Not a bad start. Keep at it, and you might eventually get something. You seem to be taking the right attitude, by not expecting too much from this material, but also trying to have fun with it. Tip #1: when pruning or pinching this plant, smear a thin coat of petroleum jelly on you hands to make the sap easier to remove.
In the late fall, I would recommend removing a good number of the strong buds on the top to try and balance the vigor in the tree. You can see from the relative size and placement of buds on your tree that the top is much more vigorous, which is normal, and this can lead to loss of lower branches. I'm playing with a dwarf Alberta myself, and I had a very hard time balancing the vigor, until I pruned all of the upper buds this past fall. Buds this spring are more evenly spaced and closer to equal size. Bud removal can also lead to back budding, but only on needled wood.
FWIW, I understand that spruces do not like to be worked too much while actively growing (so I've never tried). IOW, it's best to do major work while they are dormant, including wiring. Harry Harrington has an article on them
here, if you're interested. Thanks for sharing, and good luck.