Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge-Week 4

 
It is Week 4 of the Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge and this week's assignment:
Make some findings and use them in your jewelry.  It can be earwires, clasps or chain.  You can make them out of anything - anything.  Wire, metal, beads, seed beads, polymer clay, metal clay - whatever is calling your name, jump in and give it a try!

I desperately needed this assignment to push me in a direction that I have been resisting.  I looked at Heather Powers suggestions for projects and selected her sun clasp as a project that I would like to tackle.

Sun Clasp by Heather Powers

I have some copper wire that looked to be the right size for the project and I gathered my tools and I studied  her written directions and drawings which are shown below.  I also looked at the Video from Beaducation on creating the perfect wire spiral.

Sun Clasp

Materials & Tools:

16 gauge copper wire, round & chain nose pliers, wire cutters, small anvil and ball peen hammer.

1. Cut 8" of wire. Create a wire spiral, turning the wire 6 times around the center with the flat nose pliers. Hammer the spiral flat and texture with the ball peen hammer. Push your thumb against the underside of the spiral to give it some dimension.

2. Make a loop at the end of the wire and turn it under the spiral.

3. Wire-wrap a loop at the other end, trim wire.

 

 

To make the simple wire clasp, I cut 3 inches  of wire and used a  hammer and added texture as in step one. (Tip: you can use a sharpie marker to create the large loop on the clasp. 

 I followed directions Simple clasp from Connie Fox.

Sun Clasp by BayMoonDesign

I am happy to report that the project is done.  I found making the sun clasp easier than the simple clasp.  I admit to not following Heather's advise and using a Sharpie because I didn't have one, but I will get one for the next time. Connie's directions are excellent but I ended up with a different shape than Heather's.  Next time,  I will try for Heather's design and then I will have 2 designs to use.

 I am calling this a success!


What is the Jewelry Mojo Challenge? Click here to read all about it.  Can you still join? Yes! You can follow along and do all 12 weeks or pick and choose the ones you find inspiring.