New experiments - new beginnings

I'm still on holidays until end of this week, so after having spent a LOT of money buying silver wire today, I've decided to try out a few new things which I long wanted but never got a chance to.
I can now tick off the not-yet-done list the following:
- making round headpins
- soldering
- oxidizing

Ok, oxidizing I've done before but today is the first time I've actually liked the result. Will post tomorrow pictures of the earrings I've made today and oxidized as there's no longer day light to take good pics.

Making round headpins - yes, finally I took out my little handtorch, the flux and pickle and made a few headpins. Made only about 8 or so, and the results are not yet perfect, but I see from piece to piece that the blobs at the ends are getting round and centered. Now this openes a bunch of new possibilities for me in wrapping tiny beads, as I hate making loops at the end of the beads, it looks so unprofessional.

Soldering - my first stand-alone attempt (I went to a few silversmithing classes a while ago, but I didn't get much out of it, so I've left the course in the middle of it). As I had the soldering stuff out already to make the headpins, I've decided to try my hands at soldering. Cut a tiny piece of solder (which I still have from the above mentioned class) and went ahead and made this little triangle. Well ok, it's not the best piece ever, but hey, it stays in place *grins*, and I know I'll get better and better at it, now that my fear (?) of soldering is gone. I have plenty of silver wire scraps to practice on.

So all on all a good beginning of the week.

When there's no stress, there's wire wrapping

I'm on holidays from work until end of next week, so I'm enjoying the hot summer days and making wire wrapped jewelry, my first big love :)

Without much ado, here are a few things I made during the last few days.


White Romance Pendant - hand formed, hammered and wrapped sterling silver pendant with a milk opal briolette, freshwater pearls and sterling silver beads.
3x5 cm and it comes on a sterling silver chain.

38 Euros

Dream Pink Necklace - Beautiful cherry quartz briolette pendant, rondelles and many Swarovski crystals make up this stunning necklace in sterling silver. The pendant is wire wrapped with little sterling silver beads accenting it. The pendant is 3x6 cm and the whole necklace is approximately 47 cm long.

55 Euros

Victorian Heart Pendant - Completely handmade from forming the frame to a heart shape, to wrapping around it to give this beautiful Victorian style pendant. Made of sterling silver wire and beads, freshwater pearls and red jasper.
The pendant is 2x5 cm (including the bottom dangle beads) and it comes on a 45 cm long silver chain.

40 Euros

Botswana Agate Pendant

I bought this gorgeous little Botswana agate cab from Ebay a few months ago, before I even knew that I'll eventually have my own cabbing machine.
While I'm learning to make nice cabs, I use the bought cabs to wrap them. This cab is gorgeous when held up against the light, and I tried to make the bail with the thin line to match the thin bands/lines on the cab.
The pendant is ~ 1.5 x 5 cm, all carefully wrapped in sterling silver. It comes on a sterling silver chain.

29 Euros

I went on my hols

Kennack Sands ~ Reserved

I did, the family, some friends and I!!! But did I take any pics??? Nope - and yes I am kicking myself now! Mind you the weather was appalling , more like October than August - rain and winds - in fact my feet got so muddy - I refuse to wear wellies ( I was on my summer hols) but camping probably wasn't the best place to rebel, as the story my poor feet are telling now! Mullion is a beautiful part of Cornwall, quite wild (the way I like it) and the coast line is superb. Kynance Cove is a definite one to inspire a future design - in fact I can feel one bubbling up ;) Take a look at the website pics - much better than the ones I would have taken - because yes it was raining AGAIN!!

The Colour of Sunsets

Being neither north of south really on the Lizard Peninsula - does that make sense? - I saw some fabulous sunsets - on the rare occassion we had sun and this one sums up all the colours I saw. Beads by Caroline Cash of course with delicious Karen Hill Tribe Silver! Of course we all know the saying red sky @ night Shepherds Delight - which means a dry day following and I think the most perfect sunset I saw did actually mean this!! WE actually made it to the beach!

Splashing the Waves ~ RESERVED

Of course now we're home and now preparing for my Elli's (and mine) birthdays - a seven year olds party - please pray for dry weather!!! I can't believe she is seven - doesn't time fly when you are having fun!!

Strange Brew: Dragonflies, Blue Topaz, and Unakite

These are what we in Arkansas call the "dog days" of summer. Theories abound as to where the name originates from ancient and astronomical (the Dog Star, Sirius, is supposedly in ascendancy during August) to folk (more rabid dogs roam the country roads during the hot days of August) to the idea that August in the southern US is too hot even for a dog to bear.
I'm trying to stay cool, and every now and then make something between the custom orders. Although it's unusual for me, I have 3 totally different bracelets here - I usually start using a gemstone and make piece after piece until I don't want to look at that particular gemstone anymore. I'll blame the difference on the August heat.
Above is a Swarovski bracelet made with those dragonfly tubes from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes that I love. Swarovski butterflies are on either side of the clasp, and the other Swarovski crystals are huge! All of the crystals have the Aurora Borealis finish on them.

Below is a bracelet made with a stone that I haven't used in months and months: unakite. Maybe I was just waiting for the right lampwork beads; if so, these lampwork beads by Suzette Celestin were well worth the wait. I'll swear she made them while daydreaming about unakite! It will be posted on a new page called Gemstone Bracelets that will be on the website soon. It's a page featuring the bracelets that really don't fit any of the other categories that we have a page for.

Finally, the last bracelet, above, is made with faceted black onyx and London blue topaz. I'm very low on blue topaz jewelry; one reason is that good blue topaz, Swiss or London blue, is very hard to find. I'm really not terribly fond of the blue topaz that is so pale that you can hardly tell that it's blue, so I tend to wait until I have collected a few gem-quality pieces of blue topaz before I make anything.

Stay cool, enjoy what is left of the summer, and above all, wear your jewelry!!!

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My loving heart

It's so good to come back to freeform wire wrapping. I've been doing a lot of cabbing lately, and border wrapping, and I started to miss wire wrapping and wire sculpture.
I was browsing last night Google pictures for some ideas, and came across this art nouveau heart which became my inspiration for my new rubylite heart :)

The pendant is huge, at the widest points 5x5cm and it sits really nice on the neck. It is one of those pieces that really stand out and make a statement.

8mm rubylite semiprecious beads, small sterling silver beads and sterling silver handmade frame and wrapping make up this one of a kind piece. Because I enjoyed so much making this item, I called it My Loving Heart.

If you want a silver chain with the pendant as well, send me an email at marika.charalambous at google.com, or send me a note at the Paypal checkout. It costs only a couple of Euros more.

35 Euros

On Dawanda's front page

Wow I've just spotted two of my items on Dawanda's front page: the dichroic pendant, and the new amethyst earrings. I'm excited because it's the first time I see more than one of my own pieces at the same time on the front page. Hope you like them :)