What is this and what do I do with it?

Ever run across an interesting item and think to yourself, "I have no idea what it is, but I know I have to have it."  This happens to me all the time. 

While browsing through etsy.com one day, I came across some beautiful copper pieces that the shop owner didn't quite know what to call.  To be honest, I don't know if what I'm calling them is correct, but for the sake of this posting, we will call them "bevels".  That's what I know them to be.  Anyway, that little nagging "I have to have these" feeling overtook me, and I purchased these gorgeous copper bevels from "Totally Unique Treasures".  My mind was spinning with ideas of how to incorporate them into my jewelry. 

I had recently learned how to add embelishments to donut beads and thought, "why not do the same thing to these"!

Rummaging through my extensive bead collection, I gathered up what I thought would be appropriate stones, pearls and beads.  I almost exclusively use copper wire for my jewelry.  So selecting some beautiful 22-gauge colored copper wires, I happily set about experimenting with my beads and wire until I came up with something that pleased me.  The following are two of the pendants that emerged.

 This was so much fun, I decided to create a necklace for my next pendant and this is what I came up with.

This necklace is made of various small glass and stone beads, pewter bead charms and, believe it or not, fish pearls.  While visiting a sporting goods store with my kids one day, I spotted these beautiful pearl beads used to make lures and thought, "I have to have these!"  I never knew exactly what I was going to do with them, but after playing with them in this necklace, I'm definitely headed back for more.  They have the most luxurious color depth of any bead I've ever used.  Who knew!

All of my links are handmade by me from copper wire.  Here I have created basic figure-eight links and two medium-sized spirals for a little added interest.  All of the copper on the necklace is 20-gauge.  For the pendant, I used 22-gauge copper. 

The pendants and necklace are for sale, and can be purchased from my website in my jewelry shop on etsy.com.

I hope you have enjoyed my first blog!

Luanne