Category Archives: Wire Work

Bracelets, Creativity, Wire Work

Fluency and Flexibility

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bracelet heart

    bracelet lab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bracelet purple green orange

       bracelet turq

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a previous post, I commented on FFOE and elaboration in particular. Today, I’m focused on FF, fluency and flexibility. Over coffee one day last week, my friend drew a bracelet that she has made saying I could try it. I think it is particularly nice that most wire workers don’t mind sharing information and designs and I truly thank my friend for the pictured bracelet idea that she calls “winding road”. Fluency obviously has to do with the production of many ideas while flexibility deals with the ability to think in different categories, from different angles, or to see things from a new perspective. I was fluent in making many bracelets of the same design. While simply adding different beads to exactly the same shape would NOT have required very flexible thinking, I was somewhat flexible by changing the basic shape and type of elaboration. Slight variation in the placement of the beads as well as the selection of the size of the beads is indicative of flexibility.

These bracelets can be made fairly quickly and although I see the “winding road” they also make me think of Cleopatra with one of these in gold above her elbow. It also makes me think of a serpent round the wrist. (I was careful to properly file the ends of these so that serpent doesn’t sting!)

The next plausible step with this bracelet will require originality. How can this idea be modified so that it leads to something new and different? I’ll have to leave that for another day.

Metal Work, Necklaces, Pendants, Techniques, Wire Work

Two Peas in a Pod

This is a phrase most of us have heard to describe things that are very similar. When I searched the origin of the simile, I realized that most of the time we don’t hear the complete phrase, “as alike as two peas in a pod,” meaning two identical items or people. Following is information about the origin of the phrase which dates back to the 16th century.

(Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/as-alike-as-two-peas-in-a-pod.html)

     . . . This simile, of course, derives from the fact that two peas from the same pod are virtually indistinguishable. The phrase, which is sometimes given as 'like as two peas', is quite old and versions of it date from the the 16th century. . . [the]use of 'pease' as the singular form was the norm in Tudor England. The word 'pea' came into use as the singular in the 17th century, with 'peas' as the plural. This avoided 'peases', which would have been somewhat of a mouthful. . . .

For over a year, I’ve been making a version of peas in a pod which should probably be referred to as pearls in a pod. pearl pod necklace on wire I’ve made these in various sizes from “baby peas” to the regular size shown here.

Several weeks ago, another designer who doesn’t do metal work requested that I make her a simpler and more realistic version of a plain pea pod. As I played with her order, I began creating various sizes of the newer pod using different metals including copper and brass both torched and not torched. Then I played with filling these pods with mixed metals or pearls. I also made baby pods in this newer shape and created earrings. Finally with too many pods on the work bench, I needed to do something with them. Having hung them on pearl strands, leather and neck wires, I kept thinking I should be more original. Yesterday, thinking again about the phrase and the number two, I tried mixing the pods. two pods I used one larger copper pod filled only with wire tendrils and one brass pod filled with pearls and silver. We might call this the ANTI peas in a pod since the pods are not at all alike. I will continue to play with this idea of “anti” and see what develops. I believe there are many other possibilities if I continue to work with this idea.

I wonder if there are there other phrases that might spawn ideas. Would the ANTI of them provide further inspiration? It’s food for thought? . . . yet I don’t even like peas!

Bracelets, Creativity, Metal Work, Necklaces, Philosophy, Wire Work

FFOE

The letters in the title do not stand for a secret society or club; rather, they represent the four major constructs of creative thinking: fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration. While the first three are needed to develop a solid and unique design, the latter, elaboration, is often shorted by highly creative individuals who are eager to move on quickly to the next great idea. The opposite can also be true if that creative is a perfectionist. The individual may find it difficult to move on because the piece is never just right.

Elaboration is the noun form of elaborate, which Webster (1995) defines as “planned or done with careful attention to numerous details or parts” . . . The application of the term elaboration to a discussion of creativity suggests that an idea  has been embellished, developed, polished, or enhanced. (Meador, Creative Thinking and Problem Solving in Young Learners, Libraries Unlimited/Teacher Ideas Press (Available at Amazon.com)

Elaboration requires scrutiny of the original idea and, just as a writer adds adjectives to a sentence to make it stronger, a jewelry designer may add more detail to the basic piece with stones or wire work.  In the picture examples, one photo shows elaboration of the original wave necklace that I started making a couple of years ago which is shown in the other photo. wave new neckThese look like very different necklaces and while one person may prefer the original, another may like the elaborated piece.

first wave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The point is not to make a judgment regarding which piece is the “best”, but rather to use elaboration to vary a piece so that a basic design gets plenty of mileage. I find it easier to elaborate upon an idea than to develop a totally new one.

While my definition of elaboration above written years ago is sound, I’m now using the elaboration step in creative thinking for a second purpose. It’s possible that a design can be overdone and have too much embellishment. I want to use the creative process to also determine if something should be removed or made smaller in a design. Creativity gurus would cringe at my use of the word for this, but we all know that sometimes “less is more”.

The final picture in this blog entry is of a basic bracelet. I worked through fluency, flexibility and originality to get to this point. Now, as I consider elaboration, I don’t know if it is better left alone or if it needs some detail. bracelet plain I’ll be playing with this design for a while. Currently, I believe the answer is YES and NO regarding detail. Some people will like the simplicity of the piece while others will find it uninteresting. Through elaboration, perhaps I can made something for both tastes.

Necklaces, Pendants, Wire Work

Housework

I paused this weekend at the grocery store to watch a cute little girl in the cleaning supplies isle with her mom. She looked to be about 5 years old and sported a black pony tail that swished when she moved. She happily picked up a feather duster and pretended to dust her surroundings. That’s when I wanted to tell her. “Housework Makes You Ugly!” Since I simply moved on, it could be another twenty or thirty years before she figures this out for herself.

Taking the statement to heart, I returned from the store and vowed not to get any uglier during the weekend. Since I wasn’t doing any housework, I had plenty of extra time to work on some designs. The pictures herein show some of the pieces I completed. orange neck The first couple of pictures show the same style armature which was also pictured in another blog. I added some dangles for balance on the one to the right.

blue neck

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue piece also has a bracelet and matching earrings (not pictured).

pearl neck

green neck 

The fourth piece, composed of copper, pearls and amethyst is a prototype of pieces to come. I’m still playing with how to get the swinging swirls to hang just right. Watch for these again.

I enjoyed the designing this weekend; however, today, is Monday and the housework is calling my name. When I made my case about it to my spouse and used actresses that are my age but have few wrinkles as evidence, he scoffed. He suggested that it wasn’t the fact that they aren’t doing housework, but rather the fact that they employed Botox.  Since my medical insurance won’t pay for Botox and I need to keep doing the housework, I’ll just have to make beautiful jewelry in my leisure moments and hope people look at it and not my face.

Bracelets, Creativity, Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Wire Work

Organic-Good or Bad?

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More than once in the past weeks, my pieces have been described as “organic”.  It reminds me of when I wrote an article for a gifted education periodical and the editor described it as “pithy”. I had to go look that one up and still wasn’t sure whether or not the term was complimentary.

When my work is described as organic, I usually just smile and agree with the comment, but perhaps it’s appropriate to examine this nomenclature more carefully.  sunstone2Synonyms for the term include the following: natural, whole, unrefined, untreated, crude and macrobiotic. Most of those do apply to the bracelet pictured on the right, but I’m not sure what to think about the term “crude”. I think I’ll just move on from that one.

The dictionary further elaborates that organic describes something that occurs or develops gradually and naturally, without being forced or contrived. This certainly describes the work on these pieces. I begin twisting the wire in hopes that something unique and palatable will arise. Sometimes it does; yet, more often it does not. I think the important part of the process is knowing what to keep and what to let go with the latter being the most difficult part. Since I know from years of teaching creativity thinking that sometimes great ideas fall upon the design floor, I’m often reluctant to let something go. Lately, however, I find this easier since I now have a “whatsit box”. I’ll bet those of you who design also have one of these. It’s that place where you throw things that didn’t seem to work. When you peer into it days later you say “What IS it?”

Organic also means “being made of parts that exist together in a seemingly natural relationship that makes for organized efficiency”. It is this definition that fits with my belief that the designs that are unique, but flow naturally together may, indeed, be the best. While I attempt to be fluent and flexible creating more than one idea before selecting the best, it is usually the one that is unique yet emerged the most naturally that gets the nod. Forcing the design to work usually brings unpleasant results. sunstone

Both pieces pictured herein are made of sunstone and carnelian from Magpie Gemstones. The schiller on the sunstone, which can’t be seen in these photos, is quite nice and really grabs attention. Are they organic? Is that a good thing? As long as I can leave out “crude” I’ll accept the comments.

Bracelets, Wire Work

Bracelet Mania

The past two days have proven productive. They have been the type of days when you have to grab a moment here and there to get in any design work; yet they were just right for bracelet production.

First, I took the heavy gauge recycled wire for a ride in the car. No, I wasn’t trying to show it a good time! I happened to be traveling with my spouse to a cattle meeting and seized the opportunity to bend a few armatures during the 30 minute ride. It was amazing how many I was able to produce when far away from the phone, fax and ranch animals. Some unusual turns appeared in these armatures as I looked out the car window to see blue bonnets and other sights. Later, I managed to hammer enough of the armatures to get a start on a couple of bracelets. turq bracelet

The following day, I took these to a store that also sells beads and the owner helped pick out what she wanted to see in the bracelet designs which she was going to market. Creatively charged, I hurried home and worked them out last evening. While I’ve seldom have the chance to let a customer help pick out stones for a bracelet, this proved to be great fun and the new set of eyes was invigorating.

bracelet coloraful

bracelet amethyst

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the bracelets pictures are 3-D and although a couple of these may be a bit “over the top”, they certainly will be attention grabbers. I hope they grab a customer! bracelet lab

I do believe in taking a leap once in a while and going over the design top. Later, another design will likely capture the best of that over the top design and the modified version can be a winner. In Torrance’s CPS (creative problem solving), this is the final thinking step referred to as “acceptance finding”. It is often the hardest one for highly creative individuals since it requires the refinement of an idea in order to make it palatable to others and, perhaps, useable or sellable, as well. As idea may be highly creative, but not appropriate for the intended use. However, if you never allow yourself to think beyond the “appropriate”, you may miss some of your best ideas. So, for those of you who need help in that department . . . may I suggest taking YOUR wire for a ride?

Necklaces, Wire Work

Fluttering By

Where are the butterflies? It’s Spring; my nose itches from the pollen that is everywhere; the redbud tree outside our widow is blooming; so, I’m thinking butterflies. I haven’t seen any. I read that the Monarch butterflies in particular don’t migrate until about October and I do recall seeing a plethora of them after school begins in the Fall. I feel sure that I’ll be seeing butterflies fluttering around the lantana before long, but in the mean time, I thought I’d add a few to my designs in anticipation of their arrival. Several weeks ago I made a necklace with a single copper wire butterfly stationed on one side of the asymmetrical piece. Yesterday, I decided they should flutter in groups and added three to a piece.  butter While the photo is too small to show the detail, I managed to put some copper beads on the wings of the larger specimen. I’m thinking that colored beads might be more attractive on flutterer. The butterfly at the top of the piece looks as though it might just take wing and escape! I guess it’s that butterfly that I always hoped would land on my shoulder. I’ve also added some small pewter butterflies to earrings and they fluttered off the sale table with good speed. A bracelet did the same. Let’s hope the three in the pictured necklace also find a happy home. I’d like to be graceful like a butterfly. Sometimes I feel as though I’m fluttering my wings as fast as I can, but not going anywhere. Butterflies demonstrate grace as they exert this same energy. I do note, however, that they take a break fairly often on a flower or branch. Maybe I should consider this and remember to occasionally pause and redirect my “fluttering”. I supposed it’s worth a try. (where did I leave my coffee cup?)
Earrings, Necklaces, Wire Work

Chain, Chain, Chain

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. . . chain of fools . . . I can’t help but hope that I’m not a fool for having purchased three complete spools of silver plated chain. I usually get it by the foot and then when I get home I can’t figure out anything cool to do with it. The chain usually ends up becoming part of the extender for a lobster clasp. So, in a moment where “the devil made me do it”, I bought the bullet and am so far thankful for my action.  I’m having the best time using chain and finding multiple ways to incorporate it into the designs.

Pictured herein are just a few of the pieces incorporating the chain. The first necklace pictured includes the earrings hanging on the side. butterfly necklace multi The beads are inexpensive dyed magnesite heishi beads.

The purple piece is also dyed magnesite and the photo makes it look a bit washed out. The nuggets are really a nice color. The butterfly and flower charms are pewter.

purple mag

 

 

 

The final picture displays a heavier piece, again made from dyed magnesite. I thought these big nuggets were odd at first, but they are beginning to grow on me.

magnesite chain

 

I’ve also fashioned multi strands of just chain into necklaces that may be layered with other things. Now I’m thinking .  .  .    BELTS!

Am I a fool to no longer think I MUST purchase sterling silver chain? The newer plated chain has come a long way and I need to go along with it. While there are still those who will only purchase true silver, I’m beginning to think that many of my customers want to look good while saving their pennies. Here’s hoping magnesite and plated silver chain works for them. Chain, chain, chain .  . .

Color, Necklaces, Wire Work

Bursts of Spring

Hooray! I think it’s Spring and time to use all those pastel beads that have been patiently waiting through the winter months.  shell coins The first photo shows shell coin beads that I’ve enjoyed working with. In other pieces, I’ve strung them with wire links, made a four strand necklace of many colors and used them on silver chain. Putting them against garments, they seem to work with most of the summery things, even those that don’t contain these specific colors.

Dyed magnesite is vivid this year and I must silence my mother’s words when she asks “isn’t that pretty heavy?” Using chain with these colorful nuggets helps to lighten them and they are fun to wear. In addition to the necklace shown, I strung these with wire connectors and leather and also wired individual colors to go singly on neck wires. magnesite I’ve also made both short and longer versions of the one pictured. It’s been fun to make my own chain out of 18 gauge wire.

While it seems I should go to the bead store to find the “hot” colors for summer, I go to the boutiques. It doesn’t really matter to my customers if the bead is “hot” it really matters whether or not it compliments their new outfits. Looking at clothes and THEN going to the bead outlet makes much more sense. There is, however, a catch to this process. How do I go to the boutiques without wanting to buy the clothes? I guess I’ll just have to work on that one until my ship comes in.

Bracelets, Wire Work

Just Like Mike Mulligan

Do you remember the story of Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel? This old children’s book has many important messages, not the least of which is about when the old (steam shovels) begin to be replaced by the new (those run by diesel, etc.) In this book, Mike bids on the digging of the basement for the new city hall and says that if he is unable to do it in just one day, he won’t need to be paid. Of course, he gets the job done, but then realizes that he and steam shovel, Mary Anne, can’t get out. As best I recall, Mary Anne stays in the basement and takes on a new steam task for the building which Mike manages.

Today, I pulled a Mike Mulligan. My six week old puppies have figured out how to escape from their temporary outdoor fence. Disgustedly, since I couldn’t get anything done due to chasing puppies, I got in the fence and put up quite a formidable barricade so those little darlings would stay put. As I eyed my work, I suddenly realized that I had no way to get out. There is no gate and I had just sealed the only opening. Eventually, I stood precariously on a rubber tub, grabbed the porch railing and hoisted myself out. It was NOT a graceful happening.

I’ve had some Mike Mulligans with my new bracelet designs. While starting with great enthusiasm, after adorning the armature with the first beads, I’ve sometimes realized that I didn’t leave myself a pleasing way to finish the piece. The goal with these bracelets has been to create depth in the design without sacrificing comfort, Often when I achieve a large focal point on the top of the bracelet, it flips much too easily when being worn, but this style has done great – no flipping! The first picture, taken from the side of the bracelet, shows the dimension. red bracelet You can see how the wire form layers to which small beads may be attached. The beads help hold the distance between the layers. The Mulligan happens when I get “stuck” on one layer and can’t figure out where to go next. This bracelet with red magnesite, lapis and amethyst is still in progress. The one below is finished and wears nicely.

yello bracelet

 

 

 

In the end, Mike Mulligan and and steam shovel did not grow obsolete but rather found themselves in a new line of work – all because they got “stuck” Let’s just hope that as I get stuck on layers of these bracelets, I’ll find a new creative and attractive way to finish things off.