Learning a new skill!

In the past I had wondered how some artists made their own wonderful jewelry findings. Full of character, handmade findings seem to bring such a different feel to a piece. I assumed there would be a lot of expensive tools involved...and figured it may be best to leave this sort of thing to the "experts", so to say. But I've been rethinking this for the past month or so. I have been talking to my husband about how I'd like to possibly learn this new trade eventually, when the kids are older. Well, due to a new little flower earring design, I was in need of some small earwires and had to go searching on etsy...and realized that I just can't keep spending so much money! So I started going through what I had on hand, and playing around with wire. It got me to thinking that maybe I really needed to look into what it would take to make my own findings! So today...I started a forum entitled " So if I want to learn how to make my own findings..." and there were SOO many helpful people who responded with what/how/where to search for information on this. I have to give a HUGE thank you to LisasLovlies who pointed me to a tutorial she had set up on her blog to make earwires!!!

And here they are... my first attempts at making my own earwires! Now, I know they are not perfect, but I love them just the same. It is a whole different feeling of accomplishment! I am hooked! I just used the same 20g copper wire I already had on hand, my round nose pliers, a hammer, and the flat surface of my husbands clamp. So I don't have the exact materials...I am playing around with what I have available to me and I love it! So to all of you out there thinking about doing it I say DO IT! Just dive in! What's the worst that could happen? So you use up some wire, big deal. Use copper first, it's cheaper :) So here I am...making my own earwires. Oh and I tried a clasp too. Next up for me are headpins. (Well, if I can get over my fear of the torch!)