Week 2 - Double end prong setting

Continuing with Robbie's book, after doing a few more of the single prong setting, I tackled the double end. This is too much fun! Again, my wire size is larger than recommended so my baskets keep coming out bigger than expected. I have some nice stones but for learning I decided I needed to find an alternative so I don't use them up; the next closest thing to gemstones that I found in my stash are swarovskis. The margaritas and top drilled rounds are poifect for playing with! So I made my basket, put in the crystal and started twisting. I was not going for what I ended up with, but when I got done I just smiled; doesn't it look like a woman with an attitude? :) I stuck a headpin in the hole for a 'nose', she makes me happy! I can see I need to do a little something better for the back, the 'nose' swirl is pretty ugly.


I will be doing more of these, until I get some more gemstones!

New Year of Jewelry 2006-2007

I've joined the program again. I had to skip the last session of the 2005-2006 year of jewelry because of summer vacation schedules, but its a new year! and new challenges.

I had to bite the bullet; in a week and 1/2 I'm taking two different classes at Beadfest with Robbie:

http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/beadfest/classes/index.cfm?action=class&classid=4167 and
http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/beadfest/classes/index.cfm?action=class&classid=4267

The first one says 'Prior knowledge of setting faceted stones with prongs is helpful' so I bought her book (Obsessions in Wire) and now can say I did one, lol! I'll make sure I do a it a few more times before the class, don't worry Robbie!

This is the first set of instructions in her book 'single end prong basket'. Of course the instructions say to use 24 gauge square and 21 gauge 1/2 round; I had 22 guage square and 20 gauge 1/2 round, sigh... 98,000 kinds of wire, I never seem to have the right stuff! But for my first attempt I'm not totally upset. The stone is 6x8 amethyst (the only thing I actually had the right size of!). I can see this is one of the 'practice practice practice' type of things.... The pictures make this look huge, but its actually only 5/16s by 10/16s (i.e., a little more than 1/4 x 3/4 of an inch).