Posts Tagged ‘steampunk’

Stringing it, together

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

There’s quite a community of jewelry designers showing off Rings & Things beads and components.  Here’s the latest 3 sightings, in Stringing magazine‘s Winter 2009 issue:

Stringing magazine

Stringing magazine

Michelle Mach’s “Jazz Baby” necklace appears on page 64, riffing on the gunmetal theme with eye pins, jump rings, lobster clasp, and figaro and ’round/oval’ ring chains.  Accenting these are size 6 seed beads and lampwork rondelle beads… ▼

"Jazz Baby"

"Jazz Baby"

"Time's Toolbox"

"Time's Toolbox"

▲ …Melanie Brooks’ “Time’s Toolbox” necklace, also based on gunmetal, is on page 66 of the same issue.  A ceramic focal from her Earthenwood Studio really clicks with the accompanying hammered oval chain and mesh-style links.  Jump rings, both brass and an extra-heavy 13mm style, compliment a clasp in antiqued brass.  (An added design suggestion: R&T’s sterling silver puzzle clasp would build on this design’s mixed-metals theme very nicely.)

With her “Amusing Grace” necklace on page 69, Melanie follows her productive steampunk muse farther.  A gear link and keyhole focal, also from Earthenwood Studio, make this winning design tick.  (Possible substitutes would be metal keyhole pendants, ceramic gear beads and eyepins.  Throw in skeleton-key charms and some added value in the form of a vintage center-holed coin!)  There’s also jump rings (extra-heavy gunmetal ones in 13mm, and brass ones); bead caps; rollo chain (3.9mm, in brass), lobster clasps, eye pins and head pins (all in brass, the latter in 2-inch 21-gauge), and colored craft wire (in 20-gauge). ▼

"Amusing Grace"

"Amusing Grace"

Featured bead: orchids (or propellers)

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

The featured bead this week is the CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements #6906 orchid pendant.  Here’s why:

orchid_06-906-20-01

The crystal orchid pendant is lovely to start with.  But you can get more for your money, and so can your customers, if you multi-purpose this bead into fashionable steampunk designs.

orchid_06-906-20-150

Given the steampunk affection for making things industrial look pretty, how about a crystal propeller?

orchid_06-906-20-160

This pendant comes in various colors, so blend it into an overall color “blueprint” in your designs.  For starters, we’ve thought of using these on leather cuffs from Tafuri Tough.  Here’s a similar idea recently made by Cindy Gimbrone using glass beads:

Steampunk watch/propellers jewelry by Cindy Gimbrone

Steampunk "Deconstructed watch" / propellers pendant by Cindy Gimbrone

This is a good illustration of how you can add in some cogs, maybe some wire, watch parts…the sky’s the limit for propeller beads!

Do you have a steampunk inspiration?  Lots of components can be re-purposed to use in this style.  Share your ideas in a comment!

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* You enter by leaving comments this month
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*
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