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!
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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 BIGkick Jewelry Making Tutorial
May 10, 2015Vintaj 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…
Stamp your own Longitude & Latitude Bracelets
May 5, 2015For 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! —
Beaded Infinity Knot Bracelet Project
April 30, 2015I 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! —
Niobium Earrings featuring Swarovski Crystal Cosmic Rings
April 24, 2015I 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…
Charm Necklaces with Interchangeable Lobster Clasp Charms
April 21, 2015Making your own necklaces from bulk chain, jump rings, and lobster clasps can be a great way to save money when you want to make multiples of the same or similar items. My favorite style of bulk footage chain for this is our 2.2mm cable chain. It is fairly inexpensive, hangs nicely, and is great for adding charms to. And recently I have noticed a trend where charms are placed on lobster clasps, making them interchangeable! You can mix and match different charms and other adornments.
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Use beaded chain to make a classic Rosary
April 17, 2015Growing up Catholic, I always loved rosaries. Later in life, becoming a jewelry designer, it only made sense that I would want to make them. Even though rosaries are not jewelry, but rather a tool to aid in prayer, I have always loved the beauty of them. They can take some time to make from scratch, but luckily we offer beaded chain that makes creating a beautiful rosary easy. So check out the instructions below to see how to create this pretty rosary.
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Make a Classic Charm Bracelet
April 14, 2015As a child, I had a lovely charm bracelet. Every year for my birthday I would get a new charm reflecting my current interests and hobbies. I am not sure what ever happened to that bracelet, so I decided to recreate one! I collected the cutest sterling silver charms and paired them with beautiful freshwater pearls. —