New Free Basic Round Braiding Tutorial:
The Jewelry Making Professor
This is a site that one of my readers recommended that I want to share with you all. I'll be reviewing this more shortly but in the meantime, a quick overview suggests this as a good site for anyone just starting out with beading and wire working. A small, monthly fee gives you access to a multitude of jewelry making videos that you just might find helpful. Just click on the title above to check this out.
Another Free Tutorial on Making Wire End Caps
Be sure to check out the article on making these neat end caps. Just go to the "Free Wire Jewelry Tutorials" page on the left. Hope you enjoy it!
New Wire Jewelry Making Category and First Book Review
Boutique Bead and Wire Jewelry has just been reviewed under the new "Wire and Beads" category on the left. The author, Melody MacDuffee actually has two books out but this is the first review in this category. I'm hoping to find more excellent books like this one to review for this category soon but in the meantime, if you'd like to recommend any favorites of yours to review, please do so by contacting me thru the Contact Form on the left.
Ms. MacDuffee has presented a most excellent book for wire jewelry designers to learn a new and very feminine wire twisting technique. This simple and very doable technique will allow you to create some rather unusual and genuinely gorgeous wire jewelry. It's simply hard to miss with all the great photos and step-by-step illustrations in this very original book.
Ms. MacDuffee has presented a most excellent book for wire jewelry designers to learn a new and very feminine wire twisting technique. This simple and very doable technique will allow you to create some rather unusual and genuinely gorgeous wire jewelry. It's simply hard to miss with all the great photos and step-by-step illustrations in this very original book.
NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO ON THE SUGAR CUBE BEAD!
I've just put up my first video on YouTube called, Make A Hollow Wire Sugar Cube Bead. The video is less than four minutes and should help you greatly in making this lovely wire bead. You can view the video by clicking HERE.
I'm very excited about this as I hope you will be. If I get a good enough response to it, this will be just the beginning of doing a much larger set of videos on a number of the various wire working techniques I've developed over the years.
In spite of the fact that I'm essentially headless in this video, the content is pretty good in showing you exactly how to make this sugar cube bead which is quite different from the the one in Make Wire Beads. Do let me hear from you and get your feedback on this video as feedback from you all will surely keep me inspired to do more free videos. I've got some great new ideas that I'd like to share with you! You can contact me either thru the contact page here or just send a comment after viewing the YouTube video, thanks.
I'm very excited about this as I hope you will be. If I get a good enough response to it, this will be just the beginning of doing a much larger set of videos on a number of the various wire working techniques I've developed over the years.
In spite of the fact that I'm essentially headless in this video, the content is pretty good in showing you exactly how to make this sugar cube bead which is quite different from the the one in Make Wire Beads. Do let me hear from you and get your feedback on this video as feedback from you all will surely keep me inspired to do more free videos. I've got some great new ideas that I'd like to share with you! You can contact me either thru the contact page here or just send a comment after viewing the YouTube video, thanks.
NEW TUTORIAL SITE IS UP!!!!
www.beadifferent.com is finally finished and launched! This is my tutorial site that I've been working on for many months and is a culmination of years of wire working techniques. Please feel free to go and search the site for many new tutorials on wire jewelry making. Free tutorials are available and will be added to as well. Enjoy!
GREAT TOOLS:
After getting several requests to recommend tools, I've started the GREAT TOOLS page. Check it out to learn about my favorite and highly recommended tools for wire working.
Wire Name Writing Jewelry
Just when I thought I'd found one of the only new things in simple, fast jewelry making for beginners (see Fork Jewelry video below), someone sent me the information on this wire name writing instruction, ha! This is a particularly good place for a newbie art jeweler to start learning how to make wire jewelry for a couple of excellent reasons: First, it will teach you how to manipulate the wire and manipulate it in several different ways, a critical first step to becoming an art wire jeweler, absolutely critical. Secondly, I believe this is a real money maker today. That's if you're looking to sell your work. The supplies that you'll need to make this type of jewelry are minimal (wire cutters, gold filled or other types of less expensive (but sturdy) wire, and pliers) and your investment in terms of dollars should be relatively small.
Like making the jewelry with forks, wire name writing stands out in a sea of other types of jewelry. I spend a good deal of time going to art fairs and exhibits and recently went to one that was exclusively fashion related. What jumped out at me? Well, it was the fork jewelry (beautifully done) because it wasn't just beads and wire like most of the other jewelry lines there. Same thing with name written jewelry. Plus, it's just delightful and targets little girls, teenagers and well, the rest of us women with something really special and personalized. There's a short video that you can view on this if this appeals to you. Just CLICK HERE.
Like making the jewelry with forks, wire name writing stands out in a sea of other types of jewelry. I spend a good deal of time going to art fairs and exhibits and recently went to one that was exclusively fashion related. What jumped out at me? Well, it was the fork jewelry (beautifully done) because it wasn't just beads and wire like most of the other jewelry lines there. Same thing with name written jewelry. Plus, it's just delightful and targets little girls, teenagers and well, the rest of us women with something really special and personalized. There's a short video that you can view on this if this appeals to you. Just CLICK HERE.
Making Fork Jewelry
Well, I guess a fork isn't just a fork! I came across this delightful instruction on how to make necklaces and bracelets from forks the other day and couldn't resist watching the short video on how to do it. Fascinating and so simple. Beautifully done. This picture gives you some idea of how fork jewelry looks with stones added.
This is an incredibly fast and simple way to make some very interesting jewelry which might be especially intriguing for beginners. Another appeal to fork jewelry is all the intricate and delicate designs that have already been put on the forks themselves. Imagine the fun of hunting and shopping for antique or modern forks! With the high price of silver today, successfully shopping for and finding real sterling forks at a decent price could be an entertaining pursuit for sure.
This is an incredibly fast and simple way to make some very interesting jewelry which might be especially intriguing for beginners. Another appeal to fork jewelry is all the intricate and delicate designs that have already been put on the forks themselves. Imagine the fun of hunting and shopping for antique or modern forks! With the high price of silver today, successfully shopping for and finding real sterling forks at a decent price could be an entertaining pursuit for sure.
New Blog
I started a wire jewelry making blog a few months ago, Learn Unique Wire Jewelry Making that has some interesting posts on using fiber along with your wire and other topics that might be of interest to you.
Interesting Articles
Here are some new, interesting articles you might enjoy:
Wire Wrapping: Book Review Make Wire Beads
Review of Soldering Made Simple by Joe Silvera
Have Some Fun With New Wires To Use For Wire Jewelry
Develop And Learn Some New Art Wire Jewelry Techniques
Selling Handcrafted Art Jewelry Step 1: Art Fair Participation
Try Making Personalized Wire Name Jewelry For Fun And Profit
Review of the book: Weave Wrap and Coil by Jodi Bombadier
Create Delicate And Lovely Art Wire Jewelry
Wire Wrapping: Book Review Make Wire Beads
Review of Soldering Made Simple by Joe Silvera
Have Some Fun With New Wires To Use For Wire Jewelry
Develop And Learn Some New Art Wire Jewelry Techniques
Selling Handcrafted Art Jewelry Step 1: Art Fair Participation
Try Making Personalized Wire Name Jewelry For Fun And Profit
Review of the book: Weave Wrap and Coil by Jodi Bombadier
Create Delicate And Lovely Art Wire Jewelry