Practice Makes a Good Gift

I continue to practice my wireweaving.  I made these earrings for my mother.

from Cupcake Earring tutorial by Nicole Hanna

I apologize for the picture quality- Android phones are not the best way to populate a beading blog.  Nonetheless, I thought it would be a good opportunity to post something.

I am really enjoying learning this new skill.  I like the results. 

It is keeping me busy while I ponder my next bead woven piece.

Learning Curves

It has been a while.  I moved south 550 miles,  I bought a condo that I am planning on retiring in.  I kept my same job but at a new office; then my office moved.  I work enough over-time each and every week that when my neighbors see me they ask me if I have been given time off. I received a promotion on Friday, and will begin training for my new job immediately after the holidays; thank goodness for that thoughtful scheduling.

Adapted from Nicole Hanna's Darling Dangles

I am almost unpacked.  I have studio space and my beads are unpacked, but I still have organizing to do.


All that being said, I have been in love with beads for way to many years to give it up.  I am easing myself back into creating but you will forgive me if my plate remains a bit full for the next half year.
 

When last I posted I was making an attempt to learn wire weaving with the help of Nicole Hanna tutorials.  I cannot say enough good things about Nicole's tutorials.  The price point is good.  The instructions clear.  And, based on the few pieces I have done I think that wire weaving is a skill that I can acquire with a bit more practice.  My skills do not do justice to Nicole's work.








One of the other skills I need to work on is photography.  I think I just live a tilted life.

 

It took me quite a while to make these, but I imagine that I could get much quicker over time.   I will find out, I am planning on making a second pair.  

Darling Dangles Earrings view II

Darling Dangles view III

One final picture. 


If this is something you would like to learn I do encourage you to visit Niccole's site and give it a try. 

It's A Clasp

It's A Clasp

I feel like I cheated.  This is not what I envisioned. However, it works.

Okay, so why do I feel like I cheated? Because I bought some tutorials from Nicole Hanna.  This clasp is a very slight adaptation from her Hang My Heart Earrings.  

Here is a bad picture of my first attempt at her tutorial next to half of the finished clasp:

Side by side results

Alternate hooks

I used larger wires and added a few more weaves to compensate for the larger wires.  I also only used the central element of her earring design.


I fabricated three different hooks for the clasp.  I am not going to keep the hook in the picture at the top of this blog; I think it is too weak.  Instead I will use the hook with the flower embellishment pictured to the right.

I like the hook with the weaving but it is far from smooth when actually trying to hook the clasp.




I have been considering constructing my own findings for years.  I was pushed into doing more than mere contemplation by Cindy Wimmer's The Missing Link book and the lack of a multi-strand clasp for the necklace I am making.

I think I made a mistake when my first attempt at making a wire woven clasp was for a multi-strand necklace.  A simple single strand clasp or a toggle and bar clasp would have been a better choice at this stage.  Nonetheless, I am happy with the results.  Here is the serviceable but not quite so pretty back:

The multi-strand back

One more picture for the blog with a ruler to give you an idea of the size.

Some final thoughts:

• I want more practice- especially with those curls. 
• I want to do more design, but that requires better skills and more practice.  
• Tool marks are like thread, they really show up in pictures more so than to the unaided eye.
• I want to keep doing this.   

Oh, and all errors are my own and not a reflection of the fabulous work and tutorials of Nicole Hanna.

Wire Weaving

Have you ever looked at my second page where I list all of the jewelry blogs that I read? I have a handful of wire weavers listed.  I love the look of woven wire.  Nicole Hanna gifted me with a tutorial some time ago and I have finally gotten around to my first attempt at wire weaving.

Look what I made:

Gemstone Drops

Of course the camera shows all the flaws the naked eye will not see- especially the nicks on the wire.  Recall that this is my very first attempt at wire weaving and should not reflect poorly on Nicole's finished pieces.

I am quite proud of these earrings. (Yes, I know they don't have ear wires yet so they are not technically earrings.)

They took me a few hours to make.  The tutorial was well written.  The process was fun and actually not as difficult as I expected.

I think this design might be adaptable to a bar and toggle clasp.  Now to think of an appropriate bar.

Here is a second picture:

Gemstone Drops again

If you can make wire wrapped loops I think you can make these.  Nicole Hanna does not currently have this particular tutorial posted, but her tutorials can be found here: Nicole Hanna Tutorials

I am planning on letting Nicole know I not only made her earrings but posted about them so perhaps she will repost this tutorial.  She identifies these as "intermediate advanced" yet when she gifted me with a tutorial I told her to pick something out for me knowing that I had no wire weaving experience.  You may want to look through what she has to offer.  She currently has a round pair of earrings that are very similar:  Geometric Post Earrings.  However, I think I might like to try my hand at these: Darling Dangle Earrings

Really, I am quite tickled with my accomplishment.