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Many wire artists work without a torch, using only cold-joining techniques to make jewelry. But a growing number are starting to incorporate elements and frames that are soldered.

Soldered metal gets oxidized, and turns black. So to clean metal that has been soldered, and bring it back to it’s original colour, a jeweller will use an acid solution called “pickle”.

In this week’s 1 Min/1 Tip video I talk about the various options for pickle, including some eco-friendly ones.

Please remember that all acids need to be handled with care, so if you use any of the options mentioned in the video, be sure to add acid to water, not water to acid (to prevent splashing), and wear protective clothing and gloves. Safety first, always!

WHERE ARE YOU ON YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY?

Do you want to develop technical skills to build better quality jewelry? Do you want to create original designs? Do you want to sell your jewelry and build a business?

Do you want to find out?

Take the “Which Path of Tao? Quiz” to find out where the next step on your creative journey might be, and which lessons from the TToW Library could help you achieve your goals.

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If you’ve got old wire kicking around, then you’ve probably noticed that it doesn’t bend as well as it used to, or it tends to break easily. It’s very likely age hardened! In the video, I explain what age hardening is, and how it can affect your work.

Try out the Members Studio for 45 Days! Catch fire with excitement about making wire jewelry!

Last week I hosted an exclusive mini-workshop with my fellow travellers in the Members Studio on how to put together a show application that gets noticed. I was working on my own application for an upcoming studio tour, and shared tips and behind the scenes insights on what you need to pay attention to and what juries look for. (UPDATE: I got accepted 😀)

If you want to be part of an interactive community, where you can learn at your own pace or join in a live class, where you can focus on projects to teach you technical skills, learn tricks that professionals use to grow their business, build your confidence with constructive feedback sessions and community exclusive challenges that help nurture your creative spirit, then join the TToW Members Studio today!

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The last thing you think when you’re travelling is cleaning your jewelry. But the truth is that the combination of humidity, body chemistry and skin products can make your jewelry look grungy and ugly. So, here’s a quick tip for cleaning your jewelry with something you already have in your suitcase.

Watch the full cleaning demo here:

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Have you ever tried this tip with your jewelry? Let me know in the comments section!

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Permanent Fine Tip Markers are part of the “Essential 8” tools for making wire jewelry. They are useful because they make marks that don’t easily wear off. Sometimes though, they do their job TOO well, so in this week’s 1 Min/1 Tip video, I share a secret for getting stubborn marks off your wire.

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A few months ago I did a private jewelry photography class which featured jewelry pieces shot on various backgrounds. Today’s 1 Min/1 Tip shares one of the tricks I use for creating a really dramatic photo using hairspray!

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In the last video I shared a DIY starter tool for making roundmaille chains. It works really well – except if you’re making a chain with very small jump rings! For that you’ll need another tool – and that’s the focus of this video! I would consider micro chain maille to be anything made with jump rings smaller than 3 mm I.D.  Making chains with such small rings requires patience, dedication and a good optivisor!!!

If you’re feeling adventurous, give it a try – and use this tool to get you started!

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Roundmaille is easily one of my favourite jump ring chains! Essentially it’s European 4:1 chainmaille worked into a round tube.

There are some very good tutorials available for making roundmaille, in particular this one from Derakon on The Ring Lord’s website.

One of the things I’ve found difficult (and my students have definitely struggled with) is how to set the rings up at the start. This video shows you a quick and ease tool you can make to help you get your roundmaille started. You’ll spend less time fiddling and more time weaving!

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Masking tape is my favourite way of holding bundles of wire together, but getting the masking tape off again without distorting the work? Well, that’s a bit tricky. Here’s a quick and easy method I use for removing tape.

In other news…

The Lessons Shop has been reorganized, and projects have now been tagged according to type as well as level of difficulty. So, if you want to see what tutorials are available for making rings, just click on “Rings”, and all of the ring projects will be shown. It makes finding what you’re looking for so much easier!

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Have you ever looked at jewelry photos online and thought the jewelry looked kind of dead? There’s a reason for that – and there’s a very easy fix! Just squint! Find out why it works in this video.

I’m working on nine new project tutorials! One of them is already available in the private TToW Members Studio Facebook group. If you’re part of the Members Studio community, you get access to all new tutorials automatically as a membership benefit, plus automatic admission to live events and workshops – that’s over $500 worth of lessons! Join the Members Studio today!

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As much as I love Shepherd’s Hook ear wires for how easy they are to make, I’ve noticed that a lot of designers leave out a really critical thing that helps to keep them in your ears. I share what that is in this week’s video.

Want to know about upcoming Live Events like workshops? Find them listed here.

If you’re part of the Members Studio community, you get access to all live events automatically as a membership benefit, plus over $500 of other tutorials and lessons! Join the Members Studio today!

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