Daily Blogs : Danielle Fox

The BEST Stringing Ideas PLUS 2 Free Projects!

Erin Carey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:15:00 GMT

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!

6 Top Tips for Making Mixed Media Jewelry

Michelle M. — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:12:00 GMT

If you’re like me, you just know when you’ve picked up a good craft magazine. Your mind whirls with ideas. Your fingers twitch in anticipation of creating. Perhaps your heart even skips a beat or two, just like when falling in love . . . or when you find a free piece of dark chocolate on the give-away table at work. This is how I feel about Handcrafted Jewelry....(read more)

Do You Bead Green?

Michelle M. — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:26:00 GMT

In the Summer 2009 issue of Stringing, we present an article about eco-conscious beading, Bead Green: New Earth-Friendly Beading Supplies. In the article, author Melaina Juntti writes, “Nowadays many of us think critically about how our lifestyles and hobbies affect the planet and, coupled with a not-so-sweet economy, we carefully consider each and every product before we purchase.” She then goes on to mention a handful of cool, new eco-friendly beading materials: corn-cob pendants, recycled bottle cap beads, and heavy metal-free beading wire, to name a few. ...(read more)

How to Use (and Mix) Metals in Jewelry Designs

Michelle M. — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:58:00 GMT

Some things are better done solo. Shopping for unmentionable comes to mind. Or flossing. Or, in our opinion, diving (we are still shocked that synchronized diving is an actual Olympic sport!). But writing beading books?...(read more)

Inside Scoop on 3 Hot Bead Trends

Michelle M. — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:34:00 GMT

Sometimes I have a hard time keeping secrets. Especially good secrets. In fact, when I was a kid, I remember getting up really early one Christmas morning (as usual) to see what Santa had left me, then promptly waking up my little sister to spill the beads that the Jolly Old Elf had brought us both much-wished-for Cabbage Patch Kids Preemie dolls. I just couldn’t wait for her to wake up and share in my excitement. Plus, I was already prepared to negotiate a baby swap....(read more)

How to Name Your Jewelry Projects

Michelle M. — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:49:00 GMT

You remember the famous line Shakespeare’s Juliet says to her Romeo, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Well, I beg to differ, Miss Capulet. Here in the Stringing and Beadwork offices, we place high importance on names, or, in our case, titles. For instance, would you, dear Beading Daily reader, prefer to make a project called Red and White Beads on Steel Wire Necklace or Beach-ball Bling? I rest my case....(read more)

Learn a New Jewelry Technique Next Year (or Just Get Organized!)

Michelle M. — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:58:00 GMT

Last year I wrote about beading resolutions. One of my main goals was to try to use a bead loom. And I'm a little embarrassed to admit I didn't quite get around to it. (I did manage to do some loom weaving with yarn, go figure!) I'm not too upset--I learned a lot of new stuff that I didn't expect to learn like how to begin creating metal jewelry. ...(read more)

Behind the Scenes of Stringing Magazine

Michelle M. — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:13:00 GMT

I don’t know about you, but I’m kind a sucker for those "the-making-of" special features included on DVDs these days. You know, the laugh reels, the director’s commentary, the short history documentaries that provide a backdrop to the movie. I’m not the only one, right?...(read more)

Inspired by Attire: Using Clothing to Inspire Jewelry Designs

Editor — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:00:00 GMT

Today's guest editor is Danielle Fox, editor of Stringing magazine and author of the new book, Simply Modern Jewelry. Danielle shares her tips for using clothing to inspire jewelry designs. Even if you are already perfectly accessorized, you might want to try this idea as a personal design challenge using a piece from someone else's closet or flipping through some fashion magazines or catalogs. Hmmm . . . Wonder what kind of jewelry a purple Hawaiian shirt, a pink 1980s prom dress, or pair of Doc Martens would inspire?--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor

Inspired by Attire

Danielle Fox

As the editor of Stringing magazine and an editor of Beadwork magazine, I’m often asked to “make this” or “make that.” Make a collage project (Beadwork feature). Make a project using these particular stones (Beadwork’s The Challenge column). Make a project with a nautical theme (Stringing project—assignment to self). While I pretty much enjoy making any kind of beaded project, these broad, basically limitless, assignments often leave me dumbstruck for hours—even days—after getting them. Yikes! Where do I begin?

That’s why I love to design jewelry to accessorize clothing. Clothes give you parameters to work within--like color, style, neckline, motifs. All these details help narrow down design possibilities, a must for an indecisive person like me! That said, you won’t be surprised to learn that being inspired by attire is a topic I discuss in my new book, Simply Modern Jewelry. The project shown here, Golden Everglades, is my example of how a favorite dress determined the length, style, and color of a now-favorite necklace.

Preview Free Project: Golden Everglades
One Week Only: March 28-April 4, 2008
The preview period has ended. You may now find instructions for this project in the book Simply Modern Jewelry by Danielle Fox.

Here’s the story: This green silk dress was purchased for no particular reason. I just liked it. I think the black-and-white polka-dot detailing sealed the deal. Or maybe it was the watercolor quality of the print. (I’ll spare you further insight into my shopping thought process--it is too dizzying!) Anyway, I knew right away that I wanted to make a necklace to wear with this dress--that I wanted to translate its beauty into another medium. A choker, maybe made of all black beads, might have looked nice with the V-neck, but I decided I wanted to create a long, chain-based necklace, something that filled the deep neckline and cascaded over it. I chose gold chain and findings because I thought they looked better than silver against the warm shades of green in the dress, and I used those shades of green to help pick out crystals--jet, emerald, apple green opaque, light azore champagne, and jonquil matte--the prettiest palette I think I’ve ever worked with. After a fair amount of wireworking, my necklace was complete and so was my outfit.

Perhaps you have a favorite dress, shirt, or jacket. I encourage you to use it to inspire an accessory. Just determine what attracted you so much to the clothing item (the mix of colors, the "flowiness," the pattern, etc.) and let that inform your jewelry design. If you need to go shopping to find a dress to practice this with, I give you my permission. Just don’t give your significant other my contact information, please!

Meet Danielle Fox

Danielle Fox will be signing copies of her book at Bead Expo Portland on Friday, March 28, 2008 from 1-2 p.m. and Saturday, March 29, 2008 from 2-3 p.m.

If you have comments or questions for Danielle, please post them on the website. Thanks!

Beading Daily editor Michelle Mach will be at Bead Expo Portland this weekend. Stop by the Interweave booth Saturday morning (March 29) and say hello! And even if you can't go to the show, be sure to check out the beading tips from the show's instructors.

Get Published! Tips from the Editor of Stringing Magazine

Editor — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Submitting Your Jewelry Designs to Magazines

Have you ever dreamed of seeing your original jewelry design in a magazine?

If you admitted that dream to Stringing editor Danielle Fox, she would say: "Don't be shy--show off your work!" Magazines are always looking for fresh, new, exciting designs to feature. Why not yours? There are more than 100 designs in every issue of Stringing and it's published 4 times a year. That's 400 opportunities--just for one magazine! What are you waiting for?

Are you afraid of rejection? Don't be. My very first submission to Stringing was rejected. I not only lived to tell about it, but I've since had other designs published in Stringing, including two necklaces, a bracelet, and a pair of earring in the new Winter issue. There is nothing quite so satisfying as pulling a magazine off the rack in a bead shop or bookstore and seeing your own design. I did it--and so can you!

Above: My necklace "Reveille" in the Winter 2007 issue of Stringing magazine.

"How Do I Submit Designs?" and Other Questions

Danielle Fox, Stringing editor, generously agreed to give us the inside scoop on submitting to Stringing magazine. Here are her answers to some of the most-asked questions:

Q: What kind of submissions are you looking for?
A: Creative necklace, bracelet, and earring designs: Designs that are different than anything that has already been published in Stringing. Designs that make good use of new materials or that use materials in new ways. Designs that will make our readers scream: I have to make that!

Q: How do I submit designs?
A: Visit stringingmagazine.com for the contributor guidelines, deadlines, and issue themes. The guidelines are very thorough and will walk you through the submissions process.

Q: Must I send in actual pieces, or can I e-mail you pictures of my work?
A: We must receive actual jewelry in order to consider your submissions. Not only will this allow us to see your pieces in their full glory, but it also will allow us to move forward as quickly as possible once we’ve made selections.

Q: Do I need to write instructions and give resource information for all my pieces?
A: We only need instructions for necklaces and bracelets intended to be featured on a full page. If you submitted earrings and/or easy bracelets intended for the earring or bracelet galleries, you do not need to include instructions. We do, however, need detailed resource information for every item submitted. Please clearly list where you purchased each material used in each project (as far as is possible).

Q: I’m afraid to write instructions! What if they aren’t good enough?
A: Check out our contributor guidelines. There you will find a bunch of tips for writing instructions. The best things you can do, however, are:

Provide a very thorough materials list
Look through past issues of Stringing and model your instructions after a piece similar to yours. We edit each and every project many times, so be assured we will help you out!

Q: When will I find out if my pieces have been accepted?
A: Soon after your pieces arrive at our office, we will send you a postcard confirming their receipt. We will contact you when we’ve decided which pieces will go in the magazine. Please be patient as the selection process may take a couple of weeks.

Q: What do I get if my work is accepted?
A: International fame! Your beautifully photographed piece will grace the pages of our much-loved publication. Oh, and we pay, too! You get $60 for each full-page project; $15 for each bracelet and pair of earrings.

Q: When will I get my pieces back?
A: If none of your pieces are accepted, we will return them right away. (Give us about two weeks from the submissions deadline, please.) If any of your pieces are accepted, we will return all of your accepted and unaccepted pieces when the magazines come back from the printer. That way you get your jewelry, your payment, and complimentary magazines all at once. This means your pieces will be with us for about four months.

Thanks, Danielle! If you have any other questions for Danielle Fox about submitting your work for publication or about Stringing magazine, please post them in the comments section.

Coming Wednesday: Holiday beading ideas (and gallery) from Beading Daily readers.

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She finds that one of the hardest parts of submitting designs to magazines is having to come up with jewelry designs for summer when it is snowing outside!