Another first.. kaliediscope jasper

Another process post. I hope people like this peek into my mind :)

I didn't get much pictures taken between this stage and the next. I got involved in making, and forgot to pause for pictures LOL

This is 7 base wires, the first 4 of which are 18g sterling silver, and the top 3 are 22g fine silver. The wrapping wire is 30g sterling silver, and the weave is what I call the ladder weave. If you are a fan, you've probably seen the weave a lot, seeing as it's my favorite panel weave :)

 I positioned the smaller wires on the outside, and formed the panel to the curve of the kaleidoscope jasper. Then I wove three of the wire in a basket style weave, and bent the front two over the top of the stone. I then took the remaining wires on the bottom and gave them a nice swirl, making sure that it was the right shape to hold the stone in securely.

See that one wire coming up from the bottom? I felt the need to hit it. So I did, and I flattened it out and brought it up to the top and secured it.

 I then twisted up the protruding 22g fine silver wires and brought them across the bottom swirl and then around the back, balling up the end of the longer one. Then I started a nice curl shape at the top of the panel and brought the two sides into the position I figured they should be in. I tucked one of the wires across the top and behind the panel, and I coiled and bent the other one so it hooked under the edge of the hammered wire on the side.

 At this point I was trying to position the stone so I could mimic the flow of the colour through the stone, with the flow of the piece. It was pretty much secure and not going anywhere at this point.. so I decided it needed some embellishment on the side to help with the flow. First I balled up both of the wires, then I did a 1-over 1-around figure 8 weave part of the way up. See the really long wire up at about the height of the phone? I had no idea what I was doing with it, but I hate trimming so it stayed.

 It went around and over and through with the woven portion and I brought the balled ends up and curled them around the already anchored wires across the top. Then I decorated the bottom a little more with the twisted small gauge, enhancing the s shape, and brought it up the back and stuck it through the top so I could add an amethyst bead.

I started with the bail, weaving and curving as I went.

 I tend to use my beadsmith graduated mandrel for making bails, and I did that here. I brought the center wire back through to the front, and anchored it and decorated it with a swirl. The two side wires were balled up and then secured and anchored around other wires and themselves. I still had some weaving wire left, so I started adding crystal and sterling silver beads.

I eventually added a sterling silver bead to the side, both to anchor the swirl to the frame better, and to shape the visual of the piece.

The lady who has put a deposit on this and I talked, and I gave this a short bath in gun blue, and then polished it by hand. Not the greatest picture, but I will update this post later when I get the pretty pictures done.

Yes, the tone of this picture isn't the greatest LOL










Thanks for reading..

B