The Beading Gem

I've always thought 3 mm Swarovski bicones are a little too small. But now I know they are not! Especially if you use them to make glamorous beaded pave stud earrings!  This tutorial is by Sapphirus.  It also features a neat tip - suspending a metal component on the ear stud back with small jump rings.

Prong settings really show off the gemstones as the stone is not as heavily encased as with other wire work techniques. Christina of CSL Designs has a couple of matching prong set cabochon jewelry tutorials worth checking out.  She uses beautiful druzy cabochons!

I've used different backing materials for making resin jewelry.  Laser cut wood is on my list! This real flower and resin on wood brooch tutorial by Plotnikova Vera is delightful in so many ways.  She used a laser cut wooden violin as the foundation for her real flower design.  I liked how she colored the wood rather than leave it its natural color.

Gears aren't just for steampunk jewelry!  Wire artist, Yvonne Williams shows how to make a wire wrapped cabochon pendant using a gear at the back. You can see why she calls the design a Fractal wire wrapped one.  The spokes of the gear are the anchor points.

Making your own clasps really increases the handmade aspect of your jewelry designs.  Lily-tree has 3 styles of wire hook clasps in her tutorial.   The first one is the simplest kind.  But the others are sure different and fun.  You will need 18 or 20 G wire.

Adjustable cord bracelets are quick and fun to make. While this tutorial by mimodemami demonstrates a basic and easy cord bracelet design with two additional decorative knots, the genius part is the use of a straw in the knotting process!

There are a few spots left for this coming Sunday, July 30's How to Photograph Jewelry webinar. This is aimed at jewelry artisans who would rather spend their time making jewelry! I've learned a lot taking pictures for my blog so this webinar shares my tips and tricks.

TierraCast are sure on a roll!  They have added even more top quality pewter findings to their collection. I was sent samples for review. Let me say, I had a hard time settling on some designs as my mind went into creative overdrive!  But I managed to zoom in on some favorite jewelry findings from their Make a Statement collection. So read on!

I've always made coiled wire end caps such as these shown in this past tutorial. But fellow Canadian, Patricia Roberts-Thompson shows how you can make polymer clay end caps which results in colorful findings which can easily match jewelry designs.  The design possibilities are endless as you can apply different textures and coloring techniques to them.

Did you know that refrigeration copper coils are soft enough to bend with your hands (i.e. without having to use a torch to anneal it)?  I certainly hadn't tried so I didn't know.  This coiled copper wind chimes tutorial is by Handan and Greg of The Navage Patch. It's basically a double spiral technique which is often used in jewelry making to encase beads.  I love that colorful beaded chain part!

Christina, who is the blogger behind Imagine Hearts, loved her rubber flower earrings which she bought while on holiday.  These were the inspiration behind her glue gun flower earrings tutorial. They are not copies of the original just funkier versions. And like her original pair, the glue gun ones are also soft and flexible. Not to mention light!  She also has a video tutorial showing how she made it.