Some new pieces for the summer



Here I have made a hoop charm pendant with a rose quartz briolette, crystal quartz briolettes and Karen Hill Tribe battered findings. A chunky Amethyst bracelet with Karen Hill Tribe findings and a simple necklace of rutilated quartz and a Karen Hill Tribe flower pendant…
Citrine and Ametrine Necklace

Here I have used some lovely chunks of ametrine and citrine with 24k gold wire which I feel gives a nice warm look and the facets make it extra sparkly!
Some Earrings :-)


I have fallen in love with copper and these colours!
Rondelle copper chain necklace

An experiment with rondelles as I think they’re just as beautiful front ways on as they are stacked next to each other when strung.
If you’d like to try something similar use 20 gauge wire, cut a strip as long as you want the base to be and make a loop on either side. Hammer this flat. Then simply add the rondelles onto the base by twisting wire through the rondelle and around the base, making sure the rondelles lie flat. Great for bangles as well!
Would look great strung on ribbon or suede in a complimentary colour!
Labradorite and silver link braclelet


This is made from 12 gauge sterling wire, shaped and hammered flat and then hammemered with a rounded hammer to give it slightly dimpled look.
A hammered link necklace…
I am really pleased with the results this technique has given me. It was so much fun to make as well; not at all tedious as repetitive work can be. I simply shaped 20 gauge gold craft wire into ‘S’ shapes and jump rings and flattened them with a silversmith’s hammer on a block. Then made a large ‘S’ shape with curled ends for the ‘S’ clasp! A large green fluorite drop and smaller green drops compliment the gold well I thought.
Watch this space for charm bracelets using a similar method


Watch this space for charm bracelets using a similar method


Everything you need to start making jewellery…
If you’d like to make beaded jewellery you only have to invest in some basic tools and you’ll have a fantastic hobby for life.
To make everything shown in the following tutorials you will need;
Round Nose Pliers
Cutters
Flat Nose Pliers
Tigertail (strong stringing material)
Crimp Beads
Open and closed jumprings
Reels of wire in varying thicknesses (20,24,28 gauge)
Headpins
Clasps
Earwires
A selection of beads of your choice
Suede/ Leather
Ribbon
A box to keep it all in
To make everything shown in the following tutorials you will need;
Round Nose Pliers
Cutters
Flat Nose Pliers
Tigertail (strong stringing material)
Crimp Beads
Open and closed jumprings
Reels of wire in varying thicknesses (20,24,28 gauge)
Headpins
Clasps
Earwires
A selection of beads of your choice
Suede/ Leather
Ribbon
A box to keep it all in
How to do a wrapped loop using a headpin…

1)You will need a bead, a long head pin (thick or thin), some round nose, flat nose and cutter pliers
2)Thread the bead onto the headpin and grip it with the round nose pliers a third of the way up the shaft
3)Bend the headpin to a 90 degree angle over the round nose pliers
4)Turn the piers up..
5)…and flip the pin back over the top of the pliers..
6)…bend all the way around to form the loop
7/8) Grip the loop with one pair of pliers and wrap the end of the pin with the other pliers. You will be able to use your finger for thin headpins but will need to use pliers to twist for thicker headpins like the one shown here.
9/10) Snip the end, tuck it in and tidy up by squeezing with flat nose pliers
11) A fantastic wrapped loop headpin!
How to wire wrap a briolette

1)You will need wire (20 - 26 gauge – I have used 20 gauge here, experiment to get the result you want), round nose pliers, and a top drilled (not through drilled) bead of your choice
2/3) Thread a length of wire through the bead and squeeze with round nose pliers
4/5) Snip one side of the wire leaving ½ cm
6) Pull the wire over the top of the round nose pliers
7) All the way around to form the loop
8/9) Grip the loop with the pliers and with the other pliers wrap the wire all the way to the top of the bead
10) Snip the wire off as near to the bead as possible and align the cut end with the rest by pressing with flat nose pliers
11) Re-adjust the loop with round nose pliers to centre it
How to finish a bracelet/necklace the easy and secure way

1)You will need tigertail, cutters, flat nose pliers, four crimp beads and a clasp with two completely closed (no gaps) jump rings or loops attached. (Do not use this method with an open jumpring the tigertail will slip out)
2)Cut a length of tigertail (9 inches or 30cm to be safe) thread on two crimp beads, followed by the clasp
3)Loop the tiger tail through the clasp’s jumpring and back through the crimps to form a loop
4) pull the end with pliers until the crimps are next to the clasp (leave some room so the clasp hangs nicely)
5/6) Crush the crimps firmly with the flat nose pliers
7/8) Thread on your beads of choice over both strands of tigertail
9)Finish following steps 2-5 and pull the end of the tigertail back through the last bead
10/11) Snip the end of the tigertail close to the beads to finish

