This was difficult! I'm definitely embarking on uncharted territory when digging into my own bag of tricks for making jewelry. There are no tricks there. There is no jewelry there.
I love art jewelry and treat myself from time to time to a piece or two made by jewelry artists. In fact, when it arrives, I'll post the two beautiful little pieces I just ordered from the wonderful Nina Bagley. I'm no where near that category of skillful jewelry artists, so the little bluebird charm was a guess, at best.
I cut a Tim Holtz miniature image and used it for the background, hand cut a little bird out of hand painted paper, stamped PSX mini stamps crown image in gold and poured on diamond glaze. Before it set, I added a circle of mica. Then I strung the beads on the wire and added the two pearls with jump rings.
A question . . . What do you use to glue beads and charms to metal? I thought E600. But it didn't work, so I took off all the pretty beads that surrounded bluebird. They would have fallen off on their own anyway, had I left them.
Thanks to Hermine, this week's WS hostess, for the stretching exercise! I now know what it feels like to be the kid in the classroom who isn't quite sure how to use his crayons! I should have had more sympathy when I was little! But in case you think I'm complaining, it's not true. I really do appreciate the challenge, however humbling it may be!
Your charm is lovely Barbara. We used similar shapes to begin with. I like using gel medium for adhering most everything, not positive how it would do with metal exactly.
Posted by: ~*~ Patty | January 31, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Have you tried epoxy? I made hat pins by gluing beads to the pin base, and it seemed to work fine.
Posted by: Kay | January 31, 2008 at 06:12 PM
Wonderful charm... great artwork!
Posted by: Christine Baier | January 31, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Its fabulous, love the little blue bird. Great colours.
Posted by: Hermine | January 31, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Wonderful charm!
Posted by: Willy | February 01, 2008 at 04:02 AM
beautifully done charm, love the bead work you added to it
Posted by: claudette | February 01, 2008 at 06:17 AM
How wonderful, love the bird and the colours.
Posted by: Silvia | February 01, 2008 at 08:43 AM
it's gorgeous barbara!!! wow ... yes, this week's challenge made me stretch as well.
Posted by: Belinda | February 03, 2008 at 12:44 PM
One of the great joys of TIF is discovering the work of new-to-me artists, and I love what you do. Was wondering what you call the findings you used for this lovely piece (with the glass front)?
Posted by: Sue Krekorian | February 05, 2008 at 04:49 AM
Silly me - you made it. You did good!
Posted by: Sue Krekorian | February 05, 2008 at 04:50 AM