Stupid Jewelry Tricks: Practice makes … better
4 Oct
After a long, LONG drought I started playing with my wire and beads again this weekend. Being under the weather helped, as now that my inners are feeling better I think I’m coming down with a cold. Bah.
Anyway, back to jewelry….

Spirals and loops!
What prompted this two-day jewelry-making binge was a spin through YouTube. I came across a video that explained how to use a wire jig that I never managed to be able to deal with properly. Summary: Hold the wire steady and move the jig!! I was trying to hold the jig down and twist the wire.
Oho!
So I created a bunch of four-leaf “clover” connectors. The wire that I trimmed off became spiral charms for future use.
I couldn’t dare pawn off my sub-optimal connectors on someone else, so I *had* to make something for myself. I grabbed these beads from my stash and created a bracelet I lovingly named “Mountain Dew.”

All the green, none of the toxicity.
I also created some copper findings that will eventually be part of some beaded ID lanyards. And more spirals.

Wirework is hard.
Then I was hit by a surge of bona fide creativity and made some cherry earrings:

Two pair in copper, two in sterling silver.
I was so stinking proud, I actually wrote the specs down so I could recreate them once I come across more red beads.

She got the way to move me earrings
And I’ve been singing this since last night so you should too:
Although I made these earrings a few weeks ago, they were cool enough to photograph. I created them in honor of the lovely Atlantic City Gaming site I launched and currently oversee for the C-P.

Winner winner chicken dinner!
So what’s next? The coworkers have been pestering me to sell my wares, so I may test the entrepreneurial waters with cherry earrings, autumn lanyards, and some holiday items I haven’t thought of yet. I can’t live off of my $25/year BlogHer ads forever, after all. I have ideas for creating stamped jewelry but those supplies cost money and I am cheap.
I haven’t stuck with a hobby this long since I bowled in school.




