Shine Magazine

I opened my email today to see the latest issue of Shine Magazine which is an online issue by Beads Direct. And there's my Kumihimo wrap bracelet on the Lets Be Social Page. Thanks for featuring my bracelet I was so happy to see it.

And don't forget to vote for my necklace click here. There are only a few days left to vote. Thanks everyone who has voted so far.

JewelleryMaker.com

Jewellery Maker is a family owned business operating since 2010 as part of 'The Genuine Gemstone Company'. The station is available to watch free online at www.jewellerymaker.com or on SKY 655, Virgin 756, Freesat 807 and Freeview 30. You can also watch past shows on the Jewellery Maker YouTubeChannel. Jewellery Maker ethically source their gemstones from all over the world in some of the most remote locations and for the best possible prices. They offer everything you could need to make a piece of jewellery to suit any style and taste and better yet they have the best guest designers live everyday to show you the different ways to use all of their amazing products. There are also workshops available on-site taught by the same great designers giving you the chance to work alongside your favourite designers and get great hints and tips for making beautiful jewellery. I have chosen a few of my favourite pieces from the Jewellery Maker website to share with you. 

Jewellery Maker offers a wide range of jewellery kits to suit all price ranges. Each kit is themed and comes with the findings needed to make any piece of jewellery you could want to try. My favourite at the moment has to be the SpringGarden Jewellery Kit. It comes with beautiful pastel shade beads and rose gold plated findings. These kits could keep you busy for quite awhile. 

On the Jewellery Maker website you are spoilt for choice when looking for gems and beads. They offer strands and single beads and range in price. Of course they are the best quality. My favourite strand are these beautiful BlackDiamond faceted roundels. The strand contains 5cts of Black Diamonds and the roundels are approx 2x1mm on an 8cm strand. But of course its hard to pick out a favourite here. I would be very happy having everything. 

Findings are my weakness when it comes to shopping for jewellery supplies so I am lost when looking around the Jewellery Maker website in the Findings section. They stock everything from headpins and catches to charms and spacer beads in every type of metal you could need or want. I just love the RoseGold Plated Filigree Pendant. It is made of 925 sterling silver. There are so many ways it can be used and would add such class and elegance to a piece of jewellery.

Who doesn't love a website that offers a great range of stringing materials? If like me you dabble in different styles of jewellery making you don't want to be running around trying to find things in different places. So check out the ThreadingMaterials Section of the Jewellery Maker Website. Here you can find silk threads and recycled Sari ribbons along with coloured copper wire and hemp cords to name just a few. The recycled SariRibbons are my favourite especially the Ash Grey colour. It is just so warm and beautiful on its own don't you agree?

Having a stash of chains is a must have for all jewellery makers and choosing the right one and make or break a piece of jewellery. So being able to get high quality chain in a range of finishes, link sizes and patterns in one place is brilliant. Jewellery Maker offer chain in aluminium right up to Sterling Silver along with different plated finishes. Like this RoseGold plated 925 Sterling Silver chain. Each link has a detailed pattern and measured approx 10mm.

Another of my favourite products is the LeatherJewellery Starter Kit. The kit has Soft Lamb Nappa Leather and the tools to get you started making beautiful leather jewellery including a dvd. 

I could go on for days about all the beautiful tools and products available but why not check out the website for yourself here. 

Where Have I Been?

I haven't been on the blog in a while but that doesn't mean I've been doing nothing. I have been very busy designing my new pieces and fixing up my work shop so I can finally get back to working with metal. I will always work with beads and cord but its time I get back to the bench and work with solder and silver and gold again. I do check the blog everyday and see you all stopping by and will have some new updates on the workshop makeover and the first finished pieces very soon but until then I wont be leaving it so long to blog again.

Back soon....

Triple Wrap Kumihimo Bracelet

I had been wanting to make this bracelet for a while and finally got around to it this week. I used black and metallic silver embroidery thread and silver findings and worked a 16 strand Kumihimo weave on a round Kumihimo disc.

I'm going to try working the same design in a gold colouring next, I think it will be just as nice as the silver. There are so many colour options to try and I can't wait to try a  few more.

Fusion Beads 30 Day Challenge: Day 1

Make A Pair Of Earrings

I'm going to try and do as many of the challenges in the Fusion Beads 30 Day Challenge this March. Day 1 is make a pair of earrings to start off small so I made these earrings using red crystal set silver beads simply hanging on an ear wire. I think the bead is so beautiful that I didn't want to overwhelm them with too much fuss.

Follow the challenge or take part on Facebook or Twitter using #FusionDailyChallenge

Tassel Bracelet

I picked up the April issue of Make Jewellery Magazine yesterday and was having a look through it today when I came across Fiona Eastmond's Tassel Set Tutorial.

It calls for bead cones, a clasp and different sizes and colours of chain. I have all of these sitting in boxes so decided it was a great way to use up all those bits of chain I pick up but am never to sure what to do with! Also I'm trying to force myself into making things that are different from my usual pieces so mixing chains and colours like this is very unusual for me. So I went through all of my stash and pulled out all the bits and pieces I needed and 20 minutes later I have this lovely bracelet on my arm!

Fiona uses black and silver chain for her piece but I had a beautiful piece of purple aluminium chain I picked up at the Creative Crafts show in Belfast last November that I love the colour of but had no idea when I would use it. This seemed like the perfect piece to put it into! The black aluminium chain I used is recycled from a broken necklace my sister gave me to use up. All of the silver chain and findings are silver plated.

I used slightly different sized bead cones to Fiona's directions because its what I have here and I used a toggle clasp that I thought went well with the bead cones rather than a lobster clasp. I'm really happy with the end result and I can already see myself making a few different bracelets on the same style using different coloured chains and findings!

Large Bead Bookmarks

So I bought some really nice large glass bead mixes last year and had already used some to make bracelets and necklaces and wasn't sure exactly what to do next. So I thought I would make some bookmarks with them.

I kept a colour scheme for each and used silver plated engraved bookmarks that I bought online. I think they turned out very well and add a little bit of jewellery to a book when its being used.

Rosary Bookmarks

I made a few Rosary bookmarks last year around Communion time as gifts. Sometimes its nice to give something else to kids making their Communion other than Rosary Beads or money.

I made these in a few different colours using glass pearls, shell cross's and Silver plated bookmarks. Thy went down very well and it gives a child something to use after the Communion Day but is a reminder of the day.

Bookmarks

I spent quite a while during last year making bookmarks. I had 3 different types. These ones were named bookmarks using the pewter cubed letters like in the memory bracelets to spell out a persons name surrounded by Swarovski crystals in the persons birthstone colour.

I also made a few by stamping the letters of a persons name onto small round silver-plated discs and attaching them to chain. These go down really well as gifts and for any person who loves to read.

There are so many options when making bookmarks and so many things available to attach to them - I used word beads saying "LOVE" on a few - so you will never get bored putting together different designs.

Memory Bracelets!!

I started making these when I was thinking of something to make for my mam for her birthday a few years back. They are a very popular idea the last few years and most never look alike as different birthstone colours are used in them.

I used Pewter letter blocks and Swarovski Crystals when making these bracelets. Pewter is a great alternative metal as it is not expensive like silver and still has a lovely colour to it. When the light hits the crystals it shines beautifully.

Knotted Cord / Macreme Bracelets

I have made quite a few of these bracelets using varies types of beads and in a lot of different colours. They are very popular at the moment and look great stacked up or mixed with a few other bracelets.

I generally use 100% cotton cord thats comes dyed in a variety of colours and is anywhere from 1mm to 3mm thick. 

I hope to have a tutorial up on how to knot this bracelet very soon so check back or leave a comment below. 

How to Make a Wire Coil

These are used in a lot of things to dress up plain wire or add a little extra and can be made in a lot of different wire colours and sizes.

What you need:
Wire cutters
Flat nose Pliers - just to help with the final piece around the nail
A Nail - or anything that is the size of the Jump Rings you want to make
A length of wire - I use 0.8mm Silver plated Copper here

Step 1:

Wrap the wire around the nail until all the wire is used up. Wrap it as tightly together as possible as gaps result in oval and mis-shapen rings.

Step 2:

Remove the coil from the nail.

You can not place this over a plain piece of wire or beading thread in-between beads to add somethings different. 

Click here to view a video of this tutorial.

How to Make Jump RIngs

I make a lot of these out of scraps of wire that I wouldn't have much other use for. Also its not always easy to go get ready made ones or wait for them to arrive. There are loads of different ways to make them, everyone has their own style,there are even mandrels made in specific gauges but I use a nail. Its the only thing I had handy one night when I ran out of the ready made ones to finish off a bracelet. So here's how I make mine. See the bottom of this post for a video tutorial.

What you need:
Wire cutters
Flat nose Pliers - just to help with the final piece around the nail
A Nail - or anything that is the size of the Jump Rings you want to make
A length of wire - I use 0.8mm Silver plated Copper here

Step 1:

Wrap the wire around the nail until all the wire is used up. Wrap it as tightly together as possible as gaps result in oval and mis-shapen rings. 

Step 2:

Remove the coil from the nail.

Step 3:

Starting at one end of the coil you need to cut where the wire is just meeting the next coil so when you cut here you will have a full ring that will be slightly open. 

Step 4:
Now you can use your jump rings you just open them further or close them up.

Jump Rings are needed for practically everything you do in jewellery making and will never go to waste so always make a few extra and keep them stored. You don't want to have to make loads of them when you only need 1 or 2.

Click here to view a video of this tutorial.

Byzantine Bracelets

I made these bracelets as Christmas gifts using the Byzantine Weave. I really like this weave it can be a bit time consuming but isn't as hard as it looks at first. Some of the jump rings I used I bought ready made but the purple ones I made myself using wire I already had. Every bracelet looks different depending on the colour of the jump rings used. I used toggle clasps on my bracelets but any type of clasp can be used to give the bracelet a different look.