The Beading Gem

Image by Jack Deutsch

Faux necklaces on outfits are sometimes useful for different reasons.   The sewn or stamped variety on tops and dresses are really wash and wear jewelry!  Consider them also useful for those who are allergic to metal  or who are too little to be wearing bling!

Ronni Nicole designed the sewn bib necklace shown here which is very easy to do with running stitch.  Check out her tips on CraftStylish.  You have to choose the right beads, fabrics and know how to care for the outfit.  I also recommend that beads are checked for color fastness if they are dyed.

I've been having fun with this cool online tool, the Puzzlemaker from Discovery Education. It's very easy to use and free, the way we like it. You can generate as many as you like for some family or party fun.

So try out my very first crossword puzzle with a gemstone theme and see if you can solve it quickly!

You can be forgiven if you thought this pair of funky silver earrings took a long time to make using sawing and texturing techniques.

But it's actually very quick to create if you follow Jeanette Caines of the Jewelry Arts Institute's video tutorial entitled Make Reticulated Sheet Earrings.

Most leather tutorials involve either thin cording or flat pieces of leather.  Then a blog reader, Anna, asked how molded leather jewelry is made.  So here they are - 3D leather flower tutorials!

Noemie Doge's Recycled Football Necklace

The quest to recycle as much unwanted material as possible has led to some extremely creative designs from determined and outstanding eco artisans. Here are more of them to inspire.

Football fans many not recognize the work of Swiss jewelry artisan, Noemie Doge (link no longer available). The hexagon pieces actually come from old footballs from around the world.

Rajah Bangles

I know it's not easy to gauge a potential book without first seeing it. So it's a good thing jewelry book publishers give a few free projects from their publications. Readers can then get some idea of what the book is like before committing.

Check out Lark Craft's double wire work projects which are both from their book, Contemporary Bead and Wire Jewelry .

Not all my readers celebrate Christmas, but for those of you who do, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  And everyone a Happy New Year.

Split rings are much better than jump rings as they are more secure.  But if you use them, then you will find the split ring pliers awfully handy.

Sliding the hook end of one of the jaws in between the coils will keep the later separated.  They sure save nails! But I often use mine for much larger key ring versions.

Bubble wrap?  You read correctly.  Bubble wrap - those packing sheets that kids love to pop.  But don't throw them away as they can be made into jewelry.

Steven James' bubble wrap necklace tutorial on Craftster is versatile as you can use not just bubble wrap but any plastic like unwanted grocery bags.  The layers of plastic are heat fused together.

Ever wondered how scrap gold is remade into jewelry?  Then watch this video by Andrew Berry. It's fascinating to watch this metal smith at work.

It also hits home how laborious the process is. It's not as quick as the 3 minute textured silver bracelet video I featured some time ago but the result is just as lovely.

Kiersten Giles who has a shop called Lune Designs on Etsy, says " I'm a fool for beads of any kind, a sucker for metal, a pushover for leather, and a glutton for fibers. And here is my little Etsy shop, because I had to find a way to pay for all that wonderful crap!"

Lucky for us she is such a pushover for beads because she designed and wrote the fabulous Ancient Roman Glass Necklace tutorial (no longer available.

Many of us love books. It's not just about the reading but there is also the pleasure of holding a book and turning its pages.

However, books do eventually age. Spines come undone and the next thing you know, the book falls apart.

Pearl's MOP angel earrings

Shown here are some ideas - my picks from some very creative folks.

Top concert performers and dancers give master classes.  So why not a top beader?

That's what Sherry Serafini's gorgeous book, Sensational Bead Embroidery, is all about - master classes for intermediate advanced bead embroiderers in the comfort of their own homes.

Need a quick home decor or gift idea? Here's a couple to help you use up your bead stash too!

Image by Just Mommies

Wine glass charms remind me a little of hoop earrings. They are so useful when you have a crowd over and need to help your guests identify their own glass from a forest of others.

No Diamond ring by Sannu Nuutinen

I like to feature really unusual jewelry designs because they serve to remind us that there are no limits to creativity.  Here are some wonderful examples.

Humor and whimsy are frequently included in these innovative designs.  Like the No Diamond ring by Finnish designer, Sannu Nuutinen.

Did you go to the beach over the summer? Collected shells? Then use them to make this awesome sea shell bib necklace tutorial by Erica Domesek over at PS I Made This.

It requires spraying with Krylon metallic paint.  Doesn't the use of tulle add elegance to the design especially with the gold painted shells?

Image via Wikipedia

Elizabeth Taylor's fabulous jewelry collection set a world record yesterday when it fetched a total of $115 million.  It way surpassed Christie's estimate of "more than $30 million".

It's an incredible sum considering it was from a single owner.  Some of her best pieces commanded the highest prices.

Back in the 1990's, Valma Spencer-Sun of Valley Gem Chain Maille (update : link no longer works) in Australia, came across a Danish man wearing a triple wire coil knot.

Image by Valley Gem

The man would not sell it to her as it had been in his family for at least a couple of hundred years or more. Val suspects the design might be even older than that.

Most, if not all of us toss out cardboard packing used for shipping all sorts of goods.  But who would have thought of using the corrugated type for jewelry?

It's a whole new approach to recycling!

One thing handy about making jewelry as gifts is the boxes needed are small.  If you are planning to make your own, here are some of my favorite finds.

Felt Gift Box by DIY Maven

Have you got old necklaces in your collection which need a design boost?  Then consider mixing and matching 2 different ones with a bit of ribbon for a much more updated look.


Check out Shey's Anthropologie inspired necklace makeover tutorial over at the Refashion Co-op blog.

Portland, Oregon-based Barbi Touron, the creative genius behind Urban Lace, started collecting unwanted inner tubes from various bicycle shops in 2006. She then hand crafted the thoroughly urban chic filigree-like designs in her garage.

I received these wonderful free tutorials from one of my wholesale suppliers.  No matter what the title says, I think the designs are worthy of other times of the year too, not just Christmas!

The bib style necklace makes use of different types of Swarovski crystals - the eye-catching round stones as well as pendant drops, crystal pearls and bicones.

Image Source

An extraordinary auction will soon take place. From December 13-15, Elizabeth Taylor's legendary collection will be sold at the Rockefeller Center in New York.

The sale of her bedazzling 270 pieces of jewelry alone will take two days. It's very rare to have such a large single owner jewelry collection to go on auction.

Knitting with wire isn't the same as knitting with yarn because the wire is nowhere near as flexible as yarn. Yet the results can be pleasing. 

Shown here are 3 pearl and wire knitted earring tutorials designed by Romi (Rosemary Hill) of Designs by Romi. If you know how to knit already, you'll find these easy and quick.

The Beading Gem's QR

Some of you were a little leery about personal QR codes when I first wrote about Skanz's QR bracelets. But really you only share what you wish to share.

QR or quick response codes are sprouting up pretty much everywhere. For a jewelry artisan with a shop or blog to promote, they can be useful. How useful?

Quillwork Necklace by AcidZip

Porcupine quillwork was a major decorative element used in Native American art forms for thousands of years. It's unique to this part of the world. Quills adorned mocassins,clothing, cradleboards, medicine bags, boxes and even furniture as shown below.

It lost popularity when the easier to use beads became readily available. However the craft never disappeared and is still practiced today.  Giving quillwork a modern touch are some inspiring jewelry artisans on Etsy who all used quills in different ways.

There were so many lovely designs on Beadsphere's site I was hard pressed to choose which to feature for last week's giveaway.  Carapace did point out that she loved the lace ones which I neglected to show.


So to make up for my omission, I picked one from that category, the Purple Lace design above!

Image by Bead Barmy

Not everyone on your gift list likes jewelry. But they sure would appreciate something handmade all the same.  So how about making them a set of napkin rings for that extra special dinner party?

One of my favorite finds has to be Gemma's aka as the Bead Doctor of Bead Barmy. Her tutorial for  wire and bead Festive napkin rings is lovely and easy enough for beginners to have a go.

Some people are so creative. Take Shelley.  She is a stay at home mother "who finds sanity through creating". She does all that creating when her little daughter sleeps!

Her upcycled tie statement necklace tutorial is so cool you might be raiding tie collections soon!

I am a fan of Czech beads because of the variety, quality and wonderful bead finishes and colors. One of the Czech manufacturers is Preciosa Ornela. Check here for all their tutorials. It is based in Jablonec nad Nisou, a town in the northern part of Czechoslovakia with a long history in glass and jewelry making. 
The beads and design inspirations they feature on their website are just stunning.  What first drew me there was their new line of of Twin seed beads. These are two holed, oval and measure 2.5 x 5 mm. They come in a wide variety of finishes and colors. The double holes do expand the range of beading design possibilities.

Image by The Craft Floozy

There are lots of knitting and crochet enthusiasts out there. So why not make such a  friend some beaded stitch markers?

Markers help locate a key place in a work in progress. Handmade markers though are so much better and prettier than the cheap plastic versions available in stores.

Light up jewelry? Really cool!  They are actually practical lighting solutions rather than adornment but jewelry works too if you want to be different!

First up is the LED Wrist Light (link no longer available). The bangle style bracelet has a snap on lock and works off 4 battery operated LED lights. Saves having to use a flashlight in some situations.

Beading is a contagious activity. If you don't believe me, just check out these designs from 3 beaders at a beading party back when the weather was warmer.

They all made rainbow anklets from multicolored crystals! These are guaranteed to match just about anything in the wardrobe.

I have my own comfort zone as far as beading wire sizes go.  But the Confetti  NecklaceTutorial by Jamie Hogsett over at Softflex made me rethink about my habit of just getting the 0.014" beading size.