Chainmaille Wrapped Coins and Mirror

Happy 2016, everyone!!

Hope the new year finds you well, and all ready for a fantastic year ahead!

Me, as the ever diehard mailler, ringed in the new year with some new chainmaille projects (of course) of my own: Chainmaille wrapped objects.

Been seeing many talented maille artists' work in using chainmaille weaves to wrap all kinds of stuff, stones, bottles, disks, wind chimes, coins, you name it, but I'd never found the right projects for me, until now...

Yup, it's a 八卦鏡!  Jean has this on a plastic channel wrap that originally came with the mirror; but that wrap finally broke from exposure to the sun for many years.  Perfect timing for me to try my hands on replacing the wrap with metal rings!

So before I start on wrapping this 6" diameter mirror (and its separate cork backing), a little proof-of-concept is needed.

That's right, this POC is not anywhere close to what's finally on the mirror, and that's because I couldn't get this Japanese 2 in 1 based wrap to stay put around the mirror, no matter what... But I had no problem in closing the wrap on these two US nickles.

My guess of the issue is because this wrap doesn't have its own "structure", it mostly forms to the shape of whatever is being wrapped.  Plus, the "channel" depth of this wrap needs to come in more over the face of the coin, somewhat like 1/7 of the coin diameter, in order to securely hold in the object being wrapped.

1/7 of the diameter is OK on small objects like a coin of a donut pendant; but it won't look right on a mirror that's over 6" across, so...  the search was back on.

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Thanks to the internet, there is a huge collection of wrapped objects in pictures and in detail specs.  Almost too many to choose from :-)   In the end, I settled back on the good old Alligator Back, which is also the belly/base of all my chainmaille pet dragons :-)

The deep channel of Alligator Back can keep its shape with or without an object to hold onto.  In addition, I "cinched" the outside HP3in1 rings with the smaller rings in Euro6in1 (although in this case, it's really one ring thru 3 rings since they're on the edge.)

An extra piece of wire is also threaded thru the middle of Alligator Back, which is the center column of its Euro4in1, to give extra support to the wrap, as well as a separate and stronger point to connect the spiral chain on top.

Now it's all very secured, and very pretty :-)

Stats:

All jumprings are bright aluminum, 18 gauge SWG, 1.2 mm; power-coiled on 3/16" mandrel and saw cut on my Ringinator, except the outer edge rings on the Alligator Back are 1/4".

Yup, those metal rings are going to last a whole lot longer than the old plastic loop:-)

My Chainmaille Snowman!!

What do you think? :-)

This happy little snowman would like to wish you all the very best holiday season, with...

Peace for all!!

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Vertebrae Finger Ring

Ring made of rings.  Circles into circles.  That's the magic of chainmaille finger rings.

Many times, I started out weaving a bracelet, or a necklace; then somehow when I wrap it around my finger......

Oh look, a perfect size for a finger ring!! :-)

Vertebrae is the name of the weave; or technically, it's known as a basic European 4 in 1 Scaled, with the "scale" referring to the smaller rings nestle inside the larger ones.  But enough of the maille-tech lingo!

Try this ring on for yourself.  It's substantial at 1/2" wide, but still nimble, fits comfortably with a low profile shank at 5/32" thick.

At ring size 7 1/2, it is a popular medium size ring for most gals, or a fashionable pinkie ring for the guys.

This ring is currently available for purchase in my online studio DaisyKreates.com.  Matching style of bracelet and pendant are also in the plan.  Stay tuned:-)

Visit my Picasa web album for more views of the ring, as well as my other handmade creations.


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Red Genie Bottle Pendant with Easy Change Clasp Bail

I've been asked if I make my chainmaille genie bottles for uses other than pendants; say like, key fob, zipper pull, ceiling fan switch pull, etc., etc.

Well, I'm a little protective of these babies, for their colors and shine.  The colors from anodized aluminum is sturdy but they can be scratched off against sharp objects; and the brilliant shine on the Swarovski crystals is too precious to mess with.  So, as the way this line of the genie bottles are made, key fob idea is out.

However, I see no reason why it can't be swapped out of the neck chain and be used as ceiling fan pull; or, light switch pull.  With the newly updated clasp bail, you decide how you want to carry your genie bottle!!

The stainless steel lobster clasp is very smooth, easy operation.  It will keep the unique tilt that sets it aside from others.  When used as a ceiling fan pull, the long slender tassels with blingy Swarovski crystals bring oh so much more movement and liveliness!

Want to dress up your favorite outfit, or your lamp pull??  Drop me a note via Contact Me at my online studio www.DaisyKreates.com.

And let the magic begin!!

More views of the genie bottle?  Come visit my online photo album.

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R&D - Sierpinski's Triangle

Sierpinski's Triangle - What's is it?  I Googled it, still it's something I don't understand:-(

But, it looks pretty awesome in maille, don't you think?!

On one of those days when I had a serious case of mailler's block (like the kind I'm having right now, sadly....), I flipped through MAIL's weave library looking for inspiration when I came across an interesting triangle shape thingy created by ElementalDragon.  If you've not done any mailling, it may not be obvious to you, but achieving a straight line with round jump rings is not exactly straight forward (yes, pun intended!)

And triangles are made of 3 straight lines!  So how does this work?

Very carefully; like this!

These are tiny, at AR 2.3 for 18 swg rings.  Very hard to keep hold of.

How about with thicker wire?  Like this.

Then this.

Then back to the first photo on top:-)  

And from a different angle.  Interesting, don't you think?!

Oh, didn't mind the gaps; this is a just test:-)  But I see potentials in this!!  A dainty pendant, perhaps....  OK, will need to fire up my Ringinator to make some tight rings; AR 2.3 is not exactly common....

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Dutch Spiral is Cool!!

You're seeing this right; this is not chainmaille; it's seed bead weaving, one of my favorite crafts.  Been a while since I last did any...  For a new year, some new ideas brewing in my head, something mixed media...  First one to revisit is Dutch Spiral.

This odd-count tubular peyote weave is fascinating!  Yes, it's known as Dutch Spiral, but it's not woven in the typical spiral stitches.

It's done exactly as any odd-count tubular peyote, except it has a "floating bridge" added to each round.  This is where the magic beings!!

My test piece is just a short segment of size 11 mixed with size 6 for the ridge effect, followed by a string of 3-bead, size 15, "floating bridge".  The starting rounds can be a bit confusing, but not as tricky as some other spirals or tubular weaves.

Not too many chainmaille weaves that I know of can do spirals as dramatic and flexible; Markovian Helix may be one, but it's not exactly a quick weave to put together.

This short strip of test piece took longer than I planned; very tactile but still need work before production feasible.

So yes, more R&D, as always.  But I'm very excited about Dutch Spiral; I see lots of potential!!!

:-)


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Chainmaille Temari Pendants

I think of these as my chainmaille Temari pendants, although the die-hard maillers would perhaps insist on their technical name: Japanese Dodecahedron 10 in 3.

In any case, one thing is true:

These little balls are totally addictive!!

There is never making just one of them...

Difficult for me to use only one color; must mix them up a bit:-)

OK, so maybe just one of these in a single color... How about blue?  Very cool color, blue, that is, with a little on the indigo side... and a little on the purple side:-)

Seriously, isn't this so much more interesting than just the same shade of blue? :-)

I like using the color rings for the surface layer of the sphere, and the bright aluminum rings on the outer connections; the colors stay protected from wear, while the shiny silvery rings bring out the highlights, and echo the reflection from the glass marble in the center of the ball.

 

Strung on 24" smooth rubber cord, 2mm thick, closes with a dainty sterling silver clasp, the Temari pendant is just a little over 1" in diameter, perfect size for everything in your wardrobe!!

These cute chainmaille Temari ball necklaces are now available for purchase in my online studio DaisyKreates.com.  Thinking about different color combinations?  How about dropping me a note in the "Contact Form" to arrange for a custom order?!

More views of the necklace available in my Picasa Web album.

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Solar Eclipse Bracelet in Stainless Steel

Solar Eclipse is a weave I've wanted to make since back in 2010 when I first saw it on MWW.

Such a clever pattern, pleasant simplicity, and lots and lots of options when it comes ring sizes to use.

In choosing the big rings for this bracelet, I did go one size larger than what's in the weave description on MAIL.  And for this reason, I picked stainless steel which will offer a stable shape and firm hold on the kerf closures.

Speaking of closure, I did fuss over what type, what material, what shape, ... etc, etc.  Felt like the closure selection took longer than making the whole bracelet... oy!

As you can see, I finally settled on a simple, handmade (to be specific, "my hand", that is:-)) niobium toggle bar.  I think closures are just as important, if not more, as the main part of the jewelry.  They should take a stand on either being part of the overall presentation, or be the focal point.  In either case, it should not be an after thought; or in this case, I did think about it after I finished the chain, but to my defense, lots of thoughts were put into the final decision to make sure the bracelet looks good and wears well!!

For you DIYers who'd like to try their hands on this, here are my stats for this Solar Eclipse: 16swg, 7/16", 5/16", and 18swg, 3/16", all stainless steel, all saw cut.

Like this a lot but don't feel like DIY?  This bracelet is available for purchase thru my online studio DaisyKreates.com.  Hope to see you there!!

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Strangemaille

You know what people say about things they don't understand.....  "That's strange..."  Got your attention, didn't it? :-)  It did for me!

It looks a bit strange (duh!), but in a very attractive way:-)  Saw several gorgeous bracelets made in the weave, looked almost like fuzzy loops out of yarns.  I want one!

So last night, I set out for my first go at Strangemaille; I was aiming for a short test strip.  It was rather easy, to my surprise.  So I kept going.  Wow, this weave is additive!  I couldn't stop!  Went for nearly 4 inches when it happened again, my eternal nemesis:  Running out of rings!  Ugh!

So I broke off a section of the strip, counted a few multiples of 3 center rings, decided to connect it end to end for a finger ring, instant gratification, right?!  But ahh.....  (you may have guessed it) The connecting part took me longer than learning and making the 4-inch strip!!

Lucky for me, when I nearly decided to give up and call it a night, it clicked!  Like a zipper!!

Not exactly prim and proper, more funky and loopy, LOL!!

It definitely is not as thin as a Oops ring would feel, but still pretty comfy on the finger, about the size of a chunky pinkie ring.  I'm very happy with this:-)

This ring is now available for purchase in my online studio DaisyKreates.com.  Please come by a visit.

As to the rest of that test strip?  I put a pink drop bead on one end, a simple bail of triple rings on the other, and turned it into a funky little pendant!

More pictures of the pendant to come in my future blog entry.  Please stand by! :-)

(I noticed how many times I used the word "funky" here; it's either it really is very funky, or I should expand my vocabulary beyond "funky"....:-) )

Complete views of the "Strange" stuff, please visit my Picasa web album.

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Strangemaille is a weave by lorenzo on M.A.I.L.  To learn how to make this weave, I followed this tutorial by hysteria101, an excellent article.  Several inspiring work there as well as on M.W.W.


up, down, middle, up, down, middle, up down, middle....


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Pink Genie Bottle Pendant/Necklace

A more-pink-than-pink genie bottle, more pink than Kaylee's wedding cake dress:-) Right, for all you Firefly fans out there, you know the dress:-)

My Kaylee's Pink Genie Bottle is built with big bold crystals in a streamlined shape. It features a brilliant Swarovski Artemis bead as the bottle top, with a large vintage Swarovski Margarita crystal, a rare find these days!

I then wove the chamber portion of the genie bottle in a delicate chainmaille Whirlybird to give the pendant a substantial presence when held in your hand.

At last, but not least, the long, slander tassel is decorated with trailing crystals at the very end, kicking up yet another level of sparkles and pizzazz!

My Keylee's Pink Genie Bottle is 2 1/4 inches long, over 1 inch wide, plus a near 3-inch swaying tassel, hangs on a 32-inch, 2.9 mm, machine-made stainless steel curb chain with a mischievous tilt!

To custom order this pink beauty, please drop me note at Contact Me in my online studio DaisyKreates.com.

For complete views of the genie bottle, please visit my Google Photos Album.

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