New in the Shop

I really love working with wire, and there will be more of it coming. I have ordered Bronzite, Red Jasper, Prehnite and Labradorite, So stay tuned :o)

Playing with New Designs

I've been delving into Abby Hook's fabulous book on wire wrapped jewellery. It's a wonderful way to get inspiration and to hone my skills. It's so inspiring to see what other people come up with and to give it my own twist.

New Butterfly Design

I have just bought myself Abby Hook's book "Wire Jewelry Masterclass". There are some absolutely beautiful designs in there. I made the butterflies above based on one of them.
I often wonder about intricate designs. They are fun to make, but they do take a lot longer than simpler designs and I'm not sure they are more popular.
But these little wings are just lovely. I think I'll be making more of these, but the first pair is for me :o)

Wire Bending

It's really important when you make wire jewellery that it is made to last. While it's much easier to work with higher gauges and softer metal, they do then require a bit of effort to make them stay in the position you bent them into.
Fortunately it is reasonably simple to harden the metal. It actually already hardens as you work with it. Polishing it with an antivarnish cloth will also do the trick as will hammering the metal gently.
I have just bought a nylon hammer which allowed me to harden the necklace above without flattening the wire. A metal hammer will flatten the wire which can be a great effect, but I didn't want it for this piece.