Wonder and Whimsy Monthly Challenge - July Reveal

It's the last Friday of July... and that means it's reveal day for the Wonder and Whimsy Monthly Challenge!

As a reminder, for this month I thought it would be fun to do something a little different... namely, I wanted try to create some jewelry based on computers.

The inspiration for this challenge came from my husband, who is an extremely talented programmer (the above snippet of code is from one of his recent projects). I thought it would be fun to try to tackle something usually considered very left-brained and vastly different from jewelry-making, and see what I could come up with. All in all, I made four projects for this challenge. 

So, without any further ado, here is what I made!


Project #1

For this project, I decided it would be fun to make something based on programming languages. While deciding exactly what I wanted to do, I remembered that many of these languages have logos--at least the more recent ones do--and I just happened to have a 3D printed logo lying around in my craft room. (I really do have a little bit of everything in there, hah!)

This particular logo is the one for Clojure--which, also just so happens to be the favorite programming language of one of my husband's good friends. So, while my original design for this logo was actually a tassel necklace, I decided to make it into a keychain... that way, we can give it to said friend. 

To complete the project, I added some faceted glass and a keyring to the 3D printed logo. Simple and fun, this was a happy way to get started with this challenge--and make a special present to boot. 


Project #2

This second project was based more on the hardware of computers... namely, circuit boards.

...and I just so happened to have a circuit board pendant lying around, too. (See what I mean? My stash is a treasure trove of happy randomness.)

My first order of business for this necklace was to make the bail for the pendant, which I did using 22 gauge German wire. Then, to complement the pendant, I made some chubby paper beads using green cardstock. I was particularly pleased with how well the bicone shape of the beads echoes the shape of the pendant itself.

To these components, I added some Czech glass and some aventurine rounds--all wrapped in the same bright silver as the pendant (24 gauge for the necklace strands). A matching toggle clasp completes the look.

I'm actually really in love with this necklace. It looks very elegant when worn. Not only that, but from a distance I don't think people would realize just what the pendant is made from... and I think it's fun to surprise people like that.

Oh, and I also made some earrings to match, using the same aventurine rounds that I used in the necklace:

Overall, I am extremely happy with this set. As I said, it is very elegant--and surprising. Even circuitboards can be lovely. :)

Here is the set all together:

Project #3

The previous two projects are rather straight-forward. The next two are a bit more... abstract. (Which is fitting, I suppose, considering just how much of programming is  abstract. Heh.)

So, first up: hexadecimal.

For computers, everything boils down to a series of 1s and 0s--or, rather whether a switch is on or off. This is called binary, counting using base 2. Binary code is used for various methods of encoding data, such as character strings, into bit strings.

Binary, however, is long and cumbersome to read, so a more human-friendly way of representing this information is hexadecimal... in other words, counting through base 16. It uses sixteen distinct symbols, most often the symbols "0"–"9" to represent values zero to nine, and "A"–"F" (or alternatively "a"–"f") to represent values ten to fifteen.

So, through a long and complicated process that I don't quite feel like explaining right now, the phrase "Hello, World!" becomes this hexadecimal series: 

48-65-6c-6c-6f-2c-20-77-6f-72-6c-64-21

...Which, I decided, would be the pattern for this necklace. First, though, I had to find sixteen different colors of beads to serve as my "numbers"--and that just happens to be the sixteen bags of beads shown in the previous photo, arranged in rainbow order. I then assembled one bead per number, with spacer beads to represent the break between the hexadecimal numbers.

And that is how I created this necklace:

...Oh, and as a fun fact: the pendant is made up of a combination of two fishing lures. It doesn't have anything to do with computers, but it's still fun. :)

Oh, and why did I pick the phrase "Hello, World!"? Because it is one of the very, very first writing programs that aspiring programmers write... and it certainly makes for a bright and cheerful necklace! :)


Project #4

So, remember I said about binary code--that computers understand 1s and 0s? Well, as my final project for this challenge, I decided to "write" something in binary as well.

For this project, the os are labradorite, and the 1s are amethyst... and I decided to write my name.

Jenny Kyrlach translates into this series of binary:
01001010-01100101-01101110-01101110-01111001-00100000-01001011-01111001-01110010-01101100-01100001-01100011-01101000

...And this is what it looks like as a necklace:

I used 26 gauge wire to wrap the stones individually. This construction, and the sheer number of 1s and 0s in the pattern, make this is an exceedingly long necklace, so I decided to make it a lariat. The end with a loop represents the beginning of the sequence... and the loop just happens to be large enough for the other end to go through.

Because of its length, this was also a ridiculously hard necklace to photograph with my current set-up, but hopefully you can still get an idea of what it looks like. The stones are gorgeous and sparkle really nicely in the light--and it has a lovely drape.

Oh, and why did I pick labradorite and amethyst? Because those are my two favorite gemstones, and it is my name after all. :)

So, there you go! Those are the pieces that I made for this month's challenge! It was very, very fun trying to tackle a challenge that was a bit more "out there"... I have always found the world of computers to be fascinating, and it was neat trying to find ways to combine them with my love of jewelry making.

Oh, and as a sidenote: I do hope that my description of binary and hexadecimal was adequate... if you want more information, I am sure my husband wouldn't mind trying to explain it better. (He actually started to help me write an explanation, but when my eyes started to cross I decided for the sake of my addled brain to not include it. I'm definitely healing nicely from my concussion, but I guess I'm still not 100%.)

Thanks so much for stopping by today... I really appreciate the chance to share these creations with you.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!