Torque Story: Wire-Sculpture.com

Monday, August 20, 2012

Slipping under the wire with fun wire projects for I Might Make That! Monday

Pinwheel ring by Dale Cougar Armstrong,
pattern courtesy of Wire-sculpture.com

The best-laid plans of mice and bloggers... I had planned to write my Monday blog post last night but fell asleep watching TV about two hours earlier than I normally go to bed, which I guess was my body's way of telling me I seriously needed some shut-eye.

But hey, there's still a few hours left in Monday, so I'll sneak in under the wire. I recently discovered the site Wire-Sculpture.com, which sells jewelry-making supplies but also offers lots of wire and jewelry-making tips and videos (some are free, some are not.)

If you sign up for the free e-newsletter (scroll down to the bottom of the home page), you'll get access to exclusive patterns that are not among the free offerings. This lovely swirly ring above, by Dale Cougar Armstrong, was the pattern I got. I just love her pieces--I have her book Wirework--which is way above my ability, but this ring is described as beginner-level.

Do check out Wire-Sculpture.com. It's nice to support sites that make the effort to include educational content along with the merchandise.

Why 'Torque Story'?

What does the name of my blog mean? I'm no physicist, but my understanding of "torque" is that it is force that causes a thing to rotate. Many of my designs--from my peyote-stitched and Russian spiral necklaces to my intricately braided kumihimo cords--feature spirals created by torque.

The spirals and twisty-bumpy beading and braiding techniques hold special resonance for me because they symbolize the journey we all take that makes us who we are. We set out on straight paths but take various twists and turns as life gets in the way. This makes us far more interesting people, and makes for far more interesting jewelry.