Wire wrapping is a fantastic way to enhance jewelry. Wire wrapping adds character and a personal touch to jewelry. A large gemstone can be a great focal bead, but imagine a sophisticated wrap on it; it would be even more elegant and eye-catching. Wire doesn’t have to be a complement, it can stand alone; a gifted wire artist can create jewelry with just the wire. Wire has applications beyond jewelry. Wire can add flair to wine glasses, ornaments, silverware, wind chimes, lampshades and much more. If you have not played with wire this is a great video to watch. If you are a seasoned wire wrapper, you might not learn anything new here, but it is always fun to watch another artist at work.
James Browning is the newest member of the Soft Flex family. He is a great addition. If you ever call our office, he might be the one to answer your call. He is well versed in computers, customer service and – most importantly – he is a fellow jewelry designer. James recently moved to California from Eastern Washington. He has a Bachelors of Fine Arts concentrating in the studio arts. He had the opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy for three months where he studied marble sculpting, and mosaic making. He has taught multiple art classes including pottery and polymer clay design. His passion for jewelry has been life long, making beaded necklaces for friends and family. He also had an Etsy store where he would sell custom lanyards and polymer clay creations. Recently his passion has extended beyond beads to wire wrapping. You can see more of James’ work on his Facebook page.
This is James’ first video for Soft Flex Company. He starts the video with an introduction. He is a customer service representative for Soft Flex Company. Soft Flex Company is based in Sonoma, California. James talks about the gallery at Soft Flex, the gallery is open on Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm. If you are in the area, we would love to have you visit. James talks about exploring wire. He is interested in using wire for purposes other than just making findings and connections. James will talk about making pieces entirely out of wire and beads out of wire. James will show you his work and instruct how to use wire.
James says that Soft Flex has just released a new Craft Wire Starter Kit and will show the contents. First he shows a pair of Nylon Jaw Pliers. Nylon Jaw Pliers are great for straightening out pieces of Craft Wire. The Nylon head does not scuff or damage the wire or the color of the wire. The Nylon Jaw head pieces are replaceable, so if you use the tool a lot, you can always fix the head, rather than spend the money on a new tool. The next tool James shows is a pair of round nose pliers. Round nose pliers are great for making loops with wire. They are also great for getting in hard-to-reach places. James shows a pair of bent nose pliers. James uses these pliers to help smooth the ends of his work. He shows a pair of wire cutters. James then shows the wire the kit comes with; there are three color options in the kit: copper, non-tarnish silver, and gold. The wire is 22 gauge. The kit comes with some ear wires, a bead mat, and a project sheet.
James then discusses wire sizes. Craft Wire comes in gauges. Gauge determines wire thickness. Soft Flex Company sells 18 gauge wire through 28 gauge wire. Gauge is a little tricky. The higher the number is, the thinner the wire will be. James shows a spool of 28 gauge wire. 28 gauge is the thinnest wire Soft Flex Company sells. James shows a spool of 18 gauge wire. 18 gauge wire is the thickest Soft Flex sells. The wire is much thicker and easier to see on camera. He puts the two gauges together for comparison.
Next, James discusses the hardness of the wire. Hardness refers to the malleability of the wire. A softer wire is easier to manipulate than a harder wire. Soft Flex Craft Wire is soft to dead soft. It can be work hardened to half-hard. Work hardening is typically done by striking the wire with a hammer or nylon tipped hammer. A work hardened wire will retain its shape and not be malleable. James works with soft wire since he makes loops and bends and a harder wire is more difficult to manipulate. It is important to be gentle with your wire as you work with it so you do not work harden it unintentionally as it might become brittle if work hardened too much.
James shows some pieces of jewelry he has made with Craft Wire. He shows focal beads he has made with wire. His focal beads are elaborate wire creations with a stone that is added to the piece as a highlight. He shows stones he has wrapped and discusses how he was excited to use the different colors of wire that Soft Flex carries. James shows a stone that has the type of wire wrapping that he is going to demonstrate. He calls his wire technique ‘chicken-wire wrap’ as the finished look reminds him of the wire that is used to contain chickens. He admits that the technique probably has a real name, but he prefers his pet name. James says his technique can be done on any stone, but is most useful on rough cut stone and faceted stone. James says to be mindful that different gauges can create different looks with the finished wrap.
James is going to be working with Sea Glass. His stone is irregularly shaped. It is a perfect candidate for some lovely chicken-wire wrapping. He is going to use 26 gauge wire. He prefers Bare Copper wire as he wants to patina the wire. Bare Copper is the only Craft Wire Soft Flex carries that will patina. The other colors will not lose their luster. Bare Copper is great for antique findings.
Be sure to watch the video for his demonstration.
James will be doing a show every other week and uploading it to YouTube. If you enjoyed this video, make sure to subscribe to our channel. If you have any questions for James about his technique you can email him directly or call our office and ask for him.
Check out the video below for more information about using Craft Wire.
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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