Jewellery

MAKING WIREWORK TECHNIQUE

The UK's best jewellery magazine

80
PROJECTS
& IDEAS

Beginners' guide
to wirework
PART 5
Over-under weave
Inside...
• Leather feather earrings • Brick stitched festival pendants
• Floral moulded silver clay • plus resin and much more...
You don’t have to
be rich to sparkle.

Made In USA

Choose Beadalon
Wire.
Stainless Steel Memory Wire

Life is what you make it.

Making Jewellery is published
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Views and comments expressed
by individuals in Making Jewellery
magazine (ISSN 1756-4069) do
not necessarily represent those
of the publishers and no legal
responsibility can be accepted
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O
ne of the highlights of the
summer and early autumn
is festivals. Whether it’s a
music one, family orientated or
about cars (my husband’s favourite!)
festivals are a fun way to relax
and enjoy food, music and
entertainment. Along with relaxing
we mostly go dressed comfortably
with accessories to complement that style. With that in
mind we decided a festival fun issue would be perfect to
I love the current trend for feathers that’s around on
the high street this year. I’m also a fan of using leather,
as it’s lightweight and easy to work with, so when I saw
Tansy Wilson’s feathered leather earrings (page 44) I
adored them immediately! The design combinations are
vast with the ability to put your own stamp on the style
making this project a real winner.
Whether you attend festival’s or just party in your own
garden, I hope you enjoy making the lovely pieces we
have for you this month.

Sian
permission of Guild of Master
Craft sman Publications Ltd. get you thinking about casual easy to wear jewellery to
match any outdoor event.

makingjeweller y.com 1
CONTENTS
REGULARS
5 JEWELLERY TALK
The latest news, reviews and information

34 10 QUESTIONS
Interview with jeweller Jade Schol

43 BUSINESS MATTERS
Deborah Boyle provides five essential SEO
(Search Engine Optimisation) tips to help
get you noticed online

48 CZECH BEADMAKING IN PRAGUE

Chloe Menage explores the glass bead
factories in Czech Republic and attends
several bead factories

70 PRODUCT TEST
Sian Hamilton tests carrier duo beads from
Beads Direct

73 WHAT INSPIRES
Find out what inspires Masque Beads

84 PRODUCT REVIEW
String beads into necklaces and bracelets

88 BE INSPIRED BY...
This month: pompoms, ring mandrels,
sapphires and decorative wire

92 IT’S A JEWELLER’S LIFE

The latest installment of Anna
Mcloughlin’s column

TECHNIQUES
16 WIRE WEAVING PART 5
A complete beginners’ guide

94 BASIC TECHNIQUES
Beginners’ techniques to get you started

2 23
makingjeweller y.com
 ISSUE 122 • SEPTEMBER 2018

PROJECTS
9 BOHEMIAN BEAUTIES
Create gorgeous polymer clay focals for
statement necklaces

23 STYLISH SPIRALS
Make simple woven spiral designs for
any occasion

29 METAL STAMPS IN METAL CLAY

Challenge yourself with base metal clays

36 BOHO BURSTS
Join in the tassel trend with these festival-
ready brick stitch components

40 AFRICAN STYLE
Earrings designed for model Liya Kebede

44 FEATHERED LEATHER EARRINGS

Use feathers as inspiration for these lovely
leather earrings

50 FESTIVAL FUN WITH RESIN

Lightweight, larger than life pieces that
possess great UV stability

56 FLOWER PETAL BLEND

50 Use polymer clay and wire to conjure up

groovy floral designs

60 RECTANGULAR STONE SETTING

Learn an easy trick for setting irregularly

60
shaped or sharply cornered stones

66 WILD FLOWERS
Discover how to make moulds, mould silver
clay and finish to a beautiful standard

74 FUNKY FANS
Bright and fun fan shapes in colourful wire

80 AUTUMN JEWELS
A glittering set perfect for those looking for
a right-angle weave (RAW) challenge

86 GEOMETRIC CUTOUT EARRINGS

WITH EMBELLISHMENTS
Use a fundamental creative leather
jewellery cutout technique for a bold effect

36 makingjeweller y.com 3
 NEWS

JEWELLERY TALK News, reviews and all the gossip

OSMY/SHUTTERSTOCK COM
PHOTOGRAPH: MARTINA OSMY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Our Favourite Gemstones
TOURMALINE

PHOTOGRAPH
Sri Lankan stone Tourmaline comes in three species, each with their own distinctive colours and over 30 varieties. Found in granite and other
metamorphic rocks such as marble, Tourmaline is formed in liquid-rich environments and may contain small amounts of liquid trapped inside the
formed stone. Tourmaline stones can be treated using heat to enhance the appearance of colours, or transform them, depending on the species.
Schorl is dark, usually black or brown in colour, and rich in sodium. Dravite ranges from dark yellow to black, which is sodium magnesium rich. Then
there is Elbaite which ranges vastly in colour from reds to greens to colourless, and is rich in lithium. Black tourmaline is seen as a grounding stone,
providing a connection from the Earth to the human spirit, whereas a pink colour can represent humanity and love.

Ring Earrings Necklace

£18.51, AlpacaBlue on etsy.com £36, houseofaudrey.com £12, TheIvyBeeHandmade on etsy.com

Pendant Ring Earrings

£27, ARTEAMANOetsy on etsy.com £25, GEMCRUSHES on etsy.com £39, WindFlowerJewellery on Facebook

makingjeweller y.com 5
 NEWS
FAVOURITE What’s on in SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
MAKE Find out what’s happening in the jewellery world near you
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER
1 SEPTEMBER – LONDON
ADDING GOLD TO METAL CLAY
Take your metal clay creations to the next
level by adding a flourish of gold. £145,
londonjewelleryschool.co.uk
2–4 SEPTEMBER – LONDON
INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY LONDON
Delivering year-round inspiration and
innovation, the International Jewellery
London show returns to Olympia this
September, jewellerylondon.com
8–9 SEPTEMBER – FIFE
GINI WELLS SILVER CLAY BEGINNERS’ WORKSHOP
Necklaces A great class to get started with silver clay.
Learn all the basic techniques and master
the material with Emma Gordon. £140,
silverclayschool.co.uk
17–21 SEPTEMBER – BRISTOL
GLASS FUSING MASTERCLASS
From firing to lampwork, this five-day
course takes you through everything a
hobbyist needs to know about glass fusing.
£649, creativeglassguild.co.uk
20–21 SEPTEMBER – OXFORDSHIRE
SILVERSMITHING – JEWELLERY
FOR BEGINNERS & IMPROVERS
Create contemporary silver pieces using
traditional techniques. The options include
rings, earrings, cuffl inks and more. £170,
ardingtonschool.com
YVONNE HUTCHEN 25–30 SEPTEMBER &
Earrings 2–7 OCTOBER – LONDON
GOLDSMITH’S FAIR 2018
A celebration of the best established
and emerging British goldsmithing and
silversmithing talent in the heart of London,
goldsmithsfair.co.uk  you to enjoy. £7.80, thebigbeadshow.co.uk
RACHEL HUNTLEY GLASS FUSING MASTERCLASS
Pendant
6 makingjeweller y.com
28 SEPTEMBER – FIFE
ADVANCED STONE SETTING IN
SILVER CLAY
Expand your stone setting skills and create
a decorative bail of your own design. £150,
silverclayschool.co.uk
29 SEPTEMBER – LONDON
PAPER ART WITH HANNAH MILES
Pick up the basic skills of paper cutting
to create designs inspired by the iconic
architecture of the Barbican Centre and its
tropical plants. £25, shop.barbican.org.uk
OCTOBER
6–7 OCTOBER – HERTFORDSHIRE
HINGES & CLASPS
Never rely on a shop-bought hinge or
clasp again after attending this workshop
that will show you how to make them,
racheljeff rey.co.uk
11 OCTOBER – DEVON
SILVER EARRING MAKING COURSE
Spend three hours making your own pair
of earrings with the help of Bigbury Mint in
Ermington, south Devon. £35,
bigburymint.com
11–14 OCTOBER – MANCHESTER
GREAT NORTHERN CONTEMPORARY
CRAFT FAIR
Head to the Old Granada Studios in
Manchester for this season’s outing of cutting
edge art and craft design. £10 in advance or
£12 on the door, greatnorthernevents.co.uk
20 OCTOBER – LONDON
THE BIG BEAD SHOW
The biggest collection of beads all under one
roof returns to Sandown Park this autumn
with an array of workshops and classes for
22–24 OCTOBER – LONDON
TIARA AND WEDDING JEWELLERY
INTENSIVE
This three-day intensive course will give you
all the knowledge to create your own tiaras
using wire and beading techniques. £360,
londonjewelleryschool.co.uk
22–25 OCTOBER – GLASGOW
CRAFTS FOR CHRISTMAS
Deck the halls with beads and holly! Head
to the SEC Centre for all your Christmas
needs. £10, thecraftshows.co.uk

Brought to you by the queen
of craft Kirstie Allsopp
THE HANDMADE FAIR
Willow weaving, lino cutting and brush
lettering are among the variety of crafts set
to inspire and delight at The Handmade Fair,
which runs over three days this year. It takes
place is on The Green at Hampton Court
Palace, London, on 14–16 September. Find out
about the wealth of hands-on workshops and
how to get tickets at thehandmadefair.com.
COLOURFUL COURSES
FROM THE JEWELLERY BOAT
Eleanor Watson of The Jewellery Boat
teaches jewellery courses in fused glass
and enamelling on cocopper or silver
at Rainbow Glass Stu
Studios in Stoke
Newington, London.
Lond Her approach
is to encourage people
to play and rediscover
their
th creativity.
Find out more at
Fin
jewelleryboat.com
jew
or rrainbowglass
studios.co.uk.
stu
BEAD BOX CELEBRATES
ONE YEAR
Bead Box from Deborah Beads will shortly
be celebrating its fi rst anniversary. The bead
box is sent to subscribers on the fi rst week
of every month to help create something
beautiful and includes high-quality beads,
fi ndings and charms based around a surprise
theme or colour. And what’s best is that, at
only £5 per month with free UK shipping, it
costs less than a posh coffee! To sign up, go to
deborahbeads.co.uk/beadbox
NEWS
CLIMB ABOARD THE SILVER
JEWELLERY BOAT
Would you like a truly unique and satisfying
craft experience? The Silver Jewellery Boat
has moored alongside the Worcestershire
canals to introduce small groups of beginners
to the wonderful world of silver jewellery
making. The Silver Jewellery Boat is a fully
functioning jewellery workshop onboard a 60ft
narrowboat. Choose from a range of one-day
workshops to make a personal piece of silver
jewellery and enjoy some cake. Find out more at
thesilverjewelleryboat.co.uk
MAKE YOUR OWN
‘BEADED BEADS’
Beads Direct has
released a range of beads to hold peyote
stitch strips. The Carrier Duo™ beads come
in a palette of eight striking colours and are
designed so jewellers can create their own tiny
peyote stitch patterns, wrap the strip onto
the carrier bead and then stitch the two sides
together around it. Check out p70 for a product
test using these fab carriers! See the great range
of colours and find out more about their bead
patterns at beadsdirect.co.uk
makingjeweller y.com
ENAMELLING IN SILVER CLAY
WITH JOY FUNNELL
15 & 16 SEPTEMBER, 9.30AM–5PM
£275 (including 25g Art Clay Silver 999)
Contact: Tracey Spurgin
Yorkshire-based Craftworx has released dates
for an exciting workshop, Enamelling in Silver
Clay led by award-winning jewellery artist Joy
Funnell. During this workshop, you can make
your own silver pendant with sculpted pieces
of decoration and your choice of bail design.
Tutor Joy Funnell says: ‘I love colours and
textures. Having started out with traditional
jewellery techniques and materials my fi rst
encounter with silver clay changed my life.
I’m passionate about using it and combining
it with enamel.’
Craftworx is a dedicated metal clay studio,
set just outside the picturesque village of
Bishop Burton in East Yorkshire. Find out more
about the workshop at craftworx.co.uk
THICK AND GLOSSY
DOMING RESIN
Resin8 has launched an easy-to-use two-part
epoxy resin for doming resin jewellery. The
resin, Resin8 Doming Epoxy Resin, can create
a high dome, but also works well in shallow
castings. The resin is specifically designed to
work in cool temperatures (i.e. around 15°C)
although it will cure more quickly if heated.
Unheated, the pot life is around 30 to 45
minutes and the cure time at room temperature
is 12 hours or overnight. Any Resin8 pigments
can be added to the resin as well as other
elements including mica powder, glitter and
acrylic ink. Resin8 say: ‘Our jewellery doming
resin takes colour very well. With minimal
bubbling and excellent water resistance, this
new resin is perfect for jewellery makers.’ Find
out more at resin8.co.uk
o.uk
7
 PROJECT

BOHEMIAN
BEAUTIES ZOË LYNHAM

I
adore the boho look in the summer
months, so what better than creating
some polymer clay focals for statement
necklaces? Combine them with moulded
polymer clay feathers, gemstone beads
and chips, as well as chain and tassels, to
▼

beautifully accessorise your summer outfit.

makingjeweller y.com 9
 PROJECT

MATERIALS & TOOLS

● Pasta machine/clay roller
● Acrylic roller
● Rigid and flexible blades
● Small ball stylus tool
● Needle tool
● Ceramic or glass tile
● Large baking sheet
● Ceramic tile, polyester batting and foil
(for curing)
● Texture sheets 1 2
● Sculpey Etch and Pearl tools
● Extruder and disc set
● Small tubular circle cutters

PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, ZOË LYNHAM

● Fancy fondant cutters
● Polymer clay in black, gold, red, orange,
purple, turquoise, green and pink
● Kato Polypaste or liquid polymer clay
● Wire crinkler tool
● Silicone feather mould
● Small circle and rectangle cutters
● Large cutters of choice (for focal piece)
● Pin vice and small drill bits (1–2mm)
3 4
● Baking rack and bead piercing pins
● Clear acetate block
● Acrylic paint in metallic silver, metallic gold
and burnt umber HOW TO MAKE
● GS Hypo Cement glue
● Sponge daubers
● Soft brush Cabochon focal pieces (page 9)
● Baby wipes
● Paintbrush 1. Roll out a medium thick sheet of black
● Perfect Pearls in Heirloom Gold and Pewter polymer clay and lay your chosen gemstone on
● 0.6mm (22 gauge) and 0.8mm (20 gauge) the top. Use your chosen large, cutter, to cut
plated copper wire out a shape around the gemstone, leaving a
● Large jumprings, chain, headpins, border to add further embellishments. Use your
crimp beads, crimp covers and clasps extruder to extrude thin strings of black clay.
● Bead stringing wire The disc I used had four small, circular holes.
● 6mm faceted beads
● Cotton tassels 2. Lay an extruded string of clay around the
● Fancy tube and round metal spacers edge of the cabochon, gently placing it close
● Gemstone cabochons to the gemstone. Trim the extruded clay at the
● Gemstone chip strands top of the gemstone. Add another extruded
● Jewellery pliers, cutters and bail making pliers string over this, so that once the clay is cured,
the gemstone cannot fall out. Add a further
two strings of extruded clay around the edge
of the cabochon, trimming in the same place
as before. Roll out a thinner sheet of black clay.
Use the small tube cutter and the medium etch
and pearl tool to add circles around the edge of
gemstone, to create further detail. Add another
extruded string of black clay around the edge of
the shape to finish. Cure the piece according to
the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Use the wire crinkler tool and the zigzag gear
to shape a length of 0.8mm wire. Bend the wire
gently with your fingers so that it fits the curve
at the bottom of the cured piece. Make sure the
ends bend inwards. Cover the back of the piece
with a thin layer of Kato Polypaste or liquid clay
and position the crinkled wire on the back. Use
some scrap black clay to secure the ends of the
wire into position. This will help you to keep
them in the right position when you add the
backing to the piece. Place a large jumpring at
the top of the piece, so it can be strung onto a
necklace chain later.
4. Roll a texture sheet through the clay roller,
to create a textured medium thick sheet to use
as a backing. Use the same cutter to cut out the
backing piece from the textured sheet. Place the
textured side face up on to the cured piece and
use the same texture sheet to gently press the
two pieces together, to ensure good connection.
Use your flexible blade if necessary, to trim the
edges. Cure the whole piece again.
5. Use the sponge dauber and metallic silver
paint to highlight the details you added around
the cabochon. Use the barest amount of paint
so that only the raised parts of the clay are
painted. Build up the colours in layers until you
are happy with the fi nish. If you find you have
some paint on the cabochon as you work, use
a damp cotton bud to clean up the gemstone.
Leave the piece to dry completely.
6. Use a medium to thin sheet of black polymer
clay to create the feathers to hang from the
bottom of the framed cabochon. Cut out seven
feathers freehand, ranging in size, using the
needle tool. Mark a centre line and then add
lines going from the centre to the edge, to
create the look of feathers. Use a very small
tube cutter to cut out a hole at the top for
stringing. Cure the pieces. Use the metallic
silver paint sparingly with a sponge dauber,

10 makingjeweller y.com

5 6
8 9
11
to highlight the surface detail. (If you find the
surface is a little rough, you can lightly sand it
before painting.)
7. Use your coordinating beads, 0.6mm wire
and jewellery pliers/cutters to make two
beaded chains of your desired length (see page
94 for details to make an eye loop), to attach
to either side of the jumpring embedded in
the polymer clay framed cabochon. Add a
toggle clasp using jumprings to complete
the top part of the necklace.
8. Use your bail-making pliers and 0.6mm
wire to make a loop on to which a polymer
clay feather can be placed. Wrap the loop,
trimming off any excess wire, then add a 6mm
coordinating gemstone, before forming another
loop at the end. Attach this to the crinkled wire
at the bottom of the framed cabochon and wrap
the loop to secure. Trim off any excess wire.
Repeat this process until you have attached all
the feathers, with the longest one in the middle
and the shortest ones furthest from the centre.
The necklace is now complete.
PROJECT
12
9. Page 13 shows a gold oval version of this
necklace. Use Steps 1 to 8 to make different
versions of this design. You can use a different
cabochon, with a different shape, such as the
oval shown here. Change the overall look by
using a different metallic paint, such as gold.
10. Use a different coloured 6mm bead to
create the beaded chain for either side of the
focal piece, using appropriate coloured 0.6mm
wire. The feathers are created using the same
method, but are all the same length and are
accented with metallic gold paint. They are
attached in the same way as before, using the
same 6mm beads used in the beaded chain.
Fancy fondant cutters (page 13)
11. To make the focal piece for this pendant,
use the fancy fondant cutter to cut out a large
shape from a thick sheet of black polymer
clay, making sure you press the plunger down
fi rmly so that not only is the shape cut out,
but it is embossed with the pattern too. You
can add additional details to the pattern
makingjeweller y.com
7
10
13
produced, using a ball stylus tool and a very
small tube cutter.
12. Use a soft brush to apply the Perfect Pearls
‘Pewter’ coloured mica powders to both sides
of the focal piece. Use the brush to burnish the
powders firmly on to the clay, removing any
excess as you work. These mica powders have
a resin mixed in, so that when they are cured,
there should not be any need to seal the piece
with a varnish. Cure the piece according to the
manufacturer’s instructions. Use the pin vice
and drill bit to drill holes along the bottom edge,
big enough to accommodate a large jumpring.
These are to attach the beaded chains.
13. Use the gemstone chips and 0.6mm wire to
create beaded chains to your preferred length.
Add a fancy metal spacer bead to the end using
the jumprings. Cut pieces of chain to the same
length as your beaded chains and use the large
jumprings to connect both the chain lengths
and the beaded chains to the polymer clay
focal piece. See p94 for how to open and close
▼
jumprings and make wrapped loops.
11

14
17
20
14. Use the same fancy metal spacer beads and
coordinating 6mm beads to create two short
beaded chains to go either side of the focal
piece. You will need to drill two holes on the
top edge of the polymer clay focal on either side
using your pin vice and then attach the beaded
chains using a large jumpring. Attach your
chosen length of chain to the beaded chain,
followed by a clasp, to finish the necklace.
15. To make the tassel piece (opposite page
bottom left), use a set of graduated fancy
cutters to cut out and emboss two small and
one large shape from a thick sheet of black
polymer clay. Colour them as before but
with ‘Heirloom Gold’ Perfect Pearls and cure
the piece. Use the pin vice to drill holes for
stringing together and adding embellishments,
as shown in the photograph.
16. To create the polymer clay accent beads, take
two different colours of polymer clay plus gold
and black and condition small sheets of each.
Randomly chop the sheets using a rigid blade
and mix them up before squeezing them together
and flattening slightly using an acrylic roller.
17. To create the veneer for your beads, roll this
sheet through the clay roller, then fold in half
12
PROJECT
15
18
21
and repeat, until you have a stripy, marbled
effect. Use a circle cutter cut out the core of the
beads in gold clay and roll into a ball. Using this
cutter each time will ensure you have accent
beads of equal size. Roll the beads slightly to
make them into a tube. Take a rectangle cutter
large enough to wrap the tube bead and cut out
a piece of the veneer.
18. Roll this round the gold tube bead,
smoothing the join of the veneer, then gently
pinch the ends together to hide the gold core.
Roll the covered core in your hands to create a
round bead. Twist a bead-piercing pin through
the middle and use a small acrylic block to
slightly flatten the bead. Repeat this to create
more beads. Cure them on a beading rack
according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
19. Take a ready-made tassel and apply a little
GS Hypo cement glue just below the loop of the
tassel. Slide on a fancy tube spacer bead and set
aside to dry. Repeat this with other tassels.
20. Join the polymer clay focal pieces using
large jumprings. Use bead-stringing wire and
add a mixture of accent gemstone beads and
metal spacers, threading enough between the
jumprings at the top of the focal pieces so that
makingjeweller y.com
16
19
22
they sit evenly apart when worn. Attach a length
of chain to the outside edge of the smaller focal
piece and slide this onto the bead stringing wire.
Add a crimp bead and a length of chain either
side and create a loop by threading back through
the crimp bead. Squash the crimp bead flat and
add a crimp bead cover. Trim any excess bead
stringing wire. Use jumprings to add a clasp to
the chain. Attach some accent beads on headpins,
as shown in the photo, to the focal pieces.
21. Create a loop with the 0.6mm wire and add
a tassel. Wrap the loop and trim any excess. You
should now have an eye pin with a tassel attached.
Slide on one of the polymer clay beads and create
another loop. Attach this to a length of chain and
wrap to secure. Trim any excess wire. Add these
chains to the bottom of the focal pieces using
large jump rings. The necklace is now complete.
Textured focals (opposite page, top left & page 15)
22. Texture a medium thick sheet of gold
polymer clay with a texture sheet of your
choice. You can either run it through the clay
roller with your polymer clay if it is a thin
texture sheet, or use your acrylic roller to press
the texture sheet into the clay. Use your chosen
▼
cutter to shape the focal piece of the clay.

23
26
29
23. Take small sheets of conditioned clay in red
and orange and use the large and medium etch
and pearl tool to add an interesting pattern to
the clay. Cure this focal piece according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.
24. Turn the piece over and add a thin layer
of Kato Polypaste or liquid clay. Place closed
jumprings, with the join on the clay piece, along
the bottom edge of the focal piece and on either
side at the top. These will be used to add other
components later. Roll a medium thick sheet
of black clay through the clay roller with a thin
texture sheet and use the same cutter to cut out
a backing for the focal piece. Place it down on
the cured piece, textured side up, and use your
texture sheet to gently press the two pieces
together so there is a good connection and no
air bubbles. Use a rigid blade to trim the edges
if necessary. Cure the piece again.
25. Use a brush to cover the piece using Burnt
Umber acrylic paint. Wipe off the excess
from the raised parts of the piece to reveal
the coloured dots of clay and to highlight the
texture. Set aside to dry.
26. Use a feather silicone mould to create
14
PROJECT
24
27
30
feathers in red, orange and gold polymer clay.
Cure the pieces and drill a small hole at the
top of each feather and then cover with Burnt
Umber acrylic paint as in the previous step, to
highlight the texture. Once the excess paint
has been wiped off, set aside to dry.
27. Create several beaded chains using 6mm
accent beads, to your desired length. Attach a
length of chain to the feathers using jumprings,
so that they are the same length as the beaded
chains. Cut lengths of another chain to the
same overall size. Use jumprings to attach these
elements to the embedded jumprings at the
bottom of the focal piece. Attach two lengths of
chain either side of the focal piece, towards the
top, using jumprings. Add a clasp to complete
the necklace.
28. Follow the same instructions to make
different styles in this design. On the silver
necklace (page 13, top left) I have used silver
clay as the main piece, a different texture
sheet, purple and pink pearls of clay to add
detail and silver paint to highlight the texture.
29. For this design I decided to select four
different sized accent beads and create
makingjeweller y.com
25
28
beaded chains. Attach a length of chain to
the end with the largest bead. Cut lengths of
chain that are the same overall length. Use
jumprings to attach these components to the
embedded jumprings at the bottom of the
focal piece.
30. Create two more beaded chains with
the same accent beads. Attach a chain to
the end with the smallest bead and add the
end with the largest bead to the focal piece
using jumprings. Add a clasp to the chain, to
complete the necklace.
RESOURCES
Other materials and tools are available
from advertisers in this magazine
Fancy fondant cutters and small
tube cutters: ebay.co.uk
CONTACT
Email: zoelynham@googlemail.com
Facebook: @ZLJewelleryObsession
Facebook group: Polymer Clay Obsession
Twitter: @ZoeLynham
Instagram: zoelynham
15
 COMPLETE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO

WIRE WEAVING
Part 5
KAREN CAINE

S
o far this series has used
different forms of over-
over (soumake) weave to
demonstrate various wire weaving
techniques, but that’s not the only
style available. Over-under (basket)
weave can be used to bind parallel
frame wires in the same way as
over-over weave, but it really shows
its beauty when stretched between
widely spaced frame wires. As with
over-over weave, you can also vary
the pattern and add beads, but
the results look very different.
In effect, learning this simple
weave doubles the number of
styles you can employ in your
designs and enables you to fi ll in
areas that would otherwise remain
as simple outlines.

MATERIALS & TOOLS

● 1mm (18 gauge) and 0.3mm
(28 gauge) soft round wire
● 3mm bicone beads
● Flush cutters
● Round nose and nylon-jaw pliers

16

1 2
4 5
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAUREL GUILFOYLE, KAREN CAINE
7 8
Basic over-under weave
1. Cut two 6cm lengths of 1mm frame wire and
40cm of 0.3mm weaving wire. Lay the weaving
wire across the front of the first frame wire
(#1FW), leaving a tail of a few centimetres and
form a single loop, just as you would at the start
of an over-over weave. Then lay the second
frame wire  (#2FW) on top of the weaving wire
as shown.
2. Bring the weaving wire up, over and behind
#2FW to create a new loop.
3. Pass the weaving wire across the front of
#2FW and then across the gap and under
#1FW. This is the ‘over-under’ movement that
differentiates this weave from the ‘over-over’
weave featured in the first four parts of this
guide. Form a full loop around #1FW...
4. …then take the weaving wire across the front
face of #1FW, across the gap and under #2FW.
5. Repeat Steps 2 to 4 for as long as required,
then loop one of the frame wires twice, trim the
weaving wire with your flush cutters and tuck
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
3
6
9
HOW TO MAKE
the end in tight against the frame wire. This is
the basic over-under weave, but it works a little
differently when you have more than two wires.
Adding extra frame wires
6. Cut three 6cm 1mm frame wires and 50cm of
0.3mm weaving wire. Start the weave as you did
in Step 1, but don’t form a loop around #2FW.
Instead, take the weaving wire up and across the
face of a third frame wire (#3FW).
7. Bring the weaving wire down, behind, up and
across the face of #3FW to create a new loop.
8. Pass the weaving wire under #3FW and
over the front of #2FW and behind and
around #1FW.
9. Continue this pattern, forming loops around
the outer frame wires to anchor the weave and
passing directly over or under the middle wires.
Once you have enough weaving, trim and tuck in
the end of the weaving wire as you did in Step 5.
10. This same pattern applies, no matter how
many frame wires you add. We’ve not shown
makingjeweller y.com
it here, but you can also create patterns in the
same way as discussed in Part 2 of this guide
(see MJ118). For example, you could weave across
two wires twice, then add a third frame wire
and weave across just the second and third wires
twice, before weaving around the first two frame
wires again.
Spanning gaps
11. The criss-crossing pattern created by this
weave looks particularly good when used to span
gaps between frame wires. To try it for yourself;
cut two 8cm lengths of 1mm frame wire and
70cm of 0.3mm weaving wire. Repeat Steps 1 to
4 to create five sets of over-under weave, then
holding the weave firmly in position, bend the
frame wires out to form a V-shape. Loop around
the back of #2FW and over the front of #1FW.
Make sure that the wire across the gap is straight
and taut, but take care not to pull the frame
wires out of position (you can support them with
your non-dominant hand while positioning the
weaving wire if necessary). Loop the weaving
wire around #1FW, making sure that you
draw the loops tight by pulling the wire in a
▼
perpendicular direction in relation to the frame
17

10
13
16
wires. (This is how you should always draw
loops tight, but it’s especially important when
weaving across a gap to avoid pulling the frame
wires out of position.) Pass the weaving wire
from under #1FW to the front of #2FW, again
being careful to have a straight, taut wire and
not to disturb the frame wires’ positions, then
loop around #2FW. Continue weaving in this
way until you’re ready to finish, then trim and
tuck in the end as usual.
12. This example is the same as Step 11, but
here we start with three 8cm lengths of 1mm
wire and use the weaving style outlined in
Steps 6 to 9. Notice how each additional wire
you add, creates another set of elegant criss-
crossing wires.
13. There’s nothing to say that these extra wires
need to be straight. If you wish, you can curve
the interior wires into any shape you please.
14. Another effective way of varying the
appearance is to change how often the loops
span the gap. For this example, start as you did
in Step 11, but this time coil #2FW five times
before taking the weaving wire across to #1FW
and placing it alongside the last loop made on
that frame wire, which is diagonally across
from its departure point on #2FW. Loop #1FW
18
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
11
14
17
five times, making sure that the loops are tight
against their predecessors, then cross back to
#2FW. This time the crossing wire should be
straight rather than diagonal. Continue weaving
in this way for as long as you please, then trim
and tuck in the end as usual.
15. In the last example, we balanced the
number of coils and loops on each frame wire
to create a symmetrical weave, but you can
also exploit extra coils to help you weave in an
asymmetrical way, as is the case in this spiral.
The circumference of the inner loop here is
much smaller than the circumference of the
outer loop, so if we want the ‘spokes’ of our wire
weave to radiate evenly, we need to coil the outer
loop more than the inner one. You can find out
more about making spirals like this in the project
starting on page 23.
Closing the gap
16. Over-under weave is often used to make
leaves, wings and other tapering shapes. To try
this, cut three 6cm lengths of 1mm frame wire
and 1m of 0.3mm weaving wire. Weave them
together in a similar way to Step 12, then once
you have three sets, form the frame wires into
a leaf shape. Continue weaving. This should be
straightforward while the outer frame wires are
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12
15
18
widening, but as soon as they start to taper
inwards, the weaving becomes much trickier
as the loops have a natural tendency to slide
to where the gap is narrower. You can see this
here, where the last loops are straying to the
right. You can’t rely on shunting the loops into
position after they have been formed, either
(see ‘Shunting the weave’ panel on page 20),
because the gap between the wires will be too
wide to accommodate loops made across the
narrower section.
17. To stop the weave slipping in this way, you
need to hold the previous loops in position
while forming the next one. This is tricky to do
using just your fi ngers, but you can make things
much easier by creating stops for the wires with
tiny pieces of pierced silicone, rubber or a pencil
eraser. Once made, you can slide these stops
onto the frame wires to hold the existing loops
in position, then continue weaving as normal,
nudging the stops further along the frame
wires as required.
18. Using stops in this way results in a much
more uniform weave and is easier to do. The top
shape, which was made without stops, suffers
from uneven tension, resulting in irregular
spacing and baggy crossing wires. The bottom
▼
shape, made with stops, is far more uniform.
 TIPS & TECHNIQUES

EXTRA TECHNIQUES
Shunting the weave
Shunting the weave
You can improve the appearance of all types of weaves using shunting. This is
similar to the beating technique that loom weavers use to close up the weft strands,
but instead of using a comb-like instrument wire weavers use nylon-jaw pliers.
Begin by bracing the frame wires just behind the newly woven section with your
non-dominant hand. Then, using your dominant hand, place nylon-jaw pliers just
in front of the newly woven section and slide them along the frame wires to pack the
weave more tightly together (1).
1

extra loops

2 3 4

adding beads

5 6 7

Extra loops
You may be wondering why there are full
loops around the outer frame wires of
this weave, rather than simple U-turns.
The reason is that the loops anchor the
weave to the frame wires and create more
even spacing. These extra loops become
even more important when the frame
wires aren’t parallel, as you can see from
this example without the extra loops (2)
compared to this example with them (3).
Some designers prefer to add loops to all
the frame wires (4). Once again, the loops
help to keep everything in position (interior
wires that aren’t wrapped or otherwise
secured can be easily pulled out of a
fi nished weave). On the other hand, there
are other ways to secure frame wires and
not wrapping the interior wires, gives the
weave a lighter, more airy appearance as
you can see if you compare this weave with
the one in Step 12 (page 18). Ultimately, it’s
up to you, which version you use.
Adding beads
You can get some really interesting effects by
adding beads to over-under weave. Start as
outlined in Step 14 (page 18), but this time coil
each frame wire nine times, then, once the
frame wires are wide enough apart, thread a
3mm bicone bead onto the weaving wire as
it crosses between the two. Choose where on
the wire you want the bead to sit (the way the
wires cross mean that the bead stays in place).
Continue weaving in this way until you have
the desired effect, then trim and tuck in the
weaving wire as usual (5).
You can also add beads to the frame wires.
Although the finished look is very different,
this version is exactly the same as the previous
weave with the exception that the bead has
been added to one frame wire after the weaving
wire has crossed over to the other, rather than
sitting on the weaving wire itself (6).
And here’s the same weave again, except
this time the weaving wire crosses back and
forth between the two frame wires five times
between the beads and coils. The examples
shown here are very simple, but there are lots
of possibilities out there to discover. Try using
different colours and sizes of beads, various
weaving patterns or adding frame wires.
Experiment and see what you can discover (7).
CONTACT
facebook.com/thecraftydwarf
Missed parts 1 to 4? Order MJ117, MJ118,
MJ120 and MJ121 now at
makingjewellery.com

20 makingjeweller y.com
 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Coral seed pendant,
Triangular bangle, Lapis sky necklace,
all etsy.com/shop/AlabamaStudio

LEFT: Copper washer woven wire

RIGHT: Amazonite pendant,
both pillarofsaltstudio.com
BELOW: Vintage-inspired
INSPIRATIONAL PIECES wirework, sammifletcher.com

Dragon arm wrap,

Debbie Benninger,
idjewelryanddesign.com

Wire wraps, Lindsey Lehman,

etsy.com/shop/MorningDewDesignShop 21
 Bead House have launched a monthly treat box, full
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STYLISH
SPIRALS KAREN CAINE

W
ire weaving doesn’t have to be
complicated to be impressive.
Inspired by the basic over-under,
basket weave techniques in this month’s
Complete Beginner’s Guide on page 16,
these simple woven spirals make stylish
statement pieces whatever the occasion.

MATERIALS & TOOLS

● 2mm (12 gauge), 1.6mm (14 gauge),
1.5mm (15 gauge), 1.25mm (16 gauge)
and 1mm (18 gauge) bare, uncoated wire
(such as Sterling silver or copper)
for the frames
● 0.6mm (22 gauge), 0.4mm (26 gauge)
and 0.3mm (28 gauge) wire for weaving
● 4mm and 2.5mm beads with large holes
● Chain, clasps, large jumprings
● Flush cutters
● Round nose or step bail-making, nylon-jaw
and chain nose pliers
● 35mm, 25mm, 16mm and 12mm cylindrical
mandrels

makingjeweller y.com 23

1 2
4 5
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, KAREN CAINE
7 8
Pendant with three silver beads
1. Cut a 20cm length of 2mm uncoated dead
soft wire. Wrap it one and half times around a
mandrel that’s 35mm in diameter. I used a tub
of cut lube, but you could also use the thick end
of a ring mandrel, a mini bottle (such as those
for Tabasco sauce) or a spice jar.
2. Pull the two ends apart in a lateral direction,
opening up the coil without distorting the
circular shape. This will give you space to use
your round nose or bail-making pliers to make a
bail loop 6mm in diameter from which you will
hang your pendant. Make a smaller loop in the
opposite direction at the other end of the wire.
This loop should be around 3mm in diameter.
3. Brace the circle shape by holding the two
wires where they meet just below the bail loop
and then push the smaller loop up and across so
that its bottom sits in the centre of the circle. If
you gently push the wire, rather than trying to
pull it, the wire will arc in a smooth curve.
4. Place the pendant on a steel block and use
a dome-faced hammer to flatten and work-
24
PROJECT
3
6
9
HOW TO MAKE
harden the wire. Make sure you brace the
circle with your fingers when you hammer
it, as you don’t want it to become misshapen.
Once you have completed one side, turn it over
and flatten the other side, again bracing the
shape with your fingers. If you wish, you can
also add a texture to both sides of the wire. I
used the ball end of the hammer, but there are
other options, such as purpose-made texture
hammers, crosshead hammers or you can use a
brass-head mallet with punches or blunt nails.
5. Cut 75cm of 0.6mm weaving wire. Form a
coil of four loops around the outer edge of the
spiral (which we’ll call #1FW) and push it up
beside the bail loop. Then pass the weaving
wire across to the arc of wire inside the spiral
(#2FW) using the over-under weave detailed
in the Complete Beginner’s Guide starting on
page 16. Coil #2FW twice, take the wire back to
#1FW and coil four times, then back to #2FW
and coil twice, forming a figure-of-eight as you
pass between the frame wires.
6. Continue this 4-2 over-under weave. If you’re
right handed, you may find it easier to do this
with the spiral held upside down. You can also
makingjeweller y.com
make things simpler by using your thumb
to push the weaving wire through the gap as
shown, as opposed to trying to poke it through
end-first.
7. Once you have completed your weaving
(between nine and 12 sets work well), it’s time
to tidy up the ends. Use your flush cutters to
snip off the tail you left at the beginning and
the excess wire at the end. Squeeze the cut ends
tight against the frame wire. As you squeeze,
rotate the pliers in the direction the wire was
travelling. This will help to force it tighter.
8. Cut a 15cm piece of 0.6mm wire. Wrap it
three times around #1FW at around the 5
o’clock position. Thread on a 4mm bead. Hold
the bead tight against the frame wire and start
to loop the wire again as shown. Repeat for the
second and third beads.
9. Trim and tuck in the weaving wire as
detailed in Step 7. To fi nish the pendant, add
large jumprings to the bail loop then slide it
▼
onto a necklace of your choice.
 PROJECT

makingjeweller y.com 25

10
13
Pendant with ‘floating’ beads (page 25)
10. This pendant starts in a similar way to the
first one, but it’s slightly smaller with 15cm of
1.6mm uncoated wire wrapped around a 25mm
mandrel (I used a ring mandrel, but a bottle
cap would work just as well). Make 4mm and
2mm loops at the ends of the wire, then form
the spiral shape by pushing the small loop into
the middle and hammer it as before. Cut 80cm
of 0.4mm wire and use it to weave a 4-2 pattern
as detailed in Steps 5 and 6, but this time, once
the space between the frame wires is wide
enough, slide beads onto the weaving wire as it
passes back and forth. I chose to use different
sized beads (2.5mm and 4mm) and a random
pattern of distribution that misses out some of
the crossing wires, but feel free to experiment
to create your own designs.
11. Once the weaving is complete, trim and tuck
in the ends of the weaving wire. Then cut 15cm
of 0.4mm wire and add three beads in the 5
o’clock position. Add jumprings to the bail loop
and slide onto a necklace to finish the piece.
Three-spiral necklace (page 25)
12. Repeat Steps 1 to 7 to create three spirals.
For the big spiral, cut a 20cm length of 1.5mm
frame wire and wrap it around a 35mm
mandrel. Then make the weave with 75cm of
0.6mm wire. For the middle spiral, cut 10cm
of 1.5mm wire and wrap it around a 16mm
mandrel (I used the cap of a nail varnish bottle).
26
PROJECT
11
14
Use 30cm of 0.4mm weaving wire. For the
smallest spiral, cut 8cm of 1mm wire and wrap
it around a 12mm mandrel (a Sharpie pen is
perfect). Cut 20cm of 0.3mm wire for weaving.
Once the spirals are complete, join the largest
spiral to the medium one. To do this, cut 30cm
of 0.4mm wire and slide it behind the two
spirals so that its halfway point is where you
want the middle of the join to be. Take one half
of the weaving wire and, using the basic over-
under weave covered in Steps 1 to 5 (p17), weave
outwards from the point where you want the
middle of the join to be. Once you’ve completed
six sets of this weave, trim and tuck in the end
of the weaving wire.
13. Repeat with the other half of the weaving
wire, this time moving in the other direction
to complete the join. (Using this two-halves
technique means you can avoid the difficulties
of weaving between narrowing frame wires
as discussed in Steps 16 to 18 on p18.) Join the
middle and smallest spirals together in the
same way using a 15cm length of 0.3mm wire.
Place the three spirals in front of you and fi nd
gaps where you can just slot in 4mm beads to
help stabilise the piece. Use the techniques
discussed in Part 4 of this guide (MJ121)
to join the spirals together with the beads
between them (you can see these fi nished
links in Step 16).
14. Create a bead dangle by cutting 5cm of
0.8mm wire and making a simple loop at one
end (see Basic Techniques, p94). Slide a 4mm
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12
15
bead tight against the loop, then create a
second loop to fi x it in place. Cut off the excess
wire using flush cutters. Repeat to create as
many dangles as required.
15. Add the bead dangles to different lengths of
chain and connect them to the bail loop of the
bottom spiral with a large jumpring.
16. Finish the necklace by adding a chain
and a clasp. If you wish, you can change the
orientation of this piece by connecting the
necklace to the largest and middle-size spirals
and hanging the dangle from the smallest one.
Lariat (page 23)
17. Cut 25cm of 1.6mm wire and wrap it around
a 35mm mandrel. Pull the wire apart laterally,
so that you can shape the ends of the wire
without disturbing the circle shape. Slide a
4mm bead onto the wire, then take hold of the
end with chain nose pliers and make a sharp
bend so that the bead can’t slide off, but so you
can still easily hold the end of the wire with
your pliers. Push the bead against the bend and
begin to roll the wire inwards and around it
by twisting the wrist of the hand holding the
pliers. Use the forefinger of your other hand to
keep wire close to the bead.
18. Once you have made one-and-a-half turns
around the bead, cut the wire flush against the
bead, being very careful not to let the bead slip
off. Now push the bead up into the centre of

16
19
22
the circle, so that the cut end rests against the
circled wire and the bead is trapped (as shown).
You may need to use nylon-jaw pliers to ‘bite’
across the circling wires and bring them all onto
the same plane. Once you’re happy with how the
bead is sitting, push it up into the centre of the
circle as you did with the loop in Step 3.
19. Create a 6mm bail loop at the other end
of the wire by rolling the wire in the opposite
direction until it is above the point where the
spiral begins its inward arc. Cut off the excess
wire and push the loop closed. Weave around
the spiral by repeating Steps 5 to 7. Make a small
spiral as you did in Step 12 with 8cm of 1mm
wire wrapped around a 12mm mandrel and
20cm length of 0.3mm weaving wire. Add some
bead dangles (see Steps 14 and 15), then connect
the two spirals with a long length of chain.
Pendant with two weaving wires (page 23)
20. Form a spiral shape around a 35mm mandrel.
We’ve added a half-turned bead to the middle
of ours, but you can create a hammered spiral
shape by following Steps 1 to 4 or a one-and-
PROJECT
17
20
23
half-turn beaded one by following Steps 17 and
18. Once you have the spiral, cut two 75cm
lengths of different-coloured, 0.3mm weaving
wire. Smooth the two strands, then holding
them next to one another begin to weave the
4-2 pattern. Weaving with two wires at the
same time isn’t particularly difficult, but you do
need to pay attention and make sure that the
wires don’t cross. Once the weaving is complete,
trim both wires and tuck them in as usual. Add
jumprings and a chain to finish the piece off.
Bracelet (page 23)
21. To create a double spiral link, cut 18cm
of 1.25mm wire and wrap it around a 16mm
mandrel, as shown.
22. Make 2mm loops at both ends of the
wire and push them into the middle of their
respective circles to form a double spiral shape.
Hammer and texture the shape as desired,
making sure you brace the intersection so
the shape isn’t distorted. Cut 50cm of 0.4mm
weaving wire and coil its mid-point around the
wire in the shape’s centre.
makingjeweller y.com
18
21
24
23. Weave a 4-2 pattern at the top, using one
half of the wire, then repeat at the bottom.
Trim and tuck in the ends. Repeat Steps 21 to
23 to create two more double spiral links.
24. Make two woven spirals using 10cm of
1.25mm wire around a 16mm mandrel with
30cm of 0.4mm wire for weaving. Connect the
double spiral links you made earlier together
with jumprings, then add one of the small
woven spirals to each end of the bracelet as
shown. Finish the piece by attaching a ready-
made hook to act as the clasp.
RESOURCES
Copper wire: wires.co.uk
Sterling silver wire and beads:
cooksongold.com
Copper jumprings: beadsisters.co.uk
Copper clasps and beads: alchemyandice.com
All other items: etsy.com or ebay.co.uk
CONTACT
facebook.com/thecraftydwarf
27
READ

ANYWHERE!

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 PROJECT

METAL STAMPS
IN METAL CLAY ELSA MORRIS

F
ollowing on from my
stamping project in
MJ120, here is another
way of using your metal
stamps. I really love being able
to use tools in multifunctional
ways; the beauty of this method
is that you can easily deal with
mistakes without waste and the imprint
is satisfyingly deep, even and crisp.
Using base metal clays can be challenging
to start with, while fine silver clay is much
more straightforward. However, with
practice it does get easier!

MATERIALS & TOOLS

● Aussie Metal Clay in Desert Sun Medium Fire
● Metal clay accessories including activated
carbon, steel firing dish, copper wire and
rolling pins
● Various tools, fi les and pliers
● Sanding and buffi ng blocks
● Stencil templates
● Vintage pattern stamps, red brass chains,
artisan Czech glass beads
● Patina (either Platinol or Liver of Sulphur)
● Bicarbonate of soda
● Kiln
● Protective equipment, including gloves, apron,
▼

safety glasses and respiratory masks

29

1 2
4 5
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, ELSA MORRIS
7 8
1. I used Aussie Metal Clay Desert Sun, which
comes in powder form. The instructions for the
clay advise that using distilled water to create the
clay makes it more workable. You will need a tub,
a spritzing bottle and something to mix with,
such as a silicone modelling tool. Be careful not
to over-wet the clay or it will become slip. Once
the clay is in a usable form, roll it out a few times
in between cling film, then roll into a ball and let
it rest for around 30 minutes before using.
2. Lubricate the tools using olive oil or your
preferred lubricant to prevent sticking and
roll out to at least six cards thick. Then, using
a needle tool and stencil (or your preferred
cutter), cut out the base shapes.
3. Place a small sparing ‘fingertip’ of oil on
to the clay to help prevent the stamps from
sticking to it. You can try out your design by
using an ink-pad and paper, or in polymer clay
beforehand. When you have decided on your
design, lightly press your stamps into the wet
clay. Allow to fully dry.
30
PROJECT
3
6
9
HOW TO MAKE
4. To make additional marks in the clay use
a slightly blunt pencil and lightly press this
in between the stamped marks. If you go
wrong, you can start over again very easily.
Allow to dry.
5. Another method of using the stamps is to
stamp them out first, then cut out the design
either using a scalpel, needle tool or cutters
according to your preference. This method cuts
down on the amount of clean-up in the dry
stage. Allow to dry fully. Don’t worry about the
shapes being uneven at this stage.
6. To make the base shape, cut out a freehand
shape using a scalpel. Use the small dry cut
outs and rolled balls as embellishments. Use
some paste to attach the embellishments.
To make a paste, take a pinch of clay mixed
with water to a double cream consistency.
Apply using a brush or silicone-tipped tool.
Use sparingly so as not to fi ll in your stamped
design. If it does ooze out, remove gently with a
dry, clay free paintbrush.
makingjeweller y.com
7. To make the hidden bails, roll out some more
clay and cut into a strip, then moving quickly
but carefully, drape over a cylindrical object,
such as the handle of the scalpel. When clay
bends it can have a tendency to crack, so to
avoid this paint some water over the top to
smooth and hydrate it then allow to fully dry.
8. Once the bail is dry, you will need to sand
and refine it, making sure you can press it flush
to the main shape. This will ensure the join is
strong. Using some paste as glue, stick the bail
into place and gently squeeze together, removing
the excess with a damp paintbrush. Aim to fill in
all the gaps with the paste, being careful not to
soak the piece too much, which could distort or
ruin it. Let it dry in between coats.
9. For other pieces without a bail, I used a small
drill bit between my fingers to make a hole. It
really helps if you can place a small pilot hole in
the wet stage so the drill is more accurate. Turn
the drill bit slowly and don’t place it too near
▼
the edge of the piece to avoid cracking the edge.
31

10
13
10. Using emery fi les, sanding buffs and wet
wipes, refine the pieces. If you do as much
cleaning up in the dry stage as possible, it is
far easier than when it has been fired. You can
also reclaim the dust and reuse it for paste or
reconstituting into clay.
11. Most of the base metal clays that are
currently available have different firing
schedules. Some say that you can torch fire
them, but it is better to use a kiln and activated
carbon in a steel dish as per the manufacturer’s
instructions. Your pieces can lose a fair bit of
detail and size due to the oxidisation process,
which is a completely different consideration
compared to fine silver. Each kiln can
produce slightly different results. Virtually
all manufacturers recommend you do some
testing with the clay to see how it works out for
you, as you may need to increase or decrease
temperatures and timings.
12. Once the fi ring process has fi nished, again,
follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. If you
have fi red on an open shelf you will often get
a thick layer of oxidisation. The less contact
with the air the piece has, the less it will
oxidise, so if you remove and quench in water
as quickly as you can, will cause most of it to
‘crack’ off. Burying in carbon in a stainless
dish will reduce the amount of oxidisation
significantly. You can pickle the piece to
remove oxidisation and brush with a steel
brush to compact the metal particles down
and shine up the piece.
32
PROJECT
11 12
14 15
13. Once pickled, you can add a patina. I used
platinol and painted it on. You can also use
Liver of Sulphur, but be sure to follow the
manufacturer’s instructions and all safety
precautions. Rinse in water mixed with
bicarbonate of soda to neutralise.
14. Depending on the effect you want you
can use a polishing block to relieve back the
patina, as desired. Alternatively, you can use
steel wool for a more brushed, antiqued effect.
I used wire wool then tumble polished, but you
can also use attachments in a pendant drill or
equivalent or leave as is.
15. You can now decide how you would like to
assemble the pieces. I used copper wire to make
my own jumprings and to wire wrap the beads
and red brass chain, which was almost a perfect
match for the Desert Sun clay, alongside some
stunning Vintage Czech glass beads.
RESOURCES
Aussie metal clay, kiln and accessories:
metalclay.co.uk
Stencil templates: craftworx.co.uk
Vintage pattern stamps, red brass chains,
artisan Czech glass beads, sanding and
buffing blocks: Elsilver Supplies
Patina: cooksongold.com
CONTACT
Fb.com/elsilveruk and fb.com/elsilversupplies
elsilveruk.etsy.com and
elsilversuppliesuk.etsy.com
makingjeweller y.com
 FEATURE
10 QUESTIONS
JADE SCHOL, FOUNDER OF ATHAMEJEWELLERY
When did your interest in jewellery first start?
I have always had an interest in jewellery since
I can remember. I love how unique and special
a single piece of jewellery can be and the
sentimental value it can carry. Having so much
love for the jewellery I wear, I knew it was time
to create my own.
Do you have any formal training? If so, where
did you train?
I am self-taught in all aspects of my business,
from photography to creating jewellery. When I
find myself in need of a tip or two, I usually am
able to find a helpful tutorial online.
Where is your studio?
I would love to say that my studio is in the
middle of the peaceful countryside with all the
tools and space I could dream of, but that would
be lying! I currently create all my jewellery in one
of the bedrooms in my home, which for me is
perfect – for now! Working from home enables
me to pop up to the ‘workshop’ whenever I feel
a burst of inspiration, no matter how late in the
evening, which my neighbours love me for!
Where do you find inspiration and how do you
decide what to make next?
I am very interested in alternative therapies and
the properties that certain crystals have, really
intrigue me! I do a lot of research on crystals and
their properties and how they can potentially
help people (if you believe they can). I think
that’s my main inspiration; the thought of
people wearing my jewellery and helping them
in their day to day life inspires me to continue
and progress in my business. I have had amazing
feedback on what I create, so that really helps
me decide what I want to do next. For instance
a lot of people last year had requested rings and
at the time my jewellery only consisted of crystal
pendants, that right there inspired me and I
knew that was my next path to go down, rings! I
can now gladly say that my Etsy shop is stocked
up with a variety of rings and pendants!
What is your preferred medium?
My preferred medium is Electroforming; the
process is organic and completely unpredictable,
every piece of crystal jewellery is unique. To
create the textured finish to my jewellery, each
individual piece is placed in an acid bath and
34 makingjeweller y.com
using electricity, I usually leave each piece for
about 20–30 hours with the amp and volts
low. Over this period a thick layer of copper is
built up over the crystal. It’s a pretty amazing
experience; I never know how it is going to turn
out, Patience is key with this process!
Do you have a favourite tool?
My favourite tool has got to be my Dremel, with
the various attachments I have I am able to
complete a wide range of jobs for my jewellery
including cutting, sanding and even polishing!
Which techniques do you enjoy using?
I use epoxy clay to set the stones. The
technique I use enables me to texturise my
piece, making it really enjoyable to create and
again and allows me to make my jewellery
unique. You can sculpt anything with epoxy
clay; it’s a lot of fun!
Do you offer workshops or classes?
I don’t offer any workshops or classes; one day
I would love to! At the moment if anyone has
any questions about the process of my jewellery,
I am always more than happy to help and
answer any questions via social media or Etsy.
What are your goals?
My goals are to continue to progress in my
business, from new ideas to new pieces of
jewellery. I would love to have my own website
for people to browse, I also aim to increase my
knowledge on the crystals I use. I am excited for
the future of ATHAMEjewellery!
What’s your favourite thing that you’ve ever
made? Is there one project that stands out above
the others?
That’s a tough question! My favourite piece of
jewellery changes all the time, but I think my
ultimate favourite is the Fluorite pendants I
have created. I love the colours and the qualities
of the crystal. A project that has recently stood
out for me is when I began to make rings, the
whole process is so much fun and it was such
an achievement to be able to list rings to my
Etsy shop.
CONTACT
etsy.com/uk/shop/ATHAMEjewellery
Instagram: athame.jewellery
PHOTOGRAPHY: JADE SCHOL, ATHAMEJEWELLERY

35
 BOHO
BURSTS
CHLOE MENAGE

J
oin in the tassel trend with
these festival-ready brick stitch
components. Be inspired by
colourful, summery tassels
and the rainbow palette of Miyuki
Delicas for fun and lightweight
jewellery. These components are
created with brick stitch around
a central metal ring and are really
versatile. Use a toning beading
thread or make the most of the
visible thread with something
contrasting! This project is
suitable for intermediate beaders
or adventurous beginners.

36 makingjeweller y.com
 PROJECT

1 2 3
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, DIAGRAMS: CHLOE MENAGE

4 5 6

MATERIALS & TOOLS HOW TO MAKE

Earrings
● 2 x Quicklinks solid round rings 1. Cut a wingspan of thread and wax well. bridge joining the adjacent beads in the
(25mm or 20mm) Pick up one Delica, move it to the end of your previous row. Pass back through the second
● Approx. 1–2g of size 11 Miyuki Delicas in thread leaving a short tail. Place the bead on bead picked up (working towards the first bead).
2 or 3 colours the outside of the metal ring, pass the thread
● Approx. 1g of size 15 seed beads to match through the ring and then pass back through 5. Pick up one Delica and pass your needle
the ring colour the bead towards the tail end of the thread. Pull under the next thread bridge and back through
● 2 x 4mm Swarovski Elements Xilion/Bicone snug and hold the tail for tension. the bead (brick stitch).
● 2 x 25mm tassels

● Earwires 2. Pick up one more bead, pass through the ring 6. Work your way around the ring adding this
Pendant and then back up through the bead working second row of Delicas in brick stitch. In order
● 25mm or 20mm Quicklinks solid round ring towards the tail. Snug this bead up neatly next to keep the shaping you will need to add some
● Seed beads and Delicas (as above) to the first and pull tight. Repeat this step increases. To do this, you will simply stitch a
● 4mm Swarovski Elements Xilion/Bicone around the ring (modified brick stitch) to add second bead to a thread bridge. You should do
● 25mm tassel beads all the way around. this every five or six beads, or whenever it feels
● 5 or 6mm split ring like the next bridge is a bit of a stretch. This
● Chain 3. When you get back to the beginning and will vary depending on your own tension. Try
Necklace can’t comfortably fit on any new beads, then to keep your work neat and the rows flat, with
● 3 x 25mm Quicklinks solid round rings pass your thread down into the first bead, pass no gaps or bumps. There will be some beads
● Approx. 2–3g of size 11 Miyuki Delicas in through the ring and then back up through the that jut out, but you can smooth the work flat
▼

two or three colours first bead to secure. using your thumb and first finger.
● Approx. 2g of size 15 seed beads to match the

ring colour 4. To begin the next row you will pick up two
● 6 x 4mm Swarovski Elements Xilion/Bicone Delicas. Pass your needle under the thread
● 3 x 25mm tassels

● 6–8mm Kumihimo rope or cord of your choice

● Cord ends and clasp

● Toning or contrasting beading thread

(Miyuki, One-G or KO)

● Size 12 beading needle

● Sharp scissors

makingjeweller y.com 37

7 8
10
7. When you get back to the beginning and have
space for just one bead pick up your final bead,
add it in the same way as before then pass down
into the first bead, around the thread bridge
and back up through the bead, ready to start
the next row. Repeat Steps 4 to 7 to add a third
row of beads. You can choose to stitch each of
these rows in a different colour or you could do
two or all of the rows in the same colour.
8. To add the tassel; exit from a Delica in the
edge. Pick up one size 15 bead, a 4mm crystal
and five size 15 beads. Pass through the centre
of a tassel. Pick up four size 15 beads and then
pass the needle through the first size 15 in the
group of five, then the crystal. Pick up one size
15 and pass into the Delica next to the one you
exited. Work around to exit from the original
Delica and reinforce this work twice more.
Earrings or pendant (opposite page)
9. After adding the tassel work around to the
top of the beaded ring, weaving through the
beads in the outer two rows. Exit from the
Delica opposite the bottom decoration. Pick up
38
PROJECT
11
five size 15s and an earwire or split ring. Pass
into the next Delica along, checking your ring
is still centred. Pass up into the original Delica
and reinforce this two more times. Work in
threads and trim.
Necklace (page 36)
10. Create a kumihimo braid using the
8-strand technique and 1mm satin cord (or
thinner), finish the ends and glue on end caps.
Alternatively find a cord of your own choice with
a diameter of approx. 6-8mm. Use Steps 1 to 8 to
create three beaded rings and attach a tassel to
each, leave the working thread attached. * Take
one of your components, exit from the top of the
ring directly above the tassel. Pick up 19 size 15
beads, pass around the kumihimo cord and pass
back into the first seed bead picked up. Pass up
into the next Delica along.
11. Pick up 19 size 15s and pass around the cord
and back into the first size 15 as you did in the
previous step. Pass down into the Delica in the
ring and across into the next one and up through
the first size 15 in the first part of the bail.
makingjeweller y.com
9
12
12. Pass through the first five seed beads. Pick
up one 4mm bicone/Xilion and pass into the
sixth size 15 bead on the second part of the
bail. Pass back into the 4mm bead and the
original size 15, but from the opposite side.
Reinforce this figure-of-eight threadpath and
then reinforce both parts of the bail. Work in
your threads and trim. Repeat from * in Step 10
to Step 12, to add two more components to the
cord. You could even add more! Once complete
attach a clasp to finish.
RESOURCES
Tassels: spoiltrottenbeads.co.uk
Quicklinks: cjbeaders.com
Beads widely available from advertisers in
this issue
CONTACT
info@pinkhot.co.uk
pinkhot.co.uk
 PROJECT

makingjeweller y.com 39
 CELEBRITY STYLE

AFRICAN
STYLE TANSY WILSON

I
have made these earrings for Liya Kebede,
based upon the opals coming from
Ethiopia and her country’s traditional
style. I have created the large exotic shape
with simple sophistication to echo her
heritage and elegance and to promote
her country’s beauty as well as her own.

RESOURCES
Ethiopian opals:
kernowcraft.com
Similar looking glass effect
opals: ebay.co.uk from seller –
welsh-ratbag
Pendant caps: ebay.co.uk
from seller - dordali
All other materials can be
sourced from advertisers listed
throughout this magazine

CONTACT
tansywilson@hotmail.com

40 makingjeweller y.com
 CELEBRITY STYLE

STYLE
PROFILE
LIYA
1 2 3
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, TANSY WHEELER

PHOTOGRAPH: MAGICINFOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
4 5 6

MATERIALS & TOOLS
● 10 x Ethiopian opals (or beads
and charms of your choice)
● 10 x pendant caps
● Roll of 1mm (18 gauge) wire
● Roll of 0.4mm (26 gauge) wire
● Large link curb chain
● 2 x earring hooks
DESIGNER TIP
A lot of the opal pendant beads
whether they are genuine opal or
glass are not drilled at the top, so
remember to buy a suitable cap with
a loop to glue the stones into so you
can join them onto your chain.
EXTRA PROJECTS
With the wire wrapped shape I
joined 11 glass chilli beads onto
the chain using jumprings to
create this funky necklace.
HOW TO MAKE
1. I have shown two ways to make
these gorgeous wire shapes. The
one on the left is made just with
wire wrapping the shape closed,
whereas the shape on the right
is soldered together. For either
technique, you firstly wrap the
1mm wire three times around a
large cylindrical object, like a glass
tumbler. Then slide the wire off and
cut through the loops to obtain two
very large jumprings. Either solder
the two ends together and add a
small jumpring to the join or for
the unsoldered version, make an
eye loop at one end and then wrap
the other end of wire around the
base of the eye loop to join the wire
together. Once the wire is secured
you can manipulate it with your
fingers to make this droplet shape.
2. Cut 20cm of 0.4mm wire and
tightly wrap it around the upper
section of your shape. Count how
many times you wrap it around
the 1mm wire. I have made six
wraps before threading the end of
the wire through the last link on
across the shape with a gentle curve
and thread the 0.4mm wire through
the corresponding link and cut any
excess chain that is not required
away. Continue to wrap the 0.4mm
wire the other side of the chain,
securing it on and mirroring the
wraps the other side of the shape.
Repeat Steps 1 to 3 to make a
matching earring.
4. These gorgeous Ethiopian opals
do not have holes drilled into
the top of them so you need to
glue them into tiny pendant caps
that have a loop incorporated at
the top. Place the glue into the
pendant cap and push the opal
in and leave to dry for 24 hours.
Alternatively, you can use charms
that already have a loop so you can
simply add these using jumprings.
5. Once all your opals have dried
into their caps you can add
them onto the large link curb
chain simply by opening a small
jumpring and threading through
the small hole on top of the cap,
Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian-
born model, maternal
health advocate, clothing
designer and actress who shot
to modelling stardom in the
millennium when she was
spotted by Tom Ford for Gucci.
She quickly became the most
sought-after model working for
Yves Saint Laurent, Victoria’s
Secret, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger,
Louis Vuitton and Dolce &
Gabbana to name but a few.
She also went on to become the
first black face of Estee Lauder.
She now campaigns religiously
to reduce child mortality in
Ethiopia and around the world.
PHOTOGRAPHS: ALFOTOKUNST/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

a 10cm length of large link curb
chain. Then continue to wrap the
0.4mm wire six times on the other
side of the curb chain. Cut away
any excess 0.4mm wire.
then linking this through one
of the links on the chain. Think
about the placement of your opals.
Do you want them evenly spaced
across the chain or clustered?

3. Cut another 20cm of 0.4mm wire 6. Finally, add an earring hook

and tightly wrap it around the other to the soldered jumprring or eye
side of your shape, again make the loop formed in Step 1. Repeat
same initial number of wraps. Pull Steps 5 and 6 to make the other
the large link curb chain so it spans matching earring.

makingjeweller y.com 41

ONLINE SEO
Deborah Boyle provides five essential SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
tips to help get you noticed online
S
EO is a technique you can use on your
blog or website to help you rank higher
in searches. It takes advantage of the way
search engines such as Google rank your site.
When someone performs a keyword search
your site’s ranking will control whether you
appear near the first page of results or much
further back.
To make it easy for a search engine to
establish that you have a quality site, it is
necessary to make sure your site meets the
required standards at both the front and back
end of your website.
There are many things you can do to
enhance your SEO but to keep it simple I’ve put
together five essential and practical tips that
you can do yourself to increase visibility.
1. CONTENT AND KEYWORDS
Search engines want to see relevant
information on a page that is engaging to an
audience and not spam – so you should look
to put a minimum of 300 words per page with
an average word count of 700. If you have more
content you want to share with your audience
then consider writing blog posts (see point 5).
Know the keywords and phrases that
differentiate your site from the pack. Keywords
are particular words or phrases that describe
the contents of your website. A couple of
free resources to help you find keywords and
phrases are Google keyword planner: https://
adwords.google.com/home/tools/keyword-
planner/ and Answer the public, https://
answerthepublic.com.
Look to add two or three keywords on a
typical page. You can add more but they won’t
necessarily increase your SEO ranking and may
not read well to your intended audience.
2. TITLE AND DESCRIPTION TAGS
Known as meta title and meta description these
BUSINESS MATTERS
summarise the page’s content on your site.
The meta title shows up as a header on search
results and in the tab when you click through to
your website. The description is a snippet of the
page content and shows up under the title of a
search result.
The title tag allows for 70 characters and the
description up to 300 characters. If you fail to
add a description for your page/s the search
engine will grab the first bit of text it finds on
your page.
Be sure to add the relevant keywords into
both the title and description to optimise your
chances of being found.
3. IMAGE NAME, COMPRESSION
AND ALT ATTRIBUTE
Images are an important part of your website,
but also work outside of your site as well. Start
with making the image name as attractive as
possible and add relevant keywords. Add your
company name, if it is relatively short and a
brief description of the image.
This: receptoragency-multiple-devices.jpg as
opposed to this: 836A5817.jpg
Before adding your image to your site you
need to resize and compress them. This makes
the image lighter and faster to load on your
site. If you don’t have a photo editor then use
websites such as canva.com and compressor.io;
both are free to use. In most cases your images
can be saved as jpeg fi les.
Add the alt attribute to the image. This is the
description needed when your image cannot
be displayed and is also helpful to people who
are sight impaired as screen readers can then
describe the image to the user.
4. MOBILE FRIENDLY
Is your website responsive? Have you checked
your site to see how it looks on your mobile,
tablet and laptop? Your website needs to be
makingjeweller y.com
PHOTOGRAPH: STEVANZZ/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
easily viewed and navigated on all devices and
screen sizes. Consider that the majority of
users now look at your website on their mobile
device first. Your potential client isn’t going to
stick around very long on your site if they have
to work too hard scrolling to and fro to fi nd
information or having to enlarge the font to be
able to read it. Try http://mobiletest.me to see
what your site looks like on mobile devices.
5. BLOGGING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Make it easy for people to share your content.
Have ‘like’ and ‘follow’ buttons to your social
media platforms relevant to your ideal clients
on all your pages and posts. Create regular blog
posts that you can share on social media that
can link back to your site. In this way you can
recycle certain information on your blog posts
‘snippets’ that you can post to Instagram and
Twitter. Link the posts back to the content on
your website. It becomes a cycle of marketing to
get people to visit your site and find out about
your business and what you can offer your
potential clients.
Deborah Boyle is a website designer and
developer and is co-founder of Receptor –
your web doctors. She works with SMEs
and designs and builds functional, beautiful,
fully customised, WordPress websites that are
SEO friendly.
RESOURCES
Shout out to Moz.com for a definitive blog
on Google changes with meta titles and
descriptions.
CONTACT
Deborah on 020 3773 3350 or Deborah.b
@recceptoragency.co.uk to book in an audit or
find out more about how we can bring your
business to life online, receptoragency.co.uk
43
 PROJECT

FEATHERED
LEATHER EARRINGS
TANSY WILSON

44 makingjeweller y.com
 PROJECT

U
se feathers as inspiration for these MATERIALS & TOOLS
lovely leather earrings. Leather is such ● Selection of colourful leather or suede samples
a gorgeous material to work with and ● Metal leaf
in this project the combinations are endless ● Selection of chains
for cutting, layering and combining different ● Assorted sizes of ribbon clamps
shapes and elements. Leather4Craft sell such ● Assorted sizes of chain ends
wonderful colours too that you can really get ● Jumprings
creative and with minimal tools required, this ● Earring hooks or stud fittings
project is ideal for any level of maker. ● White glue RESOURCES
● Stick glue Leather and suede: leather4craft.co.uk
● Scissors All other findings are widely available
● Brush from advertisers listed in this magazine
● Revolving hole punch pliers
● Nylon jaw flat nose pliers CONTACT
▼

● 2 x pairs of flat nose pliers (for assembly of pieces) tansywilson@hotmail.com

makingjeweller y.com 45
 PROJECT

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, TANSY WHEELER

13 14

46 makingjeweller y.com

1. Using sharp scissors cut out a shape that is
much like half of a leaf. This means it has a
long straight edge one side and a semicircular
edge the other side tapering down to a stem.
Make diagonal slits in the curved side always
stopping the same distance away from the
straight edge. Repeat this step to cut out a
matching shape.
2. Turn your shapes over so the suede sides are
facing up and coat them with a thin layer of
white glue (like PVA or Modge Podge).
3. Place the glue covered suede side down onto
some plastic. You can use a freezer bag and
splay out the cut slits along the curved edge.
Leave to dry.
4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 to cut out all different
kinds of shapes of all different sizes. You can
glue the leather or the suede side too. When
you leave them to dry the white glue allows the
leather holds the shape you positioned it in to
dry, so you can make lovely twists as well. The
design options are endless.
5. A great feature is to use gold or silver leaf to
embellish the leather to give it a really unique
look. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions or
use a stick glue to adhere the metal leaf.
PROJECT
HOW TO MAKE
6. Once the metal leaf has dried onto the
glue, gently brush the excess leaf away using
a soft brush.
7. For this style of earrings you can simply use
a classic ribbon clamp and place the stem of
leather along with a length of fi ne chain into
the clamp. Fold the sides over, squashing them
together using nylon covered pliers so you
do not dent the clamp. You can then join an
earring hook straight to the loop of the clamp.
8. Some chains are a bit bulky to use the
method illustrated in Step 7, so this image
shows that you can also squash a bulkier chain
into a chain end again using nylon-nose pliers.
Make sure the chain ends you use have eye
loops on. Squash the leather into a ribbon
clamp and join the chain end and ribbon clamp
together using a jumpring.
9. You can then make a feature of the jumpring
as I have done by using a twisted one. This can
then link straight through the loop on your
earring hook.
10. This style shows suede thong being utilised
instead of chain. This design means you can
clamp it all together in the same ribbon clamp.
It just needs to be a larger style clamp. Other
makingjeweller y.com
design options are then joining the ribbon
clamp to a pretty stud fitting instead of a hook.
11. You can also get suede thong with
embellishments on. This style does make it more
difficult to use a ribbon clamp so this design
shows an alternative style of chain end. Simply
glue the suede thong and your leather into the
same end and leave to dry. Again, you can use a
stud fitting instead of a hook for this design.
12. These fabulous twists are made with quite
chunky leather so less is more in this design. I
wanted to use chain and so to make it sit flush
in the ribbon clamp, I cut a ‘V’ into the top edge
of leather so the chain fits inside. This makes
the ribbon clamp sit nice and tight onto the
leather trapping the chain inside the ‘V’.
13. Finally, a more simple design for
assembling leather shapes is to punch
small holes at the top of each piece. This is
professionally done with a tool often referred
to as revolving hole punch pliers.
14. You can punch as many holes into pieces as
your design allows and then layer them together
simply joining them onto a large jumpring. This
design shows you can also add chain onto the
jumpring between each leather shape too.
47

Czech Beadmaking
IN PRAGUE
Chloe Menage explores the glass bead factories of the Czech Republic
and attends several bead classes
L
ike many jewellery makers the Czech
Republic has been on my bucket list of
places to visit for years. Known as a bead
mecca, it’s where many of the pressed beads
and sparkling faceted crystals that we use and
love are born.
The region has a rich history of glass
production that dates back centuries. Before
the Second World War, Bohemia (now Czech
Republic) was synonymous with glass making –
with some of the finest glass artists in the world
practising there. So when I was offered the
chance to join American beader and YouTube
star Jill Wiseman on her Czech bead tour in
spring this year, it wasn’t something I had to
think over!
I joined around 30 other people on the tour,
which was organised by Lisa Busch and Jon
Kubricht of Creative Adventures. We began
our trip on a Monday in Prague. We would be
staying in the Old Town close to the market
square, because no trip to Czech Republic can
be complete without a visit to Prague itself.
Over the next few days we had several tours
around the city, both by coach and on foot and
also by boat! We got to see all the important
sights such as Charles Bridge, the castle,
cathedrals and the square – and our tour guide
Eva fi lled us in on the details of what we were
seeing as only a local can.
The first beady part of the trip came on
Tuesday night in the form of a three-hour class
with Jill. The tour included two classes with
48
FEATURE
Jill complete with kits. The fi rst project on the
agenda was a beautiful bracelet incorporating
Czech glass carrier beads – rather fitting!
‘BEAD COUNTRY’
On Wednesday we left Prague behind and
headed towards ‘Bead Country’. We would be
staying in the town of Liberec for the next three
nights. Our group almost completely took over
a beautiful boutique hotel in the modern town
centre and now it was time for the geeky part of
the tour to begin.
On our first night in Liberec we were treated
to a mini Trunk Show (what the Americans call
a bead show). We turned the hotel’s dining area
in to a bead shopping paradise; we were visited
by several local factories and wholesalers who set
up their wares for us to shop, shop, shop! There
were stunning glass buttons, strings of beautiful
pressed glass beads, vintage Czech crystal stones
and a whole table full of stunning laser etched
beads. It was hard to know where to start and
the prices were amazing! I set myself a budget,
but in no time at all I had to rush back to my
room to grab some more cash! Whoops!
The next day was a busy one and where
the real glass part got started! We began the
day with a visit to a small factory that hand
makes Christmas tree ornaments. For such a
small factory the volume they produced was
surprising. We watched two of the blowers at
work and then one of our group even got to
have a go. After the blowing we saw the liquid
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silver being poured in to coat the inside of the
bauble. Next it was on to the paint room to
see the colour and the glitter being added. No
tour is of course complete without a visit to
the gift shop and the prices were so reasonable
that most of our group came out laden with
packages! Beaders just can’t resist shiny things!
Next up was, for me, the highlight of the
tour. We visited G&B Beads, a working glass
bead factory that also offers tours. We were
given a guided walk through the factory and
got to see the bead production up close. We saw
two-hole carrier beads being tumbled and jet
black faceted beads being cut and fire polished.
It really was a magical moment.
What surprised all of us is how much of the
process is still done by hand. Although the
grinding (adding of facets) is done by a machine;
out of the four in use in the room at the time,
three of them were being manually operated.
These women held the racks of beads against
the press and knew exactly when to press it to
achieve the right facet – amazing! And did you
know that the beads we buy on strings are all
hand strung? After a trip like this you will never
quibble over the price of beads again.
More bead shopping ensued in the
showroom, which was dripping with strings
and strings of colourful beads as well as lots of
inspiring finished jewellery for sale.
Later that day we visited a Preciosa crystal
art installation, a chandelier show room and a
beautiful shop that sold glassware, jewellery and

of course beads. What I loved most about this
shop was the inspiring catwalk style clothing
and accessory designs they had on mannequins,
all decorated with beads and crystals.
That evening we returned to G&B Beads after
hours for our second class, which took place in
their stunning workshop room. The group got
to make a start on Jill’s geometric Bohemian
Spires pendant.
On Friday we visited the more industrial
Detesk glass – a factory that makes glassware
such as bottles, lights and lab ware. They
used huge machines and massive tubes of
borosilicate glass to achieve this – less twinkly
and colourful, but still fascinating.
After this there was a chance to stroll
around the small town of Jablonec
(pronounced Yablonetz). I popped into a
wonderful shop making and selling lampwork
beads. They had a booth with a torch set up
for demonstrations and several of our group
got to have a go too! My bead was more a than
a little wonky but the artist spoke no English
and I spoke no Czech, so to have achieved any
bead at all was a miracle!
There was one more factory on the list and
the wonderful people here greeted us with a
buffet lunch made up of traditional Czech fare
with plenty of local beer and liquor. Re-fuelled
– after lunch we were able to shop in a room
stocked floor to ceiling with pressed glass
beads sold in wholesale quantities. This isn’t
usually open to the public, so was a real treat.
FEATURE
places to visit
We also got to walk around the ground floor of
the small factory and here we saw beads being
pressed into moulds and then cut. I also saw
more of the giant ‘raw’ glass rods up close.
MUSEUM VISIT
Our final day of the tour was a visit to the
Museum of Glass and jewellery – I have to say
this is quite possibly the best museum I have
ever been to. All of the displays were beautifully
presented and it was filled with glass beads and
jewellery! It detailed the history of glass bead
making in the region and featured an exhibition
by Preciosa – that many of us know for its glass
and crystals – but it is also Preciosa that creates
all of the raw glass rods that are used by the
Czech bead factories. In addition there was
stunning art jewellery by both local artists and
examples from around the world using Czech
glass beads in a variety of mediums.
Officially beaded out, we finished our Czech
adventures with a cable car trip to a viewing
tower at the top of a mountain – from which we
could see Poland, Germany and Czech Republic
spread out beneath us. An incredible trip that
truly finished on a high!
CONTACT
pinkhot.co.uk
To find out about future bead tours of the
Czech Republic like the one I went on visit
creativeadventurestours.com
makingjeweller y.com
MUSEUM OF GLASS AND
JEWELLERY IN JABLONEC
NAD NISOU
A visit to this Czech bead mecca is a must.
The museum covers historical jewellery
from the region and celebrates the world’s
love of Czech glass. It includes some
wonderful glass installations from Preciosa.
msb-jablonec.cz
STAR BEADS
If you’re staying in Prague and not
venturing out of the city to glass country
then make a pit stop at Star Beads where
you’ll find a wide selection of Czech glass
beads and more!
starbeads.eu
DIAMOND MUSEUM
The first diamond museum in the Czech
Republic explores the processing of
the stones, the history and their uses.
Situated in Old Town.
diamondmuseum.cz
MAGIC GARNET
An exhibition in Old Town exploring the
history of garnet mining in the region
with displays of beautiful jewellery made
with the wine coloured stone.
magicgarnet.cz
GARNET SHOPS AROUND
OLD TOWN
Look out for plenty of shops selling the
Garnet that the region is famed for.
Just be sure to request a certificate of
authenticity to prove it wasn’t imported.
49
 PROJECT

FESTIVAL FUN
WITH RESIN
CLARE JOHN

There are various

themes to this festival fun
range – almost lapis lazuli blue with
touches of copper and backed with glow
in the dark resin, ’70s hippy flowers in resin,
funky ’80s neon resin and finally rainbow
pride pendants. All the pieces are larger than
life and yet not too heavy. Two different types of
epoxy resin have been used. The first one (Resin8
Slowcure Epoxy) is thin and pours into moulds
easily and will release bubbles well. It also has
very high UV stability and will stay clear for
a long time. The second (Resin8 1 to 1)
is thicker and is great for adding a
finishing layer on pieces – it also
has great UV stability.

50 makingjeweller y.com

1 2
3 4
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, CLARE JOHN
5 6
MATERIALS & TOOLS
● Resin8 Slowcure Epoxy Resin and Hardener
● Barrier cream or nitrile gloves
● Graduated measuring cups
● Mixing cups
● Mixing sticks and cocktail sticks
● Laminated work mat
● Kitchen towel
● 10cm x 10cm acrylic blocks
● Silicone moulds in various shapes – large
donut pendant, round pendants, abstract
pendant, large round pendant, D-shaped
rings and bangles, flat-sided bangle and
round bead moulds
● Mica powders in various shades including
Coppery Blush
● Glow in the dark powders
● Neon colour powders
● Glitter
● Mixed dried flowers
● 180 grit wet and dry abrasive paper
● Blu tack
● Resin8 1 to 1 Epoxy Resin and Hardener
● Cord and ribbon
● Silver-plated earwires
PROJECT
HOW TO MAKE
1. Put all your moulds somewhere warm
such as an airing cupboard or near a radiator.
Warm moulds help the resin flow better and
reduce bubbles. We are using Resin8 Slowcure
Epoxy resin and hardener because it has a long
working time – up to four hours. This means
you can mix a large batch of resin and hardener
and use it in multiple projects. Apply barrier
cream to your hands or wear nitrile gloves.
Using a graduated measuring cup measure out
20ml of hardener and add 40ml of resin. Stir
the mix gently in a folding motion so as not to
introduce lots of bubbles.
2. For the first project, which is a large donut
pendant and round earrings to match, put about
a third of a teaspoon of resin mix into three
mixing cups. Add a different shade of blue mica
powder to each cup and stir to mix. Mica powder
is inert and will not affect the resin curing time
so you can add as much or as little as you like.
3. Put the three moulds onto a large acrylic
block to keep them steady. Add drops of
different coloured blue resin in the moulds to
give a blended random look. Almost fi ll the
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moulds with resin. Take a mixing stick and dip
it into the Coppery Blush mica powder. Then
tip a tiny bit of mica powder in two or three
places on top of the blue resin.
4. Take a cocktail stick and stir the Coppery
Blush mica powder a little. It will work magic
and sink to the bottom of the mould and give
you a lovely surprise when you take the castings
out of the moulds. Leave the pendants and
earrings to cure (set) for at least 24 hours in a
warm dust-free place.
5. Put the abstract pendant mould onto an
acrylic block and put a 2mm layer of clear resin
mix in the bottom. This is the starting point for
the pendant with embedded dried flowers (see
p52). Leave the pendant to cure for 24 hours.
6. Next put the bangle moulds and ring moulds
on acrylic blocks. Put a teaspoon or so of clear
resin mix in a mixing cup and add one of the
neon powders. You will find the powder is
coarser than the mica powder so it will need
to be mixed more thoroughly to eliminate
▼
granules of powder floating in the resin mix.
51

7 8
10
13
7. Carefully open the bangle mould and pour a
layer of coloured resin in to about halfway up the
mould. You can put something under one side of
the mould so that the resin pools to one side of
the mould, which will give a fun angled look to
the layers of colour. Leave to cure as in Step 4.
8. Add different colour neon powders to cups of
resin mix and fi ll the ring moulds. Leave to cure
as in Step 4.
9. Use seven mica powders to add to seven
cups of resin mix to create a rainbow pride
round pendant.
10. With the large round pendant on an acrylic
block, using a mixing stick, fi rst add red resin,
then orange, then yellow, then green, then blue,
indigo blue and finally purple resin in stripes.
Use a cocktail stick to correct any details that
need attention. Leave to cure as in Step 4.
11. Next day the resin will not yet be cured (set)
hard, which is ideal for adding another layer.
Make another batch of Resin8 Slowcure resin
and hardener mix. Put some in a mixing cup and
add some glow in the dark powder and stir well.
Put a thin layer of this mix on top of the blue
52
PROJECT
9
11 12
14 15
pendant and earrings. Leave to cure for at least
48 hours so that the resin is completely hard.
12. Add another 2mm layer of clear resin to the
abstract pendant mould.
13. Dip a cocktail stick in resin mix and put it
in your container of flowers. This is a neat way
to pick them up and place them in your resin
pendant. Once the flowers are in the thin layer
of resin you can move them about to suit your
design. Leave the resin to cure as in Step 4.
14. Move onto the neon bangles. The bangle
mould can be laid flat on the acrylic block
now. Add a different neon colour powder to
a teaspoon of resin mix in a mixing cup and
blend it as in Step 6. Pour the neon resin into
the bangle to form another layer of colour.
Leave to set and add more layers of different
colours as required to fi ll the mould.
15. When the resin is hard, and it is important to
be patient, you can take all the castings, except
for the flower pendant, out of the moulds. This
is the fun part when you find out what happened
to the Coppery Blush mica powder. It has sunk to
▼
the bottom and given an organic look to the resin.
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 PROJECT

makingjeweller y.com 53

16
18
20
16. Most of the castings will come out of the
moulds with a slightly rough edge. Put some
water on the wet and dry paper and gently
rub down the rough edges of all the castings,
except the flower pendant. The paper is wet so
that you do not inhale dust. (Wash the paper
afterwards onto a sheet of newspaper so that
the dust is transferred to the newspaper and
not down the drain.) This will give the resin a
dull surface but you can make it shine again.
17. Make another Slowcure resin and hardener
mix and fi ll the abstract flower pendant to the
top of the mould. This should mean that you
do not have to rub the pendant edges. The
pendant will be quite chunky but that is part of
its charm. Leave to cure for at least three days
and remove from mould when completely hard.
18. Fix the pendant and earrings, with the
dull side up, to an acrylic block with the
tiniest amount of Blu tack. Now make a mix
54
PROJECT
17
19
of Resin8 1 to 1 epoxy resin and hardener
resin. This is a one to one ratio so it is super
easy to measure out. It is thicker than Resin8
Slowcure so it works well as a doming resin.
Add a little resin to the top of the pendant and
earrings and it will bring back the shine on the
dull areas. Because the Resin8 1 to 1 is thicker
than Resin8 Slowcure it will not drip over the
sides of the pieces. Put a little drop of resin
mix on a bit of masking tape to be a tester.
Leave to cure as in Step 4. This resin will cure
much quicker than Slowcure.
19. Put the rings and bangles on acrylic blocks
with Blu tack and add a thin coating of Resin8
1 to 1 resin mix on the rubbed down surface to
bring back the shine. Leave to cure as in Step 4.
20. Assemble the jewellery by adding earwires
to the earrings and cord or ribbon to the
pendants. I have added resin beads to some of
the pendants for extra detail. The glow in the
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dark resin is charged in sunlight and then there
is a gentle glow at nighttime, which will help
your friends find you in the dark.
RESOURCES
Resin8 Slowcure epoxy resin and hardener,
Resin8 1 to 1 epoxy resin and hardener, mica
powders, silicone moulds, glow in the dark
powders, neon powders, mixed dried flowers,
laminated work mat, wet and dry abrasive
paper, barrier cream, nitrile gloves, mixing
cups and sticks, acrylic blocks and earwires:
resin8.co.uk
Cord and ribbon can be sourced from
suppliers listed in this magazine.
CONTACT
info@resin8.co.uk
resin8.co.uk
 ON SALE
NOW

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special is your seasonal guide to a calmer, more relaxed you
On sale now for £7.99 from all major magazine retailers and supermarkets.
To order a copy please call +44 (0) 1273 488005 or visit breathemagazine.com/summer-special.
An additional £2.95 (per copy) P&P cost will be charged. Subject to availability
 PROJECT

FLOWER
PETAL BLEND SUE DAVIS

W
hen I think of festivals, I think of the
part flowers play in the celebrations.
I have been able to combine my
two passions of crafting with polymer clay and
gardening while making these pieces of jewellery.
This project is great for beginners working
with clay but some knowledge of using wire in
jewellery is needed. Children will love to make
these flowers, but supervision will be required
in baking the clay.

MATERIALS & TOOLS

● Premo! Sculpey clay in Cadmium Yellow, ● Pasta machine ● Metal grater
Fuschia and Wasabi ● Stiff tissue blade ● Hair comb and hairpin
● Premo! Sculpey Souffle in Cherry Pie, ● 15mm, 20mm and 30mm round cutters ● Ring bezel
Cowboy and Royalty ● Leaf-shaped cutter ● Flower beads, bead caps, spacer and
● Premo! Sculpey Accents in Silver ● 0.4mm (26 gauge) and 1mm (18 gauge) seed beads
● Sculpey Bake & Bond antique bronze coloured wire ● Selection of findings including jumprings
● Sculpey Gloss Glaze ● 0.4mm (26 gauge) silver coloured wire and chain
● Small paintbrush (to apply glaze) ● Wire working pliers
● 2cm diameter acrylic roller ● 8cm squares of aluminium foil

56 makingjeweller y.com
 PROJECT

1 2 3

4 5 6
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, SUE DAVIS

7 8 9

1. Soften the clay by rolling each colour using
an acrylic roller. This will make it easier to
form them into triangular prisms. The clay
needs to be soft enough to be shaped without
cracking. The base colour (Cadmium Yellow)
should be twice the size of the top colour
(Cherry Pie).
2. Slightly fl atten the top of the base prism, to
enable the top prism to fit on top. Press fi rmly
together and begin to elongate the resulting
prism by stretching the clay gently, but fi rmly.
Continue to press and stretch until the prism
is half as tall and about twice as long as when
you started.
HOW TO MAKE
4. Reshape the cube into a triangular prism
about the same size as you started with,
squeezing and smoothing out any lumps as
you go. Remember to keep the pointed end
on the top.
5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until you’re happy
with the achieved blend. Smaller petals can be
achieved by elongating the prism. Cut 2mm
slices using the tissue blade and press the wider
part inwards to form the desired petal shape.
You will need ten to 12 large petals and ten to
12 smaller petals.
6. Using a pasta roller on its widest setting roll
out some softened clay to make a rectangle
7. Disc 1 will form the base onto which the
metal frame will sit, made from 1mm wire,
approx. 10mm x 140mm. This should be large
enough to go around the wrist. Place disc 2 on
top of disc 1 to hold the frame in place. Remove
a 2cm disc from the middle of disc 3. Place this
ring on top of disc 1 and 2 to form a support
frame for the petals.
8. Place the large petals around the frame,
each one slightly overlapping as you go around
the frame.
9. Repeat Step 8 using the smaller petals. The
centre will be fi lled with a domed disc of the
Cowboy clay, which can be textured using the
▼

3. Cut the prism into two equal lengths and of clay, approx. 100mm x 40mm. Use a round finest section of a metal grater (see image 10).
join the pointed ends together. This should give cutter to make three discs, each approx. 30mm
you a cube shape. in diameter.

makingjeweller y.com 57

10
13
16
10. Bake the polymer clay flower for 30
minutes on a metal tray at 130°C in an
electric oven, or follow the manufacturer’s
instructions. Leave for at least two hours to
cool to room temperature if handling again,
then allow to cool completely. If glaze is being
used to seal and give a shine to the flowers,
apply with a paintbrush and allow to harden
for 24 hours before beading the frame. Any
size bead can be used as long as the 0.4mm
wire will go through its hole and it fits
between the sides of the frame.
11. A ring can be decorated by making smaller
petals as in Step 5 and a metal ring bezel. The
clay can be secured in the bezel by applying
a thin layer of Sculpey Bake & Bond before
adding the petals. Bake the assembled ring
bezel and clay flower for 30 minutes in the oven
and allow to cool. Glaze if desired.
12. For the earrings, use the same techniques
to make the petals, making holes at one end big
enough to pass through a jumpring. The centre
disc will need a hole through it that is big
enough for an eye pin. Bake for 15 minutes in
58
PROJECT
11
14
17
the oven and allow to cool. The earrings can be
assembled using basic findings and chain.
13. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 using different
coloured clays. Combine the Fuschia and
Royalty clay to make the base layer and use the
Wasabi to form the top layer of the prism.
14. Use Steps 3, 4 and 5 to achieve your required
blend and size of petals.
15. Form a flower shape by combining four
petals. Place a metal bead cap in the centre to
form the flower stamens. Make a central hole
through the cap and flower, large enough to
pass 0.4mm wire through to wire onto a support
structure. Place the flower in an aluminium foil
square, shaped like a bowl. This will give the
petals a flower shape. Bake in the oven for 15
minutes and allow to cool. Glaze if required.
16. Cover the hole in the centre of the flower
with a spacer bead using a small amount of
Sculpey Bake & Bond. Place the flower onto a
clay leaf shape and join using the Bake & Bond.
Place an eye pin between the flower and clay
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12
15
18
leaf shape, as a bail. Bake the flower and leaf
combination in the oven for 15 minutes and
allow to cool. Glaze if desired. Complete the
necklace by attaching the flower/leaf pendants
with jumprings onto the chain. Headpins
threaded with seed beads can be added for
further decoration.
17. Make flower buds from scrap pieces of the
petal blend clay. Place three or four petal shape
pieces in a row, each overlapping slightly. Roll
the petals up starting from one end, squeezing
the base to form the bud. Remove any excess
clay from the bottom. Make a hole from top
to bottom of the bud to allow wire to pass
through for wiring onto a support structure.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to
cool. Glaze if desired. Wire a flower, a bud and
a seed bead mini flower onto a hairpin, using
0.4mm silver coloured wire.
18. Wire a hair comb with sprays of seed beads,
and acrylic flowers using 0.4mm silver coloured
wire. Wire the clay flowers onto the comb on
top of the other sprays, again using 0.4mm
wire. Use a spacer bead as a stopper at the front
and back of each clay flower to hold them in
place on the wire. If you are not sure how to
make wire sprays, there are lots of tutorials
online to help you.

RESOURCES
Materials are widely available from suppliers
listed in this magazine

CONTACT
susiedeejewellery@hotmail.co.uk

makingjeweller y.com 59
 PROJECT

RECTANGULAR
STONE
SETTING TANSY WILSON

S
etting stones is not the easiest thing to
do, especially if the stone is irregular
in shape or has sharp corners like
these rectangular malachite cabochons. The
following projects show an easy trick to setting
these types of stones and also offers alternatives
to obtain similar looks with and without
soldering so will suit all levels of maker.

60 makingjeweller y.com
 PROJECT

1 2 3
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, TANSY WHEELER

4 5 6

HOW TO MAKE
MATERIALS & TOOLS 1. To echo the lines in the malachite cabochon of your cabochon. Bend it around the stone as
Malachite earrings stones, I have created a linear texture onto my snugly as you can. Make sure you start the wall
● 2 x 10mm x 14mm malachite cabochons 0.6mm Sterling silver sheet using plastic twine halfway along one edge and not at a corner and
(Code H31) and placing both through the rolling mill. use flat nose pliers to get crisp corners.
● 0.6mm Sterling silver sheet (size to suit

your design) 2. However, if you do not have access to a 5. Where the strip meets itself, cut the silver
● 0.4mm Sterling silver strip for bezel wall rolling mill you can easily texture silver in using a piercing saw to avoid distorting the
● Bezel rocker other ways. A small ball head hammer creates silver. Manipulate the two edges so they join
● Burnisher a nice hammered surface. You could also use perfectly and place onto your soldering block.
● Earring hooks a texturing hammer or stamps to create more Add flux and a square (pallion) of silver solder.
uniform patterns.
Alternative styles 6. Heat the rectangular wall gently so the flux
● Sterling silver sheet 3. After you have textured the silver sheet, use bubbles and sticks the paillon. Increase the
● 0.4mm (26 gauge) wire a piercing saw to cut out two rectangular pieces heat so the pallion melts and runs into the join.
● Hole punch, drill and 1.5mm drill bit that are both 15mm wide x 30mm high. You Remove the heat and place in pickle and rinse
● 2 x gemstone connectors can fi le them to get perfect straight edges. in water. Check the soldered wall fits easily over
▼

● 2 x large rectangular gemstone beads and the cabochon. It is now a bezel wall.
2.5mm faceted beads 4. Take your 0.4mm silver strip and cut it so it is
● 2 x 75mm headpins 1mm taller than the halfway point of the height
● Earring hooks

● Rolling mill or texturing hammer

● Piercing saw
● Side cutters
● Flat and round nose pliers
● Needle fi les
● Soldering torch, flux, solder and pickle
● Metal polish and cloth

makingjeweller y.com 61
 PROJECT

7. Rub the bezel on some coarse emery paper

to ensure it has a flat bottom and repeat for the
top edge. Then use a triangular needle fi le and
start to fi le a groove at the very corner of your
bezel. Keep fi ling until a ‘V’ shape appears half
the way down at the very corner. Repeat this
step to fi le a ‘V’ on all four corners. Repeat Steps
4 to 7 to make the other bezel wall.

8. Place one piece of your textured silver onto

your soldering block and put one of the bezel
walls on top. Make sure it is centred at the
bottom section of the silver. Add flux and some
7 8
tiny pallions to only the inside of the wall.
This prevents solder running onto the textured
silver. Heat gently so the flux bubbles and sticks
the solder. Use a soldering probe if necessary to
line the pallions along the bottom edge of the
bezel. Increase the heat so the solder melts and
runs all along the bezel. Pickle and rinse.

9. Ensure all fire-stain is removed in the pickle

before rinsing and polishing the entire piece
to a high shine. Then use a punch to mark a
hole at the top of the textured silver sheet and a
1.5mm drill bit to drill a small hole. Remove any
burr from the back of the piece using a needle
fi le. Repeat Steps 8 and 9 for the other earring.
9 10
10. Place your cabochons into their respective
bezels and using a bezel rocker, place the top of
the rocker along the very fine top edge of the
silver wall. Rock the tool back and forth and it
will push the wall of silver over the top of the
stone. Move to the opposite wall and repeat the
process. Then do the final two walls so the stone
is trapped in place. Repeat for the other earring.

11. You will see that the ‘V’ shaped corners neatly
fit together, ensuring that no silver buckles at
the corners of the setting. Also meaning a bezel
rocker should be the only tool required to push
the silver over the stone. However you can also
11 12 use a burnisher to really get a smooth finish to the
top of the bezel wall. Finally, add earring hooks to
the drilled hole at the top of each earring.

Unsoldered version

12. Cut two rectangular shapes of textured silver

and place a gemstone connector on top of each
piece marking where the holes of the connectors
are onto the silver as well as a hole at the centre
top of the silver for the earring hook.

13. Drill the holes on both pieces of textured

silver. Then cut 30cm of 0.4mm silver wire
and bend 1cm of the wire at 90° at one end.
13 Thread the long unbent end of wire through
the bottom hole until the 1cm bend rests onto
the back of the textured silver. Thread the long
end through the bottom hole of the gemstone
connector and messily wrap the wire around
▼

the rectangle of silver.

62 makingjeweller y.com
 PROJECT

makingjeweller y.com 63
 PROJECT

14. Continue wrapping the wire so it traps

the 1cm tail of bent wire at the back as well
as obscuring the eye loops on the gemstone
connector. Repeat Step 13 and 14 to wrap wire
around the top of the gemstone connector as
well as repeating to make a matching earring.
Finally add an earring hook to the top hole on
both pieces.

Wire wrapped without stone

15. To obtain a similar messy wrapped wire

effect without a gemstone connector is very
14 15
easy. Drill a hole at the centre top on two
lengths of rectangular silver sheet. You can
then either solder the wire onto the back
of each piece of silver or alternatively, bend
another 1cm tail of wire and hold it against the
rectangular length of silver.

16. Then with either technique you messily

wrap the wire around the silver so it hides the
solder join or traps the 1cm tail. You can go
all the way along the silver strip or stay in one
place as with this design. When happy with
the finish, cut away excess wire ensuring this is
done at the back of the piece.

16 17 17. Now either solder the loose end of wire at

the back or if you are not soldering, you can tuck
the end behind the bulk of the wrap to secure
in place. Polish both earrings and add earring
hooks to the top holes drilled in Step 15.

Extra easy alternative

18. Cut a 50cm length of 0.4mm wire and

thread several small beads onto it, enough to
span the width of a large rectangular gemstone
bead. Cut a thin strip of double-sided tape and
stick it around the rectangular bead about one
third from the bottom edge. Centralise the
beads onto the wire and place the line along the
18 19 front of your bead on top of the double-sided
sticky tape.

19. Holding the line of beads in place take

one end of wire and wrap it around the stone
several times above the row of beads. Then take
the other end of the wire and wrap it several
times around the stone below the row of beads.
Make sure you cover the double-sided tape and
RESOURCES end up with approx. 10cm of wire from both
Malachite rectangular cabochons: ends at the back of your stone. Twist these two
kernowcraft.com ends of wire together and then spiral them to
All other materials are available from neatly finish off.
advertisers listed in this magazine
20. Large beads usually have large drilled
20 CONTACT holes so if this is the case you need to thread
tansywilson@hotmail.com a long head-pin through a small bead to stop
it disappearing into the hole. Make a wrapped
loop as close to the top of the bead as possible
and join an earring hook to this loop. Repeat
Steps 18 to 20 to make the other earring.

64 makingjeweller y.com

MATERIALS & TOOLS
● 30g (approx.) of silver clay
● A selection of fresh flowers
● Two-part silicone moulding
compound
● Teflon worksheets
● Small tile
● Badger balm
● Tweezers
● Acrylic roller
● Needle tool
● Domed surface, such as small
plastic measuring cup
● Small paintbrush
● Circle shaped cutters (small,
medium and large)
● Swivel pin vice and 1mm
drill bit
66
WILD
FLOWERS CHARLOTTE WAKELING
T
his project is perfect for
those who have never
worked with silver clay.
We’ll show you how to make
moulds, mould the silver clay and
finish it to a beautiful standard.
If you love wild flowers, then this
project is for you.
● Sanding pads –
800, 1000 and 1500 grit
● Heatproof firing block
● Hand torch
(cook’s torch)
● Rubber block
● Stainless steel brush
● Burnisher
● Small glass container
● Liver of Sulphur gel
● Cocktail stick
● Pro polishing pads
● Polishing cloth
● Jeweller’s pliers
● 12 x 8mm Sterling silver
jumprings
makingjeweller y.com

1 2
4 5
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREN GUILFOYLE, CHARLOTTE WAKELING
7 8
1. Select your flowers. I’ve selected daisies,
buttercups, ashy dogweed, dandelions and red
campion (although I only used the buds). You
can take a mould from almost any flower; try
different variations and find your favourite.
Why not try leaves too?
2. You will need a two-part silicone moulding
compound to take moulds of your chosen
flowers. The one I used is blue and white,
but there are various other brands available
in different colours, and the same technique
applies. For each mould you will need a ball of
blue and a ball of white compound. You may
need larger balls than pictured, depending
upon the size of your flowers. Mix the balls
together until you have one even coloured blue
ball, ensuring that there is no marbling.
3. On a non-stick surface, such as a tile or
a Teflon sheet, place your ball of moulding
compound and flatten slightly with your finger.
Hold the flower over the mould to ensure that
PROJECT
3
6
9
HOW TO MAKE
it will fit; if not, flatten the ball further. Place
your flower (face down) into the moulding
compound, and carefully press down to ensure
you’ve captured the detail. Leave the mould to
set (for approx. 30 minutes), then remove the
flower. You may find that if the flower is very
delicate you will need to use some tweezers to
remove it. Repeat this with all the flowers.
4. Take the Badger balm and use on your hands
and rub a small amount into your chosen mould.
Take some silver clay and roll into a small ball.
Press the silver clay into the mould. To ensure
that the back of the pendant will be flat, take
your acrylic roller and roll it gently over the back.
5. Carefully remove your clay from the mould.
Do this straight away to prevent it from drying
out. If you’re not happy with the results, repeat
Step 4. Repeat this for all the other moulds.
6. Once you’ve removed the clay from the
mould, place it on a Teflon sheet. For the ashy
makingjeweller y.com
dogweed, take the needle tool and cut roughly
around the petals. This doesn’t have to be
perfect, as you will be sanding it later.
7. Repeat Step 6 for the buttercup. Leave it
on the Teflon sheet.
8. Once you’ve cut around the dogweed,
remove it from the Teflon sheet and place
onto a domed surface; a measuring scoop is
perfect to use for this.
9. For the daisy earrings and the dandelion
earrings, take the small sized circle cutter and
cut into a circle. For the daisy pendant, take a
medium or large-sized circle cutter (depending
upon the size of your daisy) and cut into a
circle. For the red campion pendant, roughly
cut around it with your needle tool. We will
be sanding into shape later on. Dampen your
paintbrush with water and gently smooth the
▼
edges of the circles, avoiding the front.
67

10
13
16
10. Leave the pieces to dry for 24 hours.
11. Take the drill with a 1mm drill bit and
gently drill a hole in each piece, where you want
the jumpring to go. Repeat with all the pieces.
12. Take the 800, 1000 and 1500 grit sanding
pads and gently sand the edges and reverse of
each piece. Be sure to use the 800, then the
1000 and fi nish with the 1500 grit. The ashy
dogweed and buttercup pendants will require
more sanding than the others. Following the
lines of the petals, sand them into shape.
When you’ve fi nished sanding brush your
piece with a paintbrush to remove any
sanding dust.
13. Fire each piece using the hand torch,
on a heatproof fi ring block. This is a time-
consuming process as each piece will need to
be fi red for a minimum of three minutes. Wait
until the pieces are cool before picking them
up as they will be very hot. You will fi nd lots
68
PROJECT
11
14
17
of videos on YouTube, which will provide step-
by-step instructions on hand-fi ring silver clay.
14. Place each piece in turn on a rubber block
and brush with a stainless steel brush. The
result will be a beautiful matt finish. Take some
new sanding sponges (see Step 12) and polish
the edges and the reverse of the pieces. Use a
burnisher if required, for a higher shine.
15. In order to enhance the detail of the
pieces, you can oxidise them using Liver of
Sulphur (LOS) gel. (If you prefer not to oxidise
your pieces, then move onto Step 17.) To do
this, use a glass container and fi ll about half
full with warm water; I prefer to use the water
on the hotter side of warm as you will achieve
a darker level of oxidisation in a quicker time.
Put two squirts of the LOS gel in and swirl
around using a cocktail stick. Place your pieces
in and watch them oxidise. The hotter the
water is the quicker this will happen. Once all
pieces have turned a dark grey or black colour,
makingjeweller y.com
12
15
18
remove them and rinse with warm water.
16. Use pro polishing pads to remove the
oxidisation from the high spots on the piece,
leaving the oxidisation in the detailed parts.
Polish with a polishing cloth.
17. Add jumprings to the pendants. You will
need four 8mm jumprings. Attach these using
jeweller’s pliers.
18. Assemble the earrings. You will need eight
8mm jumprings, and two pairs of Sterling silver
earring wires. Assemble using jeweller’s pliers.
RESOURCES
metalclay.co.uk
pmcstudio.com
CONTACT
contact@felixandreuben.co.uk
facebook.com/felixandreuben
instagram.com/felixandreuben
 PROJECT

makingjeweller y.com 69

THE PRODUCT
Carrier Duo beads are a two hole bead
designed to perfectly hold a peyote stitched
section of beadwork. They allow you to create
your own personalised beaded beads to use
in your jewellery making designs. Simply sew
your own unique seed bead pattern following
the instruction sheet, wrap the design around
your Carrier Duo bead and stitch the two
sides together around it, ready to use in your
jewellery project.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
The Carrier Duo bead allows you to add
personalised beads for your jewellery making
projects by covering the Carrier Duo and using
it as a base for a pattern designed by you. Once
you’ve learned how to make a simple strip of
peyote, you can use the Beads Direct templates
on the project sheet to design your own, more
intricate patterns.
70
PRODUCT TEST
CARRIER
DUO BEADS
This month we review carrier duo beads.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
Carrier Duo beads can be bought per pack of 10
beads, available in 8 useful tones.
Beads Direct also offer a growing selection of
Carrier Duo bead kits which include full starter
instructions and projects as well findings,
thread, and a mixture of matching beads to
complement the Carrier Duo designs.
IS THE CARRIER BEAD
PROJECT SHEET INCLUDED?
The Carrier Duo project sheet is included
with every Carrier Duo kit and the starter
sheet is available to download for free at
beadsdirect.co.uk/carrier.
The project sheet is not included with each
individual pack of 10 carrier beads though you
can request it.
WHAT ELSE WILL YOU NEED?
If you purchase a pack of 10 Carrier Duos you
will also need a size 10, 11 or 12 beading needle,
beading thread such as Nymo or KO thread and
makingjeweller y.com
a selection of size 11 Miyuki Delica seed beads.
If purchasing a Carrier Duo kit these come
with all materials and even needles! You will
need a pair of sharp scissors to trim threads and
any jewellery making pliers etc. to make the
beads into pieces of jewellery.
HOW ELSE CAN YOU USE
THESE BEADS?
Carrier Duo beads can be combined to make a
larger double or triple width bead, covered in a
larger peyote design. They can then be used as
the main focal point on a necklace or bracelet. A
finished Carrier Duo bead can also be sewn on
top of, to create texture and accents across the
flat surface of the beads.
COST
A pack of 10 Acrylic Carrier Duo beads £1.99.
RESOURCES
beadsdirect.co.uk
 PRODUCT TEST

2 3
PHOTOGRAPHS: BEADS DIRECT

4 5

1-4. Bead pattern examples 5. Cream and Brown Carrier Duo Bracelet kit £17.99.

makingjeweller y.com 71
next month...

c i a l
132 PAGE BUMPER ISSUE

Spe
METAL CLAY
FEATURING
Tearaway
technique
by Julia Rai

• Making moulds
with Mary Myers
• Base metal clays
by Martha Biggars
• NEW TECHNIQUE
‘Cain corners’ by Lisa Cain
• Advanced projects from
Anna Mazon and Tracey Spurgin ON SALE 27 SEPTEMBER
 FEATURE
What inspires
masque beads
OUR DESIGNS
Our designs are inspired by a desire to
capture a moment in time, not like a
photograph but more a feeling and a style.
OUR INSPIRATION
PHOTOGRAPHS: PETER SIMPSON
We have always loved beads and taught
ourselves how to make the sort of beads
we wanted. Through selling the beads,
we have discovered that each bead
has a special magic that appeals to an
individual’s expression, whether as an
object in itself or as a piece of jewellery.
OUR TECHNIQUES
Creating the beads, one-by-one in
the flame is just the beginning for us.
Utilising the properties of glass, we
create contrasts in colour, texture
and shape through further hot- and
cold-working to make each bead
completely unique.
CONTACT
masquebeads.co.uk
73
 PROJECT

FUNKY
FANS JAYNE RIMINGTON

C
reate bright, fun and summery jewellery
using different types of wire and a
number of techniques. The first set is
made using woven wire mesh, which is available
in many colours and textures and is suitable for
beginners in wirework. The second set is made
using Sterling silver wire and uses Swarovski
crystals to add colour. This set is suitable for
someone with some experience of soldering.

74 makingjeweller y.com
 PROJECT
2 3
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, JAYNE RIMINGTON
1 4
HOW TO MAKE
MATERIALS & TOOLS Wire mesh fans
● 0.3mm (28 gauge) coloured copper wire
● Coloured knitted wire mesh 1. To create the wire mesh fans for the
● Seed beads necklace, start by opening the mesh tubing
● Leather cord and rolling back the edges a couple of times
● 0.8mm (20 gauge) silver-plated copper wire to reduce fraying. Use either matching or
● 0.8mm (20 gauge) Sterling silver wire contrasting coloured 0.3mm wire to wrap at
● 1mm (18 gauge) Sterling silver wire the base of the mesh circle. Once secured, leave
● Sterling silver chain approx. 0.5mm space, then cut the tubing.
● Coloured Swarovski crystals Open the short cut end and flatten against the
● Chain nose pliers mesh circle.
● Round nose pliers
● Flat nose pliers 2. Take the two ends of the wire and twist
● Mandrel pliers together to prevent unravelling. Fold the wire
● Flush cutters mesh circles in half, placing the short end of
● Needle fi le wire mesh on the inside. Use cutters to trim
● Sanding and polishing papers the wires and pliers to tuck in the ends. Repeat
● Soldering equipment Steps 1 and 2 until you have the required
● Solder paste number of fans for the necklace. In this project,
● Steel block three have been used for the focal part, but you
● Domed-face hammer may wish to make more and layer them.
3. Use 0.3mm coloured wire and seed beads
to add detail to the wire. Start by securing the
0.3mm wire at the base. Stitch the lines onto
the front of the fan by laying the wire from the
bottom of the fan to the top and looping the
makingjeweller y.com
5
wire through the top edge of the mesh. Then
add a seed bead, loop back through the mesh and
bead and back down the fan. Continue until the
edge is reached. Secure the wire by threading
through the mesh a few times, cutting the wire
and use pliers to secure the end.
4. Once you have decorated all the required
fans, use 0.3mm wire to secure them to each
other. Do this by threading through the mesh
a few times at one corner and then attach
another fan by passing the wire through and
back again. Knot and cut the wire, using pliers
to tuck in the end.
5. To make the neck cord, use leather cord.
Measure the length of cord required, cut into
two parts so that these can be attached to
either side of the focal fans. Make a loop in the
leather cord and secure in place by wrapping
with silver-plated wire. Repeat for the second
piece of leather cord. Next use 0.8mm silver to
create a fi sh hook clasp and loop. Use round
nose pliers to make the coils on the clasp
components, which will then slide onto the
cord ends. Secure onto the leather cord by
▼
using fl at nose pliers to squeeze the coils.
75

6 7
9 10
6. To attach the focal fans onto the leather
cord, create two figure-of-eight shapes from
0.8mm silver-plated wire. Loop one end
through the end fan and the other through the
leather loop. Use pliers to close the figure-of-
eight. To make the bracelet, repeat Steps 1 to
4. Measure the length of leather cord required
for the bracelet and cut. Use silver-plated
0.8mm wire to make a clasp and coil the cord
ends, attach to the cord and secure with pliers.
Use 0.3mm wire to thread through the mesh
fans and wrap around the leather cord. To
make the earrings follow Steps 1 to 4, then
attach a ready-made earwire or make using
1mm silver wire and round nose pliers.
Silver wire fans
7. To make the silver wire focal fan, start by
shaping and cutting 1mm Sterling silver wire.
76
PROJECT
8
The end components have been shaped into
leaf or petal shapes by using round nose pliers.
Cut 50mm of 0.8mm Sterling silver wire for
the stem.
8. Lay the leaf shape onto a ceramic block and
sit the wire stem inside. Add soldering paste at
the top and base of the wire leaf shape. Use a
torch to heat the paste until the solder flows,
then quench and pickle.
9. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 until you have the
required number of leaves and stems to form
the fan. Here seven have been made so that they
can be decorated with a crystal in each rainbow
colour. Next cut approx. 100mm of 1mm Sterling
silver wire. Form an arc shape with pliers. Lay
all the leaves and stems onto a ceramic block
and place the wire arc on top. Arrange all the
components so they are evenly spaced, then
makingjeweller y.com
place solder paste where each component
touches. Use a torch to heat the paste until the
solder flows, then quench and pickle.
10. File, sand and polish the silver wires.
Each stem has a crystal that is held in place
by flaring the wire end. To do this you need a
hammer and steel block. Add a crystal to each
stem and make sure the crystal sits beyond
the edge of the steel block to prevent breakage.
Gently hammer the wire on the block and the
wire should flare, keeping the crystal in place.
Repeat until all crystals have been added and
secured. Gently hammer each leaf so that the ▼
wire is work hardened.
 PROJECT

makingjeweller y.com 77
 PROJECT

11 12 13

14 15

11. By using 1mm wire and round nose or
mandrel pliers create a fish-hook clasp. Use
pliers to close the loops. Place onto a ceramic
block and add solder paste to the loops. Use a
torch to heat the paste until the solder flows,
then quench and pickle. Place on the steel block
and gently hammer to work harden.
12. Use 1mm wire to make jumprings. Add
jumprings to either side of the focal fan so that
chain can be attached. Then use jumprings to
attach the clasp components to the other ends
of the chain.
15. To make the hoop earrings, follow Steps 7 RESOURCES
and 8, but only make the stem wires the length wires.co.uk
of each leaf. Repeat until you have the required beadsdirect.co.uk
number of leaves. Use mandrel pliers with 1mm cooksongold.co.uk
wire to create the hoop and flat nose pliers to
straighten at the ends. Lay on a ceramic block CONTACT
and arrange, then add solder paste where all fireball-lily.co.uk
the components touch. Use a torch to heat the facebook.com/fireball.lily
paste until the solder flows, then quench and jaynerimington.com
pickle. Work harden the wire hoop by placing facebook.com/JRDesignerMaker
on a steel block and gently hammering. File,
sand and polish the silver wires to finish.

13. To create the dangly pair of earrings, repeat

Steps 7 and 8. Make jumprings with 1mm
Sterling silver wire. Lay the components on a
soldering block and arrange into a fan shape
with a jumpring at the top. Add solder paste
where all pieces touch. Use a torch to heat the
paste until the solder flows, then quench and
pickle. Lay on a steel block and hammer to work
harden wire.

14. Use a fi le, sanding and polishing papers to

clean up the focal fan. Select a crystal and make
wire loops using 0.8mm wire (see p94). Use
1mm wire and round nose or mandrel pliers to
make ear hooks. Use pliers to open and close
loops to attach all components.

78 makingjeweller y.com
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 AUTUMN
JEWELS CHLOE MENAGE

C
ombining the current trend for leaf
jewellery and sparkling statement MATERIALS & TOOLS
necklaces, this glittering set is a must for Necklace
intermediate beaders looking for a right angle ● 27mm Swarovski Elements (1201)

weave (RAW) challenge. The pattern assumes round stones

you are familiar with two-needle RAW, but of ● 6 x 14mm Swarovski Elements rivolis

course also works in single-needle RAW. ● 8 x Czech Glass leaf beads

I recommend that you use Toho beads for ● Approx. 6g size 11 Toho beads

this project as the larger holes make it easier to ● 0.25mm clear monofi lament thread

work with. You can use either Crystal Fireline (Supplemax) or 6lb Crystal Fireline
or clear monofi lament thread. Fireline is easier ● Size 10 beading needle

and quicker to work with, but I like the effect ● Chain, jumprings and fi ndings

of the clear thread as it is almost invisible ● Small sharp scissors or cutters

against the crystals and gives a fi rmer finish to

the bezels. The gold and green sample shown Additional supplies for earrings
uses Fireline, while the pink and gold uses ● Pinch of size 15 seed beads (optional)
monofi lament thread. ● 2 x 14mm Swarovski Elements Rivolis

● 2 x Czech Glass leaf beads

● Earwires

80 makingjeweller y.com

1 2
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREL GUILFOYLE, DIAGRAMS: CHLOE MENAGE
4 5
1. Begin by bezelling the 14mm rivolis. Cut an
armspan of thread – if you are working with
Fireline then thread a needle on each end. We
will be working in two-needle right angle weave
(RAW) with the size 11 Toho seed beads. Begin
by creating a strip of RAW 15 units long. Ensure
it is not twisted; add a bead to each thread and
join to the first unit to create a ring of 16 units
in total. It’s important to keep a good tension as
you work.
2. Create a second row of RAW by positioning
both threads to exit an edge bead, and pick up
three beads on the right thread (blue). Cross the
left thread through the last bead added.
* Pass the (now) left thread into the next bead
in the strip (blue). Pick up two beads on the
right thread – see diagram – and repeat along
from * until you reach the beginning. Join to
the beginning unit in the same way as you did
in Step 1, but only adding one bead.
3. Work each thread through to exit on
opposite sides of the bezel, facing in opposite
directions. Pop in the crystal. Pass through
PROJECT
3
6
HOW TO MAKE
each bead on the edge of the bezel until you
reach the beginning, then repeat on the other
edge. Pull on the threads to draw in the bezel
until the stone is held securely and looks even
both front and back. Reinforce this pass once
more. Note: if you are using Fireline you may
need to make a few extra passes until the bezel
feels secure. Pass each thread through a few
beads and secure with a half hitch knot (if
using Fireline).
4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 to bezel five more 14mm
rivolis (or more if you prefer). Then bezel the
27mm stone using the same technique – you’ll
need to use a double wingspan of thread and
stitch a strip of 28 units and join to create 29
units. It may seem a little bit baggy, but once
you pull in the centre it will fit perfectly. If you
struggle with keeping your stone in the bezel
due to loose tension then stitch a row of size
15 beads between the centre edge beads (see
diagram) on the front and back. Keep your
working threads attached on your components
but finish off any threads that are too short to
be of use.
makingjeweller y.com
5. To begin joining the stones, fi rst decide
which order you would like your colours. You
will join the big stone to the small fi rst, starting
on the right hand side. Take one of the threads
from the large stone and work through to the
middle row of beads (these should be sitting on
the edge of the bezel. Pass into a bead in the
corresponding row on the rivoli and then into
the next bead in the row on your stone. Pass
into the next bead on the rivoli and then into
the next bead on the stone. You should have five
beads connected – two on the rivoli and three
on the stone.
6. Check that both your crystals are facing up
then reinforce this join. To do this you will
need to work around to get into position. Pass
down into a side bead, then pass along through
three of the edge beads and then up through
the next side bead. This should bring you up
in front of the joining bead so you are ready to
▼
pass through them all again to reinforce.
81

7 8
10
13
7. Use a tail thread from your next rivoli to
join it to the already connected rivoli. To do
this count the central row beads – count along
seven of these clockwise from the join then zip
as you did before, although this time you will
just have two beads on each join – so four in
the complete join. In your work around you will
just need to pass through two edge beads. Add
one more rivoli to this side in the same manner.
8. To join the left hand side rivolis you will
use exactly the same method. Count seven
beads anticlockwise on the stone from the join
(the beads in the join are shown darker in the
diagram). Then repeat Steps 5 to 7 for the left
hand side. Work in any excess threads leaving
one long thread on each of the final rivolis.
If none are long enough, then finish all your
82
PROJECT
11
14
threads and work in a new one on the bezel as
you need it.
9. To create the connectors; count along six
from your final join (clockwise). Exit here and
pick up seven size 11s. Skip the next bead in
the row and pass into the one after. Reinforce
this twice more, then repeat on the other side
to mirror this. If you are using Fireline you may
need to reinforce this a few more times to get it
stiff enough.
10. Adding the leaves: there are two methods
for this depending on the type of leaf you have
opted for; top-drilled or side-drilled. For side-
drilled working from the same central row, you
will count down five beads clockwise from the
connector. Pick up one size 11, one leaf and one
makingjeweller y.com
9
12
15
size 11, pass into the second bead clockwise
from the join on the next crystal. Work through
to exit from the second bead along in the same
row. Repeat this step along to add the leaves
evenly along the necklace between the joins.
Reinforce if necessary.
11. On the large crystal count in seven beads
clockwise from the right hand join. Pick up one
size 11, one leaf, one size 11, one leaf and one
size 11. Skip the next three beads in the row
and pass into the fourth. Once you have added
all of the desired leaves between the crystals
then work in your threads and trim.
12. The top-drilled leaves are a little trickier
to attach. For these, you need to use the side
beads in rows one and two (front and back of the
 PROJECT

bezel). See the diagrams for help with placement

on these. Start with the final crystal on right –
exit downwards from the fifth bead from the
connector – working towards the centre. Pick
up three size 11s and pass through the leaf bead
from front to back. Pick up three size 11s. On
the next crystal along, count along two side
beads from the connection (on the back part of
the bezel) and pass up into this bead.

13. Work around the beads in the bezel to exit

down from the matching bead in the other
row (the one on the front of the bezel.) Pick
up three size 11s and pass into the leaf bead
from front to back. Pick up three size 11
beads and pass up into the corresponding
bead on the back on the bezel on the first
crystal. Repeat Steps 12 to 13 between
each crystal.

14. For the leaves on the middle crystal

exit downwards from the tenth side
bead clockwise after the right hand
join on the front of the bezel. Pick
up two size 11s and a leaf, then
two more size 11s. Pass upwards
into the corresponding bead on
the second row on the back of
the bezel (the diagram shows
the back of the bezel). Work
around and repeat to add a
second leaf on the next bead
along. You can play with the
placement of these leaves for
best effect – it will depend
on the curve and finish of
your leaves. Work in your
threads and trim.

15. Open a jumpring and

use it to join chain to the
connectors at each end
and finish with a clasp of
your choice. You could either
connect the chain directly
to the jumpring as for the gold
and green sample, or thread your
chain through the ring so that it
doubles up as for the pink and rose gold
example. To make matching earrings bezel
a 14mm rivoli, create a connector using size 11
or 15 seed beads as per Step 9 or create a simple
loop of seed beads around the earwire. Add a leaf
dangle to the bottom of the bezel.

RESOURCES
Crystals: stitchncraft.co.uk
Toho seed beads: robins-beads.co.uk
Czech glass leaf beads are widely available
from advertisers in this magazine

CONTACT
info@pinkhot.co.uk
pinkhot.co.uk

makingjeweller y.com 83
 PRODUCT REVIEW

BEAD STRINGING BASICS

A great way to begin jewellery making is to string beads into necklaces and
bracelets. Here are some items to get
you started. By Zoë Lynham
BASIC TOOLS AND
STRINGING MATERIAL
When you first start jewellery
making, a basic tool set containing
round nose pliers, chain nose
pliers and side cutters is a good
starting point. The pliers can
be used to connect your
findings, such as clasps
and jumprings, to your
beaded stringing wire,
to create a necklace
or bracelet, and the
cutters can be used
to cut your bead
stringing wire
to the desired
length. Beadalon’s
Econo tool kit
contains these tools,
plus tweezers, a bead scoop and
six modular and stackable drawers, perfect
for stor
storing your beads or findings. It can be purchased
their website for $16.99.
from th
Beadalon manufactures a range of bead stringing
Bead
wire, ccomposed of tiny wires twisted together and
nylon ccoated. Their 19-strand bead stringing wire is
ideal if you are new to bead stringing. It comes in a
varietyy of colours and lengths, to suit your design and
budget. This is the 0.18in (0.46mm) 19-strand bead
budget
stringing wire in metallic silver. It is made from a
stringi
blend o of tarnish-resistant metals with silver plating.
This 115ft (4.5m) reel costs $10.99. Beadalon distributes
products worldwide.
produc
beadalon.com
beadal

CRIMP TUBES AND COVERS

VERS
Once you have strung your beads onto the bead stringing wire, you need
to make a loop at either end, to add your clasp, to complete your bracelet
or necklace. To add a crimp tube to one end of the beading wire, pass the
end of the wire back through the crimp to create a loop, and squeeze the
tube to hold the loop in place. Trim excess beading wire with your side
cutters and then gently close a crimp cover over the crimped tube, to
give a neat, professional finish to the piece. Repeat this at either end and
add your chosen clasp using jumprings. Your necklace or bracelet is then
ready to wear.
Beadalon manufactures a range of crimp tubes and covers in different
sizes and colours, to suit the thickness of the bead stringing wire and
colour used. At Beads Direct, you can purchase a pack of 100 silver-plated
crimp tubes, size #2 (1.8mm) for £1.44 and a pack of 144 gold-plated
crimp covers, 4mm in size, for £5.65. These items are great value as you
can make many items of jewellery from these, for minimum outlay.
beadsdirect.co.uk

84 makingjeweller y.com
 PRODUCT REVIEW
R

C
CRIMPING
PLIERS AND
BEADS
A very useful tool
tto add to your
ccollection is a set
of crimping pliers.
o
These are used to
Th
squash crimp tubes
squ
crimp beads onto bead
or crim
stringing wire,
wi before adding
crimp covers to hide
h the crimp bead
or tube. Beadhouse sup supply their own
crimp pliers, the BB crimp p pliers beading tool,
which is embossed with their own logo. They can be
purchased for £9.99 from their website
website.
You will also need a selection of beads tto string on to your
bead stringing wire. Beadhouse has a fabulous
fabu range of bead JUMPRINGS
mix boxes, starting from £7.99 in price. They
T vary in terms of Jumprings are essential for joining
(gemstone, shell
type of bead (gemstone shell, hematine
hematine, gglass pearls), colour different components together in your
and shape (assorted, pendant), to suit your preference. jewellery. Use them to attach clasps to
This example is the assorted shapes gemstone box, in a your beaded stringing wire or if you
black and white mix, weighing 280g. It contains mixed sizes have a shorter length of strung beads,
and shapes of black and white gemstone beads, some natural you can attach a length of chain with
and some dyed colours of recomposited or natural stone such clasp to this, to give a different fi nish
as magnesite or marble. This mix costs £7.99 and is a good to your design.
way to start off your bead collection. Beadsisters are well known for their
beadhouse.co.uk chainmaille supplies, which include a
huge variety of jumprings in different
sizes, colours and metals. If you are
attaching chain to a length of strung
beads, be sure to check the size of the
links in the chain, to ensure you order
jumprings of the correct size to easily go
through the links.
These silver anodised aluminium
jumprings have an inside diameter of
3mm and are 0.81mm thick. You can
purchase them in packs of 100 for £1.20
or 500 for £5.25. This aluminium chain
has links that are 3.5mm x 6mm and it is
sold for £0.90 per metre or 5m for £3.80.
beadsisters.co.uk
CLASPS
There are many types of clasps available in both plated and precious metals. I suggest starting with
plated metal lobster clasps or toggle clasps if you do not have any allergies to base metals. They
are easy to use and simple to attach to your jewellery using jumprings, or by adding them to the
loop at the end of the bead stringing wire after the crimp tube, before squashing the crimp tube to
secure the loop.
Metal Clay sells a variety of clasps in different colours and metals, including these: a silver-
plated brass toggle clasp for £0.80 each; and two silver-plated lobster claw clasps, 9mm in size, for
£1.99. You will also find Sterling silver clasps on their website, as well as bolt ring clasps, which
work in a similar way to lobster clasps.
metalclay.co.uk

makingjeweller y.com 85
 GEOMETRIC CUTOUT
EARRINGS WITH
EMBELLISHMENTS
CHRISTINA ANTON

T
hese earrings combine the
fundamental cutout technique
used throughout the projects
with smaller dangling geometric pieces.
It makes a bold effect.

86
 PROJECT

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

A B C

x2 x 14

9 10
TEMPLATE
Printed at 100%

HOW TO MAKE
MATERIALS & TOOLS 1. Copy shapes A, B and C from the template 6. After the holes are punched, begin
● Leather in several different colours on a separate sheet of paper. Then cut out assembling the earrings using jumprings.
● 20 x 6mm jumprings the shapes using a cutting blade or scissors.
● 2 x 4mm jumprings Stamp out the holes on the template for 7. Start by adding 6mm jumprings to attach
● Pair of earwires future markings. shape A to shape B using a pair of chain nose
● 1 cutting knife pliers. Add a jumpring to the top of shape A
● Cutting blades 2. Place the templates on the leather, and cut so that the earwires can be attached in the
● Cutting mat each shape out very carefully. Shapes A and B last step.
● 2 x chain nose pliers are used twice to create a total of four pieces.
● Disappearing fabric marker 8. Attach all the shape Cs to the bottom of the
● Rotary hole punch 3. Shape C is used to cut out the 14 teardrops shape Bs using 14 jumprings. Each earring will
that dangle at the bottom of the earrings. have seven dangling pieces.

4. Use a disappearing marker to transfer the 9. Add an earwire to the top 6mm jumpring at
BOOK DETAILS placement of the holes from the template the top of A using a 4mm jumpring. Repeat for
Extract from Creative shapes to each of the pieces of leather. The the second earring.
Leather Jewelry: 21 marks will show where to punch the holes for
stylish projects that the jumprings. 10. The earrings are now complete and ready to
make a statement wear! I used three different colours of leather
by Christina Anton, 5. Punch through each mark using the rotary for this project. A variation would be to choose
ISBN 9781454709503, hole punch. Place the marked leather under multiple colours for the dangling pieces to add
published by Lark the smallest hole of the rotary hole punch, and even more colour.
(£24.99, available from squeeze to pierce through the leather. Continue
thegmcgroup.com) to punch all 38 holes.

makingjeweller y.com 87
 INSPIRATION

BE INSPIRED BY...
This month: Pompoms, ring mandrels, sapphires and decorative wire.
By Karen Caine

Red tassel pompom earrings,

TOOLS
etsy.com/shop/ichimylove
RING MANDRELS
Once you decide that you’re in the market for a ring mandrel, you need
to decide which sort is right for you. If you only work with clay, then a
wooden one will be more than adequate. If you plan to form rings with
wire, then a stainless steel mandrel that you can hammer against is a
better bet.
PHOTOGRAPH: NARAWIT ONGCHAROENWUT

You need to consider shape – some are tapered, while others have
steps. The tapered ones enable you to make any size of ring you like,
including half sizes, but their conical form can distort the ring’s shaft
unless you keep flipping it round. The stepped mandrels don’t have
this problem, but you can’t use them for half-sizes. Some mandrels also
have the sizes marked on them (a potential problem if you hammer
against them and an impression of the number is transferred), while
others have a groove along one side to accommodate a stone (useful
for wire wrapping or making repairs). If you only have the money for
one mandrel, though, then try the Proops Brothers’ 13in tapered steel
TRENDS mandrel with 1oz hammer. At just £10.40, it looks like a real bargain.

POMPOMS 1
If it’s fun, it’s in fashion. Alongside bright, bold colours, ice-cream
pastels, fringes and tassels, comes the new must-have accessory: the
pompom. This cheeky trimming isn’t just for clothes, bags and shoes.
Jewellery makers are also picking up on this cheerful, carefree trend. 2
As you can see from the gorgeous examples shown here, you can
combine pompoms with all sorts of existing styles, including soutache,
embroidery and macramé to create your own unique style. The relaxed
feel and inexpensive materials offer the perfect touch of frivolity 3
for festival goers, while poolside bathers don’t need to worry about
chemicals and sun tan lotions damaging their expensive jewellery.
Best of all, pompoms are incredibly easy to make: you just need two
cardboard circles, lots of yarn and a love of fluff y spheres. Just don’t let
the cat see them or you’ll have a whole new defi nition of fur balls... 4

Yarn wrapped Multicoloured soutache earrings and blue

rope necklace, necklace, Marta Młynarczyk, etsy.com/
Bonnie Rüppell, shop/ozdobyziemi
1. Wooden ring mandrel set, £6.95: metalclay.co.uk
mybeata. Fluff y ring, Addison Malloy,
2. Ring mandrel, solid steel with a groove, £13,proopsbrothers.com
etsy.com freakcarousel.etsy.com
3. 13in solid steel ring mandrel and brass 1oz hammer, £10.40,
proopsbrothers.com
4. Solid steel stepped ring mandrel, £20, proopsbrothers.com
5. Ring mandrel, solid steel with markings plus steel ring sizer gauge A-Z,
£20, proopsbrothers.com
 INSPIRATION

Faceted stones,
from £2.03 each,
manchesterminerals.co.uk
STONE
SAPPHIRE
The birthstone of September, Sapphire is a variety of corundum, a
crystallised form of aluminium oxide. Although, primarily thought of
as blue, sapphires are available in a number of colours, including pink,
green and yellow as well as red corundum, which is generally referred to
as ruby. The most sort-after colour is the cornflower-blue variety, which
comes from Kashmir.
Although sapphires are now one of the most prized gems in the world,
linguists believe that the name derives from the Greek word, sappirus,
which actually referred to the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. For
several centuries it seems that lapis lazuli was called sapphire in Western
cultures. Nowadays, few people would confuse the two, especially if they
looked at the price tag, with gem-quality sapphires costing ten times
as much as lapis lazuli. That said, if you’re willing accommodate minor
flaws, you can still pick up some sapphires for a very budget-friendly
price, such as the examples shown here.
MATERIAL
DECORATIVE WIRE
Sadly we can’t all afford rolling mills, but that doesn’t mean you have to
give up the idea of using intricately patterned wire in your designs.
Initially intended for use in stone setting, these decorative wires are
some times called fancy-gallery or fancy-bezel wires. Nowadays, their
use has become wider with some people also using them for rings and
bangles. You can see the appeal: cut a length of the ribbon-style wire,
finish the ends so the join is snug and solder it together for an instantly
stylish accessory. You can also feature it within a wire weave project or
use it to frame a mixed media piece.
Most of these wires are 0.5-0.6mm in width, so they’re sturdy enough
for the majority of projects, and they come in brass, copper and Sterling
silver. The samples here show a fraction of the available designs, so it’s
worth browsing the web sites to see the full range.
Copper and brass patterned wires, assorted sizes,
from £13.70 per 91cm, cooksongold.com

Cornflower blue
faceted stones,
from £4.50 each:
kernowcraft.com

Cabochons,
from £2.65 each, Sterling silver patterned wire assorted patterns
kernowcraft.com and size, from £0.48 per cm, rashbel.co.uk

Tansy Wilson’s design using Cookson Sterling silver patterned

Gold’s patterned wire in MJ110 wire, half hard, 1mm x
5mm, £0.49 per cm:
Rough sapphires, cooksongold.com
manchesterminerals.co.uk
h
hesterminerals.co.uk
i l k

Multicoloured
faceted rondelles
(approx. 170 beads),
£55, kernowcraft.com

89
Caverswall Minerals MAKE YOUR OWN JEWELLERY
Set your own stones, ceramics, resins etc into our silver 925 mounts. We have a very
large selection of silver settings and mounts including pendants, brooches, cufflinks,
rings, lockets, earrings, bracelets, stick pins and tie bars etc in many different styles
from modern, classic and celtic all polished and easy to set.

We supply a large range of semi precious cabochons

R
LE AN / O
EL R AL E F
W B RI G

Y E
JE EM O N

R C
M A
EM E R
Tel: 01782 393838 email: phil@caverswallminerals.com

R M R
U
O
www.caverswallminerals.com

E
SE
2000+ quality tools for crafts and jewellery making !
This is just a small selection from the ranges we offer!
Please buy from your local stockist wherever possible. You can find them, and
view all of our products at: www.expotools.com TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOMED.

We stock a large range of

Xuron high quality pliers
and cutters specifically
designed for jewellery
making. These superb
products come with
a lifetime guarantee.
Please visit
www.expotools.com
for details!
Many more items for
jewellery making and
repairs on our website.
Tel: 01834 845150
(Mon to Fri 9am-5pm)

IT’S A JEWELLER’S LIFE
We share life behind the scenes with blogger Anna Mcloughlin,
who is a gold and silversmith with a passion for using
environmentally friendly and ethically sourced materials
in her designs.
S
ummer is always a massive juggling
act for me. As a mum, I want to be
spending every minute of it out enjoying
the sunshine (or the wind and the rain) with
my family, but as a designer and business
owner, this can often prove to be somewhat
problematic! One of the reasons for working
for myself, is so that I can be around to drop
my son off at school and support my now
home-educated daughter with her GCSE
studies, but it does still need some very careful
planning, especially in school holidays.
Now, I didn’t start out intending to be
mainly making wedding rings, but an
advantage of how my business has naturally
evolved, is that contrary to what most people
seem to think, things do actually quieten down
a little over the summer. I guess this is because,
most weddings happen during this time, and
most couples like to have everything planned
several weeks in advance. I also, do my best
(although this doesn’t always go to plan) not to
92
BLOG
have too many commissions that are needed
for September left unfinished over the school’s
six-week holiday.
Wedding fairs and events also seem
to mainly stop during July and August, I
guess due to the same reason, and probably
also down to the fact that businesses like
photographers and cake makers are not
available to exhibit because they are busy
working at actual weddings. Things tend to
pick up again in September, for about a month,
and then it all goes quiet again over Christmas,
which leaves me feeling secretly pretty smug as
again, most people assume I’m run off my feet
at this point in the year. When I really get busy
though, is in January, when wedding planning
season starts.
Even though, summer is a little quieter,
business wise, this only happens because
my commissions usually have a long lead
time, and I understand that lots of designers/
craftspeople/artists don’t get this luxury, and
makingjeweller y.com
summer is a time when they have to spend
every weekend selling at markets and festivals
and craft events. So the second half of this
month’s blog is for all of those people, and
for anyone else that struggles a bit over the
summer, either because of the school holidays,
or simply because it’s horrible being stuck at
work when the sun is shining outside and you
just want to be out enjoying it!
So, on to part two.... While I was working
the other day, I was listening to one of the
many podcasts that I have saved on my phone,
and the presenter was talking about how
she had been reading a book about ‘Practical
Zen’, meditation and mindfulness. With us
all having such busy lives, it seems to be a
practice that’s becoming increasing popular,
and possibly a necessity! As she read from the
first chapter, called ‘setting the scene’, the
author asked you to become aware of your
hands and what they were doing. Well... at that
moment, I was about to solder a palladium
 1

The process of
2 making a ring:
1. Making a
stone setting
2. Soldering onto
the shank
3. Cooling down
4. Soldered setting,
close up
5. Polishing the
inside
6. The finished
setting
Finished ring
BELOW LEFT TO RIGHT: Working with hands using a file, Working with hands using wire 3
Finished ring, side view
OPPOSITE: The Malvern Hills, where I live

ring, and so was extremely aware of what
my hands were doing! It got me thinking
though, that meditation maybe doesn’t have
to involve sitting crossed legged on a yoga mat
and chanting ‘Om’. Maybe it’s something that
you can do, while you’re getting on with your
everyday busy life.
It made me think that making jewellery,
especially something as special (and expensive!)
as a palladium engagement ring, was actually
quite like meditating. I had to be completely
focused on what my hands were doing at that
moment in time. I was aware that other things
were going on around me, but my mind wasn’t
going to let those things distract me from what
I was doing at that very moment.
According to Wikipedia, ‘...Mindfulness is the
psychological process of bringing one’s attention
to experiences occurring in the present moment,
which can be developed through the practice of
meditation and other training...’. In other words,
not letting yourself get distracted and trying to
5
live more in the moment, in order to improve our
mental wellbeing.
Now, I’m not going to even try and pretend
that I know anything about mindfulness, and I
can only really speak from my own experiences, 6
but I do know a bit about how focused I have
to be to create something as precious as an
engagement ring. I also know that when I’m
distracted, which with everything else that I
have to remember every day, can happen pretty
frequently, I’m much more likely to make
mistakes. I’d never thought about what I do
every day in this way before, and I’ve never really
been into sitting still and just thinking about
myself for any amount of time, but somehow,
hearing just that short except has kind of opened
my eyes to the fact that, when I’m working,
I’m ‘kind of’ meditating, or at least practising
mindfulness, without even realising it!
Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza
Find out more about Anna’s jewellery at
annafinejewellery.co.uk

makingjeweller y.com 93

BASIC TECHNIQUES
1. Thread a bead onto a head or
eye pin. Grip the wire with round
nose pliers next to the bead.
5. Keep pushing the wire around
the jaw until you meet the bead.
1. Thread the bead onto a head or
eye pin and cut the pin about 1cm
above the bead. Bend the wire to a
right angle above the bead.
94
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
HOW TO MAKE A WRAPPED LOOP
2. Bend the wire above the plier 3. Move the plier jaws to sit at the
jaw to a right angle. You will need top of the bend.
about 2mm of wire above the bead
before the bend.
6. Move the pliers around the 7. If attaching the loop to a chain
loop and continue to bend the this is the stage to do that. Use a
wire around until it is facing out pair of chain nose pliers to hold
at a right angle and you have a across the loop firmly.
complete loop.
MAKING A SIMPLE LOOP
2. Using round nose pliers, grasp 3. Roll the wire around to meet
the wire at the very end and curl it the bead. If it does sit centrally
around the plier jaws. move the plier jaws around the
loop to sit by the bead away from
the open end. Bend the loop back
to sit directly above the bead.
makingjeweller y.com
4. With your thumb push the wire
back around the pliers, keeping it
tight to the jaw.
8. Wrap the wire around the neck
of the loop until it meets the bead.
Snip off any excess wire and push
the end against the coil to finish.
PHOTOGRAPHS: SIAN HAMILTON
4. Use chain nose pliers to tighten
the loop by twisting it from side
to side. Do not pull it outwards as
that will distort the shape.

USING JUMPRINGS
Always make sure you follow this
guide and don’t pull jumprings
apart as they can easily distort.
Take a jumpring in two pairs of
pliers with the opening centred at
the top.
Hold the jumpring either as shown
in the step above or this step.
Whichever way you hold the
jumpring, the opening motion is
the same. Twist one hand towards
you and the other hand away;
never pull apart. Reverse the
action to close.
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
CRIMPING A BEAD
To show this process clearly it is
being shown without using thread;
the thread or wire should be inside
the bead.
Hold the crimp bead in the pliers
with the bead sat in the hole that
has a round side opposite
a ‘W’ shape.
Before closing the pliers, check
that the bead is sat straight. When
you close the pliers the thread
should fall either side of the bend.
Move the ‘U’ shape crimp to
the other hole with two round
sides. Turn the crimp so the ‘U’
faces sideways, press the pliers
closed tightly.
makingjeweller y.com
ADDING A COVER
Crimp covers make your finished
jewellery look more professional
and clean.
Take a crimp cover and place it
over the crimped bead, making
sure the bead is completely inside
the cover.
Take a pair of chain or flat nose
pliers and carefully grasp the cover.
Gently press the cover closed.
The finished bead should be closed
into a perfect bead shape. Nylon
nose pliers do this job very well as
they won’t mark the cover.
MAKING AN EYE PIN
Make your own eye pins using
0.8mm (or 0.7mm) wire. You can
use 1mm if you need strong pins.
Take the very end of the wire in
round nose pliers. If the wire is
quite hard it may slip out of the
pliers, so start the loop about 2mm
in and snip off the straight piece as
you make the first curve.
The shape you want to create is a
P. The advantage to making your
own eyepins is that you can make
the loop any size you need.
To finish the pin so the loop sits
centrally on the wire, take the
round nose pliers and place them
where the round P shape meets the
wire. Press the wire back against
the pliers until the loop is centred.
95

BASIC TOOLS
ROUND NOSE
These are a must-have for a basic kit. When
making jewellery, being able to create loops and
rings is essential.
NYLON NOSE
Another similar style to flat nose, these pliers
have jaws that are covered in nylon to stop
them marking the metal.
CRIMPING
These pliers are used with crimp beads. If you
want to have a nice finish to your crimping
then these pliers are a good investment.
96
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
TYPES OF PLIERS
CHAIN NOSE (SNIPE)
Also called half round, these are the most
versatile. They are used for many jewellery
applications, so are another must-have for the
basic kit.
BENT NOSE
Used for getting into small tricky spaces where
a straight nose pair cannot reach.
CUTTERS/SNIPS
These pliers are also called side cutters. They
come in a vast range of prices and styles. Be
careful what you cut as they can blunt easily if
used with hard or large dimension wire.
makingjeweller y.com
FLAT NOSE
Similar to chain nose, these pliers have a wider
jaw that is completely fl at. Good for holding
jumprings/findings as the wide jaw grasps a
large area.
BAIL MAKING
These pliers have fixed sized jaws, with each
jaw being a different size, usually with a 2mm
difference (such as 3mm and 5mm). They come
in a wide variety of sizes and are great if making
a lot of the same size jumprings or coils.
MEMORY CUTTERS
Used exclusively for cutting memory wire. If you
are going to use memory wire you must invest in
these; the wire will damage standard cutters.
 ' ( 6 , * 1  %<  + $ 1 $  Î ( 5 1 ƒ

PRECIOSA
Karo™

DISTRIBUTORS OF PRECIOSA Traditional Czech BeadsTM

Beads Direct Ltd. | 01509 218028 | www.beadsdirect.co.uk PRECIOSA Karo™
The Spellbound Bead Co. | 01543 417650 | www.spellboundbead.co.uk
ART No.: 321 94 001
Creative Beadcraft Ltd. | 01494 778818 | www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk
Beads Unlimited | 01273 740770 | www.beadsunlimited.co.uk SIZE: 5 x 5 mm
Spoilt Rotten Beads | 01353 749853 | www.spoiltrottenbeads.co.uk
The Bead Shop (Nottingham) Ltd. | 0115 958 8899 | www.mailorder-beads.co.uk
Beadworks UK Ltd. | 01273 740770 | www.beadworks.co.uk

PRECIOSA Traditional Czech BeadsTM

PRECIOSA ORNELA, a.s. | Zásada 317, 468 25 Czech Republic

P +420 488 117 711, F +420 483 312 292, E beads@preciosa.com
Preciosa-Ornela.com