Profile

Jewelry should be affordable, fun and made from anything. Re-cyled, re-purposed or re-used, unconventional and easy to wear daily. This blog will be about my art, my inspirations and who knows what else.

When my husband retired 2 years ago I became upemployed, and I love it! Who really needs to do network management when you can hammer wire all day? My jewelry studio moved from a small, dark bedroom to a roomy daylight basement and I can finally get at all my tools at once.
Now I am making jewelry (nearly) every day, experimenting with new techniques and beginning to use use huge bead, wire and found objects stash accumulated over the last 45 years - yes I really do have jewelry I got when I was ten! Working in beads, wire, silver, copper and steel, polymer clay, and PMC. Next on my list: resin. Someday I would like to try lampworking and stained glass.

Non-jewelry hobbies include sewing, theater costume building, gourmet cooking, travel and feeding the birds in my backyard. And I am still doing computers....helping other artists get their websites started.

Basic Wire Wrapping Class

What a great time we had yesterday in my first Basic Wire Wrapping class at Vintiques in Kansas City. (Check their upcoming classes.) Two great students, a few beads, wire and tools made the afternoon fly! We used bits and pieces of old jewelry, 20 - 22 gauge craft wire and designed components built with "wrapped loops." Students learned some basics about working with wire, and the tools that help (bench block, bench pin, rotary tool, center punch, rawhide mallet, round nose & chain nose pliers, crimping tool and flush cutters).

We practiced making wrapped loops, learning to manipulate the wire with pliers or fingers, first following the rules, then breaking the rules on purpose. I showed them a custom wrapped loop hook clasp (download my free tutorial) and

how to improvise a closure using existing bits from old jewelry. We also demonstrated making a wire spiral, work hardening wire with a rawhide mallet. It was great to see how different personalities,

styles and stashes produced such different results.