We're Back from Pennsylvania!

Hooray, we're back from our trip! Now it's time to get my head back on track to start creating again! Though we were away, it was not a vacation. We both were working... hence jewelry and clay were slow going. I have a bunch of new jewelry and clay that I will be listing Thursday/Friday night. I have to do some polishing on the jewelry and sealing on the clay! Then everything will be ready for pictures & listing!

We took 1 day at the end of our travels to enjoy ourselves at Longwood Gardens...it was BEAUTIFUL...I highly recommend a visit. Especially if you love gardening like I do. I wanted to include this picture I took of a bumble bee coming in for a landing on a gardenia! I love this photo!

Learning how to Wire Wrap Jewelry...starting out!

So, how did it all start? Here is a few pictures of some of my first pieces of wire wrapped jewelry and my first art show! These were taken in 2005....yep, I started officially creating wire wrapped jewelry just shy of 2 years ago! When I tell people this they are surprised. When I picked up my first piece of wire, it was like a fish on land finding water!

I actually created my first piece of wire wrapped jewelry, a woven wire bracelet, 14 years ago while in a gold-smithing class (that I took for something to do a couple nights a week)! Back then, my teacher looked at me like i was crazy and wasting my time....if it didn't involve a torch or piece of high-tech equipment it was a waste of time in her eyes! What a shame! It took me 12 years to find out she was SO, SO wrong! I think many schools frown on wire jewelry because they want you to keep coming back...who can afford and who has safe space for the tools needed for soldering and casting? I assure you, wire jewelry can be equally as beautiful and durable as any piece of cast or soldered jewelry! I think it is even more beautiful...soldering, in my opinion, is cheating!

I am including a few pictures for inspiration to those starting out....my first pieces were not earth shattering...I have come a LONG way! I have learned so much and continue to grow every day! It takes a lot of exploring, practice, and trial and error! I never took a class on wire jewelry...I bought any books I could find and looked at many, many photos....guessing how pieces were made, and figuring out my own methods of wrapping and sculpting jewelry. With time, i figured them out. I do many things differently than other artists and traditional methods...i do things my way! That's the point, there is no wrong way to create!!

Start out with copper or craft wire and basic tools....before spending a fortune, see if you enjoy working with the wire....if you do, treat yourself to some sterling silver wire in different gauges and shapes....(I like 22-20 gauge square wire). Most wire wrapped jewelry is crafted with 24-20 gauge wire. IF you like the swirls and curls--go with soft wire...you can always work harden it by running it through your polishing cloth several times...softening hard wire requires a torch.

Aside from the numerous books available these days, Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry Magazine is a great resource for projects and pictures to learn and inspire ideas! Well....I will continue another night, have to run!

Real Ancient Roman Coin Pendants!

I am officially hooked on these Roman Coins! They are BEAUTIFUL! This is a silver Denarius that is over 1,700 years old! I wish these coins could talk! I can only imagine what they would say. I wrapped a bunch of different Roman Imperial coins this past week...you can find them in my ebay store...i placed them in the fossil category for the moment. I also created a few antique U.S. Coin pendants---including a penny from 110 years ago!

For the many who have emailed me with questions about starting wire-work....please be sure to check out my reviews and guides. I have been adding book reviews on any books I have on wire jewelry. I have 7 or 8 of them completed & will be adding more. I own just about every book written on Wire Wrapping and Jewelry.

I though I would try to review some of my books so you could get an idea of my perspective on them.... sometimes it helps to see several reviews by a single person...there are many books that are a waste if you don't have a particular tool or skill level...I found that out the hard way. If you read the reviews please check yes they were helpful at the bottom of each one-----this lets me know it is worth the time I spend writing them for you :). Plus, I'm obsessed with reaching the top 1,000 Reviewer status (I'm not that far from reaching it)...I don't know why I want to reach it---I don't get anything for it....but it is a fun little goal to work toward--Even if I only achieve it for one day!

Wire WRapped Chakra Jewelry-for Men & Women!

Whew! I have been working on lots of new jewelry...I am loving the woven pendants and have started a unisex line...My other half complains there isn't enough nice one-of-a-kind jewelry out there for men...he has a good point! He does not like anything too swirly or curly or froo-froo so... I will be working to solve that problem!

I had to include a photo of one of the chakra goddesses i made last week....i love this design...it is a large central crystal with 2mm gems woven into the setting...at over 3 inches long it is a striking piece of jewelry!

Many have contacted me regarding our piece in the gallery of Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry this month---thank you for all of you kind words and questions! I love hearing from people...you can communicate with me here on the blog or through ebay. I'm going to work on a few blog entries to answer some questions sent to me by beginners in the world of wire wrapping! My quickest words of wisdom are ... BE PATIENT AND GO FOR IT!!!!!! Have no fear, or you will never accomplish anything!!