The Beading Gem

Here is another fabulous tutorial for all you square knotting fans! There has been a lot of cord macrame bracelets but this one by Anette over at her Lebenslustiger blog is a little different for a number of reasons.

I started to hanker for a die cutting machine when I began making shrink plastic jewelry. Sure you can use paper punches or do the old fashioned way with careful scissor work.  However, using a die cutter is a lot faster and accurate.

Lots of us adore making chain maille jewelry.  But in glass not metal rings?  Leave that to Kim Edwards of Lone Tree Studio, a truly innovative artisan!   Instead of using metal jump rings like the rest of us, Kim uses her skills as a lamp work artist to create glass rings!

Special thanks to everyone who took the time to check out Ezistock's website and read the artisan bios featured on last week's giveaway.

I don't make lamp work beads but I do buy them from artisans who do.  These art beads are beautiful and deserve just the right sort of design to highlight them.  Shown here are some ideas of how to wire wrap a pendant using just 1-2 focal beads be they lamp work or other kinds of beads.

If you are a woman of a certain age, you will definitely understand the embarrassment of hot flushes. The sudden rise in body temperature bringing about red cheeks when you least expect can really disrupt one's life.  Just ask Connie Sherman.

Guest Tutorial by The Bead Shop, Manchester, UK. 

Shamballa Style Bracelets are the one of the latest crazes to hit the beading world and are relatively easy to master as the whole bracelet is based around one technique.

Are you a Downton Abbey fan like me?  I enjoy period dramas and this one is excellent. The writer, Julian Fellowes, did a super job bringing history to life. His drama series outlines the changes the First World War and its aftermath brought to British class structures.  He certainly cooked up some delicious humor and added a generous helping of soap opera which made this series a runaway success.

Melissa Cable is a jewelry making instructor who realized early on what her students preferred in terms of learning metal smith techniques.  Many were adamant they did not want any projects involving sawing or soldering.  They also did not like the use of specialized tools due to limited resources and  the lack proper facilities like a dedicated workshop.  Soldering, for example, requires good ventilation.

Having made jewelry for people and taught the basics to many others over the years, I've found that metal allergy is something which crops up time and time again.  There are people out there who cannot tolerate any metal against their skin.  But that doesn't mean they should be deprived of pretty jewelry.

Many of us probably just buy ready made metal pendants with a sun motif.  I know I have!  So this wire wrapped sunburst pendant tutorial by Domestic Diva Online will definitely be of interest if you are willing to have a go! 

I was so pleased when rRradionica on Etsy started to follow me on Pinterest. That's because  I was able to discover the work of a very talented Serbian family. The team consists of the mother, Margita and her 3 daughters - Marijana, Hristina and Aleksandra.

 Ezistock is a handmade crafts outlet based in Chiangmai, Thailand. It promotes the work of local artisans by directly connecting them to overseas markets so that they can earn fair wages and be able to support their families.  What's more, all the artisans "made a pledge to use only sustainable raw materials along with eco-friendly harvesting and production processes."

Artisan profile : Doungnapa Wongpae

It's easy enough to do single chain wire crochet jewelry (see past tutorial links below). The most popular way is to make 3 strands and then braid it.  But you don't have to do it like that.  Cyndi Lavin over at Beading Arts has a few crochet wire necklace tutorials that will surely make you think differently!

I have often looked at lace panels wondering if I could make some feminine lace jewelry.  Well, if you are thinking along the same line, then be inspired with Anna Evers lovely and easy matching lace bracelet and earrings tutorial!

Gauge earrings are so called after the size of wire gauges needed to progressively enlarge ear holes. These types of large hole earrings are not new - some cultures past and present wore such styles (see link below on stretched piercings)

Remember my tutorial on how to make a stamped metal ring using a ring blank?   Would you like to take the next metal smith step and learn how to cut out a ring shape and sand it?  Then check out Rena's tutorial for a simple and adjustable chevron ring.

Do you make rings to sell?  Then you'll know that these tiny jewelry pieces are tough to photograph to really do them credit.  So here is a marvelous tip from Lex McColl, a professional product photographer and designer and the inventor of the Modahaus photo studios. 

The Roaring Twenties was an astounding period with distinctive expressions in art (Art Deco), music (jazz) and fashion.  That's the decade when hemlines rose as waistlines dipped. Daring young women or "flappers" tossed out corsets, went for the boyish style and favored bobbed hairstyles and close fitting hats.

Last week's Modahaus Photo Studio giveaway was a huge hit.  No wonder. Jewelry photography is something many of us struggle with.   Tz Place was right when she said, "Having good images of your product is important. A person should have as close to touching an item as possible when viewing an image."

When it is too cold to go outside is a good time to reminisce over your previous summer holidays and maybe plot your next one. Even better if you have a project to do to preserve summer memories.  Here are more sea glass jewelry tutorials for all you hoarders out there!

Anyone who has been following this blog for a while will know I have a soft spot for butterflies. So I was delighted when I discovered Honeybeads' wonderful beaded butterfly ring and bracelet tutorial over on Youtube.  Easy and fun!

Brandi over at Brandi Girl has a super tutorial on how to make jewelry clusters. This tutorial is perfect for beginners who like the look of this kind of design.  It's also good practice for making wire wrapped loops!

Trying to make a go of selling handmade jewelry is not easy.   It's not just about knowing how to make great designs but more importantly how to manage a proper business so it is lucrative enough to make it your career and quit your day job!

One annoying thing about using bead looms is the long lengths of warp threads which have to be dealt with after the piece is finished.  However, this utterly brilliant tutorial by Kathy Kotinsky  eliminates that problem.  You'll see that the warp threads just wraps around the removable knitting needles. You'll need Google Translate as it is in Russian.

Love the look of micro macrame but a little intimidated to start?  Well, fear no more. Vicky of Knots and Sparklez, a self-confessed micro macrame addict has a lovely macrame on memory wire bangle tutorial.  Just click on the Free link on her tutorial page.

I really liked the chopstick based home made bracelet fastening tool I wrote about sometime ago.  It is a simple concept - the handle and hook combination helps hold one end of the bracelet while you attach the clasp.  But there is another way which uses only wire.

Scrimshaw is art work in the form of carvings and engravings in bone or ivory.  The craft began on whaling ships in the 18th century using whale teeth.  It was a leisure activity for the sailors.  They used very simple tools like needles used for sail repair and soot or tobacco juice to enhance the designs.

Original Tree Landscape on Mother of Pearl

Modahaus is a revolutionary compact and portable photostudio that is so not a light tent!  Don't get me wrong, light tents are useful but they do have some disadvantages.   So when I stumbled upon the very first unit nearly 2 years ago, I really liked what I saw and bought a small one - and never looked back.  My photography continues to improve with time as you will note from my blog tutorials and the new pictures I am starting to load on Etsy.

I like making note of jewelry tutorials which help us use up odd beads.  Most of you can relate to leftover beads from packages and strands.  The odd beads are not enough for larger projects and what's more important, are taking up space you need for new bead purchases. Got to get our priorities right, eh?

Well, you know what day is coming up!  February is not only about Valentine's Day but it is also Heart month for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  So let's pump out - pun intended - some awesome wire wrapped heart jewelry tutorials!

Beginners are often intimidated by metal work.  Perhaps they aren't that confident about using some of the tools.  But it is not that hard to do basic work cutting shapes from sheet metal. It's well worth the effort as you can then get unique and truly hand made components.

Artisans who make unusual jewelry occupy unique niches. Their designs therefore stand out in what is a large market. One such artisan is UK based Percy Lau (link no longer works) who makes quirky ear, nose and mouth parts jewelry from Sculpey clay.