Tangible Tidbits 2011 # 23: Back in Time...to January 2010!

Since I am technically on vacation this week, I've decided to give myself a break and repost one of our early Focal Pieces of the Month. I'm sure most of you never saw these early ones, since the majority of my readers and followers have not been with me since December 2009. ;)

For our second Focal Piece of the Month, I thought I'd profile the pendant that is featured on the banner head of this website. It is a heart pendant framed in silver wire that was inspired by the Lavender Fields cuff bracelet kit by sb designs that appears to be very popular! The kit was purchased as part of the Intro to Wire Jewelry class I took in the Fall of 2009 at the Madison, Chatham & Florham Park Adult School. The technique is to create a frame out of thick wire -- in the case of the bracelet it is 16 gauge, but since the pendant is smaller and more delicate, I used a smaller gauge...I believe it was 20 gauge (in wire, the higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire). For the heart, I used my WigJig Olympus, a transparent plastic pegboard (think the children's games Battleship or LiteBrite, only smaller) into which metal pegs are inserted to create a pattern. The wire is then wrapped around the pegs to create the desired design. Check out WigJig's website here if you're interested for more information about the product: Beads & Jewelry Making Supplies By WigJig Store.

Once you have the frame, a thinner gauge wire — in this case 24 gauge was used, — string beads inside the frame. This project was created at the request of a coworker who wanted a Christmas gift for a friend. Her favorite colors are pinks and light purples, so we chose those colors for the beads. I also threw in some clear crystals and silver spacers to make it more eclectic. I used pink-white Freshwater Pearls in the piece. According to an article I found on Factoidz (it seems "Pearls: History, Uses, and Legendary Metaphysical Properties" is no longer available):

"Pearls are said to aid in meeting and overcoming various obstacles, while absorbing negative vibrations and energies; they are protective, yet they are also very soothing. They encourage loyalty, truth and honor as well as aiding in developing personal integrity and physical strength. They are useful for guarding off infections and irritability, as well as being beneficial to the digestive system. They transmit vibrations, which attract wisdom, love, and prosperity, while also aiding in balancing the emotions. They increase fertility as well as clarity of focus, and have an overall healing quality about them."

Have a great week! :)