All about jewellery making

I made this pendant last night using a pattern from ‘Crystal Beaded Jewellery’ by Christine and Sylvie Hooghe (Search Press ISBN 1-84448-106-9).  The pattern is called ‘graphic star’ and my example turned out quite differently because I used different beads than those recommended. 

Although the book is based on using crystals in jewellery I find it interesting to make up the designs with other types of bead.  Here I have used 8mm blue goldstone, small oval cracked crystal beads and size 11/0 gold seed beads.  Using these patterns without crystals makes the effect a little less ‘bling’.  Of course it depends on what final result you are looking for.  I have to confess that this pendant was made with some oddments I found whilst sorting through my bead boxes.  I used monofilament to thread the beads as it is almost invisible when the piece is finished.

I do like this book very much and it is one of the few jewellery making books I own -  I only tend to buy what I consider the best books otherwise I borrow them from the library.  The beaded bead that I used for the clasp on my daisy bead bracelet was a pattern from this book.

Here is the Amazon link for this book:

Here is the result of my latest polymer clay adventure.  I have called it a ‘fantasy flower’ pendant. 

I started by making a skinner blend using raspberry and white, rolled it up into a bullseye plug and used it to created a spliced cane.  This was enveloped in a layer of black clay which helped to give the final design a stained glass effect.  This technique is described by Donna Kato in her flower pendant tutorial.  Following the instructions in the tutorial the cane was reduced to several different sizes so that it could be sliced and applied to a layer of clay using the ‘component caning’ technique.  Once I was happy with the design I cut out the pendant having first laid the decorative layer of clay onto a piece of thick black polymer clay.  Sculptural detail was then added to the centre of the flower prior to baking.  I was pleased with the result, despite following a tutorial I ended up with a pendant that looked quite different and very ‘me’.  After baking I applied a shiny glaze.

This ‘fantasy flower’ pendant is for sale in my shop, Bead Tree.

:: Wirewrapping a gemstone pendant tutorial ::

Skill level: intermediate.

Supplies needed

20 gauge (0.8 mm diameter) silver- or gold-plated wire (I don’t recommend using sterling silver or gold if you are new to wirework as there may be quite a bit of wastage)

24 gauge (0.6 mm diameter) silver- or gold-plated wire

Gemstone to wrap

Flat nose pliers (nylon jaw pliers are useful if you have them as they will help prevent you from marking the wire)

Round nose pliers

Wire cutters (I like to use end cutters)

Masking tape

Scissors

Pen and ruler

Step 1

First of all you need to select the gemstone or cabachon that you are going to wrap.

The example used here is fluorite and the dimensions are approximately 40 mm x 30 mm. This particular stone has quite an unusual shape but a traditional oval cabachon would work just as well.

I recommend starting with a fairly large gemstone as it will be easier to manipulate.

Step 2

Wrap a piece of masking tape around the outside edge of your stone overlapping the ends so the border of the gemstone is entirely covered.

 Step 3

Take your scissors and carefully cut through the tape, peel it away from the cabachon and stick it to your work surface.

At this stage that you decide where you are going to place your wire wraps. For this type of wirewrapping one wrap at the base and one on either side of the gemstone looks good.

With your ruler measure the midway point on your piece of masking tape and mark it in with your pen. The other 2 wraps should be placed equidistant from the centre as marked and the ends of the masking tape. Please see the picture to the left for clarification.

Step 4

You are now ready to cut the 2 pieces of 20 gauge wire that form the main framework of the wirewrap.

Cut them at least twice as long as the masking tape to give yourself plenty of clearance. If you cut them too short they will be difficult to work with.

Lie them side by side, straightening them out if necessary and use your masking tape to tape them together at either end. This acts like another pair of hands holding the wire firmly for you.

Step 5

    

Cut a 10 cm piece of 24 gauge wire and use your flat nose pliers to make a little hook at the end. You will use this hook to start off your wirewrap.  Approximate the centre of your taped wires and place the hook over both of them using your flat nose pliers to secure it. Then using the edge of your pliers as a brace wrap the wire around 4 times. Flatten it with your pliers to make a neat finish and to ‘work harden’ the wrap.

Step 6

Now that we have the first wrap firmly in place we can use the marks on our masking tape as a guide to work out the placement of the other 2 wraps. Line up the wrap you have already made with the centre mark on the masking tape. Take a short piece of masking tape and wrap it around the wires butting it up to the righthand side of the mark you have made on the right of the tape. Do the same on the lefthand side only line up the tape on the left of the mark as in the photograph.

Step 7

Carefully create your wirewraps butting them up to the positions you have just marked ith the masking tape.

Ensure that the ends of the wire are all on the same side - this will be the inside of the wire framework.

Step 8

You can now remove all masking tape from your wires.

Slide a flat object in between the wires in the spaces created by the wraps and then use your fingers to prise them open as in the photograph.

Step 9

Once the 2 centre sections are open then spread the wires at either end to an approximately 75 degree angle.

Step 10

The next stage is to begin shaping the framework. Curve the wire round by hand until it roughly fits the cabachon.

Step 11

We can now check the framework for size by holding it around the gemstone as in the photograph. Whilst you have it in this position mark the central point at which the wires cross at the top - this is where we shall bend the wire to create the hanging loop.

Step 12

This photograph illustrates the bending of the wire referred to in the previous step.

This is achieved by using flat nose pliers and your penmark as a guide once the cabachon has been released from the framework .

Step 13

Place the gemstone back into the framework and gather 3 of the wires tightly binding them with masking tape. (You can use crimping pliers to hold the wires if you so wish. As some readers may not have these specialist pliers I am using the masking tape method in my example. )

Take the remaining wire and firmly wrap it around the taped wires close to the cabachon. At this stage only wind it round enough to hold the framework together firmly.

Step 14

Leave the wire you have just used for wrapping where it is, remove the masking tape and bend 2 of the previously taped wires out at 90 degree angles. The last wire sticking up is going to be used to create the hanging loop.

Simply use your round nose pliers to make a straightforward wrapped loop. Continue wrapping with the wire until it meets the wrap at the top of the gemstone and trim neatly with your wire cutters. Ensure the end of the wire is pinched in so as to hold the loop tightly.

Step 15

Take the shortest end of wire and if necessary wrap again around the wires gathered at the top of the cabachon. Following this use your round nose pliers to create a coil which can be positioned to hide the base of the wrapped loop as in the photograph.

Step 16

Create 2 further coils with the remaining wires and position them however you wish.

Step 17

To ensure that the framework holds the gemstone securely take your flat nose pliers to place bends in the wires wrapping the pendant itself on both the back and the front.

It is up to you what shape bend to make but a simple one is usually best. Please see my photograph to the left.

Step 18

If you want to keep your wirewrapped pendant simple it can be left at stage 17.

If you would like to add some embellishment as in my example cut a longish length of 20 gauge wire and wrap it a couple of times around the top of the cabachon taking it underneath the coils until you have one wire on each side of the pendant as illustrated in the photograph.

Step 19

Now is your chance to be truely inventive as you can shape the wire however you like. Have a play around as this part of the pendant is easy to remove and start over if you don’t like what you have done!

Step 20

I think this style of pendant looks rather nice hung simply on a piece of ribbon.

Congratulations on your wirewrapped pendant!

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