Parallel Rose Pendant with copper rings

I love to make Chain Maille. I especially like it when I make something different. This pendant is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. It really is not new. I teach a class at Beadcache in Mansfield, MA on a similar pendant.



Both are made from the Parallel or Helm weave. It makes a nice bracelet too. By making a piece long enough and then joining the ends, you get a nice pendant.

With the new design, I added twisted copper rings for color and used the large rings I had left over from the Emerald Isle bracelet I recently made. I love to use left overs. It was a bit challenging to get the right size rings to go with the large ones and I had to add a middle size ring in the center to stabilized the whole thing with very small connecting rings.

I really have not decided on a chain to use yet. I had a nice silver chain that shows in the picture but I'm thinking about a black cord or maybe a leather cord. Somehow the thin silver chain does not seem in proportion with the large pendant. Maybe a thicker silver chain? Oh, the possibilities.

Any suggestions?

B

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Jens Pind Chain Maille Bracelet

Jens Pind has the reputation of being a challenging weave to learn. In reality it is a simple spiral with a small aspect ratio. A fancy word for a small hole in the ring. Without a small aspect ratio the weave unwinds and isn't pretty.

I had ordered a tutorial and rings for Jens Pind from Urban Maille awhile ago. I still have the beautiful bracelet I made. I decided recently to make one with smaller rings. The first one was made with 12 gauge rings. (Check out my previous post about it) Beautiful but heavy. I even had the appropriate ring sizes on hand.

I hunted for the tutorial with no luck. It is no where to be found. So, I checked out the Internet for tutorials and found a few but neither, though very clear ;-), helped me to get the weave. So, I decided to try on my own using the "just a single spiral" definition. To my surprise, with a few false starts and back ups I had made a Jens Pind bracelet. See the above picture.

I really like it. Goes with everything and is special with the little heart I had in my stash of supplies.


THEN, a friend wanted me to show her how. We worked a bit here at my house while doing other things but she said when she go home couldn't do it. Just didn't "get it". I offered to come over tomorrow to help.

I had some left over 12 gauge rings and last night I started a small chain. No problem. HOWEVER, today, I decided I'd start another piece so I'd be sure I could show her. I couldn't do it for the life of me. I looked up the online tutorials again and still no go. I tried the 16 gauge. No luck. I put it aside and this afternoon, success. I'm determined to really learn how to do this weave! ! !

I now have about 3 - inch long pieces. Starting is the hardest part so I started several pieces.

I'll soon have lots of Jens Pind earrings on hand!

It may be a mental thing. You know if you think it is hard, it is. But I don't know. The reputation may be very true.

Any of you had good luck making Jens Pind?

B

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Emerald Isle Bracelet

I've been wanting to include some crystals with Chain Maille patterns. There are several books out there (I have them) and I'm always looking for new patterns.

I found this one with a v e r y long name. "Staggered Corduroy with Japanese overlay and crystals." Whew! It is really a combination of two patterns.
The name "Emerald Isle" is an attempt to shorten the name. Plus it does look like an Emerald Isle. Of course the bracelet can be made with many different colors and then, I guess, I'll have to come up with new names.


Here is the bracelet half way through adding on the Japanese overlay part. The pattern isn't very hard but the orientation of the rings seemed to be very important to get it right. Took me awhile to "get it".


The tutorial I used was from an old Bead and Button magazine. (Never throw those out) Actually I downloaded it from their web site (for a small fee). It is handy to have that ability. They gave an editor's suggestion of adding smaller beads on each side of the larger crystals. They show up when you look at the back of the bracelet. My bracelets never stay put so that is a good idea.


So, what other colors would you like to see in the bracelet? I've had one request for sapphire so far.


B

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Bird of Paradise Blossom

If you live in Florida or other warm states, this may not be impressive to you. But here in the northeast, this blossom is great to see especially, in the deep winter.

I've posted pictures of this before but every year it seems to be another "miracle". My brother-in-law brought back some Bird of Paradise seeds just before our oldest daughter was born. (I won't give the date away) My Mother-in-law planted them and after they sprouted, gave one to each of her kids. Slowly they gave out but ours flourished. Then one day we had a blossom. The plant was only a few feet tall. But the blossom was magnificent. Since then the plant has grown, been divided many times, sprouts given away and moved to its current container, a large green garbage can.

We found out that they have long tap roots and will grow larger if you will put them in a larger container. Needless to say, we stopped putting the plant in a larger container. Somehow, a large garbage container is enough!

We put it outside in the summer and bring it back in in the fall. A big reason to not have a larger container. The process involves a large dolly (bag truck) to move it and boards to act as a ramp for the steps to the outside. We are fortunate to have a very wide front door for the project.

Still every blossom is welcomed (not so much on moving day)

B

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Kids Living with Cancer

On January 24, 2010 at 8:00 PM ET/PT Nickelodeon will be running a program called "The Face of Courage: Kids Living with Cancer" Take time to watch it if you are able. Tivo, DVR it or what ever you can.

Those of you who follow my blog know Lexie Williams. She is the girl in the lower left of the above picture. Because of the upcoming program, Lexie is getting phone calls. Alice, her Mom, commented on yesterday's Caring Bridge web site:

"Lexie was on the phone this morning before we went as it is almost time for her TV appearance, and the papers are calling- She told the interviewer when he asked her how she managed to live this life that, 'We always try to have fun whenever we can, because we know there will be the sad times, like today'- How did she get to be so brilliant ???"

Lexie was referring to the fact that they were about to attend the funeral of Bridget, another 11 year old girl who just lost her battle with Brain Cancer. You can read more on Alice's Caring Bridge journal.

Let's all do what we can to help spread the word about Cancer in Kids. They really need the research to help get rid of this terrible disease.

B

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Copper Chain Maille Bracelet

Last week our South Shore Beaders group met as usual. But not as usual, actually. We had decided at our December, dinner meeting, to try some different gatherings. The suggestions went from going bowling to taking jewelry classes.

It was finally decided that every other month we would do "something" different and in January the different thing was to join the group at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA for their Wed "Bring something and Craft together" meeting. We have been before but not as a group. Well, other than the first time we found this meeting.

Sometimes it is hard to work on the project you bring because we have such fun exchanging ideas and doing "Show and Tell". One brought a very new project of paper beads. (The kit arrived just that afternoon). One brought Viking Knit, one Kumihimo with beads and I brought a Chain Maille project.

Trying to keep one of my resolutions to "use what I have on hand" I brought some copper rings and some focal hearts. I started the bracelet at home, made about an inch there and finished it at home. (Talking takes up time...)

The pattern is the Barrel weave variation. (The "barrels" alternate in their position) I have made a similar bracelet in Argentium Silver before and it is very popular. I have an older post about it. The green and copper really go well together.

Anyhow, it was a fun evening and resulted in a fun bracelet.

What do you think about the copper variation?

B

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Nickelodeon "Cancer and Kids" program

Alice Williams, Lexie's mom, has been sharing about a program that will be aired on Nickelodeon on January 24, at 8 PM. It is titled "NICK NEWS WITH LINDA ELLERBEE’S THE FACE OF COURAGE: KIDS LIVING WITH CANCER"

Set your Tivo, DVR or alarm clock to watch it. Lexie will be on as one of the Kids Living with Cancer. Her section was filmed at Camp Sunshine. A Camp where Kids can go and be themselves as a kid should be.

Here is a blurb about the up coming show you can read. Click on the underlined section.

Remember the date January 24, 2010 at 8 PM on Nickelodeon.

You can read more about Lexie on other blog posts and see "Lexie's Jewelry" on my websites. $10 of each purchase goes to Cancer Research.

B

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New Breast Cancer Bracelet

I love it when my customers give me new ideas. Especially this one.

I had a home party at Melanie's home (my Lexie Jewelry partner) and we decided to display more of my regular jewelry than just the Lexie Jewelry. A percentage of the sales would go to Cancer Research as with the Lexie Jewelry. To make a long story short, one of the ladies saw a bracelet


and suggested that it be made with pink beads instead of the hematite in the bracelet I had there. (above) She wanted to give her sister, now with Breast Cancer, a meaningful bracelet.

After a small search for pink beads, I settled on Rose Swarovski 6 mm beads. Funny thing. My daughter who is not a jewelry person commented while I was making the bracelet: "Hey, that's nice. I might wear that!" Now that is a complement!

Anyhow, I'm thinking that I should add this to my Cancer Research line of jewelry.



What do you think?

B

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Science with a Mission

My friend, Alynne MacLean, reached a milestone recently in her non-profit organization, Science with a Mission.

I have posted about Alynne before but in case you don't recall, she left her biochem job to form Science with a Mission in 2001. SMI makes test kits for many diseases including malaria, HIV, typhoid and hepatitis. Because no electricity is needed for the diagnostics, they are effective in remote areas of the world and have been used in 49 countries.

The recent milestone was delivering the 100,000th unit. See the picture above. Quite an accomplishment considering that she and a few volunteers do most all the work.

You can read more information in a new article about SMI plus other links here.

The website for Science with a Mission can be reached here.

Enjoy the reading and let me know what you think.


B

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Cleaning Silver

I had a class Monday teaching the Chain Maille pattern "Byzantine Rose" (see above)

The conversation turned to cleaning silver. Well, I added that my favorite thing for that is to use Argentium Silver. I have a page on my web site about why. The other thing is to tumble the pieces. Since I have a home show tomorrow, I've been busy cleaning my pieces. I haven't done that since spring and the summer added some tarnish to the clasps on most of my non-Chain Maille pieces. My Chain Maille is better protected but still looked a bit dull.

One of the things I suggested to my class was washing all silver pieces with soap and water. I seem to be a bit sloppy I guess and they get almost sticky. Interestingly enough, I just proved that idea to myself. I got out my tumbler and put in about half of my stash of Chain Maille bracelets in the tumbler. After two hours of tumbling I took out the nice shiny pieces and then realized I had not added the shot. So, I had basically washed the bracelets in soap and water.

I'm now tumbling the second half with shot and am anxious to see if there is much difference.


B

PS: The shot does make a difference if there is tarnish. Soap cleans and polishes so if there is no tarnish, it alone is fine. But why not just add the shot too?

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