tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161317432011-12-13T22:52:04.675-05:00Techniques in making chainmaille/jump ring and wire sculpture jewelry and other items.blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.comBlogger121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1144646536033393172006-04-10T01:18:00.000-04:002006-04-10T01:22:16.883-04:00

Well, I finally got off my behind and set up my new crafts site. I hope you'll forgive me; having just recovered from pneumonia, I only have two intro entries (at the time of this writing). However, because I've broaden the range of topics, and will include advice on setting up your own arts + crafts website/ weblog, I'll be able to post more frequently. More information at WireGenius/ RingBling

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1144553685123818882006-04-08T23:19:00.000-04:002006-04-08T23:34:46.153-04:00

Here's weird serendipity for you. Just now, while I was debating whether to link to the fabulous Orchid gallery of jewelry artists at Ganoskin, I was watching Mad TV. A "Blind Kung Fu Master" skit came on in which the Master tries to protect a jewelry store from his own former student, Blind Joe Mendelstein. Of course, in true Blind Kung Fu Master form, they trash the place and beat up the

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1139357364683457862006-02-07T19:02:00.000-05:002006-02-07T19:09:24.716-05:00

It's been a very long time since I posted anything. I still have loads of wire (particularly jump ring) jewelry designs filling a few sketch books that I'd love to share with all of you readers.I've had a domain name registered for nearly a year now, but wasn't sure how I wanted to set it up, and whether or not I'd have time to write for it and maintain it. I've re-thought my strategy and will go

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1128669196968930422005-10-07T03:11:00.000-04:002005-10-07T03:14:24.140-04:00

For those of you that have been checking here in the past week, I'm still planning to post dozens of wire/jump ring jewelry sketches here. I just have to transfer all of them from numerous sketchbooks. But as my previous note says, I won't be posting until after my "vacation". [I'm just reworking some of my blogs.]cheers

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1127620592692888932005-09-24T23:56:00.000-04:002005-10-07T03:11:11.980-04:00

Here's the first pattern out of my sketchbook. As I said in the last post, I have a number of recent pendant and brooch jewelry designs that were influenced by a wire-working book published in 1917. The original version of the sketch above was a bit more detailed, but I'm using a new sketch tablet and I couldn't quite get the hang of it. But choose the right materials, especially for the beads,

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1127540913009837022005-09-24T01:48:00.000-04:002006-04-08T23:49:24.776-04:00

If you're a jewelry maker or designer and you're running a website or a blog, here's a little-known potential source of income: repackaging public domain books. As an "Internet Solutions" consultant, it's my business to learn about all manner of opportunities for earning income on the web. One such opportunity is taking books whose copyright has expired (usually so if they are published before

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1127488316511330932005-09-23T10:52:00.000-04:002005-09-23T11:11:56.516-04:00

I've been a bit preoccupied with other blogs and other projects, so I haven't posted here very often. What I am planning to do is transfer several dozen designs that I've sketched out in pencil, pen and ink into digital form and show them here. I've been researching into classic wire jewelry right back into ancient Egyptian times, including the methods of producing jump-rings. Many of my designs

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1126584080710780952005-09-13T00:01:00.000-04:002005-09-13T00:12:52.390-04:00

I've posted the first of a series of chainmaille/jump ring jewelry projects on my web server. Please help yourself. It is a very simple project designed to get you familiar in working with jump rings. The projects will get more complex and sophisticated as we go along. Which also means that I will not necessarily be posting free project details regularly. I will eventually start to cover some of

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1126144099037722022005-09-07T21:46:00.000-04:002005-09-07T21:50:06.036-04:00

I tried in vain to photograph some pliers that I use for chainmail/jump ring work, but my digital camera wasn't cooperating. Then I tried to photograph some of my jump ring jewelry pieces, and no matter how hard I tried, nothing worked. So you'll have to bear with me while I spank my camera for being naughty. (It's not my fault, right :) The best I could do for shots of pliers to use are shown

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1126017803972560182005-09-06T10:43:00.000-04:002005-09-06T10:46:33.393-04:00

Above is another example of Japanese maille mixed with other jump ring weaves. All it needs for finishing is some form of clasp: lobster, s-hook, etc. Typically, Japanese maille is supposed to have two different jump ring sizes to form the triangular portion. I've used only size, to get a different effect. I've also added a row of blue glass beads across the top of the triangular portion, then

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1125729735810898072005-09-03T02:42:00.000-04:002005-09-03T02:43:24.216-04:00

The tools of the trade for chainmail can be as minimal as two pairs of pliers and a tray, or as complex as jigs, vice grips, circular saws, and more, especially if you want to make your own jump rings. (This is very cost effective if you do a lot of jump-ring work.) As I do not have a workshop set up yet, I rely on pre-made jump-rings, I only use 2-3 types of pliers: needlenose, bent nose, and

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16131743.post-1125618574636542612005-09-01T18:55:00.000-04:002005-09-01T19:49:34.640-04:00

About seven years ago, in the midst of one of several unemployed periods in my life, I somehow fell into making jewelry to pass the time. The form I focused on was jump-ring jewellry, also known as chain mail or chain maille. The reason I picked working with jump-rings was that I found it incredibly peaceful and even meditative. When I got better at it, I could even do it while watching TV.

blogslingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09263250561416943757noreply@blogger.com0