Sidetrack Saturday!

(London Jewellry School)
My internet was out for a real long time today, which was a downer, but at the same time kinda good for me, because if I get hooked to posting, then I become one of those Blogger Boobs with constant 8 posts a day and I don't want to be that person.

But I do want to post something for Sidetrack Saturday, and my TINAC this week is a little something unexpected, it's called Wire Wrapping a Stone :


no, I didn't make this, or take this picture, and I forget exactly who was the dude that did.

I feel like posting other people's stuff, because what I made is kinda so-so, see:

this is what I put together. Took forever, my thumbs hurt. I had a lot of problems because A.) I didn't set it up right and B.) I didn't use enough wires to make an edge and C.) I didn't straighten my wire and it shows. I have to post what other people made to make up for my semi-disaster, so on with other people's mesmerizing creations before I tell you how to do it.

talitha gems

Care More

DawnEllenDesigns

Care More

talithagems


So OK, the cooler part of this is that it doesn't take a lot of material to do. It only takes some of your round-nose pliers (and whatever random sized pliers you happen to have around) and about 20-40 inches of wire. A Rock is also necessary, but in my case I used one of those weird little bobbles I've been making for the intent to sell (if I ever feel like my products are good enough)


Another cool part of this, is that a 10 dollar rock and about 1 dollar of wire turns into a 50-70 dollar pendant. Woo-hoo. Takes practice, though, this was a very difficult TINAC. I had a headache.


The only decent tutorial I found for this, also, was at a site called Tumble Weed Glass

all the other tutorials either a.) cost money or b.) have some pretty awful video on you tube or c.) some bland tutorial with not enough details.


It's kind of sad, because if you do a Google Search on Wire Wrapped Pendants, you'll see that there is a very fine line between something that is cool looking and something that is tacky. Very Tacky. That, and wire is a little bit unforgiving.

However, there's something about using a bare rock and just a wire that makes it an experience for me that surpasses the confines of typical 'craft'. There's nothing I hate more than having to buy lots of little accesories to make just one project, and I feel like projects like those tend to be money-making schemes by some co-op somewhere pushing Cri-cuts down everyone's throat. One of the reason's I abhor scrapbooking and I try to, at all costs avoid Micheals and Roberts and try to buy all of my art supplies from Home Depot or Dickblick.com .

Not only that, but I've noticed there is such a lack in tutorials (other than the basic frame that can be found at tumbleweed) becuase the prettier part of the wire art really relies on the form of the rock, which is different for every peice. It's something that can't be a general format tutorial.

So go pick up that shiny rock that's been sitting in the back of your closet, some old jewelry wire you were going to use for something way-back-when, and try it out, because it's a nice Saturday Project and its hella better than this chunky-munky knitting craze.