Daily Blogs : Bead Crochet, Step by Step Wire Jewelry Magazine

5-Minute Hammered Wire Earrings

Michelle Mach — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:16:00 GMT

Each month, one of the magazine editors will share a free project with Beading Daily. Today's guest editor is Denise Peck, editor in chief of Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine and senior editor of Jewelry Artist. An editor by trade and a lifelong lover of jewelry, she was able to pursue both when she joined Lapidary Journal in 2004. Denise has a bench jeweler's certificate from Studio Jeweler's Ltd. Her first book with Interweave Press, Wire Style, is due out in August 2008. She's currently working on her second book..--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor.

5-Minute Jewelry

by Denise Peck, Step by Step Wire Jewelry

So you think you might want to broaden your jewelry-making skills or just switch gears for a bit and tackle a few wire techniques? I talk to lots of beaders at our shows who are intrigued at the thought of using more tools and venturing into the world of metal. The good news is that a lot of you already know some of the basics, like making a wire-wrapped loop on a head pin or finishing off an end cone with a piece of wire.

Here’s a little secret, though, for those of you who may not know this: you can make wire jewelry way faster than beaded jewelry!


	Bead crochet bracelet by Denise Peck

For so many of us who work with tiny little seed beads, we end up doing it for the love of it. Not because there’s a future in selling our handiwork. In fact, rarely does it seem as though we could make money on bead creations, as it takes so many hours of our time.
Not so with wire. You really can whip up a piece of jewelry in a matter of minutes. Additionally, wire is a very forgiving medium. If you make a wrong bend, you can usually just unbend it!


5 Minute Earrings by Denise Peck

It's so much fun to design a pair of earrings or a bracelet that you'll finish within the hour that I decided to challenge myself—how about jewelry in 5 minutes? No kidding. Just imagine how many pieces you could churn out for your next craft show. Now there's a way to support your bead habit!

Project: 5 Minute Earrings by Denise Peck
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Free eBook
Making Wire Jewelry: 6 Free Wire Designs from Beading Daily

Create 6 stunning wire jewelry projects (2 wire necklaces, a wire bracelet, 2 pairs of wire earrings, and a wire ring) with this free eBook that contains step by step wire jewelry instructions for each project. Jewelry designs range in difficulty from beginner to intermediate and use a variety of wire work techniques, including spirals, coiling, wirewrapping, hammering, and twisting wire. Download Making Wire Jewelry: 6 Free Wire Designs from Beading Daily

Free eBook
Making Jewelry with Beading Daily
How to Make Earrings: Five Free Jewelry Projects

This free earrings ebook, Making Jewelry with Beading Daily: How to Make Earrings: Five Free Jewelry Projects, includes five earring patterns that use a range of techniques (simple stringing, wirework, simple metalwork, seed bead netting and fringe) and a variety of materials (silver, copper, seed beads, crystals, pearls, gemstones). Both beginners and more experienced jewelry makers will find at least one beaded earring design that will inspire them to catch the handmade earring craze!

If you have a favorite quick design, I'd love to see them. (Send them to me at dpeck@interweave.com.) And if you have any questions or challenges while you're learning to work with wire, feel free to post your questions on the website.

4 Jewelry Business Tips

MichelleM — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:00:00 GMT

Welcoming a New Jewelry Designer

A few weeks ago, I had an email from a new jewelry designer. She enjoys working on projects like Leslee Frumin's right-angle weave necklace, Puttin' on the Ritz. (Her version is pictured at left; instructions are in Beadwork February/March 2007). She also enjoys making her own designs and wants to start selling her work. After I emailed her with some advice, she wrote back to let me know that she had to put her business website on hold because of . . . algebra.

Did I mention she's 12?

One of the wonderful things about working in a creative field like beading is that your age doesn't matter nearly as much as the quality of your work. Part of my advice to Becca was to not let other people tell her she was "too young" to start following her dreams. What advice or encouraging words do you have for her, or other new designers? Please share your wisdom in the comments section, so we can all enjoy and learn!

Bead Crochet and Wire Necklace from Step by Step Wire Jewelry

Harvest Gold Necklace
by Judy Zedalis

This fall-inspired project combines wirework and bead crochet in autumn colors of amber, gold, black, and brown. Even if you aren't interested in bead crochet, you might take a look at some of the wireworking features (like the coils pictured at right) and try incorporating those into a design.

Check out the Winter 2008 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry for great projects like wire embellished beads, 4-in-1 chain maille earrings, a pearl cuff bracelet, and a flowing collar necklace by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong that will challenge advanced wireworkers. View the full table of contents

4 Jewelry Business Tips

Home Shows
"No costly booth to buy, no jury fees to pay, and best of all, no competing jewelers--home shows are a fun and easy way to sell your jewelry."--Stephanie Riger, "Selling Your Jewelry the Easy Way," Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Winter 2008
Business Name
"Think about the impression your business name will make on potential customers. There's a world of difference between Barbie's Baubles and Barbara Norton Custom Jewelry. They both work--but for different markets, different styles."--Viki Lareau, Marketing and Selling Your Handmade Jewelry
Pricing Your Work
"That rate must reflect not just the hours put into a particular piece but all of the investment in acquiring the skills to make it that well and that quickly: all training, both casual and formal, and all related experience to date."--Merle White, "What's Your Time Worth?," Jewelry Artist, October 2007
Fear of Rejection
"Those few who don't mind being told 'no thanks' a number of times, having door after door shut in their faces, and being turned down by shows and stores have a clear advantage. Instead of letting rejections get them down and giving up (which is most often the case), these people use criticism and rejections as lessons to make their products better."--Viki Lareau, "Bead Biz", Beadwork, December 2007/January 2008

Coming Next Week: Holiday-related projects to kick off your gift-making season.

Today's the last day to answer the current poll question: Have you ever sold a beaded item you've made?

Story Update: The instructions for the o-ring necklace by the Sleepless Beader (see the photo in Monday's post) will be published in the March/April 2008 issue of Step by Step Beads.

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She is going to start on her holiday beading this weekend!

4 Beaded Bead Projects

MichelleM — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Making Ladder Stitch Beads Step by Step

Beading Daily Reader Chris O. asked for illustrations for this week's featured project, the Lazy-B Ranch Bracelet. I took some quick step-by-step photos at my kitchen table. I used dark thread so that you could see it in the photos, but you'll probably want to use thread that matches your beads.

1. String 4 beads.	2. Arrange into 2 columns.	3. Keep adding beads 2 at a time.
4. 4 columns of beads.	5. Ladder-stitched cube.	6. String the stitched cube next to other loose beads.

Four Beaded Bead Projects

If you love beaded beads, here are a four projects that use them. If you're new to the world of beaded beads, rather than completing an entire bracelet or necklace, create one beaded bead for a simple necklace pendant or a dramatic pin.

Crystallicious Bracelet

Fibers Meets Beads

Crystalicious Bracelet by Bonnie Clewans combines crystals and Japanese seed beads with netting stitch. There are instructions for two types of "beaded beads"--beaded cylinders and beaded rosettes.
Fiber Meets Beads by Kathleen Lynam also includes directions for two types of beads--one that uses right-angle weave and another that uses netting to cover a large wooden bead.
Necklace in Wire and Beads by Gwen Blakely uses bead crochet to create beaded beads. (From Interweave Crochet magazine)
Rounds of Color Patterns by Kimberley Price covers small wooden craft spools with peyote stitch. (This is a set of color charts only--no written instructions.)

Need more beaded beads? Beadwork Creates Beaded Beads by Jean Campbell includes instructions for 30 beaded beads, using flat peyote stitch, right-angle weave, netting, brick stitch, tubular peyote, circular peyote, Dutch spiral, square stitch, wireworking, herringbone stitch, and triangle stitch. Whew!

Charity Beading Event
Beadapalooza 2
Saturday, November 10, 2007, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Chicago area glass artists will be making beads for Beads of Courage, a program for children with cancer, at the Blue Fire Beads and Jewelry store in New Lenox, Illinois. For directions and more information, visit www.bluefirebeads.com.

Coming Next Week: Projects from Step by Step Wire Jewelry, plus the results of the beaded home decor poll.

Holiday Beading: Do you have a beautiful piece of jewelry that you always wear to holiday parties or a special beaded ornament? I'm working on an inspirational gallery of holiday-related projects by Beading Daily readers. Please send in links to your website or blog by November 25. Thanks!

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She is going to try and go to a new (to her) bead shop this weekend. Oh, the possibilities!