(Maybe I should call this post "screwing around with my Kodak Easyshare camera.") Here's another one, which I kind of like even though it's horribly out of focus:
It looks very "other-worldly" -- kind of like a glowing cauldron or a magical circle. A session with my pliers and a lot of swearing produces this (which was NOT taken with the Kodak Easyshare):
(This is copper-colored aluminum wire, by the way.) I resisted using aluminum wire for a long time, mostly from snobbery. I preferred gold and silver wire ... It took me awhile to make the transition, but once I did I was hopelessly hooked. Aluminum wire is easier to bend, so it can be worked by hand with the occasional use of pliers for the sharper angles and curves. It's especially great with baroque pearls, such as the ones pictured above, which are irregularly shaped and sometimes challenging to wrap. And it comes in amazing colors, which I find much more interesting than just gold and silver.
The paint finish on aluminum wire is easy to mar with sharp metal objects, so I use plastic-coated pliers so it doesn't get too banged up. (I have a separate set of pliers just for this purpose.)
Anyway, give aluminum wire a try. You won't regret it.
