The Beading Gem

I first learned of House of Gems when I stumbled on a tutorial that they were sharing on Slideshare. They are a 28 year old California based jewelry supply company which prides itself with offering products at wholesale prices.  They accomplish this by eliminating the middlemen and sourcing directly from manufacturers. Since 2009, they are entirely an online business.

The dazzling irridescent plumage of peacocks always inspires.  Did you know that peahens are attracted to peacocks with more eyespots than those with fewer decorative feathers?  Well, if you want to attract some visual attention, then check out these faux peacocke feather earrings tutorials!

I`ve had the most amazing time in the last few months after I joined the local chapter of a business referral group for women entrepreneurs called Athenapreneurs.  We meet once a month to share ideas, support, educate and motivate each other in our endeavors. These meetings are held at the Eternally Beautiful Spa in Kitchener, Ontario.  That`s how I met Shamila who owns this lovely home spa.

We all had a great chuckle didn't we with Beaded Laughter -  Fantasy Bead Studs?  That's the blog where lampwork artist Sylvie Landowne shares some wishful thinking about celebrity hunks and jewelry making.  She was inspired by the Handmade Ryan Gosling blog started up by 4 artisans (no longer available).  Here are more from both these great blogs!  As one blog follower says, she reads these with the voice of the Old Spice guy in her head!

It never fails to amaze me what's available out there for jewelry artisans. Something new I came across recently is faux chain maille. It's not truly faux as it is a chain maille weave. But you'd be faking it as it is not handmade. That's right, you don't have to make the 4-in-1 European weave if you don't want to!

Jessica Galbreth-Masiker of The Victorian Garden is a virtuoso in layered jewelry designs. This prolific Ohio artisan creates gorgeous Victorian, vintage, fantasy and steampunk designs using all sorts of stampings and filigrees.

Rustic Revelrie Dragonfly Cuff

Looks like many of us love leather jewelry!  There is something quite timeless about it but yet is so versatile, one can embellish it any way.  So it was no surprise the response for last week's Endless Leather $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway was terrific!

Resin clay has got to be one of the most versatile clays out there for jewelry making.  I like it because you can color it and stick to just about anything.  Fran over on Fall for DIY has a fabulous statement ring tutorial which takes advantage of the properties of the clay.

Canada and the US are about to share their special days - on July 1 and July 4.  So here are a couple of super beaded bracelet tutorials so you can join in the festivities as only a die hard beader would!  Katherine Matthew is the designer behind this knitted O Canada beaded cuff tutorial using a 3-ply fingering yarn.

This past Monday was the last formal meeting of the year for the Grand River Bead Society of which I am a member. I made sure I didn't miss it because Cindy Goldrick was teaching us how to make our own molds. We also had a garage sale by the members and there were treats to eat!

There are all kinds of beaded DNA jewelry designs but nothing like the personalized DNA bracelet cuffs that will be offered by DNAME after a recently successful Kickstarter campaign.  These are truly unique as no two people will have the same designs.

Hot connections.  The final frontier.  Right? It does seem like using torches is the last thing some jewelry artisans will attempt when they need to connect metal pieces together.  Wire wrapping, fibre lashing and riveting are great techniques but soldering makes those connections permanent when the metal components are fused together.

Glue guns are vital in all sorts of crafting. But have you ever considered using it to make beads?  That's what Charlotte over at Four Front Doors did.  Her glue gun bead earrings tutorial is really easy although it will help to follow her tips.

Rachana Saurabh is an Indian artist living in Maryland.  Her flair for color and design is evident when she crosses over into the jewelry world with her mostly polymer clay work as shown in her Etsy store Mitti Designs.

Endless Leather, a German international company is well named.  They have a huge stock of all kinds of European leather cord. Their handpicked stock includes "braided bola cords, finest calf laces, nappa leather cords, stitched and braided, cords made of finest salmon leather, suede, printed leather, exotic leather lace and much, much more!"  

Shrink plastic is not a plaything of the past. It is a great medium to use for jewelry making because it is a way of customizing acrylic without having to use a laser cutter!  Jewelry can look modern and fabulous with the right design.

Want to make a bib necklace really quickly?  Then go with the layered chain style.  Rebecca over at My Girlish Whims' tutorial involved making your own polymer clay charms.  But you can use any sort of charms including maybe filigree ones?



There are several options to consider.  How wide to make the bib section?  How deep the tiers should be?  And how much to space the charms?  That will depend on how large the charms are and whether or not you prefer the charms to overlap.  You could also vary the charm designs.  I like them all the same as the design reminds me of belly dancer jewelry styles!

Before You Go:

• Crochet Fruit Pendants and Charm Tutorials
• How to Make Tiny Book Charms Tutorials
• Book Review - Making Mixed Media Art Charms and Jewelry

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips 

Do you remember how little kids (and their parents) loved their temporary tattoos?  Well, they are back and have been blinged out just for adults.  The metallic, non-toxic jewelry inspired faux tattoos from Flash Tattoos are perfect for  the beach or for a special occasion.

Most lariat necklaces I see are usually just a long strand with embellished ends.  But I really like this super long one by B'Sue Boutiques.  The ever delightful Brenda Sue shows off a very long vintage beaded lariat necklace in the beginning of her video tutorial and then proceeds to show us how to make your own with " bits of chain, easy peasy beads and simple wire wrapping techniques."

Brenda Sue wearing her mixed lariat necklace

While I was always creatively inclined from the time I could hold a pencil, working with clay did not appeal.  I was the kid who didn't enjoy playing with plasticine.  Then there was that awful pottery class later on which put me off clay for a long time. But clay for jewelry? Bring them on!

Handmade jewelry artisans use all sorts of tools - for example pliers to manipulate wire into shapes or a die cutter to cut out shapes.  For Jennifer Putzier of Isette , her design tool is the computer and her cutter, a laser cutting machine.   She says her jewelry is "inspired by the past but made with modern technology!"  Right on!

Bamboo chandelier earrings with green chrysophase gemstones

Thanks so much for the compliments on my earrings from last week's giveaway.  Also for being of the same mind - that the tagua beads are wonderfully colorful and a great way to raise awareness on the plight of wild elephants.

I love making coiled wire jewelry.  The first one  is a really pretty version based on the popular daisy motif.  The tutorial is by Susy Garner for Beadalon.  The coiling tool used is the Deluxe Coiling Gizmo which has 5 mandrels.

This leather cord tutorial from the Craft Shop UK is a gem!  The designer wove 4 lengths of leather cord to produce a solid squarish design.

I admit it.  I have a yarn stash too...besides the beads.  So here is a cool tutorial to whittle down yarn stashes.  The tutorial is by Elise over on Grow Creative.

A reader commented on my previous post on How to Use Your Smartphone for Jewelry Photography  -  she uses her iPhone 5S for her Etsy pictures even though she has a high end dSLR camera.  Why?  It's so much easier and quicker!  If you don't have a dSLR, that will save you a whole bundle and justify a smartphone! Never mind the steeper learning curve using all the bells and whistles of a dSLR.

iPhone 5 with Modahaus TS320 (natural light photography)

Many beginners start off with stringing.  But by adding two more popular techniques like wire work and stitching beads, the design diversity will increase.  Often little tricks will make the difference between ordinary looking jewelry and stylish pieces.

Someone I know back in Halifax lucked out on a large supply of belly dancer jewelry supplies! Lucky her!  If you've ever seen belly dancer jewelry, you'll know they are designed for sound, movement and perhaps to shimmer with every shimmy! Coin charms are popular components as they do look fabulous when used in long sections like in the belts.

Rachel Norris lives in North Cornwall, England.  I have been very fortunate and have seen for myself the rugged beauty of the landscapes and especially the seascapes of this part of the country. So with all that outstanding natural beauty, it is no wonder Rachel is inspired by nature.

Well, it is almost summer so break out the earrings!  Earrings are fun to wear when the weather gets warmer especially if you love happy colors!  Well, here's your chance to win some colorful tagua beads so you can make elephant friendly jewelry.

Don't get me wrong. I do like rhinestone necklaces.  But as they are rather blingy and may be best for evening wear.  But hack one up and make it a mixed media one, and you'll have a pretty necklace suitable even for casual wear.