Monday 13 December 2010

**Happy Christmas**


























(Above: My 'Frosted Branch' Xmas Card for the WireWorkers Guild)


I would like to wish
each and every member of the:


THE WIREWORKERS GUILD

an extremely happy and peaceful
Christmas and here's hoping
the New Year will be full of
creativity and positivity ...
not to mention, wire-activity!

My Christmas card to you was created using:
small seed pearls, plus a few larger
pearl beads, 24" x 0.4mm silver-plated wire,
round and flat nosed pliers and wirecutters.
























Materials & Tools required for the 'Frosted Branch'
project.


























1. To begin: Place your round nosed pliers
at the CENTRE of the 2ft length of 0.4mm
wire and bring it around one of the cylindrical
shafts to create a loop.

Using your fingers, twist the wires together
to create a short twisted stem of about an 1".
























2. Thread one of the projecting wires
with approximately 24 small seed pearls.
























3. Double the beaded wire around and
twist the wires together back to the 'working'
stem to secure into a beaded loop.
























4. Using your fingers, carry on twisting
until it meets the other wire and then twist
both wires together for about an 1".
(Apologies for the wool on my jumper that is also on the image!!)
























5. Thread another 24 (or so ...) small seed beads
onto the longest projecting stem and create a
second beaded loop (repeating steps 2-3),
twisting the two wires together to create
more twisted stems.






















6. Instead of beaded loops (or leaves) this time, you
can thread a bead onto the longest projecting wire
and repeat all the twisting again ...
























7. You're getting the hang of it now!
Just carry on making beaded loopy leaves
and threading beads, until you've used all
the wire up!
























8. ... and here's yet another beaded loopy leaf!
(If you wish to have music in the background whilst you making this:
I recommend: 'Let's Twist Again, Like We Did Last Summer!'
by Chubby Checker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWaJ0s0-E1o)
























9. We're nearly there now! Last bead
just going on ...
























10. To finish off, just twist the wires
until they meet and snip with cutters,
to remove any projecting ends.
























11. This is the fun bit! Spend a little
time shaping the unit using your
fingers and pliers, until you are
satisfied with the overall piece.
























12. To fix your unit onto a card:
create a small spiral with projecting
stem and thread this through the
top loop of your beaded branch.
























13. To finish the card, I have threaded the post of the
spiral through the top of the red card and secured it
at the back with a piece of sticky tape.

I have then secured the red card to the white backing
card with double-sided tape and fixed that (and the
torn red edged sides) to the green blank greetings card.

HAVE A GO AT MAKING THIS WITH DIFFERENT
COLOURED BEADS and WIRES AND VARIOUS
BACKING
PAPERS AND CARDS!





















************************************************

H A P P Y
X M A S !!
************************************************

2 comments:

  1. That's pretty Linda, I've never thought of using beads and wire that way!
    Hope you have a lovely Christmas x
    Tracy

    ReplyDelete