Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

re: Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

mwelling2 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:36:13 GMT

I am working on a graduate school project in Information Science. The topic is jewelry making. Would someone be so kind as to help me identify how "beaders" gather their information? Is the gathering process mainly on-line inspiration, first-hand viewing, devine intervention or other? Thank you so much for any information you can impart. :o)

re: Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

J LH — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:31:13 GMT

I am loving all this creativity!! The skyrocketing cost of gold and silver made us all run to other resources to find us using alternatives that are just amazing! I'm very careful to measure precious metal wire and save every snipette I can manage to recover for use in cast resin molded pieces that I use for focal or accent beads. Pieces and parts are culled from every source - computer hard drives to small appliances to old belts, watches, flea-market costume jewelry - I can find so as not to end up in landfills. I also scour the hardware stores for items that can be converted or adapted for use in my designs. Dwindling gemstone availability calls for additional creative uses for stones and other material mixes to use in projects. Keep up the good work!

Janice

re: Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

Denise Peck — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:03:22 GMT

I'll try to answer all these questions. First, Kathy, are you joking about prehistoric pottery shards?! My earrings appear to be from a broken plate pattern from the 1950s - a good decade - but hardly prehistoric! Not sure where one would find prehistoric pottery shards other than in a museum!

As for the aquarium tubing bracelet, I have not yet seen a tutorial on the technique. As I mentioned, I purchased mine from an artist who, as far as I know, is not selling any instructions on how to make it .

For drilling sea glass, when drilling stones or glass, you use a diamond drill bit and submerge the piece in a shallow bowl of water. You actually drill under water, keeping just the tip of the drill bit in the water. This keeps the drill bit cool and also preserves the diamond finish. Of course you need to be careful not to submerge the handle of the flex shaft. Check out Jewelry Artist magazine for more driling techniques.

Denise

re: Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

sly4 — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:19:47 GMT

I also love the aquarium tubing bracelet and i would also like to know "how to". Have instructions ever being printed in a previous magazine. If so which one.

re: Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

roarkmartinez — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:29:43 GMT

I have been searching high and low for the technique listed above, does anyone have the directions for this tubing method (pictures would be awesome) or can someone tell me if it will be in the new magazine.

She(the editor) talks about it but there is no follow through as to how too :( Is there a name for the technique? I have gone to numerous bead stores (showing the pictures that I have collected) and everyone is like huh, clueless? At least I now know that it is tubing as I suspected, but how does it maintain the shape?

I would love to do a couple of pieces for my cruise next month.

Please, please, please assist me with this.

re: Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

CarolP@62 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:24:40 GMT

Does anyone have step-by-step instructions including needed equipment on how to drill holes through sea glass? I've seen videos on youtube but the picture quality isn't the greatest. I need "Sea Glass Drilling for Dummies"

Thanks,

Carol

re: Learn to Create Wire Jewelry on a Budget

KathyM@05 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:11:53 GMT

Good morning....please tell me the "pottery shards" used in the earrings you talk about making are NOT prehistoric pottery sherds. And that they are simply from something you or someone else broke.

Kathy