Metal ear cuff with a dangle tutorial
Vintage shell jewelry inspirations
Gorgeous wire earrings tutorial
Who is your target customer - part two
4th of July dessert recipes
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Change is good. But hard.
The only thing constant in life is change ~ attributed in various forms to Greek thinker Heraclitus of Ephesus I have fought against...
Friday, June 30, 2017
heART beats from other blogs!
Metal ear cuff with a dangle tutorial
Vintage shell jewelry inspirations
Gorgeous wire earrings tutorial
Who is your target customer - part two
4th of July dessert recipes
Monday, June 26, 2017
Pink yarrow, Flame, and Greenery pendant - part one
I'm really in love with the Pantone color palette for this Spring and Summer season. Nice clear, bright colors, some of which remind me of what we sometimes call "sherbet pastels." The pink and the orange are especially harmonious, as long as you like it bright. Throw in a bit of the green, and you've got a bit of eye-popping complementary color to complete the tropical look! (Pantone colors: Pink yarrow, Greenery, Flame)
This necklace also takes advantage of the popularity of this season's long statement pendants. The project is easy to do, but it will use a lot of your jewelry-making skills. Part one is today, and next week will be part two.
Materials + Tools
Bright pink agate focal
14mm crystal ultra green rivolis, 2
14mm antique brass plate links, 2
6mm wood rounds - pink
8mm wood rounds - pink
8mm wood rounds - orange
8mm wood rounds - lime green
3mm antique brass plate rounds
7 1/2" floral chain, 1
Antiqued bail, 1
Antiqued cones, 2
Medium weight bead wire, bronze
4mm antiqued crimp covers, 4
2.5mm crimps, black, 6
2" head pin, black, 1
20 gauge Zebra wire, magenta, 16"
18 gauge brown wire, 6"
Nymo thread, size O, black
Rainbow opaque red seed beads, 8/0
Iris bronze seed beads, 11/0
Hot pink matte seed beads, 11/0
2-part epoxy resin
Hypo-tube cement
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters
Measuring tape
Scissors
Alligator clips
Small file
Beading needle
1. Use 2-part epoxy resin to glue the rivolis into the links.
2. Squeeze bail tight around the agate slice (not shown).
3. Cut 12" of beading wire. Using the alligator crimps to keep the wire from pulling through, string 4" of 8mm beads alternating with 3mm metal rounds on each side of the focal. String enough 3mm rounds in the center to allow the bail to swing freely. String both sides.
4. Use a crimp bead and a crimp cover to attach the wire to one side of the rivoli link. Repeat on the other side. Bury your wire through a few beads, tighten and clip the wire close.
5. Attach new wires to the top of each link using a crimp and crimp cover. Each of these wires should be about 8" long.
6. String about 2" more of the 8mm alternating with 3mm rounds, and then switch to a single color of 6mm beads alternating with 3mm rounds. String about 2" more of the smaller beads. Cut 2 pieces of 18 gauge brown wire and turn a double loop at the bottom of each. With the beading wire, go through a crimp, the turned loop, and back down through the crimp and several more beads. Tighten the beading wire, flatten the crimp, and clip off the end of the beading wire. Add a cone to the brown wire to hide the crimp. Repeat on the other side.
7. Snip one of the links in the decorative bracelet chain to remove the clasp along with 3 or 4 links. Using the wire on each end of the necklace, add a 3mm metal round and make a wrapped loop around the bracelet chain. Do the same on the other end, adding the shorter piece of chain with the clasp (not shown). Use a head pin to create a dangle for the end of the long chain. Attach it with a wrapped loop.
Next week, we'll fancy up the pendant a bit to make it more in keeping with this season's style!
As regards FTC disclosure guidelines: I have received the above products free of charge from Fire Mountain Gems in order to create a project free of charge for you.
Copyright 2017 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
BeadDreams winners!
 |
| Draco Volanti Daryl Adams, 2017 |
Daryl's piece also won first place in the metalwork category! See all the winners at the link above.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Orinoco Flow - a bead embroidery necklace
Orinoco Flow was featured in Sandra Salamony's publication 1000 Jewelry Inspirations, but somehow, I never ended up doing a tutorial for it. I only have a few step-out photos, but even though it looks complicated, it isn't really that hard if you've got some basic bead embroidery skills already.
The center piece of turquoise was wrapped with wire as shown, and then was stitched to the foundation fabric (ultra-suede) around each wire. I cut out the portion of fabric that showed through the center of the donut, and later also cut through the backing fabric in the same spot.
After I stitched down all the cabochons, I surrounded them with various numbers of rows of back stitch. Then I began to fill in all the gaps with short stack stitches. Besides seed beads (sizes 8/0, 11/0 and 15/0), I also used turquoise, amazonite, and pearls. I used bright gold size 15/0 seed beads as stoppers on the top of each stack stitch so that there would be unity in the piece.
When the piece was fully stitched, I cut it out with a 1/8 inch edge, and then stitched the front to some backing fabric with edging brick stitch. All of the stitches I used can be found in the free chapter of my e-book Every Bead Has a Story. Go get yourself a copy if you don't already have it!
Free e-book chapter!
To assemble the final necklace, I added the dangles from the center on beading wire, used the edging brick to anchor the beaded portions of the straps, and added picots with size 15/0 seed beads through the rest of the edging beads around the outside. I used smaller wired donuts to attach the multiple strand beaded portions of the straps to the single strands. The chain makes it adjustable.
This necklace will take you many hours to make (I think it took me about 30 hours) but it is oh so worth it!
Copyright 2017 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
Friday, June 16, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
Night Sky - a beadweaving and wire necklace tutorial
Mixing lampwork glass beads with seed beads results in a piece with a lot of great texture and variation. I started by making some matched pairs of beads in shades of blue, mostly cobalt, which featured dichroic glass, enamels, and foil. I also made one larger tabular piece to use as a focal bead. My final choice for this necklace included the focal bead, 5 matched pairs to surround it, and 1 extra bead for the end of the chain. When choosing the beads you wish to use, whether you make your own beads or buy them, pick enough to equal about 5 to 6 inches when strung on wire.
Materials
Lampwork glass beads with 3/32 inch holes (one focal bead plus matched spacers and one extra)
18 gauge sterling silver wire
Black Nymo O
5 grams of blue/purple 8/0 seed beads
2 – ½ inch pieces of silver French wire
2 – 2 ½ inch pieces of 20 gauge sterling silver wire
2 – 7mm bead caps
2 sterling silver cones
2 – 4mm cobalt glass rounds
4 – 3mm sterling silver rounds
2 sterling silver headpins, 2 inches long
2 sterling silver daisy spacers
2 ½ inch piece of sterling silver chain
Sterling silver hook
Tools
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters
File
Measuring tape
Sharp scissors
Beading needles
1. Lay out your lampwork beads in the order you desire. Measure the length of the beads in total.
2. Cut one piece of 18 gauge wire ½ inch longer than the length of the beads. Cut a second piece 3 inches longer than the length of the beads. Slide all of the beads onto the shorter length and center them.
3. Slide the second piece of wire through, but bring the wire to the front of your central focal bead instead of through its hole. Center the beads on this wire as well.
4. Use your round nose pliers to create a couple of graceful curves in the exposed wire in the center.
6. Create two lengths of spiral stitch using size 8/0 seed beads. I made each of mine a little over 5 inches long. There is a tutorial for doing a simple spiral stitch at the link.
8. To attach the spiral strands to the wired lampwork, use one tail on each strand to stitch through a bead cap and through a ½ inch piece of french wire. Take the wire-covered thread through the wrapped loop of the lampwork piece and stitch back up through the bead cap. Anchor the thread through some of the beads and repeat, carefully stitching back through the french wire a second time. It will stretch to accommodate a second pass, and if you are careful, you will not distort the spring-like structure. Anchor the thread well in the spiral beads, and repeat on the other side.
9. Using a piece of 20 gauge wire, make a small loop on one end. Attach the free end of one spiral strand to this loop, stitching through it and weaving through the top beads several times to anchor it well. Repeat with the other strand.
10. Thread a cone, a 4mm cobalt glass round, and a 3mm sterling silver round on each wire. Create a wrapped loop around the sterling silver chain, 2 inches on one side and ½ inch on the other. Attach the hook to the shorter piece of chain.
This post contains affiliate links: Beadaholique
Copyright 2017 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
Friday, June 09, 2017
Monday, June 05, 2017
Peace on Earth - a beading tutorial
Based upon my experiments with the paint strips over the last two weeks, I’ve decided to use an analogous color scheme,
running from deep blues through yellowish greens. First I like to
set out all the different beads that I might use, realizing that not
all of them will make the final cut. I’ve decided to
use gold-toned metal, and therefore have added a few beads in
orange-gold hues. Using some of these beads will add the complement
of blue to the mix, and will help the colors to pop out more. So I guess really I'm working with an analogous-complementary scheme!
V Pendant (made by Jeanne Kent)
74 small glass beads, approximately 4mm, in 6-7 colors
22 larger glass beads, from 8-12mm, in matching colors
Size 8/0 gold-lined seed beads
3 gold beads, 6-8mm
Soldered gold loop
2 pieces of .015 inch beading wire, each 24 inches long
2 gold crimps
Hook, or 2 1/2 inches of 18 gauge gold wire
2 inches of gold chain
3 headpins
Wire cutters
Flat nosed pliers
Round nosed pliers
File
Alligator clips
Alligator clips
1. Cut 2 pieces of beading wire to 24
inches each. Center a soldered loop on both pieces, and pass all
four ends up through a gold bead and a large glass bead. Split the
wires, and string 2 up through each hole in the V pendant.
2. String each pair of wires through a
gold bead. String the rest of the 2 necklace strands, alternating
between small beads on a single wire and larger beads on both wires
for about 4 to 5 inches. String both wires through 2 inches of large
beads, and finally through about 1/2 inch of smaller beads.
3. Create 2 dangles on headpins with a
mixture of small and large beads. Make wrapped loops around the
soldered ring.
4 Use crimps to attach the beading
wires on one side to a jump ring, and to a 2 inch piece of chain on
the other side. Attach a wire hook to the jump ring. I
made this one out of gold wire, or you can use a purchased hook.
Create another small dangle on a headpin, and make a wrapped loop
around the loose end of the chain.
This post contains affiliate links: Beadaholique
Copyright 2017 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
Friday, June 02, 2017
heART beats from other blogs!
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