Metal Embellishments

Introducing a new spin on beaded flowers…Metal Embellishments! I’m thinking this is a pretty new idea, I haven’t found anyone else combining the two ideas to come up with anything similar. Either way it’s new to me!

For a year now you’ve heard me mention metal work, whether it’s talking about a budding interest or griping about not having time to play with it yet. In truth I have been playing a little bit. A year ago I made my first metal purchase…I got a saw, bench pin, some sheet metal, and some wire. I’ve played with all of this and even invested in some more tools. But the first thing I started to play with was the wire. At first I didn’t like it, the coiling was mundane and tedious. Now I’m finding the coiling to be relaxing, it’s perfect to work on when my hands need something to work on but my mind wants to turn off. It is very similar to stringing beads.
All the magazines and books that talk about wire work all focus on how to make it into jewelry. Lately I’ve become more receptive to making jewelry but it is not my primary focus. I found I really enjoyed making the swirlies and curly shapes with the wire. Then I placed these shapes over some beaded petals and voila my new technique was found! I really love making flowers and want to stay in this medium so I was really excited to have found a way to incorporate my new interest with the beaded flowers.

I have four pieces to show the first two are my first piece from last summer and my most recent piece. Copper Blue is my first flower with metal embellishment. The flower itself was just completed last month, but the petals have been together in my bead room for a year now. The center is a wonderful piece of denim lapis, and the wire is copper that was antiqued and then shined up a bit.

Brilliance in the Dark is my most recent and biggest piece so far. The colors really just came together on their own and while making all the leaves for this project I came up with a story behind the flower. I envisioned this flower growing out of an ancient oak tree symbiotically deep in the forest. It blooms twice a year and only at night. The wire work is brass and the center of the flower is a swarovski crystal. The flower is permanently planted in a bamboo bowl that is about 4 inches high and 9 inches in diameter.

I have created a new category in my gallery for metal embellished flowers. Here I will show flowers incorporating wire work and any other metal work that might emerge in the future. I have lots of ideas and am hoping to get some real cool stuff in this gallery. Soon I’ll add the other two pieces for everyone to see.

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