Versatile Valentine: Abstract Spiral Heart Pendant Tutorial

This simple design for an abstract wire heart pendant frame is so versatile  and fun!  Here's what you need to begin:

From Prima Bead:
16g wire
Flush cutter
Needle-nosed pliers
Round-nosed pliers
Nylon jaw pliers

From your local hardware store:
Two 6" lengths of 3/4" wooden dowels (or 2 large sharpie markers)
Duct tape or packing tape

Step 1:  Cut a 12" length of 16g wire. at approximately 5 1/2", bend wire so that both sides of wire are together.  Make sure the bend is completely together, using your nylon-jaw pliers if you need to squeeze them together.

Step 2:  Using duct tape or packing tape, tape the two dowels together, leaving a small space between the dowels so the wire can get through.  Set the doubled-over wire in between the dowels, bend-end first, making sure the bend fits through the dowels and bend each side of the wire over the dowels (see picture).  This will form the top of the heart.

Step 3:  Starting with the short end of wire, start a spiral using your round-nosed pliers.

Step 4:  Continue to spiral the wire using your nylon-jawed pliers until it fits snugly into the top of the heart.

Step 5:  Approximately 3 1/2" from the bottom of the non-spiraled wire, bend the wire into a "V" shape - this will create the bottom of the heart.  Start a spiral with this end of the wire in the direction of the "V".

Step 6:  Continue to spiral the wire using your nylon-jawed pliers until it fits snugly into the "V".

Voila!  You're finished!  Just add a jump ring to the non-spiraled side of the heart and hang it on your favorite chain or cord!  You can also try adding beads or more wire to the frame, using a heavier gauge wire, hammering the wire for texture, heating the wire for color, or anything else you can think of!

Have fun, and let me know if you try this technique - I'd love to see your designs!

Sweet Heart Painting Tutorial

Wanting to do a sweet project for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day?  Here's one for you to try:

What you will need:

8" x 8" canvas
acrylic paint (I used a mossy green, antique brown, red, white, light pink and light purple)
"Love" definition stamp
decorative background stamp (this is the closest I could find to mine)
Archival Ink stamp pad -black
black Gelatos crayon
pencil
sandpaper
paintbrushes


Step 1:  Paint the whole canvas in the moss green color and allow to dry completely.  Using sandpaper, sand the whole canvas so the texture of the canvas comes through.  Pay particular attention to the center and edges of the canvas.

Step 2:  Using your pencil, draw a heart onto the canvas and fill it in with the red paint.  Allow a bit of the canvas texture to show through the paint, and paint heavier in some places than in others.

Step 3:  Paint over the red paint with the light pink paint, using a very dry brush.  You can achieve this by loading up your brush with the pink paint and then blotting it on a paper towel before you paint over the red paint.  Let some of the red show through and let your brush strokes show.  This adds texture to the overall piece.

Step 4:  Using the light purple paint, use the same dry brush technique to lightly add some highlights to the edges of the heart, leaving the center of the heart pink.  You can also add some white highlights to the center of the heart, following the lines of the heart shape.

Step 5:  Finish the piece by stamping the "Love" definition off-center in the heart, stamping the decorative background stamp in the corners and using the gelato crayon with water around the outline of the heart and on the edges of the painting.  Using your fingers, you can add some of the antique brown paint sparingly around the edges, making sure to blend it into the design.  You can also add a bit of the white paint around the outside of the heart outline to further highlight the design.

Here's another variation of the painting using a different color palette:

Have fun with this project.  Use my directions as a guideline and add your personality to your painting.  If you do try this project, I would love to see it, so leave me a link in the comments!

Have fun!

Love...

Happy Heart Day

One More Romantic Jewelry Post...

Just a quick post to show you the newest of my Valentine-esque jewelry:

"Hearts and Pearls "

This set is made from more of Artbeads.com's fabulous copper heart beads, paired with blue and white potato pearls.  The copper has been patinaed to an amazing red/pink shade and sealed to protect the finish.

I love the contrast between the organic copper and the elegant silvers, blues and whites of the pearls.

This set is really different from most jewelry that I design, and I love how it turned out: feminine with an edge.

If you like it too, you can find it for sale in my Etsy shop!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I have received the following product(s) free of charge from Artbeads.com and I am honestly reviewing it/them. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the product(s) received: Large Copper Bumpy Heart.

Romantic Enamel and Copper Jewelry Set

"Romance and Copper" 

My newest jewelry set, "Romance & Copper", is one of my favorites so far!  Combining enameled pieces with vintage cotton pearls, vintage glass beads, lovely copper beads and sweet Czech baby bell flower beads, this set brings together all of my favorite materials.

You can find this set for sale right now in my Etsy store.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Simply Sweet Heart Necklace For Valentine’s Day

"Simply Sweet Heart"

 For another Valentine’s Day necklace I just finished, I wanted to create a simple and casual piece, and the Large Copper Art Deco Heart Pendant from Artbeads.com fit the bill. 

 Large Copper Art Deco Heart Pendant

With its beautiful craftsmanship and significant size (height 46mm, width 45mm), it definitely needed to be the center of attention in this piece, without distraction from a complicated chain.

 

With 'simple' being the operative word, I made this chain from small, handmade coiled copper wire links and green and brown glass beads that set off the rustic copper tones in the focal heart, closing with a handmade copper clasp.

For more beautiful Valentine's Day inspiration, check out Artbeads.com's Valentine's Day beads & findings, and if you would like to see more of my Valentine’s Day jewelry, I am selling this piece and others in my Etsy shop. 

Necessary Legal Stuff: I have received the following product(s) free of charge from Artbeads and I am honestly reviewing it/them. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the product(s) received: Copper Large Art Deco Heart Pendant.

A Valentine’s Day Twist

Lately I have felt compelled to push myself to improve my wire working skills, with inspiration coming from the beautiful artwork of artists like Cindy Wimmer and Connie Fox.  When my hubby & I were up in Prescott, AZ over New Year’s, I saw a “Coiling Gizmo”, and picked it up.

As I was laying out the design for one of my Valentine’s Day necklaces for Artbeads.com’s Blog for Beaders blogging team, I decided to pull out my new gizmo & incorporate coiled links into one of the pieces.   So without further ado, here is my newest piece featuring beautiful beads from Artbeads.com:



The Black, White, and Pink Kalera Bead focal is a stunning piece of art on its own, and it set the color palate for the rest of the necklace.




To compliment the pink, black and white in the focal bead, I incorporated vintage Pink and Black Striped Round Beads, vintage Jet Four-Sided Oval Beads, Pink Czech Glass Fire-Polished Roundelles, pink Porphyr Czech Fire Polished Beads, and some black and white scrolled beads with some black, white and pink lampwork beads I had in my own bead stash (you can find similar styles in Artbeads.com’s Lampwork Bead section).  I also added some handmade charms made from Metallite 5mm Antique Silver Heart with Granulations and Czech pressed glass tiny bell flowers randomly hanging on the chain.

The overall design is whimsical and very feminine, and this piece of jewelry can be worn all year long.
I am working on more Valentine designs, so check back soon!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I have received the following products free of charge from Artbeads and I am honestly reviewing them. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received: Metallite 5mm Antique Silver Heart with Granulations, Vintage Pink and Black Striped Round Beads, Vintage Jet Four-Sided Oval Beads, Black, White, and Pink Kalera Bead.