Cuff Bracelets are one of the first designs I created. Yes of course there were the earrings and necklaces.. but when I discovered how to start designing cuffs I was hooked. It seems simple doesn’t it? just take a piece of metal and shape it to fit a wrist.

Wrong! So much detail work and creativity goes into the design process. The variables are endless. Search cuff bracelets on Pinterest for example and see how many different styles you can find.

Personally I love working with copper and silver. Gemstones evolved naturally somewhere along the line. I want your wrist to SING when you wear one of my cuffs!

The gemstones I use are hand picked. No two are the same shape or size. This means YOUR cuff is one of a kind. Relax knowing you have a unique, classic design that will stand the test of time.

Shop All my Cuff Designs Here

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Creating a new jewelry design is so energizing for me. I love looking at the finished piece and envision others admiring it and (of course) buying it. However, getting a photo that expresses the beauty of the design is challenging. So I enlisted the help of professional jewelry photographer Doug Baldwin. He exceeded my expectations. The photos reflect the beauty of my designs. I am excited to share these with you now, knowing these are a true representative of my work.

Would you like to see more of my designs? Here is the link to all of the Cuffs

Want to know how to WEAR your Cuff?

Become an Alene’s Adornments Collector

Provide your Email and first name to Get First Look at newest designs, tidbits and legends about gemstones, jewelry care tips and of course.. COLLECTOR ONLY specials and discounts

The post What a Difference a Photo Makes appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Cuff bracelets are my life.. OK maybe not my life’s goal or purpose… however I do adore designing and wearing cuff bracelets.

Over the years I have designed using copper, brass and sterling. There are virtually hundreds of ways to create.. and they are all energizing and fun for me.

Do YOU love cuffs too?

Have you struggled with placing them on your wrist without fear of either cracking or breaking them?

Well first of all, the cuffs I create are very strong, so no worries there. Yet there is a trick to getting it on your wrist easily.

We have two major wrist bones. The Ulna and the Radius. If your hand is PALM UP as shown in this image, the ULNA is closest to your body.

The Ulna is the thinner bone, so we want to slide the cuff on from the inside. (palm up). The cuff will then easily slide onto your wrist. Voila, you have done it. Show it off to everyone that day. At the end of the day you can remove the cuff from the same side (Ulna palm up).

Most importantly your cuff is made to last for years.. perhaps even into the next generation of jewelry lovers in your family. Enjoy.

Shop now for the cuff you want to call your own.  Each cuff I design is Handmade and One Of A Kind.

eBecome an Alene’s Adornments Collector today.

Get First Look at newest designs, tidbits and legends about gemstones, jewelry care tips and of course.. COLLECTOR ONLY specials and discounts.h

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If you have been following my blog or any of my Social pages… you already know that

I LOVE WORKING WITH COPPER!

When I first started taking metals classes, copper was used as the ‘learning’ metal.  Meaning ‘work with copper to get the feel of metal and what you can accomplish’ . Once past the learning curve, then venture on with Silver and/or Gold.

However, with the incredible price increase  for gold and silver, many jewelers have discovered the fun and beauty of working with pure copper…. like me!

Here then are 3 of my favorite patinas for copper. 

FLUX:

I  created this by accident. When working with silver you must coat the metal with flux before heating. This prevents firescale.

This is not necessary with copper but I was multitasking (not always a good idea when using heat!) and ended up spritzing the copper with cuprinol. (a spray flux).  The result is this reddish mottled effect. I just love it! 

  PEANUT OIL:

This one is a little trickier to work with. I brush peanut oil onto the copper. A VERY Thin Coating. Then I heat from BELOW the piece. IF you heat from above you run the risk of setting the oil on fire!  The resulting colors are brownish caramel tones. Please note that although I do treat all of my designs with a lacquer, this patina is NOT recommended for any person allergic to peanuts.  There are other oils that give a similar effect. Sesame oil is a potential option.

VINEGAR and AMMONIA:

The most vibrant blues and greens are created with this patina. I coat the copper with vinegar and keep an open smaller container of ammonia inside the larger closed bin. That way the fumes from the ammonia mix with the vinegar to create amazing blues and blue/greens.

[tweet_box design=”box_05″ float=”none”]Copper is easy to work with, affordable and provides so many beautiful design opportunities.  My designs are all available for purchase at Alene’s Adornments[/tweet_box]

Get your free copy 21 Practical Tips; Caring for your copper jewelry 

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I have been playing around with a new technique I learned from a recent class with Eva Sherman. (instructor extraordinaire).    Once we had learned this process of crimping the metal, I put my own spin on it.. Because that’s the way creative people think. 

So I combined the crimping with corrugation, forging, mixed metals and different patinas.

Voila! A collection is born.

I will be photographing and listing the first 5 designs (each one is limited edition of one) on my web site. alenesadornments

If you want to have first dibs on purchasing one of these, please join my mailing list. My subscribers will get first notice AND their subscriber only discount!  

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