Daily Blogs : Step by Step Wire Jewelry

Design Wire Jewelry with Attitude!

Leslie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 GMT

Keep it together with wire.

It’s my birthday this week and, according to a friend, I’ve officially arrived to the point in my life where people will start saying “Yes, Ma’am!” when I ask them to do something. Boy, if she’s right, I’m really looking forward to it: “Do your homework.” "Yes, Ma’am!" “I’d like a discount on that, please.” "Yes, Ma’am!" “Rub my feet.” "Yes, Ma’am!" Wow—this is going to be good.

To fully embrace this Yes Ma’am! period, I may need to make myself a bold piece of jewelry. You know, something to go with my new firm attitude and red hat. To design for my new attitude, I planned thoughtfully, with purpose, considering each element for its meaning as I lay them out:

I’ll start by featuring this Steampunk-style heart I just received from polymer clay artist Jeannie Dukic. Even though it’s still sweet (it IS a heart, mind you), all that hardware makes it pretty kick-butt, just like the new bold outlook I’ll supposedly wake up with soon.

Crystal pearls will go perfectly with the heart, and their ageless luster will remind me that getting older is just a state of mind.

I'll incorporate these found objects, not only to reflect the flavor of the focal pendant, but also as a nod to my past years.

I turned to Step by Step Wire Jewelry for a way to tie it all together. Subscribe to Step by Step Wire Jewelry and discover for yourself why I was inspired! As I leafed through my issues I decided to use colored copper wire for my birthday necklace. Colored copper wire turned out to have all kinds of good birthday reminders for women of a certain age:

		It’s available in several different widths and gauges, just like the wide selection of jeans sizes in my closet.
		It's very soft and bendable, but can be work-hardened with a plastic or rawhide mallet. I'm guessing all those upcoming "Yes, Ma'ams!" will be a little like getting work-hardened, at first.
		It can be coiled, knitted, woven, looped, wrapped and bent but still has a good memory; it can still be straighted out with a good pair of nylon-jaw pliers. For a woman, sometimes all you need to get straightened out is a bar of chocolate. Yes, Ma’am!
		Colored copper wire doesn’t tarnish or fade. Aw, now isn’t that the best birthday reminder of all?

Did you find inspiration in Step by Step Wire Jewelry to make a design with purpose, as I did this week? What else about making wire jewelry reminds you to keep a good attitude? Please share your thoughts here on Beading Daily.

2 Free and Easy Wire Projects

Leslie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:10:00 GMT

Hook and eye clasp is hardware chic!
Rubber tubing called “spline” is one of my favorite hardware store materials. Commonly used to press around a screen door panel, it’s cheap, easy to cut, comes in a few gauges and shades of gray or black, and (most important) is hollow–perfect for threading wire or beading cord through it. I use it often as a cord by threading it with flexible beading wire and crimping clasps at the ends.

But while playing around with 20-gauge craft wire I saw how easily it fit into the spline, and how the spline held different shapes with the heavier wire inside. This hook-and-eye clasp is one of my results. If you can make a wire wrapped loop with a pair of pliers, you’re good to go!

What You Need:

12” of 20-gauge copper craft wire
14” rubber tube (hollow spline)
2 pair round-nose pliers or round-and chain-nose
wire snips
craft knife to cut spline
ruler

Cut your materials
1: Use the wire snips to cut a 4” piece of the wire for the eye, leaving 8” for the hook.

2: Hold your tube alongside a ruler on a cutting board. Use your craft knife to cut the tube in two pieces, keeping the ends as straight across as possible: 1 piece 2” for the eye, 1 piece 4” for the hook.

Make the eye
3: Thread the 4” piece of wire through the 2” piece of tube so the wire protrudes evenly out both ends. Make a wire wrapped loop on both ends, keeping the wrapped loops snug against the rubber. Bend the wired tube into a simple U shape for the “eye."

Make the hook
4: Thread the 8" piece of wire through the 4" tube, and make wire wrapped loops at each end as in Step 3. Bend this piece into a U shape, (this one will be longer than the first one) then bend the middle over to make a hook shape.

You can now attach a piece of jewelry in any way you desire—jump rings, crimped wire, linked wrapped loops. Of course, you can make this hook-and-eye without the tube, using 20 or 18 gauge wire for sturdiness. For some great inspiration on ways to try this clasp technique on other designs, the 2009 issue of Easy Wire is a must-have for your library. Enjoy!

FREE Easy Wire project!
The style of my clasp may not be your cup of tea, but you'll find plenty of other styles among the 45 projects in the new issue of Easy Wire–like this gorgeous copper wire and lampwork bead Caramel Swirl Bracelet, for instance. Spiral copper wire in a unique pattern, and pair it with delectable lampwork beads.

Download this free Easy Wire project here!

Have you played with wire in rubber tubing? Tell us about it in our comment boxes below!

Guide to Color Wire Jump Rings

Leslie — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:14:00 GMT

Dream it in color? Make it in color! Many jewelry artists search for the perfect way to use color wire in their work. My solution: colored jump rings! I’ve been working with anodized aluminum jump rings for almost two years now. I love the fact that I can put the burst of color in my chain maille, and even match it to the beads I use. Colored jump rings are becoming very popular, especially because they are a bit more affordable than sterling or gold-filled. But there are so many different kinds of rings out there... which ones should you choose? Here's a quick guide to 5 types of affordable and available color jump rings.

Anodized aluminum: These jump rings are super lightweight to work with, and are colored with an electrical current. Different colors are achieved based on the amount of electricity used. But since the electricity can make the aluminum porous, they also can be dyed and sealed to reinforce the color. And they’re inexpensive, another bonus.

Charlene Anderson made these striking blue earrings with anodized aluminum rings in the Palau Reef Set in the Fall 2009 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. Photo: Jim Lawson

Anodized niobium: These rings are colored in the same way as aluminum, but the extra dyeing isn’t required. The quality of niobium is comparable to that of sterling silver, so they cost a little more than aluminum. Niobium is great to use in combination with sterling.

Shelley Hubbs made her Olivia bracelet with anodized niobium rings in the Fall 2009 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. Photo: Jim Lawson

Anodized titanium: Colored in the same way as the first two, these rings are best known for their strength, and they are the heaviest out of this group. Titanium, like niobium, is hypo-allergenic, so it's great to use if you have allergies to base metals. Titanium rings are the most expensive of the colored jump rings.

Titanium Rings shown in a Byzantine chain maille pattern. Photo courtesy of www.metaldesignz.com.

Enameled copper: A durable plastic enameled coating is added to the copper wire before they’re coiled into rings. The colors are plentiful and the rings are inexpensive. Silvered enameled copper is made by plating the copper wire with a layer of pure silver before adding the enamel to give it a shinier appearance.

Enameled copper rings are mixed with stainless steel. Photo courtesy of www.metaldesignz.com.

Rubber: A fun and inexpensive type of jump ring, rubber rings make your piece more flexible. They’re made of soft, non-latex rubber, often silicone.

Susan C. Thomas creates wonderful pieces like this one using rubber rings. You can purchase this Rainbow Wristband project by Susan in the Interweave Store. Photo: Jim Lawson

TOOL TIP! No matter which kind of ring you choose, a well-used pair of pliers can easily scratch the color off of the ring. Dipping your pliers’ jaws into a coating like Tool Magic™ helps to alleviate the problem, but always use care when opening and closing any jump rings.

In the Fall 2009 Step by Step Wire Jewelry find even more expert tips on using colored jump rings, in a special featurette called “The Rainbow Connection.” Put your new-found knowledge to work making three colored chain maille projects yourself! Don’t be afraid to take that extra leap, and explore your options. Experimenting is half the fun…if you dream in color, do it in color!

You'll want to see every issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. We have an expert advice column by renowned wire artist Connie Fox, and reviews of the hottest products: from wire, to beads, to tools, to books and DVDs, and so much more. Best of all, you’ll find several projects on the hottest wire working techniques, from wrapping to chain maille, knitting and crocheting with wire, texturing, and embellishing wire jewelry with beads. There’s something for every skill level. Why not subscribe to Step by Step Wire Jewelry now?

FREE PROJECT for a limited time!
Download Sara's Foxy Roxy necklace and see for yourself how much fun it is to make jewelry with color jump rings!

How to Use Silver Wire and Findings on Any Budget

Michelle M. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:26:00 GMT

It wasn’t all that long ago that I used nothing but sterling silver in all my jewelry. My ear wires, clasps, jump rings, chain, even crimps, all of it was sterling. Of course, that was back when gas was a dollar, our houses were worth more than we’d ever dreamed , and our 401Ks were making us feel like we were playing with the Big Boys. It was also when silver was going for about $4/ounce. In the past eight years, silver has climbed in price over 200%, from around $4.00/oz in 2001, to over $14.00/oz today. ...(read more)

Free Project: Modern Wire and Crystal Bracelet

Michelle M. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:39:00 GMT

Before I learned to make my own jewelry, I almost never wore bracelets because my wrist wasn't the "typical" size carried in stores. Bangles and cuffs, with their one-size-fits-many styling, were the exception. Two of my favorite cuff bracelets are in the book Wire Style and suprisingly, both are by the same designer, Jodi L. Bombardier. ...(read more)

Transform an Ordinary Wire Bracelet into a Pretty Pendant

Michelle M. — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:25:00 GMT

Have you ever used one of those wire bangle bracelets with loops around the edges? They're usually silver and come in several diameters with 16 rings or loops. Typically, people will attach beads or charms to the rings using wrapped loops. I did this myself with my Gypsy Magic project for Creative Jewelry last year. While I liked my finished bracelet, I felt that the bangle form was rather limiting. Other than attaching wrapped loops or wrapping wire around the bangle form, there really wasn't much else you could do with it, right? ...(read more)

How to Sell at Craft Shows During Tough Times

Michelle M. — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:30:00 GMT

If you do craft shows, you know show season is upon us and it’s time to dust off the canopy and prepare for the warm months ahead and a busy schedule. There are so many fun things about doing craft shows: getting outdoors, meeting new people, developing relationships with customers and other artists, and making money! Doing craft shows is also very hard work and there’s been lots written on how to assure success at shows. You’ve probably heard a lot of it. Make eye contact, don’t sit all day, encourage people to come into your booth. ...(read more)

3 Quick Tips for Dealing with Wire Warts

Michelle M. — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:30:00 GMT

If you're going to rate pesky problems in wire work, this one rates pretty high. Yes, wire warts are just what you think: those nasty little marks on the wire made with your pliers. After putting your best creative and technical skills into your design, it is so frustrating to see those unwanted and unintended marks! What can you do about it? ...(read more)

How to Finish (or Start!) Viking Knit

Michelle M. — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:29:00 GMT

Last weekend I took a break from my beads and tried my hand at Viking Knit, a type of wirework that creates beautiful wire cords that you can fashion into bracelets and necklaces. For months, I've been admiring some Viking knit bracelets the same way I admire a wonderful painting: Wow, I wish I could do that. ...(read more)

The ABCs of Oxidizing Jewelry

Michelle M. — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:44:00 GMT

I don’t remember when I first became aware of sterling silver jewelry that was purposely NOT shiny. When I think of the hours I’ve spent over the years trying to shine up my sterling pieces! I bought every chemical, every cloth, every dip I saw that promised my jewelry would come out looking like new....(read more)

Good News: 5 Reader Galleries That Want Your Work!

Michelle M. — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:29:00 GMT

Have you ever submitted your work to a reader gallery? If you're trying to sell your work or build a name for yourself, submitting your work to a reader gallery is one way to get the word out. The benefits are obvious--it's free, quick (at least the submission part), great exposure, and you usually can submit at any time. It's also low on the stress and anxiety scale. If you're nervous about sending out your work, a reader gallery may be just the way to get started....(read more)

Pros and Cons of Using Craft Wire for Jewelry

Michelle M. — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:14:00 GMT

Penny-pinchers fear not, because there’s an affordable solution that’s often overlooked, or simply used as scrap metal by wire artists…craft wire. Craft wire usually has a copper core (varieties are available with tin, bronze, or nickel), so it’s totally affordable. But the best part about it is that it comes in a variety of colors. Of course there is silver and gold-coated wire, but the others have a broad range in the color spectrum. ...(read more)

Free Wire Spiral Earrings, Plus New Reader Gallery

Michelle M. — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:40:00 GMT

What makes a piece of jewelry a "winter" design? Is it jewelry type? I hardly ever create bracelets for winter because I know they'll just be buried under miles of sweaters and jackets. ...(read more)

Simple Wire and Crystal Ribbon Earrings

Michelle M. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:15:00 GMT

I recently heard from my high school friend Kristy who was planning on running a race in California to raise money for cancer research. When I saw Sandra Lupo's wire earring project, I immediately bought some half-round silver wire and a 5mm rose Swarovski crystal pearl to make a pendant version for Kristy. As much as I loved the original earrings, I wanted to give my friend some flexibility in wearing this design. By adding a closed jump ring , she can wear the ribbon like a pendant on a simple chain or cord. She could also add an open jump ring and lobster clasp and attach it to a jacket zipper....(read more)

5 Tips for Designing with Color

Michelle M. — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:25:00 GMT

Color is such a key element of good design. Yet each of us wrestles now and then with being in a color rut—“I only buy purple beads”—or wondering what shade of blue brings out the best in a new multicolored lampwork pendant. Do you ever watch The View on TV? If so, you’ll understand how much fun it is to poll several of our bead magazine editors and learn new and different angles from each one....(read more)