All my own work!

A while back I bought a whole load of copper wire in different thicknesses.  I am attracted to copper more than gold or silver at the moment for some reason but there doesn't seem to be the same choice in findings, etc. in copper.  My intention when I bought all the wire was to start making my own findings but I've never really got round to it.

So, today, I decided I'd have a go.  I thought ear wires might be the easiest thing to start with so I cut a couple of lengths of 0.8mm wire, straightened them and then bent them around a mandrel to make hooks.  I filed the ends to make them smooth then shaped the hook to make it more like ready made ear wires. I also got to play with a hammer and my little anvil to flatten and strengthen the hooks.  I threaded on a little, pink glass bicone under the hooks and made loops.

Next, I cut another couple of lengths of 0.8mm wire, hammered one end of them flat and then filed the flattened edges to smooth them off.  Voila!  A pair of home made head pins.  I threaded a biggish glass foiled bead and 2 glass bicones on to each head pin, turned a loop at the non-flattened end and connected them to the ear wires.  And the result is a lovely pair of girly pink earrings that I am currently wearing.

Not bad for a first attempt:

After the last photgraphic fiasco I decided NOT to try and photograph myself wearing them so I'm afraid you will just have to make do with the rather unexciting photo above. 

I think I'll be heading down the home-made route more often in future.