Making Wire Rings

It's always nice to find a well explained tutorial - and this one really does the job well.  Step by Step pictures and a really nice result.  It is very similar to my simple ring, except it wraps the center stone.  It looks very nice  and this style is simple to master.  Here's the link to the tutorial at Lytha Studios: Simple Wire Wrapped Ring Tutorial .  I'll make a few and post them this weekend when I have my picture studio set up.  If you make some, you can send me the pictures or a link to them and I'll be glad to add them here.

A new simple ring style.  This is made from 26g wire, braided and then joined in the back.  No picture of the join - it's not especially neat, but it is comfortable and it has grown on me.  I really like the ring stacked with my other simple rings.  It's comfortable.  The ring is hammered on the mandrel to flatten the join and the braid.  I didn't use all 3 wires from each side to make the wrap like you might expect.  I tried that at first, but the wrap was waaaay too big.  Instead, I clipped two wires from each side at the join and left one wire on each side long.  The long wire from each side was used to join the two sides and wrap over the join. Here is the ring as part of a stack.  The other style is the simple ring I previously made, but with a heavier gauge wire.  I think it is 20g which is much thicker than I usually use.  I also added some small silver beads on the side.  Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

I promised some new rings last week and I did make them.  This is not your typical  "but the dog ate my homework" story.  It's a story of how your craft talent can help others, and I really want to share it - in hopes that you will share too. There is a girl at my children's middle school who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  It is a rare cancer and understandably - she is too young and vibrant to have something like this happen to her.  But, it has happened, and there is nothing we can do but accept it.  But, we all know that nothing can help someone feel strong enough for a goliath fight than knowing that other people support you and stand ready to help. So, last weekend, that was where all my rings went.  I packed them in a box, about 100 of them, and brought them to a community event to help raise money for her.  Today, I looked at the pictures from the event on facebook , and it brings tears to my eyes.  So many people hope the best for Jessica and her fam

After a flurry of activity making rings the entire months of December and January, I just had to take a little time to breathe and try something different.  I joined the Year of Jewelry challenge and it really has kept me motivated and focused.  You can see my projects on my other blog .  But, my sketch pad has some new simple ring designs, so I'm going to make at least one this weekend.  I'll also try to take pictures as I'm making them - a new ring and a tutorial all in one.  Yay!