I like chandelier earrings. I like tassel earrings. So of course, I love combining these two styles into some dramatic long chain tassel chandelier earrings! And because I always have to have a little “bling” (do people still say that?), I added some sparkly Swarovski crystals to them to finish the look! They are quite easy to create. Learn how below! —
I have noticed bullet casing jewelry trending for awhile now. And I love it! It has a rustic, masculine feel. I also love etching metal with ferric chloride acid, something I have been doing for the last couple of years. Etching bullet casings seemed like the next logical step. I thought they would be a great gift for Dad (or Mom, depending on how you make them)! So round up your bullet casings and let me show you how to make these awesome necklaces! —
Jump rings are designed to connect things. Connect chain to clasp. Pendants to chain. Charms to bracelets. But what you may not realize is that jump rings also make great spacers! I like to use them on leather cording to space sparkly beads or pearls. This project is really easy, fast, and great to do with beginners, as the skills required are pretty basic. And while the skills are basic, the end result certainly is not. These necklaces make a real statement and are great solo or layered! —
Swarovski never ceases to amaze me with the pretty products they put out! While lovely Swarovski Navette crystals aren’t new, they are new to me and I love them! These beautiful marquise-shaped crystals are set in a silver colored setting. When I saw them, I knew I needed to create a project that used multiple colors in the same piece! They are just such vibrant colors. I decided to pair them with some lovely sterling silver chandelier findings! The result is beautiful! See how to make these lovely earrings below! —
Living in the Pacific Northwest, I quickly became a fan of the show Portlandia. It is a comedy sketch show on IFC (the Independent Film Channel), and all the characters are representative of the eccentric people that live in Portland, Oregon. In the first season, there was a famous sketch called, “Put a Bird on It” where two characters go around putting birds on everything and selling it as art. It is one of my favorite sketches! So when I made this necklace, I used that episode as inspiration!
Continue Reading…
Every year I anticipate the new Swarovski launch! I get so excited to see what new shapes and colors they will unveil! The newest launch featured Swarovski pendants in the shape of the beautiful Edelweiss flower. I just adore them! I decided I needed to make a pair that combined the aquamarine color with gold filled hoops and gold-filled chain. I love the way that these turned out! See how to make them below. —
Vintaj Special Edition BIGkick Machine by Sizzix (out of production, and replaced/upgraded by the Big Shot Jewelry Studio) is the perfect tool for adding detailed patterns to metal. Unlike a rolling mill, the BIGkick machine is affordable, compact, and doesn’t require a lot of strength to use. It comes with the main machine body, a solo platform and shim, and a pair of cutting pads. There are dozens of DecoEmboss and DecoEtch dies in a variety of popular themes; these are sold separately so you can select the designs you like best and add to your collection over time. Finally the embossed and etched blanks can be polished to a high shine, or colored with Vintaj patina inks. Continue Reading…
For years, longitude and latitude coordinates have been growing in popularity when it comes to fashion. They have been popping up in tattoos, jewelry and clothing. I decided I wanted to make my own longitude latitude project, with coordinates from one of my favorite places on earth, Tulum, Mexico! You can easily do this project with any location on Earth! Simply enter your desired location plus “longitude and latitude” into any search engine, and the coordinates will come up for you! —
I am not typically a “stringer” when it comes to making jewelry. I don’t usually like to work with beads that are less than 4mm in size. But I have had the image of this bracelet in my head for days, so I decided to conquer my fear of seed beads, and try to create it! I love how it turned out! Learn how easy it is to recreate it below! —
I love niobium! If you’ve never used niobium jewelry findings, then you are missing out! Niobium is a very hypoallergenic metal that is great to use in your jewelry designs when you have customers that have metal sensitivities. It is a pure metal, not an alloy, so it contains no nickel, copper, or any other additives. It is also not plated. To create different colors, niobium is anodized which doesn’t affect its hypoallergenic qualities! Anodized colors of niobium can match all types of different jewelry designs. I personally love the bronze-colored niobium findings. I like using the bronze color with my antique brass and copper designs. I’ve assembled a couple pair or earrings below, to show you a quick fun way to use niobium earring wires. Continue Reading…