Tag Archives: Necklace

Rings and Things

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More adventures in metalsmithing going on the past few weeks. Check this out:

Style Alter Brass Rings

Style Alter Brass Pendant and Rings

I made that stuff!

My favorite of all the things I made so far is the faceted ring.

Style Alter Brass Faceted Ring

To make it, I first had to carve a ring out of wax (literally, like whittled away at it until it was the shape I wanted). The wax carving is used to make a mold, and that mold is used to make a metal ring. That’s the short story. The long version involves kilns and blow torches and centrifugal force and it’s all so COOL. You have to heat little bits of metal with a blow torch until it becomes fluid, and then force the molten metal into your mold using this contraption that spins it around really fast. The process is called casting. We’ve done it once so far and my teacher told us it would be an adrenaline rush, and it is. Because you’re really relying on physics (or for us non-physicists, COMPLETE BLIND FAITH) to keep this molten metal from flying up at your face.

Here is the ring I carved out of blue wax:

Style Alter Wax Ring

And here it is after being casted in bronze:

Style Alter Brass Faceted RingStyle Alter Brass Faceted RingStyle Alter Brass Faceted Ring

Pretty!

Some of the facets are smooth, others have a rough, filed texture. I love it because it looks like a big, chunky gemstone.

Style Alter Brass Faceted RingStyle Alter Brass Faceted Ring

Here it is stacked with another ring I made with the wax and casting process. The triangle piece on my ring finger is a simple guy I made when we were first learning to solder (fusing metal together with heat).

Style Alter Brass Rings

PS, my nail polish is OPI Glitzerland and Essie Splash of Grenadine. This diagonal business is easier to do than it looks. If you’re confident/lazy, just freehand it. It’s not as that hard, really. Unless you are a perfectionist, and then it will drive you crazy. In which case, use tape like in the Scotch tape nail tutorial.

Lastly, a pendant I made out of brass. Actually I made two, a small and a large. It’s hammered and rough and has a worn look to it that I really like.

Style Alter Brass Pendant

Style Alter Brass Pendant

Style Alter Brass Pendant

Style Alter Brass Pendant

Solder on,

P.S. I’m a Jewelry Designer Now

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I’ve been talking about wanting to take a jewelry class forrrevvvverrrr now (as some of you know) because I have all of these vision of jewelry designs that need to exist in reality and not just my head. So after my sewing class ended, it was time to get serious. I enrolled in a metalsmithing class and a wax and casting class at Lillstreet Art Center–which started last night! Our first task in becoming metalsmithers was to create a simple pendant out of brass or copper. What I love about this class already is that right off the bat, we were allowed to create our own designs. It’s not as if we all created the same pendant–we were told to sketch out whatever we wanted and go for it.

Here’s what I made:

Style Alter Illinois State Necklace

It’s the state of Illinois! And, if you look closely–a message for my fellow Illini fans.

I actually created two, but I want to go back over the larger copper piece and physically cut out a little letter “I” to mark where Champaign, IL is.

To make this piece, I started by sketching the design on paper. I knew right away that I wanted to do the state of Illinois, so I looked up a map on my phone and drew it out. I am not taking credit for the concept of a state necklace–the idea came from a something I’d seen before. There are many versions out there, but I like to think my little “I-L-L” brings some originality to the table.

I sawed out the design, filed it smooth, drilled a hole for a jump ring and connected it to a chain.

My teacher said to make sure we keep our first pieces, because she likes for us look at them at the end of the program and see how far we’ve come. So what you’re saying is, I should be embarrassed of this? Because I might never take it off. Then again, I love absolutely anything with a U of I connotation. I kind of owe everything to this school: my career, my friends, my husband for crying out loud.

In front of Foellinger Auditorim, my favorite picture from the engagement photos we took in Champaign after Todd hired a photographer off Craiglist for a grand total of $50.

For my first attempt, I’m pretty much in love with this necklace. Maybe I’ll design an entire U of I collection. Who wants a KAM’S necklace?

DIY Neon Jewelry

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Neon makes me happy. It’s just so fun and cheerful and brings back good nostalgia. I love how this trend (which was big on the Spring 2012 runways) is finding its way into fashion, home decor, beauty, everywhere. Just a small pop looks great, especially when combined with neutrals.

1. Sorakeem 2. A Pair & A Spare 3. Apartment Therapy

So in an attempt to lift the winter blues by burning my retinas with color, I attempted a little DIY project inspired by A Pair & A Spare. I’ve had these white earrings for more than a few years and I’ve only found the right occasion to wear them a handful of times. They’re just so white.

I also had this necklace that was screaming for color:

To start, I bought some spray paint while I was out in the burbs. Tip: Don’t buy spray paint at craft stores. They sell the same stuff for half the price at Menards and Home Depot, plus they have a way bigger selection.

Another tip: You really need to spray outdoors unless you want to feel like you’re dying a slow death.This is definitely a better summer project unless like me, you like sticking one arm outside to spray and then closing the door really fast.

For the earrings, I decided to spray the top half gold and the bottom half hot pink. I used painters tape to cover the bottom portion of the earrings as well as the hook part that goes in the ear. The gold paint went on perfectly in one coat. After it dried, I sprayed the bottom half in hot pink, which took a couple of layers.

For the necklace, I wanted to just do the bottom portion in neon yellow. Since these links were black, I had to start with primer, followed by multiple layers of yellow. Many, many layers of yellow. This project really tested my patience and I landed up working on it on and off all week.

The painters tape wasn’t very useful and I had to carefully go back and touch up the ends. I used this stuff called “Goof Off” which is like Goo Gone but way stronger because it also removes paint. Have it handy if you attempt a project like this. Or better yet, just spray the entire necklace and you won’t have to worry about it.

The final result:

 

I loved this project because I took something I probably wasn’t going to wear again and turned it into something I’m excited to put on.

Who wants to go cosmic bowling?