Thursday Feature: Reviews & Interviews - Links Inspired Bead & Wire Jewelry Creations

In addition to buying Polymer Clay Mixed Media Jewelry: Fresh Techniques, Projects and Inspiration by Shirley Rufener and Bead And Wire Jewelry Exposed: 50 Designer Projects Featuring Beadalon And Swarovski by Katie Hacker, Fernando DaSilva and Margot Potter, I also picked up Links: Inspired Bead and Wire Jewelry Creations by Jean Yates. This book was published in 2007, but the tips, techniques and patterns in it are timeless.



Jean has provided full construction details and materials lists for 38 projects, in this 81/2 x 11", full color illustrated, soft bound, 128 page book. As the title implies the book talks about many kinds and types of links - not just jewelry component links like jump rings or chain, but the kinds of links inspired by connecting ideas, memories, imagery - and how these can be transformed into jewelry that tells a story - much like the stories told with every piece in the book.

I was drawn to the book by the chainmaille link earrings on the cover (and on page 62), but compelled to buy it when I looked inside and saw projects like the Charming Teacup Bracelet (pg 22), Nancy's Dancing Pearls Bracelet (pg 40) and the Edward the Sheep Bracelet that shows how to transform a great enameled button into a keepsake bracelet.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book for its clear and well illustrated step by step instructions, complete materials lists, extra hints and tips, and inspirational messages from other jewelry designers.

Also, you can visit Jean Yates' blog to see more of her work.

If you think you'd like a copy of this book, you could always click the picture above to buy it from Amazon and a couple pennies would go towards Dawno's bead fund!

See you tomorrow!

A Bit of Success, a Bit of Failure, but Learning Is Always Like That, Isn't It?

Lots of experimentation going on trying to figure out small things. I've broken a couple calottes trying to finish off a knotted necklace - I need to bend them back fairly far to get a good tight knot but when I bend them back to close the calotte, they break at the hinge. Either I need to find stronger calottes or figure out how to get the knot flush without opening it too far.

In the process of experimenting I've wasted a bit more silk thread than I would have liked, as well, since getting the knots un-done isn't worth the effort sometimes so I just cut at the knot and start over. Now and then I'll search the web for tutorials and hints, but mostly it's just trial and error, patience and persistance.

I have found that nail polish at the tip of the thread makes the beading easier since I don't use a needle. I have also tried beeswax, which doesn't always work with the smallest beads, since it seems to come off and cause a bit of blockage as it's going through smaller beads, but does keep the tip from fraying.

Got a package from Rings & Things today with some gunmetal chain, assorted 4mm Czech glass spacer disks and assorted pressed Czech glass shell beads, which I thought would be fun for summer lanyards.

Between experiments and the day job extending into my evenings, I've missed a few days updating, I'll try not to do that too much.

Dawno's Do It Yourself Portable Beading "Lap Desk"

I thought I'd do something a bit different and start off by sharing a simple, portable, lap sized stringing set up I use from time to time. I love my Bead Buddy lap desk, but it is a bit bulky, and I primarily use it when I'm trying to figure out design. Once I have that accomplished I continue my stringing with the lap desk for its portability, but sometimes my work is simple enough that I'm ready to go without having to 'draft' it on the design board. For example, the "Chateau Picard" lanyard I mentioned last night, for that I'm just using two types of beads and one type of spacer and the pattern isn't complex, so there's not much need for the whole design board/lap desk kit.

I've taken a wide shoebox lid and fit an 8"x8" bead mat inside of it. By the way, bead mats are just a square of vellux material - you could probably find it at a fabric store and cut your own - in my googling I found a cute one at Etsy with edging, a sewn in tape measure and tie strings at the ends so the whole thing could be rolled up - probably not a good idea to try it with beads still inside, though *grin*.

Where there's space left over in the box top, I've put some small plastic containers and the spool of stringing wire. I used the box top, initially, to sort the lighter colored faceted roundel beads from the darker ones, and darker pinched oval beads from the lighter ones, so my finished lanyard necklace would be uniform in color - thus the tiny spoon lying there, which I used to help sort and set aside the unneeded beads.

The bead mat keeps the beads from rolling all over the place and makes it easy to pick them up on the wire since they stay pretty well put, the plastic holders keep the smaller spacers from finding their way under the mat. Since the box top is just 8" x 12", it fits very nicely on the lap.

By the way, here's the finished necklace lanyard, tentatively named "Chateau Picard"

(click image to enlarge)

Now With New and Improved Loopiness!

I have been practicing making wire loops using with 20 gauge copper wire. It's pretty flexible wire and the gauge is small enough to go through the beads but large enough to be easy to see. I'm using glass beads from a bag of 'assorted glass beads @ some very cheap price per strand' - most of them are junk, but there are some pretty cool ones in the mix. The chain of beads I've made so far is surprisingly pretty for the quality of the materials

I've figured out a few things that are really helping me make neat, round and consistent loops. The how to guides I've read haven't suggested all these these things, but I'm happy to share.

#1 Mark the round nose pliers so you make the loop at the same spot each time. This gives uniform sized loops. I painted the bottom of the pliers up to the point where I want to bend the wire for the loop with some bright pink nail polish I had sitting on my desk.

#2 Before you start the full bend around the pliers, just using the very tip I make a small bend - this way I don't end up with a flat bit in the loop - they're turning out very round.

#3 Measuring to cut the wire for the second loop - this has been a challenge. I used a steel mm calibrated ruler for a while but I've pretty much figured out how to eyeball it using the width of my left index finger. I guess I could put a little mark on my finger with a Sharpie to be even more precise...

#4 I'm using my nylon nosed pliers to bend the loops when connecting them together and avoid tool marks. I bend the loop up from a completed circle, add the loop on the next bead and then bend the open loop down to close it - keeps the nice circle I've created from getting flat or otherwise distorted.

Here's my little practice set up:

And here's a close-up of the most recent loops:

Later this afternoon some of my family from the L.A. area are coming into town to see my nephew play football against our local university team, so this may be all the beading I get to today.