jewelry of the day (7 sept 2011): chutes and ladders earrings

[synecdochic]

chutes and ladders earrings
capiz shell (dyed/coated), hammered copper wire (treated)



Last Christmas, sarah's mom gave us a copy of The Complete Guide to Wire & Beaded Jewelry, which is pretty much exactly what it says on the lid. It's got a compendium of multiple wirework techniques, including hammering, and sarah was very inspired. (She likes working with wire a lot more than I do.)

The capiz shell teardrops were an impulse addition to our last major supply order, and were Sarah's pick. When they got here, she was fascinated by them, but couldn't quite figure out what she was going to do with them. I'm still not sure what the inspiration was that resulted in these, but she enjoyed the look so much that she made several other motifs in the same style of design! The one thing she grumbles about, when making a pair of earrings with this style, is the irritation of trying to get the two wire motifs identical.

The copper wire on these is treated with a coat of clear nailpolish so it won't pick up the patina of aging copper over time. If you notice the nailpolish cracking and flaking, you can either reapply it, or let it go and see what results!