Beads, Jewelry Wire, Tools & Jewelry Making Supplies by WigJig Newsletter 09/10/2008

To view our free instructions for how to make these new bead stringing projects select there, or select the picture at right.

Jewelry Technique:
This week's jewelry making technique are our new instructions for how to set gemstones in our new Wrap-Tite findings.  The Wrap Tite findings come in one loop and two loop versions in both 6mm and 4mm sizes allowing making pendant earrings like the ones shown at right and also allowing graduated gemstone earrings and pendants.  These settings aren't as positive as some of our other gemstone settings so we don't recommend making bracelets out of these findings, but they will work well in earrings or as the center-piece in a necklace.  The findings are essential a concave loop of silver that holds the widest part of a gemstone, the girdle.  Once the gemstone is in the proper position, we use our round nose plier to squeeze the "neck" of the finding between the small loop and the big loop in the finding.  Squeezing the neck of the finding causes the finding to tightly grip the gemstone and makes the setting more permanent.  We used a piece of 16 gauge wire to preserve the shape of the small loop in the finding while we were squeezing the neck of the finding.  Our instructions for this technique show how we did this.  

Setting gemstones in these Wrap-Tite findings is now quite as easy as using our low wall bezel findings.  If you are making a jewelry item with just one gemstone, the low wall bezel finding is better and more permanent.  When making a connected chain like the earrings shown here, the Wrap-Tite findings are the only option.  For beginners, the low wall bezel finding is more appropriate.  For more experienced jewelry crafters, these findings work very well. 

Please select either picture above or select here to view our free instructions for making earrings using Wrap Tite findings.   

Nostalgia Corner:
This week's featured design in our Nostalgia Corner is the design for our Square Knot bracelet and earrings.  This design is one of many where we combine two simple wire components into one component that appears very complex and very difficult to make.  This design is deceptively easy to make once you know the secret. 

When we do shows, this design gets a lot of comments for the simple reason that it isn't obvious how to make this wire component.  For our readers who sell jewelry this is a good design to add to your inventory.  Please select here, or select the picture at right to view our free instructions for making our Square Knot Bracelet and Earrings.

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.  It is not our intention to offend anyone!  We don't write these jokes, we only re-tell jokes that we have heard on the public radio, television or over the Internet. 

Boomer Humor: 

Considering that we are in an election year, here is a non-partisan political joke.

Several politicians were riding in a bus past an old farm.  Because they were in a hurry to get to a political rally the driver was driving too fast and crashed the bus into a tree causing a tremendous accident.  The following day the local sheriff stops at the farm to talk to the farmer about the accident.  The farmer indicates to the sheriff that he had buried the politicians using his tractor, on the day of the accident.  The sheriff comments politely, "I'm surprised that all the politicians died in that crash."  The farmer responds seriously, "Well several of them tried to tell me that they weren't dead, but you know how those politicians lie."

Remember, no actual politicians were harmed during the telling of this joke, and it is just that, only a joke. 

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 Global Priority Mail and charge $5 over the US Mail charge for this shipping service.  Please select here to view our entire shipping policy.

WigJig University.  We provide over 2,700 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. 

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

SHIPPING WAIVED ON 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: 09/10/2008