The Beading Gem

In a rush to get going with the busy craft show season? Want to make your own handmade earring card display stand?  Check out Lisa McGrimmon's tutorial over on her blog. It is made from an ordinary picture frame.  This is a good thing as they usually come with a back stand so the frame will be displayed in an upright orientation.

Bead embroidery is an extraordinary technique which turns seed beads into statement jewelry. It is not a difficult technique as it requires just basic sewing skills.  But the rewards are great as sewing just a few beads at a time eventually leads to spectacular designs.  Might I add, it is also addictive once you get started!

Getting ring sizes right is a challenge.  So an adjustable ring really helps as there is plenty of give. I've written about different adjustable wire ring tutorials before (see links below).  Here is another super one by Rena Klingenberg.

What would you do with broken pieces of wood? Toss them into the recycle bin right?  But take a look at German designer Marcel Dunger's work and you will think differently about broken and jagged pieces of maple wood. What he does is make broken wood and colorful biresin jewelry!

Last week's TierraCast giveaway was a runaway success!  Many lurkers came out of their workshops to try their luck.  No wonder as the majority of you not only know of the top notch quality of their jewelry findings but have also used them before.

I came across this power knot tutorial on Pinterest. It is totally uncredited so if you know its source, please let me know.  When I asked this question on my Facebook page some time ago, some followers recognized it as a fishing knot. Fishing knots are very useful for jewelry making!

Love statement necklaces?  Rather than make one using fabric, try polymer clay instead!  It is lightweight and comes in so many awesome colors ready to mix and blend.  Check out these great statement polymer clay necklace tutorials. The first two are by Aniko Kolesnikova of My Mandarin Ducky.  Her Polymer Clay Organic Leaf Necklace  is awesome!

Multi chain bracelets can get messy if they are not braided or separated at intervals with special findings. But there is another solution.  Check out Anne Evers multi chain on leather makeover bracelet tutorial on her blog, Plan B.  It is a great solution to recycle old chains, unloved jewelry or leftover materials into something wearable.

One of the most elegant illuminated necklace designs I have come across has to be this one by Mikaela Holmes on Instructables. She is a costume and experimental fashion designer and artist. This necklace uses el (electroluminescent) wire which is lit up using just a 9V battery. El wire is used by wearable tech designers.

I still laugh at myself for buying stainless steel blanks. In my defense, I was seduced by the mirror finish on them.  It was virtually impossible to stamp them properly as stainless steel is very tough. Although I like brass and copper which are easier to stamp, they are not the silver color I was after. Sterling silver blanks aren't in my budget.

Soft Strike™ Pewter Blanks by ImpressArt

Beaded rings can be either very simple and easy or elaborate affairs.  Here is one that is Goldilocks perfect - not too easy and not too hard.  The open right angle weave beaded ring tutorial is by Bee Jang a very creative and dedicated Thai beader and blogger.

Israeli artisan, Hagar Arnon Elbaz of Gilgulim on Etsy creates soft OOAK (one of a kind) fabric jewelry. What she does is to "roll beads to create alternative jewels out of metamorphosized materials". She uses recycled as well as new fabrics. Early in her jewelry making, she also used a lot of secondhand neckties.

TierraCast is a Californian based jewelry supply company that's well known for innovative designs and quality materials. They also produce products in a variety of metals to suit every taste.   They are introducing new products which they call The Maker's Collection. One lucky winner of this giveaway will get to use $75 worth soon!

Tammy Tutterow's 3D domed embossed pendant tutorial is not merely a stunner.  It is inspirational in many ways. So if you need instructions on how to do dapping, coloring, embossing and riveting, this is one you should look at.

The Purple Buddha Project is a social business trying to raise funds on the crowdsourcing site, Kickstarter, to help Cambodian artisans upcycle the remains of conflict into jewelry. The Vietnam war actually spilled over into Cambodia and Laos, consuming both nations in the process. The Cambodian civil war and resulting genocide during that time was particularly devastating and savage.

I came across this easy braided rope watch strap tutorial by Anjelika Temple over on Brit+Co. The custom watch strap means the watch can be worn more like a bracelet. Plus you get to control the colors you like.

Micro macramé jewelry has been trending for a while now.  It's not hard to see why.  There is more to this technique than just friendship bracelets.  Exquisite jewelry can be made from knotted cords and besides, the process is as soothing as it is to do other repetitive craft methods like kumihimo, crochet and knotting.

Consider yourself forgiven if your first glance at this charming bracelet tutorial told you it was a European weave chain maille pattern.  Jessah of The Beaded Passion created the illusion for her faux chain mailled bracelet tutorial by making wire figure 8s!

British artisan, Mat Brown is an accomplished metal smith as well as a wood worker - an unusual combination of skills. But what caught my eye in his Etsy shop, Shinium, was his inlaid glow-in-the-dark epoxy and wood contemporary jewelry collection.

I had so much fun working with buttons from Bead and Button UK for last week's giveaway.  While the buttons are gorgeous and absolutely inspirational, they are not the only thing they carry. Annabelle from BB UK said they are planning to stock Bling on a Roll too!

Arachnophobes rejoice!  These clever spider web jewelry tutorials do not feature the 8 legged creatures!  These designs are definitely a change from the usual Halloween designs.  The first one is called Caught in the Web by Pattie Wilkinson over on  the iLove to Create blog (Update : tutorial no longer available)

Every fall I look at my garden and lament the lack of blooms!  So if you miss seeing flowers, there are always the beaded varieties.  Check out these latest beaded flower earring tutorial picks. They are both lovely!  The first stunning triangular based earrings by Alyona Pahil on Biserok.  The "Summer Mood" earrings design was for a bead weaving master class contest.

I've covered plenty of crochet bracelets before. But Anette over on the Lebenslustiger blog has a fast and easy crochet bangle tutorial (no longer available). She makes hers with cotton fabric yarn for coolness and comfort.  I also suggest t-shirt yarn. See how to make t-shirt yarn including the continuous variety here.

Scarves are reemerging from closets with the cooler weather! So if you love this type of accessory and want to bling it up a bit, here is an easy tutorial on how to make scarf rings from buttons and keyrings. Keyrings come in different sizes. So get the ones which best suits your scarves be they thick or thin.

This tutorial will be reminiscent of the all in one headpin earrings tutorial I did before but a little trickier. Only this time you will be making all in one button earrings. Any 2 hole button (not too large) will work but the wooden heart ones with printed butterflies from Bead and Button UK are especially pretty!

I remember struggling with my first wire wrapped ring.  What I didn't know then is it really helps to use soft temper wire if you are new at it!  But here is another way to make it easier for beginners. Use a finer gauge wire which is easier to wrap.  This tutorial shows you how to make a wire wrapped shank button ring with 26G wire.

There are many wire jewelry artisans out there. So it is a pleasure to come across one who creates one of a kind designs in her own inimitable style.  Izabella Bako is a Romanian self taught artisan whose flare for wire shows in her woven wire creations in her store, Wire Fantasies on Etsy.  She also has a Romanian based store called Bella Bijou.

Most of you know about Bead and Button magazine which is a US publication.  But there is also a wonderful international online craft store called the Bead and Button Company UK (no longer available) which is based in Ambleside in northern England.  They stock not just beads and buttons, but all sorts of craft items including papercrafts, for knitting and sewing and fabrics.

Some of the easiest jewelry design tutorials deliver big bangs for the buck!  I particularly love Adrianne of Happy Hour Projects' lovely braided gemstone and bead cluster bracelet tutorial. No macrame just straight braiding but with 3 sets of waxed linen cord, each with three lengths.

Well, Halloween is nearly upon us.  If you're really not into the full blown costume thing, consider discrete beaded skull earrings. You will still be able to join in the fun. Here are 3 tutorials to consider. Reader and Nova Scotian designer, Debra Schwartz of DatzKatz Designs, contacted me to share this clever Skulla Rulla earrings tutorial which takes advantage of different types of beads.  You can download and print the tutorial from SlideShare.  Debra also has a Craftsy site.

It's been a while since I wrote about Friendly Plastic. It is a biodegradable polymer called polycaprolactone with a great advantage - it softens to a putty like consistency at very low heat. Either immersion in hot water or using a heat tool will work. This nylon like plastic, like shrink plastic, has been around in the crafting world for decades and is making a comeback.

Donuts - metal, glass and gemstones types - are not only calorie-free but they look great in jewelry designs too. We should use more of them!  Just dream up innovative ways to use them as Judy Larson did with her fabulous Snail Trail wire wrapped donut earrings tutorial.

I'm often of the opinion that adding Swarvoski crystals makes everything better!!  This awesome bejewelled aluminum scale and chain maille necklace tutorial is by Cheri Carlson over on Artbeads.