Gold Chain from Fusion Beads Part I
This month the Fusion Beads Blogging team is working with chain! I received 5 different styles of gold plated steel chain and started working with it last night. I only got 2 pieces done before I had to jet to watch The Voice. Priorities!! :) SO I am breaking up my posts into parts and this is the first part. Later this week I'll work with the small cable chain, large cable chain, large ball chain, and twisted helix chain.
Last night I designed with this Double link cable chain. It's a beautiful textured chain, and isn't too bulky, so I used it in a bracelet and necklace design.
This first bracelet features a ceramic bracelet link from Karen Totten. I wire wrapped some gold plated wire and attached 2 strands of chain at each wired loop. On the ends of the chain, I attached 2 medium sized gold brass spring form clasps. The clasps attach to the wire loop on the other side of the bracelet bar.
It's a simple piece, and I contemplated adding some dangles but I kind of like it simple and elegant. I love the look of the blue glaze with the gold chain.
Next I created an asymmetrical mixed media necklace design using some of the same double link chain. I mixed in some pale pink silk to add some softness to the necklace. The layered pendants are from SlateStudioSupply, and Lilly Pilly Design. I wire wrapped them on gold wire, and dangled them from a wire wrapped polymer focal from Artybecca. Up the right side I wire wrapped a faceted green Nephrite jade, and a pink ceramic ring from Elaine Ray with some faceted rounds of Prehnite. I like the organic flower shapes repeated in the pendants, and wanted to give the necklace a modern and organic feel to it to match.
Stay tuned later this week for more gold chain designs!
The materials above were provided as part of the FusionBeads blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.
Great design with the chain. Your combination of materials worked perfectly
ReplyDeleteNicole/Beadwright
Interesting :-)
ReplyDeleteGosh I find gold being so difficult myself, you got a tough challenge there. I like the necklace a lot, the gold works with the other colors and textures and creates a nice summery feel where the gold sort of works like the sunshine in a flower garden. Very nice!
What I find difficult with gold is maybe not the color itself, but the shiny-ness on most gold-plated products. But you have used it to your advantage. I think you might be setting a new trend ;-). Looking forward to see your other pieces later.
I myself got 5 chains of brass to work with, and have finished two pieces already. I will blog about them later today or tomorrow, and then just like you later about what I will make with the other chains.
All my best,
Malin
Oh, forgot to say - I love the green pendant from Slate Studio Supply. Wonderful rich color. Beautifully combined with the LillyPilly pendant.
ReplyDeleteNow, that necklace is really growing on me, the more I look at it the more I like it. I'm intrigued :-).
I love the bracelet especially. Like Malin, I would find shiny gold hard to work with - I like it antiqued but I don't think I could cope with the shininess either! But it really works here. You're right about the blue glaze and the gold, they compliment each other really well.
ReplyDeleteOn the fancifuldevices blog, Marina has discussed using a technique where you put a small amount of black acrylic paint in some water, and dipping brightly-finished metal (including chain) in it. I tried a sample piece of silverplate chain, and it seemed to work well, but I don't know about the wearability. It didn't change the color of the chain much - it just seemed to make it slightly less shiny. Has anybody tried this, and if so, what was your experience? I used about a tablespoon of paint to about a cup of water.
ReplyDelete