Disaster! What am I doing wrong

[Petal]

I've promised a customer that I will do a chaos wrap of her small briolette earrings she gave me. I had a few practice goes with some other glass beads to try and perfect the technique (pics encl.) and thought I'd done it ok. Then disaster struck. I've broken the briolette I feel bloody awful, as its the first thing I've ever broken. Here's a pic of the broken one, bottom left and the other ones that I've already done. I wrapped it by keeping my round nose pliers in the loop at the top and continue wrapping round to the bottom and then back up to the top.



Am I doing this completely wrong, does this way of wrapping put the piece of wire going through the briolette under too much pressure, or was I just unlucky with the briolette??



Any honest helpful hints/tips would be greatly appreciated guys, as I've bought lots more of these to make up before Saturday.

[Di Sandland]

Oh bugger Jules. To be honest, I can't see any other way to wrap - whether its chaos wrapping or not! I think there may have been a fault line where the bead was drilled. George or somebody might be more useful to you in the advice stakes.

All I want to say is that I think the rest look beautiful. (and you know I am scrupulously honest in these things!)

[Petal]

Aw thanks for the compliments Di. I was absolutely devastated when I heard it brake and there was a lot of swearing going on, I can tell you. God knows what the women will say when I tell her... I don't think they were expensive, but that's not the point...

oops gotta go. back later on....

[geti-titanium]

OOOOh!! that's one of the worst feelings in the world - damaging a piece that someone has given you to work with. I had to laser engrave a gold locket that a customer sent in when I first had my machine. Without realising just how thin the sucker was I blasted straight through it! Personally I thought the 'stencil' effect looked quite funky - but I was the only one that thought that for some reason

[geti-titanium]

Can you not glue the briolette and then chaos wrap over the damage? I know it's not ideal but the customer will be none the wiser.

Jason please - where are your morals?

[mizgeorge]

Jules - you're not doing anything wrong. Some beads just break I've had the same thing happen to me, and I have to confess that one one occasion I did just as Jason suggests. Set your wire in place, glue (this is one of the rare times when superglue works just fine), include the broken off piece if it's intact, and hide it all with the wrap once it's set.

Looking at the picture, I'd say they were only glass to start with, so your option is to be completely up front with the customer and explain that one broke. I'm sure she'll understand.