Tag: head pins.

Here be headpins ! The AJE Component of the Month reveal.

25 Comments

Welcome to the reveal of the AJE headpin challenge!

This month we decided to highlight these small, delicate and super versatile elements. I have quite a collection from Jen ( Glass Addictions) Sue ( SueBeads) and Marsha (Marsha Neal Studio)

This collection sits just above my bead table...

This collection sits just above my bead table…

I decided to try something I had never heard nor seen done. I wanted to bead embroider the head pins. WITH the wires intact. Could it be done? Hmm. Lets try.

Headpins finally placed.

First shapes looked too much like outline of USA, second version works!

So the short answer? IT WORKS!

The headpins sat rather tall on the Stiff Stuff, so I had free rein to bead with abandon and build up some height. As I wasn’t bezeling them, I wanted tall beads around to integrate them into the overall piece. Here is is before backing:

The abalone shell pulled all the colors together...

The abalone shell pulled all the colors together…

I stitched the wires down to hold them in place and secure them. the back is a mess, but Ill show you anyway… This isnt for the faint of heart. Nearly every third stitch got looped on a wire and snagged. See the far left int he bottom picture? Many stitched snagged. I didnt even know when that happened to pick them out. So I added a bit of glue there. Gee, guess I will have to keep this one since it has issues.

Beading around the wires proved problematic.

Beading around the wires proved problematic.

details of Jennifer's headpins in the piece, and a SueBeads dangle!

details of Jennifer’s headpins in the piece, and a SueBeads dangle!

Pearls! Pinch beads! Fire polish! Abalone! No rules seed beading ! And I had SO MUCH FUN.

Not sure what to do now? Silk? wire wrap gems? What do you think?  Until next time – Ill be off creating with my new headpins  created by Thornburg Studios and Bead Fairy!

New beauties from Thornburg Studios and Bead Fairy

New beauties from Thornburg Studios and Bead Fairy

Please join the AJE team and our guests on this blog hop! I am sure I speak for the whole team that we have so many guests this month. Enjoy!

Testing. Testing. Porcelain head pins…

15 Comments

Monday. So much to do! One task was great fun, and quickly accomplished... Marsha had gifted me with a pair of her new/prototype porcelain shard head pins. We were talking about the use of nichrome wire in jewelry – leave it exposed, cover it… I decided to design a pair of earrings with the wire covered. The nichrome doesnt particularly bother me, I was just being the devil’s advocate, you know?  (Nichrome aparently is an alloy of nickle. I am guessing it will not darken with time. I know when I use  nickel silver sheet – it will not patina with LoS – I use a SHarpie!)

Headpin ideas

The stages of experimentation: (Clockwise from top left)

1.  Cover the nichrome wire with a coil. I used 24 ga Parawire in gunmetal. (Thanks Kerry for the coiling inspiration!)

2. I originally thought a gunmetal link. Seeing it – it was too “the same”. The coil texture was lost in the uniform color. 

3. White Clover Kiln bead caps. Adorable – but I wanted to not go too floral, and decided to vary the colors a bit more. 

4. Testing out a patterned copper chain link, like it! Sadly – these enameled bead caps from Sally Russick were rejected too. Marsha had done some combinations like this and I was striving to be different – not to let that subliminal influence take hold!

the results - 1

The results! I like the simple copper bead cap and the copper link together. These are lightweight, and I like them… but

option A  Option B

Option A: dangles of pearl, hematite, and turquoise – the metal’s palette as gems. 

Option B: One single dangle – a copper pearl. 

I want to hear your opinion! Which option do you prefer?