The Beading Gem

One of the many terrible legacies of war are landmines because they continue to maim and kill long after the conflict has ended. The impoverished people in those countries most afflicted have no choice but to venture into mined areas to plant food crops.

Bricks of Hope (Freedom from Fear)

Metal work is not for beginners but somewhere along our jewelry making journeys, there comes a point where it becomes useful to know at least some of the basics.  Who knows?  That initial foray in this branch of the craft might become a life long passion.  But where to start?

I've seen many wire wrapped cabochon tutorials but this first one is a standout because it is also a clever locket!  The tutorial for the wire wrapped cabochon locket is over on Deviantart - click on the long picture to see it in closeup mode.  The designer is Faith Cheong who also has an Etsy supply store.

It takes a special kind of artisan to make stunning jewelry from thousands of little knots. Martin and Ugne are the two Spanish designers behind the micro macrame statement jewelry seen on ARUMIdesign on Etsy.

Square wire is not easy to find so I was not surprised to read that many of you mentioned it in last week's fabulous giveaway from The Beading Room.  So now you know where to get this elusive supply! The Beading Room ships everywhere so it does not matter if you live outside Canada.

Long necklaces are wonderful to wear but there is no reason why you are stuck wearing them like that.  Grab some ribbon and go short!  Erica Domesek of PS I Made This has an easy solution to convert 3 pearl necklaces into a much shorter statement necklace with a brooch accent.

Remember that special feature about a Japanese artist who made incredible 3D resin paintings, one painted layer at a time?  Well, we aren't quite up to his standard but layering is one way to jazz up resin jewelry.

The Victorians and people in past centuries were really big on what we today might consider morbid.  Hair jewelry was particularly popular in those days (see first link below for historical information). They were not only keepsakes but served as mourning jewelry for the family and friends of the deceased.

We all come in different shapes and sizes.  So it is practically inevitable that sometimes clothes don't perfectly fit.  I've found myself sewing darts to take in a shirt or blouse that is too loose on the body and yet fits everywhere else.  It sure is a time consuming way of getting that slimmer look!

Picture by Jim Franco

Guest post by Danielle Walker of Queen Bee Jewel Gallery
One thing I’ve found as a jewelry designer and bead weaver is that people around you start noticing what you have on. They start to make connections to stuff they might already have and never wear. For example, they might notice a certain colour, texture, or style in your piece that reminds them of one of their own. The question arises: why do they never wear these pieces? The answer is simple—they’re broken!!

What Liz Hall does is truly extraordinary.  Her jewelry designs on her Etsy store, Lizards Jewelry, are all one of a kind (OOAK).  She combines metal and polymer clay for some of the most amazing jewelry I have ever seen!

Heavens!  Last week's giveaway of a pair of Om Tara Easy Crimp™ Crimping Pliers revealed just how incredibly frustrating regular crimping pliers are. Many of you reported repeated failures.  So it was not surprising that many also wanted this nifty pair.

Nova Scotia, Canada is a small province.  There aren't really a whole lot of jobs even when times are good.  So when Hollie Ferrall's husband wanted to spend more time at home in the Halifax area rather than work abroad, it made sense to start their own business. It was the only solution if they wished to remain in the Maritimes.  They bought and relaunched The Beading Room in early 2009 and never looked back. An online store made sense as it does not matter where it is located! 

Square Wire for Wire Wrapping

Jewelry lovers are in for a visual treat if they were to go and see the latest movie version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby.  The tale of decadence, betrayal and murder is set in the 1920's.  From a jewelry design perspective, the movie beautifully evokes jazz age glamor with the stunning art deco pieces.

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

Beaded beads are fun to make as they are quick to complete.  Use them as earrings or pendants. Maybe string a few for a necklace.  Here are some beaded bead tutorials which caught my eye!  Such inspiration!

Tribal style jewelry has been a hot trend especially the kind that involves rope embellished with colored threads and/or metal tube beads.

If I had to name just one favorite tool, I would pick the bail forming pliers by Wubbers. These are better than any mandrel because the opposing jaws of the pliers can grip the wire while forming.  They are also very useful in creating all sorts - clasps, wire coils and ear wires -  as shown in this past post.

Creative souls sure know how to save money!  Making your own beading looms is one way as you can see from these tutorials. All you need is a suitable box!

There is nothing more glamorous than an Egyptian inspired statement necklace.  When you are as talented as Doro Soucy, the results are definitely a big WOW!  Her Egyptian vulture necklace below is simply amazing. It was inspired by, get this - Tutankhamun's vulture necklace AND Fabergé eggs!

Laura Gaspirrini of Om Tara is a beading instructor who has been teaching for over 15 years both privately and at her local college.    She says she watched so many of her students struggle with the crimping process.  It is an important step because the last thing anyone wants is for a crimp to fail.

When she was born, no one thought Elizabeth I of England  (1533-1603) would grow up to become queen, let alone one of the greatest queens in history.  Her more than 40 years on the throne brought relative peace and prosperity to England after the unsettling reigns of her half-brother Edward and half sister, Mary and before that, of their father, Henry VIII.

Elizabeth I in her coronation robes

Put your hand up if you're so not into soldering!  Many people aren't keen perhaps because they don't like the idea of hot connections.  However, this technique is definitely useful as it could help you expand your jewelry making repertoire.

Wire trees are lovely as jewelry or as ornamentation. I've covered the popular tree of life tutorials and twisted wire trees before. Having thought I had seen it all, along comes Ken To who changed my view!

It's surprising how many people still haven't yet tried chain maille.  So Blue Buddha Boutique's giveaway on Monday will be a boon for one lucky person to try a new technique.

Anna Draeger's previous book, Crystal Brilliance (see review) was a wonderful inspirational book on the joys of using Swarovski crystals in beading.  The elegant designs were imminently wearable and more importantly, doable as larger crystals help make the work go quicker.

Admit it. Sometimes our jewelry boxes or drawers are messy.  It's not only a huge time waster trying to find the piece you want to wear for the day, the jumbled up jewelry could get damaged as you rummage and pull away.

Wood jewelry, unlike the metal variety is warm and has an old school charm.  The two Australian based designers, Orr and Akiko behind bRainbow on Etsy certainly capture the retro look with a touch of whimsy with their original laser cut and hand pieced designs.

Did you know Mother's Day is an American invention?  It became a recognized holiday in 1914.  It's technically not the same as the Christian holiday, Mothering Sunday ,which is the 4th Sunday in Lent.  In the UK, this is the date that's now considered as Mother's day there. In many other  countries like the US, Canada and Australia, the special day is the second Sunday in May.

Kumihimo, the Japanese method of making lovely braided cords, is popular with many jewelry makers.  They probably enjoy the relaxation of cording much like knitting or crocheting.  Something to do while watching tv perhaps?  No one wants to tackle challenging projects all the time!

I've covered the ever popular Shambala bracelet style before.  But it's always great to see another which uses the technique in a different way.

Brooches are coming back in vogue but sometimes not as they were intended.  You know, as pins for jackets and blouses.  Designers are incorporating them instead into necklaces and bracelets.  Here are some examples of brooch embellished and beaded focal bracelet tutorials based on wrapped (somehow) metal bracelet blanks.

I do like mixing beads with chains or in chain maille.  The metal acts as a strong foundation and the beads add color!  Here is another that should get everyone's creative juices going!

I've seen and covered many bird's nest jewelry designs and the different ways to make the nest is almost as varied as the jewelry makers who attempt it!