spiral chains
The spiral is probably the most characteristic and distinctive symbol of the Celtic style. In this chapter, you will learn how to create spiral units to form beautiful, hand-made chains that reflect the timeless, swirling patterns of the ancient craftsmen. Experiment with using other gauges and types of wire than those suggested here you will be surprised at how different the results can look The spiral is perhaps the most identifiable sliape of Celtic culture and this chain is the epitome of...
Pliers and cutters
You will need a good pair of wire cutters and two or three kinds of pliers. There are three types of pliers used in making wire jewelry round-nose, flat-nose, and chain-nose although, to get started, round-and flat-nose ore the most essential. It is well worth investing in good-quality versions. Round-nose pliers have tapered shafts, around which you bend the wire so they ore ideal for Chain-nose piiers ore similar to flat-nose pliers, but have tapered ends. They are useful for holding very...
valentine knot bracelet
No book of jewelry projects would be complete without a heart, the symbol of love, among the designs. In this bracelet. I've given the heart a very Celtic rendering with curling spirals, and have used bone- and wood-effect beads and cotton cord to reflect the materials that would have been available in those ancient times. 8 x 8 mm wood- and booe-etlect beads Round-and Hal nose pliers Wire cutters Hammer and steel stake Superglue optional The interlaced natural cot ton cord and hone and wood...
Fishhook clasp
The most commonly used clasp is the fish-hook, which is also one of the simplest to create. I . Working from the spool, curl the end of the wire info o small loop using the tips of your round-nose pliers. Reposition your pliers on the other side of the wire, just under the loop, and curl the wire in the opposite direction around the wider part of the pliers to form the fish-hook clasp. This hook-shaped clasp is both decorative atid functional. . Cut the wire off the spool, leaving about in. to...
accessories
I hope the projects in this chapter will inspire you to consider designing and fabricating matching accessories and wire art to complement your own jewelry pieces. Jewelry is highly personal and these projects, which include a key ring, handbag clip, and hair grip, provide great gift ideas for special birthdays and anniversaries. Cascading down like bubbles in a waterfall, the beads are encased in spirals of wire to form a unified bunch that can be used to decorate a key ring, handbag, or belt...
duo spiral bracelet
You will need 20-gauge pink wire 20-gauge green wire Round- and flat-nose pliers Wire cutters Earty man observed the beauty of nature's spirals, using them as a symbol of eternity, symbolizing life, death, and rebirth. Spirals can be found in the art of most earty civilizations, but it was the Celts who found a way of weaving two. three, four, or even more coils together. These fun. colorful bracelets, made from two tones of wire, can also be made in gold and silver for a more reserved, classic...
wrapped stone pendant
It is probable that the Celtic tribes would have kept stones as talismans and charms, and this project shows how you could wrap a pebble, semiprecious polished stone or. in fact, anything that does not have a drilled hole to be tlireaded. Die next time you are on vacation, or having a weekend break, look for an interesting stone, piece of bark, or fragment of china or glass and take it home to be wrapped in wire and turned into a pendant as a souvenir of your trip. Stones of all shapes and...
Hand drill and vise
These are not essential tools, but they are useful for twisting several lengths of wire together see page 1 7 . A small vise that you can attach to the edge of your work table is also a helpful tool to hove if you are braiding wire see page 1 7 , as it holds one end of the wires firmly together while you work although you could ask a friend to help. Aium A hand drill and vise useful for twisting and braiding wires. Aium A hand drill and vise useful for twisting and braiding wires. L lt n A jitf...
Sshaped clasp
An S-shaped clasp is another popular decorative clasp with a Celtic feel. . Place the widest part of your pliers just under the loop, and curve the wire in the opposite direction to create a mirror imcge to the first curve and complete the S shape. An S-shaped clasp is another popular decorative clasp with a Celtic feel. . Cut the wire off the spool, turn the piece over and make a smoll loop at the other end of the wire. . Place the widest part of your pliers just under the loop, and curve the...
Celtic Wire Jewelry
1 often use coinmf iris lt nrpfiVali the lowing lines ml Vuviiltf K'fors lt gt tflliiVil illummittfil m lt 2MnvripiS in my Yliic-srvli-jnvrliv. Initially, I found designing the projects in this book quite a challenge, as my research come up with some stunning exomples of chunky, bronze castings, scabbards, and chalices, but no traces o' line wireworlc at all However, the more I studied linear detail on objects from ancient burial sites and she surviving pages of illuminated manuscripts, the...
beadset ring
You wrfi need 20-gauge s fve wire 4 mm round bead o your choice Cylindrical dowel or rmg mandrel Round- and flat-nose pliers Wire cutters Superglue I took my inspiration for this ring from the decoration on Celtic shields. Shell, amber, and coral were often used in Celtic shields and sword scabbards, as well as red glass or enamel. which was made out of cuprous oxide crystals. The crystals were used in small lumps which, when softened by heat, were then shaped into small pellets or beads and...
pebble and shell charm bracelet
Although no charm bracelets dating back to the Celtic era survive. I am sure that shells and natural objects would have been made into necklaces and bracelets, as the Celts were very fond of decorating and adorning themselves for ceremonial rituals. This bracelet demonstrates how you can attach un-drilled. semiprecious stones or small pebbles to a chain to create a highly individual bracelet. The gold wire enhances the warm tones of the semiprecious stone pehhles and shells, l or a...
shawl stick pin
The decorative design of this shawl or hat pin is derived from the Canna Cross a carved stone cross on the Scottish Hebridean island of Canna. dating from between 700 and 800 ce. Although very little of it now remains, the center of the cross is in the form of a circle, representing the cycle of life. Here. I've shaped the cross using a jig. in order to be sure of making it symmetrical. The same motif also makes an attractive necklace pendant or earrings. 1 . Referring to the pattern on page...
looped knotwork bracelet
You will need 8 x 6 mm round blue beads 8 x size 8 while seed beads 20-gauge silver wire Round- and flat-nose olteis V. -in. round dowel or mandrel Hammer and steel stake Wire cutters Celtic warriors dyed their bodies with a substance called woad a blue wood dye , drawing swirling patterns, much like tattoos, all over their skin to make them look fierce in battle. This bracelet was inspired by both the blue dye and those swirling patterns. This is 1 simple.yet effective chain-unit design that...
pins
The Celts commonly used pins to fasten their cloaks and shawls. Such brooches were usually made of bronze, with one piece of metal at the head, hammered and drawn into a long wire to form a spring and pin. These pins were often decorated with semiprecious stones, beads, and coral. In this chapter, I have provided an eclectic mix of projects, taking my inspiration from artefacts found in burial sites as well as details from illuminated manuscripts. I am sure you will enjoy creating the rings and...
C scroll pendant
I found this motif on a fragment of an Irish golden brooch dating back to the eighth or ninth century. The brooch was fabricated from beaten sheet gold, soldered with the 3-C scroll wire pattern. You can enlarge or reduce the design depending on the amount of wire and size of beads that you use. Alternatively, make it with twisted wires to create more filigree effect. You will need 20-gauge silver wire 28-gauge silver wire 4 x 8 mm crackle-effect Deads 1 x 6 mm black bead 1 x 0.5 mm crimp bead...
Twisting wires together
Twisting wires together is not only fun and quick, but can provide a bolder, more metallic feel to your pieces. Celtic craftsmen would have cast a lot of their pieces in bronze, so to achieve a chunkier, more authentically Celtic-looking effect as in the Twisted Torque Bongle on page 56 , twist six to eight wires together. I recommend using a vise ond hond drill for this technique, as it is both quick and effective. If you do not have these tools, however, attach one end of your wires to a door...
Workhardening
To create functional wire jewelry without the aid of solder, you must know how to work-harden, or toughen, your moterial. One effective method is to hammer the piece on o steel stake. The stake must be clean, smooth, and dent free, or the wire will pick up irregularities. Ploce your piece on the stake and stroke hammer it, ensuring that the flat port of the hammer comes down at 90 to the piece. It is easiest to hammer standing up, os the hammer head will hit the wire squarely, rather than at on...
twisted torque bangle
You will need Six cotors ot 20-gauge wire 4 x 5mm round siiver beads Masking tape Cylindrical dowels or mandrels. 'A in. and 2 in in diameter The most beautiful torque bracelets and neck rings have been recovered from Celtic burial sites. The torque was a badge of rank and power, and classical writers have reported that Queen Boadicea wore a golden neck ring and bangles when she went into battle against the Romans. This technique can be used to make a variety of choker collars, as well as...
celtic cross
Many of the finest examples of Celtic metalwork were created for the church, and embellished with precious and semiprecious gems. This jig pattern is a simplified, modern-day interpretation of a traditional Celtic-style cross. Celtic crosses differ from the later Christian crosses, which have a longer central stem. It is supposed that Celtic crosses were designed symmetrically to fit into a circle the symbol of the cycle of life . My design is suspended from a hand-made chain of S-shaped units...
book of kells choker
I took my inspiration for this choker from the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript now housed in the library of Trinity College. Dublin, that dates back more than 1200 years and is regarded as one of the greatest surviving treasures of Celtic art. The stone in this choker represents the stones from which the monks would have ground their colors. The pink wire unit represents the swirling framework and lavish ornamentation of the illuminated text. I . Cut two 7-in. lengths of 20-gouge pink...
Coiled fishhook clasp and fastener
2 Wrap the extending wire around the stem, just under the loop. '3. Cut the wire off the spool, leaving about X in. extending. Using the tips of your round-nose pliers, form the extending wire into a link see page 13 . This is a variation on the basic fish-hook clasp. It is used on cord, ribbon and twisted or braided wires- in fact, anything to which a jump ring or hook cannot be attached. 1 . Working from the spool, moke two coils of wire about in. long, in the same way as when making jump...
double spiral necklace
This double spiral is less delicate than the Open Spiral Bracelet on page 60. Each unit is made from one piece of doubled-over wire, providing a very solid, metallic effect. For an elegant matching set. make earrings from just one double spiral, suspended with a pendant bead. 1 . Cut six 6-in. lengths of 20-gauge silver wire ond twelve of copper. Bend eoch length in half by placing the tips of your round-nose pliers in the center and pulling and straightening the wire on each side so that it...
necklaces chokers
As a symbol of continuity, interlacing knotwork patterns in Celtic borders and panels are an imitation of braiding and weaving, and were used as decoration for stone, wood, and metal. Pictish artist-craftsmen, in particular, concentrated on geometrical constructions, interlacing not only linear patterns, but also limbs and bodies of humans, animals, birds, and reptiles. The projects in this chapter show how you can braid and twist wires together, as well as create interwoven structures using a...
triskele choker
Suspend the triskele motif from a twisted-wire choker ring made from the same two colors ofuire. as here, or from a ready-made chain or ribbon. The triskele. or triskelion. is a motif consisting of three interlocking spirals. Three-piece spirals were used by the early monks, probably to represent the Trinity of the Father. Son. and Holy Spirit. The number three was also very important to the Celts, as it stood for the on-going cycle of birth, life, and death so this choker has strong symbolic...