The Beading Gem

I've covered Native American inspired dreamcatcher jewelry tutorials before (see links below). Earrings though are a particular challenge due to the smaller sizes involved.  But it can be done! Sonysree Creations has a marvelous DIY to inspire.

I remember making lino cut prints in my secondary school art class. At the time, I thought it was a lot of fun but little did I know then that the technique and tools could also help in jewelry making! Especially if you hold a high premium on custom designs.  Designer and instructor, Ludmila Bakulina, shows how you can make your own custom stamp for polymer clay work.

Somewhere on a small Greek island in the middle of the Aegean Sea is the studio of a Greek metalsmith and leather craftsman, Nikos Douvogiannis, the artisan behind Tsirikaua.  He creates different kinds of jewelry and leather work but what stood out were his ancient warrior helmet inspired designs. 

Spartan Helmet Bracelets

I love my Lazee Daizee tools because they make Viking Knit so much easier. No more wooden dowels and awkward wire clovers!  But Stephanie Eddy (inventor) and her husband, Michael Eddy have shown there is a lot more one can do with the technique.

It doesn't have to be paracord. You could use thick cord to make some awesome unisex adjustable bracelets.  These will be lovely for men who like to wear this style or women who aren't into blingy, ultra feminine jewelry. I do like this unusual loop closure tutorial by CbyS Paracord and More.

Deborah Roberti of Around the Beading Table created her beaded star pendants or ornaments using two holed DiamonDuos. But she also points out in her tutorial that you can substitute with GemDuos with a slight change in bead types as these beads are not quite the same size as DiamonDuos.

with Gemduos

I've always like the idea of mixing bead work with metal components. Estelle of Petit Bout de Chou has a pretty mandala inspired earrings tutorial which shows off ombre colored beads within metal  rings.   You do not have to use the graduated color scheme at all if you prefer a patterned look.

Not all of us are able to attend the classes of some of the best jewelry making instructors out there.  Craftsy is one platform which allows you to learn through online video classes from the comfort of your own home.  Once you get a class, you can dive in whenever you want and as many times as you want. They do a wide range of crafts - even cooking.  I have saved the links to all my past reviews on the jewelry classes here on my Pinterest board.

Betsy Youngquist  is the Illinois based artist behind BYART.  She is an internationally renowned mixed media artist best known for her amazing sculptural bead mosaic sculptures. She "started applying beads to the surface of her watercolor paintings over twenty years ago."  But she also creates smaller designs such as her bead mosaic resin clay jewelry which are available on her Etsy store.

One reader made me chuckle with her comment on last week's giveaway for Shades of Clay's latest Cabezel jewelry mold. Sue Duffy said, "Holy Cabezel Batman!" Those of us of a certain vintage will remember the cheesy "Holy..." exclamations of Batboy in the 1960's  Batman tv series. There is actually a long list of them. Holy Cabezel naturally isn't on the list but the Cabezels are certainly notable for their fun shapes.

I had fun with Shades of Clay's Holy Cabezel as you can see from last week's giveaway (the close is later today so you still have time).  My favorite way of wearing pendants like this is to use thick leather cord.  I also thought this modern style looks best as close as possible to the cord. I also wanted to match the color of the polymer clay Cabezel.  So here is how I made easy wire coil glue on bails.

Sometimes bead combinations come together in a delightful way. I was charmed by this wreath like earrings tutorial by Beads Magic.  Why?  It is a great example of modern beadwork - simple yet visually effective. The superduos sit just so with the carefully selected seed beads to form a circle. The square tila bead makes a visual contrast and acts a focal area to the design.

Nothing could be more suitable for the Christmas season than beaded angel earrings! Here is another one to collect. The brick stitch design tutorial is by Paola over on Ricamar Gioielli.  It is an Italian blog but the tutorial is schematic and clear enough to follow.

Know someone who is into cosplaying?  Or perhaps a gift for a little princess? This easy lace and bead headpiece tutorial by Spanish crafter of Veva of My White Idea might just be the thing.  She calls it a tiara but it is more of a headband to me. Very pretty.

Polymer clay canes are definitely not my forte. Far from it. So what to do when you need a colorful design as a veneer? I loved this marbling tutorial by the Unruly Housewife. It is simple with lots of potential for experimenting. As she says, it is a great way to use up scrap clay!

End tubes are wonderful for beaded bracelets as they give designs a professional finish. But Estelle over on Petit Bout de Chou has a fun herringbone chandelier earrings tutorial using the end tubes most creatively!  I also loved how she used metal dangles to complete the design.

I made an error for this week's giveaway. Wendy of Shades of Clay says the giveaway is open to everyone. So international readers are included!

Every successful designer creates memorable and often, one of a kind pieces. One such designer is Jen Parrish-Hill, the designer behind Parrish Relics. It is easy to see why she calls her collections Parrish Relics. The first part is obviously from her name but the second reflects the antique look of her designs.

When I first spotted Shades of Clay's cabezel clay molds, I could instantly see their potential.  The molds allow you to create both the pendant bezel as well as the insert cabochon. You can have a lot of fun with creating unique art pieces.  Bonus point - if you also make the bails out of clay and use, say simple leather cords with no metal findings, the jewelry pieces will be ideal for those who are metal allergic!

I think I will start looking out for bells in craft stores or even an old bell from an antique store or thrift shops!  That is because they can be used as the "mandrel" or form to make easy wire bell ornaments!  This craft tutorial is over on Moji Dilo, a Czech site.

There are some wonderful beaded necklaces you could make for the upcoming Christmas season.  Nothing like wowing at the office party, right?  I shared this awesome Christmas Cascade design tutorial from Beaddiagrams on my Facebook page  recently and many of you loved it. No wonder! It is a gorgeous design with seasonal colors!

I've written about fabric jewelry bags, organizers and roll ups before.  They are great as gift bags for jewelry items. Or use them for travel as they will protect your pieces.  Some of the tutorials I featured before do take some time to make.  However, I found this really easy peasy jewelry gift pouch tutorial from Handmadediya to be just the ticket if time is short. 

One of my favorite instructors is Gloria Uhler of Domestic Diva Online. Why?  Her tutorials are always refreshingly different and often, not hard to do.  One of her latest is this easy alcohol ink and liquid polymer clay cuff bracelet tutorial .

I don't know about you but having to order rivets specially for jewelry making can be a pain.  But I loved the idea from Tracy Stanley, the designer and author of the wire and metal book I reviewed not too long ago.  She showed in this tutorial how easy it is to use just regular hardware store escutcheon pins as nail rivets.

It's not what you use, but how you use it that counts. Croatian designer, Iva of Pevalek Art,  uses uncommon materials like polymer tubing to create her bold contemporary jewelry designs. She often favors black tubing with just the odd splash of vibrant color.

You can almost feel the angst of some of the people who commented on last week's giveaway of a professional photographer's service.  Gerry Maffris summed it up for all  -  "Getting good images is a huge stumbling block for me."  

Remember my easy peasy wire wrapped tutorial with Nunn Design's open frame rings? Well, wire wrapping is not the only technique you can use to dress up these dainty rings.  This tutorial uses resin clay which requires no baking at all because it hardens at ambient temperatures.  The resulting hardened clay is very durable. Plus, it is an adhesive clay to boot!

Back in 2014,  I was deeply moved when I saw the amazing ceramic poppy art installation, "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Poppies" in the Tower of London's dry moat to mark the centenary of World War I. There were 888,246 poppies -  one for each British and Colonial fatality during the war. The poppies pouring over a wall and out of a window were particularly vivid and poignant (see this video)

There are all kinds of family keepsake designs you can make using jewelry and craft supplies.  For example, birthstone jewelry is a perennial favorite. Or see links below. But I also love this shrink plastic hand print key chain charm tutorial by Hayley over on Grey House Harbor.

This innovative wire wrapped bracelet tutorial by Vietnamese wire artist, Lan Anh is a must see.  It is a clever start where the first bend becomes the loop where the clasp will catch.  You do need a good eye and careful strokes and bends of the wire to be consistent.

There are many products you can use to color polymer clay. Gilder's Paste which is typically used for metal is one of them. They come in many colors.  Samantha Burroughs of Jessama Tutorials has an easy mokume gane polymer clay tutorial for wood grain effects!  You can have a lot of fun coloring lots and lots of squares of polymer clay shapes. These are then stacked into a tall layer. The multiple colors as well as the translucent clay used are key to the complex design result.

Italian beader, Sara Spoltore rose to the challenge of making a beaded ankh pendant using cRAW (cubic right angle weave).  She shared the information on how to construct one. She assumes you have learned the cRAW so these instructions are not for the beginner.  She gives the number of beads for each "side" including the rounded portion at the top.  She uses both 15/0 and 11/0 seed beads for the straight sides but had to omit the smaller beads for the curved portion.