Karla Rosenbusch is the managing editor of Jewelry Making Daily and associate editor of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist.

	My scrollwork and bronze metal clay bracelet. You can find how to make it below.

Start With the Basics
One quiet evening at home, I was experimenting with wire techniques--and those experiments led to the creation of some of my favorite pieces. With no clear vision of a finished design in mind, I began by playing with simple spirals. I cut 5 3- to 4-inch lengths of 20-gauge black craft wire and, using a pair of round-nose pliers and my fingers, spiraled slightly less than halfway down each piece. I then turned the lengths of wire around and spiraled back toward the center in the opposite direction of the first spirals, creating loose "scrolls." I was very taken with the appearance of the scrolls and was delighted with my creation from a very basic spiral technique.

Turning the scrolls over and over in my hands, I decided they would look particularly nice linked together. I didn't have any appropriately sized jump rings to connect the scrolls, so I used another basic technique to make my own very small black rings. Again using the round-nose pliers, I fashioned small simple loops and used my flush cutters to cut them off from the rest of the wire at the base of the loops. Voila! Little tiny jump rings all my own.

A couple of examples of the basic wire scrolls I used for my bracelet.

Prong Creation
After linking together three of the scroll sections, it dawned on me that I had the beginnings of a very nice bracelet design. But it needed something more than wire. I had a flat oval bronze metal clay bead left over from a previous project which I decided would make a great focal piece. But the bead's hole was too thin for even the 20-gauge wire. So I cut a 4-inch piece of wire and a 2-inch piece. I crossed these two lengths, wrapping them around each other in the middle to form a cross and added a simple loop at all four ends. I laid the bead in the center of the cross and bent the ends up at 90-degree angles. I used my little jump rings to attach the spirals (2 on one side of the bead and three on the other) to the cross then bent the ends of the cross down across the bead, pinching them down securely with my pliers. I had created my own little bead-holding prongs!

The back of the bronze metal clay bead shows the wire "cross."		The completed prongs hold the bead in place.

To complete my bracelet, I made a hook clasp by cutting a 3-inch length of wire and spiraling about halfway down. I used my pliers to bend the wire back toward the spiral, forming a hook, and I added a tiny simple loop. I added another jump ring to the other end of the bracelet for the "eye."

Attempts Numbers 2 and 3
I was so happy with the results of my first scroll bracelet that I had to try it again. This time, I made the scrolls tighter for a more "refined" look. And the focal bead I used for this second attempt was one of my favorite stones--African Blue Opal (also known as Impression Stone). Since the hole in this bead was wide enough to accommodate 20-gauge wire, I simply threaded the wire through the bead and made simple loops on the end, which I attached to the spirals. Same technique, very different look!

My second attempt at a scrollwork bracelet, using African blue opal.		My scrollwork earrings with vintage Czech glass beads.

Next, I decided to branch out just a bit and use the scroll design for a pair of earrings. Again I used 20-gauge craft wire. I added some wonderful red vintage Czech glass beads with a subtle silver pattern between the scrolls and at the bottom of the earrings (attached with a simple loop). I ended up with a pretty elegant pair of dangle earrings--not something I usually wear, but a very nice look nonetheless.

Finding Inspiration and Information
The great thing about creating these pieces was that I found all of the basic wire techniques I needed, as well as a great deal of inspiration, while I was thumbing through back issues of Step By Step Wire Jewelry. Those older issues are a terrific source of information for coming up with your own designs. 

And now you can save bookshelf space if you want to peruse back issues of the magazine. The 2006 Step by Step Wire Jewelry CD Collection will give you access to many of your favorite articles whenever you need them. It contains every issue of the magazine from 2006, including all the projects, instructions, tips, and techniques you'll need. You can pre-order the collection from the Interweave store now. 

And remember to post your jewelry creations (whether you use wire or other media) in our Jewelry Making Daily Members Gallery. Let everyone see what you've designed with simple--or complex--techniques.

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