Showing posts with label staple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label staple. Show all posts

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Inspiration: Grandma's Necklace and Artbeads' Cubic Zirconia


Going through my Grandmother's jewelry many years ago and trying to decide what I wanted to keep, I selected a classic design made with cable chain and crystals. I blogged about her necklace before focusing on the staple setting for each crystal.

It's a simple necklace, cable chain, spring clasp and crystals. Looks to me as if the chain and settings for the crystals were plated or maybe gilded but I can't tell for sure. It's very small too, 14 and 1/2 inches, made for a very young woman I assume. My maternal grandmother was married at age 14 and I imagine she could have worn a small necklace.

After drooling over the Cubic Zirconia Beads from Artbeads, I realized the crystals in Grandma's necklace were similar. Using her necklace as inspiration, I designed an edgey, modern version of the necklace for the bleeding heart.

I chose the 6mm connectors in black and garnet.




I used cable chain like my grandmother's but smaller and in sterling silver. I alternated the red and black cubic zirconias and faced the pointed side of the stones outwards giving the necklace an edgey, spikey feel. To soften the edgeyness a bit, I added four vintage stylized red hearts to the end of the string of cubic zirconias.





Both necklace styles show off how versatile cubic zirconias are, they can be classic or combined into an edgey look. Viva la Cubic Zirconia!

Disclosure of Material Connection

Monday, November 17, 2008

So, where was I?

Whew! It's been a busy weekend and it's Monday already.

Where was I?

Oh yes, cold connections!

Today, it's the venerable staple. I really like the look of a staple holding a cab or a special tiny object.

One of my favorite Glyph beads had a rough beadhole so I slumped it into a cab. I chose it to be my first stapled cab:






Yet another technique that allows the purist in me not to glue or alter any of my sentimental junk!