Jewelry Expanders...A Lifesaver for My Business

Gee folks, I am so sorry to be gone so long. Season here in Florida was super busy for me, and I was a real slacker when it came to taking care of my blog. But...I am back and with a vengeance.

Have you ever had someone try on a bracelet or necklace, only to complain that it is too small or too short? That has been a constant issue for me, since I make my own chain and bracelets, well, you know how it goes. They are either too small or too large. If you weave and try to make lots of different sizes, you will often be left with some that won't sell due to size. At least that is how it goes for me. So...I came up with a really cool solution that I am going to share with you now.

It's extenders. I have been making them for a while now. Some I sell separately, so the peeps can add them to my jewelry or to other pieces they may have at home. Some extenders are right on the jewelry I market.

First of all, I purchase 8 to 10mm closed jump rings in sterling silver and copper. Yes, I purchase these from UnkamenSupplies on Etsy, actually. If you remember, my husband isn't quite sure about me having a torch. I told him, "Shoot. I can only burn the house done once." But he didn't think that was too funny. He did reluctantly agree that I could get one, but I just don't have the time to deal with learning how to use it right now, so currently I do buy these (Sorry to all of you purists out there...) I am trying to get there. Fire scares the @#8& out of me, too!

I'm sure you can request closed jump rings in other metals, as well. Ralph, owner at UnkamenSupplies, is pretty accommodating and does custom work, too. Anyway, here is how I do it and some pics to give you visual designers a bird's eye view.

 This is an expander that has been permanently attached to the bracelet clasp using 6mm open jump rings x 2 (for added strength) and 8mm closed jump rings. This usually gives me 1/2 to one full size expansion on a bracelet. Cool, huh?

These expanders were created to add to a bracelet or necklace a customer wants but needs or wants a larger size. They are created using a figure-8 link and 8mm closed jump rings. The 8mm closed jump rings I use are made of 23 gauge sterling silver. Sounds like a small gauge to use for this project, but I have never had an issue with them losing their shape with normal handling or wear. And they give the extenders a finer more elegant look.

First of all, I get out my needle nose pliers that has the smallest noses on them. I mark the noses at about 1/8 of an inch from the edge using a Sharpie. Don't worry, it does rub off. You will see that the more you use them. Set them aside for right now.

I like my figure-8 chain pieces as small as I can get them, so I cut my 20 gauge dead soft wire pieces just a little over 5/8 of an inch long. Don't worry. If you have never made figure-8s before, start out with 3/4 inch of wire or a little more. Once you have them cut, trim the ends so they are flush on both ends. Trim as little as you can to get a flush end. The more you practice this technique, the smaller you will be able to make your links. My links are 1/4 inch long when they are finished, and here is an example. Trust me, they didn't used to be that little!

You want to position the end of your cut wire piece into the needle nose pliers right on the ink mark, about 1/8 inch in from the end of the noses. Keep a moderately firm grip on your wire. Don't use a death grip or you will dent the wire every time, and some of those dents are hard to get rid of, even in a tumbler.

You are going to hold the end of the wire that isn't in the pliers and with that great grip of yours, twist the pliers toward you slowly. If you do this slow enough, you will be able to tell when your wire's flush end comes down on itself. You can now take the half done figure-8 link off your pliers.

You can see here that I didn't quite get my wire to where it touches itself. I can either correct this now or when I finish the link. Your choice, but you will want to do that eventually or your link will not be smooth and could possibly catch on clothing or worse yet, someone's hair or skin.  Ouch!

Place the straight end of your figure-8 wire back into the needle nose pliers, remembering you are going to bend the wire in the opposite direction that you bent it before. I stress this only because you have no idea how many times I bent both sides the same way, only to then have a piece that was not exactly what I hoped for...

 I grab the end of the wire or use my other hand's index finger to help bend back the wire and stabalize it to get a more accurate bend. Yep, you will get sore fingers. I can do about 100 links before I have to move onto something else. If you like, instead of using your index finger, hold the finished end with your flat or chain nose pliers. If you use this technique, a firm grip is needed. The wire may slip otherwise and leave you with a damaged link.

Remember to bend around the needle nose pliers so you get a uniform bend.

You are going to keep bending until your link looks something like this.

Now that you have your connector link done (the figure-8 link), you will be using your flat nose pliers and your chain link pliers to properly bend the figure-8 link out, so you can add your closed jump ring. With the upper part of the figure-8 link held firmly in your flat nose pliers, grasp the upper part of the lower loop of the link with your chain nose pliers and twist the loop toward you.

Make sure you have a firm grip on the chain nose pliers, as well. If the pliers slip off the wire, it can mar the wire enough that it will render the link unusable. Trust me, I've done this. 

Slip the closed jump ring on the figure-8 link. Carefully close the figure-8 link with your needle nose pliers. Sometimes I put the entire link in my flat nose pliers to give my figure-8 link a nice flat shape. Make sure your looks are closed. Add another closed jump ring to the other end of the figure-8 link and continue the same pattern until you have your desired extender. Add a claw clasp to one end or the clasp of your choice. And...you are done!! Yippee!

I hope this has been informative for you, no matter your skill level. I do have to apologize for some of the pics. I was taking pictures myself, using my own hands, and snapping my shutter with my chin. Yep, it was a sight to see.

Anyway, love you guys! As always...Stay Wired Up!!!

Practicing Your Wire Work with Craft Wire versus Copper Wire

In a past issue I wrote about Craft Wire, what it is, and briefly how it is made. Today I want to expand on the subject just a little and give you some information that might help you make the decision pertaining to whether or not you want to practice your wire wrapping or weaving with craft wire or natural copper wire.

The first thing to consider is what you are going to practice on. Does your wire need to be soft, like to wrap a ring around a ring mandrel? Or are you making a bracelet that needs to hold its shape when it's done? The reason for this thought process is the consideration of the softness of the wire you want to practice with. Normally, and I am providing this info on my experiences, craft wire is very, very soft. But then that depends on the "brand" of craft wire you are working with. There is always that "but." Ugh...

Personally, I have purchased some craft wires that were abnormally hard, as far as craft wire goes, and that is the Artistic brand. Artistic wire is a little more pricy but I like working with it when it's called for, because it is less likely to distort as I am forming it. That being said, I am not promoting their craft wire product over another. It is just one that I like for that reason for certain processes. The point being made here is that you need to know what you are going to practice doing.

Remember from my other article that craft wire is usually coated (enameled) or bonded with a very thin layer of another metal, like silver or gold. These layers are so thin, they can easily be "worked" or "worn" off, even if they are coated with a clear coat. If you are going to practice and want to use a craft wire, use the copper variety. The only two problems you might run into is cost and pliability for your project.

I know. It sounds like I'm running in circles here. And I do need to stick to the topic: copper vs.

copper craft wire.

Let's look at hardness first. Copper wire is manufactured in rods, most normally in gauge 2, or 5/16 of an inch in size. The rods are then pulled through a series of synthetic diamond dies that reduce the rod in size or gauge. Manufacturers use coolants and synthetic lubricants to keep the copper from overheating and/or to reduce friction as the rod is pulled through.

You've probably heard or read this story of gauging wire before, but I am going to get to a point here.  As the rod is pulled through this series of dies, it is constantly getting harder and more brittle. If you've already worked with copper wire, you know that the more you work with it, the more brittle it gets, brittle to the point it can break. Once you pull rods down through the dies to get to 26 or 28 gauge wire, it is extremely brittle, so it is annealed to soften it back up. For the manufacturer, annealing means running an electrical current through it until it reaches a certain temperature. Then it is immediately cooled.

Why am I telling you this?? Well, the process of adding another metal to coat a copper craft wire is electroplating. Electroplating consists of electrically bonding of one surface to another, but I am not going to go into that entire process. You can look that one up on your own. Do it! It will be good for you!

Anyway, if annealing (adding electrical current to the wire in the manufacturing process) is softening the copper wire, and electroplating is adding electrical current to the copper core, doesn't it make sense that copper core craft wire will be slightly softer than its natural copper counterpart because electrical current has passed through it just one more time? I'm using deductive reasoning here, so if there is a metallurgy expert out there that can refute this, please...email me or comment! I really would like to know.

That is the long form of telling you this: If you are going to use natural copper, sterling (a whole 'nother subject!), or gold wire to weave or wrap a project for sale or personal use, you have to decide what might be better to practice with: craft wire or natural copper wire. I won't be there to help you. You have to decide for yourself. I'm just trying, in a very clumsy way, to give you more information to help you with that decision.

Whew! That was almost painful. Now to the second comparison of copper vs. copper core: COST! And don't most of us have to worry just a little about how much money we spend on our hobby or business? Let's do some calculating.

Craft wire can cost anywhere from $.01 to $.05 a foot. Look at the cost of your spool  and divide it by the number of feet in you spool. That will give you the cost per foot of whatever wire you are considering for practice. Don't forget to add in the cost of your wire acquisition. Are you driving to the location to purchase? Figure in the cost of your gas. If you are ordering your wire online, you will most likely have to pay shipping and/or handling. That needs to be added in, as well, before you divide your cost by the number of feet you have.

Have I made you want to get out of making jewelry yet? Gee, I hope not! But...you need to consider these two things in your decision of what to use to learn or practice your craft. The one thing I won't do is make that decision for you. Personally, I still use craft wire for some projects, and copper wire I buy by the one pound spool for other projects. But when "I" practice a new technique, I use natural copper wire. Look at it this way, if my practice project works out, I can antique it, seal it and wear it myself, Yippe!!

Have fun, everyone! And Stay Wired Up!!!

Just Another Artist Pulling Out of Etsy

I have been reading a lot lately about what Etsy (a seller's marketplace that supposedly allows only handmade items) is doing to the "handmade" market. I have to say that I do still have my Etsy shop up and running, and even though I have never sold a thing there, have kept it strictly for marketing purposes. Now...I am reconsidering that decision.

For those of you that don't know about Etsy, it is a marketplace that was started to feature handmade items from all over the world. At this point in time, there are probably over 30M items for sale, with the Jewelry category being one of the largest on the site. Since its inception, Etsy has gone from "handmade" only to three sections: Handmade (or I made it), Another From My Shop (made the item), or Another Company or Person (made the item).

When you look at those three sections, the first two are pretty much self explanatory. The third, however, is ambiguous. Another company or person leaves a lot to the imagination. Etsy does ask that if you design something and have a manufacturer make it for you, that you fill out their form with specific questions as to how much this company had to do with the design itself or the making of your product.

That is a big "whatever" from me. Okay, honest people are going to go through the process in hopes that Etsy reviews their form and puts their stamp of approval on their selling their product(s) on the Etsy forum. Seriously, do you really think that everyone is going to do that? Or do you think they will stretch that request all out of shape to fit whatever they want it to mean and do it without telling Etsy?

If you think most people would go through with that "process" I have had my laugh for the day at your expense...sorry, kids. When money is more important to someone than coming clean, usually the money will win. Makes me sigh...a really big sigh. But I feel that is the truth. So sad...

To add insult to injury, Etsy's third section of "Another Company or Person (made my product), pretty much says it all, right? That leaves it wide open to market just about anything from anyone or anywhere. They do have a list of things you can't market, like porn, drugs, alcohol, and other illegal substances like ivory.  What I found amusing was that the list of prohibited items was actually longer than the area that defined "handmade."

Personally, there is a lot of discrepancy when it comes to how we define the word "handmade." What it means to me might not be what it means to you. For me, it means making everything included in the designs I make, down to the jump rings and clasps. Wait a minute! Don't get mad at me just yet!

That doesn't mean that if you string beads to make your jewelry, that isn't handmade. Sure it is. You are using your understanding of color and aesthetics to design your piece, just like I do. It's a personal thing for me, just like it is for you. Still love me???

Where I draw the line is where most of you do. When someone in the booth right next to you is selling necklaces from China for $12, while your handmade ones are marked $35, it can be pretty discouraging. Trust me, I've been there, and it ain't much fun!!!

I am a little off track here, but let me elaborate a little. My motto has always been "Live and Learn." Everything we go through in everyday has a purpose, and most of it is to teach us something we need to know. Hey, I'm included in that. I learned not to do as many craft shows (if at all) because they were usually a bust for me...as I am the one that got stuck next to the "Made in China" jewelry booth. Customers all oooo'd and ahhhhh'd over my stuff and then went to her booth and bought. And she had the nerve to look at me and wink...ugh.

Craft shows are less expensive to do. I understand that. However, I would rather do one or two good shows a year (maybe juried shows) than ten less expensive shows, where I could be totally shut out in sales. So, I save my money until a good one pops up. Sometimes you have to plan ahead, as these shows fill up fast, but it is worth it.

Back to Etsy...I will probably get kicked out if they get wind of this anyway, so I may as well shut that puppy down now. I have to stand up for what I believe in and that is handmade should be handmade and not titled "handmade" because someone somewhere made it!

Well, I'm done ranting for now. I would like to finish with this: Don't let your anger wear you down. Anger is not only a sin, it is bad for your health, both mental and physical. Be determined to be better than those other guys. Walk with your head up and be proud of what you do. If you aren't selling enough, research and consider other selling arenas, like galleries and retail shops. YOU CAN DO IT.

Anyway, I'm pulling MY Etsy store before they catch me! Have a great day...and Stay Wired Up!!!

It's the Holidays! Why Not Have a Sale!?!

That is just what I am doing! When you weave wire like I do, or make molded silver jewelry, or bead, or cut cabochons, or do anything related to jewelry, you know that your time is money, and it takes money to fund your "time" doing what you love.

Okay...that was a mouthful, huh? But the reality is just this: We all have a certain amount of time to work, play, and shop, earn money, and spend money. Research has shown that this year is supposed to be a banner year for online shoppers.

Did you know that 45% of online shoppers have bought something they would not have bought in person? Did you also know that 96% of people are more apt to buy on a site that offers free shipping? (http://visual.ly/online-shopping-trends-2013-14)

Those statistics are huge if you, like myself, are doing the majority of your sales online. Of course, you may have a website and do most of your sales elsewhere. Wouldn't you like to increase your sales online to add to your bottom line?

Let's look at some reasons customers are turning to online shopping: The cost of gas. Parking at the mall. Fighting the crowds, especially with children. Finding the right gift in the time you have to shop. And that is just a few reasons people are turning to online shopping. Do you know that 73% of shoppers do at least 1/2 of their shopping online? That's huge!

Here are some more stats to digest. There is a shopping cart (at the store) abandonment rate of 65%!!! The average order for an online buy is over $118!! 79% of people would rather get free shipping than a discount. 62% rarely return items bought online!

Well, that's enough statistics. If you have a website, ramp it up and email your customers and post it all over your social media site. It's time to get serious about sales. So...I will start by having my own...

SUPER SALE

at ggChambers designs

I have lowered prices by 20% or more on most items, and I'm adding sale items every day just for your Holiday Shopping!

Free Shipping, too, that used to be contingent on a sale of $50 or more. But I am lowering that today to $0 required. That means everyone will get free shipping no matter what you order!

No restocking fees if you return an item. (Does not apply to custom orders) 

New Shopping category: Jewelry Sets

So what are you waiting for???

ggChambers designs

Some Time Later, The Copper Test, and Life Happens

Well, I promised an edition yesterday, and like the title says..."Life Happens" and so it did. You are getting the latest and greatest today instead.

I was walking around the porch Thursday and noticed I had left the copper testing coils outside. I thought you might be interested in some results to date on our sealers. I was.

This picture really doesn't do the results justice. The top row is your unpolished and Maas results from weeks ago. In real life they all have a nice "brown" patina. To some of you, this might be totally unacceptable. To others who might like browns, this might be just fine.

The bottom row is, of course, the coils with one coat of ProtectaClear, again ranking the shiniest and most untouched by weather. Bottom row on the right is the Ren Wax, which actually fared a little better than those on the top. This was a pleasant surprise to me, as it has been warm and humid down here in lower Florida. No, that wasn't a dig to those of you that live in the snow belt. Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts.

Undoubtedly some of you may have already purchased or used some of these products yourself. What you probably found was that the Maas really does shine up nice. The Ren Wax may have dulled a little, but with another coat, polishes up just fine. The ProtectaClear is still going strong, but has made your item a little "stiff."

The makeup of this product will make your woven wire and wire wrapped items more firm, for lack of a better word. I know it does my woven wire bracelets. Without the sealer, some thinner banded items had a certain amount of flexibility as you tried to twist it back and forth. The addition of the ProtectaClear eliminates some of that play. For me, this is a good thing and doesn't bother me.

If, however, you apply it to chain or dangle earrings, you will have to work them a little to loosen them up again. And this is only after the item has had enough time to cure. Check the Everbrite website for more information on that.

Again, I am not necessarily promoting this product or being abnormally contradictive about the other products. But I want you to have good and thorough information as you use these products for the first time. At least you might know a little about what to expect when you do your own applications.

I hope you all have a really great weekend.  I'll be writing more soon. In the meantime, remember to Stay Wired Up!

Copper Test Results Are In

If you remember from last time I wrote, we were testing different finishes on six little copper coils. Sorry for the wait, but I wanted to give each finish ample time to tell their individual stories. Here is what I found:

It has been about two weeks since I added different polishes to my raw copper coils. They sat in a wax paper coated pie pan in the shade on my porch. I live in Florida and we have had some really great humid days. With humidity and heat being a major factor to tarnish development, I thought this would provide me with the information I have been seeking. I work with a lot of copper, myself, and want to provide my customers with the best options for tarnish resistance.

Here are the final pics: First, here is the picture of the coil that was unfinished the entire time:
As you can see, there are many dark spots and it has lost its shine.

The next picture is of the coil finished with Renaissance Wax or Ren Wax, for short. I was sorely disappointed in the results here. To be honest, I finished a new Pendant and chain I recently made with the Ren Wax and wore it outside all day Saturday. While my neck did not turn green, the pendant turned color and lost the nice sheen I had given it with gun blue and lots of waxing. The results, overall, aren't as bad as the unpolished coil has, but I was still disappointed with the results. I have to say, however, that I only put on one layer of wax. I know some users put on multiple layers of this particular wax.

Next, you can see the results from the use of the Mass Commercial Paste. When I first put this on the coil I was amazed at the shine I got! I was immediately in love with the product. I had really high hopes but it, too, developed some areas of tarnish, about like the Ren Wax. Remember, however, when I finished each coil, I did only the top surface and did not try to get the finishes down into the grooves or onto the back.

The Maas Liquid finish came out like the Maas Commercial Paste. This coil also had several areas of tarnish. Wah...now I was really disappointed...although I still love the product for cleaning and polishing. If you look closely, you can see the areas of tarnish I am talking about. These photos are not retouched. I want you to see the true results.

Last but not least are the Everbrite ProtectaClear products. This test was not to sing the praises of ProtectaClear. Trust me. Like a lot of other artists, I have been somewhat afraid that using this type of hard, permanent finish could flake off later. Here is the pic of the spray product, and it is still shiny. I have to tell you, I tried to peel the product off the surface of the coil, and it was as if it had become part of the coils surface.

Then there is the ProtectaClear brush on. I used the regular product that produces a shine, but they also make a satin finish product. The brush on won this contest, hands down. The coil was shiny, like the day I applied it. Notice the area where the tag is? You can see where I didn't put the product. That area tarnished. Hmmmm.

I also tried to peel this finish off with my finger nails and a serrated kitchen knife. I was able to mar the finish. After all, copper is a soft metal. But the finish did not peel. I was thinking it might peel off like bad nail polish. You know, like a plastic of some sort I would be able to get a hold of and peel off. No way! It stuck fast. I am told by the folks at Everbrite, that if the product is allowed to "cure" for a few days, it develops a really durable finish.

Here are some more interesting tidbits for your memory banks. Even though the Ren Wax Maas products still allowed the copper to tarnish, it easily cleans up when applied again. I also found that shining the coils without reapplication of Maas gave the coils a variety of colorful patinas. Unfortunately some of the tarnish remained, but the colors were fascinating!! The coils took on a kind of iridescence. I may have to play with that some more, as I love color, and fire (heating the copper to get color) isn't safe for me. I'm a little accident prone.

Another thing I found out quite by accident. I had a piece of jewelry that I used liver of sulfur on. I didn't tumble it or rub it out much and sealed it with PretectaClear. The copper turned really dark brown, even though it was sealed and in an anti-tarnish bag. I'm thinking that maybe the ProtectaClear somehow sealed in the effects of the LOS, even though I had given it a neutralizing bath in baking soda. Just food for thought. The effects have seemed to stop at dark brown, but I am keeping an eye on this particular piece for sure.

I am not trying to tell you to use or not use any of these products. They each have very different and endearing qualities. I wanted the information for myself and thought I would share my findings with you. If you have any questions or have found different results, please feel free to message me.

Until next time, keep on doing what you do...and Stay Wired Up!!

At Last, At Last...Copper Sealer Test

At long last I have begun that copper sealer test! Actually, I started it some time ago, but set the washers outside to "weather" in the Florida humidity just before we got a huge wind and rain storm. Needless to say, I didn't anchor the paper I put them on. Nor did I label them. I just labelled their position on the paper. Guess what...the paper got caught by the wind and the washers ended up on the floor. Okay, no one said I was a genius! Anyway...here we go.

I decided to test six pieces of 16 gauge copper wire that I coiled tightly, instead of using washers. Mainly because I work with tightly woven pieces of wire and wanted a little more accuracy of how each sealer worked when wires are closer together. Mind you, this is only a little home test, and the results are to satisfy only basic judgment of how each sealer works. So, if up on your own tests, you get different results, please do not hold me liable. I will plead the fifth!

This time I am testing Renaissance Wax, Maas Commercial Metal Polish Paste, Maas Liquid Metal Polish, Everbrite's ProtectaClear brush on coating, and Everbrite's ProtectaClear Spray. It's all I could handle at one time. Like I said, I used 16 gauge copper, dead soft, 99.9% pure, no coatings.

In the picture to the right, you can see the originals before I did anything to them. The only difference is that I removed the one on the top center. It was one that I was going to do with Maas Commercial using my Dremel. I already had one with Mass Commercial that I used a rag to apply. I figured it was too redundant, so pulled the top center from the test. I am testing only five and I left one in its original condition.

I only coated the spirals on one side and didn't coat the little hooks at the top, wore gloves like a good little girl, and did the test on wax paper. I've had real good luck with sealers not sticking to wax paper, and it protects the surface your working on quite efficiently. Trust me, I have spilled my sealers!

Here are a few things I noticed during the application process:

The Maas products, both the Liquid and the Commercial Paste, were the easiest to use and put quite the shine on the copper, brightening and polishing at the same time without much work at all. I used a non-impregnated polishing towel-like cloth you can get in any cleaning or auto department of your big-box stores.

The Renaissance Wax, see below, went on easy, as well. I did use a Dremel and cloth wheel to apply. The Ren Wax had to sit for a while before I could shine it up. You don't use much and it is dull until polished up. I used the same type towel-like cloth to polish it about 10 minutes later.

 The coil used for the ProtectaClear Spray, on the left with the blurred label, had to be taken outside to spray. I sprayed one side only and the coil seemed to have a lot of little bubbles on it for a while. When I laid the coil down, the sealer leveled out and bubbles disappeared. It takes quite some time to dry and cure. If you do decide to use this product, you can't just spray and go. You have to allow at least a couple of days to complete the drying process, unless you put your sealed item in a 180 degree oven for a while to speed it up.

 With the ProtectaClear brush on, above right, I used a small artist's flat brush and brushed on a fair amount. Again, the same principles apply as with the ProtectaClear Spray. Use wax paper, for sure.

After coating, I placed the coils on another sheet of non-stick paper in a pie tin and placed them outside. In fact, I just did that and it is raining, so the humidity will go up and we should get some cool results I can tell you about in a couple of days. And yes, this time I anchored the pan with something heavy so it won't blow away. Live and learn, right?

One other thing I would like to caution you on when using any type of sealer: wear rubber or nitrile gloves and protective eye-wear and use your sealer in a well-ventilated area. These products are caustic in some cases and may cause injury or sickness if ingested or splashed on the skin. Basically, use some common sense. That's all I ask.

Okay, we are on our way. I will check in with you in a couple of days and let you know what's kicking with these coated coils. Have a good one...and Stay Wired Up!!