The Beading Gem

Agnes, a Polish but Wales based artisan is accomplished in many crafts - tatting, paper wicker art, cake making.  But she says her most recent passion is polymer clay.  Her shop, AgnesCraftsShop, shows off her clay skills.  She specializes in polymer clay animal necklaces all of which include gemstone cabochons in the designs.

Such excitement!  So many of you were wowed with this new Winter 2017 collection and giveaway by Nunn Design. The inspirational designs certainly got a lot of creative juices flowing.  Violet Kiss said, "I do love Nunn Designs! Next best thing? Working with them!"  Christine was so stoked when she said, "These are fabulous components! I have ideas for using every one of them!" 

Like the look of enamel jewelry but don't know the technique?  Haven't yet learned how to make polymer clay bangles? AND you are short on time?  Well.  This tutorial is just for you.  It is a very easy washi tape bangle tutorial. Production line it and you could well solve your long Christmas list later this year!

Alcohol inks are one of the most versatile pigments you can apply for all sorts of crafts and also for jewelry making!  They can be combined and applied in different ways to achieve a variety of effects. Fast drying too!  Kimberly Crick of the Enchanted Gallery has a fantastic alcohol inks guide which is worth noting. This resource page will inspire!

Do you wear buttonless sweaters?  Or maybe hand knitted shawls?  Then you'll appreciate this sweater (or shawl) clip tutorial from Beaddiagrams.  These pretty accessories keep the sweaters nicely cinched for a flattering look and shawls firmly on your shoulders.

Heart themed jewelry abound as Valentine's Day approaches. But the kind Crafted By My Heart (link no longer works) make are generated from real heartbeats!  Romantics can have their heartbeats 3D printed in gold, silver or black silver and gift them to their loved ones.

Polymer clay is such a fun medium to use.  You can certainly make distinctive and unusual jewelry with it.  I particularly loved this musical polymer clay earrings tutorial by Italian artist, Mo Clay, for two reasons.

I just love the look of this 3D Celtic Triquetra knot beaded earrings!  Something different and visually pleasing. The tutorial is by Russian bead artist Olesya Romaniuk of ViPBiser.  The video tutorial shows the animated beading process of the tubular Ndebele or herringbone stitched earrings.

I stumbled upon the  hexagonal jewelry of Bethany Gomes of Los Angeles in quite a roundabout fashion!  My husband had forwarded me a photo of her unique modern style which her boyfriend had shared on Reddit.  Fortunately he had remembered to share her shop name - Anomaly Assembly - which I could then locate on Etsy!

Many of you were already fans of Kate Richbourg. So it is was not surprising that those readers entered her Metalsmithing at Home Craftsy class giveaway last week. Grete J said, "Kate Richbourg is a very inspirational teacher, an I have tried some of her projects from one of her books." Vicky F admitted. "This is a Craftsy class I have been coveting."

Nunn Design continue to go from strength to strength. Just look at their 2017 Winter Collection. They are giving away this fabulous $85 retail package shown below to one lucky winner. As you can see they have new bezels and open frames - the arrowhead and half ovals in particular are uncommon shapes.

Is this the year you plan on opening your first online jewelry store?  Or maybe it's time to scale up your micro-business and explore new avenues? Whatever your situation, there isn't a single one-size-fits-all online venue which suits everyone. It will depend on your goals and your needs. So here are some options for you to consider.  These do not constitute a comprehensive list. So please share in the comments if you have a favorite not mentioned here.

Over the years, I have shared various tips on how to use up scrap material. Nothing should be wasted! The mega list below should give you all sorts of ideas on what to do with odd beads, leather, cord and even beading wire scraps.  This tutorial by the Beadaholique instructor is perfect if you have just short lengths of memory wire left.

Polymer clay is a wonderful art medium.  So if you want to make fun, nature inspired or special themed jewelry, then polymer clay is for you. This first one by Alina Salina is for a cool Hobbit Door polymer clay necklace. Perfect for any Tolkien fan!

You know how some wire artists (see first link below) wire wrap a length of wire loops to circle earrings? It can be a tad tricky getting the loops the right size and then do something with the wire ends. Well you don't have to do any of that!  This wire wrapped circle earrings tutorial from Fire Mountain Gems uses jumprings instead!  (UPDATE : this tutorial is no longer available)

Some motifs are perennial favorites. It is not easy to do so, but this clever beaded earrings tutorial manages to capture the historic royal French symbol, the fleur-de-lis.  It is by Iulia Postică of the Beaded Treasury.

I never realized how writing this blog would reach out in so many ways to readers all over the world. Yukari Shimizu of Japan is a loyal reader. She recently told me about the amazing carved wood pendants made by Shimaya/Shemaiah.   The Japanese artisan behind these incredible and innovative 3D carved open work pendants is Daiajima Daihakuunsai.

Not all of you sell jewelry but those of you who do certainly appreciate the need for good photography judging from the comments in last week's giveaway.  It is even more important as people are shopping more online these days.  Just ask Diane Wong!  She said, "I really need to learn how to photograph my jewelry now that the one brick and mortar store where I have it is going through a drastic slowdown."

Metal work doesn't have to involve expensive tools or a studio. Often metal smiths will tell you that it can be done in a small space such as a kitchen or even dining table. So this Metalsmithing at Home Craftsy class by renowned instructor, Kate Richbourg aims to show how it can truly be done in your home.

Have you ever come across wire maple leaves?  And wondered how they are made?  These two video tutorials show how you can do it with just regular tools.  They differ in technique. The first method is by Lan Ahn Handmade, a Vietnamese designer. She uses the wire weaving method to create loops around thick wire mandrels.

I've often wanted to save a pretty bottle. However, some of them have raised designs on them. Painting those kinds of bottles do not get rid of them.  But this easy peyote beaded bottle cover tutorial is the right solution!  It is by Fran over on Fall for DIY .

Resin jewelry is a lot of fun to make. There are so many ways to use this glass-like medium. The technique is not hard but it requires time.  Curing times are roughly 24-48 hours. So it is best to work in batches. I particularly like doing a little bit at a time and leaving the projects to cure until I have time to do the next step! Works for busy people!

I've always loved the French bead and wire flowers technique.  This method involves stringing a lot of seed beads on wire and then bending them at strategic spots to create petals and leaves. It is different from Victorian bead and wire style.  The latter has the beaded wires running straight across the frames.

There are quite a few beaded animal jewelry designs out there.  But these adorable beaded animal necklace tutorials are distinctive because of the outlining. The contrast color gives the designs more definition. Delicas are also best for these brick stitched designs.

I honestly did not expect to see many responses to last week's giveaway of Marilee Rockley's book. It's not as popular as knitting and crochet but many of you actually wanted to learn a new craft. And if you can wear it, all the better!

Cool Circles

It's my blogging anniversary this month. So in order to celebrate, I am giving away 3 spots for my next How to Photograph Jewelry Webinar scheduled for 2 pm EST, Sunday January 22. Please do sign up if you definitely want to attend - just email me at pearl@beadinggem.com.  Who knows?  You might just win a free pass.

There are many polymer clay brands out there. A bit bewildering especially for beginners. So check out this excellent review of the best polymer clay brands. It is by Ginger Davis Allman of The Blue Bottle Tree. She goes through each brand in detail and gives her recommendations on which one to choose depending on what you wish to make.

There is so much to like about this black and white Domino beaded necklace tutorial by Anton Ivanov. It's not just a picture of contrast. The simple netted beaded design is also asymmetrical as the black area is larger than the white. Rather than have the same width all around, the designer introduced gradation in stages.  And the final touch is the bead embroidered black and white cabochon off to one side.

People with long hair often wear their hair ties to have them handy.  But they are tight to wear and are sometimes unsightly with tufts of hair visible!  TUCK by Koli Collective, a stylish bangle solves the problem because it has a channel which hides the hair tie.  Form, function and style! You get to have the hair tie handy but it looks like a fashionable piece of jewelry.

Many people use this trick to make consistently sized wire loops. They mark their round nose pliers with a marker pen. But take it a little further and SIZE that loop. One great tip from Lisa Niven Kelly (see my Make Your Own Wire Findings class review) is to use proper calipers like this one.  But what if you do not have one?

I can't believe it. But here I am marking my 10th blogging anniversary! On that distant day, January 4, 2007, I embarked on this journey with a simple aim. I needed a website as my then students asked if I had one. I thought a blog rather than a static website was a great way of sharing their creations online. Little did I know then that it would grow to what it is today - a place to share creative ideas and inspirations for this wonderful craft.

Nicoleta Stoian is a Romanian artist who makes wonderful 3D polymer clay portrait jewelry as you can see from her store NicomadeMe.  She first ventured into the polymer clay world back in 2010. Since then, her passion which began as a hobby has become her living.  She was able to quit her day job a couple of years ago.

Tatting dates back to the early 19th century. It is a kind of lace making where half hitch knots are formed on a base thread using a small shuttle.  Little picots are formed by simply spacing the knot groups and then closing the gaps.

It is a most graceful craft, one that mesmerized and inspired me at age 12 to learn tatting by watching my mother tat.  It wasn't until decades later that I began to see beautiful tatted jewelry made with fine thread or even fine silver. It's not just for edging tablecloths and napkins anymore!

Cool Circles

Nan Smith of Nanmade Jewelry is a fellow Canadian who is living a truly creative life now she has retired!  She shared her tutorial for a translucent polymer clay cane pendant. What I love is the pearlescent look which reminds one of mother of pearl shells. The clay turns translucent only after curing.