Kristen returns with another episode of Free Spirit Beading. She teaches you how to make  ear wires and some lovely beaded earrings. If you have not used  Craft Wire to create ear wire, this is a great opportunity to learn. Making your own ear wire is an easy way to personalize your jewelry and save some money. Kristen is a talented and patient teacher. Check out her latest episode!

Free Spirit Beading airs on Mondays at 12:00pm PST. Free Spirit Beading is a live beaded jewelry making series on YouTube. Kristen is a designer, author, and artist. She is free spirited. She does not worry about perfection. She believes that art is a journey and part of that journey is making mistakes and living with them. If you miss an episode, you can find it in our  YouTube library.

If you create ear wire and earrings and would like to share them with Kristen or your fellow beaders, join our  Facebook group – VIB. You can post pictures or check out photos from other talented folk. Kristen would love to see your designs.

Kristen starts the episode with an introduction. She says that Soft Flex Company is a  beading wire manufacturer. We also carry Craft Wire, tools, and beads. She says there is a bead sale under way. If you purchase beads during a sale, you will see the discount once the item is in the shopping cart. If you ever have questions, you can  call us toll free and we can assist you and make sure your purchase goes smoothly. 

All of the beads at Soft Flex Company have been hand selected by owner  Mike Sherman. Mike has traveled extensively to find the highest quality  beads and gemstones. He is a discerning buyer with a keen eye for quality and color. He has amassed a wonderful collection of eclectic beads. Check out our website for some amazing discounts and sales. You can also find some of our gallery stones on Facebook. We have periodic live sale auctions on Facebook and sell stones that will never be listed on our website.

We offer  short strands of high end gemstones on our website. These are great for buyers that would love to get some fantastic stones at a reduced price. Kristen shows a necklace she made using a short strand of chunky  Tourmaline. She loves to take advantage of short strands. She loves high end stones but does not have the budget for a full strand.

Kristen shows some jewelry she made using short strands of gemstones. She has a necklace made from a short strand of  Lapis.

Kristen shows a necklace made from  Fire Agate and Crystal Squaredelles. You can find this necklace in our free projects and blog. This is part of a set she made.

Kristen shows a necklace she made with a short strand of  Chrysocolla. The necklace has Citrine, CZs, and a double-sided Cherry Blossom Pendant from  Tesori Trovati. 

Kristen says it is hard to tell what you are buying when you get stones and beads from a website. A picture does not always convey how a stone really looks or feels. Stones can look vastly different in certain lights. We have high quality beads but if you get something that has a different sheen than you are expecting or is just not what you had anticipated; Soft Flex Company has a great  return policy.

At Soft Flex Company, we stand behind the quality of our products. If you're not 100% satisfied with your purchase, send it back to us in its original condition and packaging. We will be happy to issue a full refund or exchange when an item is returned to us within 45 days from the date of your purchase. 45 to 90 days after purchase, we will offer an account credit if the item is returned to us.

This will give you plenty of time to return a product.

Kristen shows us her work table. She has her tools and materials set up on her  bead mat. 

Kristen has a nylon hammer and a rubber mallet that she will use to work harden her Craft Wire. You can also use a Wire Whacker or  nylon jaw pliers to work harden Craft Wire. Work hardening the wire makes it retain its shape. The wire is pliable and soft on the spool. Once you have shaped the wire, striking the wire will harden it and reduce the pliability.

Kristen has a pair of Soft Flex Cutters. She has nylon jaw pliers. She has flat nose pliers. She has round nose pliers. She has a pair of LoopRite Wire Looping Pliers for consistent loops. She has a Burr Cup to file the ends of the cut Craft Wire so they are not sharp and going to snag on clothing or skin.

Kristen has a one inch round form she uses to shape her ear wires. Any round form that you have on hand will do. The one she is holding is a Super Peg from a WigJig set. A bottle cap is a great substitute.

Kristen has  Craft Wire for her project. She is using 20 gauge Yellow Silver Plated Craft Wire. Craft Wire is hypoallergenic. It is a copper wire that is silver plated and enameled. The only metals used to create Craft Wire are silver and copper. If you have a reaction to either, it is coated, but the cut end will expose a bit of the metal. She is working with 20 gauge. On our website, you will find two options for our gauges – we have silver plated and we have colored wire. The silver plated is slightly more expensive and not grouped in with the colored wire. You will see an option for both. If you are shopping for silver plated, make sure you follow the link for silver plated and the gauge you would like. The wire that is not silver plated has an earthier sheen. It does not sparkle as much. It is great for muted designs. 

Kristen has spiral glass bump beads she is going to use for the earrings. The bump beads are located in the Closeout section of our website. Look for  Lampwork Beads in the Closeout section and you will find them. There are lots of overlooked treasures in our Closeout area and some fantastic prices.

Kristen loves artisan beads, “I love getting the chance to use artisan beads in my jewelry designs. It just adds something extra special. Lampwork beads are full of character and the color palettes artists use are as varied as the beads themselves. Lampwork beads are handmade by blowing and shaping molten glass over and through a torch, using tools and hand movements to form amazing and intricate designs. They make excellent focal points in necklaces, bracelets, and earrings like the ones we are making today!”

Kristen has two 3 ½ inch pieces of Craft Wire she cut off the spool. She takes her nylon jaw pliers and straightens the two wires. Wire on the spool can have bends and imperfections. Straightening the wire with nylon jaw pliers will remove the bumps and kinks and work harden the wire so it is a little firmer. She says the nylon jaw pliers are a must have tool if you work with Craft Wire.

Kristen cuts the wires to make sure they are even in length. Holding both wires, she uses her round nose pliers to make a loop at one end of the wires. She makes the loop at the same time for both wires so everything is matching for her earrings. 

Kristen holds both wires together. She faces the loop towards her. Using her flat nose pliers, she puts a bend in the center of the two wires.

The two wires will now look like chevrons. 

Kristen takes one of the bent wires and puts it on her round form. She molds the wire around the round form. This will give the wire a nice rounded shape with a peak at the top. She repeats the process for the other ear wire.

Kristen files the ends of the cut Craft Wire with her  Burr Cup; this smooths the ends of the Craft Wire so they are not jagged at the cut.

Kristen strikes the finished ear wires with her nylon hammer. They will now retain their shape. The wire is now half hard and not dead soft.

This is just one way to create ear wire. You can make your own design. Feel free to explore new ideas once you get the hang of creating ear wire with Craft Wire.

Kristen cuts six inches off a 20 gauge spool of Craft Wire. She is going to create an  eye pin to hold the spiral glass bump beads. She uses her LoopRite Wire Looping Plier to create a loop.

Kristen slides her bump bead and a 6mm  Turquoise bead on the eye pin. She wraps the wire around the top of the bead. She cuts the excess wire. She now has a dangle to add to her ear wire.

Kristen uses  chain nose pliers to open the loop on the ear wire slightly. She places her new dangle on the ear wire loop and then closes it. She now has a completed earring.

Kristen says to make sure you catch fellow employees on YouTube. James Browning has a series called  Conversations in Wire. James discusses his love of Craft Wire and shows you how to create beautiful jewelry with the wire. His recent video explored creating letters with Craft Wire. Sara Oehler does a lot of videos for Facebook, but all of her  design challenges and videos end up on our YouTube library if you are not on Facebook.

Make sure you join us on Facebook for our live bead auctions. If you love beads, this is a great chance to save big on beads and stones from our  Gallery. The majority of items on our live sales are not actually on our website. So it is a rare opportunity to buy from our Gallery if you do not have the means to visit our Gallery. If you would like to visit us; we are located in Sonoma, California and would absolutely love to see your smiling face!

Explore color! There are so many color options in our beads and wire. You can design whatever speaks to you. Play with Craft Wire and make your own loops and dangles. Get creative and show us what you got. We would love to see your pictures on Facebook. 

Note your calendars for Mondays. Free Spirit Beading airs on Mondays at 11:00am PST. If you watch live, you can interact with Kristen and she will answer any questions you might have about bead stringing or art in general. If you miss her and have questions, you can always email her.

Join our  Facebook group – VIB. VIB is a community of jewelry designers and jewelry lovers. There is a lot of inspiration and a bunch of fun pictures posted daily.

Visit the Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!

Blog contributor Thomas Soles is the Trade Show Coordinator for Soft Flex Company. His favorite stones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Tom Selleck's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com