The Beading Gem

It's no secret that many crafters find knitting, crochet, tatting, sewing, making jewelry and so on very relaxing.  So it comes with no great surprise there is growing evidence these activities are good for our health.  Crafting relieves stress and anxiety, helps with insomnia and even reduces the risk of cognitive decline as we age. Neuroscientists now think our brains have neuroplasticity - the ability to form new neural connections throughout our lifetime.  Use it or lose it!

Chain maille doesn't get mentioned as much as knitting and crochet for its health benefits but the technique also makes one's brain fire up! Chain mail weaves are just as soothing to do.  Like other crafts, chain maille engages many parts of the brain, not just in creativity but in visual- spatial coordination and in problem solving.

You know how much I like to hunt for inspiring designers to feature. To my delight,  Florida based Valorie Clifton of VCArtisanOriginals turned out not only to be an inspiring designer but she has been reading my blog for years. Score!

Valorie is one of those designers who is really accomplished in more than one jewelry making technique.

I find it hard to believe that it has been EIGHT years since I reviewed Rebeca Mojica's chain maille book "Chained"!  I first knew her as the owner of  the online and bricks and mortar shop, Blue Buddha Boutique which sold chain maille supplies.

Rebeca ran that Californian store from 2003 until 2016 after which she moved entirely to BlueBuddhaBoutique on Etsy.  There you can still find her chain maille tutorials, kits and supplies.

Scott David Plumlee is a chain maille designer whose family buffalo ranch is somewhere in Kansas.His shop, Davidchain, shows his design aesthetic.

He is adept at creating clean lines using geometric shapes as he teams up chain maille with beads. Colored beads really make such designs pop and take away the utilitarian look of what was once part of medieval armor.

Our modern chain maille jewelry takes its inspiration from medieval armor.  Today the jump rings we use are open ones. In the past though, maille was most often made up of riveted rings. They had to be riveted in order to withstand most sword blows. Open rings would give way too easily.

Watch this fascinating video of two traditional maille makers at work creating riveted maille pretty much the way it was made (except for the blow torch for annealing!).  Maille should technically be called just maille as the chain maille moniker came about in Victorian times. The craft still thrives as maille is sought after by historical re-enactors.

I've done captured crystal bracelets before. So I really like this captured crystal chain maille flower tutorial.  It is by a Russian instructor over on livemaster.ru. Ring sizes are critical to the success of any chain maille project.  So note down the ring internal diameter as well as the wire gauge used to make the rings.

I typically use a bent nose and small broad nose pliers. But as it is tricky to get the tips of pliers into such a design so I would use regular chain nose instead of broad nose pliers in this situation.

Chain mail has come a long way since its medieval war roots. It has become a peaceful adornment.  There are limited metal colors but artisans have found a way to add hues through beads and coated metals.  Marilyn Gardiner is a chain mail designer who has a different approach. She makes her pieces elegant with beautiful components and link connectors.

Yvonne Williams (she is on Etsy as BacktoEarthCreations) likes to create chain maille bezels.  Her design is actually a combination of 2 different weaves.  I personally love larger rings like the ones she uses.  Small ring work just make me cross-eyed!

The Full Persian chain maille weave is considered a beginner one. Really.  Just check out my tutorial on how to make a Full Persian chain maille bracelet.  Want to make a pendant?  Here is a lovely cross tutorial which is taught by  Dave Wilson of Celtic Dreams.

Byzantine chain maille looks like a complicated weave. But it is considered a beginner pattern!  See my tutorial linked below for the basic byzantine chain mail.  However, you might like to check out this beautiful variation - the diamond byzantine chain maille bracelet tutorial.

It has been six years since I last wrote about the family business Creating UnKamen (they called themselves Unkamen Supplies then).  Those six years have seen this husband and wife business blossom in many ways. They now have a larger team to help  and a new 13,000 sq foot headquarters in Fulton, Missouri! They offer free shipping too!

I always encourage everyone to learn new techniques. How else would you know which ones you like?  The other reason for learning new skills is the ability to combine techniques!  Kylie Jone's Orbital Chain Maille earrings tutorial is a great example.

Peacock feathers are so gorgeous. So it is not surprising when the iridescent blues, greens and purples are mimicked in jewelry designs. Check out Diana Ballum's European 4-in-1 earrings tutorial!

I am rather fond of thick leather cord necklaces because they are ideal for showcasing focals. This  round maille and crystal tutorial by Kylie Jones does exactly that. It is easy enough for beginners. You don't have to do too much chain maille especially if you want to work with stainless steel (tougher) or have strained wrists.

Adding a crystal or bead at the bottom of a simple pair of chain maille earrings is one easy way of adding a bit of color to the design.  I like this box chain maille and crystal earrings tutorial by Kylie Jones for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, box chain - which is a simpler Byzantine modification - is easy to do.  One which beginners can tackle.

I wish you a Merry Christmas - all of you who celebrate today! Pat, a local very talented all round crafter, has taken some of my classes at Iguana Beads.  She sometimes shares some of her awesome work.  Shown here is what she worked on for her Christmas tree!  Simply lovely and original!

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.