Here's a brand new pendant capture that I just made... I used black steel wire from the hardware store... & a piece of broken china..... I then waxed the whole thing with Renaissance Wax.. the steel wire is VERY Messy to work with..  gets your hands very dirty... after I clean the whole piece I use the wax. 






This pendant was constructed using the Tiffany method... copper foiled around the outside of pendant,  then soldered using LEAD  FREE  solder..

Just putting the finishing touched on pieces  for the blog hop..managed to get a necklace, earrings & bracelet  from all the beads that my partner Bonnie sent..

Here are some things that I consider when I am designing a piece of jewellery.

The Line of the piece:  How does it fit the body, where will it sit? What length will it be?
Colour: I use colour to convey & create emotion

Shape:  will the shape or style work with the beads that I have chosen?  Is it pleasing or interesting... Usually when I look at a the pieces that I have lain out I know instantly whether I like it or not...Don't ignore those little feelings of doubt.

The value  (or lightness or darkness) of the chosen beads:  how light or dark is the piece.. do all the beads work with each other?? Is there light , medium,  dark.. parts ..  crystals,  silver, gold,    create a bit of tension in the piece.

Texture:  Is there texture on the surfaces of the beads?  smooth, rough, carved, shiny, matte, or  faceted.

Of course a piece does  not have  to have all the above mentioned inclusions.. Shapes can be repeated.  Once the eye sees a shape, if the shape is repeated it makes the eye more comfortable.. I like at least 3 repeats... I most always go for the number 3 in my designs...

A focal bead is used to draw the eye in and the beads surrounding the focal showcase the focal..

Add some zing to your designs by using some decorative head pins, adding some black to the mix... I also like to add some silver colour,  by using bead caps or silver spacers

WHAT makes a  piece of jewelery work?? Here  is a  list of   components that I use to design my jewelry.  I use  a lot of the same principles of Interior Design.  both in  design elements and color elements... I like to use  these shapes: round, square, oblong, flat, these textures:  smooth, rough, shiny, matte, different sizes:

big, medium & small.  If I am using found objects then I would include something old & something new.  If I am feeling really daring I would add some sparkle to the whole piece. 

For color I usually go with an analogous color scheme..(3-6 colors adjacent to a key color with 1 color in common. I try to  use other combos such a complementary but I struggle with them..so I just stick to what I do best... I dress the same way... It is just the way it is....

Here is a little memory wire bracelet and as you can see I have used all oranges, yellows, reds and thrown in some white for contrast.  These are some lampwork beads that I have made.

Here's a photo of the bracelet that the home-schooled class made... They only had about 20 minutes to pick the beads out & assemble it.... I kept it simple and easy for little hands to make.  The stretchy cord is about 1 mm. thick & I wrapped scotch tape around 1 end to easily go thru the bead and I made a knot at the other end so the beads didn't fall off.

After the bracelet had all the beads on we centered the beads, tied a knot at each end of the beads, then tied a knot to make it into a bracelet.... This is a super easy project for little kids!!!  They were all thrilled to bits!!!

Here it is    Monday....... I am so behind....

 On Friday ..My dear husband decide to rent a JACK   HAMMER  & rip out about 50 sq. feet of tile which was very Securely  affixed to the cement base.... WELL... it took him 8 hours of hard labour... (Something like having a baby????)  to rip it all out... after about 2 hours ( I was away having FUN... giving a talk about glass to 14 home-schooled children... &  then they all made a  simple bracelet with beads)  HE  took a look at all the dust that he created & then decided to put up some plastic.... by then it was way too late.... the dust was everywhere....We have finally  finished cleaning up most of  the dust ..but we still have a few rooms...  The door was closed to these rooms so its not urgent that they be cleaned......
Today  I gave a lampwork  class and was all prepared for 2 students but ended up having 4.... some kind of mix up with the front desk......All one can do is suck it in and carry on...  Never let your students see you are a bit ruffled....It all turned out well in the end.... (Fortunately I am always prepared  with more supplies than I actually need!!!)

I have a private student tomorrow afternoon.... so my bead-soup mix will have to simmer on the back burner for a few more days....

Now I have to go  down to my studio & whip up a Valentine's Card for My dear husband!!!!

Here's the photo of the  fab  Bead Soup that I received from my partner Bonnie:  www.jasper-moon.ca
  These are some of my favorite colours... I just love putting BLACK in my designs...  The cream colour beads are actually carved bone... I have never used real bone in any of my creations... so this will definitely be something out of my comfort ZONE.... but I am up for the challenge...  The tiny black bicones are Swarovski crystal  (another of my favs... I just love anything sparkly as witnessed by all my t-shirts with sparkles & rhinestones on.    

The light green  crystal rhondelles are a fav. of mine as well.
The black faceted beads will add some weight to my design..

    Here's my Etsy Shop.....

                     WWW.FayWolfendenDesigns.Etsy.com  

I will be posting some more goodies for sale shortly!!!!!

I have been busy getting ready to give 14 home-school students a small talk
on glass... & a bead-making demo........it's taking a lot longer then I thought..
After the demo they will each make a simple bracelet!!!!!

Received my bead soup package from Bonnie yesterday.. will take some pictures & post on Friday...       doing some skiing @ the local mountain... fabulous skiing,

                                   Was a fab sunny day & not too cold

 
Here are the pics of bead soup that I sent to Bonnie

They arrived today..... Yeah!!!!! only took 1 week...

Here's the Beady Soup that I have sent my partner Bonnie...Can't wait to get hers..
   

www.jaspersgems.blogspot.com   

WOW.....just finished my bead soup package to send to my partner Bonnie.......
as usual I agonized  over my final selection.... .....I  looove   making     glass beads....fused glass pendants, plates, etc.  .. shiny,  smooth glass... some matte glass.. love the sparkly stuff too.  Hope she likes the goodies I sent!!!

These funny little birds were flying around our house the other day trying to keep warm & eating the insects around the base of the house.  I think they are red-wing black birds.. It was about 19 degrees belown zero & there was snow on the ground... so these little guys were hungry!!!

Ventured out to the post office to mail out the package...  it was   snowing again.
Looks like we are in for some snow & high winds...Will be glad when January is finally  over in another week.... it's always a let down after the Christmas holidays...  We'll be off skiing for a few days... time for some outdoor activity although we have been going for lots of walks & hikes...

Just making a few more focal beads so I can complete the set that I have in mind for my ..bead swap partner...  I have an idea of what I want to send her.

IT'S 16 below zero... (and going down to -19 tonight) that's centigrade.. that is
2 degrees in farhenheit.. it's pretty darn  COLD..  had to venture out  today
to pick up some more propane and glass rods...  all in all the roads were O.K.  & after driving in Montreal & Toronto in the winter it is a piece of cake here... especially with snow tires on... 

Am going to hunker  down tomorrow as the high is going to  be   -14...   a good time to  spend on the torch plus it adds some heat to the house... a whole   day spent in  in the studio will be fab!!!!!

I am so excited.... I won a spot on the   " Bead Soup Blog Party"  Also my partner is in Canada...so that makes it so much easier to mail my " Bead Soup Mix"


I've got some focals in mind.... just  can't decide what colour palette to go with..
Think I will make a nice sterling silver clasp to go with the beads....

Been working on making some new bead designs... I am going to call them my water-colour series.... very pretty...  white background with soft greens, turquoises, pinks, mauves, oranges.... I will take some pictures of them when the sun comes out & I can get some good shots.

Have been doing some snowshoeing (Santa brought us our very own snow shoes this Christmas) & hiking in the hills above Kelowna... We are very short of snow this year..so more hiking than snowshoeing.... We just drive about 5 minutes up the mountain in the back of us.... & there we are...miles & miles of hiking trails.... Now that the bears all are hibernating..no fear of running into them....My goal this year is to do more outdoor things.... I get busy working in my studio & it is so fab that I don't want to go out....WE are awaiting more snow on the local ski hill as there are too many rocks sticking up to try & trip me!!!

I've entered a contest..well..not really a contest... it's a bead exchange where someone sends me beads, etc.  & I send another person some beads, etc. then we all make something out of our "stash" ..post it in our blog.... & see what we all come up with.... Fantastic idea......... I am just trying to figure out how to add the

"bead soup badge" to my page here... I am going to have to get my fab. daughter

to help me....as I am somewhat techno challenged when it comes to doing anything like that....cutting, pasting, copying, etc. is a bit beyond me......looking forward to see if I get picked!!!!

In the mean time here is the  www.prettythingsblog.com/p/bead-soup-blog-party.html      for Lori's blog & all things bead-soupy!!!!

Here's wishing everyone a Very   HAPPPY NEW YEAR!!

the night before Christmas

Another year about to draw to a close... have all my baking done, presents wrapped.. time to sit back & relax....looks like it will be a green Christmas  here

here's wishing everyone    a   very    MERRY  CHRISTMAS

new bead designs

Going on a road trip to Vancouver.... It's our annual Delbrook  High School... Girls Pot Luck Dinner... actually it is the "Appy"  dinner & dessert....  We have been doing this since day 1 of our 'Grad'... I have not been to so many but in the past few years have attended... It's great to get together with   Col, Judy, Sue, Pat, Arlene, Ardath, etc...
Hope the highway is O.K... it can be very tricky... but with a new Truck & new  winter tires it should be a piece of 'cake'...
It's always nice to see Vancouver at Christmas time...very festive and of course
the shopping!!!!!  Don't get down there nearly often enough...

Just finished my Winter class schedule.... hope to be at the Rotary Centre  every Monday.

 I have added a few new classes to my schedule.... Done   some  research & developement.... and some inspirational designs came to mind....

Do check out my Web site:  www.faywolfendendesigns.com
 for more info &  samples of my work.... should be out middle of Dec.