I received this question from bead enthusiast Lynda.

I have been saving my sterling silver bits and pieces for two years.  I have a baggie full of scraps and don’t have a clue about what to do with them.  Any thoughts?

Our fabulous teacher Donna Struthers was kind enough to answer it for me.

Some sterling scraps may be more useful than you think. I keep a separate bowl for larger scraps of sheet and wire. A few inches of wire may be all you need to make a jump ring in just the right gauge for your project. Keep a metal gauge nearby to use two like pieces of wire for a pair of ear wires. You can ball the end of a piece of wire for a headpin or use as a rivet. A small scrap of sheet may be all you need to punch out a small decorative element for a pendant or a pair of earrings. One more idea is to melt a piece of scrap to make a  ’glob’ of silver to solder on a project as a decorative ball.  When you’ve used all you can, send the rest in and get a silver ‘credit’ from your favorite jewelry supply store!
Thanks Donna and I hope that helps you out Lynda with all your silver scraps! Donna teaches here at The Bouncing Bead and we are working on more workshops for the next quarter.

Do you have a question that you would like answered? Did you know you can win a $10 in-store credit if we answer a question of yours here on The Blog? Want more info then click here: Ask a question and win a $10 in-store credit

Maveh is our very first winner of our “Ask a Question Win $10″ contest!

Here is her question:

Hello, I have often come up with an inspired design in my head, and then do not consider the weight (or strength) of the wire I choose. Sometimes, when the necklace is finished, It seems not to “hang” correctly because the wire is too thin. What should I consider when picking my wire?

Maveh

Here is Laura’s answer:

Great question…. I would be looking and feeling the weight of the beads and when in doubt, use the Medium (Softflex) and that way you can cover your bases.  Many of my necklaces/bracelets are strung with the Fine (Softflex) and are usually no longer than 20″.  If my necklace goes beyond 24″ then no matter the size or weight of the bead I use the Medium.

Hope this helps!

Maveh your store credit is on the books!

Want to win $10 like Maveh? Just email me a question or write a comment and enter to win today! michelle@thebouncingbead.com

Is there something you would like to know more about in the beading world? Have some burning question you want answered? Then drop me a line and I would love to answer them on The Blog. Send your questions to michelle@thebouncingbead.com If your question is chosen to be answered then you will win a $10 store credit so make them good!

Sea Glass Mother of Pearl Charm Bracelet.

A few rules apply to the cashing of the store credit and to read those rules check out this blog post. Store Credit Rules