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! :)

Every Story Needs an Introduction...

"At day's end" - Polymer clay pendant

The beginning is always the most exciting time but also one where doubts and worries are highest. It is not the best part of an story because that would be (at least for me) when you are attached to the other people involved. But it is the moment where everything may be possible and every moment still needs to be told.

Why do I start with this? Because for me creating jewelry or sculptures or other "things" always are about telling a story. This may just be an idea or an emotion, a memory or an inspiration. It is not that all my work hold this depth but all that have a meaning to me, that I really fall in love with, do. 

However, I am still astonished every time again that it is not only me that likes what comes out of my mind and hands. This is why I really felt so honored when I was asked if I want to be a part of Art Jewelry Elements. So do start with this story I'll take a moment to introduce myself...

Me in the reflection of the glass door at our balcony (Leipzig).

My partner (I will call him by his nick Rumpel) and I are living in Leipzig in Germany. If you are ever to visit Germany, you should come and visit (especially during summer time). Even if I originally come from Bremen, believe me, I just feel home here. Right now while I am writing this I can hear a concert from the park in front of our house (an old apartment house like most houses here around 100 years old or so?). It is the Leipzig Song Festival and people are singing and dancing in the park. They are relaxed around in this city. My family moved to Leipzig when I was still a teenager and I was a gothic (still am in my heart and when I go out). In all other cities in germany I would have been ignored or looked down in a quite suspicious way. Leipzig? An old lady came up in the supermarket and told me "My dear, what a lovely dress! Sadly I am too old to wear something like this!" 

 Tiny wee elephants with pink flowers because everyone needs and elephant... or two... - Ear studs

Why am I telling you this? After all this is an Art Jewelry Elements blog. But it shows who I am and that I was always drawn to the weird and to an aesthetic that is not always fitting to the mainstream. There is not THE gothic but there is a longing, a sensuality and sometimes a beautiful melancholy. I could let my defenses down and drown myself in music and dancing. I come from a loving family and we discuss and argue and appreciate each other. But I think this is true because of the ingrained painful and difficult times my grandparents, my parents (my mother as well as my stepmom), our friends and myself had. Sometimes I have to take a deep breath to realize how happy I am right now with Rumpel. You know, it is easy to forget in all the worries and fears of the day. This is not the right moment to tell all the uncounted stories but we had them, from addiction to cancer to attempted suicide. To create was always a way to understand the world around me and my own feelings. After my mother attempted suicide I was empty inside but started to paint for hours, the whole night without stopping in a frenzy. I painted myself without even knowing it but I had to. There was no other way to cope with the helplessness and pain.

"Silver Rain Drops" I love to recycle/upcycle old and found materials and this pendant is made from an tea tin box

To create keeps me sane. People smile when I tell them this not realizing I mean this literally. My head is full of ideas and thoughts, sometimes it may get a little loud there. I tend to worry too easily and too much. To work with my hands, to form a story in my mind and before me, this helps me to relax. My whole attention is focused on this moment- You'll find a part of me in all my work.

"Ancient Woods" A necklace combing my favorite colours as well as my love for handmade art beads!

I experiment a lot and love to try new materials and techniques. My day job is in research and being a scientist defines a lot of myself. Actually there are so many people in research I know that are creating next to their work. They sew, solder metal sculptures, cook and paint and are the reason why I believe that scientists and artists are quite similar, driven by the same desire to grow and the same curiosity to play. The downside is that I easily get bored too. So you'll see me jump from idea to idea just to come back to the first again after a while.

"Purple Wings" Made with some of my own etched copper wings and uglibeads from Julie Wong Sontag

You'll see beads and components made by me using metal, polymer clay, ceramic clay, resin, fabric, yarn, bones, shells, wood and whatever else I may find! Oh, and there is a childlike pure joy in me to take broken and old jewelry apart and sort all the single parts just to use them again in my own creations. I still can tell you where every single "bead" I have comes from, be it cheap glass beads, found objects, artisan components or old jewelry parts. If you ever see my chaotic and gigantic stash, you'll be impressed by that! But there is something special in ever piece because it has it's own story and I'll also remember what happened in my life at that time. It will add so much more to every piece I make.

"Urban Jungle" Made with connectors made by scorched earth that I actually won from Niky Sayers here last year! :)

I also thought it would be good to show you some example pieces of my work because an image can show you what I won't ever be able to tell. It was rather difficult to select examples (and I know there are still a lot but... but... I couldn't remove more, I am sorry!). In the first one you see the pendant to my necklace "At Days End". This is my most beloved piece with a deep meaning. I started to create it when the last of my cats (all brothers) was terminal ill. I had to come to a decision and she is the result of finding the strength to let him go. It is three years ago and I can smile seeing her, but still, writing these words, I start to cry. I didn't stop missing them, all of my three little ones. They were there in my darkest times when I had no words for the world to tell. 

Mixed media collage made on Formentera with limited holiday supply and magazine cut-outs

It was made with polymer clay as well a the tiny elephants with the pink flowers. The first ones I sculpted for friend with a love for elephants and pink  (she is a grown up and tough woman by the way). She now gets a pink advent calendar every year made by me. Sometimes with elephants...

I also chose some necklaces, one in my mixed style (even some old roman glass can be found) and one made with tin from an old tea box, long earrings, that are all about dangling as well as some with my beloved etched wings, and last but not least two mixed media pieces. All of them are me. 

Mixed media pieces with all the leftover items I could find - mostly polymer clay pieces gone wrong

Since I started very personal, I will also end on this note. This bunny sculpture is actually not made by me but by Rumpel. As I already said, an image tells more than words and maybe you'll get why he is so special to me. Next to this adventure here at AJE, Rumpel and I are getting married in october!

A bunny made from polymer clay by Rumpel (my partner) as a special present for a friend of ours

On this note I will also (finally) come to an end. What to expect from me? I love tutorials and weird things! I hope you are excited as me to see how this story may go on and I am so thankful for you to have me!

All the best from Leipzig,

Claire 

PS: You can find my blog at saraccino.blogspot.com and my shop at saraccino.etsy.com. All other details and links can you can find at the contributors page here on AJE!