The WireWorkers Guild

HAPPY SUMMER SUNSHINE,

... is not VERY conducive
to jewellery making ...





















although, you could always try creating my simple
DONUT WIRE-WRAPPED BEAD project and design a statement piece
that you can wear dressed up, or down!

If you don't have any donut shaped beads in your stash,
you can always use a humble plumber's washer to practice!




But first ...
some news about a special Workshop
that's due to be happening at
RIVERSIDE BEADS ...
If you're anywhere near Peterborough,
you cannot miss their:










INTRODUCTION TO WIRE JEWELLERY WORKSHOP

On: SUNDAY 1st August 2010

From: 11am to 3pm

Price: only £15!!

Take a look at:
http://www.riversidebeads.co.uk/www.riversidebeads.co.uk/links.php













... after the workshop, you will be able to browse in the 'Aladin's Cave' of Riverside's beads and findings ...


At 50-56 High Street, Market Deeping, Peterborough PE6 8EB
Tel. 01778 346810
Mobile: 07904032411
Email: info@riversidebeads.co.uk

Contact - Donna NOW to ensure you get a place!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


BUT, back to the simplest of summer projects:
Before you sit down comfortably, get yourself
a donut shaped bead or large plumbing washer.
Some 0.8mm wire, round and flat nosed pliers
and some wire cutters ...
NOW, are you sitting comfortably? ...
Then, I'll begin:


For this 31mm ceramic donut bead, I used
around 18" of wire.












(but you can calculate your own measurement, by wrapping
a piece of string around your 'donut' bead to ascertain
the exact amount you will need).
Thread one end of the wire through the centre hole of the bead,
leaving a tail of approx. 2.5cms projecting. Wrap the rest of
the wire around the bead frame, pulling and tightening it with
your fingers as you wrap.




Continue wrapping the wire around the frame and on and around the 4th wrap, place a small 'figure of 8' link (or jump ring), so that it is suspended from the outer frame of the bead.













When you've wrapped the frame about 8 times, connect and secure one wire around the other, leaving the rest extending outwards from the top.














Create a small spiral with this extending wire, curling it back towards the central stem.

















Fold the small spiral over and flatten it
against the stem to hide the wrapped wires
underneath. Create a double suspension
link with the protruding wire at the top
of the bead.






Position the ends of your flat nosed pliers directly on
each individual wire on the surface of the bead and
twist and 'tweak' to create a zig-zag bend. This will
not only look decorative but will tighten the wires
around the frame.











Continue twisting and tweaking all the radiating wires
on both front and back of the donut bead until you are
satisfied with the result. You are now ready to make
a 'tassel' or 'dangle cascade' to suspend from the
base ...























... et voila!!











This project was featured in a previous
"MAKE JEWELLERY" Magazine.


Here's a GALLERY of other pieces made in a similar way ...


(below) A humble steel plumbing washer, wrapped with
brass wire suspended from a shoe-lace ...





















and steel washer
earrings to match!!






and staying on 'washers' ...
















... how about
suspending a
beaded cascade
for an industrial
designer jewellery
style!




















... this can also work
for a key ring that you
will never loose at the
bottom of a large handbag!





And finally, some summer madness ...













You can use the
Spiral Beadmaker
to help you
create something
a little 'Star Trek-ie'!!



SO ... have a go at experimenting with simple
washers through to beautiful semi-precious
donut shaped beads and come up with your own
completely original statement piece!!

HAPPY "SUNSHINE" WIREWORKING!!

The WireWorkers Guild

S P I R A L
C O I L S

THE SPIRAL
BEADMAKER

I'm often being asked about which
beading gadgets and tools I would
recommend ... and amongst the few,
I'm very partial to the humble and totally
simple: Spiral Beadmaker or Coiling Gizmo.

However, I would recommend that
you unscrew the metal bracket
from the wooden handle, screw
it onto a piece of wood and secure
the wooden base by way of a
G-clamp to your work table.

(... you can also G-clamp the
bracket directly to your table
edge if you're too lazy for the
above ...!)









I don't really need to explain how to use it, as
the instructions are self-explanatory, however
not only is it fun to create curly 'caterpillar' beads
out of coloured wires, it is also an effective way
of making spacer beads and the larger handle is
great for mass-producing JUMP RINGS - so if
you like creating chain-maille jewellery it is an
essential tool.



You can use
any gauge of
wire for the
coiling, but
enamel coated
coloured wires
of between 0.5mm
and 0.8mm are
ideal.








Below are some ideas that might get your creative juices flowing ...

SPIRAL 'CATERPILLAR' BEADS
using two tones of wire



















SPIRAL 'TWISTED' WIRE BEADS

















CURVED & STRETCHED
SPIRAL BEADS



















SPACER BEAD COILS
- cut in measured segments
and link together as chain units,
either condensed or stretched out ...



















More spacer coils - this is a good way of creating
a chunky statement chain ...





















SHAPED COILED FRAMES



















GO A LITTLE MAD
WITH YOUR FRAMING!!
















WIRE RING SHANKS



















... and MORE on my new
Doodle Ring designs!



















COILED SPIRAL SLEEVES



















JIG BRACELET DESIGNS
using coiled spacer beads



















WRAPPED COILED
PENDANT & EARRINGS



















WRAPPED BEAD
with coiled wire


















or keep it simple with one large spiral bead!















HAVE FUN
EXPERIMENTING
AND COMING
UP WITH YOUR
OWN CREATIONS!!

If you're interested in purchasing one, many online
bead stores supply them, but I can personally
recommend:
www.cooksongold.com
and
www.wires.co.uk

***********************************************************************************

**!!SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!**
www.madcowbeads.com
have an offer you cannot miss - half-price
TRONEX flush cutters.
These are the best flush cutters I have ever purchased
and I can personally recommend them!

The WireWorkers Guild

The
N E W***
**B O O K **

READY TO PRE-ORDER N O W
from www.amazon.co.uk ( & dot com!)

'Making Beautiful Bead & Wire Jewellery'
by Linda Jones

Please have a look out for my latest book (numero 6)
which will be on the shelves and hopefully within your
hands on 7th July 2010!

This book has a resourceful feel to it, with designer projects using everyday found objects, such as pebbles, bolts, plumbing washers, feathers, ribbons, buttons ... etc... as well as beads of course! In these times of cut-backs and financial chaos, we still need to create beautiful and fun jewellery to cheer ourselves up with, but for a fraction of the cost.

I am particularly fond of using BUTTONS in jewellery designs, from necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings and have found a fantastic supplier based in Nottingham (Jones & Co.), who has a great range of different styles and types. Take a look at:
www.buttonsunlimited.co.uk

In my my latest book I show you how to make a "Vintage" Button Necklace, but of course you can supplement the buttons for beads if you so wish...























Vintage Button Necklace & Earrings by Linda Jones
from 'Making Beautiful Bead & Wire Jewellery'

The same design can look so totally different using another colour combination!























Dusty Pink Pearls with Diamante Button Necklace
Project for 'Make Jewellery' magazine



Black Coat Button Necklace (secured with wire motifs)









Even the simplest buttons can be incorporated into necklace designs, as long as they blend with the clothes that they're worn with ...























I made this necklace for my Mum (above) as she tends to wear clothes in these tones and colours quite a lot and she loves it, especially as the buttons came from her Mother's button box.























When my Mum's best friend saw her necklace, she also wanted one (!) and was specific about using white and blue colours to blend with her wardrobe. So here's the result - old white shirt buttons and whatever blue buttons I could find in my Grandmother's button box ... plus a few spacer beads thrown in for extra variety!

If you don't have access to an old button stash, there's plenty to choose from in haberdashery stores, especially in mother of pearl.























Pearly Queen Necklaces & Earrings

However, you needn't confine yourself to buttons, experiment with Shells, for a summery look!





















Summer Seashell Lariat & Earrings

... and if none of these designs inspire you, how about using plain, old, everyday, plumbing washers (I've got a great new 'Washer Sundial Necklace' project in my new publication coming out this July!)























Washer Charm Bracelet, Necklace & Earrings

... and what's wrong with using boring old bolts? These 'Bolt Bangles' are fun to wear ... you'll find all the instructions to make them in my new book!























So take a look around you, maybe there are some every day components waiting to be incorporated into your new designs!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

!!ANNOUNCEMENT!! - I am looking to do an 'Artist Feature' on a Chain Maille wire artist, so if any of the Guild members specialise in this field, please contact me:
linda.jones@wirejewellery.co.uk

or just contact me if you would like your work to be featured in a future blog!