Hey, all! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been trying very hard to focus on creative activities to get me through this very chaotic year. It’s been challenging to redirect my attention to creative endeavors, but once there, I’ve found this to be life-saving work… life saving in that it’s been helping me find and keep my sanity. ::SMILE::

I’ve just recently created photo galleries of wire worked jewelry I’ve made in the 2019/2020 time frame which you can check out at the link below.

I now dabble a lot in wire wrapping, wire weaving, and wire forming. I do most of my wire working in raw copper, brass, or jewelers’ bronze right now (fine silver and sterling silver in the near future), and may also use stainless steel, surgical steel or .925 sterling silver for ear wires or other components. I’m also occasionally using sheet metals for cutting, forming, doing soldering or cold joins (rivets) but the learning curve is long, especially because I’m self-teaching on all of this, which also eats up a lot of my time. (Not complaining! It’s just reality.)

The reason I wanted so much to play with wire is that I knew it would allow me the flexibility to do designs that I’ve been imagining but couldn’t achieve any other way. I can also make most of my own connection components on the fly as needed for each project (jump rings, clasps, ear wires). I can hammer wire, twist wire, coil wire, swirl wire, weave wire and, of course, bead with wire and wrap wire around other objects. I like working with Swarovski crystals. I also like working with natural semi-precious gemstones, natural crystals, etc.

With beading, I was able to crank out product much faster and in greater volume, but wire working tends to take more time and result in fewer, but finer, one-of-a-kind pieces. I’m good with that.

I’ve got time. I’ve got patience. I’ve got a passion for exploring what I can do with wire and with metal.

If you’ve got the time and curiosity, join me on my journey by checking out my galleries on Facebook. It’s a “public” Facebook page, which means you don’t have to have a Facebook account to view it. (Facebook will, however, prompt you to ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Login’ to Facebook, but you can JUST SAY NO!… and still be able to look through the galleries. You just won’t be able to comment on any of the posts or photos.)

I make a lot of one-of-a-kind items, but if you see anything you like, let me know. I may still have it available or may be able to make something quite similar for you (depending on materials available). You can reach me by sending me a message. Facebook users can use ‘Messenger’ to message me (@SusanMaddyJ); other folks can use my ‘Contact’ page here on Teardrop Adventures (see menu options at the top-left of this Teardrop Adventures webpage and click on CONTACT). 

HERE’S THE LINK TO MY FACEBOOK JEWELRY PAGE where you will find several photo galleries of my work…

Susan Maddy J on Facebook

What have YOU been up to? If you’ve had unplanned downtime, have you found yourself in need of balance? Have you leaned into or thought of leaning into doing something creative to relieve some of the stress this year has brought? If not, maybe you should give it a try? It could be the tiniest of expressions of creativity… doesn’t have to be a brand new hobby requiring all kinds of new or costly materials… could easily be a return to or revival of something you once did, someone you once were before life got a hold of you and took you on a detour. Find your happy. Find some peace of mind. Invite creativity back into your life. It might be just want you need when you didn’t even know you needed it.  🙂

Happy Trails… Enjoy the Ride,