Beads, Tools & Jewelry Making Supplies by WigJig Newsletter 05/29/2007

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 Wire Wrapped Chain Necklace with Beads shown at right.  This chain is similar to, but made differently from the chain bracelet and earrings described in our last newsletter and shown at left.  Our goal in making a necklace chain was to make a chain that looked like the earlier chain but was larger and bolder.  To do this we used a larger gauge of wire (18 or 20 gauge) and a different approach for making the chain that relies on a 3/16" Super Peg for shaping a portion of the chain link.  This chain is a beginners jewelry making project and uses any of our WigJig tools with just one metal peg and one 3/16" Super Peg.  The necklace we made for this project is 20 inches long. 

To view our instructions for how to make this Wire Wrapped Chain Necklace with Beads jewelry making projects select here, or select any picture above.

Jewelry Technique:
This week's jewelry making technique is a discussion on how to set larger sizes of gemstones.  Setting many gemstones can be very easy particularly when using the snap-fit type settings.  Unfortunately, as the gemstones get larger, setting them becomes more difficult.  When you get to sizes of 12mm or larger, setting gemstones requires some different techniques.  Just to put a 12 mm gemstone in perspective, 12mm is very close to 1/2" in size.  This is equivalent in size to a 6 carat diamond.  We have prepared some instructions on how we were able to set these larger gemstones into our 12mm pendant finding.   Below we show just a few pictures on how we accomplished setting the gemstone shown above right.  Select here or select any picture below to view our detailed instructions.

Nostalgia Corner:
This week's featured design in our Nostalgia Corner is the design for our Jewelry Wire Chain Watchband.  This is a chain design that is quite a bit different than the chain in our project for this week, but it is worthwhile viewing to compare the two types of chain.  The chain shown here is slightly smaller than the chain used to make the links in the necklace project for this week.  This Jewelry Wire Chain could also be make with larger links using larger size wire and larger Super Pegs to make an interesting necklace. 

Please select here, or select the picture above to view our instructions for making the Jewelry Wire Chain shown here.

Warning! Joke Follows.  
This is only a joke.  We tell jokes because we are in favor of smiling, laughing and being happy.  This does not mean that we are opposed to anyone or anything. 

If you have ever in your entire life been offended by any joke  -- please skip the below paragraphs.

Boomer Humor:  A guy joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence.  He's only allowed to say two words a year.  Obviously, this causes him to think carefully for an entire year about what to say.  After his first year he is called in by the Abbot (the senior monk) and is allowed to say his first two words in a year.  The new monk says "Bad food."  The new monk is dismissed and he returns to his cell in the monastery to think for another year about his next two words.  At the end of the second year he is called back to the Abbot's office and is allowed to say his two words for this year.  The new monk responds "Need heat."  At this the Abbot dismisses the new monk, who returns to his cell for another year of meditation.  At the end of the third year, the Abbot summons the new monk and waits for him to say his two words for this third year.  The new monk says "I quit."  The Abbot responds, "Well, I'm not surprised.  You've done nothing but complain since you got here."

We borrowed this joke from a web site that touts itself as having the 100 funniest jokes of all time.  The above joke was number five.  Boomer decided that numbers 1 through 4 weren't as funny as number 5.  Boomer also thought that number 12 was funny, but it does require some thought.  It also has some sexual content.  Please skip this if sexual content would upset you.  Here it is:

A guy enters a bar with a 6' alligator on a leash.  He says to the patrons of the bar -- "How about a bet?  I'll open up this alligator's mouth, place my genitals in there and after a minute, I'll get the alligator to open his mouth and I will be unscathed.  If I'm successful, you buy me drinks for the night."  The patrons of the bar agree to the bet and the guy taps the alligator on the tip of his nose and the alligator opens his mouth.  The guy places his genitals in the mouth, and the alligator shuts his mouth.  A minute passes by and the guy grabs a beer bottle from the bar and hits the alligator on top of the head.  At that the alligator opens his mouth and the guy is unscathed.  The people in the bar are amazed and buy the newcomer his drinks.  A little later the newcomer says to the patrons of the bar "I'll pay anyone $100 who's willing to try."  There is total silence in the bar, but after 45 seconds a woman in the back of the bar says -- "I'll try, but you're going to have to promise not to hit me with the beer bottle."    (Think about it.  This caused a delayed reaction laugh for Boomer and his friends.)

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 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 2,500 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: 05/29/2007