The Missing Link by Cindy Wimmer: A Book Review

I received The Missing Link by Cindy Wimmer for my birthday recently and I have been happily bending and twisting wire ever since.

Following thorough, well illustrated sections on wire essentials, tools and basic techniques, Cindy presents the 30 links that form the core of her book.  The links are divided into 3 levels of difficulty:  easy, moderate and more challenging.  I would probably place my wire skills at the low end of moderate, but for the purposes of this review, I sampled links at every level. Beyond the links, Cindy and five other well known jewelry designers created 15 jewelry projects that allow you to apply your newly learned skills and which serve as inspiration or launching points for the creation of your own unique designs.

This is a book that you will turn to for years to come.  The links vary from fairly easy to quite complex, so as your wire skills grow, you can keep returning to the book when you are ready to reach for the next challenge.  The photography is outstanding and the whole book is beautifully designed.

Cindy's links are versatile.  Its easy to see many applications for them, as well as to come up with variations on the basic designs.  A variation that occurred to me right away was to use Nellie Thomas's WoolyWire to accent some of the links. In case you are not familiar with WoolyWire, the website states, "WoolyWire is fiber that has been hand dyed and hand spun onto 24 gauge solid copper wire...It has been permanently felted to keep the fiber on the wire." For this review, I made 3 different links, using WoolyWire for parts of the link and I made one link solely of brass wire.

The first link I tried is called "Tangled Triangles", from the easy level. The  directions were easy to follow, but like everything worth learning, it took a bit of practice.  I formed the three overlapping triangles out of 20 gauge brass, but then instead of doing the over-wrapping in plain metal, I used WoolyWire.

I wasn't quite satisfied with this first attempt, but in doing it, I learned the corners needed sharper bends and I learned how to work more skillfully with the WoolyWire. I tried the link again, this time on a larger scale.  I like this one better.  The triangle is no longer rounded or wonky and more of the underlying wire structure shows through, beneath the WoolyWire.  I'd like to try it one more time, in a size that is between these first two attempts. This link would be awesome in bracelets or necklaces, or on a smaller scale, as connectors in earrings.

I choose the moderate level Snocone link for my next project.  I was so delighted with how it turned out that I made a second one and now I have earrings!  The swirl "cone" on the top is such a distinctive design element and the WoolyWire adds color and more texture.

 (Lampwork headpin by Lori Bergmann.)

After success with the Snocone, I went on to try another moderate level link called the Triple Loop.  This is a really fun looking link.  I made the link, as directed in the book, then I added an extra wrapping of WoolyWire in the center.  I used WoolyWire to make links on the lampwork dragonfly focal, too.

(Lampwork focal by Stone Designs, lampwork "Wing-ding" by Genea Beads)

The final link that I made for this review was the Spiral Swirl from the More Challenging level.  The Spiral Swirl was a bit of a reach for me and it would not have been attainable without well written directions and clear step by step pictures.

I recently retired from a 33 year career in education, which included supervising student teachers for the University of Washington.  One of the make it or break it skills a master teacher must have, is the ability to break down complex tasks into discrete steps, coupled with the ability to explain those steps so clearly that a novice can follow along.  This is not as easy as you might think, but Cindy is a master teacher!  To me, this is the most impressive aspect of this book.

 Spiral Swirl. It looks like the loops are nicked, but I actually used a texture hammer on them. 

They look textured in "real life"!

The other thing that master teachers do, is clearly model new skills for their students.  Cindy does this through great step by step photos.  For a visual learner, like myself, the photos make a crucial difference in attempting some of the more complex links, like the Spiral Swirl.  Between the precise directions and the clear photos, it is like having Cindy right there with you, guiding you each step of the way.

I highly recommend this book for novice through skilled wire workers.  I look forward to trying all of the links and to further experiments with WoolyWire link accents.  I plan to share my progress with you on future AJE posts.  Stay tuned.

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry - ArtFire 

Linda Landig Jewelry - Etsy

Simple Beaded Bead tutorial

When I first discovered the incredible world of making my own jewellery, I spent hours scouring the net for new techniques to try out and discovered seed beads. I immediately decided this was what I wanted to do and bought everything I could lay my hands on... quite a few years later and the majority of them are still sitting in a box untouched. I sometimes add to them with some pretty new colours that I won't use either, but ultimately, I don't have the patience to spend hours creating a whole design in them.

During the few months that I did attempt to create something with them, I became obsessed with beaded beads, and spent many a happy hour tying myself up in knots. I did manage to create one design for a simple bead though, so I thought I'd share it with you today.

They're really simple and quick to make up, but I've never written a pattern before, so I hope I haven't over complicated it and you can follow along...

Ingredients...

12 x 4mm beads. (anything will do as long as you can pass the thread through 2 or 3 times)

12 x drops. (Mine were made with miyuki 3.4mm drops)

40 x size 15 seed beads.

Nymo or similar thread

2 x beading needles

To start, take a 3 foot length of nymo and thread a needle on to each end.

Pick up 3 x 4mm beads and let them drop to the middle of your thread so you have an equal tail on each side. Pick up one more 4mm bead, thread the right needle through right to left and the left needle left to right to make a ring.

Pick up one 4mm bead with each needle, then one more and thread right needle right to left and left needle left to right to make a loop above the first.

Repeat again, to make 3 loops.

Add one bead on each needle, and pass the right needle from right to left on the bottom bead and the left from left to right through the bottom bead. This should form a cube. Pass around the beads until the two threads are opposite and keeping your tension tight, tie a knot to keep the shape. There are usually a couple of spots where the beads aren't connected to 3 others, so weave around until you have a nice solid cube. Try not to go through too many times though as you need to leave space to get the needle and thread through again later on. 

Next pick up a drop, thread through to the next 4mm bead, pick up a drop and thread through... keep going until you have 4 drops as in the picture and exit through a drop. (the pink is what will be the centre hole in the finished bead)

Pick up 5 size 15 seeds and thread through the next drop. Pick up 5 and thread through the next drop, continue until your bead looks like the picture below.

Flip the bead, threading through so that you exit on a 4mm bead, and repeat starting with the 4 drops and then 4 sets of size 15's until the bottom is the same as the top.

Pass through 3 size 15's, pick up a drop, pass through the 3^rd size 15 on the bottom from right to left, back up through the drop, through the 3^rd seed on the left hand side, through the size 15's on the right and through the drop. Pull tight so that the size 15's are drawn in to the centre making an 'X' with the drop in the middle. I've spread this picture out a bit so you can see the thread path, but yours should be nice and tight!

Repeat 3 more times, until there is a drop in the centre of each side of the bead.

To finish, tie a knot, add a drop of glue and weave the tail through a couple more beads and snip.

Phew... I hope you managed to understand all that! I don't envy those of you who write patterns regularly!

These are really addictive to make, I loved them with semi precious round stones, such as moonstone and garnets and pretty AB coated drops, and they make great bracelets with a whole stack of them strung together.

I hope you enjoyed reading, and that you'll have a go... I bet you can't make just one!

Caroline

blueberribeads.co.uk

What thread do I use

That is a question I am asked all the time.  My answer is Fireline! 

It is a braided fishing line that comes in different weights and diameters.  My preference is to use 8lb test with a 3lb test diameter.  This is where you see that information.

It comes in 2 colors that I use.  Smoke and Crystal.

There are other choices of beading thread out there such as Nymo and S Lon and I know that other beaders do prefer those.  It is a personal preference issue.  

 bead

Before I discovered Fireline I used them but I have tension issues and I was so frustrated with the breakage I almost gave up beading entirely.  Then I read about using fishing line.  I have to tell you I did not read the article completely to understand what kind of fishing line and ended up buying monofilament line.  What a nightmare!   I went back to the article and read about Fireline and immediately asked my husband what the difference was.  He laughed but was very helpful in finding it for me.

So I am sure you want to know why I choose to use it.  First I like the fact that it is easily threaded into the needle without fraying in the beginning.  Another reason is that well I have tension issues which I have mentioned before but also sometimes you have to really pull to snug something up and  Fireline just doesn't break.  In fact the only thing that breaks it is when you use a crystal without adding a bead before and after the crystal.  Also when beadweaving there are so many times you have to rip it out to a mistake and if done properly it stays in tact so I do not have to totally scrap the work.

Since I use it so much I end up now buying it at Sporting Goods stores in 300yd spools and I go through that in about 3-4 months.  Like I said this is a personal preference for me but I do highly recommend it!

Kristen

November Component of the Month Reveal!

Here we are!  I can not believe it is December already!!!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and just an overall great November.

Do you remember when I revealed these in the beginning of the month?

So I sent them to everyone and our winners and today is the day I have been waiting for.  Everyone amazes me with where they creatively go I have been on pins and needles.

This is what I made with mine.  I combined my final Echo Creative Club challenge with the Component of the month to create a treasured piece for years to come.  You can read about it here.

Now go and see what everyone has done with their beads.

Special Guest
Alice Alice Dreaming

Jennifer  Glass Addictions
Lesley  Gossiping Goddess
Jenny Jenny Davies-Reazor 

Caroline  Blueberri Beads
Melissa Melissa Meman 
Rebekah Tree Wing Studio
Sue SueBeads 

Kristi Kristi Bowman Design

Diana Suburban Girl Studio
Linda Linda's Bead Blog

And the winners of December Components areSteph L.
Ann Schroeder
Karin G
beadrecipes
Kristen