I'm having a minor (umm, major) obsession with making bronze beads these days. And I really never get tired of dragonflies.
So what about that cheating thing? Well, I made these beads thinking about the bracelet that I made with a bronze flower bead. Only when I got them done I thought oh my, wouldn't they look nice as pendants? That tube shaped one on the upper left especially. I just wanted it to be a very simple pendant with a heavy bail. I can make ball end head pins but I really didn't want to see a little knobby thing at the bottom. I could have made a flat end head pin sort of rivet style out of heavy gauge wire. But all of that tedious working it out with my hammer was not meeting the needs of my miss imapatient, gotta do it now self.
So here's my cheater solution to a heavy gauge flat end head pin.
With an 18 gauge piece of wire, I made a very gentle little bend in about a quarter of the way from the end. The wire is probably about 8 inches long. I started a little spiral of wire with the shorter end of the wire.
On the flip side, longer wire section, I went back in with a round nose pliers and centered up the piece of wire that will go up through the bead. In the second photo you can see the top side of the head pin.
I put the whole thing into my cheapo vise from Harbor Freight and and hammered the spiral flat.
The bottom of the bead.
Notice how I actually cheated twice? You didn't really get to see much of my bead table at all. It's very messy. Lots of little snippets of wire lying about.
I'd love to see what's on your bead table. Even if it is piled high and even if you cheat too and just show me the pretties :-)
14 comments:
These are beautiful, LeAnn! I also love the color of the silk strands. They look great with the bronze!
ACK! gorgeous! when are they going to be available for sale!?!?
Quite lovely.
And now I think I need a vise.
;-)
Enjoy the day!
Erin
Girl, love the cheat! I will have to try this myself. Hope to see these cool bead and such in person very soon!
These are terrific LeAnn. I have gone off on a tangent as I have had a problem with particular beads and now have a solution albeit the result will be a little different. Thank you.
You are just too clever! Love those tube beads!
Love the beads, LeAnn! And the headpin too.
Okay, I have to get a vise:-)
Yes, gorgeous, gorgeous! Available when?
Love the tubular look. you are constantly dreaming up brilliant new things!
I think they are awesome and playing with metals and textures and designs and patterns makes you a wholesome designer. Chan Luu jewelry
The cheater solution is so clever. I love how it looks. It made me wonder, "Why don't I have a vise?" (I actually might have one, somewhere, from a long time ago but never thought I needed to use it.) I'm sure if it had its own spot on my bench, in plain sight, I would find ways to use it all the time.
Love the bronze tube beads!
love those! and it isn't cheating, you were inventive in meeting a need... i call that resourceful... my bead table falls under the category of 'where is that bead table?'... because it has spread to the floor -
Love those dragonfly beads! I think I need some!
LOL!!! Doesn't matter hiow you get there as long as you look good doing it!!! Gorgeous beads!!!
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