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Great Wire Jewelry Deserves Perfect Loops I was doing some domestic spelunking and found a rosary I made before I knew much about wirework. It was a gift I'd made for my son when he was little. I'd invested in stone beads, made the cross in metal clay...

Recently, I chatted with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong about her new book, Wirework: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Wire Wrapping. It's packed with step-by-step photos and solid, classroom-tested techniques for making custom wire jewelry with faceted stones, cabochons, and beads. Dale's signature designs have appeared in Step by Step Wire Jewelry and Jewelry Artist. Today she offers some tips for intermediate-level wire workers....

Like you, I’ve taken classes of all sorts over the years. Most teachers use memory techniques to help you remember lists or a process. For instance, my piano teacher used the acronym (E)very (G)ood (B)oy (D)oes (F)ine so I could remember the lines of the treble clef; in 10th grade typing class I learned the pangram “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog;” when my daughter learned to tie her shoes we sang SpongeBob’s Loop Dee Loop song; and in college the ne’er-do-wells who tore me away from my studies taught me “Over the lips and through the gums, watch out stomach here it comes.”...

If you're going to rate pesky problems in wire work, this one rates pretty high. Yes, wire warts are just what you think: those nasty little marks on the wire made with your pliers. After putting your best creative and technical skills into your design, it is so frustrating to see those unwanted and unintended marks! What can you do about it? ...

Some days (OK, most days) you amaze me! In the Reader Showcase area of the forums, I was blown away by Australian member Huan Pham who created the beautiful wireworked seahorse pictured here. Isn't it amazing? View the larger photo in the forums if you want to be impressed by his precise wirewrapping skills!...

Along with simple loops, the spiral was the first wire technique I learned. In fact, my mom still wears a pair of earrings that I created back then with 8mm black rounds and a silver spiral dangle. (I try not to cringe when I see them--my technique has greatly improved since then!)...

What makes a piece of jewelry a "winter" design? Is it jewelry type? I hardly ever create bracelets for winter because I know they'll just be buried under miles of sweaters and jackets. ...

I was cleaning the other day and ran across a bag of marbles. My kids used to run them through these elaborate Rube Goldberg-style obstacle courses they’d create with stuff around the house, the course ending with a little “ting!” against a miniature gong. It brought back a really nice memory. “Wouldn’t it be nice to wear this memory?” I thought. But alas, no hole for stringing. ...