My Wired Imagination

Any 3 Tutorials - Your Choice - From MyWiredImagination

2011-10-17T08:09:00.001-04:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83429269/any-3-wire-jewelry-tutorials-your-choice

Sunday morning Market

2011-10-16T10:03:00.001-04:00

Yay!!! Corey Ave Sunday morning Market is back!!!! See ya soon ;))

wrap happy,
Bobbi
bobbiwired@gmail.com
www.mywiredimagination.etsy.com
sent from my smarter than me phone;)

Updated Class Calendar

2011-10-15T15:52:00.002-04:00

Upcoming Changes at Etsy

2011-10-15T14:36:00.001-04:00

Beginning October 18, 2011 Etsy will allow you to change your shop name - will you change yours??

Untitled

2011-10-15T12:31:00.001-04:00

Okay - think I have the bugs worked out, so I don't annoy every one :)) If you haven't already you have to try Posterous!!! Simply awesome dude ;))

See the full gallery on Posterous

Untitled

2011-10-15T12:05:00.001-04:00

Yahoo!! just set up my space - linked it to facebook - and if all went well, class reminders will auto post from Google Calendar :)) YIPPEE

Untitled

2011-10-15T12:04:00.001-04:00

Yahoo!! just set up my space - linked it to facebook - and if all went well, class reminders will auto post from Google Calendar :)) YIPPEE

Never Enough Hours in the Day

2011-09-26T08:59:00.003-04:00

There never seems to be enough hours in the day - have been super busy over the summer. I need to get back into a regular routine - blog posts included - so how about a "get to know me' post to start things back up? :)

HandmadeArtistsShop recently featured me on their website - Artists are send a thorough questionnaire, and Kimberly did an awesome job sorting out my blabberings - check it out if you get a chance, and I'm always happy to hear what you think. Featured Artist BobbiWired

Thanks for stopping by~
Bobbi
"The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” ~Chuck Palahniuk

2 down, 12 to Go - Or How to Register Your Tutorials with the US Copyright Office

2011-01-10T21:12:00.015-05:00

So today was a really cool day. I made a trip to my PO box, expecting the regular bills and various sales trash that still plague the earth - and was very pleasantly surprised to find 2 letters from the Library of Congress. You see, almost 8 months ago, I started submitting my jewelry tutorials to the US Copyright Office for registration. At first, I checked my PO at least once a week, sometimes 2 or 3 times, looking for these prized letters. Silly me thought it would only be a matter of a couple weeks, and all my registrations would be sent. Nope, sorry - it's not quite that easy. Well the registration part is - it's the "wait for them to be researched, registered and returned" that's the hard part, especially when patience isn't your strong-suit.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking - "My tutorials are copyrighted as soon as I create them", and/or "I put a notice at the end, that says they are my copyrighted works, so I don't have to register". Well you're sort of right. Yes, you have a copyright on your work, as soon as it's created and/or published; yes your notice at the end, does emphasize that fact a bit more. But, NO, you are not fully protected. It's still incredibly easy for some nit to come along, and try and say, "no, that's my work", and without a Certificate of Registration, you're a bit hard-pressed to defend against it. Now that same nit can still whine after you get your certificate, but then it is the nit who will be hard-pressed to get anywhere. The other major point, is if you need to file suit against someone for violating your rights, you HAVE TO have that registration before you can take them to court.

No, I'm not planning on taking anyone to court, but I, like every other artist out there, needed to protect myself against the whining nits. The copyright Office takes the time they do, because they do a thorough and exhaustive search, to see if your submission is already out there, and belonging to anyone else. When they send you your certificate, they don't do it lightly. It's basically the US Copyright Office standing on your side, saying, "Absolutely, Yes that's your work"! One extra perk - Your work is also submitted to the Library of Congress as a permanent record! How cool is that?

Now you'd like a little help doing the same for your own tutorials? Well, I'm not an expert, but after 14 submissions, I'm on my way - so here's some pointers and info to help you through it.

First you need to visit http://www.copyright.gov/ . There are tons of links and tutorials to answer just about any question you could ever have on copyrights. Then click on the eCO login
, read the privacy and security notice, then click on the link for new users towards the lower left side of the page under the login space. Be as complete as possible when you fill in your personal information. it will come in very handy later when you actually start a submission (registering a claim). The submission process has a great feature called "add me" wherever applicable, that inputs all your relevant personal information for you so you are not constantly retyping info.

The biggest hurdle is deciding what type of work you are submitting. For 99% of you, that will be a "Literary Work" in the drop down menu for type. Later in the submission you will have the opportunity to input exactly what all you think is included, ie photos, text, art, instruction, etc. There is a tutorial available at every step of the process if you get hung up. You can save the submission at any point, and come back to it later - very handy. You can work on your submissions as long as you like, there are no time limits set, when you start. It's only when you send them money, and submit the tutorial does any of it become carved in stone, so take all the time you need.

I found it very handy to fill in every submission, all the way to the payment stage, and then "save for later". Then whenever I was ready to pay for one, I just clicked on "working cases" in my profile, did one last quick check, and clicked "add to cart". It's only $35.00 per submission, and you can upload a pdf (make sure it is secured), directly after payment. You can send the tutorial by snail mail, but you can't do both. If you send your pdf file, make sure you disable your pop-up blocker for this site first.

It doesn't take long at all to get the hang of it. You have "working cases" - claims that are started but not paid for; "open cases" - claims that are paid for and submitted, but haven't been registered by the CO yet; and "closed cases". Those that have been registered and you have been sent certificates for. You can review any "case" at any time from your personal page after login, and your closed cases from the "my applications" link, also on your personal page.

I hope you take the time to at visit the US copyright Office website. The information is priceless. Other valuable information on the subject can also be found at http://www.sarahfeingold.com/
Comments and questions are always welcome - I'm not a lawyer, but I'll try to answer you as best I can. If you get really hung-up, and you truly think you need a lawyer, make sure they are fluent in "Copyright Law", not just patents, and trademarks - different animals all together.

Thanks for listening....

♥wrap happy,
♥Bobbi

http://facebook.com/BobbiMaw
http://facebook.com/MyWiredImagination
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." ~Albert Pine

Certified Handmade on Artfire :))

2010-11-24T18:29:00.003-05:00

MyWiredImagination

Handmade Unique Gifts

Early Black Friday Sale

2010-11-20T13:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Saturday All

►►►SALE!!! Get a head start on Black Friday and your holiday shopping!!! Now through Friday Nov 26 Midnight EST get 20% off everything and FREE SHIPPING!!►►► Sale includes everything in all 3 shops – Tutorials, Complete Kits, Faceted stones, and all finished work.

Shop early, avoid the rush and headaches…..
http://mywiredjewelrytutorials.artfire.com
http://mywiredimagination.artfire.com
http://mywiredimagination.etsy.com

Shop Happy!!
Bobbi

New Tutorial Release - Crystal Hoop Earrings aka "Honey I Shrunk the Bracelets

2010-10-17T21:01:00.009-04:00

These wonderful hoop earrings evolved from my Swarovski Crystal Bracelet design. They can be made as big or as tiny as you like – I’ve “shrunk” them down small enough for a nose ring and of course they started as a bracelet :). This is a high-level beginner to intermediate project. The project is not complicated, but does assume you are familiar with; basic wire handling skills, such as cleaning, straightening wire, turning a basic loop, and completing a basic binding wrap.
The tutorial is available in both my Etsy Shop and my new Artfire Tutorial and Supplies Shop. I hope you get a chance to check it out - while you're there check out other fun designs you may have missed like the Knot a Ring, and Cuffs and Vines Earrings.
♥Wrap Happy,
Bobbi

My Wired's Jewelry Tutorials

2010-10-11T06:55:00.004-04:00

Good morning all! I've opened a new home on Artfire for my jewelry tutorials and supplies, AND having a grand opening sale :) Now through Oct 16, 2010 everything in this shop is 15% off.

Visit MyWiredJewelryTutorials's ArtFire Shop

wrap happy,
Bobbi

Perri Jackson in Florida - Actually Twice :)

2010-09-04T18:16:00.006-04:00

Hi all - just wanted to let you know - Perri Jackson aka Shaktipaj Designs will be visiting me for just about a week, next week in fact, to get ready for our classes in Oct In Orlando. We plan to play at Buttons Bangles, and Beads on Corey Ave, St Pete Beach, Sat Sept 11th and Monday Sept 13th. Stop by, say hi, and get a sneak peak at some of the designs we are teaching in Orlando. We will not be teaching classes these 2 days, but just providing a little eye-candy to drool on. :)) Also, Perri and I would both love to get to meet some of our internet friends in person!!

Plus don't forget, there is still time and room to sign up for the Orlando classes. Check put www.beadngemsinfl.com/wire-school.html for more information, and to download the registration information and form.
Hope to see ya soon!
Wrap happy,
Bobbi

Endless Summer

2010-08-07T15:45:00.000-04:00

Endless Summer

Curated By: GemsCrystalsA...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Jewelry

In The Pink

2010-08-07T15:40:00.002-04:00

In The Pink

Curated By: MyWiredImagin...

ArtFire.com

Vintage Fashion

Nose Rings aka Honey I Shrunk the Bracelets

2010-08-06T19:42:00.002-04:00

Nose Rings aka Honey I Shrunk the Bracelets
Originally uploaded by BobbiWired ~ MyWiredImagination

A friend on another forum really liked how tiny these hoops were getting, and it put the thought in my head, that maybe they would work as nose rings too. Soooooo here they are. Shae had gladly volunteered to be my guinea pig to see if they are comfortable to wear and fasten. I'll keep ya posted :)

♥wrap happy,
♥Bobbi

http://facebook.com/BobbiMaw
http://facebook.com/MyWiredImagination
"If at first you don't succeed, do it like your Mother told you to." ~Unknown

Food For Thought......

2010-07-22T16:24:00.003-04:00

Eni posts that Sueduan has been banned from Jewelry lessons for her recently exposed behavior. Forgive me if I don't take anything from JL on face value anymore, so I did a search for SueDuan. Not only is she NOT banned, but her teachers' application including every bit of her personal information is now totally visible to God and Country.

Don't get me wrong, I find Sueduan's behavior reprehensible, but to broadcast her information like this? Wow - Oversight? Hmmmmm Funny that it would show up like this just now. I can't see how this is a glitch, as I was already logged in as myself, BobbiWired - I don't have admin privileges - so why is this visible? I couldn't find mine or anyone's else's information like this (though I didn't search all 30,000 of you; you might want to check that for yourself). Look closely; while I have some information blocked out in this screen shot, it is not blocked out if you look at it yourself. JL says they will never share any of your personal information - this looks like sharing to me.

One last very important point - This was her teacher's application! What this means is, Eni was fully aware she was intending to post Corra's work as a tutorial from the beginning, and she didn't question or discourage that. Respect for copyright, and protecting her community members? Hmmmmmmm

Do you see YOUR work here?

2010-07-21T23:20:00.015-04:00

Most of you in the jewelry world are aware of recent events surrounding Corra's Pipa Knot, and the subsequent infringement posted on JL for sale. Only now is Jewelry Lessons Admin looking into the situation by posting a LOCKED thread on JL asking for facts. http://www.jewelrylessons.com/question/we-need-facts

They asked for facts? Okay - pictures speak louder than words.....

Corra's Pipa Knot this woman is teaching........

The translation is hard to read, but she talks about seeing this on the net on a US site before teaching it.

NaturalJewels Indian Bracelet.....

I can't post any more of Tangocats' tutorial - They posted the whole work in the blog - I won't post the link for this either, I think it's worse than awful.

How about Athereal Minx's Octopus?

Eni herself isn't even safe....
Do I really need more?

Blast From The Past Series..... Part Two

2010-05-22T17:14:00.011-04:00

Going back to the very beginning, bangle style bracelets were the very first thing I ever learned to wrap more than 20 years ago; what actually started my addiction to wire.

At the time, I was heavy into leather work and Native American style jewelry. I made leather and bone jewelry; custom saddlebags for motorcycles; and yes leather whips upon request. The tooling and sewing were taking an awful toll on my hands, and I needed a new creative outlet. A very dear friend, who owned the bead shop I haunted at the time, suggested wire wrapping. My hands were so bad, I told her, I didn't think I could do it. I was seriously drawn to it, but it was several months after her initial suggestion, that I decided to give it a try.

She (Millie), sat down with me one night after the shop had closed, and showed me how to make the basic bangle. I still have the very first one here somewhere in my stash. The bracelets above were the next ones I made on my own (the Labradorite on the left was second - the Cloisonne' on the right my third). The Scarab bracelet in the center was the first attempt at branching out beyond the basics. I was hooked!!! The wire was not near as hard on my hands as I thought it would be - I doubt I would have cared or stopped if it was - I was in love! The Cloisonne bracelet by the way, my Mother snagged as soon as she saw it - she was my biggest fan and snagged most all my "firsts" of any design :)).

Those first few months I couldn't make enough of them, and after wearing one to work, everyone seemed to want one. I was averaging 10 to 15 bracelets a week, just for the people in the office where I worked.

The only drawback, was the way Millie had taught me to construct them was extremely difficult. Planning took soooo mmuch time, to get the right number of beads, and the wire just right to get the bracelet length right. Those of you who have my Swarovski Bracelet Tutorial, know I don't construct them that way anymore. The modifications didn't happen overnight - I experimented with many, many different construction techniques before I settled on the one I currently teach. Please don't get the wrong idea - there is nothing wrong with the traditional way to make them, I just thought there had to be a better, prettier, and definitely easier way. Sadly Millie has long since passed away - I would have loved to show her how the basic bangle had evolved.

Though I'm definitely a "ring girl", the bracelet is still one of my favorites to teach. The way I teach the construction now, it's almost impossible to get the length wrong, and if you do, easy peazy to fix it.

I even experimented with tension setting a faceted stone in this style. Definitely one of the pieces I ran across that I'll be revisiting.....

Well I've bent your ear enough for today, so I'm off to get some "chores" done LOL, and hopefully get some wrap time in!

Thanks for stopping by - Take care and.....
Wrap Happy,
Bobbi

Blast From The Past Series..... Part One

2010-05-13T19:13:00.003-04:00

Some of you may know, I recently did a major revamp in my house, and moved my jewelry workspace into my "bird-room". In the process of organizing and moving everything, I ran across a lot of wire work pieces I hadn't seen in many years, and had forgotten all about.
That revamp lasted all of a month, and I had to rearrange it all again. You see my roommates' folks want to move down with us, so I gave them my bedroom, and moved my things into the bird-room...... not all that bad, the room is huge. In the process, I found more "antiques" :))

Most of the pieces I swore would never see the light of day again. Then I got to thinking of a lot of the new wire workers I've met over the years, and the comments I've heard. "Your work is great, I wish mine were that good." "I just make stuff for myself, it won't ever be good enough to show or sell." There have been oodles of other comments, but you get the idea.

I've decided that maybe showing some of my older pieces, wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. You see very few, if any, wire artists pop into existence fully skilled. I certainly didn't. My passion for wire started over 20 years ago, and continues to grow and develop everyday. So.... from time to time, as time allows (I'm probably already in hot water that the Cuffs and Vines tutorial isn't finished yet), I will photograph and post some pictures of my older work, in the hopes that maybe it will inspire a "newbie" wire artist with little self-confidence to keep working at their craft, and not get discouraged.
If wire is what you love, NEVER give up, no matter what. That's advice I'm going to follow for myself as well.

These are some of the very first pieces I did - over 20 years old for some of them. I haven't found the very first piece yet, but it's here somewhere :)) hideous, but it's here...... So far I've found more than 300 pieces - some of them I cringe when I look at them, but others not so much. There are even quite a few I plan on revisiting *grin*. Most of these I had no clue what I was doing. I'd sit at my bench many, many nights putting pliers to wire to see what I could come up with. I desperately wanted to learn wire wrapping, and since no one really taught it, I had to experiment on my own. The Labradorite pendant was what I felt was my first true "success", though I look at it now and cringe at the tool marks.

The Amethyst Crystal on the right side is from the first wire wrapping book I bought, about 1995, "Moods in Wire" by Ed Sinclair. It's an awesome book for beginners. Mr. Sinclair is a true Master in our field; is and always be my friend and idol :)).

I suppose I'd better get back to my tutorials - no rest the wicked......... :))

See ya soon....................
♥wrap happy,
♥Bobbi
http://facebook.com/BobbiMaw
http://facebook.com/MyWiredImagination
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." ~Albert Pine

LuLu.com You're Fired!!!

2009-12-14T09:45:00.006-05:00

It's such a shame - I really liked you. Tutorial projects were easy to create - you gave me a really pretty storefront with lots of extras - I had tons of cool projects planned - and Best of all my customers could have instant downloads and/or order a printed copy - all for reasonable creator fees.........
Then you got greedy - you added a surcharge of $1.49 per project if any editing was done to the project. and when I didn't need to edit, YOU put a password on ALL my tutorials behind my back - I didn't find this out until a customer wrote to me telling me they purchased a tutorial and couldn't open it without a password.
The only way to get the password off?? You guessed it - upload a new copy of the pdf's - which of course would count as editing, and bingo - charged $1.49 per project! All attempts at getting real customer service help have gone unanswered. Oh you answered the first time - repeating almost word for word my questions about the passwords but providing no real help with the issue. It has now been a month since these problems started (I've written to you 6 times), and you continue to ignore me.
So? YOU'RE FIRED!!!!! Adios - Farewell - See Ya! I have deleted all my tutorials from your site - or should I say tried to - You put them as retired, which I'm sure you will count as editing, thereby charging me $1.49 for each deletion.
I'm sure there is someone else out there who will treat me better, and have real customer service, that actually cares, and provides the services they promise. Be careful LuLu - if you're treating all your customers this way, I imagine you will get fired a lot!!
BuhBye LuLu

I'm Starting To Feel Cursed......

2009-12-09T13:19:00.007-05:00

This year has been really, really rough - one set back after another, after another. If it wasn't problems with the house, it was problems with my work. After that; relationship problems, major health issues, and financial issues - okay with that one, I'm sure just about everyone feels cursed.

Then there are the day to day curses - plumbing problems, computer viruses, car problems, and squabbling kids (no my kids are not the naked 2-legged versions - your point is?)

For weeks, I have been working on and off on a killer pair of earrings - 13.6 carats of London Blue Topaz - planning out the design, picking just the right complimentary stones - Black Spinel, and beautiful shades of Blue Tourmaline , finding quiet time to work, meticulously analyzing every turn of my pliers so as not to make a mistake. I scrutinized them under a magnifying glass when they were done, and agonized over getting just the right picture of them.

This morning, I just couldn't leave well enough alone - I just knew I could manage a better shot of them. In setting up the shot............. I dropped one on my terrazzo floor. Yes I can hear you groaning, and there is no need for me to repeat the barrage of expletives that followed.

As luck would have it - or the curse - it landed pavilion down, and suffered the very smallest of chips on the very point of the back of the stone. Small that is, only if you're not an up-tight, over-worked, stressed, anal retentive perfectionist. The chip is not visible from the front - or the back when wearing them - but I still see it and - and yes I'm cursed.

thanks for commiserating with me.....
♥Bobbi

"Reverend Jorgensen: Mr. Monk, if you would be so kind as to reattach it's head. Here's some adhesive. Some witchgrass. Some coltsfoot. Ah. Mandrake root. Smidgen more. All I need now is the doll.
Monk: Okay, one second.
Reverend Jorgensen: It doesn't have to be perfect.
Monk: Almost done.
Reverend Jorgensen: It's symbolic, really.
Monk: There we go.
Reverend Jorgensen: The forces of darkness are gathering.
Monk: Hold on.
Reverend Jorgensen: It doesn't have to be perfect!
Monk: Wait a second.
Reverend Jorgensen: It doesn't have to be perfect.
Monk: One second, almost done.
Reverend Jorgensen: Doesn't...
Monk: Wait one second.
Natalie: Mr. Monk, please, just let him finish!
Monk: Hold on...
Reverend Jorgensen: She's suffering, Mr. Monk. It doesn't have to be... okay, that's close enough" ~ Mr Monk and the Voodoo Curse

Post One Promote One.....

2009-10-22T15:57:00.006-04:00

Hey Fans Of My Wired Imagination - Join me in Post - Promote - Share
Just one little catch :D
Promote fellow handmade artists/friends. Show off your work and the work of your friends and fellow artists.
You can post as many different items as you like, but you must be a fan, and for every item you post, you have to promote a different artist/item in return......
Promote HandMade - Post - Promote - Share
You can post to discussions or to the wall with the title "Post One - Promote One"
http://Facebook.com/MyWiredImagination

thank you for visiting.....

~Bobbi
http://facebook.com/BobbiMaw
http://facebook.com/MyWiredImagination
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." ~Bhuddha

Securing Tutorial PDFs

2009-10-08T11:45:00.004-04:00

I purchase a lot of tutorials both here and out on the WWW, and it never ceases to amaze me, the number of tutorials that aren't secured in any way. It's sad to have to think about it, but in this day and age, it has to be considered.
Why? If your tutorial is not secured, anyone having a copy of it can easily lift both photos and text and place them in a document of their own. Now I know what you're thinking - "I have a copyright notice at the end of my tutorial, so I'm protected." No you're not! These days, a simple copyright statement is not near enough. Anyone with little to no moral values, can and will swipe your content.
Now if they are really determined, there are programs out there that will get past the security by brute force - but why make it easy for them?
There are 2 wonderful inexpensive options out there for you. (Probably a lot of options, but these 2 are my favorites.)

First (and free) is OpenOffice -http://www.openoffice.org/ This is a wonderful alternative to Microsoft Word. It will even allow you to open a completed Word document in Open office, and retain your Word formatting. To create a PDF, you simply "export to PDF' which opens a wonderful host of options - how the tutorial is viewed; the ability to change the quality percentage to reduce the file size if needed; and add very specific security features. They (Open Office) has great support features to help with any questions about the program you might have. One of the nicest features is the ability to set the pages at "continuous" so the reader sees the information flow, rather than "jump" from page to page. They can view, say the bottom of one page and the top of the next page at the same time, which helps in viewing a complex set of steps.

Second is Deskpdf by Docudeskhttp://www.docudesk.com/desk_pdf_product_home.shtml This one is not free, but for $25.00 is not bad either. This one I consider my "quick and dirty" PDf converter. It has the wonderful option to sit on your desktop, and convert ANY FILE to PDF. It's quite useful even outside the primary objective of converting a tutorial. The security features in this one are a bit higher than OpenOffice, and a little more intuitive, but it does lack the option to set the PDF to continuous - the pages automatically flip to the next page, when you scroll down to the bottom.

I've had several conversations with other artists, that really don't see the need for securing their document; but you put a lot of work into creating your tutorials and sending them out in the world unsecured is asking someone to steal your hard work.
Thanks for listening :D - if you have any questions about these 2 programs, just holler - I'm always happy to help.

~Bobbi
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." ~Bhuddha

2 Hinged cages and a Locket - Tutorial

2009-09-28T07:26:00.007-04:00

After 2 computer crashes, countless re-writes, and a heavy teaching schedule, I finally finished my newest tutorial - 2 Hinged Cages and a Locket. It grew much larger than I originally planned, with 3 FULLY ILLUSTRATED variations. I seriously considered separating out the Locket variation as a stand alone tutorial, but the "leave it in" part of my brain won the toss.

This tutorial teaches you step by step how to create a basic hinged cage, with or without beaded embellishments. This is a wonderfully versatile design to hold a favorite stone, maybe a love note, or a treasured trinket. Once it is on a chain, it is virtually impossible to come open by accident.
As a bonus this tutorial also includes 2 COMPLETE step by step variations including a crossed wire and locket style cage.
The owner of a local bead shop showed me the mechanics of the hinge close to 15 years ago. A very dear friend of mine, Master Wire Worker Ed Sinclair, created a published one in 1994. He has generously given me permission to share my versions of the basic cage and a crossed wire technique that he developed years ago.

This is an advanced level tutorial - it assumes you are familiar with basic wire techniques and improvising when needed. It is 28 pages with 67 steps and over 100 crisp, clear photographs. The file size is 2.3MB.

Don't be intimidated by the length and number of steps - This tutorial covers 3 FULLY illustrated pieces. While this is an advanced level tutorial, intermediate wire workers with a solid foundation of basic wire wrapping skills can, with patience, complete this design.

Thank you for visiting....... Bobbi

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." ~Bhuddha

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line Be Seen, Be Seen, Be Seen PART 3

2009-09-24T09:45:00.003-04:00

Okay - class?, class?, class? - oops sorry, had a Sister Mary Elephant flashback.

Before I move on, I’d like to share a small experiment I did recently using elements from the first 2 Be Seen articles. You did read them didn’t you?
I recently put 4 photos up in my Flickr account – 2 of the Mens' Diamond Ring, and 2 of the Double Swinging Topaz pendant (both are in the gallery here). One each (ring and pendant) photos, I just added to my jewelry groups I belong to. The other set I added to my groups AND added them to Diigo, Mr Wong, Delicious, and Stumbleupon. The view differences were staggering. For the ring photo 1 (heavily bookmarked) the views were 134 for one day, while the un-bookmarked photo 2 received only 43 views. The same for the pendant photo 1 – bookmarked, the views were 271, and photo 2 received only 15 views. Social bookmarking DOES work.

Google Tools

Now that you've added your work in every social bookmark you can, (http://mywiredimagination.blogspot.com/2009/10/getting-your-work-noticed-on-line-be.html ) and started a blog (http://mywiredimagination.blogspot.com/2009/09/getting-your-work-noticed-on-line-be.html ), now it's time to for more tools to get you into searches, and see how well things are working, AND see what needs to be changed to be more effective.

First you’ll need to get a Google account if you don’t already have one. Now before you start groaning about having another e-mail account (I can hear you), aside from being about the best e-mail service on the planet (no I don’t work for them), it is loaded with simple, but very useful tools. Gmail is free, and though it may take a little getting used its well worth it.

1) You have the ability to enable POP3 settings (without having to pay extra like Yahoo), so that you can still use Outlook, and Outlook Express mail.
2) You can have all your other mail accounts forwarded to Gmail, and access them all from one location, and set up filters and folders to easily keep track.
3) You have labels and filters, you set up so your mail is automatically sorted and labeled, and be color coded. Corra helped to put this one to the best use, as I have it set up to sort my sales, and PayPal receipts.
4) There is built in chat with other Gmail contacts, with one click…
5) A one click vacation responder with personal message…
There is a search mail function that actually works well, and tons of other features.
2 of the most useful features (I bet you thought I wasn’t going to get to it) are Google Alerts and Google Base

Google Alerts "http://www.google.com/alerts"
I have igoogle as my homepage, so to get to alerts, I just click on the “my account” link at the top right. Underneath your profile and personal settings are the tabs to access all sorts of useful goodies besides Alerts and Base.
Adsense -- Blogger -- igoogle -- Talk -- Docs -- Orkut -- YouTube -- Gmail -- Picassa Web Albums -- Adwords -- Groups -- Web History
If you click on “more under try something new”, you have a full page of tools worth checking out.

Once you are on your account page, click on alerts. For the most part you will want to choose “comprehensive” to get the most information from your alert, but you can set the alert for specifics, such as news.

Now you enter your search terms – You’ll want to create a new alert for each term. Set up alerts for your name; your user ID – all of them if you have more than one; your shop name, again all of them if you have more than one; your products, especially if they are very specific, such as the name of a tutorial or a very unique design to YOU (try not to use just the term ‘tutorial’, you’ll be flooded with all kinds of miss-information); the title of your blog(s), the address of your blog(s); your username at every site you’re registered at, or have an account with such as http://www.facebook.com/people/Bobbi-Maw

There are no limits to how many alerts you can create, so ‘cover all your bases’. Set up a folder for “Google alerts”, and color code it so it doesn’t get lost in your mail.

Not all returns will pertain to you, but those sometimes provide useful info too, in helping to refine your alerts, and see what people are searching for. I set my alerts to once a day – that’s once a day for EACH alert, which depending on how many alerts you have, will determine how much info is returned. Most alerts will show what folks were searching for, and where they finally landed in their search.

Google Base "http://www.google.com/base"
Now to help move you along, there is Google Base, a free service for submitting all kinds of content for Google to host. You manually put your products and info into Google search engines. You can post items one at a time; use a data feed by uploading a spreadsheet or XML file which allows you to uploaded multiple items at one time; or for the techno-savvy there is API.

All 3 options have wonderful, very detailed instructions.

If you already have an Etsy shop – http://letsets.com has a free Google Base formatter. You just enter your user name or ID number and click “fetch my items”. It returns a complete list of all your shop items. At the bottom of the list, is the link to save the XML file to your computer, and even a link right there to take you back to Google Base to input your whole shop into Google.You can set it to renew on a monthly basis, or delete and re-create it, it if you have a lot of changes in your shop.

Now if you've stuck with me through all this go have a beer, cup of hot tea, or play at recess – you earned it.
Thanks for listening….SEE ya soon...........
~Bobbi
http://MyWiredImagination.etsy.com
http://www.KarmaWired.blogspot.com

Meet Artist Gordon Uyehara - Precious Metal Clay

2009-09-19T12:33:00.003-04:00

Sunday September 20, 2009
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST

Where:http://www.livevideo.com/liveshow/The-Jewelry-Connection
Join The Jewelry connection for a live interview with guest independent jewelry artist Gordon Uyehara of Hawaii! Gordon is a well loved and highly revered teacher and designer in Precious Metal Clay.
From Mona Hair - Jewelry Connection "His interview will be incredibly informative and his review of work will no doubt be a marvelous experience. It's an honor to welcome Gordon to the broadcast room and I'm looking forward with great anticipation to sharing this experience with you!"

Where:http://www.livevideo.com/liveshow/The-Jewelry-Connection
Time: 12pm PST 2pm CST or 3pm EST depending on where you are in the USA; if you're in Europe show time is 9pm except in the UK where it is 8pm

If you create a user ID at this site you may real time text to the show and even join us with your own web cam if you so desire! Nothing at all is required to simply join the broadcast room and watch the show!

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet world renowned Precious Metal Clay Artist Gordon Uyehara. Don't miss it! See ya there :))

~Bobbi
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." ~Bhuddha

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line Be Seen Be Seen Be Seen PART 2

2009-09-13T09:39:00.002-04:00

There's lots of tips and tricks I've tried, too much for just one or two articles, so here's is another 'installment' - Hope you find it useful.

Did you finish all the suggestions from the first article? No??? What ever have you been doing? snicker - sorry - ahem - There's a little more to Blogs and Flickr, I wanted to mention....

For those of you just starting out, if you don't already have a blog - Get One? Blogspot.com makes it incredibly easy to create one - there is a nice selection of standard templates, and tons of help and how-to guides for creating one. They are easily updated when you get brave enough to mess with the html code...And before you start groaning (I can hear you), if I can do it, anyone can! Now there was a time I swore I would never have one, and couldn't for the life of me see the point - Now I have 2. Aside from showing off what I'm up to jewelry wise, they're fun and a great "release" of sorts.

When you start getting your work "out there", people want to know what you're working on, how you made it (what inspired you). When people start to find your blog more and more, they become more interested. You can even attract followers - folks that like what you're writing about, and want to keep up to date. Talk about your shop you have, Etsy, Artfire, or whatever - do a post about the latest craft fair you went to and/or were in - a great new piece you just struggled to make and now your tickled pink with. Every now and then, throw a personal post in there - not the new sexy nitey you got to wear for hubby, you won't like the followers you get with that - but say - What you got or made yourself for your birthday - A great holiday to Australia you went on - Your roommates hilarious attempt to bring a motorcycle home in the car. Something that adds a feel for who you are, what you're like - a more personal touch to the jewelry they are going to go buy in your shop. And yes people become interested in your work, and want to buy it - or ask do you have a tutorial for it. That's exactly how I got started selling tutorials on-line BTW. I have taught in person for years, but it wasn't until my blog that interest in tutorials came about - Well that and the encouragement of a very dear friend.

When you write your posts, make sure you add photos (blogspot does most of the work on this one too), but try not to over load it, remember some of your readers might be on dial-up. I try to keep the number somewhere around 3 or 5. The odd number comes from my art and photography classes, many years ago - It helps keep the piece balanced and pleasing to look at. If you write just a short post, use just one photo, place it to one side, and wrap the text around it.

One of the biggest things to remember about adding photos, is to make sure, they are crisp, clear, and well focused. You don't know who's going to look at them, and while they may look okay on a small screen, you have to think about if someone is going to look at them from a bigger screen computer, or if they are going to blow it up to get a better look.

Once you have a blog and Flickr started - tie the 2 together. Blogspot makes it so easy to add a slide show from Flickr. All you have to do is go into your 'dashboard', click 'layout', select 'add a gadget', enter your Flickr user name, click 'save' - poof you're done. That wasn't so painful, was it? If you already have an Etsy shop, you can add your 'Etsy Mini' in a similar fashion. Artfire has some great promo buttons, that unlike Etsy, actually link back to YOUR shop.

Both Flickr and Blogspot have wonderful widgets to add to your Flickr and Blog to provide more information, or to be entertaining, just try not to get TOO carried away - (I'm still working on that one BTW)......

see ya soon.....I'll Be Back with more :)

~Bobbi

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line - Be Seen, Be Seen, Be Seen

2009-08-01T17:18:00.000-04:00

While a couple of articles have been written on this already - I thought they left out a lot - So here's my 'stash' of useful goodies and thoughts...
Whether you have a shop (or two) on-line, a blog, or just pictures of great jewelry you make - none of it means anything if people don't see it.
Here lately in my own efforts to get my work "out there", I've ran across a lot of ideas, tips, and tricks for trying to 'get seen' - Some work, others, not so well.
The first is a collection of what's called "social bookmarking". Bookmarking services (free), keep track of your bookmarks on-line (useful in itself in the event of a computer crash), but in my opinion, under-utilized in promoting yourself.
The light went on for me when I got an Artfire shop. It comes with wonderful 'shop stats'. Besides showing how many hits you've gotten - it also shows the referring URL - where and what someone was looking at, when they came to your shop/blog/whatever. There are great widgets you can put on your blog, and Flickr that will provide similar stats. Flagcounter, and Feedit's LiveTraffic are 2 of my favorites.
Addthis.com provides free code to add the "Share Button" to blogs, Facebook, MySpace, and stand alone web sites to make it really easy for others to share your work too.
Back to the bookmarking - This is the 'short list' of what's out there - Some work, others' don't, and some may not pertain to what you're trying to accomplish, but you can try them out for yourselves. - I have an account (free) in about 90% of these, and I'll go through and highlight some of my favorites. You can 'Google' any of these to get the actual URL, and a short description.....
Some of these you'll notice aren't exactly 'social bookmarking, but they perform a similar function...The idea being to get SEEN... When you set up an account, make sure you put links in your profile of everywhere your work can be found and/or purchased.

Ask - Furl - Reddit -
Backflip - Google Bookmarks - Segnalo -
BallHype - Kaboodle - Simpy -
Bebo - Link-a-Gogo - Slashdot -
Blinklist - LinkedIn - Spurl -
Blogmarks - Live - STUMBLEUPON -
Delicious - Magnolia - Tailrank -
Digg - Mister Wong - Technorati -
Diigo - Mixx - Twitter -
- Multiply - Yahoo Bookmarks -
Fark - myAOL - Yahoo Buzz -
Faves (Bluedot) - MySpace - Flickr -
Favorites - Netvouz - Yardbarker -
FeedMeLinks - Newsvine - Yahoo - MyWeb -
FriendFeed - Propeller - YouTube -
Flixya - BlogLog

Now you're probably wondering how social bookmarking can help you - Here's how most of them work - You bookmark a site, photo, item, whatever, and most offer the option for a short description and TAGS, so that your bookmarks are search-able by other users. Be as thorough on your tags as you possible can, and make sure when the option comes up, that you set your bookmarks "public". (Don't worry, most have an option to set each bookmark as public or private). One of your primary goals is then to bookmark YOURSELF. Now you don't want to bookmark just yourself, you'll turn some people off thinking that's all you're are doing is advertising.
Bookmark your friends sites and offerings, artists you admire, wonderful stuff you run across on the web - you surf, you know you do, use it. After a while (a very short time on some) other users will see your style, and tastes, and frequent your bookmarks more often.
My favorite, and according to my stats in Artfire, one of the most used - is STUMBLEUPON. It has free toolbars to add to your internet browsers, and a nicely laid out account format - You can even acquire fans :). Stumble yourself, your newest listing, latest post on your blog - they will get seen! Stumble is wonderful!
Delicious, Diigo, Mr Wong, Magnolia, BlogLog, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, rank close seconds. Delicious, Diigo, and Mr Wong, also have browser toolbars available.
Flickr is under-utilized too in my opinion. There are millions of photo fanatics on the web - use them. When you have an account, (and I posted more info on this at http://www.jewelrylessons.com/jewel/node/7967 ) don't just include photos of your jewelry. Include pics of your animals, a great wedding you went to, beach photos, your kitchen remodeling project etc, and tag really, really well!! Someone searching for kitty cat pictures for example, finds your photos of your babies, and 9 times out of 10 will look at some of your other photos. They see your pics of your newest works, and while they weren't intending to shop searching Flickr, your pieces peaked their interest, and they will look for links in your profile, to see where you sell. Before you think that's all to Flickr, search out any and all groups, (there's even one for JewelryLessons.com hint, hint) that you can contribute related pictures to..
Here's an example of what I mean - I love and raise Parrots and Lories - I joined every group I could find related to them, from Pet Birds, to Lorie-ographers, and posted pics of some of my babies. I actually get people from jewelry un-related groups to come and look at my work. They came to look to see what other great bird pics I have, and end up seeing my jewelry. One woman from a Lorie group, made her way to my Etsy shop - Bingo!

Don't be afraid to join jewelry groups either, even as a 'newbie', they can be a wonderful source of encouragement and ideas, and again, your work is making it's way around the net. People mark their favorites, and someone else looks at their favorites, and marks some of their favorites, and so on, and so on.

One more before I go - (I know you're thinking you're reading a revised version of War and Peace) - Don't forget TWITTER - Now again don't just post sales or listings, people will tend to get annoyed, and stop following you. Make new friends, keep up with current ones, subtly keep them up to date on what you're working on...

As I run across new outlets and ideas, I'll come back and share them here - I couldn't go through all of what I've tried in one article, you'all might fall asleep :))

Thank you for visiting.........
~Bobbi
"Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live. "~Mark Twain

NEW Tutorial Release ~~~ Ornate Double-Terminated Focal-Clasp

2009-07-28T13:45:00.009-04:00

Hi All - Just finished my newest tutorial, and am really excited about it! The primary project in this tutorial is a progression of my Swarovski Crystal Bracelet. It assumes you either have that tutorial, or are familiar with that style of bracelet. Only the modifications to the ends of the bracelets to fasten to the Cab Top Clasp are covered, not the entire Swarovski Crystal Bracelet tutorial.
When finished the Cab Top creates a nearly INVISIBLE clasp.

This tutorial teaches you step by step the techniques needed to create the Cab-Top Invisible Clasp, along with variations that include the Multi-Strand Bracelet, the Watch-Top Invisible Clasp, and the Ornate Focal Clasp for necklaces. This is an advanced tutorial, though if you’re comfortable in the basic skills set, the steps are detailed enough a patient intermediate level wire worker can accomplish these projects.
I hope you get a chance to check it out! Also available in my Shops - a Bracelet Tutorial Package for both the Swarovski Crystal Bracelet and the Ornate Double-Terminated Focal/Clasp. Purchasing them together saves you 25%!

Many, many thanks to Perri J ShaktipajDesigns for her continued support, friendship, and wisdom.

Background art in the cover photo, courtesy of Sabrina.

Thank you for stopping by.....................Bobbi
"Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced." ~Tolstoy

Where's The Mens Cab Ring Tutorial

2009-06-25T21:21:00.004-04:00

I recently posted a new tutorial Mens Cab Ring. It has since been pulled from publication on all my sites. It was reported to me, that someone I have respected for a long time felt my design looked to close to theirs. While the text and images and construction is my own, in deference to this person I have removed the tutorial from sale. I felt I developed improved techniques for constructing a ring of this type. The text that I wrote and the pictures I took reflected these improvements in techniques.

While I realize this is a disappointment to some of you, I felt this was the correct thing to do. I may apply these same improved techniques to another project, and will certainly let everyone know when that happens. I appreciate your inquiries, and support.

thank you for visiting.....................
Bobbi

“Be humble, for the worst thing in the world is of the same stuff as you; be confident, for the stars are of the same stuff as you.” ~ Nicholai Velimirovic

Seriously Addicted - Thank you Miss Perri

2009-05-11T12:38:00.013-04:00

I have been seriously addicted to Perri's (Shaktipaj) wickedly wonderful wired beads for a long time - Come to find out addiction has been re-defined with Perri's newest tutorial Doric Column Beads.

I got the tutorial as soon as it was listed on Etsy, and ended up being up ALL night - I just couldn't stop. I spent several hours feverishly going through my bead stash, and there is probably another 10 combos laid out on my bench.

The silver and faceted amethyst was the first, and I need to work on my oxidizing skills since that's a fairly new avenue for me - I'm a gold girl, but am drifting to the dark side .

My favorite (so far) is the 3rd one (1st photo) that I did. The pictures don't show it very well but I used one of the newest Swarovski colors, 4mm Fire Opal and 2mm Crystal AB - the bead is barely 1/2 inch long.

The last one I did is in mixed metals and Labradorite drops. I need to work on that idea some more since it didn't turn out exactly as it was in my head. I was aiming for a 'sea-anemone' look, and though I like it, and its close, its not quite there yet.

Thank you thank you Miss Perri!!!!!

Thank you for visiting.............
~Bobbi

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end." ~Ursula K. Le Guin

Perri's Celtic Braid

2009-05-05T09:27:00.002-04:00

This has to be one of the most satisfying projects I've done. - Perri's Celtic Braid Pendant Tutorial - I really could kick myself for not trying it sooner!!

The stone in the pendant is a 20mm by 15mm faceted Alexandrite, and not the stone I had started with. I started with a standard cab, but when I was forming the braid to the stone, I realized there was a wonky section in my braid, and it wouldn't play nice. After cutting out the bad section, the remainder fit this stone perfectly. I tried something different for the bail - Perri's Mobius Strip Earrings weave - the jury is still out on whether I like it or not. :)) I like the weave, I'm just not sure whether its fighting with the rest of the pendant.

There are a few boo boos here and there, so I can't sell it - oooohhh weeellll, guess I just have to keep it for myself. :)) Alexandrite is my favorite faceted stone, but a real pain to photograph with the color changes.
I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out - Thank you Miss Perri - I couldn't have done it without you!!!

Thank you for visiting..............

~Bobbi

"You're not a failure if you don't make it. You're a success because you tried." ~ Susan Jeffers

Corra's Rosabella Tutorial Pendants

2009-05-01T21:26:00.006-04:00

These pendants were made from Corra's wonderful Rosabella Pendant Tutorial. They were so much fun to do, and quite addicting. I coiled the wire first - 30g Fine Silver over a 26g core - and added had-set 4mm and 5mm faceted Alexandrite in the centers.

Alexandrite is my favorite faceted stone, though it is a real pain to photograph with the color changes.

Many many thanks for sharing your wonderful designs Corra!!

Thank you for visiting....
Bobbi

"Dreams come a size too big, so we can grow into them" ~Josie Bissett

Lesson in Patience Dressed Up for Dinner at Perri's

2009-05-01T21:13:00.003-04:00

Sometimes it pays to stay up til 4:30 in the morning .
This is the ring from my tutorial Lesson in Patience Prong Ring Tutorial - dressed up with a variation of Perri's (Shaktipaj) Periwinkle Bead Cap Tutorial .
The design hit me after seeing an antique dinner ring in a nearby antique mall - (I will try to get a picture of it to post). I used 28 and 30g GF wire, and 2mm and 4mm Swarovski Crystals.

Still playing with the combination of Perri's Periwinkle and my Lesson tutorials. ~~In this pendant - the center stone is an 8mm faceted Olive Peridot CZ with 2mm and 4mm Swarovski crystals set in 14K GF wire.

Thank you for visiting.....
~Bobbi

"If you found in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded". ~ Maya Angelou

New Tutorial - Lesson in Patience Ring and the Atom Pendant

2009-04-06T07:58:00.011-04:00

Hi all -
I've just published a new tutorial - Its actually 2 designs in one - A solitaire style prong ring, and a prong pendant.....

I hope you enjoy the designs, and they delight and inspire you...

Tutorial available in both my Etsy and Artfire shops.

thanks for visiting.......................
Bobbi

"If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told you to." ~Unknown

Story Teller Link Swap - Links So Far...

2009-04-05T00:28:00.006-04:00

Story Teller Link Swap Links.........So Far -

Update - 04/22/2009 - YAY!! All the links are in - packaged and on their way back to their new owners! Its been such an awesome pleasure to see all these wonderful links in person - Folks will have a tough decision choosing just 4 of these beautiful works of art!!

Keep an eye on the JewelryLessons Gallery for the finished bracelets - I'm sure they will ALL be stunning keepsakes!!

There's still plenty of time - Come Swap with us

From Becky C (RBcampion)

From Barbara (Barbur)

From Karen (BerginsJewelry)

From Corra

From Vera (Athereal_Minx)

From Carrie (TimeandSand)

From Cyreathia (ReyerWare)

From Perri (Shaktipaj)

From Rita (Pupette3)

From Pam (Coiffure)

From Cathy (Simbelmyne)

From Valeria (Chakeeras)

From Shar

From Me - (BobbiWired)

Gift Links for the Swap - Inspired by antique Friendship quilts, I will be adding a couple of these for everyone that's in the swap.

Perri has generously offered a free copy of her wonderful Periwinkle Bead Cap Tutorial to our Link Swappers.

...And Eni sadly is too swamped to swap, so she generously offered a free copy of her Spiral Pendant Tutorial .

Come join the Link Swap - There's still plenty of time...

Story Teller Link Swap on JewelryLessons.com

Story Teller Link Swap

2009-03-15T16:23:00.018-04:00

Want to "swap stories"? Join the Story Teller Link Swap on JewelryLessons.com.....

Eni suggested this wonderfully fun challenge, and I jumped at the offer to host it.
Each participant would make 4 links - embellish them anyway you like. Each participant would then send them to me. As they arrive to me, I will list your names in the order the packages are post-marked. When all the links are in, I will add my 4 links, and mail them all back to the first person on the list. Each artist will take out 4 different links, and mail them on to the next person on the list enclosed. I will be last on the list.
I chose to do only 4 links to help keep the cost down, both in making the links, and the postage to send them. If there are enough participants, I will send them out in groups of 10 or 12 to a list to shorten the travel time.
When you get your links from 4 of your fellow artists, complete the bracelet with links to compliment the one's you've chosen, and show off the finished piece in the gallery.

This is a fun challenge to share and exchange links with your fellow artists. Everyone is encouraged to participate regardless of skill level or country you live in.

If you wish to participate, please read over the guidelines and post a comment to this article that you wish to join in, and I will PM you my mailing address.

LINK SWAP GUIDELINES:
*Each participant will create 4 links; you can use square or round wire in either Gold Filled, Sterling Silver, Brass, or Copper - no craft wire, or artistic wire please.

*Embellish your links using any of the tutorial suggestions below, or create your own like Rita's (Puppette3) cute little Bonsai trees.

Some element suggestions:
Snowflake Earrings with Wired Chinese Knot by Corra
Winter Wrath Earrings by Perri
Briolette Flower by Eni
Flower Power Earrings by Endearah
Beaded Flower by Eni
Butterfly Ring by Inge
Woven Imaginations by Franchezka
Orange Circular Pendant by Eni
5-Heart Pendant by BerginsJewelry
Indian Earrings by NaturalJewels
Wire Wrapped Cuff by Jodi
Vintage Briolette Cap by EarringsbyErin
Indian Bracelet by NaturalJewels
Crystal Woven Hoops by ChristinaAmador

*Please keep your link sizes 1/2 inch square, so they fit nicely with other artists links.

*Send your links no later than April 15, 2009; the sooner you send them the closer to the beginning of the list you'll be.

*Each participant is responsible for postage to the next recipient on the list; please make sure you include the list in your package before you send it on. - Priority tracking is encouraged but not required. (A list will be e-mailed to each participant...just in case)

*Each participant is encouraged to post a picture of the links they are sending in the gallery. Then update the project with the completed bracelet.

*Please take 1 link from 4 different artists, not all from the same artist.

Please come and join, and let's Swap Stories :))......

Not a member of Jewelry Lessons??? Come join us - Registration is free.......

Here's a Direct link to
the Story Teller Link Bracelet Tutorial

thank you for visiting..............
Bobbi
"As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think big." ~Donald Trump

Story Teller Link Bracelet Tutorial

2009-03-12T14:21:00.006-04:00

It's been pretty hectic around my household lately, but I did manage time to finish my latest tutorial - the Story Teller Link Bracelet.

The “Story Teller” is a design idea I have been working on for a very long time, as a way to “tell a story” with a beautiful piece of jewelry. This tutorial provides step by step instructions to create an interlocking hinged link bracelet with a nearly invisible clasp. 21 design ideas and elements included.

Note: Some of the design ideas in this tutorial include Corra’s Snowflake Earrings Knot tutorial, Perri’s Winter Wreaths, and Periwinkle Bead Cap tutorials. The tutorials themselves are NOT included, just the suggestions on how to use these wonderful designs. This tutorial is available in both my Artfire and Etsy shops. It will also be the background idea for an upcoming "Link Swap" on Jewelry Lessons.com

Thank you for visiting.....
Bobbi
"Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It's our goal in life to find it and keep it lit." ~ Mary Lou Retton

Something Old, Something New - Giving Credit Where Credit's Due

2009-01-11T18:52:00.010-05:00

This post has been edited for clarification, based on comments from some very wise friends. 1/12/2009

Knotting, macrame', weaving is not new. Depending on what part of the world you live in determines at least in part what the knot or weave is called. What I know as a Girl Scout Lariat knot is also known as a Chinese cube knot. That same Girl Scout knot woven repeatedly in one direction, translates into a Chinese Zhu knot. What one person calls a Celtic knot I know also as a Josephine knot. What one person calls a Double Coin Knot, I call a Turk's head knot. Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Knots are not new. Knots in one form or another have been around for centuries. What's being done with them in regards to jewelry is fairly new.
One of my favorites is the Turk's head knot. Corra recently previewed one flat, with a pearl center as a five petal flower knot pendant - her variation of a Double Coin Knot (its soooo cute).....
That same knot, pulled differently, forms a band, and pulled even tighter still, becomes a ball. (I've made key chains with the ball version). Now I made these as a band years and years ago in cotton cord, as a bracelet. I'd weave it, stretch it on, run it under hot water, and it would shrink and conform to my wrist. People were amused by it, since it had no clasp and no apparent way to get it on or off. The fact that it was made with one continuous piece added to the amusement.
Loren Damewood teaches this knot as a band and creates some exquisite sterling and gold rings. I saw a picture of his rings many years ago, and thought "I know that knot, I can do that - right?" Well sort of - I've done ONE, although I'm sure I did it the hard way, since I wasn't all that anxious to do try it again.
Diane Karg Baron has a tutorial for beautiful Celtic Knot Earrings, similar knots I learned doing Macrame'. Perri (who drew inspiration from and credited Remy Heath), recently did an earring tutorial 'Mobius'. Look closely, its a square knot from Macrame'. Now before you start running for your workbench to try it in wire, be warned, its not as easy as it sounds. Just because you know the knot in cord, doesn't mean you can do it in wire. There's a reason Perri's earring "looks like" cord, but are made of wire. If you'd like to make these earrings or add this knot to your designs, Perri's tutorial is worth 10 times its weight in gold - tips for creating perfect knots, and how to do it without tearing big gashes in your fingers in the process is priceless.
Since Corra's and Perri's tutorial and jewelry postings, several artists have "been reminded" of these and other knots, and incorporating them into their work.
Which brings me to the second half of my blog title. Giving credit where credit's due. This is probably the single most important ideal out there; that some seem to forget or only "selectively" remember. This does not just apply to knotting and weaving or even just wire work, but all manner of jewelry creation.Many jewelry artists post a long speech in their tutorials about being given credit; or become quite huffy if they are not paid homage if their design is used and they don't receive credit for it, yet when it comes to their own admissions as to what or who inspired them, well those admissions are conspicuously missing. The only reason I can think of for this is possibly a belief that it will somehow diminish their artistic credibility. This is so far from the truth, it couldn't be more wrong.
What some people fail to realize is that the Internet has a LONG memory. Sooner or later fans of your work will find out where you got your inspiration from, or who reminded you of a knot you forget you knew. And since you have claimed from the beginning that the idea was yours, or simply even neglected to to credit your inspiration, you end up in a bad light. Even if it wasn't your intention, you look like you stole some one's idea and ran with it. Had you, from the beginning, said something like " I was inspired by so-and-so's beautiful piece, or reminded of this knot by so-and-so, to create this variation", your fans would have not thought any less of you. Quite the contrary, they would have thought more you, because you were generous enough to admit to being inspired by another artist.
Please know, I do understand that SOME designs are timeless and knowing (or proving) who thought of it first is next to impossible. Also, true coincidences however rare, do occur. It is entirely possible for 2 artists, who have never come in contact with the others work to have similar designs. Its also possible to have 'seen' someone's work, and have it influence your work, many months down the road. Do you remember who's design that was? Probably not."When artists frequent the same forums, and message boards , and collective blogs, coincidences, and accidental influences greatly diminishes - not that its impossible, but much less likely..."Perri J. (one of my very wise friends I mentioned) said it better than I ever could - quote" In fact, some of us take part in forums where part of the appeal is the open sharing of our best, most recent work, our most exciting creations. There is an expectation in these places of peer review,and kinship in artistry. It becomes a bond. When that bond is violated by the failure to acknowledge the influence of your friends and peers, everyone loses. We all lose the opportunity to see fresh inventive ideas, because the sense of betrayal causes hesitation, at the very least."
Do I sound like an "ex-fan"? Its because I am; a very disappointed and disillusioned one. Recently I found out that one of my favorite tutorials, from from an artist I had great admiration for, was not their own idea. Yes their design for the tutorial is different, but not so different; seeing the original design from the ORIGINAL artist there is no doubt where they found their inspiration. I do not say this lightly - nor was it even the original artist that pointed this out. And believe me, I did check for myself. The cover piece for the tutorial IS definitely different, the "prototypes" and variations in the tutorial however leave no doubt. Now had the writer used something similar to my earlier example say "I loved so-and-so's piece and was inspired to create my variation of it", I honestly would have had NO problem with it. It would not have taken anything away from their design. To learn that this same writer has done this numerous times - drawn inspiration from other artists, without giving the small courtesy of credit for it - actually hurt my feelings; I feel somehow betrayed. I still admire this person's artistry and skills, I just feel that at their level of skill, the omission of acknowledgment to a fellow (equally talented) artist, amounts to a snub, and seriously unprofessional.

Now - before someone tries to accuse me of being a pot calling the kettle black - I'm not. I have no problem whatsoever telling anyone where an idea comes from, if I was inspired by another artist. Case in point - Snowflakes to Butterflies. Many of you have seen my posts "When Snowflakes Melt, You find Butterflies. Corra used her Cube knot version and created a wonderful Snowflake design . I used her knot version and came up with butterflies (shortly after that Corra posted Where there is Butterflies, You Find Flowers). I posted everywhere, what and who had inspired my design. I received tons of positive feedback, So did Corra - we both won! Do you think my Butterflies would have been so well received had I posted it, with no mention of Corra? NO, it wouldn't have - As a matter of fact, I would have probably gotten negative feedback. I wouldn't have even had to claim the design as my own, just leaving out what and who inspired me would have made me look like a thief and a copycat.
There is nothing whatsoever wrong with admitting where or from who, you found inspiration. I truly don't understand why people think there is. Oh and don't think for an instant, that because an artist has been around less time than you, that they somehow deserve less recognition; they don't. A fellow artist that inspires you, deserves credit whether they've been around a few months, few years, or few decades.

Both Corra and Perri have new designs (tutorials) out. Corra's "Friendshipband Bracelet" and Perri's "Celtic Braid Pendant", have already given me ideas for some rather spectacular (IMO) designs/variations. What do you want to bet, that when I get my variations done, and give credit where credit's due, that we don't all win?

Give credit where credit is due! I think - no, I know, you'll be surprised how much more positively your work is received, and everyone will benefit from sharing.

Thank you for visiting -
This post is also at http://KarmaWired.blogspot.com and http://Jewelrylessons.com
~Bobbi......
"What is worse than no sight, is being able to see, but having no vision." ~Helen Keller

~ Happy Holidays To All ~

2008-12-21T14:57:00.005-05:00

When the Show Melts, You Find Butterflies

2008-12-16T19:45:00.016-05:00

My very dear friend Corra gave me an advanced copy of her wonderful new holiday tutorial - SnowFlakes Wired Chinese Knot Earrings. I had ( along with many others), pestered her so much about it, she stayed up all night one night to do it. It is based on her Cubic Knot Earrings tutorial, which was great by itself, and these are even more fun.
I went to town when I got it, and by accident, created my own variation..... After the first butterfly was born, I was thoroughly addicted. I've tried not to get carried away, but they keep evolving, and I love playing with different color combination's. The purple one is my favorite (so far), and the blue one is on it's way to Germany as a gift to a customer. If you're as fascinated by this design as I am, please visit Corra's shop at Etsy, or her blog DecorsHandmades. She has 9 delicious Wired Knots Tutorials, and 5 mini-tutorials available. Fall in love with all of them and she has 3 different tutorial packages to satisfy your need for knots.

Thanks for stopping by - stop back again soon...................
~Bobbi
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." ~Scott Adams

YIPPEE - Its Finally Finished - Tutorial - Prong Pendant - Slider Style

2008-12-12T19:25:00.004-05:00

This one was a real struggle - My camera died part way through - Sooooo I had to bite the bullet, get a new camera (OUCH ) and then re-do the images (and the tutorial pendant) several times to complete the tutorial.
I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

This tutorial teaches the techniques to wire wrap a slider style pendant, with a prong setting. It can be altered to set either a cab, or faceted stone. Modifying the gauge of wire and number of prongs, it can be used to set almost any size and shape of stone.
You can find this and my other tutorials in both mt shops at ArtFire and Etsy.
Thanks for taking a peek....
~Bobbi
"It is better to fail at originality, than to succeed at imitation." Herman Melville

There Be Dragons Here

2008-10-11T11:50:00.045-04:00

I don't get near enough time to 'just bead' as I would like. I love making these 3-dimensional Beaded Dragons, but since I reduced the size of the beads from 6's and 8's to size 15 Delicas, and Japanese seed beads, they take up to 7 hours to complete one.

Not to mention, I deviated from the original pattern, which used only one shape of bead - I incorporated 11 different shapes and sizes.

And if that was not enough self-torture, I modified the pattern on these beaded fish too, and incorporated a total of 17 different sizes and shapes of beads - These babies take upwards of 7 hours each to complete. Talk about a glutton for punishment... :)) The one on the left is modeled after my favorite pet Koi....

Thank you for visiting...
~Bobbi
"Being a artist means, ceasing to take seriously that very serious person we are when we ar not an artist". ~Jose Ortega Y Gasset

The Eyes Have it

2008-10-05T09:03:00.006-04:00

I guess with Halloween coming, I shouldn't be so surprised that these have regained some popularity. They're one of the more unusual 'stones' I get requested to wrap. They're fun and creepy at the same time. Recently I've been asked to do 4 pendants, 2 rings, and if I can find a matched set, a pair of earrings......Not all by the same person of course....

The first request was for this blue 'taxidermist eye' in Sterling Silver.....

Am I the only one who thinks buying 'human styled' eyes from a Taxidermist, just a little disturbing? Oh well no matter - I'm sure they're meant strictly for crafts, and hobbies....yeah...moving on.....

Shortly after that came a request for a wire wrapped pendant in 14k GF using one the few remaining real "Prosthetic Eyes" I have left.
Now before you become totally grossed out, they have never been 'used' - they come to me as 'rejects' - wrong color - wrong size - that sort of thing. When I get them, they are still 'round', and have to be carefully cut down to cab shape...... Sad to say, even after hours of scouring the internet for another supplier, the only ones I have seen, are a few outrageously priced ones on $bay..... The few I have left in my shop, I'm afraid are "it".

The remaining custom requests (so far), are oddly enough, going to be Christmas gifts for a friends Daughter, in the dark 'alligator' taxidermist eyes. I would love to be a fly on the wall, when those gifts are opened.......

Thanks for taking a peek - ooops no pun intended............
Please visit my Etsy Shop if you're interested in a truly 'unique' gift of your own............
~Bobbi
Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye. Helen Keller

Custom/Commissioned Opal Pendant

2008-08-25T19:13:00.003-04:00

Several of my fellow artists dislike custom/commissioned work - I absolutely love it! It's a chance to break away for the norm, and a challenge at the same time. The challenge being, to take someone else's idea - one whom I never actually get to talk to in person - and turn it into a piece of jewelry that matches as close as possible to what they had in mind.
I recently had such an opportunity..... A very wonderful lady, Barbara, purchased my favorite opal from my Etsy shop and requested I turn it into a pendant as a birthday present for her daughter.

Her requests were simple - pendant in 14k GF wire - special birthday present - no pressure, no pressure. Her request left a lot open for interpretation, and while I was excited to do the work, I was a little sad to see such a beautiful stone go...(I was still trying to justify adding it to the 'Me Collection').

After several emails back and forth we settled on a design, and I got to work. The morning came to package and ship the pendant. There had been minor issues with one side and the bail, that had become increasingly annoying, and at the last minute - I cut the piece apart and started over. The stone was/is spectacular, it deserved no less of a setting. The finished piece shown her
e is the second attempt, and while several people saw the first attempt and saw nothing wrong, I am much happier with the outcome of the second attempt. I could not in good conscience send it, if I wasn't willing to wear it myself. Barbara emailed me several days later, after she received it, and was totally thrilled with it - which made all the stress over getting it 'just right', more than worth it. Barbara said, "the hardest thing now is to hide it from my daughter, until her birthday in October". - Good luck 'Mom' :D.

Thank you for visiting - stop back again soon.....
~Bobbi
There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. Bhuddha

Why I Do What I Do.....Showing Off Some Gifted Artists/Students

2008-08-08T11:57:00.112-04:00

This post has been a long time in the making - mostly because of what had become a very hectic schedule for a time - but now that things have calmed down a bit, I thought I'd share some work of some very talented artists, who have chosen to take a bash at some of my designs..... After all the hard work that goes into writing, photographing and publishing a tutorial, nothing is more gratifying and flattering than to get photos from fellow artists, who have chosen my designs to create with...... It is why I do what I do and makes all the hard work well worth it....

Kelley from Silvery Ever After... chose my Swarvoski Crystal Bangle Tutorial - and did a wonderful variation in Sterling Silver, and a great blue-green-champagne color combination......
I love her color choices, and in Sterling, she created a stunning bracelet.

She modified the clasp a bit to better suit her needs, and all in all did a wonderful job.

She recently purchased my Fancy Band Prong Ring Tutorial, and I can't wait to see where she takes it to.

My dear friend Marika, chose my Antique Style All Wire Earrings Tutorial, and created a wonderfully vintage looking pair of earrings in Sterling Silver.....

Marika's wire wrapping skills are growing in leaps and bounds, and she has lots of wonderful pieces in her store on Dawanda.

Then there's Karlene who fell in love with my
Fancy Band Prong Ring Tutorial. After her first ring, she went to town, and tried her hand at a double stone ring similar to one shown in my tutorial.
I think she did a wonderful job....
You can visit Karlene at Celtic Gardens Creations.

.And lastly, but certainly not least is Shi . She also fell in love with my Fancy Band Ring Tutorial, and fell hard :)....
This is the first one that she did and featured on her blog.
I can tell you , there is never any better compliments, than when a fellow artist falls in love with your design, and creates such beautiful pieces. You can visit Shi at her Etsy Store ShiJewels , for these and other fabulous goodies.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing these wonderful creations from some of my fellow artists, as much as I have enjoyed sharing them.....
If you're interested in learning and creating your own versions of my designs, please visit my shop on Etsy. - I've recently added new patterns in the Complete Kit/Tutorial section.

Thanks for visiting....................~Bobbi
An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea - Bhuddha

My 3rd Tutorial - YEA :)

2008-04-20T20:27:00.004-04:00

Fancy Band is an advanced level project, although the instructions are very clear and thorough, and I've had many, many beginner to intermediate students successfully complete this project. It is 15 pages, with 43 clear crisp photos, and a total file size of 963KB.

This tutorial teaches you step by step, the techniques used to create this design, some of which were inspired by Dianne Karg Baron and Mr Jorgen Greftegraff. It is wonderful design to create an elegant lasting piece of jewelry.

I do suggest you have at least the basic skills and familiarity with wire wrapping before attempting this ring. If you'd like to build your skill set first, please see my other listings for beginner and intermediate level tutorials.

Please visit My Shop for this and other tutorials, and for complete kits that are also available for this -

Thank you for stopping by - see ya soon..................

~Bobbi

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. - Albert Einstein

How To Get A Motorcycle From West Virginia To Florida - THE HARD WAY

2008-04-06T17:27:00.001-04:00

I ran across these pics of my determined roommates' innovative motorcycle transportation, and thought I'd share. His Dad offered him the motorcycle - the catch - he had to "come and get it". Well, Gerald didn't have a truck, and couldn't get a trailer rented during the time frame he had to work with. Soooooo......

The car is a 1998 Chevy Metro Geo; the motorcycle a Yamaha Virago, also 1998. Gerald and his Dad, spent 4 or 5 days getting the car and motorcycle 'ready'. They took the rear driver's side door off, the front passenger seat out, and the back seat completely out. They took the spare tire out, broke the seats down, and put the seats, and the door in the trunk.

They then took the rear tire off the bike, put it on the rear floor board, and put a heavy thick piece of plywood over that to create a suitable platform for the bike. They also remove the foot pegs, handle bars - the whole front end, tire and front forks - they were put in the space where the passenger seat was.

They chain/bolted the bike to the floor board, and chained it to the passenger side window/door support frame. They then taped a tarp over the openings, which came undone and he lost it half way home - in the rain ;).

As soon as got home Gerald and my brother Jeff, attached the front forks and tire, slid the bike out enough to attach a cherry picker to it, and hauled it the rest of they way out.

Gerald said folks were hanging out their own car windows to take pictures of his efforts, and I have no doubt - 3 people stopped their cars in front of my house to watch them take the bike out....

Hope you enjoyed............................

~Bobbi

From sublime to ridiculousness there is only one step. - Napoleon

Swarovski Crystal Bracelet Tutorial

2008-03-28T13:58:00.000-04:00

I'm very proud to finally offer this tutorial - it's been a long time coming, and alot of hard work. I've taught wire wrapping in person for many years, but writing instructions for someone I will not be teaching in person, has been to say the least challenging. My style of writing is not as 'formal' as some, but after much consideration and countless re-writes, I realised I needed to stay with what I know best. This tutorial is written as if I were teaching you in person, as much as possible - since I've taught this in person, I know the pitfalls you're most likely to face, and do my best to head them off -The bracelet in this tutorial is my personal favorite. It was inspired partly by my birds, my Rainbow Lories ~ Murphy, Gabby, Pluck & Feather, in particular. Everyone that I’ve taught this to, and who has made one, interprets the colors in their own way ~ as it should be.

Other beads can be used for this, in an infinite number of combinations however, square beads are easier to manage in the beginning. The techniques I’ve developed, and teach in this tutorial, create a stable ‘tough’ little bangle; and unlike some other ‘versions’ of this style, the means to create a bangle at near perfect to perfect length. After we have completed the basic style, I will walk you through an additional (really cool) variation, plus some other design ideas.Materials to create a basic 7 -7 1/2" bracelet: I prefer GF wire, but you’re welcome to use sterling or even copper – ½ hard or dead soft. Q=the best to use? A=Use what you have.• 48" 20g square wire • 9" 22g wire (square or round)• 32" 16-20g ½ round wire (I prefer the heavier gauges in ½ round wire, and ½ hard for this project – it forms crisper wraps)• Minimum 12 6mm cube crystals• Optional : 2, 4mm Bali spacers per crystal, if you don’t use spacers, you will need to increase the number of crystals needed, by 2 or 3; 1 extra cube as a ‘little helper’.

Tools: wire cutters, ruler, flat-nose pliers, round nose pliers, large round dowel or something similar for forming - optional: tape, Sharpie marker, cleaning cloth.
This is a PDF file - To view this tutorial you will need a free copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded here:http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html, however most computers with basic programming are already capable of reading a pdf file.

This tutorial, and others can be purchased from My Shop at Etsy. Thank you for stopping by - please visit again........................................
~Bobbi

The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. -Bhuddha

Makes Ya Wanna Go Hmmmmmmm.......

2008-03-21T19:40:00.001-04:00

Not to long ago, on my favorite message board 'Evolutions In Stone' , Blarneystone (Dan), wrote a post called "Heart Breakers - Cabagons", in which he shared numerous photos of some real heartbreaking cabbing mishaps......getting caught on the wheel and slung across the room - chipped at the last minute - dropped on the floor during final polishing - you get the idea - boo boos, that make you cry arrrgh..... One that really made him sniffle was a favorite that 'came apart at the seams' Forest Fire Jasper - For some reason the stone really attracted me even in such pitiful shape - So, as bold and brassy as I can be (sometimes), - keep in my I've only been on EIS since the end of January this year - posted that if he still had the stone - hadn't chucked it in the garbage, or out a window - and could put a shine on it, to send it me and "let me try and wrap it so it looks like you meant to do that". pretty gutsy huh? I kinda had an idea in my head, but not a fully formed one, and after Dan went to a lot of trouble to glue the stone together to polish it, then get it apart, and send it to me, I started to waver in my resolve a bit. .......It had been sitting in front of me for over 3 weeks, until today when I finally decided to jump in and take a bash.....It's not exactly what I had in my head but it I think it turned out kinda cool anyway..... You'll have to let me know what you think.....

The whole piece is wire wrapped in 14K GF wire, including the "seam" in the stone - not an easy trick, but it worked pretty well - I have been working on forming the "seam"wire on and off since I got the stone in the mail. I think the effect I was going for would have looked better, had the seam been zig-zagged, but the break wasn't planned, sooooo..... I also did the gold bezel around the stone, so it would look more 'finished' when I set it.

It's going in the mail tomorrow, back to Dan - I only wanted to wrap it, not keep it. He sent along a few other cabs he had cut - said he couldn't send along one sad little broken stone - I hope he thinks my work makes us even. I will have to get a piece of this for my own 'collection', the stone really is pretty.

Thanks for stopping by - tell me what ya think :) .....................~Bobbi

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. - Bhuddha

A Little bit of Shameless Self Promotion, and......

2008-03-15T11:54:00.013-04:00

I've been really busy lately ~ Through the urging and support of my really sweet friend Corra, I've started writing tutorials for some of my more popular pieces, and for some really vintage designs, that I dug up out of my 'stash' of old prototypes. I love teaching wire wrapping, and don't get the opportunity to do so in person, as often as I'd like. Writing tutorials is the next best thing! You see my hands are badly damaged from both types of Arthritis, a car accident that sent my head through the windshield and my hands INTO the dash, and a 'walking' accident with my 155lb, African Mastiff, Suie (she accidentally fractured ALL the knuckles on my right hand). At some point my hands will stop working correctly; as it is gripping pliers is very painful ~ the Dr's solution to this is to replace 5 knuckles in my left hand, and 9 knuckles in my right hand, but while that would end the pain, it would effectively end any wire work as well; I'd really like to share what I think are some great wire wrapping designs, and ideas before that happens.

My first tutorial listed is for a great pair of earrings, with a kind of 'antique', 'vintage' flair to them. I can't wait to see what folks do with it -

In the tutorial I suggest using Sterling silver, and oxidizing them.

I made several other suggestions for variations, and am anxious to see the results.

Once I start getting some photos back, I will post them here

Please visit my Etsy Shop for this and upcoming tutorials - and there are always pretty goodies being added...

Now for a bit of the "and......." part I mentioned in the title ~ My dear friend Corra, updated the photos for some of her tutorials,

and they are spectacular~

I tease her about sending all my pieces to her to photograph, but her being in Malaysia, and me being in US, kinda presents a problem :), although she did suggest I was welcome to visit :).

Thank you for visiting ~ please come back anytime.

~Bobbi

Persistence is the hard work that you do after you are tired of doing the hard work you already did .
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Imaginations and Ideas ~~ Where do they come from.........

2008-03-06T21:37:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking alot about imagination lately, and not just because it's a big part of the name of my shop, and the jewellery adventure I'm on...... It just never ceases to amaze me, what wonderful things ideas and imaginations are. For me, jewellery ideas seem to (on occasion) come about without any real intervention on my part - I mean most times when I sit down at my workbench, there's a stone, or string of beads I've recently gotten still laid out - (I'm not really good at putting stuff away) - and I grab some wire, my favorite pliers, and look at what I have, and try to figure out, 'what it would be best suited as'.

Once the ideas start though, I can hardly keep up. I try to sketch little notes for later projects, (I can't do everything at once), and I wind up with hundreds of little sticky notes everywhere..... I have these notes in my car, my purse, on the desk in the living room, and (what was supposed to be the 'handy catchall), a little black book, filled with little sketches, and notes for projects. Sometimes, halfway through a note, it shoots off into a totally new and different idea.....I have enough of these to date, to keep me at my work bench 24/7 for quite some time. And if that was not enough, I've started to subject my friends to this.......sort of - one project leads to another, and another... - To show you what I mean - in an earlier post, I introduced you to a recently made friend - Spike - who suggested a collaboration between us, in what is a perfect marriage of arts ~ he cuts gorgeous cabs in natural stone, and I'm a skilled wire worker - simple! right? Wrong. - It took, I think, all of 2 days, before before I started bombarding him with ideas for specially cut stones I wanted for 'experimental projects' I had in mind, and to my amazement, he was all for it. And at no point has he ever said "no", (which sooner or later, he'll slap his head, and question that, but for now I'm safe.) This was the first of many pieces I've asked for (or am going too *insert sheepish grin here*). I wanted a heart shaped stone, cut in 2 - my plan was to wrap the 2 pieces so they would finish as a pendant set - his and hers - with an old prayer - "Lord, watch between me and thee, when we are absent one another" - It hasn't quite worked out that way though - the mechanics of how it needs to hang, just isn't co-operating - but someone already saw this on Spike's Flickr, and she and I have talked, and I'm confident it will become what she needs it to be - but the point, I guess of this little tale is that, it's fueled a whole host of ideas (imagination).

Now I realise I ramble a little, but you're still reading so...... Another friend I've mentioned earlier, Corra ~ well her ideas, and imagination comes from an entirely different place. Her passion for wire, is a recent one, and we 'met', when I purchased one of her tutorials, and she thought my intentions were , shall we say, less than stellar. She had recently been 'attacked' and accused of using someone else's ideas, and thought I was just another one to join the angry linchmob..... I am most happy to report that I was not. Those slinging accusations, were by the way VERY wrong in their assumptions, and although after some time, finally concluded they were wrong, never did apologize - but the point is, they backed her into a corner, and she turned around and used that to her advantage - and then some! One of the 'statements' made was that she didn't know enough about what she was trying to teach - boy did they do her a FAVOR! ~

It's funny (well it is now), I honestly believe their intention was to 'run her off", and all they succeeded in doing , was spur her on to greater things - She has since then,
incorporated something she KNOWS very well into her wire - Chinese Knots - which has produced some stunning work and designs. This piece here, is one of her newest, a pendant called 'Skylark on Coins'. (the photo is a link to this listing on Etsy if you're interested). Her 'imagination and ideas', while they didn't have the happiest of beginnings, are fueling some wonderful pieces and ideas. She has a new tutorial coming soon for a bracelet!, that I got a sneak peek at. I've asked her for permission to use the photo she sent, but I'm in USA, she's in Malaysia, the whole day ahead or day behind thing, anyway if she okays it, I'll edit this post, and show everybody what to look forward to. Just got e-mail from Corra with a couple of pics of her upcoming bracelet tutorial -

Pretty Sharp!

I read alot of listings on Etsy, and blogs from different artists, and it really does amaze me where their ideas, and inspirations come from............... Some, like Eni Oken have find their ideas and inspirations in nature - Eni has whole 'series' of pieces revolving around the ocean ~ one of my favorite pieces ~ 'Marine Relic' ~ is a perfect example.

I just love her work - would give body parts for half of her 'mad skills'.

Well I've rambled on enough for now - my roommate, reading over my shoulder, asked - "why is your work , and what 'triggers' you not in this?" - hmmmm, guess there will be a part II :) .

thanks for stopping by...............

~Bobbi

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. - Bhuddha

The Beginning.........

2008-03-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

If you've peeked at my profile, you've seen that I have been wire wrapping for many, many years. Until recently, I've worked in my own little world, in a small workshop in my house, in Gulfport, Florida, USA. In October 2007, I ventured out and opened a shop in Etsy - My Wired Imagination . That was the beginning of this wild and fantastic adventure, that I hope never ends........

One of the most memorable aspects of this adventure, has been the wonderful people I've met along the way......and I would be remiss, if I did not share some of these wonderfully unique friends with you..............

First, there's Corra - owner of DeCor's Handmades, a wonderful young lady from Malaysia, who has an incredible passion for wire work, which shows in her work and in her desire to create pieces that are totally unique to her. She has only been working with wire for a very short time, yet her skills in the pieces she's created would suggest years. She's created a wonderful tutorial (2 actually), that shares some of the really cool techniques she's developed... Please check out her shop for more information, or her own blog at DeCor's Handmades .

Thanks for visiting, I have many more new friends to introduce you to, but for now I have to say goodnite.......

Thanks for stopping by

~Bobbi

"I don't pretend to understand the universe - it's much bigger than I am. " ~Albert Einstein

My Wired Imagination

Any 3 Tutorials - Your Choice - From MyWiredImagination

Sunday morning Market

Updated Class Calendar

Upcoming Changes at Etsy

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Never Enough Hours in the Day

2 down, 12 to Go - Or How to Register Your Tutorials with the US Copyright Office

Certified Handmade on Artfire :))

Early Black Friday Sale

New Tutorial Release - Crystal Hoop Earrings aka "Honey I Shrunk the Bracelets

My Wired's Jewelry Tutorials

Perri Jackson in Florida - Actually Twice :)

Endless Summer

In The Pink

Nose Rings aka Honey I Shrunk the Bracelets

Food For Thought......

Do you see YOUR work here?

Blast From The Past Series..... Part Two

Blast From The Past Series..... Part One

LuLu.com You're Fired!!!

I'm Starting To Feel Cursed......

Post One Promote One.....

Securing Tutorial PDFs

2 Hinged cages and a Locket - Tutorial

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line Be Seen, Be Seen, Be Seen ~~PART 3~~

Meet Artist Gordon Uyehara - Precious Metal Clay

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line Be Seen Be Seen Be Seen ~~PART 2~~

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line - Be Seen, Be Seen, Be Seen

NEW Tutorial Release ~~~ Ornate Double-Terminated Focal-Clasp

Where's The Mens Cab Ring Tutorial

Seriously Addicted - Thank you Miss Perri

Perri's Celtic Braid

Corra's Rosabella Tutorial Pendants

Lesson in Patience Dressed Up for Dinner at Perri's

New Tutorial - Lesson in Patience Ring and the Atom Pendant

Story Teller Link Swap - Links So Far...

Story Teller Link Swap

Story Teller Link Bracelet Tutorial

Something Old, Something New - Giving Credit Where Credit's Due

~~~ Happy Holidays To All ~~~

When the Show Melts, You Find Butterflies

YIPPEE - Its Finally Finished - Tutorial - Prong Pendant - Slider Style

There Be Dragons Here

The Eyes Have it

Custom/Commissioned Opal Pendant

Why I Do What I Do.....Showing Off Some Gifted Artists/Students

My 3rd Tutorial - YEA :)

How To Get A Motorcycle From West Virginia To Florida - THE HARD WAY

Swarovski Crystal Bracelet Tutorial

Makes Ya Wanna Go Hmmmmmmm.......

A Little bit of Shameless Self Promotion, and......

Imaginations and Ideas ~~ Where do they come from.........

The Beginning.........

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line Be Seen, Be Seen, Be Seen PART 3

Getting Your Work Noticed On-Line Be Seen Be Seen Be Seen PART 2

~ Happy Holidays To All ~