11/15/2014 How To… | Jewelry Making Blog | Information | Education | Videos - Part 2 http://www.wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/category/articles/howto/page/2/ 1/19 Creating with Chain by Judy Ellis, Wire-Sculpture.com [1] Wire Jewelry Inspiration for October 17, 2014 Creating with Chain Have you ever created jewelry with chain before? There are so many projects you can do with chain. I thought today I’d introduce you to a few of the NEWEST additions to our Jewelry Making Chain [2] family and share a couple of easy projects that you can try! NEW Lengths – Order by the foot – Made in the USA - Stunning Quality Antique Copper Plated Chains [3] [4] [5] [6] Antique Copper Finish Soldered Brass Cable Chain 2.28X2.69mm [7] Antique Copper Finish Steel Cable Chain 6.52X9.54mm [8] Antique Copper Soldered Brass Cable Chain 10.34X10.34mm [9] Antique Silver Plated Chains [10] [11] [12] [13]
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Transcript
11/15/2014 How To… | Jewelry Making Blog | Information | Education | Videos - Part 2
Have you ever created jewelry with chain before? There are so many projects you can do with chain. I
thought today I’d introduce you to a few of the NEWEST additions to our Jewelry Making Chain[2] familyand share a couple of easy projects that you can try!
NEW Lengths – Order by the foot – Made in the USA -Stunning Quality
This week I found another great question in our older posts that I think is well worth revisiting – All
About Soft Wire[43]. Maybe you’ve had this same question as well.
Question:
I have been working with wire[44] for more than 25 years, and have used many gauges, usually in half
hard. However, sometimes I get more soft wire[45] than I want. I remember my old teacher telling me
when I complained about soft wire[46] that it will work for a while, but then it’ll get hard. I have found
that while shining the wire[47] with a cloth that if I bend it gently and straighten it a few times, it doesindeed get harder. Plus, if I twist half hard, it can get too hard to use, but if I twist dead soft (square ofcourse), it gets just about right. What do you think?
Answer:
Yes, twisting dead soft wire[48] will make it close to half-hard temper. The question then would be, howmuch twisted wire do you want to be in your design?
As far as twisting half-hard wire[49] and it becoming too hard, that would depend on how much of a twistor ‘bead’ you put on the wire. (Sometimes I will individually twist several pieces of 24g sq half-hard anduse them to hand-sculpt with, and I often twist 21g or 22g sq half-hard when making a cabochon frametoo.)
In my opinion, the amount of twisting[50] done to what gauge and temper of wire[51] is up to theindividual artist and comes first from their experience and then from their choice.
Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong
What Gauge to use:
Are you familiar with what gauges of wire to use in differnt kinds of jewelry? Here’s a quick chart for youto refer to in a pinch:
With the Holiday’s quickly approaching (only 10 more Friday’s until Christmas – but whose counting) Ithought it would be appropriate to share with you one of our older posts, that we’ve had a lot of funwith!
Today’s Wire Jewelry Idea is a free pattern! Here’s a holiday-inspired treat brought to us by Suzanne
Hollingsworth. Click here to view Suzanne’s simple pattern, O Christmas Tree.[62]
[63]
O Christmas Tree Free Pattern by Suzanne Hollingsworth[65]
Suzanne’s O Christmas Tree Pattern is for a dainty Christmas tree thatyou could easily slip into your Christmas cards this season, or even useas an attachment to a gift tag. In fact, several of us here in the officedecided to give it a try!
I will say that a few of us needed a couple tries before we got the bends in the branches just the way wewanted them. You can add a lot of personality depending on how tight you make the bends, and howmuch you stretch the tree before hammering it into place. Don’t be afraid to use copper wire to practice!
If you’re inspired, don’t stop here: this doesn’t have to be an ornament, it could easily become a pair ofearrings (making 2), or a pendant. You can attach ribbon, additional beads, and maybe even some tinytinsel. Have fun with this pattern!
To present this tree to a special person, you can make 2 small slits in your Christmas card, thread theribbon through the card, and tie the tree on the card. (If you use beads in your tree and you send itthrough the mail, you may want to use a padded envelope.)
Voila, you’ve got a small ornament gift ready to send in your Christmas cards, for just a bead, a ribbon,and a foot of wire! Happy Holidays!
[69]
If you’d like to learn more about creating with wire or beads take a
look at our Jewelry Books [71]or Instructional DVDS[72]. They makegreat holiday gifts!
October BirthstonesToday I thought we’d take a quick look at birthstone colors and particularly the ones associated with thismonth; Rose Zircon, Pink Tourmaline & Opal.
Ocotober Birthstones:
[75]
Rose Zircon Gemstone
[76]
Silver Ring with 8mm Pink
Rose Heart CZ[77]
Rose Zircon[78]
The brighter deeper rose colored Rose Zircon[79] offers an alternative totourmaline.
Zircon is a compound of oxides of silicon and zirconium, is fairly hard soas be faceted and polished to a brilliant luster, and has better clarity andfewer fissures or inclusions than tourmaline.
Zircon[80] is more strongly refracting than any other precious stone withthe exception of diamond. So brilliant are the colorless or pale-coloredhyacinth Zircons, that such stones found at Matura in Ceylon in theeighteenth century were know as “Matura Diamonds”.
Most Zircons[81] are heated to change or enhance their color. AttractiveRose Zircon is available in a faint pink to a dark rose hue.
[82]
Polished Opal Cabochon
Opal
Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica; its water content may rangefrom 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%.
Because of its amorphous character, it is classed as a mineraloid, unlikethe other crystalline forms of silica, which are classed as minerals
Opal can occur in many colors including white, colorless, pale yellow,pale red, gray, brown and black. Diffraction can cause flashes of any colorof the rainbow which can be seen in opal’s color play. Yellow, blue andgreen are most common, whereas violet, red and orange are the rarestcolors seen through play of color.
Opalescence is usually milky blue in color, but it can occur in rarer colors.The saturation of body color, the play of color and the transparency
Stacking Ring Set created inour Beginner Metalworking
101 DVD Series[84] with anopal stone set in the centerring.
determine an opal’s value.
[85]
Faceted Gemstone
[86]
Rough CutGemstone
Pink TourmalineThe light red to pink tourmaline is the birthstone for the month of October andthe gemstone representing the 8th wedding anniversary.It was once believedthat it protects the wearer against bad decisions, many dangers, and misfortune.It is also known to attract friends and lovers.
Tourmaline is a silicate of very complicated composition, is very brittle withmost crystals penetrated by numerous irregular cracks and fissures.It varies intransparency and color to a considerable extent, with perfectly clear andfaultless specimens being rare and commanding a high price.
It is found around the world, from the Ural mountains (where on account of itsresemblance to ruby it is known as Siberian Ruby), to Brazil (the principallocality for green tourmaline), to the more common pale rose-red or darkcarmine color red found both in Burma and in Maine in the United States.
Cubic Zirconia Birthstone SetsIf you’re an artist who enjoys making birthstone[88] jewelry, then this is for you! Instead of picking out
each individual birthstone[89] we’ve put them all together in one convenient birthstone[90] set. You cancreate mother’s and grandmother’s necklaces, bracelets, and rings which include each child’s birthstone.Or make individual pieces for each month. There are so many possibilities, and your customers will lovethem all.
[91]
4mm Round Cubic Zirconia
Complete 12 Birthstone Set[92]
[93]
6mm Round Cubic Zirconia
Birthstone Set[94]
[95]
8mm Round Cubic Zirconia
Complete 12 Birthstone Set[96]
Swarovski Crystal Beads:If you love Swarovski Crysta[97]l then you’ll want to head over and take look at what what sizes andcolors we have available!
(Click on each bead and it will take you directly to it.)
I hope that you enjoy designing with October colors. What could you create?
Happy Wrapping!
Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email[98]
by Judy Ellis, Wire-Sculpture.com[99]
Product of the Week for October 6, 2014
This week we feature our Encapture Artisan Concrete Kit[100]
EnCapture Artisan Concrete[101]™ is a unique, texture-rich medium that offers a wide range of newpossibilities for designers of every skill level. Embed a variety of treasures such as stones, glass, andmetal to create visual interest and contrast in your finished pieces.
EnCapture[102] is very versatile. It can be dyed with pigments or painted or stained when dry. Mold itinto a shape or put it in a closed or open-backed bezel. Experiment with adding carved or stamped
texture. Sure to “Capture” the artist’s imagination within you, EnCapture Artisan Concrete[103]™ willpropel your creativity and bring you many satisfying hours of making unique, authentic jewelry.