Marriage of Metal ...
Classic Hoops with a Twist

Sterling silver hoop earrings with a twist of copper for accent, the perfect marriage of metal for everyday wear! Each of these hoop earrings starts with a sturdy base of sterling silver wire that is hammered for strength. Then a handmade wire wrapped copper bead is added for a wonderful focal point. Both hoops are then lovingly wrapped with very fine gauge sterling silver wire that gives them loads of added interest!

The Marriage of Metal hoop earrings are 1-1/4 inches in length from the top of the earwire to the bottom of the copper bead, and they are 7/8 of an inch in width.




For those who love the warmth of copper, I have created Copper Hoops with a Twist. Handcrafted with coils and twists of copper wire, they have a wonderful ethnic flair! The earwire is also made of copper wire, but if you prefer, a sterling silver earwire can replace it at no extra charge.

Both of these handsome hoop earrings would be a excellent addition to your everyday jewelry wardrobe!

Many thanks to Julie Sigmund of JewlieBeads for her wonderful tutorial! Thank you for looking!

Blessings,




Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved

Ready for Sweater Season
A Heart Shaped Fibula

A lovely heart shaped copper fibula perfect for dressing up your loosely woven scarf, shawl, hat or sweater! It is adorned with handmade copper beads and a beautiful green turquoise rondelle! Including the dangle, this shawl pin is 3 inches in length; and 1-7/8 inches in width. Because of the width of the pin, I would not recommend using this on tightly woven knits or silks.

Thanks to Julie Siqmund for her wonderful tutorial!

Do not forget to take advantage of Free Shipping within the USA, offer good through January 1, 2011!

Thank you for looking!


Blessings,




Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved

Domed Copper Disk Earrings

Uncomplicated and effortless in style, these domed copper disk earrings are lightweight yet sturdy!

Natural copper sheeting and 20 gauge copper wire were the humble foundation of these uncomplicated earrings. The copper sheeting was cut into a disc, then hand forged into their final dome shape. The domed discs float effortlessly on handcrafted copper earwires. These earrings are 1-3/8 inches in length; the diameter of the hand forged disc is 5/8 of an inch.

Please note that the copper in these lovelies will darken with its own patina over time. If you prefer a shiny look to your copper, soak it for 10 minutes in a lemon juice bath!

Do not forget to take advantage of Free Shipping within the USA, offer good through January 1, 2011!

Thank you for looking!

Blessings,






Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved

A Modern Classic Bracelet!

A modern classic copper bracelet made from humble elements, heavy gauge copper wire and a simple copper washer!

Each link in this bracelet was shaped into a swirl then textured with a chasing hammer for strength and design! The the J shaped clasp blends nicely with the bracelet, having that same swirl shape. It hooks into a round copper toggle that has a creative cross-hatch texture!

The copper elements of this bracelet are untreated so they will develop their own unique patina over time. If you prefer your copper jewelry to remain bright and shiny, soak your bracelet in a lemon juice bath for ten minutes and it will be like new again! Click Here to see a blog post with additional information on cleaning your copper jewelry!

The Modern Classic Bracelet is 8-1/4 inches in length, perfectly made for wrists 7 to 7-1/2 inches around.

Thank you for looking!

Blessings,


Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved

Organic Copper Earrings
with a Twist!

These organic copper earrings with a twist were originally made at the request of one of my customers. She loved my Organic Olives earrings, but wanted a neutral copper bead so that they would go with more clothing options!

These graceful earrings are made with copper wire that has been textured with a chasing hammer for strength and a cool organic look! From the top of the earwire, these earrings are 2-1/4 of an inch in length; the dangles are 1-1/2 inches long, swinging from handmade copper earwires. I especially love the copper rope bead as the focal point on the dangle, it adds a middle eastern flair to these lovely earrings!

Thank you for looking!

Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved


Blessings,

Sediment ~
A Lovely Combination of Lampwork Beads and Copper

Layers of brown and olive green changing to seafoam and light teal green, reminiscent of layers of sediment in rock! In fact, when most people see these gorgeous lentil lampwork beads, they ask, "What kind of stone is this?" Smiling, I reply, "It is a lampwork glass bead!"

This is was what captured my imagination from the moment I saw these beads! They were not your average run of the mill glass beads, but something with an organic ebb and flow to their design! My second thought was they would be perfect with copper wire, and with those two thoughts in mind, I purchased two strands of these awesome beads! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end! This bracelet is made with the last of those beads!

The Sediment bracelet is made with copper wire that has been hammered for strength and beauty. Each element is lovingly constructed by hand, and will last for generations to come when cared for properly! The bracelet is 8-1/4 inches long, perfectly made for wrists 7 to 7-1/2 inches around!

For instructions on caring for your copper jewelry, please see this blog posting: http://heartsdesirebeads.blogspot.com/2010/07/caring-for-your-copper-jewelry-over.html

Thank you for looking!

Blessings,




Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved

Happy Accidents...an artists joy!

As artists, often we have *happy accidents* when making something and these sweet copper and Czech glass beads are one of them! Originally, I started out making a simple pair of wire earrings but they did not turn out as they were intended. So, instead of giving up on the original results, I decided to embellish them with my hammer (and maybe take out my frustrations a bit too!) I like the organic look that the copper took on with just a few taps of my chasing hammer! Hence, another *happy accident*!

The Organic Olives earrings are made with natural copper wire, not a coated craft wire. Because there is not a sealer on the metal, their patina will change over time to an even darker, antiqued finish. They are 2 1/4 of an inch in length; the dangles are 1-1/2 inches long, swinging from handmade copper earwires. The olivine Czech glass bead are faceted, and coordinate oh so well with the copper wire!

Thank you for looking!

Blessings,


Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved

Encompass Me!

These sultry earrings started out with circles of copper that were wrapped in yards of fine copper wire. Woven into the circles are over lapping loops of wrapped copper coils and copper and sterling silver beads. Stunning 6mm x 9mm smoky quartz briolettes adorn the center and bottom of the earrings! All a feast for the eyes!

The Encompass earrings are a bold 2-3/8 inches in length; the dangle is 1-7/8 inches long, and 1-1/8 of an inch across and swing so gracefully from handmade copper earwires. If you prefer, the copper earwires can be replaced with 14k gold-filled earwires at no additional charge. These earrings are made with natural copper that has a protective coating so they will not tarnish with wear.

Blessings,

Heart's Desire Beading Company 2010 © - All Rights Reserved

What is a Fibula?

In the Shop section of my website you may have noticed a section call Fibulas and More, and wondered what a bone has to do with jewelry? The word fibula actually has three meanings according to the dictionary on Ask.com, and they are as follows:

1. The outer and narrower of two bones of the human lower leg, extending
from the knee to the ankle.
2. The corresponding bone in the hind leg of an animal.
3. An ornamented clasp or brooch used in ancient Greece and Rome to
fasten clothing.

Of course the third definition of an ornamented brooch is what you will find made there!

The modern fibula is perfect for dressing up sweaters, shawls and loosely woven scarves. Most of these brooches are bold and unique in design, and are considered statement pieces of jewelry!

Over the years of creating jewelry, I have found several books and tutorials with instructions on creating different styles of fibulas. If you want to try your hand at one of these wonderful pins, try these sources for great instructions:

1. Bead On a Wire, by Sharilyn Miller
2. Heart Fibula, by Julie Sigmund (a tutorial found in her Etsy shop called
juliebeads)
3. Creating Wire and Beaded Jewelry, by Linda Jones
4. Contemporary Copper Jewelry, by Sharilyn Miller

Thank you for stopping by to read this musing on life and jewelry at Heart’s Desire Beading Company!

Blessings,

P.S. The heart fibula in the pictures is made from Julie Sigmund's turtorial on Etsy!

Caring for Your Copper Jewelry

Over time, copper jewelry will loose its bright shine and take on a patina of its very own. This can be wonderful to a point, but if it goes beyond that and discolors your skin a strange shade of green, it can discourage you from even buying copper jewelry! Please let me assure you there is a very simple solution to this issue, and it is one you probably already have in your home!

The bracelet in the picture above is my very own, and I wear it on a regular basis. As you can see, it has been quite a while since I've polished it and it is very dull! When it is in this state and I wear it on a extremely hot day, the combination of perspiration and the copper will discolor my wrist. If this happens to you, simply wash the discoloration off your wrist with soap and water! It also helps to wash the copper jewelry as well and will help prevent this from happening again until you can clean it at home.

Now to the home remedy for dull copper! It is anything with a high acidic content such as lemon juice, tomato ketchup, or even Worcestershire sauce. Yes, I have tried all of these and they really do work! Lemon juice is my favorite, it seems to work the quickest of the three and with just a little (and I stress just a little) elbow grease your jewelry with be bright and shiny in no time! Just follow these simple steps.

Supplies: a small glass or ceramic dish, the acidic cleaning agent of your choice, a old toothbrush, soap and a drying towel

Gather your supplies and your copper jewelry. Place one piece of jewelry in the dish and pour the cleaning agent over the item and allow it to set for a short time in the liquid, about 10 to 20 minutes. I usually use a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and turn the copper over every few minutes to assure an even cleaning. NOTE: You may have to change the cleaning liquid a couple of times if the copper is extremely dirty. To move the process along, you may use your old toothbrush to gently scrub into the cracks and crevasses of the design. When you have achieved the desired cleaning, run clear water over the jewelry to rinse. Then use a little soap and the toothbrush to clean just a little more, rinse and pat dry with a towel.

Please DO NOT leave your jewelry in the acid soak for and extended period of time OR if your copper jewelry has pearls, or any other soft stone DO NOT use any of these ways of cleaning!

The picture below is my bracelet after a 10 minute soaking in lemon juice! As you can see, it really does work with very little effort! So when you want to purchase of lovely piece of copper jewelry, don't let the worry how you will keep your copper clean stop you from purchasing! You can confidently clean your copper jewelry with items you already have!

Blessings,

More Eye Candy!

Here are some lovelies for you to enjoy!

You can find them at http://heartsdesirebead.com/

Blessings,

New Look - New Style - New Website!

Whew! I don't know about you, but life sure has been very busy! Over the last few months I have learned several metal smithing techniques, and made some big changes to my website!

Back in the spring, I took a two day metal smithing class at a local art center and now I am totally into working with a torch! In the classes I learned how to bezel set stones, as well as refresh my memory on soldering! It was a wonderful weekend and I came way with a rose quartz ring and a pair of turquoise earrings as well as lots of information and ideas for more jewelry!

I also purchased letter and design stamps for metal and have tried my hand at personalizing rings, necklaces and earrings! So in the near future, you will see some initial necklaces with birthstones, rings with initials and much more!

Last week, I started working on changes to Heart's Desires website and am pleased with the new look so far! This design is a breeze to work with and I definitely want to spend more time adding new pieces of jewelry to sell!

Some of the changes you will find on the website is a gallery of pictures, a blog page and best of all, many new pieces of jewelry! I hope you will take some time to browse through each section and leave a comment about what you think. Please be honest, if there is something you do not care for let me know! Here is the link: http://heartsdesirebead.com

In the mean time, here is some eye candy to get you started! Enjoy!

Blessings,

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.”

~ Albert Einstein

Blessings,

Double Hearts Ring

Just a few weeks ago Corra Liew, of de Cor's Handmade shared this free twin hearts ring tutorial on her blog! Since hearts have a special meaning to me and I loved the look of this sweet little ring, I just had to try making one!

Corra put lots of clear pictures of each step in constructing the ring and the written instructions were easy to follow too! After just a few practices with copper wire (which is strongly recommend!), I was confidently making rings with my good sterling silver wire!

One thing I will stress, use 18 gauge dead soft wire as is listed in the instructions, it does make a big difference in the construction of this ring! The final picture below became a heart with a swirl in the center because the half hard wire I was using became brittle and broke when bending the last loop in the second heart! But that ring is what I call one of my "happy accidents"!

In closing, I will add a little tip from me! If you do not have dead soft sterling silver wire, try annealing it with a torch, quenching it in a cup of water and cleaning off any fire scale with very fine steel wool. Your sterling silver wire will become very malleable which is much easier to work with! Please be sure to use all proper safety precautions and use the appropriate tools to anneal any metal!

Blessings,
Debra