MY SUCCESS STORY

I started wire jewelry classes recently at a local bead shop that has only been open for a few months. I have never taught anyone how to make jewelry so I asked a lot of people a lot of questions and was as prepared as possible for the first class. It was a beginner's class on the basics of wire wrap, simple loops and wrapped loops both sides of a bead and joined with jump rings. There were 4 students at the first class. It went well and they finished a bracelet each and booked for the next class the following week which was on wire swirls. The shop owner was please too because they bought supplies to practice at home what they had learned.

When they arrived the for the next class they showed me their “homework” with praise all round for all of them and complimented me on the necklace I brought with me as an example of what can be made with what they learn over the two classes. What I didn't expect was for them to think that they could make this necklace. I told them that it takes a lot of free hand to make it and it might be a bit advanced for them and I didn't want them to be disappointed if they couldn't finish it. They were too excited to be talked out of it so I agreed to teach them this necklace at next week's class and I hoped it would go well for them. They got through the swirl class with great enthusiasm and bought even more supplies when they left!

They arrived the next week for the class and it did go well, sort of! In the 2 ½ hour class they finished the center piece only of the necklace, with a lot of help and were very happy with what they had done and realized that it wasn't as quick and easy as they thought it would be. The only way I could get them through it was to print out photos of the necklace which by pure luck came out just a bit bigger than the actual size. I'd already hand drawn the separate pieces to size with the intention being that they shape the pieces to fit the drawings. They could now do that as well as with the photo, placing each of their pieces over the drawn pieces and using the photo to see how the piece should look and adjusting to make it fit.

 They were happy to come to the next week's class to complete the necklace which they did and were very proud and pleased with them selves. The class ran later than it should have and I was pleased with their finished necklaces too which turned out much better than I thought they would! Also these ladies taught me how to think outside the box and use my imagination to teach this necklace in such a different way.

Success for both them and me!!!