Twisted Treasures Pendant class - May 2013

The Twisted Treasures wire net pendants class from May was amazing!   I really like the funky wire colors that Linda used on hers.

Check out more pictures from this class!

 This fun and interesting wire wrapping technique is a great way to begin creating your own unique wearable wire art! Learn how to form a net that can encase an assortment of shapes including gemstones, beads, and many other miscellaneous treasures. The only limit here is your own imagination! After twisting your way to the top of your piece, you will then be given the opportunity to embellish your pendant with coils, spirals, and beaded treasures. This creative project is a fabulous introduction to wire wrapping. You can register for the upcoming Twisted Treasures class here.

wire wrapped bracelets - February class pictures

The wire wrapped bracelet class is one of our most popular classes, and certainly our most popular wire wrapping class.  Typically everyone leaves with a wonderful piece of jewelry that they wear out and really awesome skills!

This project is so easy and fun to do. This festive bracelet is a great way to start and practice wire wrapping. Create beaded links with streamlined wire coils capping the top and swirling down to the other end. This is a great way to highlight individual beads with metallic detail, while getting a feel for working with wire. - see the dates for this class and register here http://bit.ly/12MZQQq
 

 to see more pictures from this class, click here

Twisted Treasures class - January 2013

This fun and interesting wire wrapping technique is a great way to begin creating your own unique wearable wire art! Learn how to form a wire net that can encase an assortment of shapes including gemstones, beads, and many other miscellaneous treasures. The only limit here is your own imagination! After twisting your way to the top of your piece, you will have the opportunity to embellish your pendant with coils, spirals, and beaded treasures. This creative project is a fabulous introduction to wire wrapping. Level: beginner.  To register for this, or other wire wrapping classes,  in the future, click here.

We offer plenty of amazing wire wrapping classes in our Denver bead store location, for more information, visit us at www.theColoradoBeadCo.com

A wire gift - it's a tree...

Kody is going to be a new Aunt!  She got the news from her brother a few months ago and immediately started thinking about what she wanted to give her sister-in-law in celebration.  She decided to give her a wire wrapped tree, to symbolize life and growth.

She wanted to have everyone that was attending the shower pick out a bead that would be built into the tree.  Birthing beads on necklace and bracelets have been something that has been popular since before the store was opened... people pick a bead that is symbolic and something (necklace, bracelet, tree...) is created with those beads for the mother-to-be/bride-to-be to wear during pregnancy/on her wedding day, etc.  The beads can be anything really.  Beads have been chosen based on their metaphysical properties (rose quartz for love, citrine for confidence and courage, amazonite for relaxation during childbirth), they've been chosen because they remind people of experiences they've shared (blue for a trip to the ocean) or just because they've liked them. 

Wire Tree wall hanging

Supply list:

Wire:
80ft of 18ga soft temper round craft wire
90ft of 20ga soft temper round craft wire
135ft of 22ga soft temper round craft wire
* she used various colors - smokey quartz, vintage bronze, brown, some gold

Frame:
one 11x14" frame, should be very sturdy

Beads:
48" of gemstone chips for leaves
beads selected by family and friends

Hardware:
heavy duty staples

For removable pendants:
wire to wrap beads
chain
hooks from hook and eye clasps

Steps:

1 - hammer heavy duty staples around top and bottom of frame, these are your anchor points for your roots and branches
2 - cut all of your wire into 3 ft. sections; you'll need about 90 sections
At this point, you'll be following the steps/directions from the Branching Out Tree class or really any "Tree of Life" tutorials
3 - twist/braid sections of your wire together to create the trunk
4 - create and secure all of your roots to the staples at the bottom of the frame.
5 - create and secure all of your branches to the staples at the top of the frame (adding your beads, chain with hooks and leaves as you go)
6 - wire wrap beads for pendants and hang on hooks

After the roots had been secured, Kody started to layout where the beads would go

.

The start of the branches

Leaves and flowers

From Kody:

It's finally complete!

The finished tree

This was a Baby Shower Gift for my Sister-in-law, Amanda. The Tree of Life symbolizes creation, and of course, my new baby nephew! 

Each member of the baby shower was invited to bring one bead to contribute to this Group Gift. Each bead you see here has been turned into a removable pendant. Each pendant has a unique meaning pertaining to Amanda and each member who participated in this Gift. This way, Amanda is able to wear a little piece of us during her last few weeks of pregnancy. This tree shall provide her with a peaceful transition into motherhood. ♥

Rose Quartz and Flourite adorn this tree, as well as a whole lot of ~Love~ from Amanda's circle of friends/family.

  * * * 

Thank you so much to Kody for letting us be involved in this project, it was a lot of fun and a great learning experience!  To see more of her pieces or to request something custom, you can contact her via her Facebook page.  Are you interested in making a wire wrapped tree (a wire tree of life) on your own?  We offer the Branching Out Wire Tree Pendant class about once a month in our Denver bead store - The Colorado Bead Company.  

Kody's custom wire wrapped piece

Kody has been doing some custom wire wraps lately and yesterday she brought in a steam punk inspired piece that is just fantastic.  It's sterling silver wire and copper wire around a beautiful Boulder Opal that she got here, that we got from the Tucson Gem show last year.  The chain is a gunmetal chain that we carry, it is nickel and lead free, so it's hypoallergenic, which is nice. 

Branching Out - wire wrapped tree

A new class! I love new jewelry making and wire wrapping classes! I love our old ones too, but this new one is so cute! The wire wrapped tree, or wire wrapped tree of life, it goes by a lot of different names, is fairly popular, and fun to learn.

Whoooo doesn't just love this little tree? You'll learn to work with square wire to create the frame for your tree pendant and we'll use thin round wire to create the tree from roots to branches. The leaves are made with bead chips and you can add a little owl or bird charm. Level: Beginner. Cost: $20 Saturday, June 16th

Barb's glass pendant + Lu's wrapped shells

Barb took the Mixed Media pendant class a few weeks ago and then stopped by to see us at the Denver County Fair. Check out what she made!





She used metallic photo paper under that glass tile! And glitter. LOVE!

Luretha took a caged stone class a few weeks ago and made a beautiful piece, and has expanded her wire wrapping prowess to seashells.





It makes us sooo happy when our friends bring in their projects to share with us!