Forming with Folds

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Those of us who love to learn new things sometimes move to new avenues for this too soon. Either the initial fun wears off, something new calls our name, or time for the learning simply runs out. Often for me, I move on to something new before completely exploring the myriad of possibilities for creative development in the existing arena. This may have been the case with fold forming, a technique  developed by Charles Lewton-Brain. “Mr. Fold Form’s” book, Foldforming, contains a wealth of information on how to construct various shapes from metal; yet, it doesn’t show as many completed pieces of jewelry as I would like to see.

Frequent and long time readers may recall that fold forming was the new technique I chose to develop last December and January during the winter lull between completion of the Fall products and the development of the Spring designs. Unfortunately, I may have moved too quickly from fold forming last year and back into rapid production for my customers. Also, I “closed” on the technique partly because I couldn’t figure out new things to do with it. I chose not to face the somewhat discouraging struggle that forces one into creative generation. I currently have renewed interest in fold forming due to a couple of happenings. Two of my lucky friends took a recent workshop with Kim St. Jean at the Texas Beadfest and their discussion of the class helped add to my refinement of the technique. Also, I gave a demonstration on the technique at a recent gathering of wire workers. Therefore, I had to practice.

The trick for me with fold forming has been trying to make something besides a leaf that would comfortably work as a piece of jewelry. First, I practiced some different ways to hammer on a few leaves and learned how to better ruffle the edges. Then I created a couple of copper cuff bracelets. I like using a long diagonal fold to start the bracelet design and following this with appropriate texture. I quickly learned that it’s important to begin with a longer and wider piece of metal than the size of the anticipated product. I folded the metal first and then cut the final bracelet shape. When I annealed the metal bracelets with a torch during the fold forming process, beautiful colors appeared on the pieces.

I’ve also been experimenting with a star shape shown in Newton-Brain’s book. First I made several pairs of earrings and then I created a larger star and used it as a pendant on a strand of coral. I gave the pendant a liver of suphur bath, tumbled it and then used the torch on it again. It adopted a very rich color.

Now the struggle is to try to develop some ideas of my own for fold formed shapes. Hopefully, I’ll have the time this year to stick with fold forming until I’ve either developed some new ideas or convinced myself that I CAN’T come up with anything new. Wish me luck.

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Set

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If we brainstormed meanings and contexts for the word “set” the list would be fairly long. I guess early encounters of the term was when we learned about “ready, set, go”. Later, in school we learned about things that come in sets and about the specific mathematical use of the term.

The term also has multiple connotations in the context of jewelry design including how to “set” a stone and my most familiar phrase, “where did I set my glasses down?” When I first started making jewelry, it seemed my customers wanted things in sets. I never strung a necklace without also making matching earrings and often included a matching bracelet as well. Then later the trend of matching changed and I quit making sets. Many customers wanted a more eclectic style that didn’t include those perfect matches.

Now, I’m back to including earrings from the same stones used in a necklace mainly because I don’t want to have to hunt the stones when a customer requests a match. This week, I decided to go back to the early days and make a true set that included a necklace, earrings and a bracelet to match. I made the bracelet first and then used the same weaving and stones on the necklace. I couldn’t decide which necklace picture was best so below you find both. The stones are lapis and azurite from Magpie Gemstones (www.magpiegemstones.com).

I hurried to finish the above set before a show I did at a community center yesterday. I just knew someone would want the whole thing. Wrong! The necklace, with earrings, was the first piece that sold at the show, but the bracelet remained behind – so much for sets! Today, someone else selected the bracelet.

The question now is whether or not to make another full set. I guess I’ll try it again since even though the pieces didn’t all go home with the same customer, they did all go home. Isn’t that what really counts?

Right now, I think I’ll just “set” my body down and rest while I contemplate what stones to use in my next set.

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Off the Design Table . . .

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AND on to someone’s wrist. I’ve been working for several weeks to get the new bracelet design where I want it. The dimensional bracelets, for which I have a tutorial on etsy, have continued to be popular, but I think it’s really important to stay ahead of the market. I’m continually wondering what the next bracelet design should be. Since those dimensional bracelets are so comfortable and fit most anyone, I thought I should stick with another cuff type bracelet.

As I played with a new design, I employed the SCAMPER (from Bob Eberle) creative thinking technique in which each letter stands for a different way to make a modification. Using the ‘C” verb,  combine, I wanted to put the wire cuff and some wire weaving together. The “R” verb, reverse, led me to move the swirls in the middle of the dimensional bracelet to another point on the cuff. This also helped me decide to pull in the top middle rather than expanding it as I’ve always done before. I played with the other Scamper verbs and feel they helped contribute to the final product.

I’m still contemplating which of the various versions I like the best. The weaving was probably too difficult for my current technique on the two shown below. This will need practice. Yet, I was able to do a smoother job on the first bracelet shown at the top, indicating the promise of a smooth weave. I’m hopeful that I will continue to improve my skills.

It’s interesting that these bracelets are so comfortable. I’ve been letting various people try them on and they usually comment “this feels good.” I think that means I should stick with it.

My favorite part of the design process is the development of an idea and I’m truly thankful for the many creative thinking techniques I keep tucked in my back pocket. Now I’m at that tedious stage where I simply must keep practicing without much more modifying. Let’s just hope that my technique is on a fast learning curve!

I also hope these new bracelets will be coming to a wrist near you.

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Spangled Bangles

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Do you spangle?

I’ve been enjoying making bangle bracelets the last couple of weeks. They are certainly the easiest bracelet that I’ve made in quite some time and with slight variations in diameter they fit most folks.

Those in the above photo are formed with a basic 12 gauge copper wire armature that I soldered together and then hammered into shape. With a liver of sulphur bath and only a couple of hours of tumbling, they are ready to be spangled.

I thought I knew about “spangles”, but did look up the term just to be sure. A spangle is a small shiny/sparkling spot or object. It might be a sequin, a piece of metal or a bead, etc. If you spangle something, the dictionary suggests that you are sprinkling it with spangles. Hmm . . . it didn’t take any deep thinking to figure out that one, did it?

I wrap the base of my bangles with different sizes of copper or artistic wire and decorate them with small beads or charms.  Most of these are adorned with gemstones, but the red one shown below features glass beads. The turquoise spangled bangles seem to be the most appreciated.

I tried putting just a few charms on one of the bangle and like the look. I haven’t yet given it a trial wear and don’t know if it will be comfortable. I made small loops in the wrapping wire and attached the charms as I wrapped.

It remains to be seen whether these spangled bangles will be popular with customers and friends. I do, however, know that people like spangles of one kind and another. Whether these are on jewelry, garments or in the form of smiles on friendly faces, we can all use a spangle now and then. How will you create yours?

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Squared

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One definition of squared is to set things straight. You can readily see from the new jewelry pieces below that even if I use square beads, I just can’t allow a design to be totally straight. After all, do any of us really want to be called “square?” I don’t want my jewelry to be called square either!

I’ve often thought that square gemstones were difficult to work with, but lately many of them have a nice little extra flair that’s too good to let go. These interesting stones have a slight curve in the middle that eliminates the flat surface usually found on square and rectangular beads. The stones below are jasper on the left and tigereye on the right. The stones in all the photos herein come from www.magpiegemstones.com.

The bracelets shown below may look familiar since they are made just like the dimensional bracelets that I’ve made for several years. I have previously done oval faces on them, but the square fits nicely on the wrist. If you have purchased the Dimensional Bracelet tutorial (,http://www.etsy.com/listing/77795508/dimensional-wire-cuff-bracelet-tutorial?utm_source=custometsywidgetword&utm_medium=api&utm_campaign=api) why not try it with a square stone?

I didn’t get good color in the photo below, but this necklace matches the bracelet above right.

You may have realized that the stones in the first photo are smaller than those in the jewelry shown. I have used the smaller jasper in a bracelet as well, but customers seem to prefer a big square if they’re going to get squared at all. I guess you may as well go all out! Originally, I tried making square wire embellishments atop the square stones, but found the curvilinear specimens more pleasing. They are also easier to create since the sides don’t have to be uniform as in a square. I wonder if this ease affects what I like . . . that bears consideration.

When I looked up the term squared, I thought some of the other definitions might ignite a design idea or two. For example, think about squaring a number and how that might create a design. (2 squared becomes 4 squared and that squared is 16 – you already knew that didn’t you?) I wonder how those numbers could create a design.

Another definition suggested the terms meant putting things at right angles. That too might provide the basis for a design (or have I gone to far). I’ll bet those of you with math anxiety already tuned out!

Whether you want to go mathematical or not, I think you, too, might enjoy designing with these newer square beads: but don’t go too square! People might talk behind your back.

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Time to Weave

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I would like to believe that the verb “weave” implies compatibility. Woven garments and rugs come together with complimentary colors and fibers whose blend creates something of beauty. Tapestries and other wall hangings do the same as the threads weave together in harmony.

Families, communities and cultures are also woven and consist of unique individual “threads” that come together to produce the whole. I’d like to believe that the majority of these result in compatibility, but know this isn’t always the case. I do, however, appreciate the idea of being woven into a family where I can retain my individuality yet mesh with my loved ones to create the personality of the group. (We do have personality!)

I think it is interesting how our personalities and mannerisms may vary slightly when we are woven with different groups of people. Just as the other threads of a woven art piece can affect the look of the individual fiber, people influence one another. Some human tapestries bring out my better side while others do the opposite.

Many years ago we lived in Alexandria, Louisiana. There was a weaver in my housing edition and I could see her loom in a big window when I went on walks by her residence. I often thought it might be relaxing to learn this skill. It seemed the ultimate art form resulting from knowing just what fibers and colors should be brought together; yet I never felt this was my artistic calling.

I also admire those jewelry artists who do a beautiful uniform job of wire weaving. I find it to be a difficult technique to master, but refuse to give up. This week I noticed a bracelet design in one of the bead magazines at the bookstore. (Yes, we are lucky enough to still have a bookstore!) The bracelet featured a weave I hadn’t yet tried; so I read the directions and went home to make it. It’s true that I’m often refuse to buy the entire magazine for just one thing I like. Shame on me!

The picture immediately below shows the first piece I tried. It was going to be a bracelet, but I couldn’t ever quite get the clasp right, so it ended as a necklace. I used 6 copper wires as the basis for the weave. They wanted to curve and I let them.

I wanted to see if I might include beads in between the weaves and tried adding small blue seed beads on the second necklace. I would have liked using larger beads, but found they created too much distortion in the shape. You may note some of this even with the tiny seed beads.

After practicing on two necklaces I decided to try another bracelet and used nine base wires in this. Again I worried with the clasp for several evenings and eventually found that with nine wires, the bracelet really didn’t require a clasp. You can see from the photo that I simply swirled the wire ends.

There are many other methods for finishing these, but this seemed appropriate at the time.

There is a certain rhythm to weaving. I thought the repetition would be tiresome, but find it somewhat relaxing in its tedium. Wire weaving, however, lacks some of the personality of weaving with fiber. I’ve yet to discover any surprise regarding how the wire will come together; perhaps I’m too new to the adventure. I think, however, that my next weaving will include some colored hemp along with the wire in order to play with a broader spectrum of possibilities.

While I continue to practice this wire weaving, I likely continue considering what I bring to the tapestries in my life and will hope to add something positive to each. By doing so, perhaps I can influence another “fiber” to do the same.

What have you woven today?

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I Know Who Moved My Cheese

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I’m preparing for a few art/craft shows in the Fall and thought I would get a jump on making some small, inexpensive items that could be stocking stuffers. Last year, I made a healthy number of wire bookmarks. There were wire cats. dogs and rabbits. This year I had visions of other wire animals hanging from the shepherd’s hook bookmarks. I was happily working on these when I happened to glance across and see my husband who was reading. Then it hit me. Someone moved my cheese!

If you are not familiar with this phrase, it is derived from the title of the 1998 book by Kenneth Blanchard  Who Moved My Cheese? (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Who+moved+my+cheese) Companies and educational groups bought this book by the dozens and used it to make employees cognizant of the fact that times are changing and we need to be prepared to learn new skills and to problem solve. Many of us who were “encouraged” to read the book felt we could have gotten the idea with a simple memo, but hopefully it made a difference to others. The full-day workshops on the topic were a bit much.

My “cheese” realization” came when I noted that my husband was engrossed in a book on his IPAD II and no longer needed a bookmark. With the onslaught of electronic readers, I had to rethink the number of bookmarks I might need this year. Many of my friends and customers who are readers no longer need bookmarks.

It was fortuitous that I realized I might not need so many bookmarks this year before I made a hoard of them. I garnered my bookmark energy and set out to find something else small that I could offer at the art shows. I’m currently working on a few very small pendants/charms that could go on a chain, bracelet or a BOOKMARK.  (Surely, that cheese didn’t all move away.) Unfortunately, these little things take a bit longer to make, but I’m sure I will get faster as I make more and more.

The charms with a religious theme might work well combined on a bracelet or simply as a single charm attached to a beaded bracelet. Surely something will hatch before long.

In the meantime, I’ll be making just a few new bookmarks and trying to pay close attention to any other cheese that has been moved since last season. Of course, it would certainly be exciting if I had a clue what customers want ahead of time. But where would be the fun in that??? I’ve just got to follow the cheese, but in the meantime it’s important just to realize that it moved.

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Let’s Wrap

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I’ve recently become intrigued with wrap style bracelets and the many variations thereof. They are quick and fairly easy to make and the cost of materials is usually quite nominal. I realize these have been around forever, but the resurgence of them within the broader market causes me to rethink their myriad of possibilities. For example, take a look on the Nordstrom’s website and search wrap bracelets. There you’ll find some rather expensive ones ($128 and up) that don’t look much different than those you see that I’ve made.

There are some good free online tutorials that show the process for wrap bracelets. For example, The following link takes you to the DIY tutorial for the bracelets pictured above: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1t8Exa/honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-wrap-bracelet/

These are made with leather, ball chain and waxed linen thread. They’re easy as pie.(not that making a pie from scratch is that easy . . . ) I started making them with the regular silver colored ball chain and then found a package of the colored chain at Hobby Lobby. My customers like the colored chain. I also made, but failed to get a picture before it left home, a bracelet with beads instead of the chain. I simply strung beads, crimping at both ends, and used them in the place of the chain. This is a bit trickier, but provides many color and texture choices. I also made one wherein I used colored cord from the fabric department from . . . you guessed it, Hobby Lobby, . . . in place of the chain.

The second tutorial is slightly more complicated, but still easy. I watched a video on the Auntie’s Beads site http://www.auntiesbeads.com/Wrap-Bracelets-Video_p_9111.html) and then made the turquoise and leather bracelet below. I used 6 lb. test Fireline (from the Walmart fishing department) to make my bracelet. This style provides many options for variation.

I made a bracelet that looks just about like the above, but used a different technique. I hand sewed the seed beads between the leather pieces, again using Fireline. The one below wraps around the wrist four times.

Finally, I “borrowed” the idea for the braided bracelet from the Nordstrom’s website. They show a braided bracelet made with two pieces of leather, using the ball chain as the third braiding element. I didn’t have round leather and used multicolored cord. There’s really nothing novel about the braided version, but I had not thought of using chain it it before. You can just barely see the orange ball chain in the picture below but it’s there. Now I’m wondering about a plethora of other things that could be braided with the leather or cord. Any ideas?

This may not be the kind of wrapping some of you were thinking about from the title. But I just can’t do the other RAP. If you can, go right ahead without me, but I’m sticking to this kind of wrapping and that’s a wrap for today.

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Loopy Loo

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Notice that the title does NOT include any person’s name. I would not want to be accused of calling anyone “loopy” nor would I choose to be called that although those of you who know me might say it occasionally fits my personality.

I finally wrote the tutorial for the Loopy Loo Bracelet design. You see this pictured in sterling silver below and I’ve been making this bracelet a while. At the insistence of a good friend I finally decided to share it and offer the tutorial on my etsy shop as you see in the listings on the right.

  While writing the tutorial, I realized that I had not fully explored the potential of this design. I used the SCAMPER creative thinking tool previously mentioned in another entry and tried new things with the loops. I “minified” the design using lighter gauge wire and a smaller cylinder for the loops. This resulted in both a smaller more delicate bracelet plus a new necklace armature. Although the one in the photo is medium sized, I also like the tiny loops I put in an earlier necklace in the second picture. Hmm . . . I seem to be stuck on purple!

Thinking again about SCAMPER induced possibilities, I “modified” the shape of the loops a couple of different ways. The first turned out to be a pendant where I flattened the circle of loops to frame a bead.

  I also turned them a bit differently and made earrings.

I made these from 20 gauge wire and feel they would be better in a heavier gauge. They aren’t holding their shape as securely as I would like. I do, however, think they are a good design and I’m going to redo them.

Who knows what this Loopy Loo design will bring next? I’m pleased to be working with it again and hope to exhaust its possibilities before moving on. Any ideas????

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Which Came First. . .

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. . . the design or the beads? I’ll bet you thought I was asking about the chicken and the egg.

Something initiates most new ideas, inventions, problem solutions and designs. Artists who say they’ve lost their muse might benefit from the examination of how their art begins. With musicians, the question is often “do you start with words or with melody?” The fiber artist might query whether the fiber drives the design idea or the idea hatches and initiates the search for the right fiber. Does the author select a setting or environment to write about and then create characters or vice versa?

Jewelry designers might well consider the above question “do my better pieces start when I’ve become fascinated by the possibilities for designing with a particular bead OR do I develop a design and then search for what gemstones would compliment it?”

For example, the bracelet on the left started with the square bead. Although you can’t see it in the photo, it is not perfectly flat and I wanted to show off its character. This bead led to the adaptation of my previous dimensional design and required the development of a square, as opposed to oval, face. You may recall the former, shown below, from past blog entries. The tutorial for this one is in my etsy store.

The bead has come before the design several times when customers have brought me rocks or gemstones collected during their travels. It’s often a challenge to make the right design to show off their treasure.

Other times, the design comes first. You’ve previously seen the double wire necklace series. These copper armatures require just the right size and shape beads for elaboration. Since each armature is a bit different, the bead requirements vary from piece to piece. The necklace below, found in my etsy shop, features heishi shaped moonstones and garnet rounds. I played with other beads before finding the right ones for this design.

Of course the bead and the design may come together at one time. Is this the perfect marriage? Do your exciting pieces begin this way?

At this point you may be saying “who cares?” Art just happens. If your art flows freely, you don’t need this analysis, but what if it doesn’t. I think we all go through periods, whether long or short, of inactive inspiration. These are times when we wait for a great idea and it doesn’t come. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that a little analysis of previous work could prove helpful? It doesn’t work for everyone, but it might work for some. During those “dead idea” times, I’d try almost anything!

A careful analysis of my own work reveals that the design usually comes first. I spend a good deal of time playing with wire and that’s how most things hatch. The problem often occurs in the search for the perfect complimentary beads. Sometimes my impatience during this search causes me to use the wrong beads and then the design falls flat. I hope to become a little more patient during upcoming searches.

I’d like to believe that the artist’s muse doesn’t really run away, she just needs a little time to rest now and then. Yet, it wouldn’t hurt for us to give her a little nudge through analysis.

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