Aloha!

Welcome to my blog. Hope you will learn a little and laugh a lot.

Mahalo,
Joann

Sunday, January 30, 2011

J & J Design Inspiration: Aloha!

J & J Design Inspiration: Aloha!: "I promised a photo of the gown I made for my granddaughter and here it is. I had to wait for my daughter to send the photo and then scan it ..."

Aloha!

I promised a photo of the gown I made for my granddaughter and here it is. I had to wait for my daughter to send the photo and then scan it in order to post it.






I realize it's a bit long. Not a bad fit for being over 5,000 miles away though! Plus she was bare footed for the play. If you remember she was in A Midsummer's Night Dream. I hope to give her sewing lessons when I visit.

Here's the bride gown for my other grandkid. It was a Halloween costume. No that's not an orange purse, hehe.

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Now, for my recent jewelry creations:




With Valentine's Day in mind, I used red crystals paired with gray Swarovski pearls for these earrings. They  dangle from gold-filled ear wires. To keep the cost down I used Beadalon German wire. This is the first time I have used this product.



Beadalon German wire has copper and brass core with an anti-tarnish coating. I used the gold color with these designs. It looks pretty good in the finished design. I found working with it very easy. It is a bit soft and doesn't work harden very well. I tapped it with my nylon hammer and it became a bit harder. 

I would like to hear from anyone out there if they use this in their designs. I have used the 7/19/49 strand wire with crimp beads. Does anyone have any opinions about the German wire? If so I would love to hear from you.

This is a wrapped loop bracelet and earrings made with the wire.

 



Dangle earrings



Hoops   


My husband and I made a light box to photograph our jewelry. I will post more about that challenge next time!

Mahalo!
Jozee

Monday, January 3, 2011

January Contest - Give Away!

Do you ever intend to do something and once you start you realize it is taking a path of its own? That happens to me all the time. I sit at my workbench in my studio with everything before me to make something. Then it happens. I don't make what I had intended to make. It changes.

Sometimes I feel the design creates itself. It's as if the crystals, pearls, and stones speak to me. I don't know any other way to explain it. The design I had intended is changed and reworked. I have always been intuitive. Once would think that would help with jewelry design.

To enter J&J Designs' January Give-Away you must leave a comment about your inspiration, your muse, or your design process. John tells me all the time I'm his muse. No darling, you can not enter the contest.

The winner of this month's contest will receive one of my best selling Steampunk tile pendants:


We will post the winner in February.

Mahalo!
Jozee

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday! Is everyone ready for the New Year? Does anyone have resolutions to share? I want to find balance in my life. I will work on that everyday. That means I must schedule "me time". My caring, nurturing, instinct goes wacky and I tend to neglect myself. Anyone have that problem?

I promised pictures of my latest creations. Here are the bangle bracelets that I made in soldering class. We also drilled the holes in the beads bigger so they move around the bangle.


One has a huge faceted quartz bead and for the other I chose two smaller jade beads. The photo came out kinda funny but it isn't easy photographing jewelry! My hubby plans to build a light box for me to use.

Here is another bracelet I made in fusing class a while back. It has an apatite bead. I wear it a lot so I didn't want a bunch of beads hanging from it.


The linked bracelet is fine silver. You can not fuse with sterling. I like fusing as it is easier than soldering. I plan to practice soldering so that I can become more familiar with working with sterling. John and I plan on taking a workshop in June. I will let you know more about it in another post.

The wifey has finally given me something to sell. He has been busy with other projects (my Christmas gift). Here, by popular demand, what you have all been waiting for; ta da, earrings by John:



I like the blue and copper together. 

Aloha! Hope to hear from you.