WigJig® Beads & Jewelry Making Newsletter for 4/30/2006

With every newsletter we provide a new jewelry design from WigJig University to spur the creative juices.  The new design for this newsletter is the design for the Runway Earrings shown here.  We call these earrings Runway Earrings because they look like the large, ostentatious earrings that some professional models wear when showing high fashion clothes on the runways in Paris and New York.  For those of you who like larger, bolder jewelry, this design will work.  Making these earrings is very easy.  This is a beginners project and can be made on any WigJig tool with four regular metal pegs.  The earring shown at right is made of 16 gauge brass and is very close to life size.  With our instructions we also show some smaller alternatives to this earring design.  To view our instructions for how to make this jewelry item please select here or select the picture at right. 

We did receive feedback from one reader last week that she was having problems connecting the clasp connector on her cell phone leash to her cell phone.  We did not have this problem with the two cell phones that we tried, but at least one person did.  This problem can be very easily overcome.  The simple solution is to make a single wrapped bead link to connect to the loop in your cell phone.  Obviously one end of this wrapped bead link permanently connects to the loop in your cell phone and the opposite end of the link is a slightly larger than normal loop and is just wrapped closed.  At this point you should be able to connect most clasps on the end of your cell phone leash to the large loop in the single wrapped bead link connected to your phone.  Because a single wrapped bead link can be made rather small, this permanent connection to your cell phone shouldn't be overly bothersome.   

Jewelry Technique:
This weeks jewelry making technique is a discussion of how to make an ear cuff so that people who don't have pierced ears can wear the earrings designs shown on our Beads and Jewelry Making Supplies by WigJig Web site.   An ear cuff is a wire jewelry finding that is worn over and behind the ear and provides two loops that can be used to hang earring bodies.  In the picture at right, you can see that we have used a modified figure 8 connector to hang an earring from the bottom loop of the ear cuff.  Unless you have green skin like Kermit the Frog, we don't suggest using green wire for an ear cuff.  We used it here because it is easy to show in a picture.  Gold-filled or sterling silver wire would work well for making an ear cuff as would brass or perhaps even Rose Silver-plated wire.  In short, any color wire that will be unobtrusive will work.   The ear cuff can be made using any of our jigs with a round peg pattern -- the WigJig Centaur, Cyclops or Electra.  Two Super Pegs are required to complete this piece.  This is considered a beginner's jewelry making project.  Please select the picture above-right, or select here to view this new jewelry making design. 

Nostalgia Corner:
This weeks featured design in our Nostalgia Corner is the design for our wrapped link bracelet.  This link was originally made as a hand made copy of a bracelet link that was cast.  The shape is intended to simulate wrapping rope around a pole and is a shape that is similar to several Bali Style Beads.  The wrapped link itself can easily be made using any of our WigJig tools, or it can be made using a ruler instead of one of our WigJig tools.   Please select here, or select the picture at left to view our instructions for making the Wrapped Link Bracelet.
 

We are continuing to improve our newsletter, so please feel free to provide feedback at custsrv@wigjig.com. 

Announcements:
Online Books.  If you are looking for new and interesting jewelry projects -- try one of our Online Books.  Our most detailed instructions are for sale online.  Please select here to view our selection of online books.  These books are delivered over the Internet and there are no shipping costs on an order with just online books. 

Shipping Policy.  We waive the shipping charge on orders over $60 shipped within the US (as long as these orders remain over $60).  For International orders we ship via FED EX or UPS international service and charge $34.95 (our average cost) for this expedited shipping service.  Please select here to view our entire shipping policy.

WigJig University.  We provide Over 2,200 web pages of free information, tips, techniques and free jewelry making designs in WigJig University.  We encourage everyone to view this information as a source for new ideas, projects, or a way to learn new techniques.  We now have a page in WigJig University that shows our designs sorted by the WigJig tool used to make them.  Please select here to view that information. 

International Vendors.  We do have vendors who sell our WigJig products outside the US.  We encourage customers to contact these vendors in their home country.  Please select here to view our list of overseas vendors.  We are also happy to sell our WigJig tools to stores.  Please send us an e-mail if you are interested in selling our WigJig tools. 

Classes.  We have a listing of various jewelry making classes using our WigJig tools that are offered by bead stores throughout the country.  If you are interested in classes, please select here.  If you know someone who has classes in using our WigJig tools, please ask them to send us an e-mail at custsrv@wigjig.com so that we can include them in these pages. 

SHIPPING WAIVED ON ALL ORDERS OVER $60.00 SHIPPED TO USA - Customer Care - WigJig, PO Box 5124, Gaithersburg, MD 20882; (800) 579-WIRE (phone), (240) 597-2262 (fax), custsrv@wigjig.com (email).  Privacy Policy.  All content on this web site including jewelry and wire designs are copyrighted© by WigJig.  WigJig® is a registered trademark.  Last modified: 4/30/2006