Hippie Things. . .and Abstract Stuff

Happy July. To those of you in the States, I hope you were able to enjoy a long weekend and are back to it relaxed and refreshed!

I think those of you that visit here know by now that I love Artisan Made Beads, all types. They inspire me! They challenge me! And they're simply beautiful art. Every once in a while though I need to challenge myself to create without them.

Well, a simple copper hoop is certainly not unique, and not very inspiring either. But it is a challenge; it's a challenge to do something with it that feels good and makes the hoop sing! 

So first I pulled out the torch and made the hoops. The beads I selected are Czech glass with an earthy Picasso finish. I love the way a jazzed up hoop feels, and the little ching ching you might hear when you turn your head. Each earring has six dangles with 3mm glass beads above and below. I initially planned to use tiny copper beads but when I weighed everything, they were heavier than I wanted. In the end, the small beads were a better choice. I added a half dozen small copper rings made of 16 gauge wire, placing one in between each dangle to add a bit of distance between them and one on each end. I find these simply refreshingly fun. 

"Hippie Hoops"

And now the abstract! This pair of copper earrings has plagued me with failed after failed attempt to do anything with them. I haven't even been able to simply let them be as they are, which is how I meant them to be! I have tried everything I could think of to hang them and it just wouldn't work. I soldered a small half hoop at the top, thinking surely that would be perfect but all that happened is the entire thing pointed nose down. I could not find a way to keep them in the position they were meant to be in, which is STRAIGHT! :) I tried cord, leather, wire in various places, and have put them aside every time without success. I was really determined this time. I made these; I should be able to control them.

Abstract

Again I soldered a "handle" at the top at what I thought would surely be the proper angle but it did not work. Cut that off, sanded it down again with a Dremel. After trying a couple of other things I went back to one that I thought had a bit more success than the others, which is two copper jump rings, the same 16 gauge I used above, placing one on each side of the "rays." Put the wire through the two rings and had the wires meet in the middle. Now I went on a hunt for an abstract bead because I knew what I was going to have to do to make this work. I settled on the two funky Tyvek Beads, made by Carol Ann of BombPop, which is currently on hiatus. The end result, I knew, was that I was going to have to angle the loop, and voila, it worked! I love them! And they have been a true labor of love.

Abstract

Thanks for visiting! We do appreciate all of you. We appreciate your comments, questions, and feedback! I'll be back on the 19th. The Awesome Ms. Nikki Zehler, creator of all things LoveRoot, will be here tomorrow. Enjoy it!

Norbel Marolla
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