Midi Rings Revisited

 Signs of improvement...

Coupler bolt and wire rings

I finally got the backs right.

Another view

 Alright, I bought a mandrel, some new wire, read a few tutorials and got back on the horse (I would rather imagine a unicorn).  I think it went better this time.  Things usually do go better after several hours of doing them wrong and then taking a break.  I used a pen and the ring mandrel for shaping and I used pliers to twist the ends and push them in place.  I tried to make it so they rings could be squeezed or widened around the finger.  I accidentally got the same gage of wire as I had used the time before, BUT... copper is much softer than brass.  I also realized that the key to a successful V shape is to pinch the end tight and bend over an even amount on each length of wire above the pinched spot.  Then I would open the wire slowly and place it on the mandrel.  The shapes aren't where I want them yet, but they are much, much closer.  Hooray for progress!

The clay gem trials

Soon we will talk about clay gems, precious metal finishes, and coupler bolts.  After that, I would like to dive into a long and thorough tutorial for mask making.

Yahoo!

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Late night in the lab...

Barracuda ring set on Etsy from Evidence Jewelry

Alright, somehow I got all  obsessed with black manicures, pointed, nails, and knuckle rings.  I want bad ass hands that  look like this.  I thought I could start simple enough with some DIY chevron rings.  I followed this tutorial from A Pair and A Spare.

Photo from A Pair and A Spare

Her rings are nice and it seemed simple enough, but...

Crop top, Eastern star, and bra strap added for dramatic effect

It didn't quite work out.  Ummmm, all I can say is that wire is not my friend and I think the wire I purchased was to thick for me to bend properly.  I had to test my theory and I grabbed a different package of wire to see how that would work and then the wire was too thin.  It was a total Goldie Locks moment (this porridge is too hot, this porridge is too cold...).  I'm going to call it a fail.  For one, that isn't even a V shape is it?  Aaarghh, I'm still blaming the thickness of the wire so I'll be searching for something in between the two tonight.  I will conquer this!  Or maybe I'll just make plain bands.

experiments in clay

I also got experimental with the air dry clay.  Trying out some gems.

Sized ring blanks from Etsy

This looks promising.  I have two pronged and sized handmade ring blanks from Etsy.  I can't think of how to make them work hold teeth so they get clay gems.  Oh, experimental times in the world of making; sometimes it gets rough.