The focal flower on the top of the piece is styled after a hibiscus, modified slightly (but only slightly!) from the excellent instructions given by Kerrie Slade in the April 2009 issue of Bead&Button Magazine.

For my general instructions on bead embroidery, please check Bead Embroidery Techniques.

Step by step instructions for RuthAnn’s Garden:

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Challenge Rules: One entry per person, please (so send your best work!). Submissions must be of the type you would see in Stringing magazine—in other words, projects created using simple stringing, crimping, wireworking (simple loops, wrapped loops, jump rings), and simple knotting techniques. If in doubt, see Stringing 101 (it’s in every issue of Stringing) for a list of acceptable techniques. Projects created using beadweaving or other non-stringing techniques (such as netting; peyote, brick, right-angle weave, and square stitches; bead embroidery; chain mail; and macramé) will not be considered for winners.

To enter, please send a clear, high-resolution TIF (better) or JPEG (good) photo of your stringing and/or simple wireworking project that is 300 dpi at 3″ x 5″ to stringing@interweave.com.

More information and full rules

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

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 glass flower cone beads with AB finish
24 3mm silver flat flower beads
2 6mm faceted Czech fire-polished beads with AB finish
2 6×4mm glass rondelle beads with silver centers
4 3mm round silver spacer beads
2 4mm silver rondelles
2 silver crimp beads
1 inch of sterling silver French wire
6 inches of 16-gauge sterling silver wire
12 inches of 20-gauge sterling silver wire
1 3-inch silver headpin
Jeweler’s glue
E6000 silicon craft cement

Tools:
1 pair of round-nose pliers
1 pair of chain-nose pliers
1 wire-cutter
1 large beading board or steady flat surface
Scotch tape

Finished size: 19 inches

Tip: How always to grab your necklace the right way so you don’t accidentally put it on reversed? Just a little thing, but it can really get annoying! If you’re right-handed, always put the shepherd’s hook on the right-side end, with the figure-8 eye on the left-side end. Your dominant hand will hook your necklace around the back of your neck without your even having to think about it. If you’re a southpaw, make sure the shepherd’s hook is on the left-side end.

Instructions:
1: Prepare a breath-taking center bead-pendant combo for this magnificent choker! Cut a 3-inch length of the 20-gauge silver wire. With the round-nose pliers, make a closed loop at one end. Then, with the chain-nose pliers, crimp the rest of the wire in a zig-zag pattern. Flatten the crimped wire with the chain-nose pliers, and then glue the crimped wire to the back of the 2-hole dichroic spacer bar bead. Set aside to dry.

2: Lay out your necklace. Choose which rose quartz beads go in what graduated order, from larger to smaller, choosing 12 beads per strand, and lay them out in two parallel rows. The lower row should contain beads that are slightly larger than those on the upper row, making the lower row about an inch longer. You’ll have six beads per strand on each side of the center dichroic glass bead.

3: Cut two lengths of beading wire, 24-inches in length each. Lay one out on your bead board or flat work surface. When the 2-hole dichroic spacer bar bead is dry, thread one length of beading wire through the upper hole of the dichro bead. Make sure the wire loop sticking out from behind the dichro bead is facing down.

4: Begin stringing the first strand of rose quartz nugget beads. String one flower cone bead, facing outward, on each side of the dichro bead. Choosing the large rose quartz beads you laid out the upper row in Step 2, start building each side of the upper strand. Separate each rose quartz bead with a “combination spacer” of two outward-facing flower cone beads with a silver flat flower in between. When you’ve assembled both sides of the upper strand, add one additional “combination spacer”, and 1 small round silver spacer bead at each end. Secure with tape.

5: Begin stringing the second strand of the slightly larger rose quartz nugget beads from the remaining 12 beads you laid out in Step 2. Repeat the same sequence with graduated nugget beads and “combination spacer” beads as in Step 4. When you’ve reached the end, add one more “combination spacer”, a 6mm faceted Czech fire-polished bead, and 1 small round silver spacer bead at each end. Secure with tape.

6: Now, create the clasp – the “eye”! With the wire cutters, cut two lengths of silver wire – 2 inches and 3 inches. With the round-nose pliers, bend the 2-inch wire into a securely closed figure-8. Start by looping the wire about midway down one jaw of the pliers to encourage a smooth rounded base loop. Work the rest of the wire around the bottom, or largest part, of one jaw of the pliers, to make a larger loop. Make sure each end of the wire closes tightly into a figure-8.

7: Make the shepherd’s hook with the 3-inch wire. Start by looping one end of wire midway down one jaw of the round-nose pliers to make a base loop. Then work the rest of the wire as though you’re starting another figure-8, but don’t close the end. At the open end of the wire, bend it into a small, tight closing loop.

8: Close off the necklace. Cut a ½-inch length of French wire. Working on one side, remove the tape and thread the two strands together through 1 6mm glass rondelle, a 4mm silver rondelle, a silver crimp bead, and the French wire. Then – through the eye of the shepherd’s hook, and back out into the crimp bead and the glass rondelle again. Firmly crimp the crimp bead closed, using the chain-nose pliers. Glue where crimped with jeweler’s glue. Trim off the excess beading wire that protrudes out from underneath the glass rondelle. Carefully repeat on the other side, connecting the two open ends of beading wire with the figure-8 clasp loop. NOTE: While you’re finishing the opposite side, keep the necklace laying flat on your work surface as you gently pull both wires taut.

9: At last, prepare the large pendant drop for the center dichro bead! Thread the remaining extra-large faceted rose quartz bead onto the 3-inch headpin. With the round-nose pliers, begin a loop with the wire at the top. Before closing the loop, connect it to the closed loop at the bottom of the large dichro center bead. Then close off the wire loop at the top of the rose quartz bead and trim off the excess wire.

Resources:
For large faceted rose quartz chunks – Ritual Adornments – 2708 Main St. – Santa Monica, CA 90405. Phone: (310) 452-4044. www.ritualadornments.com

For tools, spacer beads, crimp beads, silver wire, bead-stringing components, glue and bead-stringing tray – San Gabriel Bead Company – 325 East Live Oak – Arcadia, CA 91006. Phone: (626) 447-7753. www.beadcompany.com

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Many many thanks to Mary Lyon, who shared this delightful design and the instructions with us here at Jewelry&Beading.  Visit Mary’s site to learn much more about this busy lady!

LONG SINGLE-STRAND LAPIS NECKLACE:

Materials:
36 inches beading wire
2 strands graduated medium-to-large rough-hewn lapis chips
5 large (15mm diameter) round lapis-inlaid Afghani silver accent beads
1 extra-large (2 inch long) bi-cone lapis-inlaid Afghani silver bead
14 4mm small fluted silver rondelle spacer beads
2 3mm round silver beads
6 inches of 18-gauge sterling silver wire
1 inch of sterling silver French wire
2 silver crimp beads
1 tube of jeweler’s glue

Tools:
1 pair of round-nose pliers
1 pair of chain-nose pliers
1 wire-cutter
1 large beading board or flat, steady work surface
Scotch tape

Finished Length: 36 inches

Tip: Save your work! Secure the ends of the beading wire by folding a two-inch strip of scotch tape across each end and pressing firmly in place to prevent losing beads off the ends.

Instructions:
1: Lay out the beading wire on the beading tray and start experimenting with the arrangement of the lapis chips versus the large round inlaid silver beads and the extra-large inlaid silver bi-cone bead. Create seven segments of different lengths. The segments contain 17, 25, 14, 7, 23, 11, and 16 lapis chip beads, but feel free to arrange them as you prefer. Each segment will be separated by a large round accent bead and the extra-large bi-cone bead. There’s no right or wrong. NOTE: This is not a symmetrical necklace, so the extra-large bi-cone accent bead is not at the center. Position it, and the large round accent beads at random intervals.

2: Begin stringing lapis chips, spacers and accent beads according to the pattern you experimented with in step 1. Each accent bead, including the bi-cone, should be braced on either side by 1 small silver fluted rondelle spacer bead. Proceed until you have the exact length and arrangement of beads that you love!

3: To finish the necklace, make sure the last bead at each end is a small silver fluted rondelle spacer bead. Add 1 3mm round silver bead and one silver crimp bead to each end. Cut the coiled silver French wire into two half-inch pieces. Thread one segment of the French wire onto each end. Then tape the beading wire at each end to secure your work, and set aside.

4: Make the clasp – the “eye”! With the wire cutters, cut two lengths of silver wire – 2 inches and 3 inches. With the round-nose pliers, bend the 2-inch wire into a securely closed figure-8. Start by looping the wire about midway down one jaw of the pliers to encourage a smooth rounded base loop. Work the rest of the wire around the bottom, or largest part, of one jaw of the pliers, to make a larger loop. Make sure each end of the wire closes tightly into a figure-8.

5: Make the shepherd’s hook with the 3-inch wire. Start by looping one end of wire midway down one jaw of the round-nose pliers to make a base loop. Then work the rest of the wire as though you’re starting another figure-8, but don’t close the end. At the open end of the wire, bend it into a small, tight closing loop.

6: Connect and finish! Remove the scotch tape from one end only (the end you’ll be working on)! Thread the exposed beading wire through the small loop in the figure-8. Then thread the beading wire BACK through the crimp bead, 3mm round spacer and the fluted spacer bead, and through two or more of the lapis chips in the first bead segment. With the chain-nose pliers, crimp the crimp bead to secure your work. Then carefully trim off the excess beading wire where it protrudes out from between the lapis chips. Repeat this step at the other end of the necklace to attach the shepherd’s hook. Glue both ends, at the crimp beads, with jeweler’s glue.

Resources:
For lapis and lapis-inlaid Afghani silver beads – Silk Road Treasures – 28401 Ballard Drive, Unit F, – Lake Forest, IL 60045. (866) 775-7710.

For tools, spacer beads, crimp beads, silver wire, bead-stringing components, glue and bead-stringing tray – San Gabriel Bead Company – 325 East Live Oak – Arcadia, CA 91006. Phone: (626) 447-7753. www.beadcompany.com

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Challenge Rules: One entry per person, please (so send us your best work!). Submissions must be of the type you would see in Stringing magazine—in other words, projects created using simple stringing, crimping, wireworking (simple loops, wrapped loops, jump rings), and simple knotting techniques. If in doubt, see Stringing 101 (it’s in every issue of Stringing) for a list of acceptable techniques. Projects created using beadweaving or other non-stringing techniques (such as netting; peyote, brick, right-angle weave, and square stitches; bead embroidery; chain mail; and macramé) will not be considered for winners.

To enter, please send a clear, high-resolution TIF (better) or JPEG (good) photo of your stringing and/or simple wireworking project that is 300 dpi at 3″ x 5″ to stringing@interweave.com.

More information and full rules

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

With a gorgeous Swarovski disc as the centerpiece, this necklace combines bead weaving with basic stringing.  All the bead supplies are available from Artbeads.com

I found it easiest to create the bead woven bail first, and then to string up the necklace.

Materials

Copper tube with loop
Mixture of 11/0 and 8/0 seed beads in coppery and red colors
Nymo O, black
G-S Hypo tube cement
2 copper discs, 10mm
24″ beading wire (SoftFlex)
Copper toggle clasp
2 crimps
2 copper crimp covers
20 copper rondelles, 6 mm
10 facetted glass rondelles, 8 mm
40 round glass beads, 11mm

Tools
Beading needles
Wire cutters
Chain nose pliers
Measuring tape

Step by step instructions

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

I received a stunning Swarovski disc from Artbeads a few days ago, and I couldn’t wait to figure out a project to use it.  Tomorrow, I’ll share the details of how to make a similar necklace with you all.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Artist: Mayra Orama Muniz
Website: Mio Studio

Using exotic hardwoods as an expression of organic moving forms, self- taught artist Mayra Iveliesse Orama Muniz has created a line of jewelry that reflects on her life growing up in New York City and the more recent influences of the last five years living in Puerto Rico.

The many landscapes of her life — from modern industrial city to the tropical rainforests of Puerto Rico — have become her inspiration.

The miniature sculptures Muniz creates are a melding of richly textured woods and cool metals. Her forms hint at the natural flowing beauty of the lush green mountains of Utuado and the pristine white- sand beaches of Vega Baja. An admirer of celebrated British sculptor Henry Moore, Muniz is also influenced by Asian art and drawn to balance and movement.

The artist selects her exotic hardwoods by hand, choosing each piece for its color, grain, and suitability for the intended design. In the studio, Muniz carves and sands each miniature sculpture for many hours, finishing the piece with hand-rubbed natural oils.

Muniz believes wood is an ideal material for jewelry because as the piece is worn, oils from the wearer’s skin continue to protect the finish. All of the woods Muniz uses are acquired from remnant pieces, making her work very eco-friendly.

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Sent in by reader Julia Miller…thanks Julia!!

The Andean Collection: The jewelry is made from sustainable materials from the rainforests of South America, and are hand-crafted by artisans from disadvantaged communities in Peru and Ecuador, who receive fair trade wages for their work. Click this link for information on the sustainable materials that are used in the jewelry.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Here are some tutorial links to projects that use pearls, rose petals, and split geodes.  We’ve seen some incredible work so far this month, and I hope that it’s inspiring you to think outside the “glass”!

Making a pearl dangle pendant

How to make rosary beads

Turning a geode into a beaded pendant

Making a wrapped and bead-embroidered paua necklace

Post from: Jewelry and Beading