My Million Dollar Bracelet - Metal Prong Challenge Reveal

Ta and Da!  This may not look like a million dollar bracelet, but let me assure you, it is.  It is because I made it - every little bit of it.  It all started when the Metal Team at Artisan Whimsy issued a challenge.  Try a new technique, they said.  We'll show you how to do it, they said.  Easy, peasy, they said.  Uh huh.  Well, I fell for it.  I read the Easy Prong Setting Tutorial by Staci Louise Smith.  I studied all the pictures.  Cut a piece of metal a little bigger than the piece you want to mount, drill some holes to put your rivets through and solder them in place.  Ta da.  I think I can do that.  I didn't have any metal sheets on hand and couldn't find any locally (not even at the farm store!) but I did have an oval shaped brass connector I thought would work.  I found a pretty cab (in my favorite color, of course) and I had some rivets I'd purchased one other time I thought I might attempt metal work.

Here's the part where I'm going to fast forward a bit.  I'm going to skip the whole morning I spent in the garage trying to drill three little holes and solder three itty bitty, blankety-blank rivets into place.  It sounds so easy but my Dremel kept trying to skitter right off the plate and the solder wouldn't stick.  I finally got them soldered, but had to sand down the three and a half pound mounds of solder gobbed all over the place.  I'll admit it.  I cussed.  I did, however, end up with this:

It might not look like much to you, but I'm mighty attached to it.  After all we've been through together, this little plate and I are bonded.  We're tight.  So I slapped in my cab & bent the prongs to hold it in.  I probably could have used prongs with a bit more length, but I tested the piece pretty strenuously and the cab won't slip out, so I guess I'm good.

Now, I'll also admit that at this point my inclination was to revert to something known and comfortable and put a macrame band on this.  But, having come this far, I figured "in for a penny, in for a pound."  I had some beautiful teal beads on hand (thank you Shelley!) and I decided to mess with some wire working.  I did a few wire wrapped loops and even did some where the wire wraps up and around the bead (I'm not sure what you call that, but I tried it!).  I made a wire spiral just to say I did.  I even made little rosette thingies by linking three jump rings together.  

And then?  I attempted to make my own clasp.  I found a Wrapped S Clasp Tutorial  by Francesca Watson and gave it a whirl:

I thought I was all finished, but decided it needed a little movement, so I hung a Czech glass flower and a brass leaf near the focal.

It's not perfect, but I'm pretty proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone.  And if I were going to sell this piece, the price would be a cool mil:)

Be sure to stop by and check out the other participants:

The Beading Yogini, http://www.thebeadingyogini.com

Carolyn Dewison, Blue Berri Beads, http://blueberribeads.co.uk/

Pam Farren, http://www.re-maker.blospot.com

Mary Harding, Mary Harding Jewelry, http://www.maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com

Dawn Horner, Northern Adornments, http://northernadornments.blogspot.com/

Gina Hockett, Freestyle Elements, http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com

Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy, http://mybeadtherapy.blogspot.com

Lisa Laffend, http://kokopelliegirl.blogspot.com/

Laura Medeiros. http://zoeowyn.blogspot.com

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things, http://www.allprettythings.ca/

Melissa Muir, Melissa Muir Jewelry, http://design.kcjewelbox.com/

Melinda Orr, Melinda Orr Designs, http://orrtec.blogspot.com/

Julie Panusis, http://catsmeowco.blogspot.com

Mary Ellen Parker, http://beetreebyme.blogspot.com/

Staci Louise Smith, Staci Louise Originals, http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/

Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame, www.KnotJustMacrame.com  <-----You are here

Jo Tinley, Daisy Chain Designs Jewellery, http://www.daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com

Francesca Watson, Francesca Watson Designs, http://www.francescawatson.com

Jean Wells, http://www.jeanawells.blogspot.com