Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – January 17th – How Can I Keep My Thread From Tangling While Beading?

by Karen on January 17, 2010

Thread Heaven

Thread Heaven

Have you ever been in the middle of a beading project and your thread tangles causing you to spend more time removing a knot than it has taken you to create the whole piece? I used to have a big problem with tangling thread. One option is to cut the thread shorter but then you have to deal with adding thread in the middle of the project. Since then I have discovered Thread Heaven. All you have to so is pull the thread across the waxy substance and like magic the thread doesn’t tangle as much. If the thread still happens to tangle it is much easier to remove the knot. Apparently the way it works is that it not only coats the thread with a slippery surface but it also removes static electricity. All I know is that it has helped me and saved me a lot of time!

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Awesome Crosses by Tom

by Karen on January 16, 2010

Awesome Crosses

Awesome Crosses

I just met Tom from Lakeland, FL this weekend who makes these really unique and beautiful cross necklaces from bent nails and colored wires. They are called Awesome Crosses. He makes them from over 30 different colors. Check them out at http://www.AwesomeCrosses.com. Among the colors are shades of red, blue, green, purple, and pink. Other colors available include black, white, brown, orange, silver, gold, and titanium. The one pictured here represents patriotism. The crosses can also be custom made in two or three favorite color combinations to match an outfit or to represent sports teams or school colors.

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Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – January 3rd – Clever Storage Container Idea

January 3, 2010

Happy New Year!
Here’s a cool tip from Susan Van Voorhees from Columbia, Maryland. You know the small containers that you get from Chinese restaurants for sauces or from take out restaurants? They make great storage containers for beads as they are see thru, secure and can even be stacked! You can save them from your [...]

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Deb Moffett-Hall 2010 Birthstone Ornament of the Month and Birthstone Bracelet of the Month Clubs

December 30, 2009

My friend and very accomplished bead artist Deb Moffett-Hall has announced her 2010 Birthstone Ornament of the Month and the NEW Birthstone Bracelet of the Month Clubs! Treat yourself to 12 presents this year, a new box to arrive on your doorstep every month! Each beautifully packaged kit comes with everything needed [...]

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Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – December 27th – Determining How Many Beads Per Inch Are Required for a Design

December 27, 2009

In order to determine the number of beads per inch required for a design or to help determine the cost of a piece all you need to do is apply the Beads-Per-Inch formula. 1 inch = 25.4 millimeters so you simply divide 25.4 by the diameter of the bead, then multiply the total by the [...]

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Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – December 20th – The Handy Paper Clip Tool

December 20, 2009

A paper clip can be one of the most valuable tools in your jewelry making kit. Unbending the clip on one end gives you a small pointed tool that you can use to push knots into beads, make holes in polymer clay, adjust a necklace on display or other uses that require working [...]

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Hemp Jewelry Making – Getting Started

December 17, 2009

Hemp jewelry is just as popular today as it was in the sixties. It is easy to make and is a great gift for your friends and family. Projects can also be taken along with you making it a great past time while on a road trip or sitting in a waiting room. While the [...]

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Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – December 13th – How to Prevent Marring When Working With Metal Wire

December 13, 2009

Dipping the tips of your pliers into a flexible rubber coating like Tool Magic will help to prevent scratches and nicks on your wire when creating wirework pieces or weaving rings together into a chainmaille work of art.  Tumbling will also help to shine up your pieces when you are done, but it’s certainly better [...]

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Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – December 6th – Using Calipers to Measure Beads

December 6, 2009

Calipers can be a very handy tool to have on hand for a number of reasons. You can use your calipers to measure a bead by placing the bead or gem between the jaws and then reading the number to get the size hole to hole. They can also be helpful for visualizing the size [...]

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Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – November 29th – The Ganoskin Project

November 29, 2009

Have you heard of The Ganoskin Project? The website at www.ganoskin.com is an excellent resource for jewelry makers. There is an incredible amount of information including articles, videos, and technical data on gem and jewelry related topics. There are also member blogs and forums to facilitate exchange of information and community. Be sure to take [...]

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Jewelry Making Tip of the Week – November 22nd – Simple Bead Storage

November 22, 2009

Lee Valley Tools has these great watchmaker metal cases that include containers with clear lids so that you can clearly see the contents. This makes it very easy to sort and store your beads by color, size, type, project etc. The smaller boxes are also great for taking your beads with you. The cases range [...]

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How to Use a Kumihimo Disk to Make a Braided Beaded Necklace

November 22, 2009

Kumihimo is a really easy and fun way to braid. Adding beads or crystals will add texture, sparkle and color to your piece. Here is an excellent video that I found that shows how to use a Kumihimo disk incorporating beads into a standard 8 strand braid  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TGzJEgHYlc&feature=related.  If you don’t have a Kumihimo disk [...]

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