How to Make a Wire Danish Love Knot - Free Tutorial

I owe many thanks to Blue Forest Jewellery for this wonderful and informative tutorial!  I've been searching the internet for clear instructions on how to make the infamous "Love Knot" also known as the "Danish Knot" and today, I found it!  Please, take the time to visit this delightful and talented artist.

This is the link to Blue Forest Jewellery's blog and the tutorial:
 http://blueforestjewellery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/handmade-monday-how-to-make-danish-love.html ...
This is a link to Blue Forest Jewellry's Etsy store:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueForestJewellery

I spent the morning creating these and wanted to share the measurements with you because I came to find that getting those 'right' for a nice tight, clean looking bead, took the most time.  After that, it was just a  matter of great patience :))

Click each image to enlarge

For these 10mm  knots, I used 
22 gauge, dead soft, bronze jewelry wire
5 mm mandrel
each coil contains 5 loops, between each cut
3 coils per bead



For these "20" mm knots, I used
20 gauge, dead soft, bronze jewelry wire
10 mm mandrel
each coil contains 8 loops, between each cut
3 coils per bead

You'd think the math would work out to be 10 loops per coil, but when I tried that, the coils were simply too tight to get linked together.  The bead you see on the left contains 8 loops each, between the cuts, while the on the right contains 7 loops between each cut end.  You'll notice that the one on the right, while it doesn't look bad, is definitely not as tight or neat as the one on the left.  One extra loop per coil makes a difference, in my opinion.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy and again, I encourage you to give the Blue Forest Jewellery tutorial a try.

Learning to Weave Jewelry Wire - labradorite pendant

This beautiful labradorite stone has an amazing amount of electric blue flash when in natural light and I think is one of the most beautiful stones to work with.  Labradorite is called the stone of Magic and awakens mystical abilities and psychic powers.  It wards off negative energies and can be used as a form of 'protection' from ill will.   It brings the wearer a renewed energy for excitement and adventure.  I hope you enjoy the wire works I put to it and I hope you look for it in my etsy store... coming soon!  In the meantime, if you are interested in this piece specifically, please email me at izzyzgumbo@gmail.com

  Click the images to enlarge

Learning to Weave Wire - Latest Projects

I'm working the weaving into some new pendants, trying on a new 'style' if you will... I've enjoyed them and I hope you find inspiration in the images and I hope you enjoy the different wire wrapping techniques!  Try them all! ;)

Happy holidays.  The stone in the copper pendant is a fossil coral, one of my favorites and the coloring is natural.  The silver pendants contain a blue Kyanite stone and the other contains a red chalcedony gem.  Enjoy!  Soon to be in my etsy store... yes, I'm holding out until I get better at this ;)  Meantime, if you are interested in any of these specifically, email me at izzyzgumbo@gmail.com and let me know.

 
 

Learning to Weave Wire - A Healthy Apatite

Apatite is one of my most favorite stones, these have a beautiful deep electric blue color.  It's not commonly found in the jewelry world and is often misunderstood for being precious beryl, topaz or tourmaline and the word Apatite comes from the Greek word "apate", meaning "deceit" because it is so often confused as being something other than what it is.

It is known for it's positive powers to assist in achieving goals, it clears away confusion, apathy and negative thinking while stimulating the intellect to expand knowledge and truth.  It enhances creativity and flow of thought.  A beautiful stone to become familiar with.   I hope you enjoy the wire treatment I've put to it and I hope you look for them in my etsy store ;)

 

Learning to Weave Jewelry Wire - Mystic Faces

I've been busy the past few days trying to find creative ways to use this new technique I'm learning.  I have these wonderful porcelain faces that I thought I'd put to wire.. I think they turned out pretty well.  I hope you enjoy the view!  Look for them in my Etsy store. ;)


Click the images to enlarge

Cleaning Sterling Silver Jewelry Wire

So I moved and while my jewelry supplies were packed, much of the silver wire I use for wrapping took on a nasty tarnish... needless to say, I should have stored it better prior to moving, but such as life, I didn't.

An easy and chemical free way to clean silver wire is to use aluminum foil, baking soda, salt and hot water.
1.  Line a heat resistant pan or deep baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny side up.
2.  Boil a gallon or so of hot water and add a table spoon each of salt and baking soda.
3.  Pour the mixture into your foil lined pan and put your silver wire in, to soak.
4.  Make sure the silver wire is laying on or touching the aluminum foil for this to work.
5.  Remove the wire from the dish, run under tap water and give a light buff with paper towel.

While I'd like to say it took only seconds and that the wire came out 'perfectly clean'... truth is, depending on how tarnished your wire is, this might take up to 10 minutes of soaking time and for best results on some deep tarnish, it might take repeating the process after the toughest layers are removed.  Provided you have patience to do this, it works quite well and best of all, cost next to nothing and doesn't use a nasty chemical cleaner.

Here are some images for reference.  Enjoy and remember, you can also clean your silver jewelry this way, provided it doesn't contain any natural stones that might be damaged by the heat or treatment.  This is also great for tarnished findings that are hard to use paste cleaners on ;)

  compare!

Learning to Weave Wire - Egyptian Choker

I have to say, I love this piece.  Using the techniques I shared in the previous posts, along with some wire sculpting, I created this simple pendant, encircling the focal bead with a three and two loop weave and coiling.  Adding porcelain green beads and matching red accents on wire links, I think this makes a great choker.  The simple clasp finding, I also created myself.

I hope you enjoy the images and  that they inspire you in your wire craft.
I might come back with some simple tips on wire sculpting as well as creating your own findings.  Click the images to enlarge.

Yeah... you notice right, I changed up the bead combinations a bit and added some silver foil glass beads near the focal bead and at the ends.  Makes for a great accent. ;))

 

Learning to Weave Wire - A Twisted Serpent

This isn't finished yet and I have a wonderful story to go with it... but wanted to share the progress as of today.  I built the frame and used the weave I spoke of in the first post... a simple looping action but rather than a one to one loop, I used three and two.

Please remember that what I'm showing are weaving techniques as I create pieces and learn.  These are not full blown project tutorials, but I do hope you can use the information to inspire your own creative projects!

1.  Anchor your weaving wire (26 or 28 gauge is best) by creating three single loops around the outside frame wire.

2.  Loops four and five should cross both frame wires and then do three more single loops around the outside wire.

3.  Repeat this pattern all around your frame wires.  You can, like I did, choose a logical and attractive point to break the weaving pattern and do simple coiling around both frame wires, then continue the weave pattern.

You will notice that I'm actually using three frame wires here... I add the third wire into the weaving pattern in the middle section of my Serpent. ;)

In this section, I stop the three to two loop pattern and move to a one loop pattern over each of the three wires.

1.  Starting at the inside frame wire, anchor the weaving wire by creating three single loops, moving the wire to the right.

2.  Cross the center frame wire and weave down, between the center frame wire and the right side frame wire.  Bring the 26g back up between the first and center frame wires, completely encircling the center frame wire.

3.  Bring the weaving wire across the right side frame wire and make a complete loop around the outside frame wire.  Bring it under and back up between the first and center frame wire, then down between the center and right side, to completely encircle the center frame wire.

4.  Bring the weaving wire under and up the outside of the first frame wire.
Repeat this pattern as far up your piece as you desire, when using three frame wires.

This is what it looks like so far.  I haven't anchored the focal bead yet, but have it positioned for a visual inspection on my pendant.  Here's a peak at the whole thing... remember, it isn't finished!  So I hope you come back to see where this goes.

Enjoy your wire craft and have a beautiful day!

Learning to Weave Wire - A Twisted Heart

Okay so this is the latest project of mine... learning this technique
takes time but is full of joy!  I hope to inspire you to give wire weaving a try.  My next post will be out soon with some details but until then... enjoy the eye candy ;)

Learning to Weave Jewelry Wire - Basic 1 to 1 loop and coils

Continuing with the previous project, I wanted to show you what the same weave looks like but this time, it's basically a 1 to 1 loop around the frame wires.  This is also nice if you are making a track of sorts or a 'cradle' to wrap around the edge of a focal bead.

I'll be back to show more soon ;)
Click the image to enlarge and get a close look.

Learning to Wire Weaving - A Basic 2 to 1 Loop

One of the first things I learned when weaving wire is... make your frame bends first if you are using a larger wire.  After the wires are weaved, they can become very difficult to bend, especially if they require a twist or sharp curve around your focal bead.  Maybe others know a better way of doing this, but for me, this seems to be the first step in a project.

In this photo, I've spiraled around a focal glass bead with 16 gauge wire and I'm using a 26g wire for the looping or 'weave'.

1.  I've anchored the thin wire at the beginning of the frame by doing a simple looping wrap over both frame wires.

2.  Where the frame wires begin to separate, loop twice around the 'outside' frame wire, then come over both frame wires, down the inside frame along the side that faces the bead.

3.  Come back up through the middle and loop once around the 'inside' frame wire, then under both frame wires, returning to the outside of the frame.

The looping is always going in the same direction and this motion is repeated all around the focal bead.

I do two loops around the outside wire and one loop around the inside wire because these wires are spiraled around the bead and this seems to create a nice uniform pattern, keeping the loops even with each other as I move around the frame wires.

It's an easy first weave to practice.  As I wrote in the previous post, it's very important to work with a comfortable length of wire for the weaving.  I use three feet at a time.  Work slowly and carefully, managing the thin wire so that it does not kink or bulk while looping around the frame wires.  Make sure the loops are snug and laying flat along the frame.

After you do three or four 'rows' of loops, you might use your thumb and finger to push the loops close together to keep them uniform and neat.

You can click each of these images to enlarge them and take a better look.  Have fun!  I'll be back with another post soon.

Learning to Weave Wire

This can be one of the most unique and beautiful wire techniques, however it can also be the most frustrating and tedious to learn... there is no getting around the fact that it takes practice and a whole lot of patience.  I've been working on learning it for a few months now and learning how to keep the wire neat, tight and attractive... many sighs and in one case, tears, later, I think I'm finally starting to understand what it takes.

I want to share what I learn with you to help get you over the very frustrating starting points.  It looks a lot easier than it is and so I give huge credit to those artists who seem to do magic with these techniques, they truly have learned and applied a worthy skill of wire craft.  There certainly are many others who have opinion on how 'best' to do these techniques so I encourage you to explore and read as the things I'm covering with you are from my own personal experience, there may be better ways... please share via comment if  you'd like as I'm also, still learning.

Beginning Tips:
1.  Use a small gauge wire to do the weaving, 26g and 28g is what I use.  Use a larger, more sturdy wire for the frame of your piece.

2.  Use a manageable length, I use 3 to 5 feet at a time.  I don't hold my wire coiled up like I've read in other places.  I use the wire length loose, like a thread.  Weaving with more than 3 to 5 feet at a time becomes difficult to manage and the wire hardens as you weave, so a longer length, I've found, causes kinking and breaking along with just being hard to handle.  Working with one foot of wire at a time, will get you no where fast... a foot of 26g wire, weaved around 16g seems to create approximately 1/2 inch of weaved work.  Three feet of 26g wire seems to create just over an inch to 1.5 inch at a time of weaved work, depending on the size of the frame wires and the pattern of your weave.

3.  If you work with your weaving wire loose like I do, be careful of your eyes, the wire can still be a bit difficult to handle when you are first beginning and I've come close to poking myself in the face.  Either use eye wear or just always be mindful of that loose end.

4.  Keep the weaving wire working in the direction of it's natural bend (as it came off the spool).  Normally I take a 3 foot length of wire and gently 'straighten it' by pressing it between my fingers.  Coming off the spool, it has a natural loose coil already on it and I find this hard to work with, so I take the moment to press it into a straight piece of wire.

5.  Keep a controlled but slight tension on the weaving wire as you work.  Push it snug to the frame wire and use your flat nose pliers when the wire becomes short and hard to push or pull tight.  Don't continually 'rub' your wire straight as this will cause hardening, making it brittle.

6.  Work slowly and neatly, ensuring that the weaved loop does not overlap the previous one... this is the hard to do part, but keeping patient and making sure each wrap is snug and flat against the frame wire will make for a better and more beautiful piece when done.  This will be effort anyway, so make it worth it.  There is no 'fast way' to do this technique, so prepare yourself, before you begin and make sure you work in good lighting.

7.  Pay attention to your weave, what direction you are working in and what count of loop you're on... this will matter because eventually, you will 'end' one length of wire and have to 'begin' a new length of wire to get through the distance of your frame.  Learning to keep focus will keep your weave uniform.

8.  When working with a frame that has angles or joins, it is best to start your weave at the most narrow point of the frame and work into the wider spaces.

I hope this helps for now and I hope you continue to return and read as I intend to post a few more articles about wire weaving and how to learn this beautiful technique.  I will also be showing a few different weaving patterns and some simple projects that you can try.

New! Blue Ice Wire Wrap Cuff Bracelet Tutorial

I had a wonderful time creating this... it just took MUCH longer than I thought it would, but I hope it's worth the wait.  I like to use regular craft store items for these projects for several reasons, one being that you can easily find the exact items needed to complete the tutorial project and they are within reasonable dollars.  No fear of purchasing precious metals or finding rare and exotic beads, just run to the local hobby / craft store and get started!

This is a whimsical and fun wire wrapped cuff, designed so you don't have to worry about technical abilities. While it takes some time, the wrapping techniques used are simple and can be accomplished with minimal skill... only a will to continue and not give it up. ;)

Click here to purchase the tutorial.

New! Wire Wrapped Copper Jewelry, Ankh 2012 Tutorial

The Ankh appears frequently in much of Egyptian art, often at the fingertips of a god or goddess. While the origin of the symbol remains a mystery, it has come to be known as the 'key of life', the 'key of the Nile' and is also known to represent male and female sexuality. In this tutorial, you will learn to create an Ankh which can be 'for your fingertips' or, optionally, you can add a
simple cloth cord and wear it around the neck as a pendant.

Newly listed! In my etsy store... 
come shop, your hearts out. ;) 

wow!

wow! have I been away...
the past eleven months have been "life changing" yet again... and wonderful, all the same.
I appreciate to return and see you here.  Many hugs!
.
have I mentioned my friend...
http://www.colortools.com/
" Personal color analysis is the easiest and fastest way to look younger, slimmer, and memorable! "
We can all gain from that!  Read a bit of her blog... do the fave thing and think about how important it really is also, to our coordination of jewelry, beads, fashion and life styles....

"Colors in a person's environment can have a dramatic effect on his or her mood state. While people often associate mood-related color theory with New Age belief systems such as chakras, many psychologists have reported that mere exposure to color can alter not only mood, but also performances on specific tasks such as exams. One study showed that exposing subjects to the color red negatively affected performance on exams...."  Read More, Click Here