Silver and Gold (and blue)

I have always wanted to learn a technique in jewelry-making called wire-wrapping.  It's where you take either a headpin or create a headpin out of metal wire (in my case, copper) by stringing on a bead or a set of beads, then creating a 'wrapped loop' on top.  About ten years ago, I bought a spool of 22 gauge copper wire.  Copper wire is cheap and found everywhere.  It's the best wire to practice on.  I tried and tried.  And tried.  I just could not get it.  I cried.  Yes.  I cried.  This was the one technique that I knew I must master in order to really feel like I could make anything.  And I failed.  I put the wire away.

I got the itch to try it again about two months ago.  Thanks to YouTube, I found THE video that finally showed me how easy this is.  I am debating on whether I want to share it with you or not.  After all, some secrets are best kept?  Go to YouTube and look for "Wire Wraping Tutorial"  You'll find one that will suit you, there.  How's that?

I also knew that, just like with crochet, or knitting, one finds the best way to do these things in their own way.  I crochet and do it in my own way.  I look at my aunt and wonder how she manages to even do it the way she holds her needle!  And a cousin who does it even wilder.  Everyone does it their way, but only after being able to master just doing it correctly, first!  Once you figure out the way it's done, then you can alter how you do it so that it is comfortable and works for you.

When I finally started making wrapped loops that were correctly wrapped, that's when I got that 'Aha!' moment.  I stuck with just getting the technique down.  Then I changed how I held the round-nosed pliers as I wrapped with bent-nosed instead of just flat-nosed pliers.  I had it down.  Let me tell you, it was a banner day in my house.  I felt like singing.  I did, and I'm glad nobody was around!  Here is my very first wrapped-loop (sorry, the photos stink):
Not to shabby for my first time doing it my way!  And here is the very first earring I made:

I felt so confident, I even  made my own head pins to out of copper wire to attach the green dangles.  The main wire is my very first wrapped wire in Sterling Silver!  A true test!

Finally, I felt confident enough to go for the - silver.   The sterling silver.  I made the earring shown above.  I was so thrilled!  I could do this, after all!

My best friend, Donna came over with her beads and we had our monthly play date.  I love watching her put together her creations.  Where I just throw things in a pile and try and fail, she is very meticulous and plans her pieces.  I need to do that.  Plan.  Anyway, we were each doing our own thing.  I stood up and instantly felt bad.  My blood sugar plummeted.  Not once that day, but twice.  I was taking new medications and obviously they were not working.  Still, I managed to whip up a pair of earrings.  I knew when I started them that they would be a gift for my BFF.  I made a few mistakes, being so wonky from my sugar fluctuations.  One was a 'happy accident' where I forgot to leave my loop open.   Donna suggested that I just add it to the top of the earring.  "Hey! That works!"

Here are her earrings which she has beautifully photographed for me:

I have to admit, I think they turned out quite nice.  I even made the beaded bead in the center.  I just ordered some SS headpins and more SS wire.  I can't wait to start wrappin' again.

Oh, and of course this is art.

Until next time,

Keep drawing, and beading, and smelting.