The “French Wires” or “Fish Hooks”, are often names given to this type of earring wire.  They only require a few inches of wire and a limited amount of jewelry making tools to complete.

The materials needed to complete this project are 3 ½” of the wire of your choice.  You will need round-nosed pliers, wire cutting tools, and a jeweler’s file.  Round-nosed pliers are a great tool for making a small loop in your wire.

The first step in this process is to cut your wire evenly in half.  It is recommended you file the ends to ensure their smoothness.  This may only be necessary on the cut ends and will give your piece a more professional appearance.

Next you will need to grasp your wire on one end.  Begin wrapping the end around the small part of your round-nosed pliers.  The object at this time is to make a small loop on the end.  Do one piece at a time.  Compare the wires to each other to make sure they are uniformly created.

Now hold both wires together at the same time and in the same spot.  With the thickest part of your round-nosed pliers, approximately ¼ “ past the loops just made, grab both wires.  Use your fingers now to make a bend in the wires 180 degrees around the pliers.  It is crucial they both look the same.  Make sure you compare the wires before moving on to the each step.

The next step will be a slight bend and will help the wires look more rounded.  Again, you will do this part with both wires at the same time.  Place the larger part of the round-nosed pliers ¼” from the curl.  The nose of the pliers should point up to the ceiling and the curl in the wire should be horizontal to you.  Very carefully squeeze the curl part and the flat part toward each other, making a slight bend.  This will be about a 5 degrees bend.

Once this is complete, hold the wires next to each other and make sure they are still looking the same.  To finish the wires place at the middle point of the round-nosed pliers, approximately ¼ “ from the ends.  Slightly bend the ends at the same time. This bend will be about 25 degrees.

Your piece is now ready to add your beads and accessories to.  As you can see, the basic earring hooks are easy to make.   You may find even if you do not always make your own, it may come in handy knowing how to do it yourself.  You just never know when time constraints and lack of materials may warrant the need

for you to do it yourself! 

Amy

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

www.picturetrail.com/photos/aressa

The beginning basic components of most earrings are the part that hooks into the ear and a headpin, which is used to string your beads on.  Many refer these pieces as “findings”.

You can easily locate earring findings that are already manufactured.  They are often sold at your local craft stores and of course online.  The come in a variety of metals ranging from silver and gold plated to fine silver and gold.  It is a matter of preference and affordability.

You may also decide to make your own findings for your handcrafted earrings.  Earrings are easy to make on your own.  You may find yourself in a crunch and needing to make your own finds due to time constraints.  If you learn how to do this it could keep you from having to make a special trip to the store or place a special online order and delay the completion of your piece. 

You can cut the cost of your supplies by buying bulk precious metal wire.  It can end up being less costly to purchase it in this manner.  This is a great way to keep your costs down and not have to pass extra fees on to your customers.  This is an important factor in making a larger profit, for those of us in business.

The jewelry business is very competitive.  To stay alive in this field you must produce quality work.  Creating unique pieces is another good way to attract customers to your product.  This also may allow you to charge more for your pieces, since your buyer knows they are not going to be able to find it at the next stop!

Learning how to create your own earring findings will also allow your creative side to emerge.  You will have the knowledge and flexibility will producing your designs. This is also a great way to achieve a since of accomplishment.

There are a variety of wire choices on the market.  Not only do you have to choose the type of metal, but the gauge that works best for your project.  It is popular today to even mix the metal types using different colors together and different gauges.  This adds more interest to your piece.  It is recommended to use 21 gauge half-hard and soft round sterling wire.   The 21 gauge fits well in the hole of pierced earring wearers, while being able to support the additional pieces strung on the wire.  20 to 22-gauge wire is also a good type to use for earrings. 

So, I would suggest you start collecting your wire and preparing yourself to learn how to Make wire earrings.  My next article will focus on a basic earring wire instruction.  Stay tuned for future articles.

Amy

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

614-530-0219

Certainly, you may wear the jewelry you feel most comfortable with.   Just like fashion statements when choosing your clothing, there are some suggestions you might consider when choosing your jewelry.   There are some general rules to follow that will assist you while selecting jewelry that is right for you.

Take a look at your bone structure and your height.  If you are Petite, or under 5’4” your best length for necklaces would be no shorter than your collar and could go even longer. To make your appearance seem to be taller, you should consider V-shape necklaces that are below your breast, but above your waste.

For a petite person, narrower bracelets are more appealing.  Instead of one wider bracelet wear a few smaller ones together that compliment each other.  Bangle bracelets will look nice also.  Stay away from the wider bracelets.

The earrings worn by a petite woman should encourage the eyes to look upward.  This is especially helpful for the fuller figured petite woman.  This helps take the focus off of her body weight and focus more on her face.  Look for more geometric designs.  This will look the best on you if you fall into this category.

What is your facial shape?  There are four shapes to consider.  The shapes are oval, round, heart, and rectangular.  The best way to determine your shape is took look at your face with your hair pulled back.  What do you think it resembles?  If you are having a hard time you could even draw on the mirror the outline of your face.  This might be an easier way to determine where you fit in.

If you have the oval shape, you are considered to have the perfect shape.  Lucky you! ou can wear any style of necklace and it all looks great on you.  The earrings that you wear well, are triangular in shape.  You can pull off wearing other styles, be careful that your dangles are not too long. 

The hairstyle that would best suit a woman with an oval face would be pulled back or actually in an updo hairstyle.  If you choose to wear you hair longer, why not go for a to the shoulders look with either a middle or a to the side part? 

Stay tuned for more on this subject matter in my next article.  The next size I will cover is the Average, which will cover people who fit in the range from 5’4” to 5’7”, and the round face shape.  I hope this helps you whiling making the important choices you have to make while selecting a piece of jewelry.  It is important that you pick pieces that you will wear for many years to come, and that make you feel beautiful each day!

Amy

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

www.picturetrail.com/photos/aressa

614-530-0219

When you choose a project one of the most important decisions to make is what size of wire you are going to use for that particular project.  You will also need to decide what hardness of wire will work best.  There are mainly three types of hardness to choose from.  Which type is selected is primarily based on what part of the piece it will be used on, such as the clasp, connector, or jump ring.  You may find the need to use a mixture of hardness in the same piece of jewelry.  Thus, it is crucial to understand the differences and how each type works best.

The hardness of the wire will be related to silver or gold-filled wire.  Once you have gained experience, more than likely you will move on to wires that fall in this category. You now will need to select the wire that best fits your needs by size, type, and hardness. The three degrees of hardness are dead soft, half-hard, and full-hard.

Part of the process of making wire includes the wire being pulled through a tool the diameter of the wire.  The more times it is pulled, the harder it will be.  Being familiar with the use for each type is important to the jewelry artist.

The first type of hardness is called Dead Soft.  This type of wire is easy to work with because it is soft.  It is also easy to locate.  Jewelry artists who work on wire sculptures normally work with this type of wire. 

The next type of hardness is Half-Hard.  This wire is harder than dead-soft.  It is strong yet it is still easy to bend into desired shapes.  This type of wire is used for many purposes including earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.  It can add an extra interest to any piece.

The final type of hardness is Full-Hard.  This type of wire is used by jewelry artists who do not want to solder pieces together.  They hold their shape nicely when wrapped.  This eliminates the need to be soldered.

There are many qualities to think about when selecting the type of wire to use.   Another one to remember is the shape of the wire.  You will see a variety of shapes including round, half round, and square.  It is very easy to create a different look of your jewelry just by merely changing the wire you use.  Before proceeding with a substitution of your wire type, make sure you consider what part it will play in your new piece of jewelry.

Amy

The Painted House and More

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

www.picturetrail.com/photos/aressa

614-530-0219

There are a variety of types of wire available for use by the jewelry artist.  It depends on the type of project you are working on.  After practicing with the different types, you might also develop a preference for a specific type of wire over another.  This is an option only if your project does not require a specific type.

If you are a person who likes to wear gold or want to give this option to your customers, gold-filled would be a wonderful choice.  This type of wire is only plated on one layer. Gold-filled is many layers of gold.

If you feel ready to step up to a more expensive wire, than gold would be a good choice. This is not recommended unless you have practiced and are feeling sure of yourself. There are various karats to choose from.  The karat range is from 10 to 24.  There are other colors to select also.  Other examples types of gold are rose and white gold.  It is a matter of preference.

There are many companies that sell the last type of wire.  These are fun to work with and are lower in cost.  You can find coated wire easily on the Internet and many craft stores. The main consideration when working with this wire is to be careful not to damage the coating. 

A great tool to use when you work with coated wire is the nylon-nose plier.  Another option would be to cover your regular pliers with a cloth.  This too can help eliminate damage to your wire.  Do not let this concern keep you from trying to work with this type of wire.  You will find there are a variety of colors to choose from to create festive and beautiful pieces of jewelry.  Working with this type of wire can be fun for many ages. There is no limited to what you can make with it.  Jump in and have fun!

Amy

The Painted House and More

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

www.picturetrail.com/photos/aressa

614-530-0219

Practicing is the key to becoming familiar with different types of wire.  The more you use them and try different types, the more you will learn the qualities of each type.  This will Also allow you to gain knowledge of which type works best for different projects.

The first type of wire is copper.  This is a great choice to practice with. It is easy to find, especially at hardware stores and is affordable.  It also looks great with earth tone beads.

Galvanized is also a good type to practice with.  It is a dull silver color.  You often are able to find it also at your local hardware store. 

Sterling silver, which by the way is one of my favorites, is 92.50 percent pure silver.  The word sterling is what indicates the amount of silver there is.  The other part is a mixture of metal alloys.  This part of the make up is what adds strength to the wire.  Sterling makes beautiful jewelry, however it does tarnish.

Fine silver is almost 100 percent pure silver.  The actual percentage is 99.9.  Since fine silver does not have as many alloys a sterling it is softer.  The lack of alloys allows pieces made with fine silver to tarnish slower.

Keep in mind once you get in to the sterling silver and fine silver the cost goes up.  Make sure you practice until you are comfortable working with wire before moving up.  It is definitely less costly to make mistakes on the copper or galvanized wire.

Amy

The Painted House and More

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

www.picturetrail.com/photos/aressa

Beginning to work with wire to make jewelry designs requires practice and patience.  The most affordable wire to practice with is 18- gauge copper wire.  This type of wire is easy to find at hardware stores and often can be found at craft stores too.  Once you have practiced enough to feel comfortable with your design, there are a variety of wires to choose from.

There are many qualities of wire to consider when you are making your wire selection.  Part of your decision will be based on the project you have chosen.  You will need to know the size, type, hardness, color or metal type, and shape of wire needed.

The size of a wire is based on the diameter.   In the United States the size of the wire is referred to a gauge.  The smaller the gauge number is, the thicker the wire.

To determine the wire needed for a project depends on what it will be used for.  If you are using the wire to make jump rings they will warrant using a thicker wire, as opposed to earring wires.  They will need to be made with a smaller wire in order to comfortably fit through the ear lobe.  Fixed gauge copper is softer than silver, and silver is softer than gold.

There is so much to consider when you begin to make your beautiful wire jewelry pieces. The best way to begin is to buy your practice wire and jump in.  The most important part is to have fun while you are creating your masterpiece!

Amy

The Painted House and More

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

614-530-0219

Gemstones have been around for years and have influenced societies throughout the world.  It is believed by some that gemstones are connected to the life energy that is around us.  This energy force can be found in animals, plants, rocks, and minerals.  The energy from the stones have been used to try to bring balance to other’s lives.  They have not just been used for their beauty, but have been used for religious and sacred rituals.

It is known that the powers of gemstones have been used to run familiar items that we

use daily such as batteries, televisions, and watches.  Crystals are able to use and store

electromagnetic energy and light. 

There is evidence that gemstones have been used for many years for their healing and therapeutic properties.  Many great scholars have written about such events.  Current day uses can be found in the practices of holistic medicine.

Gemstones are composed of the same minerals as our bodies and the nutrients we eat that come from the earth.  The energy can be transformed through the electromagnetic field from the gemstone to the body.  This is thought to aid in removing disease from the body and creating balance.

There are many different types of gemstones and they vary in their healing strength.  They also come in many different colors and shapes.  Their influences on the body are different.

The use of gemstones in the healing process is a growing area.  They are thought to aid treating the person as a whole, physically, mentally, and socially.  These stones are considered to play a very important role in this type of treatment.

Many do not believe in the energy that a gemstone has and the role it can play on our health.  Often it is only by looking back that one can see the positive effect it had on them.  Consider the needs of your customer when you are making a suggestion on the type of stone that best fits their needs, and not just the need to accessorize their wardrobe.

This article is being written for entertainment purposes and to bring to light the belief that some have regarding gemstones.  I am still trying to decide how I feel as I continue to research this topic.  Although I am not completely sold on the idea, I have considered making different pieces for people in my life and encouraging them to wear it.  This would be an attempt to make them more balanced and see if it really does make a difference.  It may just be a believing is seeing results.

Happy Holidays!

Amy

The Painted House and More

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

614-530-0219