Have you heard?  The second Best of Step by Step Wire is due out in just a few weeks!  You can preorder this issue right here!  I’m so excited about this issue! 🙂  You’ll find popular previous designs by Jeanette Ryan, Jen Judd Velasquez, Cassie Donlen, Sara Richardson, and other favorite artists inside!

I designed Au Courant Corsage over the summer envisioning a simple statement piece – a necklace with a large cluster of lampwork hollows, something asymmetrical.   I wanted to showcase lots of wire.  This necklace has 12 feet of 16-gauge wire alone!  With visions of hollows in various shades, I began to look online…..when I found Charmaine Jackson of Encircle Designs, and saw her custom-order hollow color chart,  I knew these were the beads I was looking for.   I noticed that she was in Virginia too, and that sealed the deal. 

I visualized a cluster of beads reminiscent of a floral corsage.  Do you remember those corsages worn to a homecoming dance – pinned right on to your dress, or better yet, worn on your wrist?   This is my modern version of wearing a small bouquet.  The challenge was how to create a nice, bulbous focal with round beads.  I cannot tell you  how many different ways I redesigned the focal cluster.  I wanted it to “sit” just right.  I decided I needed to use smaller beads (the above picture is the first go-around before changing the bead size).  Charmaine was wonderful and made a custom set of beads in the smaller size I requested for a second round, under a tight deadline.  I think I fiddled with this focal more than I have in any project I’ve made to date.  When I work with a new wire concept, I often generate a pile of practice pieces.  This project was no exeption.  You’ll see how something amazing happened when I brought my  pieces of wire to the beach;  they oxidized naturally from the salty air.

I also have a necklace in this issue taken from the Step by Step Wire vault:  Heartstrings.  Heartstrings is special to me as it was my first time being published with Step By Step Wire magazine – back in 2008.  The silvered ivory lampwork beads are by Kim Typanski, who sadly no long makes beads.  She is pursuing another passion – horses!

I’m looking forward to seeing this issue in print .  I’m considering teaching my first class with the Au Courant Corsage project in mind – maybe keeping it simple and adapting it to a bracelet. 

See I promised there would be a jewelry next!   Thank you for stopping by – it always makes my day to hear from you! 🙂