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Gorgeous Beaded Fireworks Inspired Tutorials | Amazing Drone Shows

Today, we enjoy fireworks as a celebratory treat. Fireworks were invented during the Song dynasty in China (960-1279 CE). Fireworks were made possible because gunpowder (one of 4 great Chinese inventions - the others were compass, paper making and printing) was also invented there, originally for medicinal purposes.

Here are some gorgeous beaded fireworks inspired tutorials and patterns. They cleverly capture the colourful patterns of real fireworks. First up are the 3D fireworks peyote star designs shown above by French beader, DiMarcaOnline.

feature designer historical science

Prehistoric Animal Inspired Jewelry | Watch the Natural History Museum's Prehistoric Animals Come Alive with CGI

Prehistoric animals, particularly the dinosaurs, still fascinate us today. They were the most dominant species on Earth for millions of years, from about 240+ million years ago until almost all of them went extinct in a single catastrophic event - a 10-15 km (6-10 mile) wide asteroid strike 66 million years ago. Volcanic eruptions were also to blame.

Evidence for this extinction event lies in the Chicxulub impact crater which is centered in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Massive tidal waves, fires and severe climate changes killed most. Dust clouds in the atmosphere adversely affected plant growth which starved out the plant eaters and in turn, the carnivores. Only the birds survived, plus some smaller creatures like the mammals. The survivors rapidly evolved to fill the niches once dominated by the dinosaurs.

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5 Lovely Axolotl Inspired Jewelry | The Salamander Which Never Grows Up

There is a Pokemon character which is based on a real life creature, the axolotl. It's a strange salamander which never grows up. Instead of going through metamorphosis and becoming a land based salamander, the axolotl retains its larval characteristics including its distinctive frilly gills and remains an aquatic creature. It can reproduce in this form.

Its endearing appearance have made axolotl jewelry popular! Shown here are some of the cool jewelry inspired by these strange looking animals! It's always inspiring to see the different styles and techniques as well as the creativity of designers who give their own takes on a common theme.

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Solar Eclipse Jewelry | Solar Eclipse 2024 in North America| How to Make Your Own Eclipse Viewer

Did you know that there are actually going to be 4 solar eclipses this decade? But the one that is making the news now is the one which will be seen in Mexico, US and Canada on April 8 (see map below). That's because there is an unusually wide path of totality (where the moon completely blocks the sun) occurring over very densely populated areas. Over 31 million live in this pathway.

Jewelry artisans have noted the buzz and have created a wide range of jewelry designs using different techniques and materials.

science tutorial video tutorial wire work

Wire Work Double Helix Earrings Tutorial | Genomic Medicine in Action

I have featured different DNA earrings tutorials before (see links below). But I was quite impressed when I stumbled upon Wyoming wire artist, Lindsey Griffin' wire wrapped tutorial. Her design nails the twisted ladder structure - known as a double helix - of DNA.

The two wire lengths have to be woven evenly without these being pulled together. The really tricky part is twisting the whole shape to form a double spiral while keeping the wire cross bars taut.

science shrink plastic tips and tricks tutorial video tutorial

Adorable 3D Mushroom Earrings Tutorial | How to Mold 3D Shrink Plastic Charms | Amanita Mushrooms

Using shrink plastic is a great way to make your own charms. They do not have to be 2D either! Watch this adorable 3D mushroom earrings tutorial by crafter, Binc Bonc.

The pattern for this particular charm is available by clicking on the title in the crafter's free pattern section here. You will see other fun shrink plastic ideas there too.

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Gorgeous Real Orchid Flower Jewelry by LafleurjewelryStudio | 10 Weird Orchids from around the World

New Jersey based Lori Adam and her brother come from a very artistic family. They also love flowers, and in particular orchids! They must grow a ton of them because their store, LafleurjewelryStudio is full of jewelry - necklaces and earrings - made from a large variety of real orchids.

I am in awe because I have tried making real orchid resin flower jewelry before and found it difficult. The flowers are incredibly delicate once dried. I did not succeed.

blog science

The Beading Gem Celebrates 16 Years of Blogging! | The Overton Window | Critical Thinking

Grab a cuppa and get comfortable. This is a long post!

Who knew back on January 4, 2007 that I would still be writing about my favorite craft, 16 years later. I was teaching jewelry design at the time and students wanted to know if I had a website. I didn't. But I soon opted for a dynamic version, a weblog or web journal - blog for short, so I could showcase the work of students each day.

Nearly two years into blogging, I was amazed to see the popularity of my very first tutorial. The "aha" moment arrived. Clearly my little blog could be a source of instruction and inspiration as there was then an unmet need in the crafting world.

movie science

The Making of Avatar 2 | Costumes and Accessories were All Handmade Before Being Scanned for the Animators

The latest blockbuster just out is James Cameron's Avatar: Way of the Water. It's the much anticipated sequel to his 2009 epic sci-fi film set in the future where humans are trying to colonize and exploit the mineral wealth of a distant planet's moon called Pandora. This puts them into direct conflict with blue humanoid beings, the Na'vi, who live in harmony with nature. The second movie is set in a part of Pandora inhabited by sea dwelling Na'vi.

The 13 year gap between the two movies has seen great advances in the CGI (computer generated imagery) technology used to create the movie. For the first time ever, performance capture of the live actors, was carried out underwater. This required professional free divers to train the cast and crew to hold their breaths for long periods of time. Small cameras were mounted in front of the actors' faces to capture, in detail, their expressions in addition to all their movements.

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5 Narwhal Inspired Jewelry | Mysterious Unicorns of the Sea

Narwhals are about as close to a mythical unicorn as we could possibly get! Although one wit on Facebook calls the rhino, a unicorn that has let itself go!

Narwhals, along with their closest relative, the beluga whales, live in the Arctic waters around Canada, Russia and Greenland. Their single tusk - an overgrown canine tooth, is what inspires their alternative name, "unicorns of the sea".

blog historical science

The Beading Gem's 15th Blogging Anniversary! | History Repeats Itself

Happy New Year, everyone! I made it! 6,000+ blog posts over 15 years. I never thought, way back on January 4, 2007, that I would actually still be blogging in 2022. A large part of the credit for this longevity goes to all my readers, many of whom have been following me for years. Without your loyalty and support, this blog will not have endured as long as it has. So my deepest and humblest thanks to each and every one of you!

What a difference a year makes. This time last year, I wrote about lessons from our pandemic past and the hope vaccines will bring. But this year, there is more hope as vaccines, especially the highly effective mRNA vaccines, have finally arrived and are beginning to make a difference.

Grab a cuppa. This is a long read.

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MolecularMotifs' Molecule Jewelry Are Not Just for Scientists!

Oregon based Tera of MolecularMotifs is a studio artist and trained teacher who"focused on teaching science through the arts" . She explains her interest and vocation : "I was born with the mind of a scientist, the hands of an engineer and the eye of an artist."

"After many years of teaching art , I decided to focus my energy on creating jewelry inspired by my art science lessons. I took a few casting classes, did an apprenticeship with a master jeweler and after some time and patience, Molecular Motifs was born!"

science tips and tricks

Button Ear Saver Hacks and How to Make Adjustable Ear Loops

The mask making cottage industry is in earnest! Those of you who can sew are doing so and those who can't can certainly buy them. They are another layer of protection besides physical distancing and frequent washing of hands to control the Covid pandemic.

The easing of restrictions in many places has allowed us to venture forth to some places but with recommended safety precautions. I was in the lineup this local shop which sells craft and household supplies. Only a limited number of people are allowed in at any one time and all had to be masked. If you didn't have one, the shop sold you one!

feature designer historical science

Jewelry Celebrating 8 Women in Science

When it was time for me to move on to high school several decades ago, I discovered my all girls school in Malaysia was not equipped with laboratories. Perhaps the expectation was low for girls going into science or was it a measure to cope with limited resources? Who knows? I had to do my A levels (high school) at my brother's school which did have labs!

I was fortunate. My father supported the education of my siblings and I - it didn't matter whether we were boys or girls. Mum was the one though, who occasionally had to ride herd over 3 very curious kids!

polymer clay science tutorial

Another Polymer Clay Ear Guard Tutorial for Mask Makers | Mask Making Info

Not long ago, I shared a polymer clay ear guard tutorial for those of you who are making masks. These relieve the pressure on the ears caused by long hours wearing the elastic loop styles. You can also check my past post on how to add blue shop towel layers to make homemade masks more effective.

Gloria Uhler of Domestic Diva-Online has a very different hook style polymer clay ear guard tutorial to share. Like all creative souls, she even embellished them with cut outs to match the mask fabric!

science tips and tricks tutorial

How to Make Face Masks with Filter and Nose Wire Pockets | Blue Shop Towels as a Filter Material | Tips and Tricks| | Make and Share

I took this selfie last week outside my nearest local supermarket which doesn't deliver or do online shopping. I needed groceries. While I was at it, I also tested out what turned out to be my favorite mask design.

As an early user of face masks, I thought people might give me strange looks or perhaps increase their social distancing even more! But actually, the first person in the parking lot to spot me, muttered - "Forgot my mask!" - and promptly returned to his car to retrieve his. Inside the store, I was one of 4 people to wear one out of perhaps 20 - 30 people.

news stories science

This Toronto Artist Slowly Poisoned Herself with Her Art

Gillian Genser is a Toronto artist who works with natural materials like bones, shells, dried plant material and egg shells. But she was unknowingly slowly poisoning herself with her art. She had worked for several years on a sculpture of Adam using mussel shells. She spent hours, day after day, grinding up mussel shells. She did not use protection and breathed in all the dust. She later found years of fine dust accumulation in her house ventilation system.

Gillian wrote in this Toronto Life article, "After a few months working on Adam, I began to feel unwell. I was agitated all of the time. I had constant headaches, and I vomited often, sometimes a few times a day. I visited a never-ending assortment of specialists—neurologists, rheumatologists, endocrinologists—hoping to figure out what was wrong with me. When they asked me if I worked with anything toxic, I said no, that I only used natural materials."

beadwork science tutorial

Irukandji Jellyfish Inspired Bead Woven and Chain Earrings Tutorial

Nature is arguably the most popular inspiration for a lot of designers. Rather than the usual flora and fauna, Russian beadweavers, Olya and Katya of OKHandmade took their inspiration from jellyfish! Their tutorial couples bead weaving with delicate chains representing four tentacles. The box or bell shape body of the medusa form of the jellyfish is made with Swarovski crystals and seed beads.

The designers didn't pick just any jellyfish. They chose the Irukandji jellyfish - one of the smallest and most venomous jellyfish in the world. The extremely painful stings result in Irukandji syndrome. The body of the jellyfish measures only 5- 25 mm wide. Being tiny and near transparent means they are hard to spot in the water. This particular species is found in the marine areas of Northern Australia.

gemstone necklace recycled science swarovski vintage

Why Sourcing Bead Supplies from Charity Shops is a Good Idea

Making jewelry can be an expensive hobby. One way to get some great supplies is through your local charity shop. Most of the time, the jewelry there is not worth a second look. Yup, plain old junk. But occasionally, there are some great bargains for gemstones and good crystals. These pieces can be taken apart, washed and dried and recycled into new jewelry. There are indeed some Etsy stores who sell recycled jewelry designs!

earrings feature designer necklace recycled jewelry science

Sun Melted Glass Designs by Sun Drop Jewelry

Tawny Reynolds, the designer behind Sun Drop Jewelry is an unusual glass artist. It's not just because she uses recycled glass bottles, stained glass and recycled sterling silver in her designs. It is because she doesn't use a kiln or torch to melt the glass. She makes her distinctive drop glass elements by melting glass bottles at 3000° F with a giant magnifying glass! At this temperature, wood will burn and a penny will definitely melt.