Twisted Tuesdays - Some FAQs

Don't forget! There is still time to enter Cindy Wimmer's give away of Totally Twisted!! Hope on over and leave a comment to enter, and there are way to get extra entries too. She will draw the winner tomorrow!! I am having so much fun reading all your comments on her blog. Y'all are sooo wonderful to me :)

For today's Twisted Tuesday, I thought I would touch on a few of the frequently asked questions I have been getting in my inbox. Or rather, they aren't frequently asked. They are the questions that have popped up and I thought more than one of you might like the answer to. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Q1: Kerry, the book looks great, how much did it cost you to make?
A1: Funny FAQ to start with huh? Well, this really is the most asked question and it mostly comes from people I see in person, like family members. Apparently, they all think I self-published the book, but nope! Interweave is my publisher, and they paid me to write, I didn't have to pay them to publish it. For those interested in publishing, I received an advance against royalties. Which means, I have already been paid everything I will be paid and won't receive additional royalties until/if there is a second printing.

Q2: Will the coating rub off on that colored wire you use?
A2: Unfortunately, I can't give you a direct answer on this one. There are really too many variables to answer. But, more often than not, if you aren't treating your jewelry respectfully, it is going to wear off. What do I mean by respectfully? You are creating ART JEWELRY and your jewelry should be treated with care and worn with love. It should not be left in the bottom of your purse with your keys and cell phone. The coating is very durable though, and I have found that if I am mindful of how hard I am tooling it, and I don't have something abrasive rubbing directly on the wire, it folds up just dandy.

Q3: Can you hammer the colored wire?
A3: YES! And I tested this!! Keep your hits true and it can be done. I would practice it first though. Make a test link, hammer it, see what happens, and go from there.

Q4: Can the wire be put through a rolling mill?
A4: I actually had to look up what a rolling mill is for this one (thanks Dee!). Now that I know that a mill is for flattening wire into a sheet, I would say no, you can't put it in a rolling mill. I don't think that the coating would hold up to being stretched like that. But hey, I could be wrong. Test it out! But for the average beader, you do not need a rolling mill. (and the fact that the cheapest on I saw was $295 makes me thankful I don't need one.)

Q5: Are those really your hands in the photos?
A5: Yes, and I had a manicure... only the second one I have ever had in my life, LOL. And thanks to the amazing Joe Coca for making the step by step shots look so fantastic.

Q6: Have you ever had trouble with your colored wire fading?
A6: Personally, no. I have, on a rare occasion, received a random spool of wire that wasn't consistently colored. Actually, it was only once, and it was a spool of lavender. I actually really loved that spool, I liked the effect that the discolored spots gave to my coils. But overall, no, I haven't had any fading. I would say, keep your wire stored in a toolbox or something where it can be hidden from direct sun when it isn't in use and that way, if you are worried about fading, it is less likely to happen.

Q7: When is book 2 coming out?
A7: Ummm, I dunno. LOL. I am still riding the high from this book and am really looking forward to teaching the projects and techniques in it over the coming year. I have a couple of ideas rolling around in my head for book two that I am really excited about though. So I am slowly, SLOWLY I say!, starting to work on a proposal for book two. You all will be the first to know if it is a go. If you keep buying up all the copies of Totally Twisted, there is a much better chance it will happen sooner rather than later. :)

If you have questions you would like me to answer in the next Twisted Tuesday FAQ, send me an email and I will add it to the list of Qs for the next FAQ post!