Tutorial Tuesday - TUBULAR! By Karen McGovern

I learnt sumthin' NEW! Don't you love that feeling when you master a technique you've been too chicken to actually try before???  That happened to me last week.  I've always loved the look of cross-pined jewelry designs, and have wanted to learn this technique FOREVER.  I have tried before--but never seriously and always with DISASTROUS results.  Burnt metal, ruined designs, etc. etc. etc. So I just gave up on it.

I have also loved designs using bent tubes as focals, bracelets, beads, etc. Again, never really thought I could do it myself given the limited tools I use (micro torch exclusively). I always figured this was beyond my skill set....NOT ANYMORE!! I'm going to describe what I learned here, not in step-by-step form, but more conversational. I didn't take step-by-step photos while I was working....so if you have a question, ASK IN THE COMMENTS SECTION and I'll get back to you--promise.

Last week I was digging around under my bench (also known as the Sucking Back Hole of all Small Findings and Tools) and I found this:

I completely forgot I had it. Purchased at Home Depot forever ago in a moment of, "Hey, I bet I could do something with that...".  At the same time I had just received a nice box from Rio Grande full of different gauge sterling silver wire (I splurged...sigh). Sitting with the copper tube in my lap and the wire in the box I decided to TEACH MYSELF CROSS-PINNING AND TUBE BENDING, DAMMIT! BTW, this copper tubing is found with refrigerator repair stuff....just ask the guy/gal wearing an orange apron....

Ganoksin is a wonderful resource for all things jewelry related. Tons of videos, tutorials, tips and so much more.  Their Facebook page is a rabbit hole of inspiration! They had a video on tube bending that I watched with one eye, learning just enough to run back out to the studio to give it a try.  The key is ANNEALING the metal really, really well. That is where I always figured I would fail because I only use a hand held micro torch--a Jumbo Max Flame to be exact. I went for it anyway. In my first attempt I wanted to make a bracelet that would be half tube, half gems. I figured I'd need around 4 inches of finished tube for the design. Copper, as we all know, is a nice, soft metal so I figured I could handle working with this in tube form. You need to cut more tube than you will need in order to get a nice bend with no crimps.  I lot more. I cut over 8 inches of tube using my handy-dandy pipe cutter from Home Depot.  Cut the pipe like butter in a few rotations. Then I laid the pipe out (it was already a bit curved from the way it was packaged so--bonus) on a solder block and went at it with my torch till it glowed red. It heated nicely, easily and faster than I thought it would. Probably helped that my garage studio was 94.5 degrees that day. Florida in the summer....yea? I CAREFULLY quenched the tube, then using my hands and a rubber mallet, centered it and shaped it around a bracelet mandrel to get the curve I wanted. Even fully annealed the metal was stiff, but totally manageable, and I got the curve I wanted no problem and NO KINKS.  You hang on to the ends of the tube then make the curve. The waste will be on either end of the centered curve. I made cut marks with a Sharpie, then back in the pipe cutter it went. VOILA! You can also use a jeweler's saw to cut the tube...whatever works for you.

After cleaning the ends and buffing with a polishing cloth to see what I had, I wanted to try to add cross-pins in sterling silver. I laid the tube on my steel bench block, marked where I wanted the pins then CAREFULLY cross drilled using my FlexShaft and a 1/16th drill bit. NOTE: Do your very, very best to drill straight through the tube so your pins end up nice and even. A drill press would be awesome here, but I don't have one. I then cleaned the holes with a needle file and was ready to add the silver. I used 18 gauge sterling silver wire. I drilled six holes, so I cut six 4 inch lengths and balled one end on each piece using the micro torch. I placed the tube in the jaws of a third hand, inserted the wires so the CUT ends dangled below, then trimmed to what I thought would be the appropriate length to allow for a nice ball to form close to the tube. This is a tricky bit--you may end up having to cut more wire and trying a couple times here. If the wire is too long the ball of sterling will drip right off the wire when it gets too big, and if the wire is too short, you won't get a ball to form at all. Anyway, when you have the right length, simply direct the flame of the torch to the tip of the wire and as the ball forms follow it up to the tube. I ended up cutting 9 wires--2 failures in the seven.  NOT BAD FOR A FIRST TIME!!! Wire gauge is, of course, a big factor here. The finer the wire the easier it will ball in the flame of a torch. BUT THE TAKE AWAY MESSAGE IS THAT IT WORKED!!! CAREFULLY remove from the third hand (HOTHOTHOT) and quench, then into the pickle pot it went.

I cleaned, polished and oxidized the tube with liver of sulfur, then sprayed it with ProtectaClear. I love this look! 

Here it is. I also soldered a dot of sterling to the very center for accent.

Since then I took the bend further and  made a standard 8 inch bangle (will definitely make more) and a 6 inch focal for a neck piece. I see cuffs, more bangles/bracelets and many more necklaces in the future....

I made another necklace...these make lovely sets, don't you think???

I'm so glad I got over my fear and gave this a try. There are so many sources for information and inspiration online--there really is no reason not to try new stuff, right??? As long as you have the equipment and the desire, I say GO FOR IT. You will be surprised--I promise.

Now, GO MAKE SOMETHING AMAZING!

Mixing it Up

by Staci Louise Smith

I don't know if I qualify as a mixed media artist or not, but I do like to mix it up.  I use quite a variety of materials in my jewelry.  

I really love fabrics, though I don't sew all that much.  I also enjoy when I can re-purpose something.

A few years ago I made these really fun recycled leather cuffs.  

This was one of my very first ones.  Soon after this I started to add fabric behind them, and use my own etched copper pieces as well.

  

They sold really well for me.  They were comfortable, fun, and adjustable.  After one whole season of making them, I was burnt out.  I have a sort of love / hate relationship with my sewing machine.  

They also take a lot of little steps to make.  

This year though, I have been struggling with bracelet designs, and so, I pulled out my bin of leather and dug into my fabric and silk scraps, and once again, I am making a batch of recycled leather cuffs.  Mixing it up!

I have only gotten this far.............................

They are sewed for the first time.  Now I need to rivet them and sew the two sides together.  Then, they get made into a finished bracelet by adding grommets, chain and clasps. 
(I am so happy when I get to use fabrics) 

The best part is...................
I am finally excited again about bracelets for my next show!  

Do you ever get burnt out on a design?

Have you ever revisited an old design down the road?

I know I find it fun to do that once in awhile, and I also find, they always change the next time around.

Playing With Plastic - By Karen McGovern

I love to play with unusual materials in my jewelry designs.  I was recently asked to show some images of works created with weird stuff and remembered some bangles I made using PVC pipe.  These were inspired by Robert Dancik, the inventor of Faux Bone, which is really a version of PVC in sheet form.  FANTASTIC MATERIAL and I love using it.  In fact, I need to dig some out and make something...

 

 

Anyway, when I was first experimenting with Faux Bone, I came across some large PVC pipe leftovers on my husband's work bench.  "Hmm", I thought. "These bits of pipe ALMOST fit over my wrist JUST LIKE A BANGLE!"  Ding-Ding-Ding!  We have a winner!  Turns out that you can get short lengths of schedule 40 PVC pipe that with a bit of work can be turned into a standard 8 inch bangle.  WHO KNEW? 

 

So, I pounced on the pipe and got to work.  First, find the largest PVC pipe sold at Home Depot, Lowes, whatever.  Should be almost big enough for a bangle.  I simply marked around the pipe with a Sharpie the width I wanted the bangle to be (about an inch), then sawed it with a jewelers saw.  I filed and aged the PVC to look like old bone by burning the edges with my micro torch (well ventilated area, people, PVC gives off fumes when you burn it).  Then I cut the pipe open, heated it with a heat gun to soften, and slid it on my bracelet mandrel to stretch it to the 8-inch size.  Then I drilled the ends and filled the gap with a riveted band of copper, silver, brass, aluminum, whatever, embelished with beads, discs, etc.  I also used an Xacto knife to slice and score the PVC, then used SHOE POLISH (you heard me) rubbed into the marks to accent it further and make it look like old, beat up bone.  Buff if you want and VIOLA!  You have a super-cool, unusual bangle created from an unexpected material!

 

  

What weird stuff do you play with in jewelry designs?  PLEASE SHARE!!!

loving the ripples

mary jane dodd

i was invited to teach at our county teen arts festival this week... almost 2000 kids come through over the course of 2 days... this photo is from my first workshop (there were 3 a day - 45 minutes each with 15 minutes in between... riiiight)... 

see how neat and orderly everything is? it's like when you have your first child... and just like having your first, they are the only group i got pictures of... 

because after that, all bets were off!  

i thought it would be sensible to limit the class sizes to 15... 

that was sensible... 

but it didn't happen! 

really, how do you turn away the kid who wants to learn but didn't get to sign up because she was being critiqued?!  except it wasn't just one child... 

i taught about 120 kids... 

at the end of the first day, i was cleaned out of the materials i had purchased for 2 days... 

i wanted to show them something they could do, they could afford and that might keep them experimenting... something they could teach their friends... 

we made wrapped beaded bracelets... i taught them a weaving technique and they were excited... (and i was excited that they were excited because i was worried that no one would sign up... i even brought a book with me just in case...)

it was an incredible experience and i want to thank sandy at the monmouth county arts council for the opportunity... i would love to do it again... 

the kids were wonderful and, as always, helped me to hone my skills and kept me learning... i thank them sincerely... 

if this sounds like something you might want to do, join your local arts council... you never know what kind of opportunities might present themselves!

and on a more serious note, i would like to mention the loss of one of our own from this blogging community - judy glende... a beautiful, caring creative who no longer suffers but will be terribly missed...)