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Post by NatureNut on May 11, 2010 11:37:17 GMT -5
This is a fun poll. Okay, here's the scenario...
You've just wrapped a cab and finished the bail. Now you are looking at all these accent wires sticking out the top or sides or whatever and you have no clue what you are going to do with them.... I'm curious what you all do next to get your inspiration for those interesting tops that put all that beautiful icing on the cake!
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Post by NatureNut on May 11, 2010 11:39:18 GMT -5
Darn! Sorry everyone, I hit the enter key before I put the other options in that I wanted to put in... now I can't delete it or edit it.... oh well... if you have another method, just mention them in this thread!
Have fun!
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on May 11, 2010 11:42:47 GMT -5
I have a group of cabs(12) that I intend to wrap this week sitting in nice bright light at my bench.
Three I have already wrapped for Monday and I will do three today out of the dozen I laid out for this last week.
I do them as inspired by the shape I see them wrapped in. I am not into wild whirly swirlies all over the place but have done some that are more conservative than most of the swirly wrappers here.
I mostly let the stone and my mood inspire me!
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on May 11, 2010 12:33:15 GMT -5
Same here, I just go with the flow. If I get to a point that I'm not sure what I want to do I just set it aside for a few minutes, go to the bathroom , get some water, eat something, just take a break and then pick it back up again.
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on May 11, 2010 12:35:16 GMT -5
some days I am better off going into my lapidary studio and shaping or laying out cabs instead of wrapping. Saves me from lots of wasted wire that way  |
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Post by Bikerrandy on May 11, 2010 16:38:58 GMT -5
My original inspiration came from Banjocreek. He still comes on here from time to time, his work is incredible!
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Post by NatureNut on May 11, 2010 16:57:55 GMT -5
This is great guys, keep the input coming. I'd like to hear from more wrappers about their creative process and where they get their inspiration to do those wonderful wraps!
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mc2
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2009
Posts: 1,147
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Post by mc2 on May 11, 2010 17:01:05 GMT -5
Well, I basically just stare at it for a while, turning it round and round, stare some more, lay it down, get some coffee, stare some more... Finally, I start just moving the wires around and see what comes out!!LOL
Mike
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Post by upsided0wnducks on May 11, 2010 17:45:22 GMT -5
Well when I wrap I'm normally sitting in my recliner, got the stone set and the bail done, when I get stuck I put on some new music and let it guide me Best way to wrap ever is sining along to a great song! Krista |
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Post by NatureNut on May 11, 2010 17:47:21 GMT -5
Sometimes I trace the wrap on a piece of paper in pen, and draw the outline of the stone on it. Then I can try different lines and styles on it in pencil to find the balance and overall shape I'm looking for. |
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NDK
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on May 11, 2010 18:24:32 GMT -5
I'm kinda like Mike. Just wing it. LOL. I mostly use other's work for inspiration.
But I do also take into consideration who it's for (all of my wraps so far have been for specific recipients), their personal style guiding the wrap's style.
Nate
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tigereyes
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2010
Posts: 59
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Post by tigereyes on May 12, 2010 0:16:10 GMT -5
For me it's always about the stone, it's shape, colour etc. I find plain stones need a little pizaaz, but busy stones just need a frame to rest in.
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amyk
fully equipped rock polisher
I'm a slabber, I'm a cabber, I'm a midnight wrapper.
Member since January 2010
Posts: 1,331
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Post by amyk on May 13, 2010 20:53:24 GMT -5
I start by putting all the cabs I have ready on the table and then wait for one of them to say, "wrap me" that's the one I do. I draw around the stone on a piece of paper and draw the cage wires on it. Once I have it contained and the bail done, I stare at it for probably a half an hour with it in my hand. Once I decide where to put one of the wires, the others seem to fall into place. Sometimes they don't and I stare at it again.
Occasionally I have a plan from the beginning.
I agree with tigereyes, for plain stones, I usually start with more wire so I can do more swirlies. I try to keep the really pretty stones or the ones with more pattern in it, simpler. Let the stone stand out on it's own.
Sometimes, I can use the swirlies to camolage the less attractive side of the stone or a wrap that isn't perfect.
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Larry
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2008
Posts: 267
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Post by Larry on May 13, 2010 22:21:56 GMT -5
I just wing it I come from more of the artsy end, so balance and size ratios matter a lot to me. If I have a stone that is not symmetrical, I use the wire work to create a balance in the piece. Size also matters in that if I am working with a large cab, it would seem silly to make tiny short swirlies and/or a smallish bail. It would seem out-of-whack size-wise. I guess I see it more as a work of art than a production piece. I have no plan ahead of time. If I get stuck with the top wires, I just put it away. I have a malachite pendant right now all wrapped and bailed with wires shooting out the top... been sitting for a few days now. As for drawing inspirations, I try not to. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just don't want to get accidentally focused on trying something that then becomes habit that just happens to be somebody's signature style. |
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Post by rockmanken on May 14, 2010 10:40:42 GMT -5
Good thread.
I like to try different things and designs. Anything out of the 'norm'. Don't do a lot of swirlies. Have used beads for accents and also have started with the bail at the top first and ended with the 'tail ends' at the bottom to do something with.
Mostly, quit wrapping and am doing knives and cabs.
Ken
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Post by drocknut on May 14, 2010 14:42:07 GMT -5
Well there's not much method to my madness...lol. Sometimes I look at a cab and seem to know what to do with all the wires but that's a rare occurrence. Other times I haven't a clue and just start moving the wires letting them do what they want. Sometimes I stare at it, pull my hair out, or generally get so frustrated I just do whatever it takes to get it finished ;D I don't generally set aside a wrap after I've got the cab set because I don't like to leave anything unfinished. I have been known to sit for a long while looking at the cab, trying to figure out what to do with it. I think I put as much or more effort into how I make the bail and set the cab before I even think about what to do with the wires. I really like to get the wires setting the cab to compliment the cab and that tends to shape how I use the rest of the wire. Does that make sense? I have traced out the wrap on paper to try to get a general idea of how a wrap would look with the stone. That helps sometimes but it never ends up looking like what I traced so it's just a rough idea to get me started. I do look at other people's work for inspiration but usually end up doing something totally different than what I saw. I didn't start out wanting to do all those swirlies it just happened. I generally like simple but so far none of the cabs I've wrapped seem to agree with me...  I've also done more swirls on a few pieces just because I wanted to use all the wire rather than cutting it off because I started with pieces that were too long. Great thread, it is interesting to hear how other wrappers do their wraps. Maybe I can draw some inspiration from here..  |
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jackie
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2010
Posts: 132
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Post by jackie on May 23, 2010 20:33:15 GMT -5
I have no clue ...............i have only done a few wire wraps and these end wires make me crazy...........But think I amgoing to try like someone posted about drawing it out on paper first and try that. Thanks for some of the suggestions. The swirls do make the pendant
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Post by susand24224 on May 23, 2010 22:57:59 GMT -5
I sit a bunch of potential victim stones around as well, until one just makes a "wrap appearance" in my mind. It seems I have an idea in mind of what I want to do, but rarely does the idea come to fruition. Sometimes it's because I've not got enough wire, sometimes it doesn't work right, etc. etc. Also, I find if I try to copy someone else's work I often come up with something great but not much like what I was trying to copy.
Finally, it seems that my "finished" ones aren't--I leave them out for a few days after completion and I always find something to change when I look with fresh eyes.
Susan
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I've also done more swirls on a few pieces just because I wanted to use all the wire rather than cutting it off because I started with pieces that were too long. 
