The Beading Gem

Last week's DIY mala giveaway from Shade of the Bodhi Tree garnered a surprising amount of interest. Some were clearly interested in meditations. There was a reader who practices Nicheren Buddhism who appreciated learning how to make malas.  Another, Dragonswing, said, "Oh, wouldn't this be a cool gift for the people in my Tai Chi class as meditation is a part of our practice." 

There are many ways to make wire wrapped rings. Some are easier than others. This tutorial is one of the easy ones which you can do in a very short time frame. Sounds good for the busy jewelry maker with the gifting season ahead.

Sarah Thompson is a fabulous wire weaver!  So I was delighted to see her wire woven tear drop pendant tutorial. I actually have large glass pendants in this shape with a simple curved bail.  I haven't done it but one of these days, I will drop one of them and they may well break. So a wire woven one is far more durable.  Like a lot of repetitive crafts, there is something soothing in making something with the wire weaving technique.

Necklaces and earrings with tassels are hot!  So if you are into making them, why not add beaded cap? Check out this Polish beader, Agatha of Royal Stone's wonderful beaded pearl and tassel earrings tutorial. A beautiful and romantic design. It was a collaborative project which was featured in a Polish beading magazine.

There are so many ways to add decorative elements to a thick leather cord bracelet.  One clever idea is Kylie Jones' chain maille embellished leather bracelet tutorial. She created "tubes" of chain maille not just for the focal area but shorter lengths to act as end caps. These were then kept in place with wire wrapping.

Sona Grigoryan is a polymer clay artist who manages to come up with innovative ideas besides making gorgeous jewelry.  Her double position polymer clay pendant is clever because the design offers two ways of hanging the egg shapes...either with the point down or up.

Maya Kuzman is a Macedonian crochet designer who makes both Boho and pretty flower crochet jewelry.  She admits she is "deeply and incurably in love with crafts." She also sews and knits but it was her crochet jewelry which caught my eye. She does express herself very well using colorful yarn and brilliantly adding metal components for her distinctive designs.

Rosaries and malas have been used for centuries to help keep track of prayers and meditative chants.  You do not have to be religious to realize the benefits of meditation. It brings about relaxation and inner peace. Today meditation is used in patient care and counselling.  Want to make your own mala? Jason Walz of Shade of the Bodhi Tree is offering a special giveaway where you can  customize your own malas.

I love rainbow jewelry! So pretty and colorful for anytime of the year.  Can you imagine how well they will brighten up plain outfits? These rainbow colored kumihimo jewelry tutorials are all by British designer, Christina Larsen of CSL Designs .  She also sells the kits on her website. The first tutorial is for a rainbow kumihimo bracelet.

Does your ring size fluctuate during the day or throughout the year depending on the season?  The solution is to wear adjustable rings! Here is the latest one to consider. The tutorial is by metalsmith Soham Harrison. It can be made in 10 minutes!  It is only about the forging as it doesn't really cover the preparation steps before and after.

I've always liked the helm weave in chain mail work. It is relatively easy. But consider the viper weave too. The smaller rings are offset and prettily so.  Check out these two viper weave chain mail tutorials which show how using contrast colors also makes the design pop!  The photographs from both instructors are different so that could help you understand where the rings go. Also each instructor gives different tips.

The Beadman's Viper Chain Mail Tutorial