The Beading Gem

Not ready to try riveting yet?  No problem.  Check out these two 2 clever ways to faux rivet jewelry.  The first tutorial uses doubled hole metal links and headpins to link together various components.  Tierracast's video shows how easy it is.

Kusudama (literally translated as medicine ball) a type of origami which was the precursor to modular origami.  The folded forms are typically assembled together using glue or sewing.  Here is a basic Japanese paper flower jewelry tutorial by boddhi15 over on Instructables. The instructor is working on a wedding party jewelry set.

Want to make your own jewelry display or storage? This splendid example is an easy hardware jewelry display tutorial by Gemma over at The Sweetest Digs. It uses galvanized steel pipes and some basic plumbing accessories. No soldering, no gluing. Just screw the bits together into a T shape. The tutorial gives all the item measurements.  I particularly like the gold paint sprayed one.  Gemma also mentions her two other jewelry display tutorials.

It is tricky for wire work beginners to use cabochons.  The solution for a wire framed design is to use drilled beads.  Judy Larson, whose tutorials I have featured before, used drilled beads for this fabulous wire wrapped pendant tutorial and this elegant double holed beads for a link bracelet. My tutorial here for a pair of coiled wire framed gemstone earrings uses drilled round gemstone beads. These are lovely Madagascar rose quartz beads from which I received from Nelson Beads a while ago for review.

It's scorching where I am with temperatures at the 30 degree C mark!  So those with long hair are surely gathering up their tresses to beat the heat.  This fantastic easy beaded barette tutorial is by Aleshia of Beadifulnights on Youtube.  The barette is quick to make and can be customized with any colors you like!

There are many wonderful polymer clay artists out there.  One outstanding French designer is Sylvie Peraud whose nature inspired polymer clay jewelry constantly evolves and rises to new heights.  Her site is called Maniguette which she explains means "grains of paradise".   Her most recent collection are her seed pod designs. She also creates stunning "parched"earth and bare wood designs.

Thanks so much for the kind comments and interest in my resin designs for last week's Nunn Design giveaway of the Summer 2015 Collection.  Divya said, "I love how you have altered the blanks with resin and added beads and wire. It gives these blanks a new use, something which many of us might not have thought of."  That's what I hoped to do by inspiring and giving all you ideas and new directions. 

Have you ever been disappointed when your gemstone order arrived looking rather different from the online pictures?  I have.  The use of stock photos is the cause.  So it was such a refreshing find with Joanne Nelson's exceptional and forthright service for Nelson Beads.  I had previously reviewed her gorgeous Madagascar rose quartz before.