I recently posted about Jewelry Television’s new jewelry making DVD series called Jewel School. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to review the first DVD in the series, Basic Wire Wrapping, and I must say that I was impressed!
You can read my review here on BellaOnline.com, or visit the Jewel School web page to preview some video clips.
She Beads: Single Beads on Chain
[Originally uploaded by tigeropulos]
The handcrafted-jewelry studio She Beads recently announced that their jewelry has been selected for inclusion in the 2007 American Music Awards swag bags. It’s unusual to see truly handmade pieces, much less polymer clay items, showcased as fashion items at a major event like this one. It’s also quite refreshing!
She Beads was started in the early 1990s by stay-at-home mom and radiologist Sandy Rueve. Sandy developed a unique style for her colorful beads and beaded jewelry, which she creates by hand-rolling each bead using intricate millefiori techniques.
Over the years, Sandy’s business has really grown. What began as a one-woman business in her home basement now employs over 30 people and operates from a 4,000 square foot production facility in Chicago.
You can ready more about Sandy and her business and designs at the She Beads website.
I remember when, several years ago now, Martha Stewart featured her bead-and-wire snowflake project on her show - and everyone went crazy for it. Wire snowflake forms (also called snowflake armatures) flew off the shelves at craft stores, and bidding wars broke out for them on eBay.
I was just thinking about them again, with the holidays approaching this year, when I spotted the cover of the Martha Stewart Living December 2007 issue at the grocery store. There they were. . . framing Martha’s pretty, smiling face on the cover.
I think this year’s versions are more striking than ever, featuring larger, metallic, fluted beads in soft pastel colors.
The general instructions for making them are available for free on the Martha Stewart website. The directions are not super-detailed, but if you have a little experience with wire, I don’t think you’ll have trouble with them.
You have two options for the wire forms: purchase them pre-made, or make your own. You can find pre-made versions at Fusion Beads , and some folks still sell them on eBay.
If you’d like to try making your own forms, you can use either tinned copper wire or piano wire (also called music wire). After crossing several equal lengths of wire over one another at their middles, you’ll need to either wire-wrap them together (using very fine, 30-gauge wire) or solder them.
I was unable to confirm which gauge of piano wire Martha uses for her soldered forms, but I’m guessing it’s the equivalent of 20-gauge (.032 inch diameter). I’ll pick some up shortly to experiment with and then post my results.
If you’re tired of snowflakes and would like to try something different, the December issue of Martha Stewart Living offers instructions for making other holiday-themed wire ornaments, including little dancing people and simple, yet striking, icicles. (And, as you can see, dragonflies - which don’t really remind me of the holidays, but they are cute nonetheless.)
Again, the instructions are not the most clear, but they do include helpful diagrams like these:
If you’ve wanted to experiment more with beads and wire, the holidays are a good excuse to pick some up and get going. You may even discover ways to use these versatile materials to create decor and gift items that you can use all throughout the year. (If you can’t think of any, then check back! I’ll share some of my own here on AdornmentCraft.)
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You may also be interested in:
Wire in Design: Modern Wire Art & Mixed Media (Jewelry Crafts)
Click here to browse all of my recommended wire decor project books in the AdornmentCraft Amazon Shop.
This is a subject of some controversy among decor enthusiasts. Some believe that beautiful, old wood pieces should never be painted. They say it ruins their beauty and is a travesty against solid wood - a material rarely used in household furniture anymore because of its scarcity and expense.
[The chair. Originally uploaded to Flickr by La Belle Avenue]
Some folks (including my husband) go even farther, arguing that old wood furniture should never be refinished in any way, even if it’s in bad shape. (Someone’s been watching Antiques Road Show.) As a consequence, we have several pretty scratched-up, but nice, old hand-me-down pieces throughout our house.
Then there are the artsy, reclaiming types, who can’t resist the challenge of turning an old, worn-out piece of furniture into something colorful, unique, and eye-catching.
I’m a bit torn on the issue. I agree that valuable, ornate, antique pieces should be preserved as close to their original state as possible. But I’m also ok with updating pieces that are otherwise not worth much because of their poor condition or unpopular style.
What’s your take?
Shortly I’ll post in AdornmentCraft on techniques for repainting old wood items. If you have any tips or questions along those lines, post them in a comment and I’ll try to address them.
If you’ve read through the December issue of Bead & Button, the interesting-looking beads in this add may have caught your eye. (They certainly caught mine.)
Handmade by Debbi Austin, they feature metal from all kinds of kitshy vintage found-objects, including old toys, games, and photographs. (Take a look at the top of the bead in the add - it’s actually a beautiful old coin, which works perfectly in the design.)
Debbie was selected as a Finalist for this technique in the 2007 Bead & Button Bead Dreams Contest. To find out which of her one-of-kind beads are currently available for purchase, visit the Glass Onion website.
