Quick tute

So today I thought I'd share how I solved a particular problem I run across frequently, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I'm also sure I'm not the first person to come up with this solution, but just in case you haven't found it yet, here's my tip.

Do you know when you have beautiful briolette that is perfect for the particular piece you're working on, but you want to use heavier gauge wire and the holes in the briolette are just too small? And you don't have a bead reamer, or you do (like me), but it's still not working very well for you?

Well, this is what you do:

Insert the fine gauge wire that fits into the briolette and prepare for wrapping the loop as usual.

Lay a piece of the heavier gauge wire alongside the finer wire (it's a little off center in the picture so you can see clearly).

Bend both wires simultaneously to start the wrapped loop.

Form the loop using the two wires and connect to the other piece you want to attach it to.

Wrap around a few times so that the finer gauge wire is totally secure and then cut it.

Continue wrapping the briolette with the heavier gauge wire until you're happy with the look and cut the remaining wire. Et voila!

Another view of the finished piece.

And if you spotted that on pic 4 I actually attached the briolette to a differente piece than the finished necklace, congratulations! You win a lifelong subscription to the "Spot the Obvious" magazine... :)

I had finished my necklace when I realized maybe someone could use this tip, so redid the whole thing.

Cheers,

Carla

Letting go of fear

Sometime early last year, I purchased a tool that I knew would open up many new possibilities in my work. As I usually do, I purchased the best one I could - I really don't like purchasing cheap tools just for learning thinking I'll upgrade once I'm more proficient in using the tools. The whole point of the best tools is actually making your job easier, so why start with something of lesser quality? (if you can afford to, of course)

The tool arrived, I inspected it - and I stashed it away in a box. Until now.
I'm talking about a jeweler's saw. I tend to read a lot and research before going into a new technique, so I had read extensively about how you brake numerous blades as you start, and how it's the sort of technique that you're better off learning formally. In a class. With someone who knows what they're doing.

So it remained stashed away. As I mentioned before, around here, there are no classes, no teachers, no supplies, zero, nada, zilch (is that a word?).

But there comes a day when a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. So I got my beautiful jeweler's saw out (it's red too, one of my faves), and got to it.

Well, I'm happy to report it's been easy peesy... I can even saw round shapes, and turning corners is apparently the most difficult thing to master. Not to yours truly! And not a saw blade was broken. Woohooo!!!

Here's a few things I've made:

Sterling silver strip with riveted copper round, wire wrapped amethyst briolette

A triangular shape sawed from a copper sheet with a riveted flower makes my "Enchanted" piece

The copper heart in my "Home is Where the Heart Is" was also sawn.

And while I was at it, why not teach myself to set a stone with tabs? Well, I learnt that more difficult than sawing is measuring very accurately so your stone fits inside the tabs and all the rivets are where they should be. This was the biggest pain - when I finished, I hadn't left enough space in the top layer around the stone, and it didn't fit inside. So I had to wrestle the tabs back and forth - luckily I didn't break them - until I could finally set the stone.



I find that working with metal takes so much longer than other techniques I tried before - sawing takes time, and then there's all the filing... but I also find it very fullfiling. I like to make each individual component, I like that I can see how much I worked on a piece.

Lately I have been using some handmade beads from other artists in my work, and I love to do that, but I really don't want my work to be just a nice sum, well-put together, of components others have made. I really want to sweat over my pieces. The process is 90% of the fun for me. So I guess I'm in a long term relationship with my jeweler's saw.

Now where did I put the soldering supplies I bought last year?...