October at the Beach and a Sea Glass Wire Tutorial

by Staci L. Smith

Every fall the hubs and I get away for weekend, to make our way to LBI NJ for a weekend away from the kids.  We go to Chowderfest, and I used to a sea glass festival there too.  However, I have since let the show go to spend the time with the hubs.  Well this year, a Nor -Easter with flooding canceled Chowderfest and plagued the island with HIGH winds and flooding.  We had rented a house, and decided to go anyhow.  It was fun and he and I enjoyed watching the ocean rage and being rained in.  It was sort of peaceful (except for the ever present wind howling).

(here is a video of the winds and sea, turn down the volume, its howling)

Because of the weather, we decided to go the next weekend as well and take the kids (this is the life of two self employed individuals- we can't plan anything and do last minute stuff all the time).  The weather was calling to be wonderful and we didn't do a week vacation this year, only a couple day trips to the beach.  Now, I love the beach.  To say my kids also love the beach is an understatement. 

(same beach a week later, huge difference, right?)

 I am so thrilled that they share of our love of beach combing, and just relaxing in the beauty of the shore.  We have come to love that little island, and October is my favorite month to go.  The beach is cooler, but the water is still warm.  NO crowds on the beach, and people are there fishing with cars on the beach, walking dogs or sitting with coolers of beer and watching the waves.  The entire vibe is different and everything slows down.

We had two days with the kids and it was wonderful.  Saturday we hit one end of the island, Holgate (both ends of the island are the BEST for beach combing you know!)  While beach combing with the family, I loved seeing the different things they each though of as treasure.  My youngest son, he finds the odd things- knife handles, pieces of old tools, plastic army men..........and each one holds some sort of story to him.  For instance, he found some sort of crank handle and swore it was part of a harpoon.  How could we tell him it wasn't !  (they made swords to play with from old fence and grasses)

My sweet daughter has a bleeding heart for all the broken shells.  Ever since she was a toddler, her beach pile contained all the broken ones.  I think she is sad no one loves them and so she takes them home with her.  

(art on the beach with her broken shells- it spells "sea")

My eldest, he looks for fossils, sea glass and stones.  He is constant competition with me for the most or best sea glass!!!!
  

(he got the "find of the day" award for this old bottle neck)

(this beach was pure beachcombing joy and we found lots of amazing treasures here)
Below is just some of the loot we scored from the beach at the other end of the island- Barnagat Light-  this weekend.

(horse jaw?)

As we all walked the beach, shrieking for joy at the odd things we found, I looked around, and thought- man these guys are my heart, and this place holds it.  

:sigh: ok, enough sappy stuff (they grow so fast, I am really feeling it these days).  All this beach combing, and visiting the sea glass festival got me to thinking about sea glass again.  So, I want to share with you a short wire wrapping tutorial on sea glass.  I have seen A LOT of them out there, and so many have you wrap it real fancy or pretty, but if you pull on it, your sea glass will fall right out.  And take it from a fellow beachcomber, losing a dear found treasure is NOT what you want.
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Here is how I wrap.  Each piece is totally different, so, it will vary, but the concept is the same for all of them.

1.  I used 18g copper wire for this.  I like to use the thickest gauge I can manage without blocking out the sea glass.  18g is definitely my go to size.  I also chose a square piece of sea glass, because for me, they were the most challenging.  Since you have to capture each side so it can't move, it is a bit harder then with triangular pieces, with have points you can wrap the wire around to hold it tight.

2.  I always start with the bail, and there is  GOOD reason for that.  Make a wire wrapped loop and close it 

3.  Hold the bail where it will go, and bring the long wire down the center of the back

4.  Bring the wire back up the center to the bail, and wrap it tightly around once.  Make sure the wire is tight to the glass the entire time. 

5.  Now you need to capture the sides so the glass can't fall out.  First I go around a corner and then halfway down, pull the wire to the back of the sea glass.  Then holding it tight, I wrap it up and around the bail again.  Wrapping the wire around the bail each time secures that it can't move or shift, and you won't be able to pull it apart when you are done. 

6.  Now come from the back again, to the other side, so down to the bottom and then back up the back side, and wrap around the bail again.  If your wire feels tight, and the sea glass can't be moved within your cage, you are done.

7. Wrap around the bail again and tuck your end in.  File any sharp edges of the wire if needed.  this shows the back side 

8.  This shows the front

Here are some other samples of my wire wrapped sea glass.  You can see how each one is going to be very unique.

If you really want to have some fun, you can drill the sea glass and then use wire to attach them (as seen below)

I have a free sea glass drilling tutorial here

along with a video.  I will be adding some sea glass kits (drill bits and genuine sea glass pieces) to the shop next week if anyone is interested, check back then (here).

I leave you with one of my newest pieces, inspired by our trips this weekend with a piece of wrapped sea glass, an ammonite, fossil bones and other goodies!  It will be at the Crafts in the Meadow with me, for sale this weekend.

Have fun with your beach finds!  I know I do!!!!

Free Your Mind for Free form Wire Work

by Staci L. Smith

Since this months Boot Camp is all about wire and what you can do with it, I thought we'd talk a little bit about my history of crazy free form wire work.

 

I do not read instructions.  I do not follow rules.  Typical wire wrapping is Greek to me, and I never tried it because I hate to have to measure anything (yes, I am kinda lazy that way).  For me, the free form wire work comes very natural, so it all worked out.  However, I realize that it is not so for everyone.  Some people are very intimidated to just dive right in and play.  I will not lie, there is a learning curve, lots of unwrapping and re-wrapping or wrapping too much, until you can get that balance of function and design....but you can do it.

 

When I started- I basically learned so I could capture sea glass in wire.

 

 

Staci Louise Originals the early days.....lol

 

 

 

I never took a class to wrap stones or sea glass (obviously) so there was a lot of trial and error.  The most important thing to me at first was to learn to capture the glass securely, so it couldn't be pulled apart.  There is nothing worse then wrapping something up really nice and then it pulls apart off one side, and your sea glass falls out.

 

Then I learned to drill sea glass, so the wire wrapping was able to become more decorative and less functional.

 

 

(this was all sterling silver mind you, back when it was $8-$12 an oz!!!!)

 

 

 

Then I tried this style below, the loop with beads wrapped around the outside, and only made a couple....it just wasn't me

 

 

However, trying this allowed me to think about making a wire frame and attaching beads to it.  So, of course, I took this technique and ran with it- and made it bigger...................

 

my tide line design in sea glass

 

AND BIGGER...................

 

 

 

 

Then I added wire as charms and adornments to my beaded pieces

 

 

 

and that is about it. 

 

 

Free form wire work- just try it, and be bold and have fun!  You won't discover anything amazing if you don't try!

 

I hope seeing my early work has inspired you to just jump in and try.  And remember- post your progress, experiments and success's in our flickr group (for the current Boot Camp Only)! 

 

have fun!

A Picture Journey: Sea Glass Bezels

This is an older post from my personal blog, but I really wanted to share it with you all, here, on Love My Art Jewelry.  I re-wrote the post when I was making a second large batch of bezels for another sea glass festival.  Enjoy!
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What is, and has been on my bead table for three days, are bezels. I named them lilly pad bezels, due to the texture I gave them. I wanted to make a lot, so I would have enough bracelets and necklaces for the Lewes DE Coastal Arts Festival next weekend. Here they are, all 18 (there were 21, but three fell by the wayside, due to complications in the soldering stage.............)

I thought it may be fun to walk you through the journey I have taken the past three days, while making these. I like pictures, who doesn't like pictures, so come with me, on a bezel adventure.

First I select the sea glass and items that I want to bezel. Then I trace a larger outline on copper, cut it out, file and sand the edges.

Next, I match up the items with their copper counterpart, and trace them so I can add the texture to the outer portion of the bezel.

Three: texture added. I use the flat back side of my rivet hammer and slowly turn the copper as I hammer to acheive that sunburst pattern. I then make sure the hammer the entire piece flat so the bezel will lay flat.

Four: measure, cut and solder the bezels (the fine silver surround). This part I hate. This part has no pictures. Once they are measured, cut and soldered, I then sand the bottoms flat, and then solder them to the copper (using a butane torch and silver solder paste). This portion took me ALL DAY yesterday, about 8 hours!

Five: clean them and shine them up. After they are soldered, they go into the pickle pot. Once the tarnish is removed, I used my dremel to clean them up a bit. Then I matched them back up with their items to be bezeled.

Six: Place items inside bezels.Sometimes I glue mine. I know you shouldn't have to if the bezel is right, but it makes it easier when bezeling irregular shapes like sea glass. Once the glue dries, your item won't move around as you work your bezel.

Seven: secure the bezels. I like to use my wood dapping blocks as much as I can, because I tend to go off the bezel as I firm it up, and I don't want to scratch my sea glass!!! I only use my burnisher at the end.
PLEASE NOTE: This time around, I did the liver of sulphur at this stage, before tightening the bezels, that way I could clean up any that got under the sea glass.  The way I did it in the original tutorial is fine if your items are not transparent, but if some liver of sulphur gets under the bezel (and it probably will) it will show.

Eight: punch holes, file backside to remove any excess lip from hole punch

Nine: add texture with pliers- bending up and down. Then sand along back and side edges to smooth again and sand all along bezel

Ten: add patina to antique them. I use gel Liver of Sulphur and apply it with a q-tip (real high tech, right?) I do this because it gives me the most control. When you bezel items like sea glass, that are transparent, you don't want any of the L.O.S. to get under the stone, or you will have dark spots on it, and its ruined.

Eleven: I rub the LOS off with a dry paper towel. This really gives the copper and great brown color.

Twleve: I polish the silver bezel with a cloth to shine it up, so it contrasts the copper.

TA-Da!
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And here I am doing it again!  It is fun, and I do love it, and the finished product, so.........here is one of the necklaces that was born of this last bezel making session!

seaglass, Lisa Peter Art Cab, Maku Studio ammonite cab, silver, recycled sari silk

I used some of my silver this time around.  I miss it so much!!!!!!
Here are a couple more of the finished necklaces from my last batch, and I still have a bunch in reserve to play with.  It is worth it to work in batches!

I hope you found something you can take away from this.  Though its not an in depth tutorial, it does give you an overview of what is involved in bezeling stone. 

Any questions?