
The ABC’S of Jewelry Making Every Jewelry Diva Needs To Know

You know the season is changing when Starbucks releases their delicious fall themed drinks such as ANYTHING pumpkin. Oh. My. Gosh. I’m like in heaven right now! Seriously I have no control. My friend know I love pumpkin so much that he bought me the Taste of Home Pumpkin themed cookbook. Wait….Is he expecting tasty treats? Was that a setup? Lol.
Seriously though, I mean not that I wasn’t serious before, this is one of my favorite seasons. I love change. I love the colors of fall. I love the comforts of fall. It actually inspired me to create a fall themed collection and because of this celebration of fall, I’m having a sort of welcome to fall sale.
What’s your favorite thing about the fall season? Share in the comments.
Many times people ask me what inspires me to create or what motivates me to create. To tell you the truth I’ve never really thought about it. It’s just something that I did/do. Or so I thought.
These questions stirred up something within me and I went on a quest to find the answer.
Why DO I create? What are the benefits from creating? When did this creative journey begin?
I dug deeper.
Memories of owning a sticker making machine as a little girl flashed into my mind. The machine was in the shape of a medium sized cream colored plastic house with a cotton candy roof, which served as the lid. The materials for the stickers were inside. You would place a sticker on the two large circle provided and begin creating. I was mesmerized by this idea of creating my own stickers and later started a sticker collection which I still have to this day.
Other forms of creation showed up in areas of dance lessons, which later led to choreographing dance routines with friends.
Writing short stories, which led to graduating with a minor in creative writing. Later in life creating and teaching jewelry.
Gathering all these memories inspired me to create my list of whys. I’ll share them with you and hopefully you can relate.
This is the long and short of it, also the beginning of a series in which I will expand further and invite you to explore with me.
What inspires you to create?
Wire wrapping has become one of the most popular jewelry making techniques in the industry. It looks extremely difficult but the truth is once you master the basic techniques, the sky’s the limit.
I was first drawn to this technique when I saw a beautiful amethyst gemstone which had been wire wrapped in silver at a bead show. It not only accentuated the color and body of the stone but it added flair and elegance to the stone, like nothing I had ever seen before. At that time I was taking a basic jewelry making course but after seeing that stone, I became curious and bought my first roll of wire.
It was then that I learned something valuable about this technique and its process. There are five skills one needs to master in wire wrapping:
2. It’s All In The Wrist. I don’t care how many wire wrap artists you put in the same room, creating the same project, using the same exact design, the end result will differ from the person next to you, even if only slightly. The reason for this is because it’s all in your wrist. Writers use the same letters in the alphabet that everyone else has access to but the difference is in the way they construct words to formulate their voice and tone throughout their work. Wire wrapping is no different. All the creative energy you muster flows through your body and “your voice” is in your wrist. Your wrist is what controls the way you bend and form your wire, it’s where you develop style.
3. Lose Control. Guess what? When you’re first starting out and learning how to wrap your very first bead, allow yourself room to lose control. Relax and just experiment by playing with the wire so you can get used to handling it. You don’t have to try getting it right the first time, that’s way too much pressure to put on yourself. Have fun and flow with this new discovery. The look you are going for will come in time. Trust me.
4. Patience. Training your wire to do exactly what you want is like training a new puppy. The puppy is new to you and wants to do things its way because it doesn’t know what you want it to do so it does what it wants. I’m totally am not joking, like seriously the wire has a mind. The last thing you want to do is choke the heck out of the wire or squeeze and tug at it so bad that you strip it. Be gentle. Be patient. It will do exactly what you want when you love on it.
5. Practice. Practice is key. You probably thought I was going to start by saying that practice makes perfect. Nope. Absolutely not. There’s no such thing as perfection. I will say that practice makes you better. The key is to continue practice your technique until you’re satisfied with the outcome. And then….practice some more until you move past satisfaction. You’ll become a wire wrap diva in no time!
What’s the one thing you’ve learned while creating jewelry? Share your thoughts, I’d love to hear them.