Tips from
a Metal
Artisan
By Patti Vanderbloemen
PATTI GIVES BEAD CHAT MAGAZINE
HER TOP TIPS FOR WORKING WITH METAL,
INCLUDING TOOLS, PATINA,
SUPPLIERS & MORE!
Read! In this day and age, I feel so
blessed to have the internet. Most
of the tips I have learned have come
from reading blogs, including videos at various websites, such as Rio
Grande and Beaducation, as well as some of the
other jewelry supply sites.
1.
Always practice with cheap wire! I
cannot tell you how many times I
have tried a design in silver, so sure it
would be perfect, only to add it to my
scrap pile! I also find it cheaper to buy my wire in
bulk, especially copper and red brass. I only buy my
wire from Rio Grande – I had a few bad experiences
with wire purchased elsewhere.
2.