Jewelry just for me

I spend most of my working day reviewing, editing, and proofreading jewelry- and craft-making instructions. Needless to say, I leave work with lots of ideas swirling around in my head. This week, I thought I would try do a few projects exactly as they were written. No matter what your skills may be, coming at a project from someone else's point of view can help you expand your skills and find some new tricks.

The first project I did was from Australian Beading and was designed by Kim Glass. I had never tried a garage-door spring before, but I'm pleased to add this technique to my wire-work repertoire. The entwined heart (the focal point of this bracelet) gave me a lot of trouble, but I think it was "operator error" -- no fault to the directions. I'm kind of attached to my quirky result, though. I used German Jewelry Wire to make this project, because I wasn't sure if I wanted to use up my stash of sterling silver.

The second project I did was these fantastically easy I-wish-I-thought-of-it-myself earrings. They're designed by Denise Peck of Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry. The first version has little gray pearls.

I love them so much I made a second pair, and this time I oxidized the silver (just a little) and used turquoise beads for a more casual look.

The final project I did was all mine:

and here's another view:

Here's hoping you have an artfully crafted weekend!