Glass Headpin Challenge Blog Hop

Welcome to the next installment of my blog challenges! This blog hop was created to help challenge fellow jewelry designers by giving them a unique component, that they then put into a piece of jewelry. On the reveal day, we all show our finished pieces at our blogs!


This time around we were working with some lovely balled end Glass headpins from Gardanne Beads. These were particularly challenging because unlike regular headpins, the ends of the wire is balled.

I admit I took some extra time to think about these. I kept picking them up, rolling them around in my hands, and kept trying to come up with some funky and unique way to incorporate these into a finished piece. For awhile, I got nothin.  The balled end prevents you for adding beads onto the headpin unless the bead holes were big enough.  I had a few extras that Anne sent me to play with so I ended up using them all in one final necklace design.

 The basic idea of my design is that I spiraled the wire of the headpins with my round nose pliers and then opened links in the chain and attached the headpins so that the ball would hold them from falling through the chain. Then I added some extra pattern by doming out some vintage tin discs, and attached them to the chain between the headpin dangles.

 Here's a better photo of the headpins on the chain.



 I added another tin disc at the back and the small brass hook clasp slips around the tin "button" closure.


I like how it turned out! Pretty excited to see what the other participants did too. Be sure to hop through the list:

Lorelei Eurto (you are here)

Comments

  1. This is genius! I love it. The way you attached the headpins is brilliant and tin adds pretty pattern and color.

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  2. Ingenious use of the ball ends as stops with the chain! ~ this is very pretty with a great sense of fun too. And Ilove that sweet little button clasp!

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  3. Cool! I love that these headpins have forced us all to think outside the box. Very pretty and fun. Absolutely love the vintage tin too!

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  4. These ball end glass head pins are fantastic. I love what you did with them. So spring to me like the blossoms on shrubs and flowers waiting for just the right time to bloom.

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  5. Lovely piece. What a fun challenge.

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  6. Lorelei, this is such a sweet piece! I love how you attached the headpins to the chain. And those tin circles are such a great addition.

    Thanks so much for hosting this blog hop. I had a lot of fun!

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  7. I love the copper tendrils you created with the wire! It's a really fun piece!

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  8. Anonymous4/07/2012

    Lorelei - I love how you attached the headpins to the chain - so creative! I also like the color combination in this fun piece. Thanks again for hosting this challenge!

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  9. Lorelei,
    Your necklace is very pretty and looks very nice around your neck.
    Therese

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  10. I love it, such a cute idea!

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  11. I adore the way you used the headpins and the little copper swirls are wonderful. I love all the colors. It's just a beautiful necklace.

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  12. That's awesome! I love the way you used them and the curly bits add such a pretty look! I had so much fun participating, thank you so much!!

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  13. I was fun seeing what everyone did with their head pins. I enjoyed working on this, the head pins are all beautiful.
    ps. you have my name wrong on the list..thanks Cheri creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

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  14. Very clever design! I like how they look with your little tin pieces as well. Fun hop! I am enjoying all the great designs.
    Enjoy the day.
    Erin

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  15. Love the idea of suspending the headpins by using the ball through the opened/closed links. And, I absolutely love the vintage tins...kicks it up 20 notches more.

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  16. Brilliant way to use the headpins! The design is beautiful. Thanks for a great challenge.

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  17. That turned out beautifully -- the balled end would have confounded me.

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  18. This was such a cool challenge. It was so much fun to see how everyone used the headpins. All so different and all so successful!

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  19. Lorelei thanks for all your hard work putting this and other challenges together. I too love how you used the ability to open the chain as an attachment for the balled headpins. All the information a have received from the participants helps me so much in designing future components.

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  20. Great idea! Loved seeing everyone's creativity!
    Tracey

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  21. Love your necklace! Can't wait to get my hands on some of Gardanne's balled headpins.

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  22. That looks like such a fun necklace to wear this spring/summer. Love it.

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