Earring Tutorial: Gemstone and Linen Cord

I have been receiving a lot of compliments and questions about the earrings I made recently for the Bead Soup Swap so I wanted to put up a simple tutorial showing how I made my Labradorite earrings. For these ones I have used Labradorite and Rhodochrosite chips. 

What you Need:



Irish Linen Cord (2 x 5 inch lengths)
2 x Labradorite Chips
2 x Rhodochrosite Chips
A pair of silver plated studs

Step 1: Take a length of the Linen Cord and loop into the the stud earring making sure to keep one side of the cord shorter than the other. Secure with a knot.

Step 2:

Slide a Labradorite chip onto one end of the cord and secure with a knot. Now slide a Rhodochrosite chip onto the other side and secure with knot. Trim off any excess cord below the chips and secure with a dab of glue if needed. As I'm using waxed cord there is no need for glue here. 

And now enjoy wearing them. 

Let me know in the comments below if you have made a pair. Have you used a different cord or gemstone chip? All pictures and words in this tutorial belong to me so please ask before you use them anywhere else. 

Bead Soup: The Big Reveal

The day has finally arrived to reveal what I have made with the beautiful beads I was sent by Ana of Acbeads. I found myself struggling a little bit at first as there was such a variety of beads that I honestly didn't know where I was going to start but finally I decided to break up the beads into different sections and ended up making four different pieces. 

As a reminder of what Ana sent to me click here to see all of the photos. And click here to see the soup that I sent to Ana.

So my first piece is a pair of earrings. I made these using the Irish Linen Cord and Labradorite Chips. I love the simplicity of them. I didn't want to loose the beauty of the Linen Cord or the Labradorite. 

My Second piece is a bracelet made using the large glass bead, blue mother of pearl discs and blue wooden beads along with the clasp from Ana's packet. I used my own seed beads and freshwater pearls along with some rose quartz that I still had from last years packet form the Bead Soup Swap. (I knew I would find something special to use the last few in eventually.) I love that this bracelet is so neutral coloured with just a pop of strong blue.

My third piece is another bracelet. I made this piece using the Labradorite Chips, Shell and clasp from Ana's packet. (If you haven't noticed I'm a little bit in love with the Labradorite now). I finished off this bracelet by just adding some seed beads that I already had in my stash. The colour is perfect with the Labradorite I think. This is my favourite of the 2 bracelets. 

My fourth and final piece is a necklace. I started by using the beautiful Focal pieces that Ana sent along with (again) the Labradorite Chips on the beautiful blue Linen Cord. I added a small copper bead on either end to tie in the copper chain and clasp from my own stash. I knew as soon as I seen these focal pieces that I would be using them with copper somehow. It is my favourite metal and I knew the colours would all suit each other. I would never normally use cord and chain like this but I'm so happy I tried it out. I think the Linen Cord is soft next to the beautiful clay beads before the harsh metal. 

I think the necklace is by far my favourite of all four pieces I have made and I cant wait to wear it over the summer. Its a nice new piece to add to my collection. 

So that's all the pieces that I have made. Please click here to see what Ana has made using the beads I sent to her. Also click here to see the list of all the participants of the Bead Soup Blog Party. I can't wait to get around all the blogs and see what everyone has made. 

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to leave a comment below.

If you want to win the earrings above then click here to enter. 

New Pendants and Some Fun

Yesterday I spent a few hours in the workshop making up a few new pendants. I had one final (for now) jigsaw puzzle pattern to try out as well as a new heart and star. I of course went with my hammered finish but for the heart I didn't think it would suit so I gave it a nice high shine polish instead. I'm glad I did. I think it suits the piece much better.

Later on I spent some time with my two little cousins making bracelets. They really need no help with this at all now. I cut the elastic and tie the knot thats all they want me to do. They both love to lay out the beads and play around with the order the want to put them in before stringing them which is fantastic to see them at 5 and 6 doing.






I think I will be stocking up their bead box for their birthdays next week. The box they have has suddenly gotten very empty and I'm afraid they will start "shopping" in my bead stash.

Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Pendants

Today I tried out some pieces I had been wanting to make for a while. I had these sketches in my book for a while and finally got around to making them. I made three different pieces in Aluminium, Copper and Brass. I'm really happy with how they turned out. Again I've used my hammer finish which seems to be my signature finish at this point. I may as well just embrace it. I have a few more patterns I want to try out now as well so I you may be seeing them soon. 

Rain Cloud Pendant

I recently picked up the April issue of Make & Sell Jewellery Magazine and there was a feature called "Make a statement with Weather Motifs" which included a tutorial on making acetate rain cloud earrings. Being me and having to use a bit of metal and change things just a little bit I used aluminium and a few extra beads along with a bit of chain to make mine. I also made it a pendant instead of earrings. 

I'm really happy with how it has turned out and will be wearing it very soon I can imagine. I have a few more ideas to play around with the theme so hopefully I will have a few more pictures to share soon. 

The Bead Soup I Received

So I think its time to show off what I got in the Bead Soup package from Ana. There are so many pretty beads I don't know what I'm going to make yet because I have so many different ideas. Thank you again to Ana I love all the beads and hope you like what I have sent to you (when it arrives). 

I think these are my favourite piece's of all. I can't wait to use them and wear them. I've never worked with anything like this before.

And of course this again is the beautiful gift Ana sent to me. Please find Ana's Blog here. And visit her shop here to see more of her work. 

How To: Metal Stamping Tutorial

I have made quite a few pieces using metal stamping over the last few years so I wanted to put together a simple little how to for anyone thinking of giving it a try. The piece above shows the names of someones three children and a Swarovski Crystal to represent each of their birthstones.


What You Need:

A set of metal stamps (available in various types from many differen online shops)

A heavy hammer

A Sharpie (I use black most of the time but you can try any colour)

Metal blanks (available in different metals shapes and sizes on the internet)

A Metal block for hammering on





1: After selecting out the letter or number stamps you need lay them out in order on the table so that you don't mix up the order. I'm showing the stamping here on the wooden bench but you should be using a metal block.


 Start with the middle letter or number you need and position it in the middle on the piece. I find it easier to work out wards then which keeps the word or name centered.

2: Strike the top of the stamp with the hammer directly down first then slightly tip the stamp to the top and then then bottom striking each time. This makes sure the letter is more indented. Removing the stamp after the first strike will make it harder to get a clean letter imprint as you  may not line it up exactly right again. 

3: Using the sharpie cover across the letters making sure it goes into the groves of the imprints.

4: Quickly wipe away the excess marker using a damp tissue is needed. The letters are now more visible.







These pendants make a great gift or can be added to bookmarks, keychains, etc. Let me know in the comments below if you have tried this out and ho you got on.

This Week In The Workshop

I've spent more time designing pieces this week than actually making anything so I don't have a lot to show. I do have a new pendant and bracelet that I worked on this week though so it wasn't a wasted week.



The bracelet I made using a mixed packet of pastel coloured glass pearls I got last year from Beads Unlimited. I loved all the colours in the mixed pack and wanted to use them together. I used a four strand slide clasp to finish it off. Its a very summery bracelet I think.






I also made a pendant using aluminium and copper (again) and yet again a hammered finish. I'm not finished using a hammered finish just yet but I'm sure I will get sick of it at some point soon. I like the option of this piece of being able to wear it with both pieces or each on their own.

Red Wire Wrapped Heart

Today I made another wire wrapped heart but this time I used red wire over copper and added a few beads. I used large gold coloured seed beads. I'm liking wire wrapping and have a few more ideas now to make a few new pieces. I haven't decided yet weather to make a beaded chain for this pendant or just you a plain copper or silver chain to hang it on. I think the pendant is fussy enough without a beaded chain added to it so I will have to try it out and see what works best.

Some New Pieces From The Workshop

I cut out a butterfly and heart pendant on Monday and today I got back to the workshop to finish them both. They are both made from copper sheet and finished with a high polish and then a hammered finish. I had wanted to make a butterfly for a while but kept putting it off when I had other things I wanted to make. I'm really glad I got back to make it now because it turned out better than I thought it would. The heart is a plain and simple heart shaped piece but has a lovely pattern with the hammered finish. Again I love a hammered finish and I'm using it a lot at the moment, I'm sure I will move on from it at some point but right now I really think it is suiting the pieces I am making. They are plain pieces and the hammered finish just adds that little extra.

 I then decided to make another heart shaped piece. (It must be all the valentines related things I'm seeing online at the moment.) I made an aluminium heart and a copper heart outline of the exact same size. They are only connected with the jump ring so they move about independently of each other. I really love this piece and for once I'm also really happy with how the pictures turned out, I think they show it off really well.

Today in the Workshop: Brass Heart

Today I went to the workshop with absolutely no plan on what I wanted to do. I just started sketching simple little shapes and decided on a heart. I haven't made any heart shaped pendants yet and I haven't used my brass sheet metal either. So a brass heart it was.


I drew a basic heart shape and pierced it out sanded, polished and hammered the surface to give it a nice finish. (I love hammered finishes if you haven't noticed yet.) I'm happy with the finished piece. I'm getting better with piercing straight lines and round without having to go back and fix it a bit with a file. I have again no plans for tomorrow in the workshop so I guess we will just have to wait and see what I come up with.

Copper Flower Pendant and Cross

So far this week I have made two pieces in the workshop. The first piece is a cross pendant made using Aluminium and Copper. I used a high shine polish and hammered finish. The Aluminium cross to the back is curved and the copper cross is flat. I liked the way they sat using this method.  I love mixing copper and silver coloured metals together so I love the look of this pendant.

The second piece Ive made this week is a copper flower pendant. It is a project featured in the February issue of Beads and Beyond magazine to be made from silver sheet. I made the flower pendant in copper instead and also used a hammered finish. I also added a drill hole to take a jump ring to suspend the chain. The project is called Daisy Daisy by Joanne Tinley. Thank you Joanne I loved trying this piece. Im going to have a go at the smaller flower tomorrow.

Bead Soup Reveal!

It is time for the 3rd reveal for the Bead Soup Blog Party. Unfortunately we are slightly behind but its finally here and has made the reveal more exciting having had to wait a little longer! I can't wait to reveal what I have made so keep reading!

My partner is Natascha from Switzerland. Please visit her website here where you can she what she has made using the beads I sent to her and also visit her shop and see the wonderful gemstone jewellery she makes.

Natascha sent me a beautiful Sardonyx Pendant, Rhodochrosite,  Moonstone, Larimar, Fresh Water Pearls, a Sterling Silver clasp, Rose Quartz, Rhodonite and Sodalith.

And I sent Natascha a mixed bag of glass beads including pearls, squares, large seed beads, copper beads, a large copper focal bead and a spiral three strand copper clasp.

So now to my first piece using the Sterling Silver clasp, Sodalith beads, Rhodonite beads and the Sardonyx pendant. I also used copper wire I recycled from old electrical wires to make the large copper chain. I have used silver plated wire, silver plated chain, copper and silver plated bead caps and of course some glass pearls. I use these is so many of my pieces that I couldn't leave them out of this one!

I added two beads to the end of the extension chain at the back to keep the colour scheme when seen from the back. This was the first time I had tried to use a pendant like this and it was so beautiful I didnt want to cover it up with wire wrapping so I made a very simple wire bail.

The second piece I made was a bracelet. For this I decided I would use the same copper beads, copper focal bead and copper spiral clasp as the ones that I sent to Natascha because I loved them so much and I thought this would add another little challenge for me to try and work with the same findings.

I made a five stranded bracelet and tried to use some of every bead that Natascha had sent. I worked on the theme of a stacked bracelet that is so popular and trendy right now. I wanted each strand to be like a different bracelet but complimentary of each other. And I'm so happy with how it turned out I have only taken it off a few times since making it! I have come to call it my Morrocan Bracelet because of the colour scheme and I cant wait to were it through the summer!

Here is what I used to make up each strand:
Strand 1: Rhodonite and Champagne Coloured Glass Pearls.
Strand 2: Rose Quartz and Rhodochrosite.
Strand 3: Sodalith, A Large Copper Focal Bead, Silver Glass Pearls and Copper Findings.
Strand 4: Moonstone and Fresh Water Pearls.
Strand 5: Larimar and Copper Beads.

So I hope you have enjoyed looking through what I have made and I hope you will visit Natascha now and see what she has made. And thank you to Lori for all the work that has gone into organising this entire swap. I have really enjoyed working with new materials and challenging myself to make something different using someone else's choice in materials.

Click here to see all the people taking part in the swap and see what they have made! Or if you would rather just have a look at the finished pieces from all 541 participants over the three reveals you can find them on Pinterest.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I just wanted to share a few pictures of some Rosary Beads I have made in the past being the weekend that it is.

Bead Soup Blog Party First Reveal

So today is the first reveal for the Bead Soup Blog Party. I'm in the third reveal in a few weeks time but I can't wait to see what everyone in the first reveal group has come up with.

So What Is The Bead Soup Blog Party?:This is the concept of Lori Anderson. Everyone signs up by a certain date and then she pairs everyone together. They then have to swap a pack or "Soup" of beads and make something using these beads to reveal by the certain date they have agreed to. Lori has written a book about the Bead Soup Blog Party that can be purchased here. 

So Who Is My Partner?:
Lori paired me with Natascha makes beautiful jewellery using natural stones and she sent me some amazing pieces (and some chocolate!!). You can see the pictures of what she sent to me here and what I sent to her. I can't wait to see what Natascha has made and I hope she likes what I have come up with using the beautiful pieces she sent to me. 

So the first reveal list has been published and you can see it here and visit some of the blogs participating and see what they have come up with. You can also see all the pieces on the Pinterest board that we will all be posting to. 

Thank You Ilkabeads

I recently won a contest on Ilkabeads blog that was run to celebrate the first anniversary of the blog. This morning this beautiful necklace arrived in the post for me!

The colours and the beading are just amazing so I wanted to thank Ilkabeads for sending me such a beautiful necklace that I will treasure!

Necklace by Ilkabeads

Purple Pearl Necklace

My sister spotted these glass pearls in the Yellow Brick Road bead shop a few weeks ago and decided she wanted me to make her this necklace which is almost identical to the Gossip Girl Inspired necklace I made for her last summer using the Gold coloured pearls. The pearls are available in beautiful colours and are great quality and an even better price!

We picked out a nice 3 strand filigree clasp in gold and I made this piece as my sisters birthday present.

I love the plain front to this necklace and the fussy and elegant back.