Every year I teach a Wirework Projects residential class and each time I make sure I come up with completely new projects.

The class is soon approaching (well, 2 months away) so the time has come for me to put all the ideas I have been having and playing around with into practice.

I love playing around with wire, especially as the results are so much more immediate than my seed bead work, so I always look forward to the challenge of coming up with new projects.

However, one issue I commonly come across, which also applies to beadwork, is finishing the ends of the work and turning a piece into a practical, wearable item.

In beadwork this can mean choosing between a purchased or hand-made fastening (or no fastening) and ensuring it works well aesthetically with the piece whilst functioning well also.

In wirework you have one additional issue, what to do with the cut ends of the wire? Common ways to deal with this are to try and hide the ends under other wire or to add spirals to finish them in a decorative manner.

This bracelet was designed to try and deal with the ends issue by the best method- not having too many in the first place! I wanted two strands of wire, which I could weave between, which would usually meant four cut ends, but by using just one piece of wire I managed to reduce that to just two ends- which I curled to finish the bangle.

I like the design as it's a great way to show off those lovely lampwork or focal beads we all somehow seem to accumulate...

As until the course starts I won't know the experience level of the students, but they are usually beginners, I always try to come up with projects which use basic techniques which are easily taught and mastered, and which build on each other.

The second project I worked on today was an attempt to combine using a WigJig with more wire weaving but in a more "feminine" piece.

I experimented with lots of different motifs but like the butterfly as it has an obvious centre which made it good for a pendant with a chain coming off each side and also the open wings left lots of room for adding beads, of course!

As well as these two projects I'll also be teaching 3 more which I'll try and photograph and get up on my blog over the next few weeks.