Blog Home

Wire Knit Necklace: WireKnitZ Scrunchy Necklace

Posted on 2012/05/14 by ginagalli

Wire knit necklace created using WireKnitZ is featured in this week’s jewelry video.

Wire knit necklace using WireKnitZ

Here at Jewelry Making Professor we try to introduce you to cool projects using some new and innovative products as well as talented and knowledgeable instructors.

This week’s new video brings you the best of both. We are thrilled to have Eva Sherman join the Jewelry Making Professor roster of instructors.

Eva is a Bead Store owner from Cleveland, OH, designer for WireKnitz, instructor, blogger and so much more.

Wire Knit Technique using WireKnitZ

With this wire knit project Eva shows us how to use the WireKnitz woven tubular mesh to make this textured and luxurious necklace.

It is a beginner level wire knit project that gives a look of a contour design. You will need some basic wire wrapping experience and very few tools.

Wire Knit Project using other Media

I love the contrast of the tumbled glass pendant that gives the look of sea glass against the airiness of the mesh. Incorporating fibers, knits and other media into our jewelry has been trending for a while.

This Scrunchy Necklace gives a really easy but sophisticated wire knit design option to this look.

You can get WireKnitz products through their website: WireKnitZ

We look forward to more innovative wire and metal projects from Eva.

You can watch Eva’s wire knot project here:

Wire knit necklace using WireKnitZ

 

Posted in Jewelry Videos | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Twin Beads are the Newest and Coolest in Czech Glass beads

Posted on 2012/05/11 by ginagalli

Twin beads in your designs gives things a bit of a twist and kicks it up a notch.

Twin Beads

In the past year we went gaga over peanut beads and Tila Beads and now there is a new shape in town that looks a little like the Peanut Beads but are a bit more oval and they have two holes.

These are called Twin Beads.

Twin Beads made from Czech Glass

They are made from Czech glass so you get all of those great colors and finishes that you get from the Czech Republic. The most popular brand is from Preciosa and you can find Preciosa twin beads online or at your favorite bead store.

You can bead weave with twin beads or use them with wire up to 22 gauge.

Twin Beads Video Tutorial

In just a few weeks we will introduce a new video tutorial from Meg McBrearty where she uses the Twin Beads to encase a Swarovski Crystal rivoli. Meg gives a great design example of how to use these beads or you can also go online and find many patterns and designs.

I love how they fit together when you weave with them. You should definitely check them out, give them a try and look for the new video from Meg in a couple of weeks using them.

Beadaholique has a beautiful selection of twin beads that you can check out here:

Twin Beads

Posted in Beads | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jewelry Tutorial using Anodized Aluminum Wire

Posted on 2012/05/10 by ginagalli

Jewelry tutorial using anodized aluminum wire is the featured jewelry video this week.

Jewelry Tutorial: Continuous Cascading Circles Necklace

We would like to welcome Anne Dilker from Moss Hollow Pottery to the Jewelry Making Professor family and she brings a really fun and cool design in a wire working jewelry tutorial this week.

Jewelry Tutorial: Anodized Aluminum Wire Necklace

Anne will introduce a very simple but esthetically pleasing to look at and just spectacular to wear necklace using colored Anodized Aluminum wire.

Anodized aluminum wire is soft and pliable and easy to work with comes in many vibrant colors and the coating will not come off, crack or peal like copper wire will.

Anne shows you how to make what she calls “a frame” using a series of wooden mandrels. You will then learn how to incorporate a focal bead inside the frame and embellish in other ways. You will also learn how to stabilize your design so the structure is strong as you wear it. You then can use an Anodized chain to complete the look.

Jewelry Tutorial: Wire Working Tools and Materials

There really are not a lot of tools and materials necessary to create this necklace and materials are very affordable. After you get the basic concept down of working with the wire and the mandrels Anne also shows you some other places you can take this design using the same techniques.

Here’s a link to learn more about this jewelry tutorial:

Jewelry Tutorial: Continuous Cascading Circles

You can purchase the materials and the wire through Anne’s website:

www.mosshollowpottery.com

We look forward to more great videos from Anne.

Posted in Jewelry Videos | Tagged | Leave a comment

How to Make Earrings: Fiesta Earrings Video Tutorial

Posted on 2012/05/06 by ginagalli

How to make earrings using filigree components with beads is featured in this week’s beading video showing how to make a pair of Fiesta Earrings.

How to make earrings: Fiesta Earrings

As I write this and look for inspiration, tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo and it is a nice warm day here so I am thinking “Fiesta”! Bright sparkly colors and just a party of fun and spiciness!

How to Make Earrings: Bead Embellishment

That is what you get when you watch this how to make earrings video from Leslie Mangine on how to make the Fiesta Earrings. They are colorful little pops of color and beads. You will learn how to embellish onto filigree components with beads and then create a professional backing with Ultra Suede.

How to Make Earrings: Beginner Video

You can use contrasting colors as Leslie did in her how to make earrings video or you can go with some fun primary colors that you typically see in the Mexican culture. This is a beginner level how to make earrings project that really looks intricate and at a level of an advanced beader.

You can purchase this project through our Jewelry Making Professor store either on DVD or video on demand depending which format works best for you. You can create your own little walking Fiesta just by wearing these earrings….well it’s a nice thought any way!

Click this link to learn more:

How to make earrings: Fiesta Earrings Video

Posted in Jewelry Videos | Tagged | Leave a comment

Coiling Wire Jewelry Video: Mystic Hurricane Bracelet by Marti Brown

Posted on 2012/05/04 by ginagalli

Coiling wire is the topic of this week’s jewelry video by Marti Brown called the Mystic Hurricane Bracelet.

Coiling wire project: Mystic Hurricane Bracelet

This is the third video from Marti Brown of Dragon’s Odyssey that features interesting and unique techniques in metal and wire. This week Marti will show us the technique of coiling wire and how to make coiled elements or beads, an interesting center piece with coiled wire and how to make connectors and incorporate furnace glass beads.

If you wanted to learn about wire working, working with different gauges and how to use the coiling tool then this is a great project to learn all of that.

Coiling wire gauges

Marti uses 5 different gauges of wire in this coiling wire project. Wire gauges basically mean the thickness of the wire and the higher the number or gauge the smaller the thickness. Marti does introduce you to a great tool that will help you determine the thickness or the gauge of the wire.

It might be recommended to create this coiling wire design for the first time in a copper wire or an artistic wire first as Marti does in the video. You can then create this coiled creature in sterling silver wire or gold filled if that is your heart’s desire.

The addition of the furnace glass slices adds a luminescence and as Marti states a “mystical quality” to the design. The center piece of the bracelet is reminiscent of the hurricane symbol for all of those Weather Channel junkies and a favorite design of Marti’s.

Coiling wire mandrel

The coiling mandrel is a fun little tool to have in your tool box and there are a large range of fun coils you can create with this nifty little tool depending on the coiling wire mandrel you use.

Marti shows you how to link all of your beads and coil elements together and before you know it you have a one of a kind handmade piece of jewelry.

You can see Marti’s beautiful project here:

Coiling wire project: Mystic Hurricane Bracelet

Posted in Jewelry Videos | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jewelry Making Kits: Flower Heart Necklace Kit

Posted on 2012/05/02 by ginagalli

Jewelry Making Kits feature of the week is the Flower Heart Necklace Kit.

Jewelry Making Kits: Flower Heart Necklace

Next week is Mother’s Day and getting something special and unique is always important when giving a gift. The Flower Heart Necklace is a sparkly symbol of love fit for any special women in your life.

Jewelry Making Kits: Wonderful Gifts

The kit alone makes a wonderful gift to give to that special beader who might also be a Mom. That is one thing I do love about jewelry making kits that really do make such wonderful gifts to give.

The other option you have is to purchase jewelry making kits to make and then give as a gift. The kit comes with all the crystals and beads that you need and even a chain to put your beaded heart pendant on.

Jewelry Making Kits: DVD included

What is great about this kit is that it comes with the instructional DVD that will guide you through each step of the process. Some seed beading experience is required for this project.

You have three different color options to choose from like fuchsia, crystal ab and white pearl. This beaded heart design has always been a fan fav in the Jewelry Making Professor store and amongst our members so I am sure that “special Mom” will just adore it.

Here is the link to learn more about these jewelry making kits:

Jewelry Making Kits: Flower Heart Necklace Kit

Posted in Jewelry Making Kits | Tagged | Leave a comment

How to Viking Knit: Gemini Viking Knit Bracelet

Posted on 2012/05/01 by ginagalli

How to Viking Knit is the topic of this week’s wire working jewelry video from Marti Brown.

How to Viking Knit: Gemini Viking Knit Bracelet

Marti shares her expertise in working with wire as she demonstrates how to Viking knit using a tool called the Laze Daizee Viking Knit tool from Stephanie Eddy.

How to Viking Knit: Laze Daizee tool

This cool tool gives you an easy way to start your chain and add additional wire to your chain while you are weaving. Viking knit is basically weaving a chain with wire around a dowel and creating a series of loops.

They have actually found examples of this type of chain as far back is the 8th Century A.D. so it has been around a while. The fun part about learning how to Viking Knit is you get to pull the knitted tube through a draw plate and it will condense the loops into a tight fitting “V’s” that makes a really nice chain look.

How to Viking Knit: Viking Knit Wire

This tube like chain will serve as your bracelet base for this project. When you are first learning how to Viking knit it might be good to use a copper base or an artistic wire before you try it out with a precious metal wire.

Beyond just learning how to Viking knit in this video you get an extra bonus as Marti will teach you how to create two different detachable clasps with wire. One clasp will be with wire and the other you will add beads for a dressier look.

This how to viking knit project will introduce you to many great techniques as well as some different tools used in wire working.

You can check out more on the viking knit tutorial here:

How to Viking Knit: Gemini Viking Bracelet

Posted in Jewelry Videos | Tagged | Leave a comment

Selling your Handmade Jewelry: Packaging

Posted on 2012/04/30 by ginagalli

Selling your handmade jewelry successfully takes doing a lot of little things right. Packaging is one of those very important aspects.

A few weeks ago in our membership forum there was a discussion on how to make your own boxes to package your jewelry when you sell it. One of our members was kind enough to share a blog post and instructions on how to make little boxes out of pain swatches which I will also share with you here:

Selling handmade jewelry: Boxes Tutorial

Another member shared some little bags she makes out of paper with a Cricut machine.

When you are marketing and selling your handmade jewelry whether it be online, at a craft show or a store those little details believe it or not can really make a difference and set you apart. Think about when you go to buy something in the store and they wrap it up in a pretty bag with tissue paper and sometimes it will have a unique touch to it like a card, a sticker or tag.

You take notice!

It may not necessarily help you make that sale but it is a nice little thank you to the buyer or the person that is receiving the item as a gift.

It is also part of branding.

Branding is all about those little details that make your product stick out and be remembered in some ways which is a very important part of marketing.

So when you think about getting out there and selling your jewelry to the public think about it as not just beautiful hand crafted jewelry to wear but the “whole package” and think about those little details.

Try and it out and see if it makes a difference.

Posted in Selling Handmade Jewelry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Beading DVD: Octavia’s Hoops Earrings

Posted on 2012/04/23 by ginagalli

Beading DVD called Octavia’s Hoops Earrings was one of the first videos that instructor Meg McBrearty did for Jewelry Making Professor and it was a special request from one of our members.

Beading DVD: Octavia's Hoops Earrings

I think the hoop style earrings happens to be one of my favorite looks especially for the Summer season. I love sticking my hair up in a ponytail and wearing a fun pair of hoop earrings and a t-shirt or tank top.

Beading DVD: Peyote stitch project

These earrings on this beading DVD are very fun because they a circle stripe of color. They are an intermediate project but if you know the peyote stitch you will be able to jump right into this project.

You will create the stitch in circular peyote and then embellish the edges. You can play with color and finish in your beads and then you can’t go wrong with a bit of sparkle on the edges with Swarovski crystals.

Beading DVD: Great for Jewelry Sales

I can see making many of these fanciful earrings to go with many of my summery outfits. I am sure these will be a big hit and if you make jewelry to sell, these will be a “hot” seller!

You can purchase this Octavia’s Hoops beading DVD or select a video on demand.

Here is the link to the beading DVD:

Beading DVD: Octavia’s Hoop Earrings

Posted in Jewelry Making DVD | Tagged | Leave a comment

Metalworking: Art Deco Hurricane Bracelet

Posted on 2012/04/21 by ginagalli

Metalworking is a lot of fun and can bring an entirely new element to your beading and jewelry making.

Metalworking: Art Deco Hurricane Bracelet

Working with metal and connecting them together has been very trendy and popular the past few years.

We are very excited to welcome Marti Brown as a new instructor to Jewelry Making Professor and her amazing wire and metalworking skills.

Metalworking: Techniques

In this new metalworking video from Marti, you will learn the technique of cold connections which is basically how to combine or connect two or more pieces of metal together.

In this jewelry making tutorial you will actually learn many techniques from piercing metal, how to rivet, how to create hurricane swirls with wire and how to make dangles.

Metalworking: Tools

Marti introduces you to an array of metalworking tools and how to use them as well as share so many helpful hints.

I love this project for many reasons. First I think it is a great design and I love mixing different metal finishes. Second, I think if you wanted to learn how to do different techniques this is a great away to build up your skills. Lastly, I LOVE tools and you get to use some really cool tools in this metalworking project. You have some flexibility to really make this your own so dive in and start creating.

Here’s a link to learn more about this project:

Metalworking: Art Deco Hurricane Bracelet

Posted in Jewelry Videos | Tagged | Leave a comment
SEO Powered By SEOPressor