Spring's Freshness Meets Jewelry

Blue Chalcedony Pendant, 

Picture Courtesy of Astrum Studios

This month, I am playing with spring themes in my gemstone jewelry. The new theme has inspired more wire crochet gem pendants, an increase in detailed designs, and incorporating more translucent gemstones like flourite or blue chalcedony (pictured above). It also has led to a playful style between mixed metals.

Yellow Flourite Pendant

On the philosophical artistic note, the concept of freshness and renewal has always been important to me. It represents hope and looking forward when darkness surrounds. It shows itself through simpler moments, like a flower blooming or an open laugh. Lastly, it creates a crisp feeling that almost always leads to a smile.

Freshness with Wire Crochet Quartz Pendant

Going back to the gemstone art, even quartz and some glass beads can create a delicate, almost elven, handmade piece that reminds us of Spring. Simple detail and line represents a beginning, the same beginning that a bud slowly emerging from the ground illustrates. In short, simplicity leading to detail is what spring is, and spring is freshness

(Thank you for reading this post. Please click here to see more intricate gemstone designs with lighter themes. My Etsy store also holds different designs, which can be seen here ).

Metal and Crochet- An Interesting Mixture

For over a year, my godmother has been asking me to start a Ravelry, an amazing knitting and crocheting community forum, information database, shop resource, and more. I had always avoided it feeling that my wire crochet was not a true fiberworks art. (Fiberworks are crocheting and knitting with yearn.) Well, as time would have it, I bit the bullet today and decided to sign-up--- and started getting ideas! Why not try to use metal to create a standalone art piece using a typically yarn-based crochet pattern?

My semi-epiphany may seem logical, but once you have tried crocheting with metal, you will see why I had avoided it. Metal, unlike yarn, does not supply a "give" making it easier to work with and shape. While one can undo a yarn based stitch, one cannot undo a metal based stitch without likely breaking the metal. This situation leads to the need for extreme exactness and being able to find creative measures to hide "mistakes." It also causes wire crochet artists to typically start with making cuff bracelets or braided necklaces, as can be seen below.

"Fire" Inspired Brass Wire Crochet Bracelet

Black Pearl Silver Wire Crochet Necklace

Both these pieces use relatively simple stitches, yet look beautiful when done. (Granted, I put teeny, weeny seed beads on them, making the stringing take over an hour, but it is worth it.) However, when trying to applying crochet techniques to more difficult ideas, it took over a year to develop my skills. The next two pieces show my relatively current skills; the ones that I feel can now move to the next level.

Black Pearl Bird's Nest

Green Flourite Silver Wire Crochet Pendant

And what is the next level? Either this pattern from Pie in the Sky Crochet, or a variant of it. Now, upon reading this pattern, my head has gone "BOOM," but with patience and time, it could be an excellent necklace or bracelet. I just have to use different size hooks and get the hang of working the next level in wire. 

So, in short, wish me luck! I will try to do a semi-documentation of making this piece in pure copper core wire...