Monday, May 25, 2015

Spool Tamers...... I Don't Know How I Ever Managed Without Them!

Have you ever removed the end of a wire spool and had it go BOING on you? Don't you hate it when that happens! Well, Beadalon have come up with a clever little accessory called a Spool Tamer that will put an end to your unravelling spools. It's simple to use and works really well! This little gadget will make your springing spool struggles a thing of the past, not only with your wire spools, but also beading elastic, beading thread and beading wire. A couple of the clever features of Spool Tamers are that they are elasticized for easy placement around the spool and they are also adjustable so they can be resized to fit most size spools. Let's take a look at one in action. Begin by removing the plastic cuff from the spool, or unhook the end of your stringing material from the notch - take care that the spool doesn't completely unravel, especially if it is wire. Thread the stringing material through the hole in the adjustable plastic buckle, fro...
Monday, May 18, 2015

When is a Crimp Tube More than Just a Crimp Tube?

Q. When is a crimp tube more than just a crimp tube? A. When it's a Beadalon Groovy Tube ! So, what's a Beadalon Groovy Tube, I hear you ask? Well, it's a crimp tube with grooves in the side that slightly spiral around the tube at an angle. The grooves catch the light and create more sparkle than regular crimp tubes! Beadalon recently gave me some to play with, along with some .024" wire so I'm going to share with you the Beadalon method of crimping. I've blogged about how to crimp previously but this method might make it easier for you if you are struggling with it. Crimping is usually a 2-step process, but the Beadalon method is a 3-step process, with an additional step at the beginning. It's this first step that just might make your crimping nightmares go away! Before we begin, take a look at the profile of your crimping tool. Notice the oval shaped hole at the tip? This oval shaped slot is actually used in the first step of the cr...
Monday, May 11, 2015

Slide Connectors - a Neat and Quick Way to Finish a Beaded Bracelet

Have you seen the new Slide Connector Clasp Sets from Beadalon?  These barrel-shaped connectors are a huge timesaver when it comes to finishing stitched beadwork and loom designs because there is no stitching required to secure the design to the clasp. Sound intriguing? Then read on to learn more about them! Slide Connectors come ready to use with a clasp and extension chain already attached. They're available in gold and silver and come in three sizes: 13mm, 20mm and 26mm. I'm working with a 13mm set which will fit a beaded bracelet that I started two years ago - this was just the push I needed to finish it! So let's see how it works.   Looking closely at the fitting you'll notice a slit that runs the entire length of the barrels. At each end is a round disk which acts as a stopper. One end is already closed and the other is ready for you to feed your work into. To use the fitting, insert the last row (or the last two rows for smaller beads) into the sl...
Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Cut Out & Keep Jewelry Superstar Feature

This past week, I've been the featured "Jewelry Superstar" on Cut Out + Keep. Each day for seven days, I've created a jewelry tutorial with step outs for you to recreate. You can see all seven of the projects below. Just click the link above each photo and it will take you straight to the tutorial. You can also learn a little bit about me in my Jewelry Superstar interview: find out some fun facts such as who my favourite actor is, what my favourite TV show is and what my favourite colour is (regular readers will already know this one!). I also talk about where my jewellery-making journey began and where I find inspiration. So please come and join me on Cut Out + Keep for some fun, elegant, classy and casual jewellery tutorials. Fiesta Sunset Earrings Sof-Suede leather lace combined with wire wrapping. Wrap it neat or wrap it messy - both ways look equally good! Pavé Drop Earrings Very sparkly, elegant earrings made with Swarovski crystals and ETI's Re...