Home / Jewelry Making Articles / Color Inspiration - Colorado Aspens

Color Inspiration - Colorado Aspens

by Kristal Wick
No season beats fall in my opinion and I patiently wait for it every year. It's rather bittersweet as we say goodbye to summer and KNOW that cold white stuff is around the corner-brrrrrr. I've had the good fortune to live in some beautiful spots across the country and experience fall in many different ways. My heart and home are in Colorado but my body craves fall in New England every year and I vow to get back out there someday for those gorgeous reds and orange tones. Colorado has spectacular mountains covered with stunning golden/bronze aspen leaves and they never fail to inspire every year. I took my fave image from this year to create this golden necklace. Although it's a bit fancy for leaf peeping, it's perfect for upcoming holiday festivities.
I used a combination of techniques in this piece and it's neck and neck (pun intended) between creating the links and stamping metal blanks for the lead as my fave technique! I started out by permanent ink stamping the metal blanks, then sealing them well so the ink doesn't rub off. I did patina and sand them first to give a more vintage look to the blanks and attached them to eyepin dangles made out of 20 gauge wire. I really enjoy making wire links of all kinds and these are very satisfying. They are easier to make than they look and it takes only some 18 gauge wire to create them. I used random metal and glass beads, crystals, pearls and small chain links for the stringing portions of the necklace, simply crimping them to the wire links.
Kristal Wick's Color Inspiration - Colorado Aspens - , Wire Jewelry Design, Design, color inspiration colorado aspens
The color pallet and image have a lot of blue from the sky but I wanted to reflect the aspen trees so I left out the blues and focused on golds and bronze with a little green thrown in to represent the leaves before they change colors. As a final touch, I glued small flat back crystals to the blanks for a bit of contrast to the texturally muted metal. Cheers to autumn!

Creatively,
Kristal
Kristal Wick's Color Inspiration - Colorado Aspens - , Wire Jewelry Design, Design, color inspiration colorado aspen
Kristal Wick's Color Inspiration - Colorado Aspens - , Wire Jewelry Design, Design, color inspiration colorado aspen

Materials

Brass Fancy Drop with Ring, 24 Gauge, 13/16 by 1/2 Inch, Pack of 6
MET-440.40
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $2.50
  • Gold Club Price: $1.88
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Brass Leaf with Ring, 24 Gauge, 27 by 18 Millimeters, Pack of 6
MET-450.58
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $3.80
  • Gold Club Price: $2.85
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Copper Leaf with Ring, 24 Gauge, 27 by 18 Millimeters, Pack of 6
MET-550.58
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $4.57
  • Gold Club Price: $3.43
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Copper Oval with Ring, 24 Gauge, 7/8 by 1/4 Inch, Pack of 6
MET-520.05
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $3.00
  • Gold Club Price: $2.25
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Copper Leaf with Ring, 24 Gauge, 1-1/8 by 3/8 Inch, Pack of 6
MET-550.20
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $2.97
  • Gold Club Price: $2.23
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Sterling Silver Chain Rolo (Oxidized) 2.5mm - 10 Feet
C8-175U
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $44.97
  • Gold Club Price: $33.73
Out of Stock
Sterling Silver Corrugated Oval Cable Oxidized Chain 2.7x4mm - 10 Feet
C8-221U
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $68.20
  • Gold Club Price: $51.15
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Sterling Silver Curb Chain 2x1mm - 10 Feet
C8-227U
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $37.40
  • Gold Club Price: $28.05
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Sterling Silver Flat Drawn Cable Chain 3.6x1.7mm - 10 Feet
C8-271U
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $78.80
  • Gold Club Price: $59.10
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18 Gauge Round Brown Enameled Craft Wire - 21 ft
H5-D18-21FT
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $6.80
  • Gold Club Price: $5.10
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20 Gauge Round Brown Enameled Craft Wire - 30 ft
H5-D20-30FT
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $6.80
  • Gold Club Price: $5.10
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4mm Crystal Aurore Boreale 5328 Bi-Cone Swarovski Crystal Beads - Pack of 10
A13-94A
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $1.67
  • Gold Club Price: $1.25
Out of Stock
4mm Topaz 5328 Bi-Cone Swarovski Crystal Beads - Pack of 10
A13-65A
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $1.97
  • Gold Club Price: $1.48
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4mm Jet 5328 Bi-Cone Swarovski Crystal Beads - Pack of 10
A13-93A
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $1.57
  • Gold Club Price: $1.18
Out of Stock
Rose Gold Filled Crimp Beads 2x2mm - Pack of 25
L10-10
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $6.80
  • Gold Club Price: $5.10
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Tools

WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5
G15-20
  • G15-20
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $170.72
  • Gold Club Price: $128.04
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Original Bead Crimper
PLR-585.00
  • PLR-585.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $12.97
  • Gold Club Price: $9.73
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  • Category: Design
  • Technique(s): Design

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