earrings you'd wear for a really lavish event, like a fancy wedding or a quinceanera...in fact, I'm thinking that if I decide to list this set in my Etsy shop, then to make the set a little more appealing I'll likely turn these earrings into a cuff bracelet, and create a slightly smaller set of earrings to match (but still with the same design).

At this point there was still one detail left...

 

If you've read through many of my other jewelry posts you'll know my one store-bought concession for my necklaces is usually a toggle clasp. There are so many beautiful, pre-fab toggles out there, and while creating my own toggle clasps has been on my to-do list for a LONG time, I always feel like anything I might come up with couldn't be as pretty as the gorgeous, machine sculpted toggles I can buy. However, this necklace was made entirely of bright copper wire, and the only copper toggles I had on hand were patinaed and very industrial looking, and this piece was just too ornate for that--it would have been a total mismatch. So--you guessed it--I finally decided to try my hand at creating a toggle. If you look closely at the photos above you'll see that there are two different toggle bars pictured...I had to make a couple of attempts before I got it somewhat right.

After making the toggle's frames I hammered and wrapped them to reflect a style similar to the necklace's focal elements.

This is the final product. Definitely more ornate than I'd create for everyday jewelry, but I figured this necklace was already over the top, so why not just keep going?? I'm pretty happy with how the clasp turned out, and now I have a basic strategy for making simple toggles for my less fancy jewelry. (Now I can say my pieces are completely, entirely handmade, and not 'all handmade except for the clasp'!)

Below are some more detailed shots of the pieces.

I also took a couple of photos of the pieces in action, so you can get a better feel for their size and scale. (Please forgive the tacky bra lines!)

I think these pieces would make a really fabulous bridal or quinceanera set! Bold yet delicate, lavish-looking yet still simple in materials, feminine yet contemporary--such a perfect way to showcase a bride or birthday girl on her big day! (Especially if I create a matching bracelet!)

Where would you wear jewelry this bold or extravagant? Do you love big earrings too? Have you ever made your own clasps? I'd love to know.

Sarah

Linking up with:

The Creative Corner at Curly Crafty Mom
Fabulous Party at Lou Lou Girls
Show and Tell Link Party at Flamingo Toes
Worthwhile Wednesday at Crafty Allie
Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish Whims
Idea Box - Thursday Link Party at Mila's Little Things
Friday Finds at Minted Strawberry
Link Party Palooza at Tatertots and Jello

Halcraft Blog Pretty Palettes Reveal 

Edgy Valentine's Statement Necklace [Tutorial]

Wow, two jewelry tutorials in one week! But with only one weekend left before the holiday I figure any Valentine's Day jewelry-makers will be working on their accessories this weekend...so I wanted to get my last Valentine's tutorial posted before then. I mentioned previously that I'm not usually all that into Valentine's Day, but apparently this year I can't get enough of red and pink jewelry. Maybe it's my love of bright colors, or maybe it's just the novelty of a day when I can wear all the hot pink I want and not be declared a 'princess'. Either way, I'm just gonna go with it.

This necklace is a bit edgier than the last couple I've made. I recently came across this gorgeous turquoise and lime green chain necklace and loved it...and it heavily inspired the version I made above. Unfortunately, it was just an image with no links or credit so I have no idea where to give credit. Suffice it to say that I can't claim to have created my version solely from my own imagination. But I love that it combines chunky chain with colorful pink and red beads, clear glass drops and sparkly rhinestones to create a modern, semi-industrial look while still feeling feminine. And it was super easy to make! I think it took me all of two or three hours total. Perfect for working on while catching up on those educational History Channel documentaries about the origins of Valentine's Day. Or, you know, those CW shows you won't admit you like to watch. Whatever works. Read on for how I made it!

Supplies:

-Thick cable chain in multiple sizes and/or colors--enough for two (11+) inch lengths and one 12-13 inch length.
-Smaller chain for around the neck; approximately 9 1/2 inches.
-Rhinestone chain, approximately 12-13 inches.
~30 beads, in your choice of colors (I used beads marbled in red and pink)
~30 teardrop beads or briolettes in your choice of colors (I used side-drilled faceted clear glass drops)
-Embroidery floss in three colors of your choice (I used three different shades of pink/red for an ombre look)
-Jump rings, 4mm and 6mm
-1 medium or large lobster claw or toggle clasp
-Tapestry needle
-Chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers (not pictured), and wire snips
-(Not pictured) jewelry wire for making the briolette/drop bead dangles; I prefer 24 gauge
-Optional: sturdy clear-drying glue or clear nail polish

Ready? I'm going to try to keep this as simple as I can since there are lots of pictures.

1. Cut one 11 inch length and one 11 1/2 inch length of cable chain (I used a dark hematite colored chain for both of these lengths). If you're sticking with the ombre color scheme I used, cut a length from your lightest color of embroidery floss approximately 5 x the length of your chain (so 11" x  5 = 55 inches...I'd go with no less than 50 inches). Find the middle point of your embroidery floss and tie a knot connecting the end links of both lengths of chain. You should have equal amounts of floss on either side of the knot.
2. Thread one side of the floss through your tapestry needle. Using your needle, start sewing your chains together with a basic whipstitch.
3. Continue until you get to the end of your chains. Wrap the thread around the last link of each chain a couple of times and pull snug (but don't cut the thread).
4. Thread the unused side of floss (back at the beginning end of the chains) through your tapestry needle and sew another round of whipstitches down your chain lengths, but in the alternating direction so that you form a little 'x' with each stitch. Yep, more x's (the stitches) and o's (the chain links)...I couldn't resist for Valentine's Day.

 

5. Continue down the chains until you reach the end. Wrap the thread around the last link of each chain a couple of times, then tie together with the other end floss into a sturdy knot. Trim thread and weave the ends (on the back side of the chains) through a couple of stitches. After you've finished your necklace you can go back and place a bit of glue or clear nail polish on the knots to make sure they're secure.

6. Your chains should now look like this, with the thread at each end knotted and nicely finished.

7. Cut a third length of chain, preferably with a larger link (I used a large double-link bronze chain), about 1 1/2 inches longer than your whipstitched chain (so if you used ~11 inch lengths for the first two, cut about 12 1/2 inches of the third chain). Cut a length of rhinestone chain about 1 inch longer than the third chain (so here, about 13 1/2 inches long). It's better to cut too much chain and remove the extra at the end; and since you're sewing the chains together along a curve, you'll need increasingly more with each layer.
8. Same as above--cut a length of floss (in your medium shade, if sticking with an ombre pattern) about 5 x the length of your third chain, find the middle of the floss, and tie a sturdy knot there connecting the first set of whipstitched chains with the third chain so that there are equal amounts of floss on either side of the knot.
9. Using the same whipstitching technique and tapestry needle, hold your rhinestone chain on top of the third chain and sew the cable chains together with one side of the floss, making sure to loop your floss over the rhinestone chain as you go so that it will be secured down as the cable chains are sewn together. Loop the floss a couple of times around the last links once you've reached the end of your chains.
10. Repeat step 9 with the other side of the floss continuing down the chains over the top of the first round of floss, and knot the threads together nicely once you've reached the end of the chains, finishing them in the same manner as step 5 above. Remove any extra chain links (if there are any) at this time.

 

Here's a close-up of the the three chains and a finished end. Now you could stop here--this alone would make a beautiful necklace! But I wanted to add more color and a lot more bling...

11. Now it's time to add your colorful beads. Cut a length of floss in your darkest shade about 3-4 x the length of the bottom chain and tie a knot about 1 inch from the end (NOT in the middle) around one of the end chain links of your bottom chain. Thread the floss through your tapestry needle. Note: if your tapestry needle is too thick to run through your beads, try a smaller needle.
12. String a bead onto the floss, then run your needle through the next chain link from back to front.
13. Take your tapestry needle and run it back under and through the loop created by the threaded bead (as if you were doing a blanket stitch).
14. Pull tight to snug the bead up next to the chain and repeat this process for the rest of the beads down the length of the chain.

I know that might have been a little confusing, so how about I go over that again.

15. Thread a bead onto your floss.
16. Loop the needle and floss through the next chain link, threading it from the back of the necklace through the chain link to the front of the necklace.
17. Run the needle back under the thread of the bead you just attached (as if you were sewing a stitch around the floss on the side of the bead).
18. Pull tight to secure the bead close up to the chain link. Really, this is very easy...you'll quickly get the hang of it after sewing on a couple of the beads.

19. Finish adding on all of your beads, stitching down the length of the necklace.
20. To finish off the end, knot the thread securely around the last link a couple of times, then thread it back through the last bead and trim it flush with the edge of the bead.
21. Here's a close up of the sewn beads.
22. You should now have a chain-and-bead bib that looks like this. You're almost finished!

23. Now it's time to create the glass drop dangles. You can find a tutorial here for wrapping a briolette, here for a 'triangle bail', or follow along with my preferred technique in the photos above. Please excuse my poor attempt at instructions...it's much more difficult to write out the process than to demonstrate it in person! First, string your side-drilled drop bead onto your wire, leaving about a 3/4" tail at the wire end.
24. Using your fingers, bend the wire up on either side of the droplet.
25. Using your fingernails or chain nose pliers, press the wires together to meet in the center creating a defined middle where the wires meet and then continue upward laying parallel to each other.
26. See the defined bend where they meet and then continue straight up together?

27. Using your round nose pliers, make a 90 degree bend outward in the long side of the wire and then wrap it around one of the round prongs of the pliers to create a complete loop. The long end of the wire should now be fully turned in a loop with the wire pointing out to the side, and the short end of the wire should still be pointing directly up.
28. With your dominant hand, use your chain nose pliers to grasp and hold the loop and the short end of the wire together, and then use your other hand to wrap the long tail tightly around both wires just below the loop, so they are wrapped together snugly.
29.Wrap the tail several times--at least three wraps, but as many as needed to completely cover the section of wires between the loop and the drop bead. Snip the long wire after you are finished wrapping and use your chain nose pliers to tuck it in securely against the rest of the wraps.
30. To finish off the short tail that is sticking out of the top of the wraps, pull it down slightly and use your wire snips to snip it off as close to the top of the wraps as possible, so that it is no longer visible.

31. Wrap all of your drops or briolettes before continuing--it's easier to get them all done at once. Count how many beads you used on the necklace, then subtract one to find the number of drops or briolettes you'll need.
32. Using large jump rings--I used 6mm--attach your glass drops to the bottom chain links, centering each drop between the beads. This is best done on the BACKSIDE of the chain bib piece, so that the wire wraps and jump rings are hidden and only the glass drops are visible from the front.
33. Here's what the front of the necklace looks like when the glass drop is attached on the backside of the chain bib piece. See how the wire bits are hidden?
34. Continue attaching all of your drops/briolettes across the entire chain bib piece (this picture shows the backside of the necklace).

 

35. Make sure your chains and drops are laying nicely at this point; make any adjustments to the placement of the drops/briolettes if needed. Once all of the drops have been attached it is time to add the neck chain.

36. Using jump rings, add two short pieces of smaller chain to each side of the bib. I used a 1 1/4 inch piece attached to the end link of the top chain and a 1 1/2 inch piece attached to the end link of the large chain. Repeat this step on the other side of the bib as well.

37. On one side of the bib, join the two short pieces of chain to one 2 inch piece of chain using a jump ring. Repeat this step on the other side of the bib as well.

38. Add a toggle clasp (or lobster clasp) to the ends of the 2 inch pieces of chain, and you're finished! Make sure to go back at this point and add a drop of clear glue or nail polish to each of the embroidery floss knots, if you wish.

 

I love this fun statement piece--it adds loads of personality to even the simplest of outfits. And you can customize this necklace with any colors you want!

And the details add so much flair. The colors of the floss, the different sizes and colors of chain, the rhinestones...all perhaps unexpected pairings with the faceted glass drops and the bright colored beads.

If you want to add some pizzazz to your Valentine's Day, give this necklace a try. Or any day, really. This necklace will wow you any day of the year!

What do you think of the eclectic blend of materials in this necklace? Do you enjoy the industrial jewelry trend, or do you prefer a more classic look? I'd love to know.

Sarah Marie


Linking up with:

Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish Whims
We Did It! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado 
Show & Tell at Gingerly Made
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
The Party Bunch at 30 Handmade Days
Link Party Palooza at Tatertots and Jello
Think Pink Sunday at Flamingo Toes
I Made This and Love It at Make It and Love It

The Sunday Showcase Party at By Stephanie Lynn

Take-A-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts