This brings up my current crafting crisis–namely, I have too many crafts. Right now, my passion is painting, but I need to get ready for the Bash, so I have to do a lot of metalwork, which I also enjoy, which makes me want to make some jewelry, and it all spins ’round again. Also, I’m itching to torch some glass.

I know, boo hoo. I’m complaining that I have too many toys. Get a life, Lo.

The fun part about this bracelet is that it looks like it should fall apart, because of the open horseshoes, but if you make your twisted loops smaller than the flared ends of the links, it’s perfectly secure. Now, for the assembly.

1. Using the 24 gague silver wire, create a wrapped loop around the first horseshoe link. Test it to make sure that it will not slide off.

2. Thread one round bead, one lampworked bead, and one round bead onto the wire. Make another wrapped loop around the next link, orienting the link in the opposite direction from the first.

3. Continue as established until all the links and lampworked beads have been added. End with a bead link, attaching a handmade or storebought clasp. Attach the opposite side of the clasp to the first link. Et le voila, the completed bracelet:

Materials:
Sterling silver wire in 10, 18, and 24 gauges
10-12 mm transparent lampworked beads
2 mm silver-plated round beads
Roundnose pliers
Wire cutters
Chainnose pliers
Chasing hammer
Block
Files or sanding sticks

1. Cut 5 1.75″ lengths of 10 gauge silver wire. File the ends smooth.

2. Using your roundnose pliers, bend each piece into a horseshoe shape.

3. Using the flat side of the chasing hammer, flatten and spread the two ends of the horseshoe, then gently flatten the arch area. You want the ends of the horseshoe to be wide enough so that the wrapped loops we add later will hold the beads securely without sliding off. When you’re satisfied with the shape of the link, use the round side of the hammer to texture both sides.

4. File or sand away any nicks or roughness, then gently sand the whole link to bring out the texture.

5. The finished link. You could easily modify the project by creating heart-shaped links, ovals, squares, or any shape you can bend from the 10 gauge wire. Just make a prototype first to see how long a piece you need for each link, then proceed through the steps as shown.

As I’m trying to develop a distinctive style of my own, one thing I keep coming back to is the hammered silver shapes, including paddle pins.

This is my favorite set so far made in this style. The components are all handmade from 18-gague silver wire, using my chasing hammer, files, and bench block, and the stones are gray agate nuggets. They’re up for sale in my Etsy store.

I ended up selling only two pieces–but one of them was one of the most expensive necklaces on the table! Apparently, people want big stone pendants more than anything, which, I suppose, I already knew from looking at current fashion trends.

I also sold one pair of earrings to an adorable little girl who spent 10 minutes at the table carefully picking up and putting down the different earring cards until she made her choice. Her dad got fed up and gave her a wad of money, telling her to find him when she picked something. I like dads like that!

Tomorrow, August 8, I’ll be at 143rd and Wallingford Ave N. in Seattle from 9 AM to 2 PM, with a table of jewelry competing against the lamps, baseball caps and iced salad bowls. If you live nearby, or know anyone who lives nearby, or are related to anyone who has ever been to or heard about Seattle, stop on by!

Amethyst, peridot, pearls, new jade, rocailles, and a hand-hammered serpentine closure.

I’ll put this one up on Etsy as soon as I’m ready to open my shop, along with the matching earrings.

Can I just say how much I love the faceted amethyst rondelles in this piece? And I have a whole string of them. Now for some more purple jewelry designs.