The Beading Gem

If you love them big and long,  then beaded earrings are an excellent way to go. The Native American style of beaded earrings is very versatile and great for beginners and experienced beaders alike. The pattern and colorways can be varied for these very lightweight designs. You don't have to make them very long but they are particularly dramatic when worn. The fringes also have additional movement.

Clay has never been my forte in a lifetime of art and crafts.  I blame it on plasticine which was the only clay available when I was a child.  It was not fun to use because it was too hard to manipulate...at least with little fingers. Then there was the disastrous pottery class when I was in my teens. We shall not talk about that!  But I've come around to clay especially for jewelry making!

I remember when I made the classic wire wrapped ring without any bead a long time ago. I thought the resulting rosette was the coolest thing to discover. But have a look at this all in one wire rosette earrings tutorial (UPDATE : no longer available) by I Make Stuff. It is definitely cooler!

Peyote stitch is popular for rings.  But are you bored with the ordinary flat tubes you can make? Then check out this fun peyote ring tutorial by Kris DeGraeve over on How Did You Make This. The  lovely winding effect is simply due to the different sized beads and crystals used.

Combining techniques is a sure fire way for unique designs.  But Colombian artisan, Claudia Fajardo, a talented artist unusually combines metal work with bead work.  The result is a boldly colored collection with a contemporary look.  Claudia says she likes her designs to showcase geometry and natural shapes.

Readers far and wide love Yael's wire ISK technique!  Paula wrote when she entered last week's giveaway, "This technique looks amazing, I'll love to be able to try it! I haven't seen it done in my country, Colombia."  It goes to show how international this community is!

Paper does not seem to be the sort of material suitable for jewelry.  Yet, many people enjoy using all sorts of paper crafting techniques do sometimes apply these to jewelry making.  Origami is a beautiful art form, that if scaled correctly, can be used in jewelry designs.

Isn't it wonderful when you can get your inspiration from a totally different medium?  Bargello needlepoint embroidery  probably originated in Florence, Italy or possibly Hungary.  The flame stitch pattern in different hues and shades has also been used in quilting. Why not jewelry making too? Hope Elkina of 123 Clay! has a clever bargello spiral polymer clay earrings tutorial you've got to see!

Did you think these are made from Popsicle sticks?  If you did, then you are right.  But this DIY by Jessica from Bespangled Jewelry is not just a recycled jewelry tutorial. You could consider using the idea with better wood assuming you are able to do some basic woodwork!  Even better, leave it unpainted but varnished.

Jonathan Z over on Instructables has a marvelous red faceted copper ring tutorial which starts off from sheet metal.  The instructions shows you a number of metal work techniques.  3 strips of copper are first sawed and then stacked, sweat soldered together.  This thickness allows for the lovely faceting detail which is accomplished with filing.

Some of you have trouble travelling to classes faraway. But that's not an issue if you attend online whenever you want and wherever you are.  I have reviewed many Craftsy classes and found they are excellent.  So if you want to really save, check out their latest sale. Only select classes though.  And on only for just a few days until 11.59 pm MDT,  Saturday, April 23, 2016.

Owls are popular inspirations for jewelry making. But I have never seen an attempt to making wire owls this small! This wire wrapped owl stud earrings video tutorial  (tutorial no longer available) is by I Make Stuff. There is no soldering involved. Just careful sizing especially when forming the owl frame.

There are plenty of beaded medallion bracelets out there. But for sheer elegance, these two tutorials stand out.  I also love the color palette chosen -both are neutral.  Beaded medallions are often richly designed so the simpler approach here will suit those who prefer less ornate styles.  First up is the Grace Kelly bracelet tutorial by Julie Bean over on Beadaholique.

Berlin based German artisan, Christine Hornicke of Gudbling creates stunning statement fabric jewelry. She never planned on becoming a full time jewelry designer.  Five years ago, she left her Hamburg travel agency job and moved to Berlin to start over in a more creative endeavor.   She initially shared studio space with a fashion designer friend and the bits of fabric she saw there gave her the spark she needed.

So many of you were taken with the gorgeous offerings from Kitty Bozzini's shop, StinkyDog Beads. It's really hard to single out any one group. The dog owners and lovers also greatly appreciated her shop name!  Who wouldn't with such a memorable one?

Yael Falk of Yoola Design is back with another fabulous giveaway - well in time for Mother's Day! This time one of her wire ISK kit as well as 5 PDF Tutorials (runner up prizes) are up for grabs.  As you know from the giveaway earlier this year, her wire technique generates knit stitches but uses a crochet hook.  It saves a lot of confusion if you use Yael's term ISK (Invisible Spool Knitting).

Not everyone has ear piercings.  So ear cuffs are a great solution. There is another reason for ear cuffs. More elaborate designs can be created to sit along the outer ear.  This gorgeous coiled and woven wire ear cuff tutorial (Go Art Yourself) is an excellent example. It is by Nicole Hanna Jewelry.

Talk about having your cake and eating it too!  This wonderful tip by Kalinkapolinka shows how polymer clay canes can be used on hemispherical beads.  The beautiful cane pattern can be showcased in an innovative manner rather than just flat discs.  The finished bracelet shows how lovely the effect can be.  The metal findings in the center is a nice touch.

You know what they say about taking care of your tools! If they are in tip top shape, then the tools will do the job properly. If your polymer clay cutting blade dulls, it will not make clean cuts. Moreover, all that pressing down and additional sawing action will distort the cane. So this great video tutorial by 123 Clay shows you how to sharpen blunt clay cutting blades.

Here are two beadwork tutorials which show different ways to depict rose petals.  They are both round in shape.  The first is the beaded bullion rose tutorial by Janie's Beads. Here the "petals" are suggested by seed bead whorls. These little bullion roses can easily be made into earrings or linked together for other jewelry pieces.

My next How to Photograph Jewelry webinar will be at 2 pm EST this Sunday, April 17.  There is still room if you wish to join me. Just email me at beadinggem.yahoo.ca. Or signup for the webinar notification email if a future date is more convenient. Please note I do re-book you for another webinar if life happens and you couldn't make it after paying for attendance.

Etsy and Sell on Etsy Apps

Russian based Katya Bo, the artisan behind Cosmogony, shows beyond doubt her talent and skill with polymer clay. Her outstanding art deco style for her polymer clay mixed media jewelry is eyecatching. Her work looks like metal clay pieces at first glance!

One reader Judy said, "I love Craftsy classes and this one has been on my "wish" list. I love Gayle's free style of wire wrapping and would love to win this class."  The giveaway last week certainly appealed to those who love learning in a video format as well as those who like a more informal approach to wire work.

It's been a couple of years since there has been a StinkyDog Beads giveaway.  Since then, Kitty Bozzini has expanded her inventory to include many gorgeous items. She started out as a lampwork artisan but now offers unique one of a kind findings as well as the uncommon ones. She has an uncanny eye for the sort of sumptuous beads, charms, clasps that can add that something extra to any jewelry design.

I do not drink coffee but almost wish I do whenever I come across colorful recycled nespresso cup jewelry. Naomi and Isabel of Switzerland are a pair of highly creative recycled jewelry artists behind Bijouxfaitalamain. They have shared several Youtube tutorials on how to create many different styles of nespresso cup jewelry. Here is a selection of some of my favorites staring with the  Nespresso Star Earrings.  Note that some of the tutorials are in French.  But the directions are clear enough to follow without knowing the language.

Polymer clay jewelry is very light. So large pieces are easy to wear because there is no weight to it.  But for some people, the very lightness does not appeal because they prefer some heft to their jewelry. So the solution is to add weight to polymer clay. Rhonda Chase Design has a clever tutorial over in Instructables on how to laminate with polymer clay using low grade gemstones as the base.

It's been 6 years since I  featured the first rapid prototyped jewelry I came across.  In the last few years, more and more 3D printed jewelry have appeared on the market (see links below).  3D printer costs have also declined tremendously with the rise in popularity.  The last price I heard was about $1000.  The OLO3D is the first smartphone driven 3D printer and it costs just $99!  This ingenious invention by an Italian 3D printing and design firm has been wildly popular and successfully funded on Kickstarter.  It will be assembled in the US.

Fold forming is a metal technique invented by Charles Lewton-Brain. The hammered folds are usually accomplished using sheet metal.  But check out this wonderful fold formed cuff tutorial by Kharisma of Popnicute .  She demonstrates how she creates her Moon Crater Cuffs using ordinary copper pipe purchased from the hardware store. Kharisma is a fantastic metal work artist whose work I recently showcased.

Broken china jewelry is usually soldered using copper foil tape (stain glass supplies).  Check out the earrings tutorial I reviewed a while ago. But what if you like the look but don't want to use a soldering iron?  There is indeed a way! This easy no solder or faux broken china necklace tutorial is by CuriouserCreations8.

Kharisma Ryantori Sommers is an Indonesian born artisan who now “lives with her husband, Steven in the middle of nowhere (Quincy, IL) with hopes that someday they will be able to move into a bigger city with less snow and preferably with a beach nearby.”  But until that time she continues to make her unique and outstanding jewelry in a colder clime!  She is the amazing metal work artist behind Popnicute Jewelry.

Not all of you are interested in making your jewelry making hobby into a small business. But last week's giveaway for the Crafter's Market 2016 book giveaway caught the attention of those of you already in the game or trying to get started. Aims said, "Having a guide in the field of selling and marketing along with answers to some of those questions we all have would be invaluable."

Gayle Bird has been making jewelry for almost 20 years. This Canadian artisan hails from the fair island of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia - the same province where I spent more than 20 years of my life.  The ruggedly beautiful and rural landscape there is very reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands - if you've ever been to the west coast of Scotland, you'll know what I mean. The relaxed way of life of this close knit and family orientated community probably had an enormous influence on the designer's approach to jewelry making.

There are different ways of making a wire bangle or cuff foundation so beads can be wired onto it.  I did a coiled wire version before. This easy loopy cuff tutorial by Juliet of Spoilt Rotten Beads, is based on a foundation with wire loops at intervals.  I particularly love the introduction of little wire coils here and there during the wire wrapping process. It made for a very pretty bracelet design!

I love the bright colors used in beadwork by the Zulus in South Africa. Strong colors and vivid geometric patterns which are also used to send messages especially in love and courtship (see first link below for more information). This tutorial by Olivia of Hopeful Honey is inspired by the traditional work.  It is a clear and easy to follow loom bracelet tutorial. Perfect for beginners.

I may have tried tricking readers on April Fool's Day before. But this is not a prank. Thigh gap jewelry? Seriously?  They do exist. Sort of.  The gold plated jewelry is real enough on TGap Jewelry but the collection isn't for sale. The website though, looks just like an actual shopping site. But as soon as you click anywhere on it, the TGap story pops up  and explains it is not a real company at all.