The How To... A Picture Tutorial on Wire Weaved Jewelry... Create a Wire Wrapped Pendant ...Part 1

 I've had several emails asking 'how' do I create some of these pendants... so I thought I'd share these images with you and give you a peak into the studio. I hope you enjoy the 'picture tutorial' and find inspiration for your wire craft! Click each image to enlarge and get a closer look at the wire.

1 inch by 1 inch glass focal bead
Five, 20 gauge, bare copper wires, approximately 1 foot each
Lots of 28 gauge, bare copper weaving wire ;)
Patience... and good lighting.
CoolTools Patina Gel

1. 2. 3. 4.5. 6. 7. 8. 9.101112 131415 161718 19 To be continued....

New Stuff! Wire Wrapped Weaved Sculpted Jewelry

I'm to tired to write, but I hope you enjoy the inspiration. Much love!
Click on each image to enlarge.  These pieces are also now in my Etsy store... I invite you to have a look and I hope you shop your hearts out ;)

  

  

DIY Fun & Functional Weekend Projects

 I wanted to share two of the best ideas I've found on Pinterest... that's right, I finally did it and opened up a Pinterest account and have found that I LOVE IT.  The link is up there ^^ in the title bar near my blog header, I hope you'll give it a look.  I have a few boards, one of which is Wire & Bead Inspiration where I've collected images from some of the most amazing wire artists.  Another fave is my board called Origami Paper Arts which contains not only gorgeous origami art works, but also many free patterns for creating your own origami flowers, birds, butterflies and ... gift boxes!  That's right, every wire artist who intends to sell their pieces is faced with 'how to package' them, without it costing a fortune.  Creating your own gift box from recycled household items and simple papers is a fantastic idea and there are links to many DIY tutorials on that board.  Another great board to visit is called Jewelry Patterns & Tutorials, where I've collected links and images to many outstanding free wire tutorials.  I hope you have time to check them out.

From Pinterest, I tried these two wonderful DIY projects this weekend and had a great time of it.  The wire jewelry tree is quite easy to do and not only looks great, but also makes for a fun place to hang your pretties.  I used Wrap IT craft wire which is very inexpensive and the whole thing took about 40 minutes to complete.

I also made these beautiful pillow gift boxes from a project I found on Pinterest, using toilet paper rolls, origami paper and a bit of glue.  They look wonderful and are quite sturdy!  People are so clever!  Who would have guessed you could create such wonderful things from recycling simple household items!  Tie a bit of raffia around these, add your business card and they're ready to go!

Click the images to enlarge them.
Enjoy the inspiration and have a beautifully creative day!

NEW! Copper Wire Pendants and Necklaces

I've added a few things to my etsy shop, I hope you'll give a look... ;)  Have a wonderful and creative day!

 

This Chalcedony butterfly pendant was a pattern I learned from the wonderful artist, Iza Malczyk.  Her etsy store is linked here  and I encourage anyone to try her tutorials.  She has wonderful designs as well as clearly written instructions and great images throughout the tutorial.  I'm a huge fan and am grateful such a wonderful artist is willing to share her talents with us.  The pattern is wonderful to work with and can be modified in many ways... I do hope you give it a try.

New! Wired to Love You, Copper and Bronze Wire Pendants

So it's finally done!  I'm really happy with how the patina turned out along with the whole piece.  I also put a patina to the copper chain as well as the clasp.  I decided that a machine made clasp wasn't going to 'do it' for this beautiful pendant, so I designed my own.  Wired into the heart are Garnet and Spinel briolettes and rondelles as well as accent copper beads.  I loved making this piece and it's perfectly on time for the upcoming Valentine's day. Enjoy the eye candy, I just posted these pieces into my etsy store!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PerfectlyTwisted

Click each image to enlarge and feel free to email me at IzzyzGumbo@gmail.com for questions.

 


Gems Medley
Copper wire, oxidized, buffed and sealed to keep the gorgeous antique finish.  Iolite, amethyst, peridot, spinel gemstones and copper beads.

 

The Mystic's Eye
Bronze wire, handmade love knots, glass pearl and focal beads.

Origami Sisters 3

Yes, it's that time again and these wonderful ladies came into being.  I hope you enjoy the inspiration ;)
Click the images to enlarge

 

Remember the sisters from before...
http://perfectlytwistedjewelry.blogspot.com/2011/09/so.html
These are sold however ;)

 

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