I was so inspired I went around the house looking for other gadgets to experiment with. A remote for a fan and an iPod nano (2nd generation) also became mandrels as you can see from my trial frames above using 20G colored copper wire. The iPod makes small enough frames for earrings.
Here are some additional pointers :
Make sure you are using completely smooth wire. Any preexisting kinks are harder to remove after you form the frame. Nylon jawed pliers are indispensable.
If you are using a cell phone, avoid the buttons (if any) at the side of the phone. Also press the wire against the cell phone body and mold it around the four corners to set them.
Rather than twisting the wires together at the top like he did, you could make one of the wires perpendicular at the midway point using your chain nose pliers.
Then make a horizontal "hook" with the other wire so you can link them both together before doing a wrapped loop. This is a fine silver frame (99% silver) on the left. If you look at the middle gold tone frame in the first picture, you'll notice I moved the top wires closer together so the frame is no longer rectangular.
Once you have your frames, you are ready for some wire wrapping fun. I used the cell phone frame to make this Tree of Life variation (check my past tutorial post on Tree of Life pendant for further details).
But my favorite has to be this fancy jasper pea pod pendant because it was made with the iPod!! Get it?
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What a great idea...love your Tree of Life Pearl!!!
Got it... regarding the "pea pod pendant"... :0)
Love your wire work...you inspire me to want to be better!!!!!!! Cheers PS the following post link isn't working for me??? Hila Rawet Karni's Masterful Paper Jewelry
That idea is great! But as the owner of a very old cell phone (frames made with that would be big enough for a swing for my parrot ;-)) I have to wander around the house, too. Thanks for sharing! Love that tree of life and the pea pod (yeah, got it!).
My name is really Pearl hence I am the Beading Gem. I am a Canadian jewelry artisan and beading instructor with serious bead and blogging addictions. Read more.....
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8 comments:
I hope you had a wonderful holiday Pearl!
I LOVE this idea! Even being sick I'm inspired to shop my house for unique things to use as a mandrel. Thanks for sharing!
-Stephanie
Do get better soon Stephanie! You are a jewelry geek if you got out of your sick bed to look for likely mandrels!
What a great idea...love your Tree of Life Pearl!!!
Got it... regarding the "pea pod pendant"... :0)
Love your wire work...you inspire me to want to be better!!!!!!!
Cheers
PS the following post link isn't working for me???
Hila Rawet Karni's Masterful Paper Jewelry
There was a glitch with that blog post. It will be reposted soon.
I truly like this idea! Thanks for sharing it,and you're pea pod a Tree of Life are really good.
That idea is great! But as the owner of a very old cell phone (frames made with that would be big enough for a swing for my parrot ;-)) I have to wander around the house, too. Thanks for sharing! Love that tree of life and the pea pod (yeah, got it!).
You have a parrot? That's different!
It's not just gadgets but all sorts of things in everyone's homes which can be used as a mandrel. Just look around and see.
WOW!! Love your ideas!! I 'shop" at my husbands tool bench! He hates it because he's always missing tools that i take to use as interesting mandrels!!
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