Wire wrapping jewelery....

[♥Starlene]

Kristi, I know you wire wrap,,, and I know some others have tried or also do.... Last night I made 3 pendants with silver wire... I was actually just going to play with it and see what happened,,, and start over with the wire on something else but the first piece came out so cute I decided to do more!

I wanted to ask, does anyone have any tips for a beginner like me? Any special tools to use? I have files, plyers and cutting things, but what else is there.... Maybe someone knows a good book....

I am going to take pics of my stuff today and show you all,,, would like some feedback on it
((hugs))

[Peace]

yes, yes, we wanna see! my sis-in-law wraps, but i'm not sure what all it takes or how she does it. it's very cool though. i know yours HAVE to be awesome! show! lol.

[yogagurl]

I would love to see what you have Star. I love my round nose pliers for making loops. There are lots of wire jigs that help you make designs by wrapping the wire around pegs. I have a few, but prefer to do it by hand usually. I use wooden dowels to wrap coils of wire to make jump rings and split rings. I like to wrap wire around a doorknob to hold it solid to twist 2 pieces together. I have been wearing out tools lately, and have asked for a better set for my birthday. I think several different kinds of cutters are helpful depending on the angle of the cut. I read recently that you can use "liver of sulphur" to age copper, and have been looking for some to buy so that I can try it out. Copper is my favorite wire to work with, and have been buying at a hardware store. It's cheaper than the craft stores. I am also going to buy an anvil so that I can pound wire to age it and flatten it. Tha's all I can think of at the moment.
Kristi

[Sloan]

I actually went to a metal shop and they gave me a couple pieces of scrap sheet metal to use to flatten wire. It was free and now I just put a block of wood underneath and hammer away, works great.
I did go to HomeDepot and bought copper wire there. The guy looked at me as though I was nuts. I wrapped a piece of carnelian in copper and knew I had to work with copper again. Which is funny since all I normally wear is silver, but whatever I'm going with the flow.
Agree with the rounded pliers! Couldn't work without them. The flat nose ones too. I'm bad in that I still need to get a good file. I did get a reamer while in the Maine to help with some stones and beads that are all ready pre-drilled.
I'll list the name of the few books I have later cause I think I left them at work? There is a Celtic one that I want though!
And yes, please get pics up!! I wanna see!! Have to find pics of mine now too......

[♥Starlene]

I would love to know what books you suggest....

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. Why would you want to flatten wire? That has me curious now! I have been using silver to work with, I like it, but I would probably like copper too, I have some copper covered beads that are nice!

Anyhow here are a few pendants that I made,,, the pics are a little blurry, I was in a hurry to take them the camera was dieing,,, I am taking better ones later and putting them on my jewelery website... honest opinions please!!! I am waiting for some crimp beads with rings on the end so I can attach clasps to the end of the black cords, and I am charging $20 a piece for the necklaces + $2 shipping. They are made from sterling silver wire and the clasps too so I think they will sell, they are very pretty....

Here is the first one...
I LOVE Rhodochrocite! Thats the focal bead, its a pink-brownish pendant and the little beads are rhodonite, rose quartz and faceted clear quartz beads. This one I had the heart chakra totally in mind when making


This one is Made of a blue amazonite square focal and amazonite, rainbow moonstone and facuted clear quartz little beads... This one I was thinking psychic intuition, clear psychic intuition when I made it


This one is made of carnelian, its a wavy focal bead which is super cute and the middle clear bead is white topaz, the surrounding tiny beads are carnelian and faceted clear quartz. I was thinking of grounding and centering when I made this one

[Peace]

OMG, star!!!!! those are soooooo awesome!!!!! i mean.....i can't find the words!! man, you are so talented. i LOVE those!!!! i like the style of them. girl, i just can't say enough!! stellar! spectacular! especially the amazonite one. beautiful color and great shape. just awesome!

[saffy]

Star, you have been a busy lady. I don't remember seeing those. I wanna know how. I have a nice piece of seraphinite but I would love to have it put into a necklace. I love the properties on it.

Seraphinite is often referred to an an angel stone because of its higher energies and relationship with angels. Seraphinite is said to help contact angels and communicate with them. Psychically, seraphinite is beneficial for intuition and psychic awareness. This stone can be very protective of the heart chakra when used over this chakra, and is helpful for sending unconditional love. Seraphinite is a purifying stone that helps one find one's higher purpose and will. Seraphinite is also extremely helpful for all forms of transformation and transmutation, including the magickal kind.

Can anyone tell me an easy way to do it?

[♥Starlene]

Those are actually focal beads, not cabochons where they dont have holes, I just twisted the wire through the holes and around the top. I used some files and a dowel to make a loop. They are new, I just recently made them

[saffy]

ok..they look really nice...I still like them. Can you still show me how?

[Sloan]

Absolutely beautiful my dear!! I'm a big carnelian fan lately.
As to flatting the wire, some designs look better that way and of course it tempers the wire to make it stronger if you do it too. I've got a bracelet I did it with..just a sec....
This a pic of it...you can sort of see where I flattened the wire. Made it a little more stable and less delicate.


This is the carnelian necklace I made the other day. It has the main carnelian and then 4 little carnelian chip pieces and there are 2 round garnets that are right before the main carnelian...I really like this one. Whaddya think?

[♥Starlene]

Very NICE!!! I like both! Wow you give me so many ideas!! I love it.... I beaded half the day yesterday,,, I was making some very special things actually... Even without the dang crimper LOL... As soon as it gets here I can make my final crimps though and complete the 10 or so pieces I made... I am still PATIENTLY waiting for my new wire to get here so I can play with the fluorite drop Saffy gave me.... I wana make her something special with it,,, ooh crap did I just say that... dont read that Saffy, ok??
The more jewelery I make the more addicted I become....

[Sloan]

Thanks Star glad you like. I'm nervous about my stuff since its all still new to me trying to make it. And you've given me some wonderful ideas too! Beading stuff is becoming rather addicting recently but I enjoy it! teehee

[yogagurl]

Beautiful work, ladies!

Star, I love the crimp beads with the loop on the end, they are my new favorite way to attach clasps, they look much more professional. I like to watch for wire jewelry magazines for new ideas and techniques.
Kristi

[Sloan]

Ya I'm always standing at the magazine rack flipping through a jewelry mag now!

[Peace]

ooooh, that carnelian one is spectacular!!! that's one of my affinity stones and one i've had a connection to from other lifetimes. i have to say, that is beautiful!!!!

[♥Starlene]

Ok spill the beans please,,, what wire wrapping jewelery magazines... I need names.... I love magazines,,, I have yoga, Reiki, astrology, gardening and angel magazines I get... a jewelry one would be just perfect for my addict... errr,,, affinities hehehe

[Sloan]

The most recent one that I picked up was Wirework, but there are a few others out there. I'll find more names for ya, but at least that's one. teehee

[♥Starlene]

Ok gonna look that one up.... I just had something hit me over the head (I think it was an idea) *ouch* but I have been looking up wholesale distributors of gemstones....
OMG could you imagine,,, the day I start to become a rock pusher.... (notice I said day I START-this is part of the master plan hehe) The world will never be the same hehehehe....
On a serious note though,,, I found some places that sells some stuff VERY CHEAP, I found those selenite pillars like the dog pic from Fay,,, for 75cents a pound!!! Have to buy 100 lbs worth but at that price,,, we could all have stonehenges in our yards!!! I been sitting here drooling over the keyboard..... I think I might just keep looking into that while I am recovering and make a big purchase when I get better.... I wana do some more research before I start buying bulk stones... Hehe ok rambling over.... Sorry was just excited LOL

[Sloan]

Start begin a Rock Pusher? I thought you already were?...
And don't drool too much over your keyboard, you don't want to short it out!teehee

[♥Starlene]

Well I sort of am,,, I was thinking of buying a lot of them though,,, like I was checking out websites and eBay and there is a HUGE mark up on a lot of rocks there.... Not all of them,,, that I saw,,, but some I was just in amazement,,, I was not sure if I should have been excited or felt ripped off LOL!