Mayfly Turned Dragonfly

When my sister asked me to make her a necklace to wear to work I dug deep into my stash of beads to find one that would "talk" to me.  This includes finding a bead that has the color that fits my mood at the time, the smoothness that glides across my fingers and the shape of the bead that works well with the design I have in mind.  I found a lovely elongated teardrop Caribbean blue chalcedony that screamed, "Mayfly!!"  This would be the focal for my sister's necklace.  I worked that bead with Argentium wire and fine silver wire and was almost finished with the mayfly when one of my finishing wraps put stress on the bead at the site of the bead hole and snapped.  I now had a beautiful mayfly without a body.  I contacted the supplier, whom I had originally purchased the bead from on Etsy and he told me he didn't have any more in the color I was working with.  I then searched deep into my bead drawers and found a similar bead to the original and was able to incorporate that bead into the weave without losing the design.  After three weeks the mayfly was finished along with matching earrings.  When I presented them to my sister she told me that she wasn't interested in mayflies and wanted the necklace to be a dragonfly.  Sure enough, it looked more like a dragonfly than a mayfly and granted her the wish calling her gift a dragonfly.

Chalcedony dragonfly with small pearls

Chalcedony drops

It seems that each time I work a piece that there is a snafu or two that I must overcome.  The above paragraph is a perfect example of creative problem solving.  When I look at the work that others do with their wire it frequently seems effortless.   The way that artists make the wire duck and weave in arcs and sweeps is really amazing.  It is for this reason why I am drawn to wire wrapping and weaving.  The results is incredibly dimensional.  Each time I create I think of those that inspired me and how grateful I am to them for paving the pathway in this wonderful world of wire. 

~Susan

"Fly" Cicada Earrings

With summer fast approaching I immerse myself in the wonder of nature that surrounds our house.  This year the bushes and trees exploded in a show of blossoms that rivaled any prior spring fancy.  The seeds that I have planted have produced serrated leaves.  The lettuce that I planted last year has reappeared in colors of burgundy and lime green, which fill the pot and seem to be begging to be part of our dinner salad.  In the background the cacophony of mating squirrels, gaggles of geese, the tall and formal stance of the white egrets and the litter of the red robin's blue egg shells tucked in the grass all bring back memories of the prior summer.  This sudden influx of beautiful nature warms and excites my creativity.  Here is a photo of a hungry robin I took from a nest outside of our home last summer.

Hungry robin nesting in front of our home

Another robin in back of our home

It is only natural that these thoughts of spring and summer should ignite my creative juices to pull out the cicada wings that I collected at the end of August last year.  Each year, at the end of summer, I step carefully around the cicadas that rest on our sidewalks.  I find the big bugs rather eerie.

This is a cicada I collected last summer.

It seems that I am drawn to things that elicit a goose-bumpy response to obtain a closer look or to study their foreboding morphology.  Cockroaches are one of those daunting things.  I don't think you will see me working with roaches, but never say never.  Anyway, when studying the cicadas I noticed their wings were coarsely veined.

Notice the deeply ridged and fibrous veins of the wings

Since I enjoy working with my rolling mill I thought I would see what would happen if I milled a wing against annealed copper.  The results were pretty fantastic, especially when highlighting the metal with liver of sulfur.  I want to disclaim that all the bugs that I use were found dead.  I'm very sensitive to life and nature.

After getting out my stash of wings I created a pair of earrings from copper and silver wire.  I like to use the copper, as it anneals softer and accepts the impression more deeply than the silver.  I also like the contrast of the copper with the silver.  On these I included a small pearl at the bottom.  

Now, that my wings are out and ready for use I think that I will create another piece of jewelry from them.  I so enjoy the freedom to create from the heart and working with metal and wire allows my inner child to emerge.

If anyone reading this has something unusual they like to work with, feel free to share this by posting your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Wishing you all a happy spring and a great entry into summer!!

~Susan
Wired Lotus

Little Metal Can Beads

Today I was perusing my jewelry photos and found this photo of some little can beads that I made following an example in a magazine.  I can't remember which jewelry magazine or the author, but if anyone can think of it feel free to post it below. 

Anyway, I remember after making these beads that I didn't think that they were fantastic or exciting and today when I looked at this photo I thought that were pretty cool.  These were made from those colorful Mountain Dew Cans that I had saved in the event that I may need them.  Oh yeah, I have a lot of stuff that I save for a rainy day.  I even saved some of the tempered glass that was blown out of our car after our accident to set in resin one day.  Anyway, the design of these little can beads look easy to construct, but I remember each bead taking me nearly a day to create.  I still have one or two of them and feel a bit inspired to incorporate some wire wrapping into the design to see what I can come up with.  For now, they are simply can beads awaiting further decorating. 

My Jewelry Debuts at a Gallery

Hello friends.  My first consignment opportunity debuted on December 5, 2012 at Harper College at Studio V. I am excited to share the story with you as well as the process on how this came to fruition, as I know that many who will read this blog are fellow jewelry/wire artists. Below is a photo of the outside of Studio V.

                                                              Here is a photo that I took of the front of Studio V

 This all started when I got word that the college was going to have a freestanding and professional gallery storefront on the campus in the Chicago area. I am actually an alum of the school and am familiar with the campus.  I sent the Studio an e mail inquiring about submitting.  They asked me to provide them with my website and three photos of my work.  After doing that I was asked to meet with them and bring several pieces in for them to see.  Last week I met with the Studio's visual fashion merchandising professor at Harper College who spearheaded Studio V (that is a Roman Numeral V for the five senses).  He was very positive about my jewelry and price point.  He referred to my wire wrapping as "Fashion Jewelry."  This was a term I had not considered my jewelry falling under, but I rather liked this description.  He compared and contrasted this to fine jewelry such as wedding and diamond engagement rings that you find at mall retail stores.   After he agreed to accept my jewelry on consignment we talked about the business aspects.  He then showed me a locked jewelry glass display case for which my jewelry would be shown.  The following week on December 5, I brought in 18 pieces of jewelry and all my display items.  The merchandising professor and one of his merchandising students took my jewelry and the displays and shared these items with an entire class of merchandising students that day where they went to work making a display for my jewelry in the locked glass case.  They augmented the display by scattering small white Christmas light bulbs at the bottom of the display.  Very cool!!  In addition to having my jewelry debut on December 5, Studio V was also having an open house that night complete with hor' d'oeuvres and wine. My supportive husband and I attended this well planned and professional event. While at the event, we saw fashion clothing, fragrant organic soaps, artwork, jewelry, glass work and other design elements which were wonderful to behold. 

                                                                                         Open house invitation

 Constructing the display and other logistics are outlined below

About two years ago, my stepfather, Artie, made me some merchandising displays for my jewelry.  They are basically small black wooden stands for jewelry cards and then some various heights of  wooden square pillars painted in three colors (fawn brown, soft turquoise and cream) for which to display the card stands upon. I'm glad that he created this for me, as I was able to use these in my display. 

                                                            The pillars Artie made for my jewelry display

               This is one of the many jewelry card stands that Artie made for me.  The pillars are not shown.  

 

The jewelry card stands are pretty cool.  The slots are at an angle and the cards rest back to easily display the card and jewelry.  It is perfect for small necklaces, earrings and even bracelets.  



To prepare for this event, I made the jewelry cards, as shown above, went to my local custom rubber stamp store and had them make three rubbers stamps with my logo/logos.  I also fancied up some brown boxes with my logo. 

                                                            The three rubber stamps

                                                       This is my secondary logo.  My first is the lotus with the OM symbol. 

                                                           Here you can see the use of two of the stamps on the box

 

                   Here I am seeing the display for the first time.  Notice the small light bulbs at the bottom of the case. 

Creating and sharing what I design and wire wrap has been a constantly evolving journey (and still is).  A little over a week ago I didn't know that I would display my jewelry in a studio, a little over a year ago I didn't know that my "lessons" would be shared in a magazine, a little over two years ago I was frightened by the thought of writing my first tutorial, but since then I have written four and am currently working on two more.  What makes this possible?  I can't say for sure, but feel it has a lot to do with positive affirmations from the jewelry community and the emotional support from my family and friends.  If you are a jewelry artist and have had reservations about sharing your work it is my hope that some of this has inspired or helped you in some small way to get your work out there and noticed. 

New Hinged Wire Woven Earring Tutorial on Etsy

Hello Everyone.  To think that over a year ago I wanted to create my very own tutorial and now I have three completed!!  That was a dream of mine to create at least one lesson and share it with other people wanting to know how to contort wire into functional shapes.  The process is a lengthy one to complete one tutorial, but when it is finished I get that same feeling I get when I turn the last page of a good book.  I want more!!  So this means that I will start working on my next tutorial.

This tutorial can be found on Etsy at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/wiredlotus

About this tutorial:  This one is different from the others in that I didn't use sheet metal for any components.  Everything is done with wire to create a hinged earring.  See the photo below to see the moveable hinge:

The reason for creating a hinge is to show how this hinging is possible while incorporating the hinge wire into the design.  Why is this important?  This will allow for a more fluid design following making the hinge instead of using a rivet or swirls or a curled wire at either side of the hinge.  Using this technique doesn't make it necessarily better than the others, but gives the artist another option in their design.  The hinge also allows for a movement in the piece that would otherwise be stationary.  This hinge can also be used in bracelets and was actually intended for this use, however I felt this earring design to be pretty groovy, so went with it.

This design can be done in any soft metal such as silver, gold fill, gold or copper.  Below, see the copper earring.  This is my mother's favorite (Christmas present?  Perhaps!!):

For the design of the earring I used a pear shaped briolette.  After I photograph, write and put all the steps into a document I then work the tutorial myself just to be certain that it works smoothly.  When I was done I created this pair of earrings out of a triangle bead and with more chains.

This tutorial was a great adventure.  Now, on to my next one!!  I'm thinking a chakra barrel bead pendant done with metal forging, wire wrapping and chains.  Gotta love those chains!!

Thank you.

~Susan

I'm Published!! Thanks, Art Jewelry!!

What does Art Jewelry magazine, snakeskin and tutorials have in common?  My step by step article on how to imprint snakeskin onto silver and copper sheet to make a delicate texture for wire framed earrings. 

If you click on the link provided here you can see a short video of all the interesting projects in the November issue of Art Jewelry, including my Snake Skin Earring tutorial. 
November 2012 Art Jewelry Magazine Video Preview

So how did that come to fruition?  About five years ago a master seed bead artist encouraged me to send my wire wrapping ideas into a magazine or enter a contest.  I looked at her like she had grown a second head and placed a hand on my chest, looked around the room and said to her, "Who me?"  She told me that it would never happen if I didn't try.  I thought that the idea was overwhelming and yet her voice kept returning to me each time I would finish a project.  I would ask myself if the finished project was worthy of entering it into a juried art exhibit, a magazine or a contest.  Honestly, it is challenging to be objective about your work after finishing it, as so much tender love, resources and time goes into many of the wire wrapping pieces that I complete.  It seems that with each necklace, earring, ring or bracelet that I finish that I appreciated it more than the others.  Still, I knew that bells would ring and songs would permeate my surrounding when I had that hit.  That happened a year ago when my uncle's wife asked me to make and donate a snake head necklace (see my post banner snake head) for a fundraiser to research the Western Diamondback rattlesnake.  The necklace sold to the highest bidder in a silent auction and subsequently 1,000 dollars went towards tracking devices for our reptilian friends. 

It all started with a sketch of the snake head

After the snake head was finished and photographed I sent a photo into Art Jewelry.  They asked me to fill out a submission form and send them the snake head necklace to their office in Wisconsin.  I not only sent them the necklace, but the matching earrings that I made out of the snake skin rolled against silver in my rolling mill.  They photographed the snake head and put that photo into the Art Jewelry Gallery and asked me if I would do a step by step article for the earrings.  After I danced a small jig I wrote them back telling them that I would be glad to write a step by step article. 

Writing an article for a magazine is different from writing one for your own use.  I tend to write my step by step tutorials with nearly a hundred photos or more.  To do that for a magazine would take many pages.  It was my job to condense the ideas and photos that I had to convey the process thoroughly.  After submission to the magazine the editors proofed my completed submission and sent back some changes, including a couple of illustrations that offered even more visual enlightenment to the process.  Their assistance was gold!!  It was wonderful to work with such a professional editing staff.

So, check out the Snake Skin Earrings, as well as other projects that use interesting components in the November 2012 issue of Art Jewelry.  I have also provided links to my tutorials.  One is a free tutorial on how to use the Economy Compact rolling mill and the other is on patterning metals without a rolling mill.
Patterned Metals Without Rolling Mill

Free Rolling Mill Tutorial

First Lesson for a Budding Artist

Where does the person start who knows little to nothing about jewelry or metal fabrication?  Do they start with beads?  Metals?  Wire wrapping?  Why not all three?  Last week we had some out of town company visit with us from Ohio.  This was my husband’s college roommate and his wife, Trish, who is a nurse.  The wife asked me if she could watch me work in my studio and I asked her if she would consider working with me.  She was game.  She had not dabbled in jewelry arts and was graciously willing to allow me to show her some of the tools.  

Since Trish is a new grandmother she was interested in making a necklace with her granddaughter’s name on it.  I felt that her experience would be dimensional if she could dabble in many of the tools offered to create such a necklace.  This meant bringing out the torch, rolling mill, hammers, dapping blocks, metal stamps, disc cutter and jewelry tools.  

Here you can see Trish using a drill press for the first time.  

What was so amazing is Trish’s steady hand while stamping metal.  This stamping she did was her first attempt.  She nailed it!!  It was awesome to see Trish work all of the metal fabricating tools with great confidence and precision.  Her finished necklace looks great.  Don’t you think?