If you ever wondered how I got started working with wire (okay – please indulge me), I’ll share a super quick history.    It was almost 5 years ago, and my then 3rd son was about 9 months old.  I signed up for a wire class and was rather disappointed.  The class was taught by an older gentleman who loved wire, but had his own idea about jewelry.  We made an interesting bracelet and ring or two, but not the fundamentals that I was hoping for (earwires, wrapped loops, etc).  Here’s one of those pieces….

One of my absolute first wire projects

A few months later I took a basic wrapped-loops kind of wire class at a local A.C. Moore.  Now I was in business!  Boy was I proud to make an entire chain of beads and finish a bracelet!  This was when I had no idea about lampwork, just look at these pink beads… but I would soon learn about handmade glass beads and would be hooked!  I started frequenting the Bead and Button forum, where I met  Kerry …. a friend from the very early days!

My first wire-wrapped bracelets! Isn't it great to learn how to make a wrapped loop??

This passion eventually led me to the opening of sweet bead studio (thanks to the help of my oldest son for the name!) and this blog – in 2007.  In a few months I’ll be celebrating my 3rd anniversary of blogging…and if you visit those early posts (actually posts up til last year), I didn’t have a lot of visitors or blog comments. 🙁  I have learned a LOT since then…and really met many of you in the past year alone. 

The great thing about wire is that there is just about a zillion kinds of wire and ways to work with it…. oxidized sterling silver wire (my favorite), copper wire and steel wire…. which led more recently to another new passion, working with metal…..  Do I sound a little obsessed?  My family thinks I am. 

Oh the things you can make with wire!

A little wire here, a little wire there...

I just have to throw in this picture… would you believe I have bowls like this on my desk.?  When a new idea strikes, I grab a roll of copper wire and see what takes shape.  And of course, writing tutorials require plenty of testing…

....they say practice makes perfect!

I start a tutorial with a pad of paper and a spool of copper wire...

And fast forward to March of 2010…here’s one of my latest wirework bangles.  I love adding twisted wire for a bit of texture and interest.

Copper bangle with lampwork by Moon Stumpp

Sold, thank you!

Well there you have it… if you stuck with me to the end of this post, I guess we do have a passion in common after all!  I have the Artbead Scene Carnival Bloggers to thank for this month’s word:  Passion!