I have to be honest with you here.  There’s a part of me that wishes like crazy that I could be as snarky as the folks on either Craftastrophe or Regretsy.  Some of the handmade work that they feature is truly amazingly horrible.  But I just can’t do it.  Every time I go to start, I can hear my mother’s voice in my head saying, “Cynthia, if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, don’t say anything.”  Nope, I don’t have one of those moms who said “come sit by me.”  My mom is nice, and she wants me to be nice.

So the closest I can come to being really really snarky is to tell you that I think Regretsy is a riot.  I think you should go visit it.  I don’t think you should ever ever ever make anything that will get you featured there.  But if you do get your stuff featured there, it often seems to sell!!

Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled blog posts.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

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, and wire. You’ll learn Cynthia’s signature techniques for mold-making and stone setting as well.

The projects range in complexity from beginner to advanced. Even the more difficult or time-consuming projects can easily be scaled down to the reader’s ability level. The directions are step by step, and it’s easy to see where substitutions could be made. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is looking into how to put more meaning into your pieces!

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

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 the handles (if you’re unlucky, the glass can pop out or crack), but other than that, I really like the way these look.

“Stained glass” optical lenses

It never hurts to have more tricks up your sleeve when it comes to jewelry making!

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***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!

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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 created by designers whose names you will know.  This gives a wide variety of styles, and I’m sure you’ll find some that catch your eye no matter how experienced you are.

Using chain is also a wonderful way to stretch your beading budget.  A few special beads connected together with chain will make a fabulous necklace that won’t break the bank!

Image: InterweaveStore.com

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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 skills that would suppliment and expand one’s jewelry-making bag of tricks.  I think her list is a good start.  See what you think!

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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 rubber, resin, glass, leather, paper, plastics, ceramics, textiles, and much more.  But again, each chapter is an introduction, so you should plan to use this book to inspire your search for the next great thing you want to try.

A very beautiful and compelling book.  Now where did I leave my notebook…?

Image: InterweaveStore.com

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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, who encourage her creativity and art making.  Look at this fabulous mixed media piece that Jan created:

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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 I plan to be teaching at various events and stores in the near future!

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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

Post from: Jewelry and Beading