Well I fell behind a little again, just two brooches so it was easy to catch up. I guess I went with fun and silly designs for these last two brooches. A little hollow form heart with an arrow passing through it. Love to mix my metals so I used brass and silver. I also love to make cages and putting beach stones or beach glass in them. However, this time I went with a little orange felt ball, it fits perfectly in the spiral wire cage.

I used the scatter pin for the heart brooch and went with a handmade fibula for the felt brooch.

Until next week, 20 down and 32  to go.........

Having a mother's day sale in my etsy shop, you can receive a 15% discount on any item available.

The sale starts today May 6, 2013 and ends Sunday May 12, 2013.

Just use the coupon code "bellamamma" at checkout.

Have fun shopping!!

LjBjewelry

Well it is that time of month again, sorry for missing last month. The topic for May is, "Show off your latest creation". Well I have many that I have been working on. Mostly I have been trying to create some more elaborate pieces. I have been trying to push myself to the next level, however I don't know if I am there yet. Sometimes it is easy to stay in your own comfort zone and make things that are within your ability, but you also need to put yourself out there too. Trying different things and techniques helps you learn new things and each time my comfort zone gets a little bigger.

My first elaborate piece is a cuff with this wonderful ocean jasper. The cabochon has a shape that was difficult for me to set and the corners are lower in height than the sides. In the end and after much fussing over the bezel I like how it came out.

Soldering the "S" shaped wires inside the cuff wires was another challenge. I used binding wire to hold everything together while I was soldering. While I am working on pieces like this, sometimes I ask myself, what possessed me to make this?, but in the end when I realize how much I love the piece  it is sooooo worth it.

My next pieces are two necklaces one with a matra mountain cabochon and the other with an
old ammonite fossil.

For the fossil the difficulty for me was in how to set the stone. It was an odd shape, it did not sit evenly and I wanted a setting to go well with the stone.
For a very long time I would take it out and look at to try and figure out what would work best. Then I would just put it back and start on something else. Finally the idea of part bezel and part prongs came to mind and I thought this would be the best way to go. This way you can really see the fossil and it is not hidden under a bezel.

For the matra mountain cabochon I made a simple setting and handmade this chain necklace. At first I though it would be easy, but assembling those links one by one is fussy fussy fussy. However I already want to make another one with a different stone, I would also love to make a bracelet with this chain.

One of my favorite pieces so far is the royston ribbon turquoise bracelet. I love that it is big and chunky. I have been wanting to make a piece with the loop and loop weave, but have always put it off because I though it would be too fussy. However, lately the more fussy it is the better it is, at least for me, I think it is the challenge that sucks me in and I can't stop until it is done.

As you can see I have been busy. I don't know if this urgent inner need to make elaborate  pieces is good or not, but it sure satisfies my creative itch lately. Check out what other etsy metal members have been working on lately, I am sure it is all just fabulous!!.

2Roses

Lou Hunter

Inbar Bareket

Well, I fell behind a little in my brooches, too many different things going on at once. A giveaway, making new pieces, filling orders, everyday life, dogs, house, etc, etc. Now,  however I am all caught up and also ahead of the game. This week, brooch number 17 is due, I  also made brooch number 18  for the following week. However, I assure you it is not because I am super fast, I just got confused and made one extra.  At least now I can concentrate on some new ideas I have flowing around my brain. Anyway here is brooch number 14, "Forbidden Fruit". I made this one on time just couldn't find the time to post it in my blog, sorry.

I sweat soldered the pieces together and added the silver balls for the forbidden fruit.  For the other brooches, 15, 16, 17, and 18  I made a photo of them together.

I guess I was in circle phase.  I used mostly recycled silver and copper pieces to create these pieces. I always love to try and figure out what I can make with all the various pieces of metal left over from previous creations. Just love the challenge. After I took this group photo I wanted to see all the brooches together. I felt as if I was taking a family photo portrait.

Here is the brooch family as of today, one is missing because I sold it to a lovely lady. 18 brooches done and 34 more to go!!!, will I make it? who knows, I will certainly try my best.

And we have two winners! 

Louise Turner will receive the lovely ocean jasper pendant and Sharie Devault will receive the funky little blue chalcedony pendant. 

I just want to thank everyone who took the time out of their busy lives to participate in the giveaway. I had a lot of fun and will most definitely organize other giveaways in the future. So don't worry there will be other chances.

thanks again everyone and have a great Sunday!!!!

Spring is here so I thought it would be fun to do another giveaway. This time I am giving away two necklaces. The first winner will receive the sterling silver oval pendant with an ocean jasper cabochon. The second winner will receive the funky little sterling silver pendant with the blue chalcedony cabochon. Each pendant comes with a black rubber cord necklace.

Now the question, How do you participate in the giveaway? Well that is easy, SPREAD THE WORD!! Share this blog post on your social networks, facebook, twitter, your own blog, etc, then leave a comment on this blog post letting me know how you shared the giveaway.

Would you like to increase your chances in winning? Your name will be entered twice by heading on over to my facebook page LjBjewelry,  you can either leave a comment on one of your favorite pieces by LjB or like my page.

The giveaway begins today April 8, 2013 and ends Sunday April 14, 2013 at 12:00 pm my time, that would be here in Italy. I will announce the winners on my blog and facebook page on Sunday.

Remember to spread the word!! Join in on the fun!!

For this week I had two challenges, the Brooch a Week challenge and the Etsy Metal Monthly Theme Challenge. Therefore I decided to make a brooch that was also for the theme challenge. Once a month Etsy Metal does theme challenges and any team member can participate, this months theme was "Tell a Story". I decided to make a brooch that also told  a little story. I have mentioned before that I have been doing metal smith just for a couple of years now and this new journey I am on has helped me grow as a metal smith but also as a person in many ways. I believe that you are never to old to learn something new or start down a new path, there is always room to grow.

I felt that nature was the best way to represent how I feel, it is always growing and changing. I used my jewelry saw to cut out the little sprout which grows a little bit on each silver disc and then blooms into a flower.

I used some half domed wire to solder the discs together in a row and a tube for the pin wire.  I will let you in on a secret, first time around I soldered the discs in the wrong order, ha ha. Sometimes things just happen but fortunately they can be fixed. I like how the double pin came out, I think I will most definitely use this style pin again. Ciao until next week, I can't believe we are already at brooch 14!!!!  time goes by so fast!!!!