Four Seasons of Jewelry

European Roundmaille (Adv_Road)

This week I attempted European Roundmaille...twice!

I started out using the 18 ga 3.5 mm ID rings suggested in the Great Wire Jewelry book, but found that it was too tight to lay nicely around my wrist, so I started over and made it out of 18 ga 4.0 mm ID rings which worked out much better.

Jacqueline

Week 18 - A Bit of Jade Bangle

I was drawing a blank for Week 18's Oriental Express theme, until I remembered these gorgeous Jade beads that I got last fall at a gem & mineral show.   I pulled them out, and happened to have my box of David Christensen furnace glass beads nearby, and voila...a Connie Fox-inspired bangle!

I do need to apologize to Connie, though -- when I posted my silver bangle in Week 16, I completely forgot to give her credit for the inspiration AND the instructions.  I attended her bangles class at the Beadfest in Nashville, Tennesse last Spring, and if you haven't had a chance to take one of her classes, definitely put it on your must-do list.  She is a fantastic teacher, and a great source of inspiration!  Thank you, Connie!!

--Tina

Week 18 - Bimetal Bracelet

Struggling with the same issues as for week 17, I am presenting this bracelet, recently made for a tutorial on my website.  The original version of the tutorial (2 pages) had already been online for a few weeks, when I made the one for the crocheted rings on week 17.  The rings tutorial was really more interesting than that of the bracelet, with lots of pictures and 7 pages, so I decided to start over with the bracelet tutorial and spruce it up a bit.  Once again, I made a new piece, taking pictures and writing instructions in French and in English every step of the way.  I even learned how to use the camera a little better in the process.  It is now much more complete, with 5 pages of instructions, fully illustrated.

--Johanne

Oriental Express

Inspired by the yin/yang symbol this pendant is made in sterling silver with Swarovksi crystals, freshwater pearls and hematine beads. I really wanted to finish it with a fancy Chinese knot in the satin cord, but after a frustrating 45 minutes trying to tie the darned thing, I've given up on that idea. Life's just too short for Chinese knots.

Sue

HarleenWP - Week 18

Late again--after avoiding even the sniffles for more than 3 years, I suddenly came down with flue.  What a bummer! 

Here's a hammered leaf in a  chain with hammered links made just before the bug hit. 

Harleen

Oriental Express/Micki

This is just a quick little pendant made with a bead I got for a freebie.  It is supposed to be Cinnabar but I am sure it is plastic.  I used a whole string of seed pearls in a peachy color.  The wire is 24 ga sq gold filled for the frame and 26 ga round for the the stitching.  It was just random until the form started to take  shape then I followed the flow. 

The front and the back.

Week18 - Remy

It's been a while since I've made a ring, and this week I had a sudden urge to make a biiiiig ring.  It is made from Sterling Silver, Rose Gold and Gold Filled.  Fits great and is comfortable to wear but I have to be careful not to knock myself out when I take a drink :] .   I LOS'd it and I like the extra depth it has given the design.   It was completed on time, however I ran out of time to photograph and post it up here because we zoomed off to Sydney last Friday for a fantastic fun weekend away with the kids (last chance to get away while hubby was still on leave)before the new school year starts.  We had a blast snorkelling at one of Sydney's best snorkelling beaches,.. absolutely awesome,. we all went waaaaaaaaay out and saw hundreds of fish, octopus, stingrays, squid, and I even got a chance to dive down amongst a school of  huge blue groper fish and almost touch them wow, what a thrill it was.  Oh see.. waay OT,.. that's how fun it was,lol. 
I just want to take the chance to thank everyone who has commented on my pieces in the FSOJ and apologise for my absence in commenting myself,... I wholeheartedly appreciate your comments and will be back to 'normal' and posting more often very soon. Remy

Week 18 - Lucinda/PurpleRhian

Not on theme this week, Oriental Exoress hit a brick wall for me and I didn't have tome to research.  This is a bracelet of Fluorite with SS wrapped loops and double lins, and a Bali Toggle.  More at http://spaces.msn.com/members/purplerhianyoj

Week 18 - Lynette/ lowen56

Well, this week is WAY LATE.    
Anyway, what I have used here are some big coral beads, 6mm black onyx & cracked quartz, 2 cracked quartz nugget beads & 20 + 16 g wire. The twisted jump rings are bought ones.
The red and black always remind me of things oriental and I suppose I would have achieved more that look had I used gold-filled wire instead.
to read more & see another picture :-

week 18/ freeform bangle/ Norene_I

I actually posted this piece  on time and evidently, I did not click "Save".  I have been away from the computer for a couple of days so didn't know that it didn't "take".  So here we go again!  This is a freeform bangle from a book by Linda Chandler.  I have done this before in gold-fill and this time it is Argentium Silver.  I annealled the piece  after construction on our stove top here....this stove is a toy....no kidding.  I miss my stove at home!  I had to pickle the piece after and tried using lime/lemon juce and it actually works!  Needs a good shine though.  I  really like this design...has lots of possiblilities.  I am also encluding a couple of Brazil pictures.  One is a HUGE wooden barrel at the Cachaca Museum that we visited last week.  It is listed in the Guinness book of World Records.  The other picture is from a horse drawn buggy during small tour at the museum.  So pretty there.  I had a piture of suger cane, that they used to make Cachaca, but didn't show up on this group of pictures.  Cachaca is a very STRONG popular drink here in Brazil.  Interesting story about its development too.    Norene