Venturing onto unknown field. Soldering beads and Head Pins Part I

I have always wanted to make something of my own (beads, chains, shape copper sheets...) that I can include on my finished handmade jewelry. 

Of course just wanting to make something doesn't mean you can! 

A few years ago (about 4-5 years), I bought 3 tutorials and 2 of them were about soldering tins and copper sheet. I painstakingly studied them.  I bought and even ordered some of the supplies that were needed. 

But for some reason there was always something missing, something else that needed to be ordered from the other side of the Atlantic!

I could have started it anyway, but something else kept holding me back and now 5 years have passed.  

I think, I was scared that I would not succeed so I let the little voice inside my head win that party! 

I could no longer accept it. So lately, by meeting some people who motivated me, I tried several things.  I finally tried the soldering and I will tell ya...I am so happy I did because the result is not bad at all.  Especially for my first time! 

I am selling what I made for others to use into their projects.

I will also start slowly to sell some of my other stuffs, because I am dealing with some health issues. It is becoming hard for me to work on my jewelry, and when I do, I am so much in pain.  So as a result, my small business is suffering and I can't spend as much time on it. 

So, if you need something here or any of my other beads,  please let me know! 

Czech glass and vintage glass beads tranform into head pins for your pleasure.

Here are Ocean Jasper Pendant and earrings, Antique green kyanite and moss agate gemstone Earring

that I soldered to be used as they are, or on your own creative way.

Rhodocrotie drop and crab agate, I turned into headpins

Raw Citrine crystals included with Goethite boughs and Amethyst gemstone soldered into headpins.

It was a long painful process due to my condition but I enjoyed making them with love and care!

I have protected each of the items that I made with renaissance wax so that it will be more durable and protected from the elements.  

Like always, thank you so much for stopping by.  

Merci beaucoup 

AJE August Design Challenge - Art Headpins. Reveal day!

If you know my work, then you will know that this challenge is for me!!! :)
I haven't been on electronic devices for quite sometime now. And all my work has been in slow motion since then, especially my poor blog, which is my main way with Instagram to connect with other designers.
Last week, I was checking my blog when I came accross this challenge and it was like a "Calling" for me to get caught up with other designers!
The purpose is to create your own Art headpins component or use Art headpins in a finished piece of jewelry. 
I am a crazy lover of headpins and over the past years, I hoarded plenty of them. But like most beadalcoholics, I can't have ENOUGH headpins.
I even tried to make my own headpins with polymer clay, it wasn't a big success but they said "Practice makes perfect" so I will give it another try.
I used different styles and various headpins, from ceramic, polymer clay, paper to glass, all from very talented bead Artists.

Uche

When I first saw these headpins, I knew I must have them!

I really love the combo of the boro lampwork and gemstone.

Ifeanyi

This asymmetrical pair of earrings, evoke what is left of the encounter between the ocean and volcano, slag melting of the material, etc...

Organically shaped, these twisty headpins are adorned with vintage coconut roundelle beads, organic black tektite, handmade mismatched ancient looking ceramic bead with hole,tumbled lava beads all dangling from handmade rustic Kazuri sterling silver finding.

Here is a glance of my own headpins. I painted some of them with Swellegant paint, acrylic paint and some are not painted.

Efe

I used the headpin's wire to shape the earrings on which I strung tiny seed beads and Rainbow Mystic Pyrite nugget beads. I finished them by wire wrapping with flattened antique copper wire to give them a more rustic look.

Ife

Beautiful combo of red artisan ceramic bud headpins with a unique organic pattern, adorned with handmade lampwork and red agate gemstone all dangled from artisan made antique copper finding.

This mismatch was not intended!

 By trying again and again to make it perfect, I broke the wire ( that happens sometimes when you work again and again with wire) I left it this way because I did not want to do some additional unintended things. I finally like them this way!

Bantu Efua

I made these gorgeous pair of earrings with dark charcoal  glass headpins which have a highly rough texture with very little bits of shine on them with tiny silver specks. I like how the brass caps topped with lava beads balanced so well together to make them so elegant.

 A year ago, I used the same caps in one of my earring designs and the result here is completly different!

Ifem

I started with the flattened headpins that I made with dark annealed steel wire.  I told you, I am a crazy lover of headpins and I am always happy when I can achieve to make one myself! Not very fancy headpins but I love them!

This pair of earrings is sure to be a show stopper! :)

I used weathered looking turquoise crackle bead caps all the way from South Africa, balanced with turquoise, petrified wood, Indonesian glass, etc...

Abla

I simply adorned the polymer clay headpins with handmade lampwork and my own coiled wire topped with gemstone beads.

Efia

I find that by shaping and simply dangling the headpins with these lovely Tibetan beads added a Southern accent to this design.

Eya

This unusual pair is a result of one headpin refusing to be like the other. That's what Kim wrote about the headpins but  she decided to pair them anyway.

I emphasized this difference by using handmade mismatched ceramic beads ,

which balanced so well and bring a very delicious harmony to these asymmetrical earrings.

If we all were alike, the world would have been so monotous!!!

Well, I really tried hard to limit myself, otherwise I was going to show you all of my headpin collection! :)

As always, Thank you so much for stopping by!

Please check out the other designers blogs.

Guests:

Alison Herrington

Renetha Stanziano

Karin Grosset Grange

Gloria Allen

Deb Fortin

Cate van Alphen

Mona Arnott

Shai Williams

Sarajo Wentling

Kathy Lindemer

Solange Collin

Brooke Bock

Melissa Meman

Patricia Handschuh

Tammy Adams

Melissa Trudinger

AJE Team Members:

Caroline Dewison

Lesley Watt

Cathy Mendola

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Susan Kennedy

Laney Mead

Diana Ptaszynski

Lindsay Starr

Niky Sayers