Kerry Bogert - Rustic Wrappings: Exploring Patina in Wire, Metal, and Glass Jewelry

RUSTIC

wrappings

Exploring Patina in Wire,
Metal, and Glass Jewelry

KERRY BOGERT

To My Husband, To My Parents, and To My Sister...

You make so much possible.

EDITOR: Erica Smith

TECH EDITOR AND ILLUSTRATOR: Bonnie Brooks

ART DIRECTOR: Liz Quan

DESIGNER: Karla Baker

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Joe Coca and Jack Deutsch

PHOTO STYLING: Ann Swanson

PRODUCTION: Katherine Jackson

2012 Kerry Bogert

Photography 2012 Interweave Press LLC

All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bogert, Kerry.

Rustic wrappings : exploring patina in wire, metal, and glass jewelry / Kerry Bogert.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-59668-549-9 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-62033-051-7 (PDF)

ISBN 978-1-62033-178-1 (ePub)

1. Jewelry making. 2. Wire craft. 3. Glass beads. I. Title.

TT212.B639 2009

745.594'2--dc23

2012002085

Contents

INTRODUCTION -----------------------------------------------------------

Carefree and fanciful; organic and natural; timeless and possible; passionate and sensibleevoking a romantic rendezvous set against a backdrop of a western sunset...

These are just a few of the images and emotions I hope youll experience as you flip through the pages of this book. Isnt it amazing how jewelry can sum up a multitude of ideas all at once? Being able to express yourself in such a way can be a really powerful thing. Throughout my creative career, I have had the opportunity to explore several modes of self-expression. I sew, I knit, I paint, and I write. I always, always, find myself coming back to jewelry as my favorite means of communicating what is in my heart. As I bend, twist, hammer, snip, and otherwise manipulate wire, I capture in a necklace, bracelet, or earrings things that can sometimes be hard to say with words. It allows me to share with the world who I am and what I hope to be.

Most of the time, my jewelry uses bright and bold colors and shiny silver to evoke feelings of joy, fun, play, and youthfulness. However, in this book we will be exploring a more settled, earthly, organic, and wistful style of design that takes inspiration from life, love, nature and the elements, times gone by, and the hope of things to come.

One of the ways to create this thoughtful mood is to play with color. Copper roofs have amazing color, for example. So do old bronze sculptures. How could that be re-created on the surface of jewelry without leaving it in the rain for 100 years? How do you create rustic jewelry using methods that go beyond simply oxidizing, incorporating a wide variety of colors?

Its not as hard as you may think. I cant tell you how completely amazed I was the day I discovered that I could spritz a little salt water on metal floating in the fumes of ammonia to get a prettiest blue patina I had ever seen. I have to thank Linda and Opie OBriens Metal Craft Discovery Workshop (North Light Books, 2005) for introducing me to many of the patina methods I explore in this book. I used their techniques as a springboard into my own methods that Ill be sharing with you. I know you are going to love being a studio color scientist as much as I do!

As always, in these pages you will find not only the basics of jewelry making, but careful step-by-step guidance in how to work new techniques. This book also offers color tips and insights with you to kick-start palettes. I have had many conversations with students who tell me they fear color and often find themselves in a color rut. Fear is the last emotion that we would want to evoke in a jewelry design, so prepare to be inspired!

I cant wait to get started! So grab your pliers and lets get twisting...

Kerry

BASIC TOOLS

You dont have to spend a lot of money on pliers in order to create quality jewelry. The most important thing is that the pliers feel comfortable in your hand and that they get the job done. One item that is worthy of a larger investment is a set of wire cutters. There is nothing like a set of cutters that snips wire so cleanly that it doesnt need to be filed down.

Rosary or Round-nose Pliers

I prefer rosary pliers to traditional round-nose pliers. The shorter jaw length gives you more torque, or power, when bending heavy-gauge wire, but it can still make loops in a variety of sizes. They also have cutters below the jaws that work for quick rough cuts.

ROSARY PLIERS

ROUND-NOSE PLIERS

Chain-nose Pliers

My favorite grabbing pliers. I suggest you get two! I prefer these to flat-nose pliers because the narrow tip allows you to get into smaller spaces.

CHAIN-NOSE PLIERS

Flush Cutters

Flat on the back, V-shaped on the top. I strongly recommend investing in a higher quality brand of this tool. The nicer the cutter, the less filing down will be needed after the cut! (And dont ever cut memory wire with your flush cutters; it just isnt a pretty picture. Your cutting blades will become dented and unusable.)

FLUSH CUTTERS

Big Daddy Cutter

Larger, heavier cutters for snipping thicker gauges of wire. I use this most often when cutting 14-gauge and 16-gauge wire.