Daily Blogs

2 Free and Easy Wire Projects

2009-11-06T10:10:00Z

Hook and eye clasp is hardware chic!
Rubber tubing called “spline” is one of my favorite hardware store materials. Commonly used to press around a screen door panel, it’s cheap, easy to cut, comes in a few gauges and shades of gray or black, and (most important) is hollow–perfect for threading wire or beading cord through it. I use it often as a cord by threading it with flexible beading wire and crimping clasps at the ends.

But while playing around with 20-gauge craft wire I saw how easily it fit into the spline, and how the spline held different shapes with the heavier wire inside. This hook-and-eye clasp is one of my results. If you can make a wire wrapped loop with a pair of pliers, you’re good to go!

What You Need:

12” of 20-gauge copper craft wire
14” rubber tube (hollow spline)
2 pair round-nose pliers or round-and chain-nose
wire snips
craft knife to cut spline
ruler

Cut your materials
1: Use the wire snips to cut a 4” piece of the wire for the eye, leaving 8” for the hook.

2: Hold your tube alongside a ruler on a cutting board. Use your craft knife to cut the tube in two pieces, keeping the ends as straight across as possible: 1 piece 2” for the eye, 1 piece 4” for the hook.

Make the eye
3: Thread the 4” piece of wire through the 2” piece of tube so the wire protrudes evenly out both ends. Make a wire wrapped loop on both ends, keeping the wrapped loops snug against the rubber. Bend the wired tube into a simple U shape for the “eye."

Make the hook
4: Thread the 8" piece of wire through the 4" tube, and make wire wrapped loops at each end as in Step 3. Bend this piece into a U shape, (this one will be longer than the first one) then bend the middle over to make a hook shape.

You can now attach a piece of jewelry in any way you desire—jump rings, crimped wire, linked wrapped loops. Of course, you can make this hook-and-eye without the tube, using 20 or 18 gauge wire for sturdiness. For some great inspiration on ways to try this clasp technique on other designs, the 2009 issue of Easy Wire is a must-have for your library. Enjoy!

FREE Easy Wire project!
The style of my clasp may not be your cup of tea, but you'll find plenty of other styles among the 45 projects in the new issue of Easy Wire–like this gorgeous copper wire and lampwork bead Caramel Swirl Bracelet, for instance. Spiral copper wire in a unique pattern, and pair it with delectable lampwork beads.

Download this free Easy Wire project here!

Have you played with wire in rubber tubing? Tell us about it in our comment boxes below!

Make Jewelry More Colorful with Resin Beads

2009-11-04T10:23:00Z

Resin rules on Beads, Baubles and Jewels

Earlier this year I went to Cleveland to tape a few segments for Beads, Baubles, and Jewels. I brought three cute tops, moisturized my hands, cleaned and painted my fingernails, put anti-frizz gunk in my hair, and let the makeup artist do her thing so I could look like the perfect TV Barbie doll next to BBJ’s wonderful host, Katina Forte. Truth be told, I really panic when I’m on television. I’m used to blabbing my head off in front of a crowd of rowdy beaders when I teach classes, but it’s quite another thing to be a talking head in a quiet studio with a bunch of expressionless guys in headphones pointing cameras at you. But, by my third segment I was more relaxed, knew the names of the camera crew, and forgot about my hair. So, I feel the third segment was my best one. I talked about resin beads and how versatile they are. Judy Thomsky of Natural Touch Beads was nice enough to lend me a ton of her beautiful work so I looked like I knew what I was doing. Here's a sneak preview of my resin bead segment.

These resin beads are made in a cottage industry in Java, Indonesia. They're made in small batches by pouring liquid resin into molds, then they're hand cut and sanded. Don't these new opaque colors remind you of antique Bakelite? I can see a world of Art Deco designs just waiting in those cuffs.

Want to make these delicious-looking beads even more tasty? Rub a bit of hand lotion or olive oil over the surface and you'll achieve a beautiful luster.

Ever tried stamping resin? A stamp dabbed with permanent ink turns a plain bead into an exciting one very quickly. You can also wirework resin beads, work beadwork over them, or use interesting stringing materials like leather, yarn, and silk to string them.

Remember when we used to make beaded beads over wooden beads? Use a resin bead instead of wood, and the finished piece just glows.

You don't need to stop at round beads when beading over this pretty material. For my latest over-the-top jewelry creation, Festivus, (I swear, my next stop is Vegas) I used resin donuts as the base for the starbursts. I could have just skipped that part when I was designing, but the resin lends a pretty luminescence, not to mention body, to the necklace. And guess what? The instructions for this necklace will be in the December/January issue of Beadwork magazine! I want to see all of you wearing one at your holiday parties, okay?

Do you get ideas from all the materials you see on Beads, Baubles and Jewels, like resin beads? Share your comments here.

The BEST Stringing Ideas PLUS 2 Free Projects!

2009-10-30T11:15:00Z

30 Necklace Tips and More in The Best of Stringing Magazine
Have you done something really interesting in your jewelry-making lately? Perhaps you found a unique way to attach a pendant or discovered a new trick for incorporating a clasp? I've been in a bit of a creative rut recently, to tell you the truth. You too?

Now we can be inspired by 183 great ideas in The Best of Stringing, a just-released special collector's edition filled with favorite Stringing designs. Not only are the magazine's many projects exciting, but so is the feature, Fun with Focals. Together co-author Michelle Mach and I highlight 30 stand-out necklaces–all hand-picked from past issues of Stringing magazine–that demonstrate cool ideas and innovations for designing with focal elements.

Under the Artful Influence
My work has already been influenced by some of these necklaces. For instance, in the photo below you can see how I interpreted Silvija and Taya Koschnick's necklace from The Best of Stringing, by reflecting their way of laying chain on top of beads in my Golden Blush necklace.

Fun with Focals
Artist Heather Powers was also influenced by our Fun with Focals article. Powers, who has designs featured in The Best of Stringing, is the creative mind (and hands) behind HumbleBeads.com, purveyor of polymer clay beads and finished jewelry, and the interactive blog, artbeadscene.com. In these photos you can see how Powers was inspired by Teri Bienvenue’s idea for a horizontal focal piece to create her own distinct design!

Free Projects!
I leave you with two brand new, never-before-seen stringing projects. Click each picture to download the instructions for that project. I hope they both inspire you to create your own fun focal pieces. Long live creativity! --Danielle

What have you designed that was inspired by one of our Fun with Focals projects? Share your ideas here!

Make Victorian Jewelry for Gothic Glamour!

2009-10-28T11:00:00Z

Fashion with Passion
My daughter, her friends, and many of my grown women friends have all read the popular gothic romance Twilight. I’ve been resisting because delving into the lives of a bunch of lovesick hormone-laden teen vampires sounded pretty silly; I’ve got a couple of those at home, anyway. But I thought I’d give the book a spin to find out what the hubbub is all about. Within the first few chapters I saw why teen girls like it, but I’m not sure I can stomach so much pubescent drama. What did fascinate me is how this book seemed to singlehandedly revive gothic romance literature. The ravenous interest in it spread so quickly that vampires popped out everywhere in fiction, television, music, and of course, fashion.

Vampire Couture
Since what happens in New York, Paris, and Milan eventually affects us as jewelry-makers, I thought I’d do a little research on what's being called Vampire Couture. Just about every cutting-edge fashion house has toyed with Vampire Couture. It’s a mix of Victorian, Gothic, and '80s punk styles, with a little bit of gore and a whole lot of sexiness thrown in. Not sure I’m ready to sign up for that complete package in my pieces, but there are definitely attractive parts. Here’s a quick list of elements you might like to experiment with when designing your next piece or adjusting your colorways and materials when following a pattern in a magazine like Beadwork.

Colors
Since gothic romance novels are informed by the Victorian era, colors worn during that time are perfect for vampire couture. Black, of course, since Queen Victoria was so permanently in mourning, but deep shades of red and purple were also appropriate for women of the day. I also came across lots of white in my surfing, which is totally uncharacteristic of the genre. Must be something to do with how gory blood looks on white fabric? (I know—creepy.)

Charms and Metal
All styles of metal trinkets, especially those that have a romantic or supernatural bent, are used quite a bit in this type of jewelry. (Did you know Queen Victoria had quite a thing for charms and cameos, too?) Chain, buckles, snaps, and rivets also give the look a funky twist.

Crystals The glitter of crystals gives this look its flash. Use jet and the full range of dark reds, plus try out the moody dark indigo color, which I’m certain was created just for this trend. Also incorporate crystal pearl colors like Tahitian and burgundy for a rich look.

Stones Semiprecious stones popular during the Victorian era are natural for this style. Dark-toned stones like onyx, garnet, hypersthene, amethyst, and blue gold stone are good choices.

So, are you ready for vampire couture? Share your thirst for dark, deliciously romantic jewelry here on Beading Daily. Happy Halloween!

7 Tips for Designing Mixed-Media Jewelry

2009-10-26T11:01:00Z

Collect Ideas to Become Part of Your Art—
An Interview with Cynthia Thornton

Cynthia Thornton, well-known Green Girl Studios jewelry artist, knows that inspiration isn’t just a wispy cloud that magically alights on her head: She works at it. Many know Cynthia for her amulet-like pewter and shibuichi charms, beads, clasps, and pendants. Like any sought-after artist, she is frequently asked, “Where do your ideas come from?” This designer of mermaids, elfin figures, mysterious keys and locks, flowers, trees, and faeries says: “I don’t go into a trance. There’s no shamanism or voodoo. It’s very formulaic. I see a tree and I draw it.” Her exciting new book, Enchanted Adornments: Creating Mixed-Media Jewelry with Metal Clay, Wire, Resin & More (Interweave, 2009) is layered with what could best be called “practical magic” for everyone who wants to make mixed-media jewelry that tells a story.


Pages of fantasy drawings based on nature from Cynthia's sketchbooks.

The entrancing miniworlds that Cynthia creates with mixed-media techniques—a raven holding a mysterious key in its beak, a faun with a woman’s head, a tiny fox, and more—are mysterious. Where did that key come from? Why does the faun have the head of a woman? The practical skills Cynthia acquired working in a 3-D illustration lab, plus her formal training at the Columbus College of Art and Design, mixed with a lifelong love of legend/myth/fairytale/short stories, are key ingredients of this artist’s success. Here are just a few of her valuable tips for designing mixed-media jewelry:

1: Collect bits. “You just need the essence of something.” Photos, pressings of leaves and flowers, rubbings of architectural features, fragments of letters are examples. And be sure to follow Cynthia’s tip to carry empty ziplock bags wherever you go. “That way, you don’t have to worry about finding something like woodland rot loose in the bottom of your purse.”

2: Record ideas and images in a journal. Why? “Because you forget things, especially your good ideas.” Another tip is always to carry some scotch tape with you to affix bits and pieces to your journal—a scrap of an article, a ticket, the cover of a matchbook.

3: Use your dreams for inspiration. “I don’t remember a lot of my dreams. But I do record my life’s dreams, like ‘One day I want to be a writer.’” Keeping track of your wishes and reviewing them at different points in time can stimulate new ideas.

4: Pay attention to nature. It’s especially important to appreciate your natural surroundings. Cynthia says she’s home a lot and often notices things in her own backyard that give her ideas for designs, from a twig on the ground to a bird winging by.

5: Experiment freely. “You won’t learn if you’re afraid to fail. Take up felting. Take up knitting. Skills like these can be applied to whatever you’re making.” Cynthia also is quick to point out that whenever she tries something new, it takes repeated tries to develop something wonderful.

6: Mix elements creatively. “It’s good to limit yourself sometimes: Don’t mix everything.” Cynthia says many of her best results come from having to be resourceful and simply make something work.

7: Collect words and phrases. “I use a lot of quotes in my work. I love words. I have a dictionary in almost every room of my house.” Words have great visual qualities and add several dimensions to pieces—meaning, symbolism, humor, wisdom.

If Cynthia could be any mythical or fairytale creature, what would it be? “An angel type of creature—a winged thing. I’d fly off and find Shangri-La.” Her Woodland Wings Necklace featured in the book shows Cynthia’s fascination with flight. Buy Enchanted Adornments to boost your creativity!

View Cynthia's video "Deconstruction" for an intriguing look into her method for harnessing inspiration! Watch her video here!

How do you capture your ideas? Share your tips here!

Studio Storage Tips and a Free Circular Brick Stitch Project!

2009-10-23T11:43:00Z

Organized Chaos: Mess for Success
I am totally self-indulgent when it comes to beading. I start this, that, and the other project as my stash inspires me, and though I finish tons of jewelry, many projects wait to reach fruition. Each time I need to bead, I’m as likely to start something new as to finish something in progress. My indecisive, creative frenzy tends to make my studio unruly, though fun for people to explore. Still, I want to keep track of everything, or I forget where things are. Plus, my play time is limited. To get right to it when I have that precious "window" I have my WIP (Work in Progress) organized and on display in many ways. I can choose whatever floats my boat when the time is right.

		I forgot I had this! I hang bags of materials and experiments I'm playing with on a bulletin board. Not only does this keep me visually inspired, it keeps my memory fresh–especially after a Bead Fest shopping spree when I come home with a plethora of strands, tubes and beads wrapped in tissue. New treasures go right into clear baggies and pinned on my board to prevent any lengthy spans of forgetfulness. Though it is a strange thrill to rediscover things I forgot I bought, I'd rather remember.

		Eeenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe Which project should work on today? I stack mini foil baking pans, each with its own project. Needles, beads, findings– all the parts I'm playing with for each idea go in these trays. I can pick whatever I feel like working on and know all my materials are already together. So I don't forget where all my beads are as I separate them with various projects, I pour the selected colors into smaller bags with each WIP. The main tubes or bags remain in their color-coded bins so I know what I have.

		Circular brick to go. I always have project bags packed and ready to go. I spend lots of time waiting– in airports, as a passenger on long car drives. My little bags contain everything I need to finish simple projects that are well underway. My favorite to-go projects are component-oriented, so I can make one or a bunch, depending on how long I'm waiting. Circular brick stitch is one of favorite component-making stitch of mine, because I can play around with variations and at least get satisfaction by finishing a single component.

		Free brick stitch project! So hey, here's a free circular brick stitch project for you. Tina Koyama’s Crystal Radiance Brooch is an eye-catching, component-oriented design, and a technique which will inspire you to play with many variations. Gather and sort all your favorite combinations of crystals and beads in trays, project bags or on bulletin boards, and hang them up neatly, to keep your studio full of reminders to play.

Decorating my studio with my stash—finished and unfinished—keeps me fired up. For more décor inspiration you’ll want the new Fall 2009 Studios in your library. Leave it to Cloth Paper Scissors magazine to give us yet another special issue of artists' spaces to motivate and encourage our creativity. Keep Studios on display where you can look at it every day! There’s so much to enjoy, you may not finish it all the first time you sit down with it.

What's your favorite way to display work-in-progress? Share with us here!

How to Make a Wire Bead Chain!

2009-10-21T15:51:00Z

Great Wire Jewelry Deserves Perfect Loops

I was doing some domestic spelunking and found a rosary I made before I knew much about wirework. It was a gift I'd made for my son when he was little. I'd invested in stone beads, made the cross in metal clay, and chained it all together with silver wire. My son loved it because it made him feel like a big boy to have such a special, non-plastic gift. I was very proud of it at the time. But now when I look at it, I’m more than a little embarrassed. The loops are all so uneven!

I know our learning curves all start somewhere, but that “somewhere” usually has better results if it begins with instructions in a class, book, or magazine. For instance, I could have learned how to make consistent loops in a magazine like Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry. Beading Daily is a good place to learn, too, of course. Here’s how to avoid my beaded chain-making mistakes and learn the proper way to do it.

1. Use a permanent marker to draw a line on one of the jaws of your round-nose pliers. This will help you make all bends in the same spot, creating equally-wide loops.

2. If necessary, use nylon-jaw pliers to straighten the last few inches of wire on the spool or roll. Don’t trim any wire off the spool yet. Flush cut the end of the wire, then slide on a bead. Grasp the wire end with the round-nose pliers at the spot you previously marked on the jaw.

3. Roll the pliers until the wire touches itself, forming a loop. The wire will be shaped like the letter P.

4. If your wire is 20-gauge or thinner, you can just press your thumbnail firmly into the base of the loop and pull the pliers back against your nail, so the wire looks like a balloon on a string. If your wire is thicker, you’ll probably want to grasp the wire at the loop base with chain-nose pliers instead.

5. Snug the bead against the loop and flush cut the wire 3/8" from the

top of the bead.

6. Grasp the wire end with round-nose pliers at the marked spot. Pull the wire against the top of the bead at a 45° angle.

7. Roll the pliers to form another simple loop. The loops should be even and scroll like the letter S. Set the link aside.

8. Make another link. Use flat- or chain-nose pliers to open one of the loops as you would a jump ring. Connect the loop to one of the loops of the previous link.

So, there it is–consistent and clean work, so you’ll still be proud of it years from now.

Got any other tips for making beaded chain? Have you made some great jewelry using this technique or fashioned your own prayer beads? Share your thoughts and comments below!

How to Choose the Right Wire Gauge

2009-10-19T10:09:00Z

		A Quick Guide to Wire Gauge and Hardness Chances are, if you've been making jewelry for a while, you're feeling ready to expand your skills. For many beaders and stringers, that means moving into the realm of wire. But I know wire can feel a little daunting—I vividly recall my first class. You bend it which way? But remember when you first started with seed beads and you thought, no way am I going to work with those tiny things! Or when you started stringing and you thought, I really don’t understand how these crimps work. It’s just a matter of diving in and getting familiar with the materials and tools. The two things most critical to jewelry making with wire are the gauges and the hardness.

Wire gauge
Gauge refers to the thickness or diameter of the wire. The smaller the number the thicker the wire. For instance, to bend thick wire into a bangle, you might use 4 gauge, which is a little over ¼” thick. But if you want to knit with wire, you might use 28- or 30-gauge, which are almost like thread. Use a wire gauge tool by slipping the wire in a notch to determine the gauge.

Here are some common wire jewelry-making components and the best wire gauges to use:

12g-14g – heavier clasps
12g-18g – links, medium clasps
16g-20g – jump rings
18g-22g – ear wires, simple loops
20g-24g – coils, wrapped loops
24g-30g – knitting.

Wire hardness
The hardness of the wire refers to the malleability. Hardness also differs by material. Sterling is harder than copper. Brass and bronze tend to be stiffer than both copper and sterling. When you’re working with very fine gauges, hardness is a bit irrelevant, since fine gauge wires are so thin they’re ultimately pliable.

But if you work with thicker gauges, you want to choose the hardness most appropriate for the work you’re doing. For instance, if you want to make ear wires, you know they should have some stiffness and spring to them. But if you’re coiling wire, you want that wire to be soft enough to easily wrap around whatever you’re using as a mandrel.

Full hard: fully tempered, very hard and stiff. There is rarely a call for full hard in jewelry making

Half hard: softer than full hard, but still holds some shape. Good for ear wires or hooks.

Dead soft: very soft, no spring, very pliable. Best for bending, coiling, hammering, and manipulating the wire a lot.

Work hardening your wire
All metal becomes stiffer when you work with it–that’s called work hardening. Any sort of manipulation of the wire changes the molecular structure of it, causing it to become harder and more brittle. The only way you can return the wire to its softer state is to heat it, which you can do if you have a torch or a kiln. But you can always harden soft wire by hammering, either with a metal hammer to flatten and texture, or with a rawhide mallet, to maintain the roundness but temper, or harden, the metal.

You can use work hardening to your advantage when you’re making jewelry. When you start with soft wire and want to make a few jump rings by coiling the wire around a mandrel, the coiling will work harden the metal and make your jump rings stronger.

Buying Wire
When you buy craft wire, it’s primarily copper with a colored coating of some type. Consequently it’s quite soft and easy to work with. Craft wire does not come in different degrees of hardness. But when you buy silver or copper wire from jewelry suppliers, you should specify the hardness you want.

Start here!
In Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine, every project comes with a wire and materials list, so you’re never left guessing when you purchase your supplies.

And now, as Step by Step Wire Jewelry celebrates its 5-year anniversary, you can get the very Best of Step by Step Wire Jewelry in a special 148 page compilation of the editors’ and readers’ top 25 favorite projects, including Lisa Niven Kelly's "Entangled Wire Bezel" and Katrina Meyer's "Arrow" Bracelet. If you’ve always wanted to take the leap into wire jewelry making, this is the perfect issue for you!

Is there a wire gauge you find indispensible? Share your tips and comments below!

4 Ideas for Necklace Extensions

2009-10-14T11:23:00Z

How do you deal with a necklace design that's perfect but too short?

Like most of you, when I design a new necklace I make it to my favorite length. I happen to prefer 16" necklaces because the focal bead sits just perfectly above my “Great Plains.” But if I’m making a necklace as a gift or to teach, I need to be sure that women of all different shapes and sizes can wear it. Not everyone’s got the Great Plains. Actually, most women I hang around with are more the, well…Grand Teton variety. So I usually make my necklace designs so they can easily be extended, either by the person that’s making it or by the person that’s receiving it.

Here are 4 ways to extend the length of a necklace:

Lisa Kan's
Autumn Bouquet

Jennifer Van Benschoten's
Back to Byzantium

1. Add more beadwork. If you’re stitching a beadwoven necklace, simply extend the strap or rope design to your desired length with the same or a different type of beaded strap. If the rope is too plain, incorporate other beads or embellishments to jazz it up a bit. Check out stitched necklaces like Lisa Kan’s Autumn Bouquet and Jennifer Van Benschoten’s Back to Byzantium to see the type of necklaces I’m talking about. See how they could easily be extended at the ends?

2. String extensions. You can easily transition from stitched beadwork to strung beads, like my example here. Just crimp a short length of flexible beading wire to one end of one strap, string enough beads to reach the back center of your neck, and crimp on half of the clasp. Do the same with the other side and you’re golden.

Jean Campbell's Fiori Necklace	Julia Zaccaria’s Delicious Donuts	Lindsay Burke's From the East

3. Attach extender chain. This is the simplest way to lengthen a necklace, as I’ve done with my Fiori Necklace. Just add a chain to one end of the strap and a lobster clasp to the other end. For some extra pizzazz, hang a little dangle at the end of the chain that incorporates a bead from the main necklace. You can also see this technique in Delicious Donuts by Julia Zaccaria and From the East by Lindsay Burke.

Anne Timmons'
Freshwater Pearl
Bridal Set

Katie Hacker's
Great Lengths Necklace
and Bracelet

4. Use a detachable extension. Use a bracelet with the same type of clasp and beads as your necklace to act as an extension. Just attach the bracelet clasp ends to their corresponding necklace clasp ends, and voilà! That’s at least 7" of extra length. Necklace/bracelet sets like Anne Timmons’ Freshwater Pearl Bridal Set and Katie Hacker’s Great Lengths Necklace and Bracelet work well for this concept.

Do you have other ideas for extending necklaces, or, for that matter, shortening them?
Please share them here and on the Beading Daily forums!

How to Use Your First Jewelry Saw

2009-10-12T15:59:00Z

Getting Started in Metals: Sawing

The saw frame is typically the first purchase made by the aspiring jewelry maker. It is the most important tool to acquire and master because sawing and piercing are basic operations for all metal work. It is important to practice sawing without a thought of a finished piece until you are confident you can follow a line, turn both inside and outside corners, cut along complex curves, and cut all thicknesses of sheet in all metals. The best way to start is to choose a saw frame, get a few dozen blades in a range of sizes and buy 5 or 6 small sheets of metal. I suggest aluminum, copper, or brass, because they all saw differently and they are inexpensive to practice with. Start with 20 gauge, and work down to 18. Then try 24 or 28 gauge. And trust me–save the silver for later, when you know what you are doing. Follow the photos below for learning to thread, hold, and use your saw. Don’t freak if you break a blade–everybody does. You may find you love to saw, or you may find you hate it. If you hate it, get over it–unless you really want every piece of jewelry you make from now on to be standard, mill-cut rectangular or square!
What You Need: 2” x 2” square of 20 gauge aluminum sheet Sawframe Sawblades: 2/0 Printer to print the pattern Double sided tape or paper cement to glue pattern to sheet metal
Photocopy this pattern at 100 percent. Adhere it with rubber cement or doublestick tape to a 2” x 2” piece of 20 gauge aluminum sheet (you can usually find it at a good hobby or hardware store) If you are right handed, saw in the direction of the R arrow. If you are left handed, saw in the direction of the L arrow.

Threading the saw

Saw frames are engineered to hold the blade under tension. To create tension, a series of thumbscrews, pads, and washers allow minute adjustments to the frame depth, length, and the amount of pull on the blade. Here is how to properly thread the blade into your frame.

Pick up a blade. Look at the teeth. Make sure they face you and angle down, like a children’s drawing of a Christmas tree. Hold the blade next to the frame for a visual comparison. The frame should be roughly set so it’s slightly taller–about 3/4”–than the total length of the blade.

	Insert the top of the blade between the frame and the pad with the teeth facing out and down. Ensure the blade spine is parallel to the back bar of the saw frame, and the very top of the blade is touching the top of the opening at the set screw. Tighten the top set screw to firmly hold the blade. The bottom of the blade should float freely just above the bottom set screw and pad.

	Position the top bar of the frame against the lip of the bench or worktable.

	Push slightly against the bottom of the frame handle with your hip, shoulder, or sternum. You will see the bottom bar of the frame move closer to the bottom of the blade. Keep pushing gently until you can capture and insert the blade between the pad and the frame.

	Tighten the bottom set screw securely while maintaining pressure on the frame. Release pressure on the frame slowly. Verify the blade is tight by “pinging” it with your fingertip. It should make a clear, musical sound. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to adjust the frame to increase pressure on the blade.

	With the blade still in position, loosen the frame set screw. Hold the frame in your hand with the back of the frame against the heel of your hand. Pull down on the bottom bar with your fingers to increase tension on the blade. Tighten the frame set screw and test the ping of the blade again. It should be high and clear.

Practice Makes Perfect You will cut the entire square of aluminum into tiny shapes and strips by following the pattern in sequence. By the time you saw all the lines of the pattern, you will have learned all of the essential sawing maneuvers. Try to stay on the lines, not to one side or the other. Save the cut out circles and squares for later, because you’ll need to drill them before sawing, and I’ll cover that in another newsletter.

Making your first cut Thread a 2/0 blade into your frame. Position the metal on the bench pin according to whatever your dominant hand is. Take a deep breath and relax your hands and arms. Exhale.
	Hold the saw in your dominant hand. Position the frame at a 45 degree angle to the sheet, next to the straight line on the pattern. Put your non-dominant thumb over the spine of the blade and gently stroke upward to create a score where you intend to cut. Repeat 2 or 3 times. Position the saw vertically. Hold the frame loosely–you don’t need a death grip–lock the wrist, and begin to move the saw up and down a small amount until the kerf (the saw cut) has been started.

	When you have a good start, begin to saw using the entire length of the blade. Go slow and DO NOT push forward or down, and DO NOT twist the blade. The saw blade should move freely–like a sewing machine needle.

Guide the metal by holding it on either side of the blade using the first and middle fingers of the non-dominate hand. Steer the metal, not the saw. Cut the entire length of the straight line. Slow down when you get to the edge of the sheet, and let the cut metal fall away from the blade. Continue sawing all of the practice lines in order. Have fun sawing!

Check out my “Cool Tools & Hip Tips” column in every issue of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist.
Click here to sign up for the bi-weekly Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist e-newsletter, Flashcard.

Love to saw? Hate to saw? Tell us why on the Beading Daily forums or comment below!

Free eBook of Beaded Necklace Patterns

2009-10-09T10:59:00Z

Practice, practice, practice... with 5 free necklace patterns!

I recently chatted on the Beading Daily forums about whether we consider ourselves beginner, intermediate or advanced. Many people think being advanced means you get it perfect the first time, every time, but I beg to differ. No matter how many times I work in any technique, there are times when I can’t get it right the first time... or even the second time. Suddenly I forget a step, or I'm all thumbs. It’s usually a small thing–the way I complete a stitched row, a turn of the pliers… whatever it is, it’s enough to make me slap my forehead and say “D’oh!” I consider myself a bit of a pro in many techniques, and still have those d'oh moments!

So, like concert musicians who practice arpeggios in different keys and tempos, we jewelry makers can hone our skills by making designs in different mediums and techniques. Our Beading Daily eBook, 5 Free Beaded Necklace Patterns, has a wonderful selection and variety of techniques for you to "practice." And, though practicing our craft won't get us to Carnegie Hall, our finished jewelry sure lasts a lot longer than the sounds of a concerto!

Here's how to limber up:

Perfect your crimping and have some fun in a design with many sizes of beads in my clasp-free Big Island necklace.	Refine your use of jump rings to make chain maille, and attach a cool cord with wireworking in the Parallel Chain necklace by Barbara Hance.
Become more adept at right angle weave and string a beaded cord for your pendant in the Shining Example necklace by Marcella Austenfeld.	Work with a fast and simple design in wire, chain and beaded dangles in the Heart of Glass necklace by Terry Rhoades.

Enhance the style of a strung design by using multi-strand techniques,
seed bead fringes, and asymmetrical detail in
Dragonfly's Garden by Julia Watt.

Just click here to download your
Beading Daily eBook, 5 Free Beaded Necklace Patterns!

We love hearing from you! Be sure to chime in on the Beading Daily forums or comment below.

5 Tips for Beader’s Eye Health

2009-10-07T23:20:00Z

Eye Care

When I started wearing my glasses full-time last year I thought I was going to go mad. I hated wearing them. Not only did I feel like I was instantly separated from the rest of my life by a glass wall, but the frames were always in my sights and they attracted so much dust, grime, and cat-kiss smears that everything seemed to be even fuzzier than it was without my glasses. I struggled back and forth, not wanting to wear them, but finally gave in.

		And then last week, as I was getting ready for bed, I did this! So, I guess I'm used to my glasses now. And thank goodness, because I'd sure have a hard time beading without them.

Here are 5 reminders for Beader's Eye Health: Always work in good light. You can invest in fancy full-spectrum lights to bead under, but they really aren't required. The key is to work in enough light that you aren't straining your eyes to see. Eye strain leads to poor eyesight–it's that simple (or at least that's what Mom used to say).

		Use a magnifier if necessary. If you find you're straining your eyes to bead, even in good light, use a magnifier. This can be as simple as a stand-up loupe that helps you see while you thread your needle, as mundane as a pair of "cheaters" from the grocery store, or as elaborate as a full-on magnifying visor. Again, these forms of magnification not only help with actually seeing the beads, they help reduce eye strain.

		Get a change of scenery. While beading we're staring about 1½ feet in front of us for hours on end. What happens is our eyes begin to adjust to that length and become a bit sluggish about focusing on longer and/or shorter distances. The best thing to do is look up from your work every once in a while. Look at the ceiling or across the room every 15 minutes. Go outside and focus on something in the horizon. Count leaves at the top of a tree. Anything to get your eyes out of their bead-distance rut.

Wear safety glasses. If you don't wear glasses already, please take the time to put on safety glasses when working with wire, metal, or other materials that might go flying. Cover your snipping with your hand or a piece of cloth as an extra precaution to keep pieces from flying at you--or someone else.

		Try Online and Video Classes. If you have a vision challenge, it can be difficult to learn new beading methods. If that's the case, try a video class. Many of these types of classes include large close-ups of techniques. You can hit pause at the place you're trying to figure out and take your own sweet time to visually soak it in. My extra pairs of eyes are definitely part of me now, and they remind me daily (when I don't have them on, mostly), how important it is to take good care of my eyes. If you love beading, I hope you're taking care of your eyes, too.

What else would you add to my list? Ever wash your face with your glasses on? Please share your thoughts here or on the Beading Daily forums.

Metal beads and why we love them!

2009-10-04T23:00:00Z

Add metal beads to your jewelry and wow, magic! The alchemy of metal transforms our designs in more ways than one. Because we value metal itself, using metal beads in our jewelry lets us ask a higher price! Metal gives a higher perceived and literal value to our work.

Metal beads also say a lot about who we are, our style. For fun, I collected some cool metal beads and totally made up what I think are the traits these beads might bring to a finished piece of jewelry—and what type of personality you may be to use them! (Approximate sizes are noted, for scale.) Go on, test your... metal!

Zen		The swirls in this silver saucer look like patterns in a Zen sand garden. Add beads like this to jewelry for an Asian fusion flavor. If you find this bead appealing, you tend to be calm and in control. You probably have a lucky bamboo plant in your home and will eat sushi, if it’s cooked. (20mm dia.)

Squiggle		Tactile, modern, and a cartoon in antiqued brass, this squiggle bead gives a wink of whimsy to designs. You love having people smile when they see your jewelry! You probably like squiggly food, too, like licorice lacing, spaghetti, and funnel cakes. (18mm dia.)

Spirals		These silver beads are far out! Use them to bring a 60’s style, mod look to your work, bold galactic spheres from beyond. Bet you watched “the Jetsons” as a kid, and enjoy spacey, new-age music. (15mm dia.)

Paisley pyramid		World traveler—albeit from your laptop—you’d use these beads to lend an exotic detail to your work. The decorative surface designs and shape of this Hill Tribe silver bead evoke treasures of the silk road trade. You like patterns and prints, and your jewelry reflects your love of intimate detail. Bet you wear… paisley socks! (12mm dia.)

Daggers		Shaped of hammered brass, these large, hollow daggers look very tribal. Even a single dagger as a focal bead would make a statement of strength and power in a design. If you’re drawn to dagger beads you are probably something of a warrior, a leader, and always want to be the driver when you go places with friends. (35mm long)

Rosebud		Being floral makes this bead feminine, but its oxidized surface and hand-crafted look make it a hip tribute to modern woman. It designs well with many other bead materials like stone, shell, or wood. Like it? You are probably eclectic and artsy, and have bowls of beach stones around your house. (8mm.)
Old metal		These old-looking metal components could have been unearthed at an archeological site, a remnant of an antique piece of jewelry or some unknown mechanical device. If you'd use them in your designs, I bet you like gears and watch parts, too. You probably are a fan of the Indiana Jones movies (except the second one), appreciate the imagination of Jules Verne, and might have secretly switched your brother's toy train for your Barbie one Christmas. (From 10mm to 20mm dia.)
Modern barrel		You are all about the shine, the elegance, the glamor of metal. These contemporary barrel beads are very luxe, and would totally enrich a design with semiprecious stones. If these are the beads for you, your home is probably a showcase, with modern furniture, glass tabletops, and you have a box of tools with your name on it at your manicurist. (15mm.)
Verdigris dangles		Nothing new and shiny for you! You want the character of the ages. These brass dangles have a luscious green patina you adore. Jewelry becomes a museum piece with metal beads like these. You might have once taken a belly-dancing class, and are fond of samosas and dolmades. (5mm.)
Copper saucers		This is one of my personal favorite metal beads. The antiqued surface is a contradiction to the retro saucer shape, and as a metal, copper has a rich yet earthy paradox to it. This bead could look either industrial or tribal. Copper beads design well with wood, resin, stone, and fiber beads. You may be inspired to design with these large (30mm) saucers if you like ethnic arts, but also watch sci movies... like me!
"Bluish" by Jane Dickerson		Find over 70 designs that use all sorts of metal beads in the 2009 edition of Creative Jewelry, like this "Bluish" necklace by editor Jane Dickerson. Then, share which metal beads are totally “you” here and on the Beading Daily forums!

How to Clean and Polish Chain Jewelry!

2009-10-02T10:00:00Z

7 Great Tips to Maintain your Chain!

When I wrote Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewelry Designs, I couldn't wait to share the 50 fabulous necklace and bracelet designs. So many designs using all kinds of chain! Later on, as my favorite brass chain began to tarnish, I thought how great it would be to have a follow-up blog about how to clean your chain jewelry. So, here are a few tips I've learned about cleaning and caring for chain jewelry.

1. Daily Care
When you remove your jewelry, wipe off the chain with a lint-free polishing cloth that has no abrasives. If you have been wearing perfume, rinse the chain with water, pat it dry, then follow with the polishing cloth. This is great for day-to-day maintenance: cleaning off fingerprints, skin oils, scents, and surface dirt.

2. Storage
Yvonne Padilla of Rio Grande recommends that you place your jewelry in an air-tight, ziploc bag along with an anti-tarnish strip. These strips are fantastic–completely safe and non-toxic. They absorb moisture and neutralize tarnish-producing gases in the air. They will last up to 6 months or longer if placed in a sealed environment. They work for silver, brass, copper, nickel, bronze, tin, and gold. Copper is the villain when it comes to tarnishing, so any metal that contains copper will tarnish. Clean your chains thoroughly, then store them with anti-tarnish strips and they'll be ready to wear for months.

3. Weekly Maintenance
Use an ultrasonic cleaner and a cleaning solution that is PH-balanced and ammonia-free. This will eliminate surface dirt, oil, lotion, and perfume. If you are cleaning a rope chain or snake chain where dirt might get into the crevices, use a soft toothbrush to get into those hard to reach areas.

4. Let It Soak
Soak your chains in a PH-balanced, ammonia free jewelry solution for stubborn tarnish. If you have chain with stones, make sure that the cleaning solution you are using is gentle enough to use on the particular gemstones or pearls. Don't use the ultrasonic cleaner as the vibration may harm the stones.

Anti-tarnish strips, polishing pads, polishing cloths, and cleaning solution.		5. Tarnish Be Gone There are some wonderful polishing pads and cloths that are embedded with microabrasives that get rid of tarnish and dirt in a jiffy. Just rub the cloth over the piece and watch it polish to a clean, brilliant shine.

Top: Brass chain cleaned with vinegar and salt solution. Bottom: Tarnished chain.

6. Go Eco
To clean silver, try Jean Campbell’s At-Home Tarnish Busting Remedy. For stubborn spots, use plain toothpaste (no gels or whitening) and a soft toothbrush, then rinse and dry with a soft cloth. I learned this trick from Kate Richbourg of Beaducation: For brass and copper pieces, use hot vinegar mixed with a few tablespoons of salt; let soak, then rinse and dry.

7. When in Doubt
If your jewelry has become really tarnished or you have concerns about any of the gemstones used in your design, take your jewelry to a professional jeweler and ask them to clean your pieces for you. What are your favorite ways to clean chain?

Now that you know how to care for your silver chains, try checking out my new book Chain Style with 50 different stylish and affordable designs. While you’re waiting for your book to arrive, try this fun and fast chain necklace by one of the book’s featured designers, Step by Step Wire Jewelry editor Denise Peck.

NEW FREE PROJECT!
Glass Whimsy
Denise Peck

This vibrant necklace was created using hollow lampworked glass beads, disk beads, silver wire, and a beautiful silver chain. The piece is bold and dynamic, yet simple to make. It's a great project for beginners. Originally published in Creative Jewelry, 2009.

Share your jewelry cleaning tips here or in the Beading Daily forums!

Beaded Home Decor and More!

2009-09-29T16:19:00Z

My Fair Beader
I attended the 20th anniversary celebration of the Upper Midwest Bead Society last weekend. The event was a proper high tea, complete with sandwiches and cakes, lacy tablecloths, and flowers everywhere. You know, I tend to get a little bawdy when I’m around a group of fun girls, so for this event I had to channel Eliza Doolittle (“I washed my face and hands before I come, I did.”) in order to remember my manners. I mean really, there were even a few women with gloves on! Anyway, the event was simply lovely—a beautiful expression of how volunteer organizations like bead societies can create the most fabulous events.

I could have beaded all night
The tea party invitation requested that we wear our Sunday best (yes, lots of “beaders’ handshakes” going on), but also to decorate and wear a bonnet to be judged during the event. You should have seen the entries! Everything from a straw hat with brooches pinned on to a fully-beaded flapper-style cloche. What struck me while watching all the ladies strolling around in their bead-decorated hats was how jewelry-centric I am when I sit down to design something. I automatically go to necklace, bracelet, or earrings—the “jeweler’s troika.” But I have an inkling I’m not alone in this habit, right?

Wouldn't it be 'loverly'
We all know there are many other ways to express yourself in beads. A quick visit to the Beading Daily store’s Home Decor and Gifts section should be inspiration enough. One project catching my eye today is Sandie Abel’s embroidered Beaded Butterfly––a great addition to a tea hat, don't you think? And while I'm thinking about it, next time I host a high tea I could sew rich-looking trim to my table linens using the edging technique in my Beaded Scarf project.

Show me
So in my never-ending effort to expand my thinking about the possibilities of beads, I’ve done a quick brainstorm of non-troika designs. Things that aren’t too over the top, you know? Things I’d definitely like to have around, but don’t scream, “You’re a freaky bead lady!”

Scarf, sweater, purse edgings
Furniture “jewelry” like tassels and chains
Shower curtain slides
Letter openers
Belts
Fan pulls
Serving utensils

What would you add to this list? Do you get stuck inside the jewelry troika like me, or do you find it easy to design other types of beadworked pieces? And most importantly, does Professor Higgins really think I can ever become a lady? Please share your thoughts below and on the Beading Daily forums!