Brick stitch beaded beads

I've been doing really well at keeping up with my "resolution" to create or work on something creative every day.  Many days it's been knitting, but I have already done quite a number of little projects!  I'm getting into the groove of making something during the day/evening/late night and posting about it the next day.  I think that's going to work well for me.  If you're ever curious about what I've been working on, scroll down to the "labels" section over there on the right and click on "2014 projects" link.

I got a really nice comment on yesterday's post about the steel wire squares from my friend Michelle:

Those are great Traci. Of course, I'm going to comment on this because wire is dear to my heart, as you know. First, if you'd like me to harden and polish your squares in my new TUMBLER, just let me know. Next, the ''plastic box'' idea is great. Another couple of ideas would be, a jig, a bench block and square Wubber pliers. Lastly, I hope you forgive me for volunteering you to teach this project. lol

Ooh - a tumbler!  I think I would like these squares hardened and polished.  I'll bring those with me the next time I come over, Michelle!

She's right; a jig (like this one our friend Brenda designed), a bench block, or square Wubbers would have made the process easier.  If I were to do more with steel wire, I'd invest in those things, but I've found I'm happier with a needle, Fireline, and itty bitty beads.

She's also right that she's the one who volunteered me to teach the hands-on project at LBS in March.  I won't know if I forgive her or not until after the program is done.  It'll depend on how well the project goes.  :)

Speaking of that project, I have a few more brick stitch things to show you.  I was playing around with increases and decreases and different sized beads, and I came up with a quasi-beaded bead.  I stitched it to one of the steel frames, and I think it looks pretty cute.

Here's the front:

And here's the back:

It's not closed all the way.  It reminds me of those cookies that are folded over in the middle and have fruit peeking out at the top and bottom.

After this I played around with a slightly wider version and made an actual beaded bead:

This one has four of the gray drops instead of three.  It's too tight to go on a headpin, and beading wire barely goes through the end, so I'm going to make a slightly bigger one that should be more versatile.

Now I have to go back to writing my Quadrille tutorial.  I only have 2 days until the class!

Steel wire squares

When I showed you my brick stitch pendant a few days ago I mentioned that I'm going to lead a hands-on project for the Loose Bead Society in March.  I'm still experimenting to come up with a project that is easy to understand and simple enough for a large group of people.

There are a number of examples on the 'Net of beading around a metal circle.  I thought maybe we could do something similar but bead inside a square instead of outside a circle.  I found a good square component on Fire Mountain Gems (you can see it here) but wanted to test if my ideas would work before placing an order.

I took out my steel wire tools and asked Steve to bring up his soldering tools, and we made some squares.

I bent the wire around a plastic box that was about the same width as the components I found on FMG:

I made a square the best I could then hammered the crap out of it:

Steve bent it back into shape and squared it up as best he could, then he soldered it together:

I assure you, he is not snorting up the solder smoke.

Here are the final squares:

I used two different gauges of wire.  Throughout this process I have decided (again) that I am not cut out for steel wire work.  My hands are not strong enough to work with it for long.

Now I have a way to test out my ideas.  I worked on it for a while last night but have nothing to show you yet.

First steel project

My friend and the President of the Loose Bead Society, Brenda Schweder, makes the most interesting jewelry.  Steel wire is the main component in quite a bit of what she does, and her projects have been featured in many magazine articles.  She even has written two books (so far)!  I have links at the bottom of my post to the books on Amazon so you can easily check them out.

Anyway, before I start sounding more like a Brenda commercial, I'd like to tell you about my first "foray into steel".  I took a class from her at the Bead&Button show to learn how to work with steel and to make a "Winterfrost Pod" necklace which mixes steel with Swarovski crystals.  Brenda's a Swarovski Ambassador on top of everything else!

The coolest thing about working with steel is that you get to use hammers and anvils and steel wool and all kinds of "guy" tools.  For the list of tools I asked Steve to help me, but even he didn't know what they all were.  I had enough of what I needed, once I purchased the most adorable little anvil, and was soon cutting and bending and hammering.

I gotta tell you... there is something quite freeing about flattening the wire with a hammer.  I don't really understand how it works, but once you flatten it with a hammer, it gets hard.  They call that "work hardening" the wire.  It's something to do with the atoms moving around.  I was surprised that the wire got HOT after hammering it.

Anyway, I was talking about the "freeing" feeling of hitting wire with a hammer.  I found myself laughing and really enjoying myself.  I picture my hair being blown back by a huge wind and me being Thor, smiting my foes with my enormous hammer.  Okay, that's a bit of a stretch (I was using a little ball peen hammer, and there was no wind), but there was an element of power there.

We couldn't finish the project in class, and I was itching to finish it up.  All of the steel had been cut and bent and hammered, but I needed to clean it, wax it, and finish assembly.  I wouldn't let myself do it until I finished that green necklace I posted about a few days ago.  With that project done, I was free to work on this one!

Here's an overall shot of the necklace:

And here's one of me wearing it (I really need to start making bracelets so I don't have to take so many pictures of myself!):

This necklace could be a bit longer around the neck, too, but then I'd have to have a very low neckline to show all of the dangly bits.  I think this is fine, and I gotta say (ok... Mom and Mama - don't read the rest of this paragraph!) that I feel a teeny bit sexy with it on... plunging neckline, steel that I worked with my own hands, dangly bits all the way down...  Whew!  :::fanning myself:::

Ahem.  I'm back now.  So sorry.  :)  Making this necklace was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to making a bracelet to go with it, and maybe even another necklace.

The instructions for how to make this necklace start on page 52 of the "Wirework 2010" magazine and can be found on here on the Art Jewelry Magazine website for only $7.95!  There are chain mail projects, ways to form earring wires, projects with chain, and much more.  I haven't done much with wire, so I'll have to try some of the other projects in this magazine!

I know I'm back to sounding like a commercial, but don't forget to check out Brenda's books!