Monday fab finds [Wire crochet jewelry]

I will be spending the next 14 days away from my home craft nook and my tools as I am out of town to take care of one of my precious jewels, my 20 months old nephew.

Today was day 1 of my pedia duty ☺ and while he was asleep, I searched the blog treasure island to find the following goodies.

I love to crochet using yarn and I have discovered that there are people doing wire crochet jewelry.  It looks so complicated and I can't wait to try it when I get back home.

Look at this simple but very elegant set of "Everyday" earrings and necklace that Jana of Be Jeweled made. 

Photo taken from Be Jeweled's BLOG

This Victorian style necklace is so stunning.

Photo taken from Be Jeweled's BLOG

This "Enchanted Garden" necklace that she made in collaboration with Artbeads is gorgeous!

Photo taken from Be Jeweled's BLOG

Lynn Davis of LLYYNN made this beautiful wire crocheted bracelet.  Oh, I love the flower pattern! 

Photo taken from LLYYNN's BLOG

Crochet jewelry looks so hard and complicated to make but I think I would like to try doing it soon.

Happy Monday!

Monday Jewel [Naomi Fujimoto's Pearls]

Happy Monday! 

It was my first time to buy Bead Style magazine and I'm so thrilled that I did.  The cover page sold it to me.  Look at that gorgeous pearl necklace!

A couple of Mondays ago, I wrote a tutorial on an MOP brooch and a blog on how I love pearls so I am uber excited to come across this wonderful project.

This necklace was designed by Naomi Fujimoto where she "mixed metals and irregularly shaped pearls in an elegant statement necklace."

I think she used Mauve colored pearls and combined it with brass and copper shades of metal beads.  I love how bold, beautiful and chunky the necklace is.  The bracelet and earrings are lovely as well.

All I have to do now is find me pearl strands and metal beads.

Happy beading!

[Jewelry] Swirly Bracelet

Happy Monday! 

Today, I will share with you a cute bracelet that I made using swarowski crystals and swarowski pearls. It's a simple project that makes beautiful and dainty bracelets. So, grab your wire cutter, flat nose plier or crimpers and lets get beading ☺. Here are the materials needed for a 7 inch bracelet:

30 pcs swarowski 6 mm jet black
15 pcs swarowski pearls
15 pcs curved spacers
2 crimp beads
1 pair lobster clasp
beading wire

 Instructions:

1.  Attach one end of the lobster clasp to the wire and secure with crimp beads.

2.  String the curved spacer, 1 crystal, 1 pearl and 1 crystal as seen below:

 

3.  Insert the end of the wire to the opposite end of the curved spacer.



Make sure that it is snug.  You have made your first link!

9 more to go and we are done.

 3.  Once again, insert a curved spacer, crystal, pearl and crystal afterwhich, insert the wire to the opposite end of the curved spacer as follows:

The bracelet will take its "natural swirly form"

 4.  Repeat the same procedure until you have done 10 sets of "curved wire, crystal, pearl, crystal."

5.  Once you have inserted the last set, insert a crimp tube then the lobster clasp.  Make sure that the bracelet is snug.  Once you are happy with your project, you may crimp the crimp tube using your tools.

Note:  You may add a spacer bead on both ends, before attaching the lobster clasps.

Enjoy your new bracelet!

Make one now and share your photos with me.  Bead away, my friend! 

Mother of Pearl Brooch [Jewelry Monday]

I have always loved wearing pearls, it makes me feel classic and elegant. Today, I will share with you how to make a brooch using mother of pearl chips.

A pearl is defined as "A hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and because of this, the word pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, fine, admirable, and valuable." More about pearls HERE. 

On the otherhand, Nacre pronounced "NAY-kər", also known as mother of pearl (MOP), is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent.  More about nacre HERE.  There are many jewelry accessories that make use of MOP.  In my recent visit to some jewelry shops in the city, I saw a lot of brooches made of MOP so i decided to give it a try.
     Materials needed to make 1 brooch:
          5 mother of pearl
          1 round pearl
          small beads / rice pearls / crystals
          gauge 22 or 24 gold or silver wire
          pin back
Tools:
wire cutter, flat and round nose pliers, nylon pliers (optional)



Mother of Pearl Brooch

 Directions:
1.  You may either use the flat or embossed part of the MOP chip.  Insert the wire on 1 MOP chip and twist 2 or 3 times around the base.  Be careful not to twist too much as it will break the wire.  Repeat until the 5th chip is attached. 
2.  Make sure that the flower pattern is snug by looping the wire around the chips in a "star" pattern.
3.  To make the center accent, you may use crystals, freshwater pearls or seed beads.  For the example above, I used a pearl and glass beads.  Insert the pearl on the wire and secure by looping the wire a couple of times around the flower pattern.
4.  Insert the glass beads to form a base for the pearl to sit on.  Secure beads.  Make sure that the wires end on the back part of the brooch.
5.  Attach the pinback by looping the wire around it.  Make sure it is snug.
Tadaaaaa!   Your brooch is now ready.  
Let your imagination run wild and be creative.  Have fun! 
Oh, if you're not in the mood to make one yourself, I would be more than happy to make one for you.