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rhienellethFor some time now, I've seen these wonderfully simple looking little bead caps - just plain silver or gold half circles on either side of a bead. I looked everywhere for them, and couldn't find any to buy. And then on one of the many forums I frequent, somebody posted some bead caps they made from copper, and there they were! I was so excited - making them meant I could make my own out of my preferred metal, argentium silver! (So little in the way of beads and caps and clasps is readily available to buy in argentium, yet.) It's taken me a couple of months to collect everything I needed, but last night I finally made my own!
And then I used them with that huge, amazing labradorite I bought a few months ago. Unfortunately, that lab is tricky to photograph. Lighting and angles and stuff have to be just right to catch the flash of color - and these have gorgeous color! I managed to snap a couple of pics that showed either the blue flash, or the green/gold. Unfortunately, they were all close ups or strange angles - every single pic I tried of the necklace straight on failed to show the flash. *sigh*
In any case, I'm absolutely in love with this necklace. I'm going to make another, just for me, and some matching earrings. I just need to make more bead caps first!
And this one's up in the Etsy store. I'm so excited about these little bead caps, be excpecting to see them on a lot of things for awhile. Well, until I run out of silver sheet to make them from.
The process, in case anyone is wondering:
~ Using a disc cutter (dapping set), cut the appropriately sized discs from silver (or whatever metal) sheet.
~ Using a doming set, dome each circle.
~ Drill a small hole in the center of each dome, making sure it's large enough to just fit your gauge of wire through. (I had to buy special small drill bits for my Dremel.)
~ clip off any extra bits around the hole from the drilling process, file edges slightly.
It took me about half an hour, maybe forty minutes, to make 26 bead caps. I'm sure I'll get faster as I get used to the process.
And then I used them with that huge, amazing labradorite I bought a few months ago. Unfortunately, that lab is tricky to photograph. Lighting and angles and stuff have to be just right to catch the flash of color - and these have gorgeous color! I managed to snap a couple of pics that showed either the blue flash, or the green/gold. Unfortunately, they were all close ups or strange angles - every single pic I tried of the necklace straight on failed to show the flash. *sigh*
In any case, I'm absolutely in love with this necklace. I'm going to make another, just for me, and some matching earrings. I just need to make more bead caps first!
And this one's up in the Etsy store. I'm so excited about these little bead caps, be excpecting to see them on a lot of things for awhile. Well, until I run out of silver sheet to make them from.
The process, in case anyone is wondering:
~ Using a disc cutter (dapping set), cut the appropriately sized discs from silver (or whatever metal) sheet.
~ Using a doming set, dome each circle.
~ Drill a small hole in the center of each dome, making sure it's large enough to just fit your gauge of wire through. (I had to buy special small drill bits for my Dremel.)
~ clip off any extra bits around the hole from the drilling process, file edges slightly.
It took me about half an hour, maybe forty minutes, to make 26 bead caps. I'm sure I'll get faster as I get used to the process.
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Date: 2008-04-25 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-25 07:26 pm (UTC)And very pretty.