Daily Blogs : Creative Jewelry

Metal beads and why we love them!

Erin Carey — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:00:00 GMT

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!

Brenton — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT

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!

5 Ideas for Kid-Friendly Beading Projects

Michelle M. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:45:00 GMT

Week #1 of Summer Vacation is novel: Hurray! It’s Summer! Picnics at the beach! Canoeing on the creek! Sleeping in! Weeks #2 and #3: Well-planned. Filled with sports, music, and reading classes. ...(read more)

How to Sell Your Projects to Creative Jewelry

Michelle M. — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:26:00 GMT

I'll never forget the first time I heard back from a magazine editor that she wanted to buy one of my designs. Luckily, the acceptance came by email, not phone, so the editor's hearing wasn't permanently damaged by my shriek of joy. I had no inside connections, no prior publications or jewelry sales--I was just someone who found joy in making jewelry and wanted to share some of my work. I firmly believe that if I can do it, you can do it. With that in mind, I invited the editor of Creative Jewerly, Jane Dickerson, to tell us how you can submit your best jewelry for next year's magazine.--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor...(read more)

11 Ways to Wear a Rope Necklace

Michelle M. — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:08:00 GMT

11 Ways to Wear a Rope Necklace

I have a sick kid at home today. She’s barking like a seal, but she doesn’t have a fever so she’s got just enough energy to knock on my office door every half hour. Not too conducive to the technical editing I’m doing this week. So I put her to good use by asking her to organize my jewelry “vault”—the nearly bed-size plastic box where I keep most of my finished jewelry.

She just came in with a piece I made for Getting Started Stringing Beads. I remember when I made it and thought it was so ridiculously plain. That was Emma’s reaction, too: “Mom, this necklace is so boooooring!” But after I sat her down on the couch and showed her all the different ways you can wear it, I think she’s changed her mind. Check out this list:

Long	Flapper	Doubled

Tripled	Quadrupled	Lariat

Knotted	Doubled, then Knotted	Twisted through Ring

Twisted with another necklace	Yet another necklace thrown on top

The possibilities are endless! Trust me, I’ve been witnessing that as she’s been working on more ways to wear this thing all afternoon. Who knew that a necklace could provide such entertainment after it was made?

I used just one type of pearl, flexible beading wire, and a couple crimp tubes to make my 48” rope necklace, but you can certainly get more inventive. For inspiration check out the rope necklace by Sara E. Graham on the cover of the latest volume of Creative Jewelry. It incorporates wood, seed beads, and bicones, creating a colorful textural look. While you’re exploring this issue, study the pearl knotting tutorial inside to learn how to make a traditional pearl rope necklace—the kind Josephine Baker might have worn. It’s a great issue with lots of innovative jewelry designs. And, if you’re home sick today, but have just enough energy to bead, you can buy and enjoy Creative Jewelry right now because it’s available online as a PDF download you can receive instantly. Ain’t that the coolest?

Do you have some imaginative ways to wear rope necklaces? Share your tips on the website.

Ask Jean a question! Having trouble with wirewrapping? Need some tips on two-drop peyote stitch? Got a beading dilemma that is driving you crazy? Submit a question for Jean. Responses to selected questions will be published in a future newsletter. Due to the volume of questions, personal replies are not possible. Thanks!--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor

Jean Campbell writes about beading and life every Wednesday on Beading Daily. If you have comments or questions for Jean, please post them on the website. Thanks!

That's So You! Finding Your Own Personal Jewelry Style

Michelle M. — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:21:00 GMT

I have a style, more than one, actually. Along the way from there to here, in the many years I have been making adornment, my work took on a certain look. The shapes of my designs, the materials and techniques, and especially the colors I choose have become part of my identity as an artist. Sometimes people even ask me if a design is mine when it isn’t! I laugh and tell them whose work it really is, and they say, “Oh, well, that looks like something you’d make.”...(read more)