Most Recent Features...
This list includes all weekly feature articles and is organized by date. However, you can find ALL articles I've created for this site, which are organized per medium (beads, wire, metals, etc) under the Topical List I've created.
12/22/01 - Clam Shell Tip
Use this simple tip for keeping your beaded jewelry secure (graphics included).
12/21/01 - Bead Chart Review
Beginning beaders might find this bead chart a hand reference guide.
12/15/01 - Dancing Beadsl
Have some fun with these magnetic beads. Create unusual designs or make your own illusion necklace.
12/08/01 - Filigree Angel
When I saw this teardrop shaped filigree piece, it immediately reminded me of an angel's dress. So with a little wire and beads, that's what it eventually became.
12/01/01 - Filigree Cross Ornament
A lampwork bead, a little wire, a filigree cross, and a few wraps are all it takes to make this very quick ornament project.
11/17/01 - Filigree Star Ornament
Use your jewelry making skills to create this holiday ornament with wire, beads, and a pretty filigree star.
11/10/01 - Wrapping Loops
While I'm not a wire wrapper, I use a lot of wire in my jewelry designs, and one technique I use frequently is wrapped loops. You'll find a large number of my wire projects use this technique, and I have had a lot of requests for a step-by-step list of instructions for just the technique itself.
11/03/01 - Science or Magic?
If you love making silver jewelry but hate cleaning it, then consider getting yourself an ionic cleaner. It works because of science, but it's quick like magic.
10/24/01 - Skull Beads
Make these fun and easy skull bead earrings just in time for Halloween.
10/17/01 - Success City Style
A successful jewelry designer shares her secrets to success in this on line interview.
09/15/01 - US Peyote Flag
You can show your patriotism or support for America by making this quick and easy peyote US flag. Then attach it to a pin back and wear it with pride.
09/08/01 - Not for Knotting?
The debate about the Tri-Cord Knotter has been an issue that has gone on for some time on our Jewelry Making Forums. It's a love-hate relationship with most jewelry makers: either you love it or you hate it.
08/22/01 - More Beaded Ornaments
Laura Jansen has done it again! Book four of her series, The Beadecked Ornament, is now available. Get into the holiday spirit by making some of these beautiful, beaded ornaments.
08/18/01 - Jewelry Masterpiece for Business Owners
This software was designed to help jewelry makers price their jewelry, organize parts and vendors, and track customers and sales. I got the opportunity to take a look at this new software, and came up with some pros and cons that might help you decide if this is an item to add to your want list.
08/15/01 - Curly Wire & Bead Ring
Make this super easy wire and bead ring, a great project for beginners or experienced jewelry makers looking for a quick project.
08/04/01 - Wire Coil Chain
By coiling wire around a dowel, we can create all kinds of jewelry pieces. This technique shows how to make a chunky style chain that requires no soldering.
07/25/01 - Using a Draw Plate
Whether you are crazy enough to make your own wire, straighten it, change the size, or work harden it, a draw plate came really come in handy.
07/21/01 - Knit with Wire
Believe it or not - you can knit with wire. It takes a few important tools and some practice, but these tips may help you learn to knit with wire.
07/18/01 - Crochet Wire & Bead Bracelet
I developed this very simple bracelet design which uses a button as a toggle clasp and a few seed beads are included to accent the wire.
07/15/01 - Knotting vs. Crimping
Do you knot or crimp your elastic bracelets? If you are a knotter, then you may be interested in a certain type of glue I've discovered.
07/14/01 - Signing Your Jewelry
You can sign your finished piece of jewelry art, and here are a few ideas to help you do that.
07/04/01 - Jig Video Review
If you've always wanted to try out a wire jig but were not sure where to start, you may want to consider this video created by the Wire Wizard.
06/30/01 - Itty Bitty Crimps
I gave the new Micro Crimpers from Eurotool a test drive. Here's what I made and what I think about this new smaller version of the original crimp tool.
06/23/01 - Soldering Solutions Chart
Your solder won't flow. Your precious jewelry piece turns into a puddle before your solder fills the joint. What do you do? Refer to this solutions chart to see what could be wrong with your soldering set up.
06/16/01 - The Long and the Short of It
A jewelry problem turned into a handy solution for shortening a beaded necklace using a little wire.
06/11/01 - Tacky Beaded Bead
You could spend hours seed beading around a wooden bead, or you could do it a quick and easy way and still get great results.
06/10/01 -Tacky Beaded Chopsticks
Chopsticks are great for hair jewelry, and you can quickly jazz them up with seed beads using tape.
06/09/01 -Tacky Beads
Discover some cool products that can make beading around objects, like beads, pens, whatever, super easy and quick. These would be lots of fun for kids to use too.
06/03/01 - Bead Bazaar
While attending the International Bead Expo in Miami, I took lots of pictures and notes so that you can feel like you were there too.
06/02/01 - Tips for Enjoying Jewelry Events
I came up with 10 tips to consider if you ever think about heading out to a jewelry related event.
05/30/01 - Crystal Seed Bead Pendant
Use ladder and brick stitch to bead around a crystal and create this cool pendant.
05/23/01 - Gypsy Dangle Earrings
Dangle your beads from ths wire component you can make using hand tools or a jig.
05/19/01 - Drill Sergeant
You can make those much needed holes in your glass jewelry by using a drill press and diamond bits.
05/12/01 - It's Black or White
Oxidizing metal can bring out the details in your work or create an interesting contrast. Silver Black is a chemical that makes oxidizing super quick and easy.
05/05/01 - Spring Fling Flower
Inspired by a piece of jewelry worn by Drew Barrymore, I created this flower using Japanese seed beads and colored wire.
04/28/01 - Love at First Sight
Jewelry is considered by many to be wearable art, so it was nice to see the premier issue of this magazine called Belle Armoire.
04/21/01 - Wacky Wire Chop Stick
Use a wooden chop stick and colored wire to create a unique piece of hair jewelry.
04/14/01 - Cool Colored Wire
Try some of these fun ideas for using colored wire in your jewelry designs.
04/07/01 - Copper Creation
I have been in the mood to create a piece with copper wire, so when I received these beautiful lampwork beads from Corina of Corina Beads inspiration struck.
03/31/01 - Floating Flower Necklace
Created to enhance a favorite, lampwork beads, this small grouping of beads in this necklace float because they are not anchored into position. They will slide and move as the person who wears the necklace moves.
03/28/01 - Been There, Done That
Preston Reuther has a video seminar now available for wire artists explaining how to sell your wire jewelry at shows. Find out if this seminar might help you sell your wire jewelry.
03/24/01 - Jewelry Magnetism
Unless you’ve been making your jewelry under a rock, you have probably heard of the new magnetic clasps that are now available.
03/21/01 - Blast from the Past
What's old is new again with these retro crysal, bead, and wire earrings.
03/17/01 - Quickie Collar Necklace
It only takes about 5 minutes to make this necklace you can wear to show off a favorite lampwork bead, charm, or pendant even when wearing a shirt with a collar.
03/14/01 - Battle of the Jigs
I have managed to conduct some jig research. To assist me, I gathered together a few members of my family and we conducted "The Battle of the Jigs."
03/10/01 - Fried - Not Fired - PMC!
Though I have been taking a metal clay class, so far, the instructor has been firing our projects for us. I have my own kiln I use for fused glass, so I figured it was time for me to learn to fire my own metal clay and, boy, did I learn!
03/07/01 - Sticky Beaded Patterns
This Self-Adhesive Pattern Sheet is designed so that you can stick a pattern onto leather, Stiff Stuff ®, or fabric. Then you can bead and just peel away the plastic sheet when you are done. So, I gave it a test run.
03/03/01 - Tim's PMC Bible
If you've been thinking of trying out Precious Metal Clay, then you might want to consider this book as a form of information and inspiration.
03/02/01 - Isalnd Drop Peyote Pendant
Peyote stitch is used to create a beaded bale for the Caymanite teardrop piece.
02/28/01 - Quilted Silver Beads
Use this technique to create a quilted look in metal clay in order to make some beautiful, silver beads.
02/24/01 - To Buy a Kiln or Not to Buy a Kiln
I get a lot of email concerning kilns. This is a big decision to make for most jewelry makers. Before you buy a kiln, consider some important questions you need to ask yourself.
02/23/01 - Kiln Query
Tim McCreight explains why he likes Rio Grande's PMC kiln. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it can be used for all kind of jewlery making, not just PMC.
02/21/01 - Counting the Cost
Metal clay isn't cheap. However, it's applications are almost endless when it comes to jewelry making. Is the cost really worth it though?
02/17/01 - Falling Leaf Bead
After flipping through Tim McCreight’s book "Working with Precious Metal Clay," I found this project on how to make a leaf bead. It looked so easy, and I thought this would be a good way to get started.
02/14/01 - Getting Started: Precious Metal Clay
You can start making jewelry with precious metal clay once you get the right tools and equipment. Here's what you need to get started.
02/10/01 - What is PMC?
This silver and gold clay is a great alternative for those who want to work with metal but not with a torch.
02/07/01 - Long, Long Lariat
The longer the lariat the more options there are for wearing it. With this super long lariat design, you can wear it in a number of ways.
02/04/01 - Love Affair with Pliers
Bent nosed pliers have a number of advantages to flat nosed. Discover why so many jewelry makers fall in love with theirs.
02/03/01 - Medieval Earrings
After making these earrings, they reminded me of the large, steeple style hats worn by women during the Medieval period - thus the title of these earrings.
01/31/01 - Mansfield Park
Pearls are believed to symbolize purity, and Fanny’s purity of heart is a perfect match to these sweet pearl earrings.
01/28/01 - Jump Ring Tool Review
If you make a lot of jewelry then you probably open and close a lot of jump rings. This tool is supposed to make the process easier.
01/27/01 - Jump Ring Joy
Though there are as many ways to make jump rings as there is to cook chicken, here's yet another technique to try.
01/24/01 - Northanger Abbey Earrings
Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey has a spooky or gothic twist to the plot. So, when I witnessed how these Alexanderite Czech beads eerily turned from pale purple to icy blue under white light, I thought these would be perfect to use in these earrings.
01/20/01 - Home Grown Silver
I review a video for beginning silversmithing jewelry makers.
01/17/01 - Squishy Wire Heart
Wire is bent with one hand tool and your fingers into a fun wire shape that can be worn as a pendant.
01/14/01 - Guts & Glory
Discover how this gutsy jewelry maker from our own on-line community opened her own jewelry store.
01/12/01 - Noelle's Jewelry Store Tour
Take a virtual tour of a fellow jewelry maker's own jewelry shop full of her hand-crafted wire and bead jewelry.
01/09/01 - Persuasion Earrings
I tried to create earrings that would be appropriate for an older heroine to wear such as Anne Elliot in Jane Austen's book Persuasion. That is why I selected jet crystal beads to accent the sterling wire.
01/06/01 - Fiber & Metal Lariat
I have seen all kinds of beaded lariat designs, but I wanted to create a different look. So, I combined fiber and sterling sheet to create this unique lariat.
More Features...
