Oldies But Goodies 2000
Our "Tip of the Week" has been very successful. It's a great way for all of us to share our jewelry making experiences. Being included in a monthly drawing isn't too bad either.
In case you missed them, here are past tips that have already been posted on this site.
Save those hand cream containers. They are great because the lids screw on nice and tight, and they can be stacked. Plus, most often they are plastic instead of glass and thus won’t break if they are dropped. Clean them out and use them to store beads, frit, bead release, or kiln wash. ~ Tammy Powley
Wire wrappers and other crafters: Use fine vinyl color-coated
copper
telephone wire to temporary wrap your bundles instead of using tape
or more
expensive wrap wire - also use it for taking measurements of wire
needs -
and to test new designs. The wire is usually free for the asking
from
phone installers, because they normally throw scrap wire away - a
good way
to recycle, and economical too.~ Wanda Power
When I make a pair of earrings for a friend or family member, that
person
inevitably loses one. So now when I give my handmade earrings, I
give them
in three's! The recipients are thrilled, and I don't have to go
hunting for
matching beads when someone loses an earring.~ Julie Dufaj
When I receive my coiled Sterling Silver wire in the mail, I take a
piece
of masking tape and fold it over the un-used end and mark it with
the gauge
and style (round, square, etc) so that when I need my wire for a
project it
is easily identifiable ~ BrendaLea Abbott
Keep a large sheet of oak tag on the floor under your sawing area
and on your
work table when drilling, cutting and/or filing sterling silver or
gold. At
the end of your work session,
pour the dust and scraps into appropriately labeled jars to save
for melting
down or refining. It really adds up! ~ Alice Alper-Rein
I'm not an accountant, but learned first hand that there are
a few ways the IRS looks at your jewelry business to determine if it is a
hobby or a business. HOWEVER - check with your accountant first!
To declare your business a business and not a hobby, you should
have:
*optained a DBA (necessary for most business checking accounts)
*a separate business address (such as a PO Box)
*a business checking account
A DBA (doing business as) is simply placing an ad in the local
paper declaring you are doing business as XX Jewelry company. Most
jewelry artists can place their ad in a small city paper which is less expensive
than the larger newspapers. ~ Rhona
I carry with me spiral bound index cards to jot down ideas I see or
if an inspiration hits me. I can make a rough drawing, list likely
material or staple a business card to them. Sometimes when I have
dead time, like waiting for appointments, I'll thumb through the
notebook and sometimes see variations that come from "letting a project rest."
Later the cards can be torn out and placed in an index card holder (or
recipe holder). ~ Edee Surrell
This tip is for making beaded pins or pendants.
The plastic from gallon milk bottles works well as the "stiffening"
layer between the beaded design on felt and the leather backing.
~ Pat Sohns
1)Use the containers that mechanical pencil lead comes in to store
beading
needles.
2)Use a paper towel holder (the kind with a dowel) to store spools
or rolls
of jewelry wire. It's easy to see what you have and to pull off the
amount
you need for a project.~ Becky Aistrup
When beading, I use a terry cloth washcloth or a small hand
towel under my work to catch the beads,
findings,etc....especially seed beads. Sometimes I have a
washcloth at one end of the table for a bead bracelet, and a
washcloth at the other end for another project. It keeps
everything in it's place. No more looking on the floor for that
last silver crimp bead! ~ Deb Kerchner
I sell my jewellery at the markets and often take equipment to make more jewellery while I am there.
My tip is that when you are using tigertail to make illusion necklaces and such use nail clippers to
trim the ends at the crimps. They cut easily through the tigertail, leave a clean edge and are incredibly
compact when space is an issue. ~ Kate
Cut about a 6 inch piece of coat hanger and make a small loop on
one end.
Take the wire you want to twist and double it placing the double
ends in a
vise sideways. Place the coat hanger wire in a drill, then place
hook in the
loop on the wire. Turn you drill on and twist away. ~ Mary Stewart
I've been beading for quite a few years but I remember when I was a
beginner, the most difficult thing for me was threading those tiny
little
eyes of the beading needles. The best thing I ever learned was
that rather
than threading the needle, you "needle the thread", meaning, I hold
the
needle in my dominant hand (right) and the thread in my
non-dominant (left)
hand. Then I moisten the thread and flatten it between my lips.
(Lip gloss
also works well for this and keeps your lips soft besides ) I
hold the
thread so that it is pinched between my fingers and I am holding
the thread
so close to the end that I can hardly see the thread. I then push
the
needle onto the thread. It threads this way almost every time. I
now bead
with tiny seedbeads-size 15/0's and smaller, and use a size 12
needle, but I
have also threaded size 13 needle this way with no problem. I also
use Nymo
size D thread. I no longer dread running out of thread. ~ Patty Raiff
Sometimes, photos or digital cameras do not fully
capture the color of beads used in jewelry designs. A
good way to show the color to web surfers &
prospective buyers is to compare the color of your
beads with painting sample cards you can obtain from
your local paint store. Create a duplicate color in
your favorite imaging program and place it on your
webpage next to images of your jewelry designs. No
more guessing games! ~ Mary Rajotte
To attractively deal with Nymo thread ends in off-loom beadweaving,
use
this trick: After weaving in the thread ends of your work, snip
thread
to about 1/4". Using a Bic lighter, wave the flame across the
thread end
to 'melt' it back to the surface of the work. The end recedes and
hides.
Always be careful to not hold flame there too long and melt
surrounding
threads. ~ Lisabeth Tafoya
when I have a
whole
lot of necklaces or bracelets to string up that are all the same,
(or
even not the same), I go ahead and string them all up, then I put
the
findings on after they are all strung up. This not only saves time
(like the conveyer belt idea), but you can save a little on your
wire,
string, or whatever you are using to string your beads on. ~ Terry Carter
I make fused glass and I often want to glue on findings, such as
earring
posts, pin backs or beaver tails. The glass is not flat so it is
difiicult
to find a place to leave the piece while the glue dries. My friend
Penny
came up with this solution and it is great. Fill a box with a half
inch of
plain white rice, (uncooked). Then place your glued item facedown
in the
rice until it is supported with a level surface. This is also
great for
gluing cameos, cabochons etc. Anything that does not have a flat
front
surface.~ Mary Anne Shaw
Here is a tip that helps me to keep track of my expenses, remember my designs, and create a portfolio all in one.
Take pictures of completed designs as soon as you finish them. Then, paste the pictures, one on a page, in a
spiral bound notebook or photo album. Under each picture, record a description of the item, the components and
their sizes, and the price of the item. I also write a break down of the prices of the materials on the back of each
sheet. This system helps to keep track of sales, review past designs and inspire new ones. It also serves as an
instant portfolio that helps customers decide what type of designs they would like you to make. ~ Holly Alpert
Before starting a wire wrapped piece, when straightening the wires, I
put a
little baking soda on my cloth. It removes any tarnish that may
have been
forming and removes the dull coat that gold filled accumulates. The
piece is
ready to sell. This works great when wrapping at shows. ~ Debbie
When stringing some beads on crochet
thread to make a crocheted amulet, I
periodically ran across some beads that
were just too small to fit on the thread.
Instead of using pliers to "crush" the small
bead, I used my Crimping Pliers and
preferred that over the pliers since it was
narrower then pliers and fit in-between the
beads easier, and having the wells within
the crimping pliers allowed the bead to be
held firmly while crushing. I found the
back well of the crimpers to work the best
but either one worked better than normal
pliers. ~ BrendaLea
I use the lid of a styrofoam cooler for my bead work. I can sitck
extra needles in it, tape threads down to it, and it's portable. ..use it on your lap or table and
the lip around the edge keeps things from escaping. ~ Cyndy Fahnestock
When
I am using several different beads and charms I break out my
trusty Styrofoam egg carton and place each type of bead in each little egg
cup so, that they are separated and right there to pick from. ~ Andrea Adams
When starting peyote stitch, I thread a piece of fine guage wire through every other bead on the row
that you string up first. This makes it easy to see "where you are going" and stops that pesky
twisting around of the first few rows that make it so hard when you're starting off.
~ Lorna Vibert
I like to buy old necklaces at junk stores and flea markets. A lot of them are filthy. Before I
take them apart, I put them in a plastic colander with small holes. I fill the sink with warm
water and a small amount of shampoo. I put the bead filled collander into the water and let it
soak. This takes away a lot of the grime. If there are crevices in some of the beads, a child's
soft toothbrush works well. I find it is much easier to work with the beads while still strung.
This method should not be used for old glass 'pearls' the coating can come off. But then
again, the glass underneath iskind of cool.... ~ Laura Comito Hall
An unofficial way of protecting your designs is to
first take a picture of
the design. Then write up a description of anything
pertinent to it's
invention such as the date you created it, how you
created it and any little
nuances that make it exclusively yours. Next place
the picture and the write
up in an envelope addressed to yourself. Before
mailing it write somewhere
on the envelope (I use the back flap) something that
will tell you what is
enclosed. Then mail it off. When it returns in a
day or two DO NOT OPEN IT.
Check the post mark to make sure that the date is
clear. The post office is
a recognized government body who do not change post
dates for anyone. If the
case ever arises where you have to prove ownership of
a design or idea you
can take the unopened posted envelope with you. When
you open it in front of
whoever you have to prove the information to they
will have no more reason to
doubt you. ~ Ann Galloway
Next Page->More Tips!
Sign up for the weekly Jewelry Making Newsletter and
find out about new additions to this site each week.
Chat with other jewelry makers in our chat room.
