June has been an exceptionally busy month for me!
Just finished a wonderful 'Open Studios' show,
with still some jewellery commissions to create ...
However, I haven't forgotten you ... but, as time is of the
essence ... this will have to be a short and sweet project.
Something you can experiment with and make your own!
A lot of you will already know this wire 'Rose' design
as a ring. However, the twist here, is creating it as a
connector unit which you can suspend, link together to create
fancy chains, a statement necklace, decorate on to hair accessories,
or make as earrings and just generally accessorize!
All you need to make this, is:
Glue Stick (or similar cylindrical mandrel), 0.8mm wire/
20-gauge-ish (or, whatever you have to hand!) and your
usual wirework tools: round, flat, chain nosed pliers and cutters.
1. Cut about one meter of 0.8mm wire. (I just use
the length of my arm as a measure!). Wrap the centre
just once around your cylindrical mandrel and twist
where the wires meet.
2. Push one wire in one direction around the centre and
repeat with the second, to begin making a small, central
spiral. Try and keep the wires parallel and flat so that they
don't slip behind each other!
3. Once you have a small central spiral, twist the
extending wires together - randomly - don't worry
at all about neatness, leaving about 6cms untwisted
at the very ends.
4. Continue wrapping the twisted wires around the
rest of the central spiral, keeping it flat against the
mandrel to increase the diameter of the spiral.
Stop twisting when you are left with about 3cm-4cm
on wire and bring the other wire around onto the
opposite side.
5. Pull the unit off the mandrel and wrap the extended
wires around each side of the back loop. Cut off any
excess and neaten the ends.
6. Using your wirecutter, CUT THROUGH THE CENTRE
OF THE BACK LOOP and straighten the wires out on each side.
7. Using your round nosed pliers, create links with the
extending wires on each side of the unit.
And there you have it! It's ready to suspended from
a cord, or chain and you can suspend anything from
the base link as well!
If you wish to add a bead to the centre, this can be done
in STEP 1.
Alternatively, use some shocking pink wire and gently
rub down the outer surface with some sandpaper or
wire wool to create a two tone feel! Here I added a
little Fimo rosebud bead, that I just happen to have
sitting in my stash!
You can also create this design using two different
coloured wires. Put them together and work with both
lengths in unison.
This central 'rose' was created in silver plated wire and
coloured with a red permanent marker pen. The red
central bead was then added to the centre and the leaves
were woven with green and silver 0.5mm wires.
Or ... try making some elegant earrings and a
necklace set, using this idea!
But here's my favourite idea! Creating the units as chain links! Here's a fun
necklace using different coloured wires!
I should mention, that if you wish to make a matching ring - don't
forget to wrap the wire TWICE around the ring stick or cylindrical
mandrel, so that you create a more functional shank.
HAVE FUN EXPERIMENTING - think how many other wire ring designs
could be adapted like this!!!! - and don't forget to share your trials
and tribulations on my FACEBOOK page!
HAPPY WIREWORKING!
I hope you're sitting comfortably? If not -
get yourself a cushion and a hot beverage,
or a tall, coooool drink and feast your eyes
on the beautiful and eclectic contributions
of wirework artists from various parts of the
globe, all united in the LOVE of wirework for:
THE WIREWORKERS GUILD
SUMMER SHOWCASE
ARTIST GALLERY!
****************************
In no particular order, my I introduce a wire jeweller,
cake maker and all round creative lady from Kent, in
the U.K. ...
CAROLE DADSWELL
Colourful Cake Decoration or Table Centre piece by Carole
'Spring Green' Bracelet
Red and Silver Lapel Pin Brooch by Carole.
Next in the showcase, (and all the way from Canada) is:
CHRISTINE GAINARD
Wire butterfly, created by Christine Gainard. She began beading
7 years ago and 2 years later bought one of my wirework books
... which is when her wire journey began! She says that making
jewelry is a stress reliever but most important, it's the opportunity
to do something special for the people she most cares for in her life.
The next artist in this showcase is:
DOTTIE LOGAN
... keep feasting your eyes ...
Dottie Logan not only creates beautiful wirework jewellery but
also works in metal clay using semi-precious stones and
quality glasswork. She says that her aim is to "capture ideas
and translate them into jewellery designs." She has been featured
in 'So Sensational' an online publication, Magnatuitum and has
advertised in Vogue!
You can discover more about Dottie Logan on
her website: http://www.dottiesjewellery.co.uk/
Now, we move on, to the wonderful wire crochet
work of:
GOSIA (of GN-JEWELLERY.COM)
Gosia, says that she make her jewellery in response to her passion
and interest in craft and tradition. She likes combining the beauty
of tradition with contemporary and culture. Her favourite material
to work with is silver wire.
She also likes experimenting and connecting silver to other
materials such as felt - to add a softer touch, or perspex, to
add a little colour ... as well as beads and stones. You can
keep in touch with Gosia's latest creations through her
FACEBOOK page.
Next in the Gallery is:
JAANA MORSKY
Jaana is from Helsinki in Finland. She started wirewrapping
almost 3 years ago and kindly says that one of my books
was her initial inspiration! She especially loves working
with wire and gemstones and has a jewellery BLOG
and a FACEBOOK page.
Now, pinch your nose and duck down! We're travelling
'down under' ... all the way to Australia to showcase
the work of:
JANICE McCORMACK
Janice has been dabbling with jewellery making for a while and guess
what? It was after finding a wirework book by 'Moi' in her local Brisbane
library that her pilot light was truly ignited!
Janice, also travelled back to the UK to see family for her 40th birthday and came
for a one-to-one workshop at my studios and since then, she says that she
spends most evenings fiddling with wire!
Janice sells her jewels at a monthly market and also has a
business FACEBOOK page.
From Australia, we're re-surfacing and
moving to France to see the work of:
JILL from
VIVANT-JEWELLERY.COM
Jill made this necklace for her friend's daughter's 13th
birthday. Her name is Lucy - hence the reason for the
'L' at the bottom.
Jill is relatively new to wireworking, she came to it after a complete change of
lifestyle and career. A move to France from the UK with her partner has given
her the opportunity to unleash her creative side ... and as you can see - she's
loving it!
She has done a couple of workshops with me and the rest she has learnt
from the internet as well as books and magazines. She has a stall at the
local market and also is exhibiting at a local arts festival. You can see more
of her work on her WEBSITE .
Travelling back over the water to the U.K.
in Northumberland, is the work of artist:
LORAINE LAWSON
Loraine has her own small local craft shop in the village. She makes
tiaras, fascinators and many other handcrafted accessories.
Loraine says she is still very much a novice at discovering the versatily of
working with wire and beads, but she loves the freedom you can get from
manipulating and generally 'playing' with wire! She says she never quite
knows what she is going to make when she gets her tools out ... and sometimes
it can be a complete tangled mess, but on the occasion ... it's good
enough to be able to sell in her shop!
Now, moving from one Lorraine to another ... here's
warmly welcoming:
LORRAINE TEMPLE
Lorraine says that this 'Heart' pendant is her first attempt at
creating and designing from scratch - a personal and unique piece,
rather than following a project book tutorial. Her Gran passed
away many years ago, but her aunt bought her Gran's house and kept quite a few of the original fixtures
and furnishings and when she went over to visit this Easter,
she was drawn to a pattern on one of the curtains. This pattern evoked strong memories of her
childhood with her grandmother, so she sketched the rough outline and went
home and created this unique design based roughly, but inspired by, the
original pattern on the curtains and the memories that this triggered!
Now, strap yourself in for a long haul flight,
to see the happy sun-soaked wirework of:
MARIELA SISON
Mariela is from Manila in the Philippines. She is a full time Mum of 4 and comes
from a very creative and craft loving family. She's been making jewellery for
about 5 years and now has started to run her own local wire and beaded workshops!
Her husband, Jonvic, also loves to craft (and often helps drill holes into the
beads and recommends how to patina certain metals, etc...)
As you can see, Mariela, is a colourist and loves making pieces with a theme -
such as butterflies, dragonflies, trees, religious/saints, etc... and lately she's been
into making recycled jewellery or rather, up-cycling - designing pieces with her
own handmade paper beads.
Mariela helps out at her parish church's social service ministry, tutoring
the creation of rosaries and similar religious trinkets out of paper beads using old
magazines. These eco-friendly rosaries are not just a tool for prayer, but also
give a little additional income to the makers (from depressed areas). In this way,
she feels that her crafting skills are put to good use and for a higher purpose!
As she herself says: "Indeed, there is much satisfaction and joy in making
jewelry that can help others."
From a Mariela to Maryellen ... introducing the
handcrafted wirework of:
MARYELLEN TANIS
Maryellen has contributed a picture of one of the first pieces she ever made out
of Sterling Silver, her 'Tree of Life' pendant and earrings. This was commissioned
for a friend's daughter's birthday.
She only started making jewelry last summer (August 2012) as a means to keep
her evenings busy. She works full time as a secretary at a local university and her
husband works nights, so she is a alone a lot and found that making jewelry has
filled a creative void - like most of us, she has become addicted! Her kids call her
'the crazy bead lady'! She recently tore ligaments in her wrist, so sadly has been
out of commission for a few months, however, the Tree of Life pendant is some of
the first pieces she's made since her injury ... having spent hours watching tutorials
on the internet, filling herself with renewed inspiration ... whilst her wrist recovered!
Follow me to a new showcase to the see the work of:
PATT KOVACH
Patt hails from Saluda NC and as well
as being a jewellery desginer, is also a
mixed media artist using acrylics.
Patt, says that she loves wire wrapping
and just wishes she had more time to do it!
This next showcase is by an artist that I have
personally seen evolve and blossom into the talent
she is today ... as she was one of the very first pupils
that I ever taught, when I started my own wirework
teaching journey!
So, I take great pleasure in introducing:
SALLY PITMAN
aka - SKYPIXIE DESIGN
Sally has been designing and creating wire jewellery for about 10 years and now
has her own little workshop locally, in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, U.K.
She thinks of her designs and creations as being akin to 'dancing with wire' and
at times it is a very harmonious waltz!
Sally sells her pieces through local markets and craft fairs and undertakes bespoke
commissions. No two pieces are ever the same and each is created as unique
as its eventual owner! You can see more of her work on her WEBSITE.
Moving to a new showcase we can discover the work of:
SANDY DILIP
Sandy runs her own shop on ETSY
You'll find pieces there which mostly include wire and gemstones.
Sandy says that she loves exploring new concepts and combining design inspiration
from fashion, art and her travel experiences around Asia.
From Sandy to ... (drum roll) ...
SHALINI AUSTIN
Shalini likes using semi-precious gemstones, beads and pearls in her jewellery
designs. Her favourite medium is copper wire.
Shalini loves playing with different types of wire and letting it take its course,
as she wraps around a stone of a bead.
Above, is Shalini's Dolphin shape wire pendant! She and her husband,
Dave also create Wire Sculpture Trees and cut and polish some of
the gemstones used in her jewellery designs.
Nearing the end of the Gallery,
we can find the unique
jewellery designs of:
GILLY @ SILVERLEAF
Gilly has decided to showcase her recent Viking Knit designs for this gallery.
This bangle almost feels like it would provide you with renewed positive energy!
You can discover more about Silverleaf's work on her WEBSITE .
Now, nearing the end of the Gallery,
but by no means least,
is the work of a past WWGuild feature artist:
SUE MASON-BURNS
Sue is a regular contributor to 'Making Jewellery' and Beads and Beyond Magazines.
Sue is originally from New Zealand, but is now based in Birmingham in the U.K.
where she loves creating her own unique ranges of wirejewellery from her home
studio.
You can find more of her original creations on her WEBSITE and on her
FACEBOOK page.
And now, as a finale to our 2013 Summer Exhibition, we
have a stunning contribution
from the very talented and highly rated:
RACHEL NORRIS
You can bathe in Rachel's stunning work on her WEBSITE
and keep in touch with her tutorials on her FACEBOOK page.
