Wire Play ~ Done

This is the first necklace that I finished. It was a learning piece and I think the clasp should have been a lighter weight wire than what I made. All, in all I'm happy with it and it has that nice combination of wrought-iron looking wire with pearls and faceted gemstone beads.

Once I was comfortable with what the wire did, I bent, twisted and hammered away on the components of this necklace. I'm most happy with the way this one finished up. I had fun rummaging through my collection of beads to combine with the nice blackened wire.

I gave you a rundown on most of the wire experiments in Wire Play. I did clean all of the wire with rubbing alcohol and then rubbed it down with paste wax. The wax cleaned more of the coating off. Once it was buffed out the surface color was very stable and no longer left black streaks on my hands. It also left the wire feeling nicer than in it's untreated state. I think these spools of wire will go on my studio shelf and get used from time to time. However, that galvanized steel wire has already been relegated to the garage - not nice stuff to work with.

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Wire work isn't my first, nor even fifth choice for beadwork. However, one of these will be a gift, and I did have fun playing with it as a complete change of pace.

Wire Play

I've had a request from a family member to recreate a Vogue necklace in less expensive materials. Not the actual design, but something that resembles it. The original was done in gold and faceted gemstones and cost the earth. I'm going to use it as an inspiration to make an industrial-looking necklace for a gift.

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I started with galvanized steel wire from Home Depot. Well, that's where I was when I wanted materials, and wanted them right now. Research said that I could use vinegar and salt to either remove the galvanized coating and/or darken the wire. Yes, it worked to a certain extent, but the results were all a dull, ugly gray with a not-so-nice feel to it. Plus, the 18 GA. was almost too stiff to bend right. I might try the 24 GA for some wire bead crochet with 8/0 or 6/0 beads.

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That meant another trip, this time to an ACE hardware store. The guys in there have learned to not ask what I want it for and just tell me where to find what they think I'm talking about. This time I got Dark Annealed Steel Wire in 24, 19, & 16 GA. It was in the fence and stove pipe section.

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The thinner wire was in nice small packets at very reasonable costs. The large wire only came in a 5 lb. spool - cheap at $4, but what the heck am I ever going to do with 5 lbs. of this stuff?

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One thing I've learned is to not use my jewelry tools for this stuff. I went out to the garage and grabbed the utilitarian, heavy duty pliers and cutter.
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The wire also comes with a black, greasy coating. Again, research said to clean it with rubbing alcohol. Right now I'm trying to figure out how clean is clean. Will a quick rub of paste wax keep the finish at a color I want? That's next on my list to try out.
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So, I've made a few jump rings.

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...and tried out a couple of components. I like the way the gray rock pearls look. I'm thinking of using them as singles in the necklace and as dangles with multiples.
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I'm not sure I want any bling in this necklace, but a grouping of faceted and matted gemstones along with the gray pearls.



Today I've got to get some more yard cleanup done while this beautiful 70 degree weather is here in Arizona. Then maybe I'll have some time to get back to playing with the wire. It's always fun to try something different, even if it turns out to be a one-time project. I've always found that stretching creativity in another medium gives me fresh ideas all the way around.

balls, balls, balls

Over the years I seem to have collected enough balls to now call it a collection. Everything from clay, glass, plastic and gemstone.

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Finding display artifacts has been a challenge and I think I like the old manufacturing parts holder and candlesticks the best. In NH I also have a steam-bent wooden container full of smaller balls.

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This is one that I'd love to have, but alas .....

no room for something that big, nor the $8,000 to make it mine.

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So here's a quandary. Last year I bought the small set of pool balls at a flea market and yesterday I found the larger vintage set. I only want 4 balls out of each set, leaving 24 orphaned balls. The large vintage set from Belgium is probably worth about $75 according to eBay.

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Should I split the big ball set up or try and resell them as a whole set? Gary Wilson, gem/rock wizard, from Tucson Gem show says the older pool balls are solid color and he cuts them up for cabs and other jewelry items. Should I chance it and cut into one of the vintage balls and see if they are solid color or not? I really don't have the space to store the extra balls as it would mean taking space that beads would occupy.

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Maybe one of you might like to buy my extras (1 or more) and relieve me of having to agonize over splitting something that maybe shouldn't be split? Comments on what to do would be welcomed - please.....

Settling in for the Winter

It took the quail less time to settle back in than I have. We got back to Arizona Sat. evening, put some bird seed out on Sunday and this morning nine quail were here for breakfast. It was 30 degrees overnight and the quail had their feathers all fluffed up, looking like big puff balls. They are so much fun to watch every winter.

Now that it's Monday, I can run over to Sierra Vista this afternoon to re-stock my own pantry and look at the new addition to the town - great big, brand new, huge super Wal-Mart. Oh what fun!

While I was gone the burned out house to the East of mine was bulldozed down. Now I can see Tombstone's Courthouse from the beadroom. It also lets in a lot more morning sun. Nice bright Arizona sun in a clear blue sky, that's one of the big reasons for being here in the winter. I probably have a touch of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and the light filled days always make me feel better with tons more energy.

Then, to get filled in on all the local gossip, I'll go have coffee with my neighbor on the West. She was my high school room mate from Illinois. We often comment on fate; who would ever have thought we'd be wintering next door to each other in Arizona 47 years later?

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I'll leave you with a photo of my welcome home visitor......

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Last night, I looked up and this guy was sitting on top of the window molding. He got caught in a jar while I did my best to find out if it was a dangerous spider. Turns out that we think it's a 3" Huntsman Spider, not dangerous, but beneficial. So, I evicted him outside, across the road.