Steampunky Commission

Not much from me the past 2 weeks. I'm really sorry about that. I feel kind of tapped out creatively. :-\ Need to recharge the batteries, I suppose.

Did manage to snag a commission from a friend for Valentine's day. The request? Gears, chain, and an owl. Hope they like it!

Steampunk Princess: Filigree Bracelet

Here is a bracelet to match the Mechanical Butterfly necklace I did a little while ago.

I'm not sure if you could consider the style I'm using here "steampunk." Would people who love and cherish this style be offended that I call this "steampunk?" I think that the combination of the elegant filgrees and sparkly Chinese crystals with chain and dark copper pieces makes it steampunky, but I'm not sure. I see what other designers are creating and get inspired to make things like that but with my own twist. And this bracelet, like the necklace, came to me by looking at the book "Steampunk-Style Jewelry," by Jean Campbell.

Here's a close up of the filigree piece! A little coiled wire makes me think of a machine... just like the butterfly in my necklace design.

I'm hoping someone likes the bracelet. This piece will be up on Etsy sometime this weekend. I'm excited :)

Steampunk Princess: Mechanical Butterfly

I finished it! *dances* Last night, with 10 minutes to go before I was supposed to be getting ready for date night, I finished the necklace I started next week (and even made some earrings... because that's only the right thing to do :P ).

Like I said in one of my previous posts, this necklace was inspired by a bracelet design featured in a book called "Steampunk-Style Jewelry". Mostly, I used the idea of coiled wire helping filigree pieces look like cogs or mechanical parts, which you can see in the focal of my necklace. The book had the coiled wire a bit tighter but I couldn't get the wire to stay tight. I'll admit, I didn't read the directions... I was on lunch and just flipped through the book. But I think I like the way the coils look like springs. It works for me.

The focal is pretty much the only part I kept the same from the original design of the necklace. I originally was going to have the pretty green Magatama drop beads strung on hemp, but it proved too much of a pain to find six beads that would fit over the cord. I decided to just do four whole strands of the pretty bead and I rather like it. It think it works out better and looks prettier. Kind of liquidy with their shininess.

Another part that changed was the chain. I originally had the chains be equal length. But that looked a bit boring and unbalanced with the boldness of the green Magatama beads. Also, the necklace was a bit long... so I shortened a piece of chain on each side and then hung the other two off the shortened pieces so the chain scalloped. It gives it a sort of elegance that I think it was missing. To the chain, I also added a few of the Chinese glass beads I have on the focal. I thought it brought a bit more green to the piece.

The earrings I made from two more copper connectors and the bit of scrap chain I snipped off the necklace. Added some of the green beads (both the Chinese glass and Magatama beads) and I think it matches the necklace nicely.

I wore the necklace and earrings on date night. And they made me feel so pretty... which I think is important to a piece of jewelry. I originally thought I would sell these pieces, but I just can't bring myself to part with them. I will just have to make a sister necklace.

My boyfriend thinks I should add some of the Magatama beads to the chain or maybe the focal. I might try that. They're such pretty beads. I'd also like to try making a matching bracelet. Hmm... maybe that's how I'll spend my day off today...

Happy Friday, everyone!

WIP- Mechanical Butterfly

While my boyfriend and friends go out to watch my friend's band's first performance, I am sick in bed! I had to call out because I was feverish and now, though the fever is gone, I feel very weak.

I wanted to finish this necklace yesterday but was so busy with work. I thought, when I went to bed last night, I could finish it today, but woke up sick! How unfair. Haha.

The idea for this "mechanical butterfly" sprang from a project I read of in a book at work called "Steampunk-Style Jewelry." In it, there's a project where coiled wire, when sandwiched between two filigree pieces, look like cogs! I thought "Wow. I want to have a go at that..." And I'd seen these butterfly pieces probably the day before at my bead store. Sooo... after the project sat in my brain, growing, for about a week, I went to the bead store on Thursday and asked them for my first bit of freshly cut wire and chain just for this necklace (I'm a bit shy and barely talk to the lovely ladies who run the store and though I've wanted to try my hand at making my own ear wires, I haven't had the courage to ask them to cut me some wire. Something must be wrong with me, no? Hahaha) along with those butterflies I'd seen but didn't buy.

To me, the color that copper turns when it oxidizes is beautiful. And I thought that the two Chinese glass beads that sit atop the face of the butterfly pendant are the perfect color. I added some shiny copper chain to contrast the aged copper of the butterfly (and, in all honesty, to give something for the loops that hold the glass beads in place something to hold... :D).

The necklace is almost done. Here is a close up of the chain. Its also aged copper and hangs off of a connector that holds hemp cord with green Magatma drop beads. I felt like the cord and Magatama beads would add an organic feel to the necklace. That's the part that I need to finish- add the cord to the other connector, cord tips, and a clasp.

On a side note, I love the chain that I found at my bead store. Its hammered half-way through each link. I don't know why, but it made me feel like it was a perfect match to this necklace. It was a wonderful feeling when I saw this chain.

Hopefully I can finish this necklace soon. I don't like having something so close to being done but am just unable to finish it.

My head is spinning slightly so I think it's time to rest my eyes for a bit. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!