Quiet socializing: with jewelry, and TAFF

This morning, I went over to kythryne's apartment, where elisem was teaching her, and me, some wire-wrapping jewelry-making techniques.

By some standards, I was underprepared for the class; I've barely done any jewelry-making. Kythryne is a professional and wanted to learn specifics of Elise's techniques. Elise solved this by first showing both of us some things, and then teaching Kythryne more advanced techniques while I practiced what she'd covered first.

I now know a bit about how to make what Elise calls wandering-wire earrings and brooches. During the first teaching section, I made a pair of freeform earrings, less like each other than they were meant to be. I'd misunderstood the instructions Elise was giving us, so instead of an oval with loops inside it, I made overlapping curved shapes. Then, while Elise was showing Kythryne things about clasps and necklaces, I made a brooch, working within a framing oval she shaped for me. It didn't come out as I'd expected, I think in part because I decided that a particular wire that had been sitting calmly, minding its own business, needed to be pulled loose and woven through five other wires, and doing so moved the central bead out of position. And then I picked up a loose bit of wire and started bending it, and wound up with a single earring, much more jagged than the curvy pieces we'd been working on.

I had fun playing with the wires, and the colored beads, and now I know a few things about bending wire smoothly (using my thumb, as if I were curling ribbon with a scissor) and into loops and waves. I also know how to anchor one piece of wire on another, though I definitely need practice at that. Elise also sold me some silver wire, so I can play with this more, but I think I need a pair of bent-nose pliers first, and I probably want to do more bead earrings first. I may combine things and put bends into head wires for bead earrings, but probably not this month.

Kythryne took some photos of things Elise had made recently. I also got her to take a photo of my brooch, which I'll post here when she emails it to me.

---

I walked Elise to the post office, and then went back to the A train to pick up bugshaw. When I was making plans with Bug, she liked the idea of coming uptown to have lunch and hang out quietly, as a break from apparently everyone else in New York fandom wanting to play tour guide for the TAFF winner. I showed her a restaurant that served good salads; some of Inwood Hill Park, including the salt marsh (at high tide and again close to low tide), and julian_tiger, and we talked quietly about life and craft and people. I hadn't seen her in a few years, and it was good to catch up in an unhurried context (no panels to go to, nor worries about missing trains).

Quiet socializing: with jewelry, and TAFF

This morning, I went over to kythryne's apartment, where elisem was teaching her, and me, some wire-wrapping jewelry-making techniques.

By some standards, I was underprepared for the class; I've barely done any jewelry-making. Kythryne is a professional and wanted to learn specifics of Elise's techniques. Elise solved this by first showing both of us some things, and then teaching Kythryne more advanced techniques while I practiced what she'd covered first.

I now know a bit about how to make what Elise calls wandering-wire earrings and brooches. During the first teaching section, I made a pair of freeform earrings, less like each other than they were meant to be. I'd misunderstood the instructions Elise was giving us, so instead of an oval with loops inside it, I made overlapping curved shapes. Then, while Elise was showing Kythryne things about clasps and necklaces, I made a brooch, working within a framing oval she shaped for me. It didn't come out as I'd expected, I think in part because I decided that a particular wire that had been sitting calmly, minding its own business, needed to be pulled loose and woven through five other wires, and doing so moved the central bead out of position. And then I picked up a loose bit of wire and started bending it, and wound up with a single earring, much more jagged than the curvy pieces we'd been working on.

I had fun playing with the wires, and the colored beads, and now I know a few things about bending wire smoothly (using my thumb, as if I were curling ribbon with a scissor) and into loops and waves. I also know how to anchor one piece of wire on another, though I definitely need practice at that. Elise also sold me some silver wire, so I can play with this more, but I think I need a pair of bent-nose pliers first, and I probably want to do more bead earrings first. I may combine things and put bends into head wires for bead earrings, but probably not this month.

Kythryne took some photos of things Elise had made recently. I also got her to take a photo of my brooch, which I'll post here when she emails it to me.

---

I walked Elise to the post office, and then went back to the A train to pick up bugshaw. When I was making plans with Bug, she liked the idea of coming uptown to have lunch and hang out quietly, as a break from apparently everyone else in New York fandom wanting to play tour guide for the TAFF winner. I showed her a restaurant that served good salads; some of Inwood Hill Park, including the salt marsh (at high tide and again close to low tide), and julian_tiger, and we talked quietly about life and craft and people. I hadn't seen her in a few years, and it was good to catch up in an unhurried context (no panels to go to, nor worries about missing trains).

(no subject)

kythryne just sent me her photo of the brooch pendant I made this morning, while elisem was teaching us some wire-wrapping techniques: ( cut for size )

(no subject)

kythryne just sent me her photo of the brooch pendant I made this morning, while elisem was teaching us some wire-wrapping techniques: ( cut for size )