Thursday, March 31, 2011

Fine Silver Lentil Bead with Iolite & Green Pearl Necklace

Butterfly Wing Lentil Bead Necklace with Iolite and Pearl

Continuing with the blue-green-purple theme of the last few days, we have this lovely iolite and green pearl necklace with a fine silver lentil focal bead. The lentil bead has been impressed with a butterfly wing pattern and patinated with liver of sulphur. The patination has a steely blue cast. The bead is wire wrapped with a large gauge sterling silver wire.


The necklace is made of green button pearls and iolite beads which are strung on a SoftFlex wire that is attached to the wire wrapped lentil bead.

To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this pendant go to
Butterfly Wing Lentil Bead Necklace with Iolite and Pearl. For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio

San Jose Made Market is this Sat;urday

San Jose Made is this Saturday, April 2 from 12pm - 8pm. This is a vendor market specializing in goods made in San Jose CA.

Location: San Pedro Square
151 W. Santa Clara Street
65 N. San Pedro Street

If you're in San Jose stop by.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Iolite & Amethyst Amphora Necklace

Blue Amphora Necklace with Iolite and Amethyst Chain
The amphora in this necklace was made using PMC slip, paper, clay and syringe. A form was created from wood clay. The form was then covered with about 8 layers of PMC slip. Handles were added with PMC clay. Scraps of PMC paper were applied to the amphora and the decoration was completed with PMC syringe. After firing, the amphora was patinated with liver of sulphur to achieve the bluish tone.
To complement the blue tones in the amphora i created 2 wire wrapped chains. The first chain consists of small faceted iolite beads. The second chain combines iolite with the purple of amethyst.

To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this pendant go to
Blue Amphora Necklace with Iolite and Amethyst Chain
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Recent Work - Lapis Lazuli & Chrysoprase Ring

Chrysoprase & Lapis Lazuli Fine Silver Ring
I love it when i have time to work on rings and combine this with stones. I love stones and I particularly love combinations in the green - blue - violet spectrum. This ring was made with PMC. I created the ring band and let it dry. Once dry, i mounted the fine silver bezels to the clay and applied some syringe decoration around the bezels and to the ring. After firing the ring, it was tumbled and patinated with liver of sulphur. I then mounted two 5mm lapis lazuli cabochons and one 8mm chrysoprase cabochon in the ring.

To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to
Chrysoprase & Lapis Lazuli Fine Silver Ring
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Three Metal Jens Pind Bracelet

Three Metal Jens Pind Bracelet

Lets twist it up a bit. This Jens Pind pattern is made with 14 gauge hand made jump rings. I used three metals: sterling silver, copper and brass and weaved them together to create this bracelet. The bracelet is still a bold and classic design with the added interest of the three metals. The bracelet is closed with a sterling silver and copper clasp.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to Three Metal Jens Pind Bracelet
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Bold & Classic - Jens Pind & Pearl Bracelet

Sterling Silver Jens Pind Bracelet with Pearl Clasp
The Jens Pind chain mail pattern is one of my favorite chain mail patterns. This bracelet is made of handmade 14 gauge jump rings which are linked together to form this bold pattern chain. Jens Pind is a classic, contemporary, bold and elegant pattern. To add to its timeless appeal, the bracelet is closed with a pearl box clasp.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to Sterling Silver Jens Pind Bracelet with Pearl Clasp.
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Dreamin of a Hot Sunny Day - Copper Panel Bracelet

Copper Panel Bracelet

This bracelet is made from copper clay. Copper Clay is similar to Precious Metal Clay in that it is made up of very fine metal particles mixed with an organic binder. However, unlike Precious Metal Clay, Copper Clay must be fired in an oxygen free environment. To achieve this environment, this clay is fired in a lidded container filled with carbon pellets. This can be a messy process, but the end result is lovely.

The panels in this bracelet were laid on a curved surface to dry. Once fired, the panels maintain the curve to help the panels follow the curve of your wrist.

I particularly like the pattern impressed in this bracelet. It reminds me of a hot sunny day. The center of the pattern is a circle with four rays. The rest of the pattern radiates from the center. Dreaming of that hot sunny day...

To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this bracelet go to Copper Panel Bracelet. For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Fine Silver Nest Ring

Fine Silver Nest Ring
I love making rings, even though I don't make too many. Rings can be as simple as a plain band or over the top mini-sculptures. The nest ring leans more towards the later. This particular ring is made of Precious Metal Clay. I created a form to use for the creation of the nest and formed the clay around it. Once dried, i finished the green ware and then added the "eggs". The "eggs" are made of PMC. I create d the spheres as a means to use any leftover small bits of clay. Once dry, the nest is attached to the band, finished and fired. I tumbled the ring to give it strength and left it a shiny silver.

To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to Fine Silver Nest Ring.
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Time to Start My Garden - Peridot Wire Wrapped Necklace


Peridot Wire Wrapped Necklace

I started rototilling my vegetable garden this morning. I love being able to go out to my garden and pick fresh vegetables. I am featuring this lovely peridot necklace today because its lovely green color reminds me of spring and its the august birthstone, the peak of tomato season.

The necklace is made of faceted peridot rondelles, two joined together in single wire wrapped link. The links are joined with sterling silver jump rings. The necklace is 18" long and closes with a magnetic clasp.

To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this necklace go to Peridot Wire Wrapped Necklace

For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.