Dani
I have been told that Florida has a great guild, check around for
them, and the classes they give. I use copper a lot, and I have
found that if I use thin gauge silver wire and a bit of solder it
works better. Yes, silver wire to solder. But, I love the rough and
distressed look. Look around for a bit of silver to use. As far as
using a draw plate, I have one, but it may be cheaper and a lot
easier to buy the wire in the gauge you need from the hardware store.
If you can take a class, if you have to go into a bit of debt to so
so, it will be worth every penny, if the teacher does what you want
to do. You will learn sooner how to make a product you can sell, and
get back the investment.
Roxy