The Beading Gem

Ever wonder how a ring is resized?  Wedding Rings Direct handcraft their own rings from their workshop in Brighton, England.  They can resize the majority of rings bought from them so it fits perfectly.  Here Wedding Rings Direct have opened up their workshop in Brighton to show us how they do it.

Guest Post by Angela Magnotti Andrews

I finished teaching my last set of summer classes yesterday. The students thought it would be a good idea to send you the class tutorials in the order we use them, starting with beginner ones and work up to the more advanced ones rather than a few here and there.

In class, we start with the basics.  The first wire project is a strung bracelet with wire wrapped loops and jump rings done many times so students become comfortable with the techniques. This fun bracelet that jingles lightly when you move.  It does not really matter if all the wire wrapped loops are not perfect because you do not really look at them.  You look at the bracelet as a whole.    Then we go on to earrings.  By that time students can easily create a set of matching earrings and are amazed at how easy they are and, of course, how cheap they are to make.

When students first start, they do not have a "stash" like we do so I supply students with kits to make the bracelet and earrings.  Most usually purchase extras after completing the projects because they
turn out so well.

Enjoy!

• More about Judy here.
• Please check this past post on How to Download Free PDFs from Scribd for instructions on how to transfer Judy's tutorials directly to your computer or mobile devices. It has been updated to also include information for Apple devices, Android phones and Kindles. 
• Email and RSS subscribers need to click on either the tutorial link below (to download directly from Scribd) or the post title to return to the blog for downloading from the embedded tutorial.

1. How to Make a Wire Wrapped Loop






How to Make Wire Wrapped Loops

2. Multi-Gemstone Charm Bracelet Tutorial



How to Make a Multi Gemstone Charm Bracelet

3. Cascading Pearls and Crystals Earrings Tutorial



How to Make Cascading Pearls and Crystals Earrings

More Tutorials by Judy

• Wire Wrapped Coin Pendant or Key Chain Tutorial
• Beautiful Twisted Wire Cross Pendant
• Glass Pebble Cabochon Pendant Tutorial
• Two Easy Wire Wrapped Bangle Tutorials
• Spring Garlands Wire Wrapped Earrings Tutorial

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips 

This is a guest post from Jake Oates, written on behalf of The Beautiful Company.

Women have tried to figure out just what men are thinking for centuries. While men claim that it is women who are hard to decipher, the truth is actually the opposite. “What does he really think of me?” or “What does it mean when he doesn’t call?” are age old questions. The real kicker came when men began wearing earrings again. While women do not technically disagree with this fashion statement, many do wonder just what it is that a man is trying to say when he sports jewelry in his ears.

So, if you want to know what your man, or the man you want to be your man, is thinking when he sticks in that earring, here is a little tell-tale that men think women do not know:

Diamond Studs
This refers to diamond stud earrings, not a diamond wearing stud. If a man sports a diamond stud, chances are he is trying to impress you into thinking that he’s rich and sexy. Diamonds are normally worn by the rich and famous, right? When a man puts that diamond stud in his ear, he wants you to take notice – take notice of his fancy duds that is.

Cubic Zirconia Men's Stud Black Hip Hop Biker Bling Earrings by 360Jewels

Guest Post by Angelita Williams :

No matter how many trends come and go, beaded clothing and jewelry stay in style throughout the year. But, it is always important to think of new ways to freshen up your creations or generate trend-related sales. One of the easiest methods is to create a few on-trend pieces by copying the color profiles that popular for the upcoming season.

If you’re not obsessively following runway fashion trends, here’s a nice cheat sheet. Endlessly savvy fashion site Refinery29.com laid out a great outline of the top spring 2012 color trends to know about now. These hues range from sexy neutrals, to soft and creamy pastels, to fun and sultry tangerine.

Here are four color profiles you can add to your beaded work to both attract your fashionista customers and throw a small splash of trendy color into your own wardrobe this spring.

1. Multi-Layered Neutrals


Layered neutrals were one of the hottest trends for spring this year. And neutrals are never a bad thing to have in your closet, especially when it comes to jewelry. Neutrals can tone down or play up certain color schemes and add a touch of elegance to any outfit. Refinery 29 noted shades like “soft oatmeals, browns, tans, grays, and neutral tones” as prominent on the runway. You probably even have some old beads lying around in unexpected neutral shades. What better time to put them to use, using things like natural wooden beads or neutral fabrics and other soft materials.

Fabric Bib Necklace Tutorial by Another Day in Paradise Part 1/Part 2 and 3

2. Creamy Pastels


Anything girly is all the rage this spring, with shades like blush pink, mint green, creamy lilac and soft blue popular everywhere. This is the best time to buy some creamy pastel beads to use on practically anything. Check out the mint green of these earrings created by an Etsy user. This is the perfect shade for spring in 2012. Try adding some lace, ruffle or polka dots to your creations and market them to the fashion set.

Lace and Pearl Bracelet Tutorial by Flamingo Toes

Bollywood Beauty Set by Haute Ice on Etsy

This guest post is by fellow blogger, Amanda Kidd.

You have tried that shining and breath-taking jewelry since ages. It’s nothing unusual to flaunt gold, silver or a diamond piece. We know women since ancient times are lustful of those emeralds, rubies and other jewels. No doubt such heavy ornaments have their grandeur and splendor.

But don’t you think you should try something new and vivid this time? We are not asking you to get rid of your timeless and classic jewelry but you can come off that overtly girlie and lady image for a while to flaunt something more contemporary.

Old earring dangle as a hat embellishment

This guest post is by Sarah Grace Villaflor, a blog reader and jewelry making enthusiast.

Are you the type who gets so attached to a certain item and  insist on using it even though it is already old, damaged or broken? There is no need to feel embarrassed or stupid as this is common. People may find comfort and assurance in the presence of a very familiar object.

Men's Shadow Box Style Gold Ring by Doug Peterson on Etsy

This guest post is by Jessica Carter, who writes for Zoara, an online jewelry site. Her expertise is in diamonds and wedding rings.

This guest post is by Alexis Bonari, a crafter from North Carolina.

Selling crafts on Etsy behind the barrier of a computer screen and a near anonymous contact address is quite a different experience from baring our faces and wares at a crafts show. Although your demeanor at your booth can make or break a sale, vendors must prepare heavily for a crafts show. To maximize our chances of making a profit — and having fun! — let’s keep the following tips in mind.

Bead Sisterhood Jewelry Booth

This Guest Post is by Lisa Shoreland who was born and raised in Japan.

Japanese Shakudō
Shakudō is a Japanese term for a low gold content alloy used in certain types of jewelry and ornamentation. The somewhat esoteric technique has a long and colorful history, and knowing it is sure to raise our appreciation for the delicate process and its breathtakingly beautiful products. Shown here are the amazing designs by Kaz Ichikawa of KAZNESQ who has won many prizes for his work.  Some of his collection epitomizes the beautiful technique.

Casting via Wikipedia
This Guest Post is by Leon Harris who writes for Pennsylvania Precision Cast Parts, a leading medal casting manufacturer specializing in the lost wax casting process.

There are plenty of ways to design and make your own jewelry. Most novices begin with simple beading, whereby they purchase ready-made materials (charms, beads, chains, closures, etc.) and assemble them into finished pieces. Some people even get crafty by purchasing a small furnace or forge to turn their own glass beads.

Guest Post by Diana Norman

Some jewelry designers have a love/hate relationship with seed beads. They love to utilize them, but hate the monotony of stringing them. Then came the Bead Spinner, a great little tool that uses centrifugal force and a J shaped needle to glide your seed beads onto your stringing material. This was mostly used by bead weavers and bead stitchers, as beading wire is too flexible to withstand the forces of the bead spinner, and too bulky to be doubled through a needle and go through a seed bead at the same time.

If you don't have a Bead Spinner and you work with seed beads regularly, you're really missing out. If you need some more convincing, you can try this free makeshift spinner tutorial or watch this free video. When you are ready to take the plunge, the original hardwood spinner can be found here; but if that is outside of your budget, economy spinners can be purchased from beadspinner.net (they even offer a coupon code INDIE for extra savings). If you need to order some beads as well, you can save some cash on shipping by picking up the new "Speedy Stringer" from Fire Mountain Gems.

I use seed beads in a lot of my pieces, but my work demands the use of beading wire, such as Soft Flex, because of it's strength, flexibility, and ease of finishing. Wire and crimps are much more secure than a knotted piece of nylon or silk; necklaces containing pendants or heavier beads hold their shape better, and there are no worries about crystals or gemstones cutting through the stringing material. But the wire's flexibility was holding it back from being useful with a spinner.



The people at Soft Flex have a special needle to be used with their beading wire. At $5.95 each, the Soft Flex/ Soft Touch Speeder Beader Needle comes in the normal calibrated sizes and two lengths to fit wire from .10 to .24 inch thickness. It has a hollow core, with an easy to load "pan" to glide the wire into the needle. It doesn't just have to be used with seed beads, I know there have been a few times I've been perplexed by a pesky hollow bead.

The Soft Flex company doesn't have curved needles available, but the needles shouldn't be too hard to use with any bead spinner. Until now, I have been stringing beads onto my curved needle and pulling them off an inch at a time to load them with the holes lined up onto my beading wire. Tedious, yes, but not as tiresome as one at a time . I cut my stringing time down to less than half. These needles should cut my time down even more. These have been available for a few years, but I only recently found them while browsing. I can't wait until they come in the mail.

I was actually playing with my bead spinner a few days ago, and I found I like straight needles a little better. I think it has to do with the "angle of needle attack." The other day, the curved end of the needle just wasn't picking anything up. I think the trick is using the curved needle if you like to drag along the bottom, and straight needle if you have more of a "hover" style. It might also have to do with the amount of beads you spin. You achieve the best results if the container is at least 1/3 full, and I find that at less than half full I like the curved needle, and at more than half I like to use the straight needle. But this is all personal preference, and you'll just have to experiment to find your preferred needle style.
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips