Charming dilemma

I signed up to be in a charm swap, so I need to make charms that showcase who I am artistically. Obviously, this was going to involve wire warping, because that is one of my "things", and I decided also to use washers, because using found objects in my work is another one of my "things".

The image to the left is what I will probably turn in. It looks a little plain to me, but I want to tell you all something - it is a lot harder to wrap that bead into the center of a washer than you would think. There is a compromise you have to make when choosing the gauge of the wire. I tried thinner wire, and it looked and felt cheesy. heavier wire just wouldn't fit. I thought about using colored wire, but I didn't have any the right gauge. I tried embellishing the washer, with Stazon and with alcohol inks Sharpies, and I will tell you that those things wear off metal with handling, even the brief handling involved in assembling the charm. The center charm is one where I reapplied Sharpie to the washer after I assembled the charm, and it is already coming off, even though I haven't done anything more strenuous to it than carry it upstairs and lay it in the scanner bed. It also does not look that great to me.

The third charm showing, the purple one, is one of my experiments in changing the layout of the bead and washer. I like it for an earring, not so much for a charm (charms need to be smaller, an inch or less), and, like the previous one, the ink isn't staying.

I"m open to suggestions. Really. Please.