The Beading Gem

I liked this tutorial by Uppuniti Home because it uses short chain lengths to accentuate the plain beads in the design. Nice touch with the graduated bead sizes.  You will have to experiment with both chain and beads to figure out what looks best.

I would never have considered kumihimo for rings!  But Christina Larsen of CSL Designs did!  She is adept at not just wire work but both macrame and kumihimo.  This tutorial of hers covers how to make a kumihimo decorative band with tiny hearts. Then macrame is used to complete the ring band to size.

What is it about owls? They are very popular motifs in jewelry designs.  Perhaps it is because owls represent wisdom and all that. Maybe a touch of Harry Potter fandom?  But I think it is because the wings, large eyes and symmetry all lend themselves to a lot of creative possibilities for jewelry designers.

I really don't know why pearl holes are so small! Such a pain.  So most of us have to ream them to enlarge the holes otherwise they cannot be easily strung. I've tried using a scrap piece of wire with a rough edge before - the usual bead reamers are too large otherwise.  There are also special pearl reaming tools like this fine one which has a double helix flute designed to bore.

Dena Pavone Collection's handmade Swarovski and leather sandals are jewelry for your feet! Glamour and brilliance of the crystals coupled with craftmanship make these footwear much more than something to protect your feet.

I knew some of you are multi-talented. A couple of readers like Sneaky Burrito who entered last week's giveaway for Nunn Design's new embroidery jewelry kits said, "Those are cool. In addition to beading/jewelry making, I do some embroidery. What a fun way to combine both interests."  Some of you mentioned you still have the threads leftover from previous projects.  So using them up in a new creative direction will be fun.

The humble round nose pliers is one of the most essential tools to possess. Yet many beginners only use it for making loops.  It can do more than that!  Think multiple loops!  This tutorial by wire artist, Lythong Art, shows the possibilities.

Sometimes a simple tip will add so much more depth to a design. So it is with Patricia Roberts-Thompson's tutorial. Her layered stamped polymer clay tutorial results in 3D designs.  All she does is simply stamp twice. Elements of the second stamping are then cut out and placed on top of the first stamping!

Tired of using conical beads for earring designs?  Check out this easy chain maille tutorial by Kylie Jones. The round maille portion acts rather like a bead cap only a lot more open!  I like her tip of using a chopstick as a mandrel to help one position the rings during the opening and closing process.

I was delighted when I came across this modern beaded ring tutorial.  Its stacked design had a row of small cube beads as the focal.  Another modern beaded ring tutorial is this one from NBeads.  Like the first one, it is a raised design but only features a single round bead.

Do you have someone who is hard to buy for?  Well, if the men in your life like chain maille, consider making them a cool tie!  Tim Shaw's tutorial shows how you can make one with the European 4-in-1 weave. Doesn't it look smart with a dark shirt!

Isn't it frustrating when you don't have just the right shade of glass beads for designs?  Well, I recently learned you can color clear glass beads including crystals for truly custom designs.  Terry Ricioli shows how you can first etch the glass with just a simple dipping process and then go on to color the beads with paint or inks.

Want to learn how to take jewelry pictures quickly so you can get back to making jewelry sooner?  My next  How to Photograph Jewelry webinar is this coming Sunday September 24 at 2 pm EST.  This is aimed at jewelry artisans who would rather spend their time making jewelry I've learned a lot taking pictures for my blog over many years, so this webinar shares my tips and tricks.

Colorado based Lynn Ferro of Yucca Bloom is an amazingly creative mixed media jewelry designer. She particularly excels in one of a kind mixed media earrings which are so richly colored. All of them shows her talent for putting together original designs from diverse materials such as paper, wood, tin, glass, ceramics and so on.

Tooled Leather, Wood and Copper Earrings

One of the best things about jewelry making is you can incorporate creations from other crafting techniques and wear them! Nunn Design has come up with easy to assemble jewelry kits for embroidery enthusiasts to use. They are available as wholesale or retail kits.

Cabochons can be awfully awkward to hold while wire wrapping. When they are small enough for rings, it can get tricky especially if you are a beginner.  So this easy wire ring tutorial by OxanaCrafts solves that problem with the use of grooved gemstone cabochons.  As the designer says, it also has a minimalist look!  She has made simple loops for the wire ends thus making this ring adjustable.

There are pros and cons with using recycled aluminum cans for making jewelry.  The pros include reducing wastage by reusing what is only a single use item as well as being inexpensive.  But the metal is thin, warps easily and the colored coating is easily scratched.   So how can you overcome the negatives and take advantage of the positives?  Beth over on The Mermaid's Den has a couple of tutorials on how she make earrings.

Mokume-gane is actually a "Japanese metalworking procedure which produces a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns."  But polymer clay artists can also produce the wonderful multi-colored effect using stacks of different hued clay.  Julie Picarello over on Sculpey demonstrates how this can be done with her awesome Southwestern inspired mokume-gane polymer clay jewelry tutorial.

Never discount a tutorial just because the design may not be to your own taste.  Yvonne Williams, a wire artist has an elaborate wire wrapped dragon eye bracelet tutorial which has some good tips.  The ideas could spark designs of your own using some of her design elements.

Ladybird or ladybug?  North Americans call these polka dot insects ladybugs but the British and other parts of the world know them as ladybirds.  They aren't true bugs, so they are more accurately known as ladybird beetles or lady beetles by entomologists. Whatever!  They are really pretty and most species do a good job of eating plant pests.

Verushka Stevens the designer behind VeruDesigns is not only a software engineer but an accomplished polymer clay artist.  Also noteworthy is her love for designer shoes! She adores them so much they became the inspiration for her Tiny Jewels collection!

Last week's DIY mala giveaway from Shade of the Bodhi Tree garnered a surprising amount of interest. Some were clearly interested in meditations. There was a reader who practices Nicheren Buddhism who appreciated learning how to make malas.  Another, Dragonswing, said, "Oh, wouldn't this be a cool gift for the people in my Tai Chi class as meditation is a part of our practice." 

There are many ways to make wire wrapped rings. Some are easier than others. This tutorial is one of the easy ones which you can do in a very short time frame. Sounds good for the busy jewelry maker with the gifting season ahead.

Sarah Thompson is a fabulous wire weaver!  So I was delighted to see her wire woven tear drop pendant tutorial. I actually have large glass pendants in this shape with a simple curved bail.  I haven't done it but one of these days, I will drop one of them and they may well break. So a wire woven one is far more durable.  Like a lot of repetitive crafts, there is something soothing in making something with the wire weaving technique.

Necklaces and earrings with tassels are hot!  So if you are into making them, why not add beaded cap? Check out this Polish beader, Agatha of Royal Stone's wonderful beaded pearl and tassel earrings tutorial. A beautiful and romantic design. It was a collaborative project which was featured in a Polish beading magazine.

There are so many ways to add decorative elements to a thick leather cord bracelet.  One clever idea is Kylie Jones' chain maille embellished leather bracelet tutorial. She created "tubes" of chain maille not just for the focal area but shorter lengths to act as end caps. These were then kept in place with wire wrapping.

Sona Grigoryan is a polymer clay artist who manages to come up with innovative ideas besides making gorgeous jewelry.  Her double position polymer clay pendant is clever because the design offers two ways of hanging the egg shapes...either with the point down or up.

Maya Kuzman is a Macedonian crochet designer who makes both Boho and pretty flower crochet jewelry.  She admits she is "deeply and incurably in love with crafts." She also sews and knits but it was her crochet jewelry which caught my eye. She does express herself very well using colorful yarn and brilliantly adding metal components for her distinctive designs.

Rosaries and malas have been used for centuries to help keep track of prayers and meditative chants.  You do not have to be religious to realize the benefits of meditation. It brings about relaxation and inner peace. Today meditation is used in patient care and counselling.  Want to make your own mala? Jason Walz of Shade of the Bodhi Tree is offering a special giveaway where you can  customize your own malas.

I love rainbow jewelry! So pretty and colorful for anytime of the year.  Can you imagine how well they will brighten up plain outfits? These rainbow colored kumihimo jewelry tutorials are all by British designer, Christina Larsen of CSL Designs .  She also sells the kits on her website. The first tutorial is for a rainbow kumihimo bracelet.

Does your ring size fluctuate during the day or throughout the year depending on the season?  The solution is to wear adjustable rings! Here is the latest one to consider. The tutorial is by metalsmith Soham Harrison. It can be made in 10 minutes!  It is only about the forging as it doesn't really cover the preparation steps before and after.

I've always liked the helm weave in chain mail work. It is relatively easy. But consider the viper weave too. The smaller rings are offset and prettily so.  Check out these two viper weave chain mail tutorials which show how using contrast colors also makes the design pop!  The photographs from both instructors are different so that could help you understand where the rings go. Also each instructor gives different tips.

The Beadman's Viper Chain Mail Tutorial