Down to the bare threads...

Bangles wrapped with sari silk and embroidery yarn and sewing thread (oh, and wire!)

There is something elementary beautiful in fabrics and the underlying threads they are made of. They way the form a pattern, how the can be soft and smooth and still hold their shape, and in the end, how gorgeous they look even broken down with all the threads coming lose.

Is it a wonder that so often small pieces of yarn, threads or fabric are used in jewelry?

Gorgeous bright blue silk from thailand wrapped with embroidery thread and (purple!) wire.

Just as a disclaimer or warning: If you have any hoarding collecting tendencies, this may not be the right blog post for you. You may end up really saving every tiny leftover that would normally have ended in the trash resulting in an accumulation of anything fabric related amass! This warning is way too late for me but maybe not for you! ;)

You see, a lot of smaller pieces of embroidery thread are stuffed down at the bottom of the little plastic bag! 

Since this is my second contribution at AJE (my first was my introduction), I was thinking really a long time about what to show you or what to write about. So I thought to show you a little bit more about my creation process and what kind of elements I love to incorporate into my work. This is quite simple so maybe not a real tutorial but I do hope I may inspire you!

In the end it is with jewelry like with all things in life: The small details can make all the difference. So I'll show you how I use some leftover yarn, sewing thread, pieces of silk and cotton fabric... and whatever else I may find!

These are not finished yet, just embroidery yarn wrapped on or two times around. The knotted ends are still not cut.

Fabric and yarn/thread is a great way to upcycle old jewelry. Even better, even thought you can completely change the look, it actually won't permanently damage the piece itself so it is always possible to change it back by just cutting off the added "stuff".

So for my first example(s) I use simple thin metall bangles. The kind you really can get everywhere and that would also look lovely mixed into a batch of wrapped bangles. The trick to start is quite simple: Fold the yarn or fabric and start wrapping over the folded part.

You could also just make a knot at the beginning.

It needs some time to get used to always hold with one hand all the time not only the bangle / bracelet itself, but also the next round of wrapped material. Go tight but not with too much force. Just that it will look quite neat.

To wrap over the ends of the yarn is the best way to secure it.

If you want to add another colour just start wrapping a piece of new yarn or fabric with the end of the old one (never use it completely!). This will hold the starting point in place and both sides are nicely secured.

During my first wrapped pieces I was hoping for a third hand... ;)

Don't worry about a little bit of "overhang". That you can always cut. Also normally the wrapping alone should be enough to hold everything in place. Still, you can also always add some glue to the ends.

Again, wrapping over the ends at the beginning or end is the best way to secure the yarn!

The trickiest part is the end...

Embroidery yarn is normally made from six to eight single threads that can be easily divided.

Since I also always add some more charms, wire, and whatever else I may find, I don't need and want a smooth finish. Embroidery yarn I simple divide and knot it around the bangle. The end of a fabric piece I just cut in half and make a knot around the bangle with both ends too. With sewing thread I always have some small piece hanging out from the start: Just knot it too.

I just can't get enough of these kind of wrapped bangles. Whenever some bangles are at a sale, I get them!

And some more examples how I finish off the ends: Simply knots that are cut quite close to the bangle (lower one), some that are secured and hidden a little bit with wire wrapped around on top (upper one) or I embraced the ends and actually braided all of them together (middle one). By the way, the purple one is made with silk and the other two with cotton fabric as basic layer.

I have (had actually) a lot of vintage indian beads. They are pressed glass beads that are quite often irregular and I love how they add to the charm of these bangles. 

This also works perfectly for all the cheap loop earrings one can get. This come with the bonus that this is the perfect earring to add a lot of dangles for a colorful bohemian and hippy style! One little trick: If I wrap earrings with fabric I am always starting at the side with the earstud and pierce with this through the fabric. That gives a nice starting point.

Again, like with the bangle, I just wrap the fabric around the hoop while holding the already wrapped fabric tight with my finger. 

Disclaimer: I worked with clay before I started taking images.... ehm... you may already have guessed!

At the end I just cut the fabric in half and use both end to knot around the earring. 

The lose ends and threads can be easily cut. If you are worried about anything coming lose, just secure it with a little bit of glue or maybe tightly wrapped wire. But normally it should just hold fine as it is!

As you may already have seen from all the examples, I love to wrap some more colours on top (it also add some more hold for the fabric and yarn). On fabric I love to use embroidery thread. This time I knot it at the back of the hoop...

...and simply wrap it around to the front and back again. The ends I also just secure by knotting them.

Can you see how I hold the yarn between my fingers? Always use the full potential of your hand ;)

Here is the finished earring. In case you wonder why I showed you some images in black in white... duh... I made the piece and took images in between. They looked fine on the small camera screen and I totally ignored what a beautiful sheen good silk has (yes, this is high quality silk from thailand). Sheen... light... camera... The bright blue and shiny colour overwhelmed my poor little camera and made absurd contrasts. Still... I already had wrapped the earrings and I also didn't want to unwrap them! No way!

But actually I have to admit that I like the black and white images (more than I thought I would) and may use them further in the future (but that time with purpose!).

The colours are still a little bit off... *sighs* But I wanted to show you at least one image of the lovely colour combination.

Here is another example of some of my favorite wrapped earrings (that I love like they are so much that the ends are still visible) made with some of my favorite african batique printed fabric. You can also see where I cut the ends and knotted them. 

The pattern of the fabric is lost but it creates different areas of colour wrappend around the wire.

And for the end... some more examples! 

Bangles in all colours...

All of them are done with embroidery thread as basic, sometimes sewing thread is used as accent as well as embroidery thread again.

And more close up impressions :)

Some really, really big earrings with some charms and beads dangling...

Or just really simple with changing colours...

The ends at the back of the earrings are a little thicker since I really made sure to secure the knotted ends!

I love this way to easily add color to a piece but furthermore, I really, really love that I am able to use every little scratch of fabric or yarn! I don't like to throw away even the tiniest piece of beloved fabric. But hey... it also has to be used somehow! ;)

Until next time! :)

Sea Glass Earrings

Every year my other half, the children and I head down to Cornwall to spend some of the summer holidays with his family, and every year we go to some of the amazing beaches and collect lots of lovely beach treasures, which inevitably (what with me being a hoarder) end up coming home with us and being put into the "one day I will do something with all these lovely bits" box....

The Contents of the Box

So this year I decided I really need to start using some of these treasures and what better way to start then by making up some earrings....

Making Waves Earrings

To make these earrings you will need

• A pair of sea glass pieces (mine are 15mm x 10mm)
• 8mm/20gauge sterling silver wire (The amount of silver you will need for this project will depend on the size of your sea glass and how long you like your earwires. 1/2 meter should be enough to make two or three pairs of earrings).
• 2 2x1mm sterling silver crimp covers 
• Wire cutters
• File
• Flat nose pliers
• Bail making or round nose pliers
• Hammer and anvil
• Easy solder paste
• Soldering equipment (including safety goggles and apron)
• Safety pickle

Optional

• Tumbler
• Dremel with a 1mm cup burr

Making the Back of the Earring

Cut two lengths of wire long enough to wrap around your cabs and then shape them so that they are ever so slightly smaller then the sea glass, trim and file the ends so they fit together perfectly flush these will become the back of the earrings

Forming Waves

Take approx 3 inches (more if you are using large sea glass pieces) using your pliers form tiny waves, this can be a little fiddly at first. Once shaped gently hammer your waves so they are flat and cut off and file small sections to fit neatly inside the back sections you just formed (they must be touching each side).

Soldering in Place

Cut 4 small pieces of wire, they need to be twice the height of your sea glass and file one end perfectly flat. Arrange your pieces on your soldering block/charcoal block as above and apply small amounts of easy solder paste to all of the joins.

Soldered in Place

Gently solder. I use solder paste as I find it a lot easier then flux and solder pillions which all ways pop apart when I heat them! Once the solder flows wait a few seconds to cool slightly and then using your soldering tweezers place in the safety pickle after a few minute rinse and give them a brush over with a wire brush and check that your joints are strong.

Trimming the Bezels

Using your flat nose pliers gently bend your prongs 90 degrees making sure that your sea glass still fits snugly inside. Trim the wires so there is enough to bend over the top of the glass to hold it in place and then file the wires flat. I use a 4 sided nail file for this as I always have one laying around.

Forming Earwires

Cut x2 three inch long pieces of silver, file one end flat and using your bail making/round nose pliers form a neat eye pin. Heat two small scraps of silver to form little balls. Open your eye pins and thread on the prong settings, close the eye and place them onto the soldering/charcoal block. Place a small amount of solder paste onto the join in the eye pin and place the ball on top, very gently solder (it will not take long at all but be careful not to heat any of your other joints) cool for a few seconds and place into your solder pot (using tweezers of course) after a few minutes remove from the pickle and wash in bicarb and water.

Finishing Touches

Give your pieces a good brush over with the wire brush and shape the eye pins into ear wires using a pen and a pair of pliers. At this point I like to use a cup burr to neaten up the prongs. I tend to use a blob of blue tack to hold my piece on a stone while I use the cup burr in my dremel so my fingers don't get too hot, then I pop them into the tumbler for an hour so they come out beautifully shiny and then carefully using my pliers I bend the prongs over the stones and they are finished!

Finished Earrings

You can also use the same technique (and a bit more patience) to make the following bracelet....

Summertime Challenge Piece

And now you are left to wear your wonderful holiday memories!

Etsy shop - Niky Sayers Artisan Jewellery

Enchanted by enamel - an earring tutorial

Sometimes my Muse takes me on a scavenger hunt. Dropping little clues in front of me until I piece it all together. This happened recently at Bead Fest spring - let me take you through the process.

It started with these delicious enameled discs by Anne L. of Gardanne Beads. She had posted them in her FB sales group and I loved them - but what to do with them? So at Bead Fest I go to see them in person...

enamel discs by Anne of Gardanne beads

In my travel jewelry tote - because OF COURSE you pack really cool stuff to wear when vending (or attending) a bead show - I had these earrings by Melissa Manley. I met Melissa as I took her classes at Art Bliss a few years back. We have been friends and kindred spirits since that night! (Note to self - do not stay up too late drinking wine with your new friend when you have to be hammering in her class the next morning...) I adore her sense of color, and use of translucent enamels.You may have seen her book, Jewelry Lab?  

Inspiration earrings by Melissa Manley

Hey - Muse lights the light bulb! THIS style earring construction with THOSE enamel discs. OK! And it suits me - I like the inside of the discs where there are subtle color variations. You could use these discs facing either way... hang on. I will show you what I did. Its simple and ingenious!

(Thanks Melissa!)

Materials: 

20 gauge sterling wire

torch/green scrubby/polishing pad

miscellaneous beads: spacers and gems

size 8 seed beads (matte black)

size 2 crimps/pliers

bur cup tool thingee

chasing hammer/bench block

marker

To engineer the earring.... 

1. Cut 6" lengths of wire. Ball the ends. Pickle and or polish as you normally do... 

2. Play with possible arrangements. I wanted to have a pop of interest inside the disc, but not take the attention away from the enamel. And not cover too much either...

Endless opportunities: (from top left) copper flower spacer, vintage Lucite flower, turquoise, hematite flat rondelle, sterling bead cap, copper and mother of pearl heist bead. 

I have a motley collection of leather bits and pieces - from Lindsay and other friends that work in leather. I love a little piece as a contrast, and a new texture. Now - using this amount at a time I have enough to last me a dozen life times...

Leather scraps

3. Decide on your combinations and thread them all together on your balled wire.

first batch ready to go

scraps of leather for a visual contrast

4. Slide on an 8 and a crimp, snug against the disc. Squeeze it flat with pliers. Hard. This secures your pieces against the head pin.

ingenious! 

5. Shape your ear wire. Hammer/ work harden the ear wire at the bend with your chasing hammer. Now your ear wire will maintain its shape during wear. 

6. Trim wire to desired length - leaving a bit long as the counter balance to the earring. Smooth wire end with bur cup so it will be gentle on you ear.

Form the ear wire shape. Get a manicure!

Now - my local gallery had been asking me for more enameled earrings... so this is very timely. These pretties are off to The Palette and the Page this week! Its a pleasure to work with such gorgeous components and I hope you find this informative and/or inspirational. Until next time...

Ready to deliver to the gallery

Spring Daisies - Simple Earring Tutorial

Spring officially arrived in the northern hemisphere last weekend so I'd thought I share this tutorial for my Daisy earrings as published in Belle Armoire - very quick and simple to make and perfect for adding a little spring fever to any outfit.

Materials
2 double drilled daisy connectors (Thea Elements - to order)

2 enamelled leaf charms ( Gardanne Beads )

4 brass tube beads ( Hands of the Hills )

16" waxed linen

Ear wires

Step 1
Cut an 8 inch length of waxed linen and pass it though the hole in an enamelled leaf charm. Bring the ends of the linen together and pass through a hole in the bronze daisy charm from front to back.

Step 2
Bring each end of the strand round to the front and then wrap the linen around itself a few times finishing at the front. Knot to secure.

Step 3
String a tube bead to each strand, knot and trim.

Step 4
Attach ear wire.

Step 5
Repeat steps 1 - 4 for the second earring.

And there you have your new earrings. You can of course substitute any similar components to create your own take on the design - the possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!