[Editor's note: Once more I am happy to turn this blog over to the wonderful wire work of Paul Bishop. This is Paul's second tutorial: please don't miss the one from last week on creating a freeform wire wrap.
If you'd like to offer a tutorial on J&B, by all means, contact me at cyndi @ b5Media.com (remove the spaces), and let me know what you'd like to write about.]
Artist: Paul Bishop
Website: Bishop Wire & Bead
Project #2 – A spiral on a front-top drilled flat pendant
This tiger-eye pendant is smaller than my thumbnail. It’s about 3/4 inch wide and 1 …read more

[Editor's note: I am thrilled to introduce you to the wonderful wire work of Paul Bishop. He graciously agreed to write a wire tutorial for all of you, and he ended up writing TWO of them! The second will be posted next week, so stay tuned!
If you'd like to offer a tutorial on J&B, by all means, contact me at cyndi @ b5Media.com (remove the spaces), and let me know what you'd like to write about.]
Artist: Paul Bishop
Website: Bishop Wire & Bead
I’m honoured that Cyndi asked me to provide a little something, specifically on the topic of …read more

Add some pizzaz to your beads by wrapping them with wire. In this project, Wrap and Curl Earrings, you start with some simple beads and a little wire and end up with some earrings so inspiring you’ll want to make a matching bracelet and necklace as well.

Though this Wire Wrapped People project from Rings & Things doesn’t suggest making this into a witch, obviously, she would make a perfect witch. Just add a pointy hat and a broom and you are good to go. If you don’t feel inspired to make the hat and broom out of wire, you can use charms instead.

After making some pumpkin beads from polymer clay, you can add them to this vine necklace. Use a little wire and some seed beads to create twists of vine around the necklace strap. Or leave as is. For matching earrings, just use some head pins, ear hooks, and a few pumpkin beads and you’ll have matching set perfect for the office party you plan to go to.

Are these too clever or what? What a great way to use some artistic colored wire and your imagination and wire skills. Add an ear hook to the tops and you have some instant earrings. You can find the how-to on this project over at the Wig Jig web site.

From their Style File, these earrings are compliments of Bead It! where they provide a list of materials on their web site. You may have been seeing summer components like these, lots of shells and shell pieces, but haven’t been exactly sure what to do with them. This is a great idea. It looks like they wire wrapped some beads from the shell center pieces. Add some hooks via a few jump rings, and your done – an updated and easy to put together look.

You’ve probably seen these around before. They are snowflake style ornaments made with wire and loads and loads of clear crystal beads. Rings & Things has the complete directions available on their web site. These are a tad involved, so July would be a good time to get going on them. That way you don’t have the stress of trying to figure out it along with all the other stress the holidays tend to bring.

This Filigree Angel project illustrates one of those times I was trying to think outside of the box. I used a filigree stamped component and used it as the body of this angel ornament. Just add a little wire and some beads and you are good to go.

It’s July, and in South Florida where I live that means it’s steaming hot. So, what better time to start thinking of cool weather….or at least dreaming about it? This month, I’m going to post a sprinkling of holiday items to make, including jewelry and ornaments, and I’m starting off with this Goofy Reindeer Ornament.
His head is an hematite teardrop bead, and then I used wire to create his wacky antlers. Keep watching as I celebrate a little Christmas in July.