Sunday, April 28, 2013

It's a Wrap!



      Last Friday I took my first wire wrapping class.   Leslie Ready, who's a very talented artist and member of Grand Stitchers, taught the class.    Here's my first project:

 
 
    It was harder to do than I thought it would be.   We used 20 gauge square wire, cut into 3 pieces and "bundled" together.    The bundle was tied and wrapped around the cabochon.    The top ends were then wire wrapped and two of the pieces formed the bail.   The remaining 4 wires made the decorative swirls.    All of this sounds a lot easier than it was.  
 
       Before I got to make the fun swirls, the cabochon had to be secured.   Here's the back view:
 
 
       We started on the back side first so we could get the hang of it.   The top left should have been pulled out more.   It was secured really tight (which is a good thing), and that caused me some problems.   I scratched up the copper wire while trying to pull it out and over the back.  The coating on my tool began to come off.   Now I know to stop, re-do the coating, and wait for it to dry overnight.   A little patience would have made a big difference.   But I was so anxious to finish the project.   Like a kid who can't wait for the cookie to cool, I got burned.    Luckily this was just a practice piece, with copper rather than sterling wire.
 
    
  
The side view shows the middle wire wrapped around the cabochon.
 
   I really like the way the copper looks on the Red Creek jasper pendant.   I have a lot of jasper, although all of them have pre-drilled holes, like this one.    I'm going to ask Leslie if there's a way to deal with the pre-drilled issue.   Otherwise I might be "forced" to buy more jasper.   LOL         
    In the meantime, I've re-coated my tools.   They dried over night, so I'm ready to do another wrap.  As they say, practice makes perfect!

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