Saturday Share - Abundance Earrings

Happy Saturday all!  My post today took a completely different turn from what I had planned, but that's okay ;)  I decided to tie this week in with my last post about wrapped loop links and created an earring design to share with you.

Copper, Czech glass, polymer clay charms (by me!) and sterling.

I named these "Abundance", because, well, just look at them! The colors are so rich and the dangles really make them....abundant!

The 3 czech glass beads are connected by wrapped loops, but with a bit of a twist.  I had been playing with a design that I hoped would be a bracelet, and I still am, but it is basically a zig-zag pattern with the loops on the outside, just perfect for adding dangles.

Back to the earrings...you will need:

Copper wire - I used 22g
   2-8 inch lengths for the wrapped loop section
   3-2 inch lengths for your dangles
Sterling wire - 20g, about 2.5 inches (or earwires of your choice)
Assortment of Czech glass beads. I used 3 for the base...2 6mm and 1 8mm, plus flowers and leaves for the dangles.
2 earring charms
round nose pliers
flush cutters
butane torch

Bend 1 of the 8 inch pieces of copper wire about an inch away from one end, connect to one of the charms and start a wrapped loop.

Add one of the 6mm beads and wrap the second side, but don't cut the wire!  Here is how we are going to make the zig-zag.  

Put an 8mm bead on the wire and repeat the wrapped loop process as above...don't cut the wire!  Repeat again, and add the 2nd 6mm bead.  When you finish this loop you can cut.

I don't have photos of the next steps, sorry, I was in a hurry to get done!

With your pliers, straighten your loops so the are nice and flat and everything hangs right.

Using a butane torch, ball 1 end on 2 of the short pieces of copper wire.  These will be to dangle your flowers.  Connect to the earring base on one of the side loops via wrapped loop.

Connect the leaves in the same way...since the hole is horizontal, thread the wire through, and  bend it up and create the wrapped loop much in the same way as wrapping a briolette.

For the little tendril at the top, ball both ends of your remaining 2 pieces of wire with your torch.  Make sure the balls are sized so at least one end will fit through the top wrapped loop.

Fold the wire over and twist once.  Put your round nose pliers just behind the balled end and curl the wire around, repeat.

Use the sterling wire to make your earwires, and attach, or use earwires of your choice.  

Now, repeat for the 2nd earring, but reverse the layout of the dangles.

There you have it!  Fun, colorful, joyful earrings!  The design possibilities with these are pretty much endless...use gemstone briolettes instead of charms...keep the zig-zag going and make shoulder dusters...so many choices!  I hope you will give it a try and I would love to see your creations!

The Versatile Wrapped Loop

Those of you that are familiar with my jewelry style know that this classic link is a go-to technique of mine.  In fact, I don't think there is a piece of jewelry in my shop that doesn't have at least one wrapped loop connection!

Recent earrings featuring my new copper clay morsels and Czech glass beads connected with wrapped loops!

I remember first learning to do these a million years ago.  I had been making earrings...you know, the old "bead on a headpin" style and just doing a single loop at the top, never really knowing where to cut the end and how big to create the loop.  They tended to come off the ear wires a lot...let's just say, they weren't my best work!  A fellow opera singer/jewelry maker had been mentoring me and one night in our dressing room, she showed me the wrapped loop.  It was really difficult and my initial tries were truly ugly using those same cheap, hard headpins I had been using, but I was hooked!

Fast forward through a lot of wonky, misshapen, kinked work.  I graduated to sterling silver soft wire and cut it myself to make links rather than relying on bought headpins.  Wow, what a difference! It was so much easier to make the wraps and get them to lie straight and tight.  Around this time, a friend asked me if I could repair an old broken rosary and I thought, "wow, I bet it would last a whole lot longer if I did wrapped loops instead of these single ones".  A heckuva lot of rosaries and wrapped loops later, here I am.

One of my Melismatic Rosaries with carnelian and sterling.

My recent COM piece featuring Kristi Bowman's gorgeous copper clay focal and a beaded chain of wrapped loop serpentine.

The thing about wrapping loops for rosaries or beaded chain, is that it seems like it will take forever, wrapping each of those beads until you have the right length!  It can be very monotonous and hard on your hands!  I mean, gosh, there are 53 Ave beads and 6 Pater beads in a rosary, plus the wrapped connectors/spacers!

My solution has been to do sort of an assembly line so that I do all of 1 step for all my links at a sitting.  Here is my process...a little crazy, but it works for me!  My rationale is that all of these steps require a different grip of the pliers or my hands/fingers and I can go quicker if I can do some  or all of the repetitive things at a time.

My assembly process for the COM piece.

Now, I am sure most of you know how to make a wrapped loop...I mean, there is a tutorial in almost every beading or jewelry-making book out there.  If you have a specific way that you bend the wire or form the loop or even make the wrap, they will all work with this quick assembly process I have with some tweaking.

• Measure length of wire you need using your beads of choice.
• Cut a couple of pieces at the measured length.  Using 1 of the cut pieces, complete an entire link.  This will ensure that you have enough wire to wrap both sides consistently, ie, same number of wraps, similar loop size, etc.  You want to have an almost exact amount.  Too much, then you have to cut off small pieces for the scrap pile.  Not enough...well, you pretty much have to start over!  I know a lot of people say work from the spool, but that sort of throws a wrench into the assembly line concept.
• Once you are sure of your length, cut as many pieces as you will need for your project, or at least one sitting.  I use a previously cut piece to measure the next piece, so they might not be exact, but pretty close.
• Make your 1st loop on all your pieces. You can slide a bead back on the get a feel for where you want to make that first bend.  Once you have done a few, it becomes second nature.
• Do all the wraps on the 1st side.  For rosaries, I usually do 3 wraps and stop at one layer for a more simple, refined look.  For my beaded chain, I tend to do 2 wraps and leave wire for a 2nd layer.

• Put beads on all looped pins
• Do the initial loop on the opposite side.  DON'T wrap them yet! We are going to connect them by inserting the open loop through the wrapped loop of the previous bead.  If you are working with multicolored or different beads, this gives you a chance to pick and choose which one to go next and change it before the point of no return!
• Once you are satisfied with the layout, you can go ahead and make the wraps.  I always wait until both sides have been wrapped before doing a 2nd layer on either side...the bead provides some stabilization.

• Once you have your wraps done to your satisfaction, snip the extra wire as closely as possible.  I like to cut at an angle so the wire flattens against the other wraps and doesn't just come to an abrupt stop like flush cut wire, especially if you are using larger gauge!
• Use your pliers to make sure there are no ends sticking out.  A huge pet peeve of mine is to see finished wrapped loops with unfinished ends!  Here is where I also take the time to make sure the loops are straight and as centered as possible on the bead. 
• My last step, and this is just my preference, is to make sure both loops of the link are turned the same way.  This keeps the chain from kinking too much, and to me just looks more cohesive and thought out.  

Here are a few more helpful tips...

• I mark my pliers with a sharpie to get my loops a consistent size. 
• I use thumb and index finger of my left hand (pliers in my right) to make my wraps..sometimes with harder wire (bronze) I may have to use pliers to finish.
• My go-to gauge for rosaries and most beaded chain in 22g. The bigger the beads, the larger the gauge of wire you should use for strength, however.
• Obviously, if you are working in sterling, save those snips!

Here's a variation I did a few months ago with some double-hole Czech glass beads I had, or twins.  I wanted to do wrapped loop links, but use both holes.  I folded the wire in half and put each leg through a hole of the bead, then made the wrapped loop at the top.  These had to be done 1 at a time in order the insert each link in the previous loop before it was wrapped.

There you have it!  Hope you give a beaded chain with wrapped loop links a try.  Would love to see what you create :)

Freeform Friday: the briolette wrap

I have escaped from the bench for a few minutes... I am down to the wire (accidental pun, but appreciated...) making presents for my sisters - which I will post about soon. Can't spoil a surprise, can I?

Last week my friend Marsha wrote a post over at Love My Art Jewelry and gave me a shout out. She had misplaced her mojo and came over for coffee and a work session in my studio. We made earrings with her new pod/rattle/droplets and her Muse returned... but I digress. I showed her my way of wrapping briolettes and the like. It worked for her pods and got me thinking...

I have shared this with many friends - why not here? Its only one way of many to address briolettes, but its my preferred method. I like a neat and tidy wire wrap. Maybe its the Virgo in me...

1. I like 24 gauge as many stone briolettes are very fragile. Leave yourself a good tail - 2" or so. 

2. bend the wires up as close to the stone... this is the danger zone. applying pressure to the fragile stone at the hole is tricky. Be gentle but firm... 

 

3. cross them over... 

4. And then bend each with your chain nose pliers to create a straight "spine" centered over the briolette itself. 

5. Treat the 2 wires as one - and create a wrapped loop... 

6. I keep the round nose pliers in the loop as I wrap. This keeps the 2 wires aligned, un smooched, neat and tidy... 

7. Wrap it up, snip, tuck ends as needed. 

I positioned these loops high above the stone as I wanted a visible wrap to add a little presence. If you like it closer in, adjust your loop at step #5. 

I looked around the table - and what did I spy? The super cool beaded doughnuts from team mate Kristen. Whoa. copper and ice blue for the win. 

I hope that was useful - may be simple to some and an "A-ha" moment to others - so enjoy! I would love to hear your take on briolettes!

Back to the studio, coffee in hand... 

Jenny
www.jdaviesreazor.com