Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
December 30, 2011

Amethyst, one in a Series on Quartz

As we learned in an Introduction to Quartz, macrocrystalline quartz is when the mineral’s crystals are easily visible. When this type of precious quartz is translucent to transparent, it can be made into cabochons or carved; however, when it is "jewelry grade" or totally transparent with zero inclusions, it is usually faceted into some of the most amazing gemstones! The color of a quartz is the result of it forming near, or with, another mineral or compound. The type of material that will be covered in this article is: amethyst; to be followed by ametrine and citrine next week, with prasiolite (green quartz),  rock crystal, rose quartz, and smoky quartz being covered later.

Joan Madouse created this pendant by wrapping a purple amethyst checkerboard cut 33ct in silver filled wire.

About Amethyst

Arnie Adams used sterling silver wire to frame a cluster of amethyst crystals using techniques she learned from Dale's videos; wire wrapping this piece was "wonderful and fun challenge," she said. Arnie bought the crystals in a small shop on the north shore of Lake Superior this summer while on vacation.

The color coming from iron and from being exposed to natural gamma rays during its formation, quartz found in hues of deep blue-purple through light pinkish-lavender, sometimes with reds and gray, is better known as amethyst. Most of the amethyst on today’s market comes to us from South America and Madagascar; however, it can be found all over the world and is also mined in India, the Ural Mountains of Russia, Germany, Canada, Pakistan, Finland, and Sri Lanka. Special forms of amethyst include the "cactus" amethyst, that is found only in South Africa.

The Four Peaks Amethyst Mine (pdf download) in Arizona is almost impossible to access; however, several years ago I had the pleasure of personally meeting and digging with the then-miner of Four Peaks Amethyst. This deep, rich purple material is similar to that only before found in Siberia and is difficult to find on the open market; all the rough material being cut in Thailand and the faceted stones are mainly sold to major jewelry manufacturers.

The amethyst from Thunder Bay, Canada is often a bit more pink due to hematite.

Amethyst from the Thunder Bay area of Ontario, Canada often has extra "spots" of hematite, causing a reddish-pink tint to the lavender crystals. By the way, this is a fun place to visit, because the gravel in some local parking lots is actually small chunks of clustered amethyst crystals!

The amethyst cathedral that resides in Dale's studio.

The amethyst geodes, called amethyst cathedrals, that most of us adore are formed by the quartz crystallizing in pockets left by gasses in volcanic rock. Most of these come from Minas Gerais in Brazil, as small to gigantic geodes that formed in basalt. The blackish-gray material that surrounds these geodes is a stabilizing compound that is used to strengthen the thinner quartz walls. The beautiful, but pricy, flower-like slices of amethyst that can be found on the jewelry maker’s market today are slices of stalactite that often have a quartz or agate center. These amethyst slices come to us from Brazil and Uruguay.

This huge Brazilian amethyst geode was the star of the show in Tucson a few years ago.

A slice of amethyst stalactite resembles a flower and works well with the agate butterfly in this pendant designed and made of wire by Dale Cougar Armstrong.

Amethyst Facts

It wasn’t too long ago that gem quality amethyst was one of the "top" gemstones, along with ruby, sapphire, emerald and diamond. The best specimens used to come from Siberia and it was rare to find in large quantities and good color. However, when large deposits were discovered in South America, amethyst lost its "top" gemstone ranking. Now, because it is no longer difficult to find, amethyst is extremely affordable and available in a wide range of quality.

Elaine Pataky created this amethyst pendant by wrapping an amethyst stone in sterling silver wire and accenting with beads.

Marcia Kertel created this amethyst necklace using sterling silver wire, amethyst beads, and black pearls.

Amethyst’s range of colors encourages different marketing names and labels. For example, the pale amethyst that is more of a violet pink color has been called "Rose la France" since the 1930s. Translucent to opaque amethyst "quartz" that has banded stripes of white, purple, and lavender, can be labeled chevron amethyst and is mainly used to make into beads and cabochons. Amethyst can be confused with beryl, kunzite, fluorite, spinel, and tourmaline. Just beware of any deep purple faceted stone named "Japanese" amethyst as this is synthetic, or glass. Natural amethyst is extremely affordable and a great choice for wire workers! Amethyst will fade in sunlight, so be sure to keep your specimens and stones away from brightly lit windows!

A faceted, 27 carat Rose la France amethyst wire wrapped into a pendant by Dale Cougar Armstrong.

Amethyst Metaphysical and Cultural Meanings

For centuries, amethyst has been one of the most popular quartz gemstones; the name coming from the Greek "a-methystos," meaning "unaffected by drink." Many people are familiar with tales of ancient Romans and Greeks supposedly drinking wine from cups carved from amethyst as a way to prevent intoxication, however my research discovered the actual reason. After folks had drunk enough regular wine to become slightly light-headed, watered-down wine was poured into amethyst cups whose color made the wine appear to be of the best quality, thus preventing (or trying to prevent) heavy intoxication. Pretty clever!

This is a 4 inch long amethyst stalactite, photographed from the top. Private collection, Dale Armstrong.

Amethyst is the state stone of North Carolina and the national stone of Uruguay. It is one of the stones mentioned in the Bible as being required in Aaron’s Breastplate as well as being one of the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem. It is the birthstone for those born in February and the anniversary stone for the 4th and 6th years of marriage. Catherine the Great was a famous collector of amethyst, and the amethyst worn by Edward the Confessor in 1042 England is the oldest of the crown jewels. This lovely purple gemstone has been the chosen stone of kings and popes, as such many of the Catholic faith wear amethyst rings as a symbol of understanding thought and philosophy. Ancient people also wore amulets carved from amethyst, to prevent sickness and bad luck.

A cloudy piece of amethyst that has been carved and polished into a 3-dimensional teardrop shape; purchased in Thailand by Dale Armstrong for her private collection.

Metaphysically, amethyst is said to be a "stone of spirituality and contentment", clearing the aura and balancing the energies of emotion, intellect and physical body. It is also supposed to protect against psychic attacks and to assist one with the assimilation of new ideas. (As designers, maybe all of us should carry an amethyst stone in our pocket this next  year?)

A chunk of amethyst rough that Dale dug in Wickenburg, Arizona. Notice how the crystals formed almost like a zipper. Further into the specimen, a cavity opened up that was lined with perfect crystals that were still wet!

Green Amethyst

Although I will be covering the subject of green quartz in the near future, I do have to mention "green" amethyst in this article. A couple of years ago, "green" amethyst hit the gemstone market big time! Affordable, beautifully faceted stones seemed to be everywhere and a lot of us wondered just "what" this stone was. Why was a stone that has been known as being shades of purple suddenly being called "green"? (Kind of like an "orange" emerald.) Well, it turns out that whereas natural, gem-quality green quartz is pretty rare – you have probably guessed it – this "affordable" green amethyst is actually lab-enhanced, or heat-treated amethyst! Not just any amethyst will turn green when heat treated. The amethyst must come from certain areas of the world, and be very pale in color. Of course, this meant that man could now make synthetic green amethyst too! So, most of the "green" amethyst on the market today is synthetically produced. When the majority of amethyst is heated, it turns into shades of yellow, gold and brown, transforming into… one of the subjects for next week’s profile, when I will write about citrine and ametrine.

Have you made wire jewelry with ametrine or citrine before? Email pictures to tips@wire-sculpture.com, and they could be featured!

Resources

Print Resources:

• The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, ISBN 0-394-50269-8
• Love is in the Earth by Melody, ISBN 0-9628190-3-4
• Gems and Minerals of the Bible by Ruth V. Wright and Robert Chadbourne, Harper & Row, 1954
• Minerals of the World by Walter Schumann, ISBN 0-8069-8570-4

Internet Resources:

• www.arizonagems.com
• www.mindat.org
• www.wikipedia.org

Gem Profile by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

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Precious metal prices this year have been a bit turbulent as they’ve gone high and low and then extra high, record high to be exact. If you compare gold prices now to a couple of years ago you’ll find that they’re still incredibly inflated. The good news? Prices are lower now than they were just a few short months ago, and have remained fairly steady for about the last month. At close of markets on Friday, December 16th, gold was at $1599.20 per troy ounce. Even silver, which skyrocketed last spring to nearly $50 per ounce, has come back down in cost and remained constant the last few months. On Friday, December 16th the cost of silver was just $29.74 per troy ounce.

Did you know there are many variables that merge together to determine the cost of precious metals? There is always supply and demand to consider, but this summer, for instance, there was the US economic recovery and the European economy that affected the value of the dollar and the euro, and therefore, metal prices. Here in the U.S. the folks on Capitol Hill disagreed on fiscal measures, we suffered from a credit rating downgrade, and the EU neared defaults by some of its members. What will 2012 bring with the upcoming U.S. presidential election and most of the world trying to emerge from suffering economies? Unfortunately, nobody knows how all of these factors will affect the cost of precious metals. The best thing to do is stock up on precious metal wire and other findings while the prices are low!

We know a lot of you like to keep on top of the latest jewelry trends. And why not? You want to ensure the pieces you make are made with metal, beads and in styles that are popular, right? If you’re one of the many who trend watch, then you probably have noticed that gold jewelry wasn’t as popular this year. The cost was a main factor. Similar to the clothing world, the jewelry world works with what it can afford. Did you notice the colossal amount of flannel at your local retailers this year? It was "in" because it’s inexpensive to make clothes from that style of fabric. Silver, Argentium, silver-filled, and even copper are hugely popular right now because most people can afford pieces made from these metals.

Another metal that’s hot right now is copper. Yes, copper. This may be surprising, but there are so many ways to work with copper that will make you fall in love. You can put liver of sulfur on your copper and give it a lovely patina finish. This is huge in the fashion world and we’ve seen a lot of it locally, too.

To make things fair for you, our prices on precious metals change frequently to keep pace with market changes, so that if the price of silver or gold plunges, you will get the best deal. That’s why the price of our gold filled, Argentium, sterling silver, or silver-filled wire is different from last week, and the week before. We have an incredible stock of gold filled and sterling silver filled wire for you to choose from. Now is the time to jump at the chance to stock up on wire. With prices this low and so far, holding steady, it’s the right time to put in that large wire order you’ve been waiting for – and remember, our Gold Club members save an additional 25%!

P.S.: We often have people ask us, “If I buy silver wire at a low price, but then the price of silver is much higher when I finish my pieces, should I use the low price of silver, or the new, higher price to base my selling price on?” And what we always say is, consider the cost of replacing the material. If you sell your silver wire bracelet for less than it will cost you to restock on silver wire – you can’t afford it! Always keep your profit and costs in mind when you set prices on your precious metal jewelry pieces.

Here are some additional resources:

http://money.cnn.com/data/commodities/
http://www.kitco.com/reports/KitcoNews20111205TW_2012outlook.html
http://www.kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html
http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegold.html
http://www.wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/2369/current-gold-wire-prices/
http://www.nationaljeweler.com/nj/fashion/a/~27470-Record-prices-hamper-gold-demand

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Dale’s taking the week off to be with her family, helping her daughter recover from her recent successful surgery, so I’m filling in for her this Friday – not to write about quartz, which is the topic of next week’s Gem Profile, although you can still send me your pictures of wire wrapped quartz pieces at tips@wire-sculpture.com.

Instead, I wanted to take just a minute and highlight some of the free resources we’ve put here for you on Wire-Sculpture.com!

First, I hope you have all found the Resource Center helpful (located in the blue Information/Education bar at the top of every page). We have reference articles covering Gemstones, Wire, Business, and Jewelry Care advice and information. This is also where you can find past contest entries and winners, and our current Wire Artist of the Month!

Also in the blue Information/Education bar, there’s a link to “How To Videos.” From that page, you can find 3 full-length project videos (completely free) as well as several free Video Tips by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong, Sherrie Lingerfelt, Albina Manning, and more.

Simple Flower Pendant by Jill Gentry

Double Swivel bead by Marty Blu

Covering the entire wire jewelry spectrum, including traditional wire wrapping, chainmaille, wire sculpting, and beaded wire jewelry, you’ll love these wire jewelry patterns, written by over 20 talented designers.

Herringbone Bracelet by Suzanne Hollingsworth

Birch Leaf Earrings by Albina Manning

We have dozens of patterns available by signing up for Free Patterns via Email. The pictures here – Sweet Peach Chainmaille Bracelet, Birch Leaf Earrings, Herringbone Bracelet, and Double Swivel bead – are just a few of my favorites – and I know that you’ll love getting these patterns every 2 weeks!

Sweet Peach Chainmaille Bracelet by Lena Bugrimenko

These Email Patterns are high-quality step-by-step patterns that you can print and use over and over again. (To print a pattern: Select the whole text of the pattern (click and hold the mouse down at the beginning of the pattern, and drag it to the end of the pattern). Go to Edit > Copy. Open a word processor such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer, and go to Edit > Paste. Now you can save it on your computer, make changes, and print it!)

If you currently receive our Free Email Patterns, what’s your favorite pattern you’ve received? We love to hear your feedback!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that you can find several of our talented Pattern Designers this coming January/February in Tucson, Arizona! You can discover new jewelry techniques and designs from Lena Bugrimenko, Albina Manning, and Dale “Cougar” Armstrong, and several other instructors January 28 – February 12.  Plus, several of our friends from JewelryTools.com and I will be there (JewelryTools.com is officially sponsoring these classes) to demonstrate tools.  I hope I will see you there!

Albina Manning	Bea Grob	Brenda Schweder
Dale Armstrong	Debbi Simon	Eva Sherman
Irina Wilson	Jackie Truty	Jodi Bombardier
Lauren Andersen	Lilian Chen	Meredith Arnold
Olena Bugrimenko	Patti Bullard	Stephanie Eddy

by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
November 9, 2011

Tis the season for handcrafted jewelry artists to be pulling out the pliers and making gifts for all their family and friends. But are you stuck on what to be making for your loved ones this year? Maybe you’ve settled on who gets what, vaguely – like you overheard your niece wishing for a collar necklace this fall, or you’ve got the perfect light-blue aquamarine cabochon to bring out your sister’s eyes, but you haven’t decided how to use it.

One place you can turn to is Pantone, known to all types of designers as the authority on color. Pantone’s Fall 2011 Color Report is one source for jewelry inspiration that will help you with your gift-giving this season, for a very simple reason: you’re not the only one using the Pantone color chart. Big clothing retailers across the country are referencing the same color chart! I’ve been seeing these colors come in to my local big-box stores since this spring, and I even have some shirts that exactly match Cedar, Coffee Liqueur, and Honeysuckle, and an Orchid Hush sweater (see chart below). So if you design using a color palette similar to Pantone’s Fall colors, you stand a very good chance to match or complement the wardrobe of the folks you’re giving gifts to! There’s nothing like opening a box of earrings and knowing with pleasure exactly which outfits will go with them!

Pantone(R)'s Fall 2011 Palette (Click to View Larger)

Here are some jewelry supplies I picked out from the Wire-Sculpture warehouse that follow the Pantone Fall 2011 Palette. Not all the colors are an exact match, but I really enjoyed putting together different color combinations I’d never thought of before! And some stones actually match several colors in the palette, like Fire Agate (Bamboo and Emberglow) and Sardonyx (Coffee Liqueur, Nougat, and Orchid Hush).

I hope this gives you some fresh new color ideas, and who knows, the earrings or pendant you make from this palette just might match your friend’s or your new wardrobe this season! Happpy creating, and let me know your favorites in the comments below!

Bamboo

 

Yellow Fluorite OOAKs

 

Harmony Serpentine

 

Yellow Brass Wire

 

Topaz Swarovski® Beads

 

Citrine

Emberglow

 

Fire Agate

 

Dark Red Coral Swarovski® Beads

 

Cherry Quartz

 

Aventurine

 

Colorful Druzy

Honeysuckle

 

Hot Pink Craft Wire

 

Rhodochrosite

 

Rose Swarovski® Beads

Phlox

 

Purple Fluorite OOAKs

 

Purple Candy Jade

 

Charoite

 

Dark Amethyst Cubic Zirconia

 

Purple Druzy

Cedar

 

Peace Stone Jasper

 

Quan Yin Jade Carving

 

Buddha Jade Carving

 

Nephrite Jade

 

Peridot

Deep Teal

 

Blue Zircon Swarovski® Beads

 

Teal Enameled Craft Wire

 

Emerald Swarovski® Beads

Coffee Liqueur

 

Vintage Bronze Craft Wire

 

Smoky Quartz

 

Botswana Agate

 

Tigereye

 

Sardonyx

Nougat

 

Aragonite

 

Rose Gold Craft Wire

 

Natural Druzy

 

Riverstone Jasper

Orchid Hush

 

Blue Lace Agate

 

Mother of Pearl Beads

 

Mother of Pearl Carving

 

Tourmilated Quartz

Quarry

 

Light Sapphire Swarovski® Beads

 

Aqua Glass

 

Aquamarine Beads

 

Ocean Turquoise Colored Jasper

 

Amazonite Beads

 

Aquamarine Swarovski® Beads

Have a Wire Jewelry Idea you’d like to share? Click Here to submit your idea. You could be featured on our Blog!

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by Gary Capps, guest author on Wire-Sculpture.com

Now I realize that this is a bold headline.

Can it really be true?

Is it really possible that you can increase the sales of your jewelry by up to 70% instantly?

Well the answer is yes, and I’m going to explain to you a head-slapping simple sales technique that can help you do just that.

Before I do that I just want to take a second to introduce myself to the readers of the Wire-Sculpture.com blog.

My name is Gary Capps and I am the owner and creator behind Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software. Over the last 5 years we have been helping jewelry artisans just like you to create profitable jewelry businesses.

I’ve been lucky enough to work with hundreds of people during that time and get insight into the ins and outs of what works and what doesn’t work to help coach those people to make a success of their passion.

Last year we became good friends with some of the great team at Wire-Sculpture.com and Rose asked me if I would share some of the tips we’ve learnt over the last few years here on the blog.

Now I’m pretty sure most business owners would like to be able to increase their sales by 70% instantly, but it just doesn’t work in every business.

However, the great news is that this little gem of advice (excuse the pun) works perfectly in the home jewelry business.

This is so simple it’s brilliant; when I heard about it I was amazed by the simplicity yet full power of the way that a few little words could change a business.

That’s right: words.

You may be doing this already, selling one item for $30 and two for $50, but what do you SAY when someone asks you the price.

Here’s the conversation most people have:

Customer: “How much is that necklace?”
You: “They’re $30 each, or you can buy two for $50.”
Customer: “Thanks, I’ll take that one.”

Now check out a new way of saying things:

Customer: “How much is that necklace?”
You: “They’re two for $50.”
Customer: “Ok, those two are nice, I’ll have them.”

Obviously this is a very simplified version of any potential conversation, but do you see the subtle difference?

Before, they were given a choice.

Now we are only giving them one option.

Do not underestimate this very tiny change in language.

By giving the customer the option to purchase two items the majority of the time, if a customer is already serious about making a purchase, they will upsell to two items.

If you think this sounds to simple you should know that McDonalds have added millions to their bottom line every year with this same basic strategy.

Think about it, you go to McDonald’s, order a burger and what do they say?

“Would you like fries with that?”

Those 6 simple words are literally worth millions and millions of dollars every year to McDonalds.

It’s the same basic sales principle that you can add to your jewelry-selling arsenal.

This is why I said it only works for some business; obviously, if you’re selling houses, the two-for-one offer doesn’t fly much, but when we’re looking at smaller impulse buying, this can have tremendous effect on your bottom line.

And of course if the customer says they only want one, well, there’s no law says that you shouldn’t just sell them one, but try to sell two at first.

Now preparation and setup for a show can help increase how this strategy will work, so let’s review some of the basics there.

Preparing For A Show:

To increase your chances of success even more using this very simple strategy lets take a look at how you prepare for your next craft show or home jewelry party and what you might make to help improve your double sales technique.

Think about the preparation ahead of time and plan what you are going to make and how you are going to display it.

Research the show and the type of audience that are going to be there.

One of the most important things you can do is ask the organizers for sales figures from last year’s show and what the average spend was.

This can be vital information because if you know that the average spend last year at the show you’re just about to attend was $50, and you are planning on trying to sell $200 pieces, you are likely to have a hard time.

Knowing this ahead of time you can create the right pieces at the right price point for the audience you are about to encounter.

To make the two-for-one sale strategy work even better try making matching sets of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings.

If you get a customer at your booth who falls in love with your beautiful necklace that you have made that you’re selling for $30, how hard do you think it would be to upsell them to a matching pair of earrings for another $20?

Certainly nowhere near as hard as trying to sell them a completely separate piece.

But what about if you specialize in creating One-Of-A-Kind (OOAK) jewelry pieces with no matching sets?

Don’t worry, let’s look at setting up your displays and how you can help to increase your double sales odds by setting up the correct way.

How To Display Your Jewelry Pieces:

There’s normally a pretty typical way that that a lot of artisans will display their jewelry at shows and it’s not eye catching.

I’m sorry, but it’s true for so many.

How many shows have you been to where you lift things out of trays, dig underneath one bracelet to get to another, or everything’s just laying flat on a table so nothing catches your eye at all when you walk past?

Quite often I’d bet.

So take moment to set your stand up in a way that it catches your eye as you walk past.

If you have created matching sets, keep them together but elevate items off the table at different levels.

While a flat table looks beautiful, when you’re up close, because you can see everything at once, nothing catches your eye to start with to get customers there.

If you have OOAK pieces, keep them in groups, so your necklaces together, your earrings together, your bracelets together, etc.

That way when someone picks up one piece and asks how much it is, you’re ready to say “Those are two for $50″ straight away.

Set up at least one piece as a “Wow” centerpiece attention-grabber. You can use lights or mirrors to accentuate effects as well.

Make sure once you are done setting up that you walk away for at least 5 minutes to clear your brain, then come back and look at your stand from different angles.

• Does it catch your eye?
• Would you stop to look at that centerpiece there?
• How do the other stands look around you?
• Are they more eye catching?

You need to get people to your stand to be able to sell them anything, so having a centerpiece can just help to catch people’s eye and get the most basic transaction started: a smile.

Remember, a smile can lead to a conversation, which leads to questions and when they ask “How much?” now you know what to say: “Those are two for $50″!

So in final summary:

1. Most Important: Price two items into each sale transaction as a FIRST sale attempt. If you don’t get that, you can always come down to one item.
2. Know your market and price point, and be prepared for your next show.
3. Create the right pieces for your market.
4. Create a unique eye-catching display.
5. Take advantage of any interaction and SMILE.
6. Be genuine, honest, and helpful to your customers, they’ll appreciate it.

So give this a go at your next booth sale or jewelry party. Be confident in what you say and make sure you offer your customer assistance with their choice.

If you leave any comments or questions below I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

Happy Selling

Gary Capps
Bead Manager Pro Jewelry Software

Wire Jewelry Idea for
October 26, 2011

Today’s Wire Jewelry Idea, your dose of wire jewelry inspiration, is the idea to use your wire jewelry in a story – either create a piece of wire jewelry that fits in a story, write a story about a piece you’ve already made, or even create a piece of jewelry that tells a story! Today we’re featuring Millie Fee’s bracelet and accompanying story. If you’re as passionate about storytelling as Millie Fee is, this may come naturally to you. Whether or not you choose to create stories to accompany your work, I guarantee Millie’s story will get your imagination going!

And, if you’re interested in submitting any Wire Jewelry Ideas, simply head over to our form (Click Here). Your Idea could be featured on our Blog! You don’t have to write a story, like Millie did. You can share a picture of some really interesting architecture, ironwork, or shapes that have inspired your wire jewelry designs. Share any Wire Jewelry Idea you like, and if you have an online store, we’ll even link to your shop if we choose your Idea to be featured! (And right now, we’re especially interested in what holiday shapes or images inspire you). Now, let’s hear from Millie!

Millie says:

The Modified Celtic Bracelet Cuff is a blending of 2 of my fondest teachers, Perri Jackson, and Dale Cougar Armstrong. I used a modified version of Perri Jackson’s Celtic Weave to form the braided side-cuff; and a modified form of Dale Cougar’s “Ornate Cabochon Bracelet Topping” from her Wirework book….turned side-ways! You see; 2 of my greatest passions in life are writing and jewelry making. The stories, are whimsical legends, that I will leave to my 4 grandchildren…plus a few pieces especially made for them, complete with pictures.. The 2 grandchildren in this story, that accompanies this piece, are for and about my eldest son, Richard, and his children: Isabella Rose and Phillip; and his fiance, their mother. The story involves my granddaughter, Isabella Rose (born in April), and her brother, Phillip;…. And all the rest of the loving characters in our family;……We all need to have magic in our lives!

Modified Celtic Bracelet Cuff by Millie Fee, a jasper cabochon wrapped with copper wire.

(You might have spotted Millie’s cuff in our Jasper Profile)

The Legend of the Lakestone
by Millie Fee

She stood by the window with her back to the locked, heavy wooden door. Her eyes desperately searching the road far below for any sign of rescue as the evening light faded and her room grew darker…nothing.

“This can’t be right!”…”It just cannot be happening like this!” Bella feverishly whispered. “Please!, Please! Papa! Nana! Phillip! Help us! Where are you???”

For the first time in her young life, Isabella felt truly all alone and afraid. She slowly closed her eyes and leaned her throbbing forehead against the cool window-pane, wearily allowing the blur of events from the previous 3 days to wash over her. The fact her Mother and Father—the King and Queen, had been captured as well as herself, by the Count, had been a shock. They had all been warned not to travel too close to his borders, especially without protection. They had heard that he was hungry for their power, but they never thought that he could touch them…not in the borderlands. The waves of shock were nauseating as they washed over her.

This was a totally different world here, in his lands-alien and harsh. There was no magic here. Only endless miles of barren, sick, earth and jagged rocks jutting out at heinous and tortured angles. That, and the unrelenting moans and screams from the cruel punishments inflicted upon his subjects. A perfect portrait of his black and twisted soul!

Now, the Count was demanding access to their land-holdings so he could rule both realms. She couldn’t recall ever seeing trees or birds or any flowers, since entering his land….frantically searching her memory. They both knew that she could not survive without them! His corruption would be complete if he gained control over the magic of their land.

This was what he had carefully worked towards… He had always wanted unfettered access to their beloved “Enchanted Woods and the Lake”. The Count had never faltered in this one obsession….one way or another it would be his…he had already determined that it was his destiny.

Her heart constricted in fear…

“No! That will never happen… not this way…Never!” She fiercely whispered to herself, wincing as she gently rubbed the bruises around her wrists.

Papa, Nana, and her older brother Phillip, were the ones that were able to get away. She caught sight them briefly, at the Woods edge, as the Count’s ghouls sprang from no-where and roughly grabbed the King and Queen, and herself in a well thought out ambush, as they had emerged from the Enchanted Woods. They had valiantly put up a long fight… long enough to effectively cut off access to the Woods; and to stop the ghouls. And for Papa to make sure that Nana and Phillip, had melted safely back into the woods unseen. But in doing so, they themselves were also cut off from their escape…then it was over. She had watched horrified as she and her parents were placed into shackles and chains.

The hellish ride back to the Count’s castle and the demands that their families merge in a marriage were just too much to bear or even consider. He was holding them hostage until the wedding was over and then he would murder her family and the rest of her kind to legally “inherit” their lands…. The trap had been carefully laid for when they all showed up for the mandatory wedding and reception, the ghouls had received their orders just this morning. But he needed her alive to use the magic to enter their lands…for now, anyway. That is until he could find a way to corrupt it and control it.

The wedding was to be held tomorrow morning and attendance was mandatory for every single person in both lands…along with the customary demands for the best in wedding gifts that both lands had to offer. And woe to the unfortunate souls who had nothing left to give but their lives…For it was these poor souls that he singled out. The Count took their lives with great relish…carelessly spilling their blood upon the corrupted ground beneath his thick boots as he laughed.

Bella shivered as she heard the key turn in the lock and turned to watch the Count enter with the King and Queen, who were still in shackles. His servants quickly scurried in with candles and like moths quickly fluttered back and forth lighting the sconces and the fireplace, and closing the heavy drapes before quietly scurrying out again hoping not to catch his eye. Her parents looked bruised and battered. They were still in their same clothes that were bloody, dirty and torn from the ambush, 3 days prior. Bella realized they could soon be gone….forever…..

“They will come for us!”–she silently sent up a plea –but would it be in time? Bella had a sudden twinge of doubt. At first she was confident that they would…..but now? Three days had passed with no word or sign. Something must have happened.

Isabella stifled a sob as she rushed into their arms. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded with the Count to let them go…to no avail. It was as if his heart had turned to stone.

“Come here!” he demanded, his quick grasp of her arm causing her to fall off-balanced into his hard embrace. “Finally! Some of the gifts are pouring in. But this one! …This one is special! I have decided to give you this early” he murmured feverishly. His eyes curiously glowed in the candlelight as he snapped closed the clasp of a heavy bracelet cuff around her slender, bruised wrist.

Modified Celtic Bracelet Cuff by Millie Fee, a jasper cabochon wrapped with copper wire.

Bella shuddered at his touch and looked dumbly at her wrist, then quickly gasped in delight. The cuff was made of heavy copper wire that was coiled and twisted into an intricate braid on the sides and formed a bezel with sparkling dark crystals around a large stone on top. It seemed to be vibrating-humming…almost alive. It was ancient-looking, heavy and tarnished. But it was the stone itself that caught and held Bellas’ attention. Even though matte in appearance, with goldish streaks on a blue-green background; it seemed to have a life of its own. Here was the source of the vibrations! She smiled as she recognized the stone. It was from her beloved Lake! The reeds and water on the stone, seemed to be moving and rippling just like the reeds and waves which lapped the shores of her Magic Lake back home! She caught a faint, teasing whiff of the rich loamy smell of the woods and shores of her beloved homeland as she fingered the stone, and was caught up in a momentary wave of home-sickness. Then, as the Count looked away; her brother Phillip, impishly popped his head up out of the water, and holding his finger to his lips, flashed an OK sign and a quick thumbs up as he knowingly grinned and winked before diving under the Lakestone’s smooth surface again. Bella quickly tried to stifle her surprised giggle. Her mother and father looked up and moved closer to her to get a better look, a slow smile of recognition and joy spreading over their faces. The Count looked down and smiled sardonically. He blindly noticed nothing amiss… looking at their delighted and innocent expressions, as evidence of his cunning…soon…soon…it will all be his!

“I take it you like my little gift; my Nymph?” he softly whispered as he leaned closer, his foul breath and lips brushing her forehead. “It’s called a Lakestone. I took it from an old Crone and her husband, just outside the city. They offered it as a meager wedding gift. Said they were on their way into the city, to attend our wedding. She said it is Enchanted and it will absorb tears and turn them into smiles of love and joy. They vanished into the crowd before I could “Thank” them properly, it must have been their lucky day!” he said, smiling cruelly as he thoughtfully fingered the haft of his dagger, trying to remember where he had seen them before and where they had disappeared to. “But, I can see she was right about the bracelet. I thought it would be a nice trinket for my future wife.” he said smugly.

Tears of joy and relief ran down Bella’s face and fell onto the stone only to be quickly absorbed. Papa and Nana! She wrenched herself out of the Counts grasp and moved into the King and Queens eager arms. Papa! Nana! Phillip!…They were here after-all! It was Papa who had found the Lakestone; and it was Nana who made the Enchanted cuff– this she could plainly see…..It had enchanted the Count, and they had managed to send the Lakestone with Phillip to safely rescue them right beneath his very nose! That the Count had brought the cuff to her and personally handed to her the means for her and her parents escape was not lost upon her!

“Do you know the entire story of the legend?” she asked, smiling sweetly as her parents tightened their arms about her while touching the stone.

“No! What’s this about the rest of the legend?…Tell me now! This moment!” he demanded. The Count’s hard, greedy eyes glittered in the candlelight as he quickly leaned forward, eager to hear of a new possible power that was within his grasp.

“Well, this Lakestone is very special. Only a very few exist on this plane of existence and they hold a very great power.” she said reverently, as her mother and father lovingly touched the stone with her.

“It holds the secret to the magic of our land that you seek to control. But it only works for our kind. The Lakestone is bound to us for eternity, because of its attempt to take away and to control the magic of our “Enchanted Woods and Lake.” she sadly smiled looking deeply into the Count’s eyes. She reached out to lightly touch his face, just as one of her tears dropped upon the tip of her fingers. The Count’s eyes widened in surprise as it quickly soaked into his skin. He was filled with an intense longing for the Enchanted Land and Lake especially its water.

She quickly withdrew her hand, grimacing at the rough feel of his skin under her gentle touch.

“They are activated by our tears. As Nymphs; we also know that if we can touch it; the Lakestone, will always recognize us as one of those who belong to the “Enchanted Woods and the Lake”, and it will take us home immediately…for that is its fate.”

And Bella, looked up again into his face and with a saucy wink and grin, softly whispered “Welcome Home!” and suddenly vanished with her parents, before his startled eyes! Her soft laughter tinkling like chimes in the breeze. The Count would get his wish…

Immediately, the Count felt the floor vanish beneath his feet and looked down in horror. He found that he was dangling high above the waters of a Lake that was blue-green in color and had goldish colored reeds waving and nodding gently on the water’s edge. His wrist was firmly grasped by Isabella’s father and brother…the King and Prince….he looked up into their stern eyes as they touched the Lakestone from the bracelet and let go of his wrist. He could see the Queen and an old Crone and her Husband, standing on the shore line with Bella as he started to fall. It was then that he recognized who they were. The Count fell into the icy waters of the Lake far below. He felt his body grow smaller and smaller as it sank quickly to the bottom of the lake….weighted down by the stone-heart in his chest. Suddenly the Count realized what his fate was to be, as he started to turn to stone! He watched as the Lake slowly turned his body the same matte blue-green color of a Lakestone. The familiar goldish lines of the reeds began reaching out…. gently encompassing him and weaving their way throughout his body as they softly hummed and vibrated. They slowly started rubbing and smoothing his skin and healing the wickedness of his stone heart and soul; turning it into veins of the thin shafts of gold that ran across his body’s rough surface, but it would take time. He realized with a start, as he drifted off into a deep sleep, that he had got exactly what he wished for after-all. ..unfettered access to the Enchanted Woods and Lake and smiled.

Nana bent and picked up the stone at the Lake’s edge and held it gently in her hand and called her grandchildren to her.

“Now see this one?” she asked as she held it up. “Kinda early for this one to be out. What do you think?” she asked, critically eyeing the goldish lines that ran the length of the rough stone.

Phillip smiled and took the Lakestone and showed it to his sister and his grandfather.

“Look familiar?” he asked as he turned the stone over in his hand.

“I don’t think this one is ready yet, Nana.”

Bella grimaced at the stone’s rough feel under her gentle touch as she replied, “I agree, it doesn’t have that smooth feel to it yet.”

“I believe you’re right.” Nana agreed as she nodded her head and grinned broadly and winked at Papa “Heavens know, your eyesight and touch is better than mine now, and I know it’s way better than Papa’s!”

Papa indignantly snorted and reminded Nana that it was he who found the Lakestone to save Bella, his gruff voice ringing out and echoing against the far side of the Enchanted Woods, while Nana grinned and fired back that she had made the cuff and put the spell on it!

Phillip and Bella laughed and shook their heads as Phillip tossed the Lakestone back into the deepest part of the Lake.

“Maybe later, it needs a little more time right now.”He said, as they watched the Lakestone sail through the air and drop back into the Magic waters of their Lake. And they all nodded in agreement as they walked hand-in-hand, back to the Enchanted Woods to pick some juicy blackberries for dessert at tea. Bella knew her father and mother, the King and Queen, were expecting them later on for the big celebration tonight being held for the liberation and healing of both lands and their peoples….complete with feasts, fireworks, and dancing. This was going to be fun!

Bella smiled contentedly and gave her Nana an affectionate squeeze of her hand. The bracelet felt comfortingly warm against her skin, as the dark crystals sparkled in the warm sunlight; its heavy weight a gentle reminder to always carry the Lakestone from now on. The Lakestone absorbed the sun-warmed rays in its matte blue-green surface and the goldish reeds danced gently as the waves lapped against its magical shores….it was indeed, good to be home again!

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In these economic times, we as artists and jewelers are faced with the shock of the price increases in precious metals. Silver and gold prices have skyrocketed and we are finding ourselves faced with rethinking just what metals we are going to be using to create with.

Both copper and brass jewelry wire are available to us in a variety of gauges and shapes. Brass gives an illusion of being gold-like with its yellowish-red color, but it is actually a blend of copper and zinc (having roughly 67% copper and 33% zinc in its makeup). Sometimes small amounts of other metals are added in the blend but the majority of brass is as stated above. Jewelry brass is usually the 230 alloy, otherwise known as rich low brass.

Please be aware that working with brass wire is harder on your hands as it will not bend and flow as easily as when compared to silver and/or gold-filled wire. So take your time and work it slowly until you get the feel of the metal.

Keeping your brass and copper items clean and shiny will take a bit more work than normal. There are a variety of ways to do so, from simple home recipes to buying commercially manufactured products. The one thing you do have to keep in mind is the difference between acidic and caustic compounds for cleaning brass. We will cover a few different ways to clean these metals.

Please note that these are just some techniques to try and before using any of them take into consideration the beads or gemstones, etc. you have used in making your jewelry piece. We are not endorsing any one way or method, merely providing you with information for your use regarding cleaning techniques that we are aware of, and none of these cleaning methods will prevent tarnish. If there is a product or method listed that we do personally use, we will note it as such.

Natural Methods:

Lemon Juice: To clean brass or copper with lemon juice, you can either use it neat (straight), or mixed with vinegar and/or baking soda.

• Mix up a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice with a couple of teaspoons of vinegar.
• Add just enough baking soda to make it become a gritty paste.
• Use this with a cloth to scrub your brass or copper items.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and dry with a clean cloth.

Ketchup or Worcestershire Sauce: Who would have thought this would work?  Ketchup and Worcestershire sauce both have the ability to remove dirt well due to the acidic nature of both items.

• First try rubbing the sauce onto your item with a soft cloth.
• If this doesn’t remove the dirt very well, coat the item in sauce and leave it to sit for a minute or two.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and dry with a clean cloth.

Vinegar & Steel Wool: Noted as one of the simpler methods available for cleaning brass. Grab some vinegar, pour it on or soak your item in it for a minute or two, then just use steel wool to remove the tarnish. (Personally, I think if using this method I’d use a q-tip dipped in vinegar or a soft cloth with some vinegar on it, since most of the cleaning action comes from the acidity of the vinegar rather than from the physical scrubbing with the steel wool.)

• Use a fine grade of steel wool (If it is numbered, lower 0s are a minimum grade as opposed to a higher grade with more 0s).
• Watch your item if you do immerse it entirely into the vinegar: some items will discolor in the vinegar, and you will need to buy a commercial polish to remove the discoloration.
• Some people use apple cider vinegar, while others say red wine vinegar is better than white wine.  Which works best for you will depend on your own choices.

Toothpaste: Toothpaste is a gentle abrasive. Use the opaque toothpastes rather than the clear varieties, as the opaque ones are more likely to contain the necessary, mild abrasive (while the others are more focused on killing bacteria and freshening breath).

Be aware that this method will probably not be as effective as any other method because the toothpaste is an alkaline and not acidic as the others mentioned above. Most of the results will be obtained by all the scrubbing you do with the brush.

Ready To Use Solutions:

If you are going to use a ready-to-use solution, follow the golden rule and read the label. This is for your own safety and for the preservation of your brass items.

Brasso: An old favorite that I remember well from having to clean large brass trays my mother had purchased while we were stationed in Taiwan. Follow the directions on the can. Basically you need to soak a cloth in Brasso then rub the tarnish off the brass. Wear gloves to do so and then buff with a clean soft cloth.

Nevr Dull: Yep, spelled strangely but it does clean brass. Comes with pre-soaked wadding in the can and you pull off a piece and start rubbing. Both Dale and I have used this product with good results. Be sure to wear gloves just to keep the product from drying out your skin, and use it in a well-ventilated area.

Tarn-X-Brass: Another liquid cleaner that attacks light tarnish. Be sure it says Brass as there are two types of Tarn-X. (FYI, we do not recommend using the silver version at all!!)

Easy Cleaning of both Copper and Brass: An ionic cleaner such as the Speed Brite works well on both copper and brass jewelry items and with no harm to gemstones or beads. If the piece doesn’t clean immediately with the regular clip and dip method, use a soft toothbrush under running water afterwards, to assist the process.

Be sure and properly store your finished pieces in a zip loc bag to help reduce tarnishing.

Wire-Sculpture Faculty member Mary Bailey is a regular contributor of patterns and articles. You can read more about Mary, a renowned scrimshaw artist, in her Faculty Profile.

This steel pattern wire is no exception: available in 5 different patterns, nearly everyone at our office had a favorite – or two – that they couldn’t take their eyes off. And while the wire is beautiful, it’s proven a bit more challenging to work with than its gold and silver counterparts. So we asked the people who’d already used the steel pattern wire, what they made with it. And here’s what they sent in (hint: click each picture to see a larger version!).

Steel Pattern Wire Bracelet by Janet Cozzens

He wears a sterling silver bracelet now, and he wanted just a simple bracelet made from the steel wire. I finished the ends with a dremel tool. This is a great design for a more masculine look, simple but nice looking.

I am obsessive compulsive, and wouldn’t let it rest until I felt it was perfectly symmetrical! I used nylon jaw pliers for the most part to shape the bracelet. The steel is incredibly hard, making it utterly impossible to use my bracelet mandrel with my rawhide mallet. I kept the natural curve in the wire when I cut it off of the 3 foot section. I then formed it around the oval bracelet mandrel as much as I could with my hands. I used the nylon jaw pliers to shape the curves into the ends. I kept working it until I felt that the curve was right. Lastly, I used my dremel tool with a sanding end to give a bit of a lip to the ends that was smooth, curving them a little so that there were no sharp edges. I had my husband try it on several times to make sure it was shaped correctly and the fit was right.

Steel Pattern Bracelet, side view, by Janet Cozzens

I was happy with the end result and I plan to make a few more of them tonight for a show that I am doing tomorrow. The simple elegance of the patterned wire is nice just to make cuffs with.

Valorie Bowen’s piece “B-Steel” was inspired by Egypt and the steel pattern wire. An original design, Valorie cut lengths of steel pattern wire with a Dremel and then wrapped each piece in a wire frame, then hung the 7 lengths on chain to create an elegant collar necklace.

B-Steel, by Valorie Bowen

Valorie recommended using gloves and protective eyewear while cutting the steel pattern wire. She adds, “When cutting the wire with any machine the wire will get hot after a while. I placed the wire securely in a vise and then aligned the Dremel’s steel cutter blade where I placed my premeasured mark. After the sparks had subsided I had all the pieces cut in less than 10 minutes. I could not cut it as suggested [with bolt cutters], but with the aid of a handy dandy power tool, ‘It was like cutting butter.’”

Katherine Schilling's Steel Pattern Wire Ring

Katherine Schilling made 3 pieces of jewelry with her steel pattern wire, ranging from a simple ring made just of pattern wire, to a beautiful bracelet with gemstones and beads. “The ring,” she says, “is just worked around a mandrel by hand and hammered with a rawhide mallet. All of the ends were ground on my mini grinding wheel for smoothness.”

Steel Pattern Wire Cross by Katherine Schilling

In her cross pendant, Katherine says “I filed the wire, kind of like a half lap joint in woodworking, then I used a little JB weld in the joint and wire wrapped it with some aluminum wire.” The real challenge, she says, was the bracelet. here’s how she made it.

Steel Pattern Wire and Gemstone Bracelet by Katherine Schilling

“I cut two pieces of steel pattern wire, each about 6 inches long. I drilled small holes in the pattern wire ends. The wire is very hard to drill with a Dremel tool, maybe because it is running too fast. I formed 2 pieces of wire for bracelet shape. I wired between the ends (through the holes) with stainless steel wire, for strength. Then I calculated the width of the bracelet according to my beads, and attached half round nickel silver wire pieces from one side to the other (between where each of the beads would go). I ran one strand of beading wire around the stainless steel wire on one end (forming 2 strands) to go through the beads, attached by running one strand over and one strand under the cross pieces of nickel silver wire, finishing at the other end around the stainless steel wire, with a crimp bead. I then finished off the ends with a coil wire to hide the mechanics.”

Steel Pattern Wire Bangle by Heather Campbell

Heather Campbell took a traditional approach to the pattern wire, creating two beautiful wire bangles. Heather says, “I used typical wire wrapping techniques for both of these bangles. The top picture has colored copper wire, which I twisted together. The bottom picture, which i have named ‘Chain Bangle,’ as you can see has a chain with beads woven through it. Creating loops on the side wires allowed me to attach the chain.”

Chain Bangle, by Heather Campbell

Steel in Love, a steel pattern wire choker by Donna Arena

Donna Arena made two collars from steel pattern wire, drilling through the wire to attach jump rings which connect drops and chain. She was kind enough to make an outline of her collar-making for us. Here’s how she described her process:

I definitely made a departure from what I usually do and even incorporated my hubby’s help with some facets of the creation of these pieces. Namely drilling through the patterned steel wire and grinding or rounding and smoothing the ends. I used the dremel tool for all functions…drilling the holes, sanding down the rough edges and “forming” the edges and then buffing and polishing the wire and other components in one of the pieces with silver teardrop links.

Donna Arena’s Steel Pattern Wire Choker Necklace

Tools Needed: Bolt Cutters; Dremel Tool with: 1/16th inch drill bit, barrel sander, buffing wheel; jeweler’s rouge (blue); usual tools for wire working including three-step jump ring pliers tool, steel block, and wood block. Materials Needed: Chain; Steel Pattern Wire; 18 or 20-gauge wire; clasp findings of your choice; beads, stones, crystals of your choice.

Steel My Heart necklace by Donna Arena

To make either project, use the bolt cutters to cut the steel pattern wire to desired length (measure width of “front” of neck only) minus 1 inch. Use Dremel tool with drill bit attachment to drill two holes on each end of wire aprox. 1/8 inch from end. Note: you must do this from the back side of the pattern wire. Use barrel sander to sand lightly around drilled holes. If you wish to add additional holes (as in my example) do this now having equally divided the spacing of holes to within desired area. Also knock off burrs and rough edges with the barrel sander at this time.

Bend and shape pattern wire to semi-circle shape, being careful to rotate sides while bending, because you will favor your dominant-hand side while shaping and the shape will distort. You can also use hammer and block (from back side of steel wire), to shape. At this point if you wish to add a patina or to buff up the patterned wire, this is where you use a buffer pad and jeweler’s rouge, or if adding the patina to buff up the high points.

Make appropriate-size jump rings using round nose pliers or 3 step jump ring pliers. Thread through all holes you intend to use. Measure chain approximately 5 to 5 1/2 inches for each side and thread onto end jump rings. You may want to include an extension chain so that your design will fit a variety of neck sizes. Finish chain with desired clasp finding. Instead of chain, you can use a variety of other mediums including ribbon, wire, connectors or even partially beaded strands.

Choose what type of design you want to incorporate into the front jump rings and with this phase you can use such a large variety of findings, links, beads, stones, the possibilities are virtually unlimited. That is what I LOVE about this basic design. On one piece I used silver drops (you can use connectors also), and made headpin drops with crystals and paired two elements per each jump ring and corresponding drilled hole. In my other design I draped chain from jump rings, then made dangle drops with glass pearls, freshwater pearls, and crystals on headpins.I wanted to do something different so I hammered the end of each “headpin” (made with 18 to 20-gauge wire) for a bit more of an industrial look.

What have you created with steel pattern wire? We’d love to see! Simply send an email with your picture to rosem@wire-sculpture.com, and you could earn a gift certificate. See below for details!

Submitting Pictures

We’d love to see what you’ve made with steel pattern wire! We will send you a $5 gift certificate for every project you’ve made with steel pattern wire and sent in a photo of. Please strive for good image sizes – at least 300 x 300 pixels if possible. Please let us know if you’ve named your piece, and the process used: did you use traditional wire jewelry techniques, or did this project inspire you to use different tools and techniques?

If you send in a picture, I’d like to be able to share it with other people. So please be aware that if you send in a picture, you are giving Wire-Sculpture.com permission to use it for promotional and other purposes. If any pictures are too blurry or too small to use, I will let you know right away.

Please note, the act of sending in pictures does not guarantee payment; pictures must be clear, show the steel pattern wire in the project, and be accepted by the Editor. If the Editor accepts your picture, you will be sent a gift certificate to Wire-Sculpture.com via email within one week. Legal disclaimer: By sending in a photograph of your work and information about it, you are giving Wire-Sculpture.com/Home Jewelry Business, LLC. permission to use all images and other information concerning your submission online, in print or in any other medium. Furthermore, by submitting your entry, you acknowledge that at no future date will Wire-Sculpture.com/Home Jewelry Business, LLC., its employees, affiliates, or owners, owe or release any royalties to the original creator for the submitted design.

Cutting Steel Pattern Wire

We’ve also heard from a customer whose Lineman pliers do the job; he said it just takes a firm grip. Some of our customers have found that using a bench grinder allows them to smooth the cut edges of the pattern wire, so it’s very dull and safe on skin. Of course, this depends on how you use the pattern wire: several wraps around a wire bundle containing pattern wire as well as square wires will help insulate the ends. Good luck – and we’d love to see your pictures of steel pattern wire jewelry on our Facebook page!

Confession time.

No More Grounds

I was drinking my morning coffee yesterday, trying to find a good Tip for this morning, but I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t the coffee’s fault; the coffee was perfect – a special treat, some beans roasted in Washington state that my friend sent as a gift. Here was my problem: I was staring at a page full of questions that I just couldn’t publish. Thinking about the Tips as a cup of coffee, I’d already enjoyed the whole mug, and all I had left were the grounds.

I know I’ve been sending you a Daily Tip every day for a while now. And even though they were really interesting and helpful for a while, lately you’ve probably just been skimming them and then deleting them.

Here’s why: for the last few years, people were asking us questions right and left! We were flooded by curious minds asking questions about wire working techniques, sales ideas, and even asking lapidary and rockhounding questions. But in the last few months, that flood of questions has nearly petered out – only a few questions trickle in a week, if that – and many times, they’re not even related to wire jewelry. I know I need to change something – I need to make the Tip of the Day better.

Here’s Where You Come In

I’m asking for your help. Think about it: What do you want to see in the Tip of the Day? Or better yet, what questions do you have for Dale Armstrong or other members of the Wire-Sculpture team?

Many people have written in to me, telling me they read the Tip of the Day with their morning coffee. I am so honored that you allow Dale and me into your inbox every morning. Please tell me how I can make our morning time together more enjoyable and interesting for you!

How to Help Us Out

There are 3 ways you can help me by sending me your suggestions and Tip of the Day questions:

1. Use the “Ask a Question” form on our website
2. Call our Customer Service number: 1-877-636-0608
3. Or New: Send an email to tips@wire-sculpture.com

If you have a couple (or more) questions you’d like to ask Dale, me, or one of our staff members, please send them in! If you don’t have any questions now, just let me know what topics you like reading about. For example, personally, I really enjoy reading information about the different gemstones and minerals, because I don’t have that background like Dale does – I really do learn something new every time I ask her about rocks! (We had a great time together in Tucson, as she introduced me to dozens of stones I’d never seen – amazing!) But that’s me – what do you love reading about? Let me know at tips@wire-sculpture.com.

I’ll Only Send You Tips if You Want Them

And one more thing – If you ever decide you would like to stop receiving emails from me, it’s very easy. Look at the bottom of every email from me: there will always be the words “Change Your Email Preferences” and a link called “Click here to unsubscribe from all emails.” When you click that link, we will ask you to confirm, and then remove your email from our email list. If you would just like to stop receiving one email series, though – for example, the Daily Deals, and you’d like to continue receiving Tips, please call us at 1-877-636-0608 or reply to this email with what you’d like, and we will take care of it for you!

Email Me

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. Again, please send me an email at tips@wire-sculpture.com with your suggestions on how to make the Tip of the Day better for you – as well as any questions about making or selling wire worked jewelry. We’re here for you!

Best Wishes,
Rose Marion
Wire-Sculpture.com

P.S. For the caffeine-inclined: If you were wondering, the coffee that my friend sent me is by Craven’s Coffee, specifically the Eastern Washington University Eagles Blend – I highly recommend it; it has served me well for many years, as it has as countless other E.W.U. alumni. What’s your favorite coffee?