Making New Jewelry with my WigJig

Yesterday I took myself down to the Post Office to pick up my latest package. It was a WigJig, and a book I had ordered called “Wire Jewelry Workshop”. The book, by Susan Ray, has instructions and photos for wire wrapping techniques. I found it very interesting and informative, and there are numerous projects in the book I’d like to try.

The WigJig opens up a new era in my jewelry making. Now I can learn a new technique, and create brand new designs that I’ve been wanting to try. The device itself is little more than a clear acrylic board with holes strategically drilled on it. I chose the model called the Centaur, which incorporates evenly spaced holes in a rectangular configuration, with holes in a semicircular pattern. The design is a hybrid, incorporating the design of the Cyclops and the Delphi.

When I ordered my WigJig, the company sent me a free E-book with instructions on how to do the most basic designs. Awesome! This was a great help, since I’ve never done wire wrap techniques before. When I got my new WigJig, I needed to learn how to set it up and even what tools I needed to use the product.

Now I’m making wire wrap jewelry and developing a fascinating new skill. I love my new WigJig Centaur and I’ll surely be adding lots of new items to my Etsy Shop in the near future.

Spring! It's here!

Don’t you just love Spring? The trees are beginning to bud out, the birds are twittering in the trees, and the rabbits are hopping around the yard doing a little happy dance.

Last year at this time we had just moved from Louisiana to our new home in Arizona, and I was frantically getting everything ready for our trip around the world. I’ve been telling you some of the great things we saw on that trip, and I promise I have a lot more to show you.

Now, finally, we’re at home, moved in, and beginning our new life. Tom has built me a chicken coop and a garden, a storage room and he’s almost done with a big new porch. Right now he’s working on a horse pen so his new horse can come home.

And I’ve begun working on my new website, JewelMania – An Etsy Shop. You can see the photos of some of my jewelry in the Etsy Mini on the top left of this blog, or you can just head on over to the site and have a look around. I’m steadily adding new items, so there’s always something new to look at.

In addition to seeing all the new jewelry I’m creating, you can take advantage of my April sale. For the month of April you can buy any item on my site, and get half off the second item. All you need to do is mention this blog post in your notes when you order, and I’ll be happy to refund the difference via PayPal. If you send a Money Order as payment, just take the half off the price of the second item and send me the balance.

Of course there have to be rules, so true to form, here’s the rules. The second item has to be the same or lesser value than the first item. But, you can use the same sale to purchase two more items. In that case, you can get an even better deal by grouping the two higher priced items and the two lower priced items to get the maximum savings.

Welcome to JewelMania, a jewelry artist’s unique view of the world and its art.

This blog chronicles the life and times of a young-at-heart, not so retired world traveler who can always find just one more adventure to fill her never boring, always hectic days. If that’s not enough, I’ll show you the fantastic jewelry I’ve seen, found, bought and created. Don’t go away! There’s always another day, another adventure, and another jewelry find to capture your imagination.

Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Cheryl Cholley, and I can’t tell you everything I’ve done and seen in a little over 50 years. Together with my husband, Tom, I’ve explored the beauties of America and the far reaches of Asia, with dozens of stops in between.

During our travels, we invariably discover fantastic jewelry artists and their work. We have seen the Pearl Market in Beijing, the fabulous jewelry markets in Jaipur, India, and visited a cloisonne' factory in Malaysia. While walking by the canals of Venice, I happened upon a shop that carried fascinating glass beads. And of course I just had to have some! While in Melbourne, Australia, we walked the aisles of the Queen’s Market, and found the perfect opal for my collection. Just wait until Tom tells you the story of how he got his Aussie hat with the crocodile teeth!

Here, in the months to come, I’ll share with you our sojourns to Morocco and how I held deadly poisonous serpents. You’ll see photos of the huge vats the Moroccans use to dye their supple leathers, and I’ll give you a birds-eye view of the casbah and it’s fascinating wares. One day, I’ll show you the fantastic sights we encountered on our way to visit the miraculous Taj Mahal. Rug merchants, and their rituals are a favorite of Tom and myself as well. I’ll give you a peek into the way these artists display and sell their wares.

Ask me about New Zealand, and I’ll show you the panoramic beauty of a tiny country with more sheep than people. I’ve tasted fine wines there, and stood on the exact spot where “The Lord of the Rings” was filmed.

Get me talking about Italy and you’ll hear not only stories of Rome, Venice, Florence and Pisa, but of the interesting and oh-so-beautiful Italian Alps.

The world is only as big as you let it be, and it’s definitely as beautiful and interesting as you’ve imagined. Around each bend in the road is another artist with a story to tell and wares to peruse. Ambulate slowly through life and be sure to stop and smell the roses. Here’s my view of the world and I’m ready to show it to you.

Welcome to JewelMania, a jewelry artist’s unique view of the world and its art.