Friday, December 30, 2016

5 Sparkly Thoughts to Kick Off the New Year

This year, just like every other year in recent memory, has flown past. There's not too much time to look back and reflect on the year gone by or to look ahead to what the New Year might bring, so no New Year's resolutions for me. But I have put together some words to live by to help get the New Year off to a sparkly start. Sparkle is the new black! Never let your tiara slip. Because it's what's on the inside that matters. Bloom and be the very best you, you can be. And remember, you can never have enough jewellery..... especially when it's handmade! May your New Year be shiny and bright! See you in 2017. Want to learn how to make jewellery?  Click here to find my books and printable pdfs ...
Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Cascading Star Loop Earrings - Mixed Metal add an unexpected twist

If you're looking for some festive earrings that are a little out of the ordinary, then these Cascading Star Loop earrings might be just what you're looking for. Instead of adding red to gold and silver, add a sprinkling of copper beads for a less traditional look. It will add warmth and contrast to the design whilst retaining the glitz of gold and silver. The clusters of stars will add the Christmassey feel to the earrings. Tip: This project uses memory wire to form the circular sections giving uniformity and stability to the design but if you find it difficult to turn small loops on pieces of memory wire, you can use wire instead. Choose the heaviest gauge wire that will fit through the Delicas. Here’s what you’ll need: ·            Two 11mm silver embossed stars ·            Four 6mm engraved gold stars ·            Six 5mm gold stars ·            Two silver 3 to 1 end connectors ·            Thirty-six #10Galvanized Pink Blush Delica beads ·          ...
Thursday, December 8, 2016

Quick and Easy DIY Holiday Earrings - With Video Tutorial

The year is racing along but it's never too early (or too late) to make some fabulous holiday earrings to dress up your festive outfits.  This is a SUPER FAST Christmas Earrings project that you can whip up in no time. If you've got 20-30 minutes, then this project is for you! These eye catching earrings might look complicated and time consuming... but they're not!  The secret to these quick earrings lies in the wire that's wrapped around the beads. The spiral looks difficult to create but bead cages come already formed so you just slip the bead inside. How cool is that?!!  Watch me as I make these gorgeous White as Snow earrings in real time (yes, it really does take only 5 minutes per earring! ) and then follow the step-by-steps below. Finished length: 5.6cm (2 ¼”) Time to complete: less than 30 minutes Degree of Difficulty: easy Here's what you need: ·            Two 14mm centre-drilled frosted white acrylic star beads ·            Two 1...
Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Twelve Days of Christmas Earrings Volume 5..... PLUS - Modern Splendour - a Free Project!

By the time the end of November rolls around, you can feel the excitement and anticipation of Christmas building. With the countdown on 'til Christmas, there's no time to waste in getting your Christmas outfits organised. And that means planning your jewellery as well. And that's where my latest collection of Christmas earrings can help - 12 fabulously festive earring designs presented in a downloadable ebook - Twelve Days of Christmas Earrings Volume 5 . As with past collections, these designs are truly unique and absolutely charming - the perfect way to dress up a holiday outfit or to put some Christmas spirit into your everyday clothes. This year's designs use filigrees, wire wrapping and even leather,  along with  a variety of construction methods to satisfy both the beginner and more advanced jewellery maker. There are Christmas trees, snow flakes, ornaments and stars. There is even a snowglobe-style design in this year's collection - something for every c...
Tuesday, November 8, 2016

How to Make Elfin Earring Wires Like a PRO

There are times when you want your handmade earrings to have a more sleek and modern look and using elfin   earring wires  (aka elven or almond earring wires) can do just that. It's easy to source shepherd hooks or french earring wires but finding elfin earring wires is a little more difficult so this tutorial will show you how to quickly and easily make your own. And the beauty is, you can make them in any colour or size to suit your design. So, grab your jewellery making pliers and let's get started. Here's what you'll need: Two 41mm eye pins Flat nose pliers A ring mandrel (or other round form to shape the earrings - a 3/4" diameter bottle works well) Cup burr tool or a metal file Permanent marker Ruler Baby wipe or methylated spirits (denatured alcohol, rubbing alcohol or similar) Place the eye pin around the outside of the ring mandrel with the loop sitting perpendicular to the mandrel. You will need to press it firmly around the form so tha...