If you had it in mind to learn a new technique or two this summer, but you still haven’t gotten started on that goal, here’s something to consider.  There are lots of sites where you can buy a kit or a pattern, where you will learn in excruciating detail how to perform a certain task.  Sometimes we just need it in excruciating detail, huh?
Earring kit by Laura McCabe available from Beads East
For example, my friend Dulcey Heller creates kits and patterns for a site called simply Buy the Kit.  Despite the name, they also sell “bead-less kits”, a clever way …read more

Technique Tuesday!
Originally, I had planned to make this a much more complicated necklace, but as I played with a few ideas, I finally realized that I really didn’t want to distract too much attention from the central medallion. So I settled on three knotted cords and a strand of ribbon yarn. I chose colors that would not only look good with the fish, but would also look vaguely like running water.
Step by step instructions

Technique Tuesday!
The first stage in creating a CopprClay necklace with disc-shaped focals is to roll out, texture, fire, and finish the focals themselves.

Start with small balls of CopprClay, about 3/8 inch across.  Keep all of them under plastic wrap except for the one you’re working with at the time.  Follow the general instructions found at this tutorial for handling your clay.
Step by step instructions for creating discs focals

A few of the tools used with CopprClay

I’m really pleased with the way this necklace turned out.  Even more, I am pleased overall with the workability and user-friendliness of CopprClay in general.

Tomorrow and next week, I’m going to give you the step-by-steps for making a necklace similar to this one.  We’ll be starting with making the focal discs themselves, and then looking at how to assemble the whole necklace.  In the meantime, you can brush up on the basic details of working with CopprClay:
General instructions for working with CopprClay

Technique Tuesday!
How lucky are we, to have Mary Lyon share a second design and instructions with us!  If you missed the project from last week, check out this beautiful lapis necklace.
This week, Mary’s project is to make a two-strand rose quartz collar with a pendant:

MAGNIFICENT TWO-STRAND ROSE QUARTZ COLLAR WITH PENDANT DROP:
Materials:
Beading wire
12 large faceted rose quartz nugget beads, graduated in size from ¾” to 1¼ inch
1 extra-large faceted rose quartz nugget bead, preferably in a different shape than the 12 other beads
1 2-inch x ½-inch x 5/8ths-inch handcrafted silver dichroic glass 2-hole spacer bar bead
52 4×5mm pale pink pressed …read more

Custom Cool Jewelry
by Melinda Barta
Melinda Barta came up with a brilliant idea for this fun book. Instead of spreading her many talents out too thinly, she concentrated on just three areas: pendants, charms, and clasps.
It’s often hard to find exactly that perfect piece to customize your jewelry, and if you can make your own pendants, charms, and clasps, you can add them to readily available lain beads to create a masterpiece that is distinctively yours. Melinda includes over 275 quick and easy ideas for mixed media components as well as 7 full stringing projects. Once you start …read more

Technique Tuesday!
Yesterday I showed you the necklace that I made using the copper findings and beads that I received from Auntie’s Beads.

You’ll need copper colored wire, some stone rounds and chips (I used turquoise and coral), and lots of cool copper stuff!
Step by step instructions
Materials:
Copper colored wire (20 gauge)
Turquoise and coral rounds, 4mm and 6mm
Turquoise and coral chips
Copper colored or red beading wire
Copper chain, hook, crimps, jump rings, and head pins
Copper round bead, floral patterned, 7mm
Copper 2mm rounds, daisy spacers, bead caps, and hammered round links
Tools:
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Wire cutters
File
Measuring tape

Technique Tuesday!
The leaves that I showed you yesterday are really easy to make, but take quite a bit of time. Plan to do them when you’ve got other projects going on so that you don’t have to sit around waiting for the silver to dry.  Choose fresh leaves with deep veins: you’re going to be applying the paste to the bottom of the leaves, so you want the underside to be textured, but not “fuzzy” the way some leaves can be.  Smooth, but bumpy is good!

Step by step instructions

After making numerous bead-embroidered necklaces, I was looking for a change of technique. Freeform peyote, netting, and brick stitch appeal to me, but I still wanted some sort of support for the work. Heavy gauge sterling silver wire makes an excellent armature to work around. My inspiration for this piece came from Lynda Musante’s lovely book, Exquisite Beaded Jewelry. Lynda shows how to make a bracelet using wire links as a base. My piece uses a single strand of wire instead, but the look is very similar, so I would be remiss in not acknowledging her inspiration!

Materials:
40 inches 14 …read more

Technique Tuesday!

I spent some time looking back over the Jewelry & Beading blog, and I decided that it was way past time to update our list of all the posts that will give you the basic info you need to get started in beading and jewelry-making. Tammy Powley, who was the original editor of this blog, provided an absolute treasure trove of tutorials and information. I’ve attempted to pick up where Tammy left off and have added my own 2-cents worth.
Complete list of links