One thing that’s common among wire jewelry artists, and anyone who works with beads, too, is the storage issue! You’ve got all this great wire, stones, and jewelry making tools, but where on earth do you put it all?

Wire-Sculpture has some solutions. For starters, we carry plastic compartment boxes, like many beaders are familiar with. Whether you work with jump rings, lampwork beads, thread, cabochons, Swarovski crystals, or beads, these compartment boxes are amazing! You can divide your little accents into 10 to 24 compartments in just one box, and the cover seals so tightly that the compartments won’t leak. Not to mention, these boxes stack easily, and many are mostly transparent, if not totally see through, so you can easily and quickly see what each box contains. And they’re useful for all kinds of things–my husband even nicked one of mine for his fishing gear!

Say you went to a show and purchased a whole lot of little beads, far more than will fit in a little compartment, but you want to get them out of the bag and tucked away. Well, there are also smaller, individual bead containers available in bulk for things just like this. These small and large containers come in packs of 12 and 16, and are great for beads, gems, cabs, and anything else you need to tuck away!

So those boxes and containers are great jewelry tools for storage, but if you’re looking for something you can keep handy on your desk, Wire-Sculpture also has smaller, stackable, spinnable trays that are small enough to keep on your desk, but big enough to hold several kinds of beads, rings, and anything else you need at hand.

While you’re working at your desk, how do you keep those beads from rolling all over the place and getting damaged? Dale “Cougar” Armstrong is notorious for using mouse pads just for this purpose–but if you can’t find one, or if you just have too many beads to use one, there are a couple solutions from our jewelry making tools section that you can work with.

First, a super handy beading shortcut is a beader’s board. These beading boards not only hold your beads in place, but they are marked and measured with dimensions so you know exactly how big your piece is becoming. Also, there are little trays inside the board to stash extra beads while you work. Nifty, huh? And they’re so low priced, it’s really a smart investment to make.

An alternative tool to the beading board is a beading tray. I find this really useful when I’m making a mess! I can use my little bead tray to zoom around my table and scoop up the beads I let roll away. They’re also great for holding beads as you work, and they come in a variety of sizes. And these aren’t just for seed beads–they’re a great way to keep your cabochons and gemstones safe while you work.

Finally, if you are looking for a better way to store your pliers and jewelry making tools, we have a fantastic wire wrapping/beading work station available! This nifty jeweler’s workbench will hold all your pliers within reach, as well as coils of wire, string, and practically anything else you can think of.

Well, that’s all the news for now! Be sure to check out our selection of jewelry making tools that will make your wire wrapping work easier.

Take care, and stay twisted!

Rose Marion

I hope you enjoy reading this article about our past experiences in Tucson, Arizona. But we can’t wait to see you at the upcoming Tucson 2012 Shows: specifically, the Tucson Electric Park (TEP) Gem & Mineral Show, where the Wire-Sculpture and JewelryTools.com crew will be supporting 15 renowned jewelry instructors at the JewelryTools Classes – teaching over 120 projects! There’s still time for you to sign up, we’d love to see you there – Click here to explore our Tucson Electric Park Classes, Jan. 28 – Feb. 12, 2012!

Yes, it’s that time of year again, when a lot of us are gearing up for our annual trip to Tucson, Arizona. As I sit at my desk in southeast Tennessee and add to my ‘Tucson Lists’ (where it is currently 21º at 1:30 in the afternoon) it is very easy to think about packing bathing suits and tee shirts!
The February gemshows in Tucson are still ‘the place to be’! For two weeks +, vendors and shoppers come from all over the world to sell, swap and shop for everything and anything that one might possibly need in both the jewelry making and lapidary industry. There are about 40 different gem shows during this time (not counting all of the street and tailgate opportunities). For those of you who think you cannot attend because you are not yet a business, I believe that only 9 of these shows are ‘wholesale only’. That leaves more than 30 shows you can visit!

There are a lot of reasons to attend, even if just for a few days:

• Escape from the cold weather where you live. (Obviously a plus for some of us.)
• Find new supply sources and meet vendors personally. Don’t you just love being able to touch, feel and see the real colors of a product before you buy it? Here also, is an opportunity to purchase directly from a company with no middleman!

• Collect new product catalogues and coupons. While there, you can pick-up a variety of free magazines and catalogues from various sources, scattered throughout the shows. (I know I use my Tucson show Guide as a resource for years after!)

Network with others in your particular medium and meet professionals in all fields of jewelry making and lapidary arts.You never know with whom you might be sharing a lunch table, in a crowded courtyard. (I usually come home with a minimum of 50, new contact business cards.)

• Checkout brand new products and equipment; investigate a variety of jewelry and lapidary procedures and watch live demonstrations. The latest in gizmos and gadgets for the industry are always in Tucson in February. Watch as the inventors themselves demonstrate, and get a good deal if you decide you need whatever it is.

Take a class. Tired of shopping and walking? Take a break and take a class! The top in their field of various jewelry making procedures will be demonstrating and teaching in Tucson. Although most classes are ‘scheduled’, at the Jogs show, we teach ‘on demand’. To find out more about our International Teaching Team and the classes we are offering this year: http://www.jogsshow.com/beading_classes.htm or just stop by and say Hello!

• Shop, shop, shop!! Oh my goodness! The variety of items for sale is way too many to list – just imagine anything and everything you have ever seen in a jewelry-making catalog and more, like awesome tie dye and eclectic gift items. (How about an 8-inch tall, unicorn’s horn carved from selenite?)

• Visit Wire-Sculpture! Members of Wire-Sculpture.com will be manning a booth at the Jogs Show this year, talking with YOU, taking orders, and offering wire, tools, DVDs and more. They are also proud sponsors of the 2010 Jogs Jewelry-Making Classes. http://www.jogsshow.com/index.html

>There are a lot of great articles on-line, with ideas about what to and not to do, to get ready for your Tucson experience. Here are my personal suggestions, that may help to make your first Tucson experience a bit easier and more fun.
If you are a home jewelry business:

Pre-register for shows http://www.jewelryshowguide.com/event/results.php
• Make and carry small copies of your resale document and/or business license (vendors appreciate being able to keep a copy for their records and it makes purchase paperwork quicker)

Everyone:

• Make a list of the supplies you need to find

Make a list of the things you would like to have. Carry at least 100 business cards!

• Use the Shuttles! From the airport to every show venue, hotels and back again, there are several shuttles that run constantly throughout the shows. Save having to find and pay for parking, traffic and dealing with the fact that I-10 is still closed from one end of the city to the other.
• Bring a badge lanyard (if you have one). Personally, I just find it easier to have one lanyard to which I attach all of my badges so I don’t have to worry about having the right one on for the right show.

Leave pets and small children at home. You will be doing a lot of walking, chairs are limited, it can get really hot, and a real concern: port-a-johns.

• Bring a backpack (rocks get heavy!)
• Bring a box of zipper style sandwich bags. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t take a few minutes to record my purchases as soon as I can, I’ll never do it! Therefore I individually bag each item along with its’ receipt, every night.

• Bring a maker, pen and a small notebook. To help me stay as close to my budget as possible, while shopping for things I need I often see things I want; so I carry a small notebook and pen with me to be able to write down what I saw and where. Also, sometimes great deals are made with cash and do not have receipts, so I make a note for my records
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing (maybe bring a hat). Oh yes, like any type of event, you will see many ‘fashion statements’. They are fun to watch, but I prefer not to be one. I am more comfortable in my jeans, boots and t-shirt, and I always have a straw hat, because walking around in the Arizona sun will burn this winter-white skin! Remember that you will be on your feet for hours! Unless attending a special event, I also advise against wearing lots of expensive jewelry, as unscrupulous individuals are always looking for opportunities.
• Carry gum, mints and a granola (or similar) bar, and Band-Aids

• Do bring one dressy-casual outfit. You never know when you’ll be invited of one of the many, special parties and events being held all over town!

• A light jacket is a must as it does get rather chilly in the evening.
• And of course your camera, but be sure to ask permission before taking a picture of a display!

With all of the shopping, dealing, walking, rich foods, etc, I think it’s important to take a few hours for rest and relaxation. A nice drive into the desert is always re-energizing for me (and stopping to look for agates is about a must!)

See you in Tucson ~ stay ‘twisted’!!

Dale/Cougar

As a wire jewelry artist you will need many paths to your target audience – your market for distribution of your designs.  One way, that has no cost other than your time daily, is the new and effective social networking tool called Twitter.  This article will help you leverage its power for your business.

Potential customers are looking for more of a personal connection nowadays and social media is what makes that possible and hence why you need a Twitter account.  If you have not yet set up your Twitter account, then do so with a plan in mind. Twitter is like an instant messenger. It allows you to send short blurbs about yourself, your business or anything else you might like to share. People choose to follow you based on their preexisting relationship with you or the relevance of your tweets to their interests. As with any marketing tool, you need to have a clear idea of what type of message you want to communicate and who exactly your target audience is.

Make sure your username and profile picture reflects your wire jewelry business.  Your username should easily identify you. It can be your name or something that represents your brand. Your username will act both as your login and it will become a permanent fixture as your unique Twitter URL. Your profile picture should be of your logo or a close-up picture of you. This will appear next to every post you make. Keep your purpose in mind when choosing both of these important elements.

Now you are ready to search for people to follow. Like interests, profession and geographic location are all great ways to link to current and potential clients, professionals you may wish to network with and leading industry experts. Also, encourage all new contacts to “follow you.”  Add a link to your Twitter page by adding it to the bottom of all emails and make sure you place your badge on your website that links directly to your Twitter account.

Follow all those who seem to be of interest to your wire jewelry business. When you elect to follow someone, they often will follow you and how you build your network. Make sure you also use Twitter’s tool that allows you to import your contacts from your webmail accounts. Add the Twitter application to your Facebook account and use Twitter’s gadget maker to add your updates to your website, blog, MySpace or other HTML-enabled profile.

Start posting updates to your status. Twitter asks the simple question “what are you doing?” How you answer this question is important to the success of your Twitter campaigning. Every status message should be in line with your identified purpose. Post 1 to 5 times each day to provide your customers, clients, family and friends with up-to-date information about you and your wire jewelry business. Twitter is great for quick shout-outs when you are on vacation, special announcements of new products or sales and to provide links to great information you have uncovered and want to share. The more valuable tweets you put out, the more valuable your Twittering will be perceived.

Actively engage others that Tweet. You aren’t following these people for no reason. Respond to the tweets of those you are following. Ask and answer questions, provide helpful tips and congratulate their successes. Quick responses that may be pertinent to your purpose can be responded in the standard @username format. However, use this structure sparingly. Longer conversations or those that have little to do with your purpose should be carried on using the Direct Messages tool.

Give away a free gift to all those who follow you. Every time someone new follows you, an email will generate notifying you. I message each person with a quick personal note and a link to something free – which can be a coupon or invitation to a webinar – be creative. It adds a personal touch and kicks off the start of a great relationship – you will be remembered.

Utilize Twitter application tools. There are many tools available on the web that can make using your new Twitter account even easier. Some of these tools can search through your followers’ updates by topic and sort them for you, auto respond to new followers and post your updates on a predetermined schedule. Check out the many Twitter tools such as “Twhirl” and “Tweetscan” by doing a simple search of “Twitter tools”.

Social networking tools are here to stay and will continue to be the area of new growth on the Internet.  Jump in now and get started using them – you’ll be glad you did.

Using a Polishing Cloth

For our collection of Polishing Cloths and Rouge, Click here!

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The New Year is fast approaching and its common for each of us to examine our life and look for areas of change.  One common thrust toward new choices is the commitment to make a better life for oneself and for their family.  Sometimes it involves learning and other times its just deciding to do what it takes to achieve a goal.  This article is about how to get on track and stay there for all of 2010, driving toward the development and application of artistic talents.

First of all, you must define what your talents are and how they can be manifested by you in a way that is rewarding and includes having fun, and often being able to monetize it.  With the shape of the economy and the ongoing need to manage finances, one can’t often just start up a hobby and not intend to make money from it.  So, for this article, fun and financial reward will be at the core.

Do you love to work with your hands?  Do you have a knack for manifesting sounds or images into 3D pieces of art?  Do you like jewelry?  If you answer yes to these three questions then you should explore the art of wire jewelry making as an artistic way to express your abilities.

Finding wire jewelry making supplies is easy too.  You can start with patterns and designs that include the materials you’ll need to create the piece.  All you will need to learn is how to twist and connect wire; learn the range of materials, and then start designing pieces.

You will pull from nature, your daughter’s piano recital, or from a squirrel darting across the top of your fence, ideas that you can translate into a beautiful piece of wire jewelry.  Be sure to jot down what comes to you as you experience various forms of inspiration so that you can draw on it when you’re ready to order supplies to create with.  Then, when received you can sit down on a quiet afternoon and start creating.

After you’ve created a range of pieces, you’ll then want to start planning how to commercialize them – where to sell them and how to hang out your shingle.  Be sure to consult some experts if you need to, so that you don’t find yourself frustrated with lack of success.

Finally, enjoy the process and stick with it for all of 2010 so that you can look back and give yourself a pat on the back for a year well done in capturing the essence of your artist talent and funneling it toward a productive outcome!

Happy New Year!