I'm sorry if anyone follows me here and expects regular posts from me. Unfortunately I am an artist-type to the full definition, so things come in waves for me, including the want or need to write :)
Once again, I forgot to take process pics from the very start of the process LOL
I started with some lengths of 20g sterling silver, and 22g fine silver. I don't normally measure things with a tape measure.. I eyeball them by how much longer than what I am wrapping, they need to be. I knew I was going to do some sort of interesting design above the skull, as I was inspired by aztec designs/masks and sugar skulls. When I measured my first wire against the skull, I figured out how much wire I would need to just go around the skull, and then added a few centimeters of space on either end before I cut.
Something that I find important, is the trimming of ends to make all ends flush (flat). I flush cut all of the ends of the wire, and then lined them up with the 20g on the outside, and the 22g on the inside, and started to do a soumack style weave with 30g sterling. Once I thought I was close to finished the panel, I curved it around the base of the skull, and wove a little bit more to make the panel the right length to go from one side to the other, where the hole in the skull was, for ease of mounting.
I bent over two of the inside wires, starting the shaping at the hole in the skull bead and then continuing up towards the top. I used those two wires to weave the bail.
Once I had secured the skull bead to the woven panel with the weaving wire, I made decorative curlies with some of the finer base wires. I then wove the bail, (once over, once around figure 8.. my favorite bail weave) mounting a swarovski crystal bicone above the skull for a little sparkle. Then, I started a wide spaced figure 8 woven section up the right side of the piece. Once I wove a little ways, I started shaping the woven section, weaving and securing as I went. I curled and twisted and secured, including one loop around the base of the bail before making the open spiral in front. Once I got that side done up, I tweaked the side curlies and decorated the back with the ends of the wire.
Because I was using 30g to weave with, I made sure to go through the bicone more than once, for security. I started a 5 around 1 across weave on the left side, and curled it around as I was going to mimic but not duplicate the right side.
As you can see, one of the base wires that I was weaving was MUCH longer than the other by this point, so when I went once around with the spiral I felt I needed to coil up the longer wire. I then followed the line of the spiral with the coiled longer wire, and brought it back around to make a couple more curlies on the top, ending with tucking the wires behind decoratively.
Here is what it looked like when finished.. and it sold before I managed to get light box pictures of it.
Thanks for reading!
B
I started with some lengths of 20g sterling silver, and 22g fine silver. I don't normally measure things with a tape measure.. I eyeball them by how much longer than what I am wrapping, they need to be. I knew I was going to do some sort of interesting design above the skull, as I was inspired by aztec designs/masks and sugar skulls. When I measured my first wire against the skull, I figured out how much wire I would need to just go around the skull, and then added a few centimeters of space on either end before I cut.
Something that I find important, is the trimming of ends to make all ends flush (flat). I flush cut all of the ends of the wire, and then lined them up with the 20g on the outside, and the 22g on the inside, and started to do a soumack style weave with 30g sterling. Once I thought I was close to finished the panel, I curved it around the base of the skull, and wove a little bit more to make the panel the right length to go from one side to the other, where the hole in the skull was, for ease of mounting.
I bent over two of the inside wires, starting the shaping at the hole in the skull bead and then continuing up towards the top. I used those two wires to weave the bail.
Once I had secured the skull bead to the woven panel with the weaving wire, I made decorative curlies with some of the finer base wires. I then wove the bail, (once over, once around figure 8.. my favorite bail weave) mounting a swarovski crystal bicone above the skull for a little sparkle. Then, I started a wide spaced figure 8 woven section up the right side of the piece. Once I wove a little ways, I started shaping the woven section, weaving and securing as I went. I curled and twisted and secured, including one loop around the base of the bail before making the open spiral in front. Once I got that side done up, I tweaked the side curlies and decorated the back with the ends of the wire.
Because I was using 30g to weave with, I made sure to go through the bicone more than once, for security. I started a 5 around 1 across weave on the left side, and curled it around as I was going to mimic but not duplicate the right side.
As you can see, one of the base wires that I was weaving was MUCH longer than the other by this point, so when I went once around with the spiral I felt I needed to coil up the longer wire. I then followed the line of the spiral with the coiled longer wire, and brought it back around to make a couple more curlies on the top, ending with tucking the wires behind decoratively.
Here is what it looked like when finished.. and it sold before I managed to get light box pictures of it.
Thanks for reading!
B
It was purchased by me for Mother's day my husband had learned if I see something this beautiful , he might as well say okay.
ReplyDelete*giggle* I wish my ex had learned that!
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