Project by Teri Blond from San Antonio, Texas.Teri has had a fascination with beetles ever since she was a small child. This self-taught artist found a way to combine her metal skills with her bug fetish to create unusual and eye-catching sterling silver beetle necklaces.
Materials:
24-gauge sterling silver sheet
18-gauge sterling silver round wire
Czech glass stones
pearls
fine-tip black permanent marker
silver and gold paint pens
blue-violet glitter
330 epoxy resin
basic jewelry working tools
pitch bowl
dap
metal file
chrome polish
jewelry bale
Steps:1. Make a wire outline of the bug (figure A).
2. Cut a piece of flat silver. Solder outline and flat silver together (figure B). Trim and file.
3. Turn the bug face down into a pitch bowl and form with a dap.
4. Attach the legs, bale and antennae (figure C).
5. Pickle the piece and polish the tops of the wire.
6. Use a silver paint pen to fill between the wires (figure D).
7. Use a fine-tip black marker to make decorations on the surface (figure E).
8. Apply epoxy and glitter.
9. Set the stones (figure F) and the pearls as desired.
10. Buff with a good chrome polish.
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