by Barbara | May 3, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beading, Beads and Materials, Components, Delica beads, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Seed Beads, Sterling Silver, Tutorials
I’m still not over whatever bug has gotten me, but I did have enough energy today to complete directions for the Triangle Charm portion of my “Tibetan Inspired Beaded Rope” tutorial and the only thing left to do is the portion of the tutorial that entails...
by Barbara | Mar 16, 2016 | An Aside, Materials and Supplies, Metal Clay, Mixed Media, Polymer Clay, Techniques, Tools, Uncategorized
I’ve been thinking about getting a JoolTool for months, weighing the pros and cons and asking myself if it’s something I really need. I already have a buffing wheel, but after reading reviews and watching instructional videos, I’ve decided...
by Barbara | Mar 13, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beaded Beads, Beading, Beads and Materials, Bracelets, Cabochons and Gemstones, Components, Delica beads, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Seed Beads, Sterling Silver, Techniques, Uncategorized
Almost all the beadwork I’ve done in the past three years has been worked in peyote stitch. It’s been ages since I’ve used Ndebele stitch for bead weaving, but it is so perfect for this project! After making a collection of polymer clay faux...
by Barbara | Mar 10, 2016 | An Aside, Beading, Beads and Materials, Handmade, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media
A lot of beads…an order of over nine kilos of Toho 11/0 seed beads, 2 kilos of Toho 15/0 seed beads, 1.5 kilos of 3mm Magatamas, and 100 grams of 2mm fire polished crystals. They have just arrived on my doorstep! I love Toho beads! Manufactured in Japan and known for...
by Barbara | Mar 3, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Components, Earrings, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver, Techniques
As the saying goes…the third time’s the charm! I’d been working on a pair of earrings featuring polymer clay faux amber and coral. The first pair (shown at left) also featured faux turquoise. I found this pair to be too long and too heavy to wear....
by Barbara | Feb 29, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Cabochons and Gemstones, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Metal Clay, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay
I had fun creating this brooch! I used a pancake die and hydraulic press to cut out a bronze flower shape, soldered a fine silver bezel at the center, and then hammer-textured the petals to add a bit of interest and form. I toyed with the idea of setting a gemstone,...
by Barbara | Feb 20, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver
I couldn’t wait to get to my jeweler’s bench and start hammering out silver components to go with beads from my new collection of polymer clay faux gemstones! I wanted them to have a tribal feel as if they had been discovered in a treasure trove of exotic jewelry, but...
by Barbara | Feb 14, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bronze, Faux Bone™, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver, Uncategorized
Happy Valentines’ Day! It also happens to be Steven’s and my twenty-first wedding anniversary so it’s a very special day for us! The really great thing about having this date as an anniversay is that it seems everyone is celebrating love with...
by Barbara | Jan 27, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Components, Earrings, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay, Resin, Sterling Silver, Techniques
My hydraulic press and a floral-themed pancake die were used to create these playful earrings. Made of patinaed sterling silver and 18k gold bimetal (I love the rich amber tones and flashes of blue at the center!), they swing and sway from hammer-textured 18-gauge...
by Barbara | Jan 24, 2016 | An Aside, At the Bench, Earrings, Gemstones, Handmade, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Resin, Seed Beads, Sterling Silver, Techniques, Tools
I’ll admit that I’m a packrat! Over the many years that I’ve made jewelry, I’ve collected a lot of scrap metal and doo-dads. Things that didn’t work out or were leftover from finished projects just get thrown into containers. Many of the pieces are still useable so...
