The Beading Gem's Journal

How to Make a Multi-Colored Wrapped Tribal Necklace and Bracelet

2012-05-23T08:00:00.002-03:00

If you want to join in the fun and make your own tribal style jewelry, try Ariane of the Boat People's bright and cheery multi-colored wrapped tribal necklace tutorial. Her technique of working with several strands of embroidery floss or thread is really worth a look.

Her accompanying video tutorial makes the wrapping process much easier to understand. Ari uses shoelaces as the core but you could always use any suitable thick cord. Check out the fabric store or consider using paracords. Another option to finish the ends is to use big end caps.

As you can see from the blog pictures, Ariane's design can be worn with different outfits.

Jenni over at I Spy DIY also has the bracelet tutorial equivalent using just a simple button and loop clasp.

Before You Go:

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips

Nicole Akong's Amazing Tribal Inspired Jewelry

2012-05-22T08:00:00.000-03:00

Tribal inspired jewelry is still a huge trend. It's not hard to understand why because these designs are distinctly bold and colorful. Perfect for adding a visually stunning focal element for plain outfits.

One such outstanding artisan is Nicole Akong whose colorful and eye-catching designs are amazing. Her Conquistadora collection was inspired by the textile crafts of mountain tribes. Her innovative use of ribbon, woolen, tassel and faux fur trims combined chain and Swarovski crystals in her designs have inspired many others.

Luma Necklace on Anthropologie

Sol Pom Pom necklace on Anthropologie

Nicole Akong was born and raised in the West Indies. After graduating from the University of Miami with a Fine Arts degree, she eventually settled in London, UK. Her creative journey began young - she was already sewing Barbie doll clothes by the time she was 10 and even wrote a novel in her teens.

She took her first jewelry making course back in 2008. It was just a one-day introduction to the craft but that was enough to get her hooked. Nicole said, "That day was the start of what quickly developed into an all-consuming passion, and soon all I was doing in my spare time was making jewelry. It became my ambition from then to start my own jewelry label."

After garnering a lot of attention with her distinctive designs, she eventually took a leap of faith and launched her first collection in the beginning of 2010. Her aim was to create a " go-to brand for stand-out, statement jewellery with serious high-fashion appeal." And she has. Her pieces are now sold through Anthropologie and boutiques around the world. Nicole also says she could see herself launching a clothing label in the future.

You can tell that Nicole was destined to be a designer of note right from the beginning because her earliest designs were already so different and gorgeous. Shown below are a couple of her feathered jewelry designs from her Luxe Be a Lady 2010 collection.

Nicole's favorite materials to use are obviously trims - feathers, fringes ribbons....and anything that comes in a reel! She was also experimenting with chain back in 2010 for her All Chained Up collection. Again, coming up with refreshingly new ideas but still with a distinct modernized ethnic look about her creations. Her Pearl Swirl bracelet below is a composite of many chains. Her foot jewelry is so beautiful you'd want to go barefoot. And that body jewelry - a gold leaf chain vest? Astounding!

Nicole explained how she goes about designing awesome jewelry, " I find it useful to use myself as a test! Usually when I am designing a new collection, I like to make pieces that I would personally love to wear. I would describe my personal style as understatedly feminine – I prefer my clothes to be luxe but basic and use my jewelry to make the most of the fashion statement."

She definitely recommends statement necklaces for every woman. Taking notes, anyone?

Before You Go:

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips

Unkamen's $50 Gift Certificate and Awesome Chain Mail Tutorials

2012-05-21T08:00:00.001-03:00

I first stumbled upon Ralph Helmrich's wonderful chain mail pictorials or picture tutorials on Flickr - my favorites are shown and linked below. The trail then led me to his Etsy supply store called Unkamen Supplies as well as his family's finished chain mail jewelry one called Unkamen Gifts.

Star Chain Mail Pendant Tutorial

Why "Unkamen"? Ralph explained, "We are an uncommon family, so we needed an Unkamen name!" The entire family is involved in their combined jewelry making businesses including the two home-schooled teenagers, Leah and Byron and Ralph's wife, Karen, who basically takes care of the business side of things as well as create jewelry. They have two home bases in Texas as well as Missouri. They also spend as much time as they can traveling in their 40 ft RV!

Chain Mail Cross Tutorial

Ralph explains how he got into the business, "I love making chain mail jewelry, but was unable to purchase jump rings that met my standards, so I invested in the equipment and started making them myself. Over 40 years engineering experience paid off!"

This and That Rubber Jump Ring Bracelet tutorial

He has come a long way since making that first chain mail necklace for Karen some years ago. Today he sells precision cut rings and other supplies. He's not kidding either as you can see from the tutorial pictures.

Battenburg Lace Bracelet Tutorial

One lucky winner of today's giveaway will receive a $50 gift certificate for either of his stores. If you aren't certain what ring sizes are required, just ask Ralph. He is also offering readers of this blog a 15% discount coupon. The code to use is PEARL15.

Stretchy Persian Chain Mail Tutorial

Jingle Bell Anklet Tutorial

Giveaway
If you'd like to win either finished chain mail jewelry or supplies to make your own, please make a comment below. Make sure you leave contact info if you do not have an online shop or blog.

Subscribers need to click on the post title to come to my actual blog. Scroll down and enter your comment. Pick Name/URL. If you don't have a store or blog, leave the URL blank. Please leave an email at the very least so I can contact you easily if you win.

This is an international giveaway.

Extra entries if you become or are a blog subscriber or follower or also on Facebook Fan page or Twitter . If you also do shout outs about this giveaway on your favorite forum, own blog, Facebook or Twitter even Google+ etc, those will count as additional entries too! Please say so in the comments.

It ends in a week's time at 6 pm EST Monday, May 28, 2012. I will pick a winner randomly and announce the results as soon as possible after. So be sure to leave a contact email if you don't have an online link or make sure you come back and check! Otherwise I will redraw in a week. Good luck!

Before You Go:

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips

How Enamel Jewelry is Made

2012-05-20T08:00:00.003-03:00

Enamel jewelry and art go back thousands of years. These were and still are created in many different parts of the world. Perhaps the best known form for modern jewelry makers are cloisonne beads from China. But you can also make your own.

This technique uses a kiln to fire crushed or powdered colored glass (enamel) onto metal. The heat melts the glass and fuses it to the metal. The results can be incredibly beautiful. The above drop dead gorgeous design is called Dawn Dragonfly by Marianne Hunter (Photographer : Hap Sakwa).

The Victoria and Albert Museum of Design (London, UK) has a wonderful video which shows how Jane Short created the enamelled brooch below. She uses two other styles of enamelling. The top intricate half of the design uses the champlevé technique where the glass fills the hollows or "cells" in the metal. (This is different from cloisonne work which uses wire frames). The bottom half deploys the basse-taille technique where the engraved metal is covered over with transparent enamel

Enamelled brooch by Jane Short

Close up of brooch showing the basse-taille work

Yet another technique is plique-a-jour - French for "glimpse of day". It's basically equivalent to stained glass where the enamel is suspended between wires. This is the most difficult of all the enamel techniques. The translucent effect is stunning. Art Nouveau artists like René Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany used this technique to design some of their masterpieces.

Below is the 1900 Lalique anemone brooch which fetched nearly $150,000 at a Sotheby's auction last year. It was created with gold and enamel plique-a-jour.

Picture Source

Jewelry Making Daily's free eBook How to Enamel Jewelry is also another excellent resource to find out more about how enameled jewelry is made. You do have to register with them (free) to get the download. The dragonfly and star designs shown above and below are by featured artists from this ebook.

Starfish design by Amy Roper Lyons

Even if you have no plans to take up enamel jewelry making, the eBook is worth a look to learn more.

Before You Go :

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips

How to Make Matching Bracelets for Handbags

2012-05-19T08:00:00.000-03:00

Many of us love wearing jewelry sets - you know, matching necklace and earrings or bracelet with earrings or the whole lot together. But if you ever wanted to match jewelry to your favorite handbags instead, then you just have to check out Stephanie's 3 awesome tutorials over at The Silly Pearl and be inspired.

She was so enthralled with expensive designer handbags she had seen while shopping, she just had to create bracelet equivalents of her favorites. Perhaps one day, she might be able to afford them but for now, she has her stunning bracelets to remember them by!

Her detailed and well photographed tutorials for each of the bracelets are linked in her post. The featured bags include Stella McCartney's pink Falabella, Fendi's Patchwork Peekaboo and Valentino's Nuage bags. The selection certainly shows her great taste in fashion accessories and the tutorials, her crafting skills.

Before You Go:

_____________________________
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips