The Beading Gem

But this Mexican mother of 4 and tattoo artist is not the sort of person you'd like to encounter at night...at least not with a cross pendant and garlic bulbs on hand.  That's because she is known as the Vampire Woman.

Image by Svetlana

The right angle weave or cross-weaving is one of my favorite beading stitches. It is a versatile stitch which can be done with different sized beads.

The Etsy Russian Team has a blog and one of their members, Svetlana posted a simple right angle weave  bracelet tutorial with freshwater pearls and seed beads. It's a really sweet design which can be customized with different colors.

DIY Pillow Box Tutorial by Botanical Paperworks

I've always provided ordinary jewelry gift boxes when selling jewelry. But when I started to sell my designs online, those ready made boxes would not do as they aren't flat enough for Canada Post's "slot of doom"  (see my past post How to Package and Ship Jewelry).

So I use pillow boxes.  Even if you don't sell jewelry, they make a great alternative to regular boxes if you like making them for gifts.

I am very fond of whimsical jewelry but my simple efforts at creating cat and people earrings are with bead covered wire. So when I came across fellow Canadian's shop chatnoir77 on Etsy, I was instantly charmed.

Her flair for fun animal jewelry and bookmarks is both remarkable and delightful to behold. Be sure to check out her store for other whimsical designs like the mermaid, golfing lady and skiers.

   

Organic jewelry from fruit trees? Yep. Mango Tree makes their hand carved and hand painted bangles from organic grade A mango trees. These mango trees are not felled until fruiting has ceased.

Not all cell phones can take charms but the charms themselves can easily be used to decorate other things like backpacks, bags and so forth.  They are a great gift idea. You just need to get the small corded finding for cell phones.

But a number of beaders at a couple of beading parties didn't just make them as gifts but created them for their own cell phones!

Being innovative is all about having new ideas and concepts. One artist who breaks new ground is Portland based Stephanie Simek.

Her Classealienne Rings (link no longer available) are what she calls "demi-bands" which feature one or two gemstones at the ends. They are rather like jewels for between your fingers! Very understated, don't you think?

I like beaded earrings projects because they are fast for near instant gratification and don't need fitting like rings. They are also a wonderful way to try out a new beading stitch.

Image by Jennifer van Benschoten

A really pretty pair to make - the Cha-Cha earrings by Jennifer van Benschoten over at the About.Beadwork site.  Although the tutorial uses size 11 seed beads, the project will still be quick as there aren't a lot of small beads used. The visual impact is created by the side-drilled glass drops.

It was rather sad to see the final film over the summer. The books as well as the 10-year-long Harry Potter theatrical series were family favorites.

So I was delighted when I came across a simple but great tutorial on how to make a wire work golden snitch necklace. The necklace would be perfect for a Harry Potter fan on your gift list.

No one would ever dispute the tremendous contributions Russian designers have made to the beading scene. The Russian spiral and St Petersburg stitches are but two examples of many unique techniques which originally came from that part of the world. These though barely hint on the tremendous talent there.

So feast your eyes on the drop dead gorgeous statement beaded jewelry of 3 Russian designers - Olga Orlova, Lully Snetkova and Kaya Solovieva who together with Tina Galagan form Perlina Rosa. 

Wire wrapping earrings or perhaps bracelets doesn't have to be difficult! Not if you use Swarovski rhinestone chains for maximum impact!


Two fabulous rhinestone crystal chain bracelet tutorials by Allie over at Miss Lovie Creations should convince you.  I really cannot decide which I like better - the Threads and Rhinestone bracelet or the Braided bracelet . They both look classy. (Be sure to check out her other craft tutorials!)

Emma Hamilton by George Romney
Lady Emma Hamilton (1765 - 1815) was born Amy Lyons in very humble circumstances. Yet in adulthood, this beautiful woman with dark copper hair and dancing eyes became infamous as the mistress of Britain's greatest naval hero, Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson (1758 - 1805).

Their doomed love affair scandalized society as both were married at the time.  It tragically ended when Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Many of you are such creative souls, you probably enjoy sewing as well. So here are some ideas to do cross-over jewelry!  Also note that these jewelry designs are suitable for those who are metal allergic.



Image by Naima

Do you remember reading about tightly corseted Victorian ladies who faint at the slightest provocation? They had to be revived with smelling salts or vinegar.

Many of them wore filigree pomander or vinaigrette necklaces just in case they had the vapors or if they needed to smell something pleasant rather than the odors of unwashed bodies common then. Well, they are b-a-a-c-k! Only the sweet smelling kind though!

Wire work bangles are always popular so here are more tutorials I came across.

Shrinkable plastic such as the Shrinky Dink are really fun to use.  You can cut out shapes and color them.  There are also some basic colored sheets available in black, cream and brown.

What you do with them is all up to your creativity. Here are some more delightful jewelry tutorials to help spark your imagination. Be sure to check out the links below for previous stunning shrink plastic jewelry tutorials

Inkjet Cartridge Ring

Our love of computers and the latest gadgets creates a huge problem of disposal once they are no longer wanted.

One artisan who recycles them into jewelry is Milan based Paola Mirai,  the creator of Cirkuita collection. Paola meticulously dismantles unwanted gadgets and upcycles them into new "jewels".

Image by Sherri Kellberg

I am certain the people who make polymer clay jewelry are artists. That's because what they make  is often drop dead gorgeous.

Vibrant colors, patterns  and even textures are what makes polymer clay jewelry attractive. Shown here are some of my favorite finds.

There is so much beauty in nature. Take pebbles. I've often admired the smooth lake, river or beach stones I've encountered during walks.  I've even wondered how they would look as jewelry.

Well, one artisan who not only wondered but actually made them into jewelry is Wisconsin based Jenny Hoople whose shop on Etsy is called Authentic Arts. 

Turquoise is a precious stone treasured for thousands of years by many cultures around the world. One of oldest sources is Persia (modern Iran) but it is mined in different places.

People believed in its protective and good luck charm qualities.  The Apache tribe also thought turquoise gave archers accurate aim.

Many women prefer to wear lever back earrings.  But we can't easily make those ourselves. An alternative for more security are kidney ear wires.  These have a safety loop at the back.

These are slightly more tricky to make than ordinary hook style ear wires but the tutorial by editor Tammy Jones of Jewelry Making Daily is pretty easy to follow.

Watching BMW's recent commercial on Youtube on how to steal jewelry in 10 steps made me smile.  The ad features a suave man, a beautiful woman, a jewelry store, a pearl necklace and a luxury car kitted out with the latest technology - the whole point of the ad.

How BMW got away with making such a commercial is revealed in the final scene.

Fall is the time of year when many artisans are getting ready for the bumper crop of craft shows.  Jewelry displays are key to showcasing jewelry properly. So here are more jewelry display ideas and tutorials.

Dawn Kruchoski of DMJ Discount Jewelry shared her pictures of her free standing pegboard display over on Rena's blog. It was conceived for speedy use.

Image by Resin Obsession

Did you know cocktail rings are sometimes known as dinner rings or even right hand rings? These statement rings were popular back in the 1940's and 1950's and were worn on the fourth finger of the right hand.

Well, cocktail rings are back in vogue!  And what's more, Swarovski crystals  make them extra special!  Here are some great tutorials from talented designers to inspire!

I've long been a fan of Japanese art and design.  This new find of amazing animal brooches by Ribbonesia illustrates the reasons why. The  designs are not only clever but beautifully and artistically put together.

The founder of Ribbonesia is Sapporo-based Baku Maeda, who is a freelance illustrator. He needed a project for his "fiddling" fingers which had nothing to do with his living.

Image from About.com Beadwork

 The Reader Question thread is where I pick an email or comment question to answer.  I don't claim to know all the answers but I do my best to help.

Question : Pearl, Hi, do you have a tutorial or instructions how to make a toggle clasp out of a button??  I am so tired of buying toggles, I would like to make my own.  Thank you, Marsha Durkin of PinkAngelWing on Etsy.

Answer :  Bought toggles are great for when you run out!  However, it always adds to the piece if all the components are hand made so it is is worth making your own.

It's that time of year where households with school aged children are awash with back to school supplies!

You and I know color pencil sets are really colorful.  But that is where we stop, right?  Not Iris Tsante.

Her collection of jewelry made from color pencils is nothing short of brilliant. The craftsmanship and imaginative use of her chosen materials is truly inspirational.

Earlier this year, I completed a most challenging wire wrapping project.  One of my colleagues had some coral which she bought in her native Algeria more than 20 years ago.  Khalida said she bought it from people who collected it off the Mediterranean coast.

She loved the color but as you can see from the 3 pieces, there were a few issues for me to tackle. The first was obviously the shape. The main piece was akin to knobbly chicken feet due to the branching feature of red coral.

In order to be creative, one also has to be observant. Much of the world around us can inspire.  But I would never have thought ordinary barb wire could be a source of inspiration until I came across these tutorials!

Has it been a year already? How time flies! Once a year, the editors from Bead and Button battle it out get together to select the best projects from the magazine.

Kalmbach Publishing just sent me their latest effort, Creative Beading Vol. 6  for review. This collection might just be the book for beading enthusiasts who don't subscribe.