Cynthia Thornton, jewelry artist and storyteller, has combined her love of both to produce a book which is the portal to a magical journey. Filled with techniques she developed in the Green Girl Studios, Cynthia introduces you to characters that each need a special piece of jewelry, for a very special reason. You’ll find yourself getting just as caught up in the narrative as you do in the projects, wondering how it is all going to end!

Enchanted Adornments begins with a wonderful technique section, where readers are taken step by step through creating mixed-media jewelry with resin, PMC, polymer clay, …read more

My usual style with optical lenses is to adhere an image to the back, showing through the front of the lens, and to hang dangles from the bottom and/or adhere bits and bobs to the front.   A little while ago though, a lovely woman named Teresa, who bought some optical lenses from me, showed me a link to another really fun way to decorate and wear these little treasures.

Optical lens with image
The DIY network has a video showing you how to use glass paints to create swirled baubles that resemble stained glass.  I’m not crazy about the recommendation to bend …read more

Over the summer, I wrote a review of Ronna Sarvas Weltman’s unique polymer clay book called Ancient Modern.  Well, now I’ve got a copy to give away!!  If you remember, I told you that Ronna’s style is primitive, organic, and full of joy.  Now here is your opportunity to drop all the rules and enjoy yourself with clay!
***FREE STUFF ALERT***FREE STUFF ALERT***

Would you like to have this book?  Just leave me a comment below telling me what’s your favorite jewelry style: classic?  edgy?  cyberpunk?  elegant?   Whatever description best fits your faves.  Next Monday, I’ll be randomly selecting a winner!

Here is a book that I can whole-heartedly recommend to beginners who want to make great looking jewelry, and want it FAST!
Chain Style
by Jane Dickerson
There’s nothing like adding chain to your design, or even designing an entire piece around chain, to make the design work up quickly. Chain is an excellent material for both beginners and those with advanced skills, because the complexity of your projects is only limited by experience and imagination.
The techniques and materials section is minimal but sufficient.  Largely this is because the projects are all so accessible.  There are 50 designs to inspire you, many …read more

Don’t you just love top ten lists?  I’m such a sucker for a list that I’ll read almost any article or post that promises me “10 ways to be more fabulous” or whatever

What a shame!  It seems this wonderful post has been removed.  No clue as to why
So when Leslie Rogalski, the new editor to Beading Daily decided to share the top contemporary jewelry making techniques that she thinks are essential to master, I took note.  Since Leslie is already a beader, she didn’t list any beading skills at all.  Instead, she focussed on mixed media …read more

Think of this new book as an overview of what is possible.  It’s not nearly detailed enough to be a true how-to book, but it covers so many different materials that it will probably boggle your mind with possibilities and send you racing for your notebook!

The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Jewelry Making Techniques
by Vannetta Seecharran
This book covers far more than beading techniques, so look elsewhere if you’d like an introduction to beadwork.  This is a guide for an experimental jewelry who wants to create one-of-a-kind jewelry using modern techniques and materials.  There are instructions and photographs outlining how to work with …read more

You know how as soon as you throw something out, you figure out how you could have used it for jewelry?
Not that I think Jan Turner Bell would have thrown out this shed deer antler or the wonderful arrowheads that she used in her mixed media necklace (it also doubles as wall art), but she did make at least one person almost pass out when she told him what she was going to use them for!
Jan lives on a farm that has been in her family for over a hundred years.  She has a great support system in her family, …read more

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
Check out this amazing polymer clay pendant made by Laurel Steven!  And you can keep up with her class schedule by checking out her blog.
Rue’s Daftique blog
Rueschka by Laurel Steven

Laurel writes:
Here’s my favorite piece from this summer. It’s a hinged polymer clay locket, with a beaded and wireworked necklace. Some of the beads match the locket in polymer clay, and the others are marble beads from Firemountain Gems. I’ve also used Gun Metal wire from Artistic Wire. It’s one of a series of classes that …read more

I love messing around with both positive and negative molds: sometimes the exact look you want to achieve can only be had by going through a few extra steps, and that’s what I did for this pendant. This week, I’m going to cover how to make the CopprClay pendant, and next week we’ll look at one possibility for stringing it into a finished necklace.
Materials & Tools:
CopprClay (Rio Grande)
Olive oil
Waxed paper or parchment paper
Objects to make molds
Polymer clay
Kiln, firing pan, and activated charcoal
Exacto knife, file, polish
Patina solution
Step by step instructions

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
A beautiful mixed media necklace, made by Loren Yaskin!
Jadyn’s Jewels
Loren writes:
My favorite summertime creation is my “Fleur de Neige” (or snow flower) necklace.