…compilation of tutorials
When you have finished your bracelet or your necklace you sometimes ask yourself: Where do I get now a beautiful closure?
I found an instruction for a self-made hook and eye clasp that I didn’t try yet.
But I think that you can’t make things very wrong, can’t you?
Links:
At Polymer Clay Central: Hook and Eye Clasp
‘Brangles’ is a made-up word that is put together of ‘Bangle’ and ‘Bracelet’.
That sounds quite dry but fact is, that I find her jewelry her jewelry fantastic and I think it’s great that she published in internet an instruction instruction on how to make such pieces.
Links:
Bangle Bracelet
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive:
Bangle Bracelet
Connie Fox’s Jewelry
Page moved to: Connie Fox’s Jewelry
I’ve often seen bowls made from old vinyl records, but I find the bracelets from vinyl records nevertheless special.
Even so I won’t make none because I won’t be able to ‘batter’ the vinyl records like that ;-)
Links:
At craftster: Vinyl Record Bracelets
Aren’t those pendants beautiful?
I was totally thrilled when finding the instruction.
Now I must simply purchase some plexiglas, fabric dye and a saw as well as a drill to process them.
I’m sure I will ;-))
Links:
At craftster: Dyed Plexiglas Necklaces
This time it’s no ‘real’ instruction but an inspiration: Embellished Grapefruits Embellished Grapefruits. (Click there for the actual pieces on the thumbnails and see e.g. Two Pods Two Pods.)
Because I’m always impatient I preferred to use a piece from an orange – grapefruits are so big ;-)
While working I had a lot of fun.
I like the embroidery of orange peels nearly as much as embroidery on paper. The most uncommon thing I had to do was to give my needle a wash ;-))
After the embroidery I put the orange peel between several layers of tissue paper in an old telephon book and let it dry ‘flat’.
Actually I had hoped that I can coat it with medium gel afterwards and wear as a pendant, but I don’t really like the ‘flat version’ of my orange peel.
I find worst that the threads now stand up now like croquet wickets, I really don’t like this.
At the next opportunity I will see if I can make it better.
If it works I will perhaps embroider beads on, that should be interesting, perhaps Paisleys or simply Freeform.
Links:
Grapefruit – click there for the actual pieces on the thumbnails and see e.g. Two Pods
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive:
Grapefruit – click there for the actual pieces on the thumbnails and see e.g. Two Pods
Embroidery stitch descriptions (English)
Embroidery stitch descriptions (German)
Here at unikatissima:
Paper Crazy Quilt
Freeform Bead Embroidery
Bead embroidered Paisleys
I found a very cute idea at glassattic: letter canes from polymer clay.
Somebody writes there: ‘I made a nice letter cane using the mosaic “pixels” method taught by CityZen Cane…turned out nice!
….tip: wrap the letter itself with a sheet of background color before adding mthe rest of the background color, to avoid “chinks” in letter’s edge’
In other words they worked in a similar way than for the Checkerboard Cane: they rolled out two different coloured sheets from polymer clay, cut them into stripes and put those stripes together to a ‘pixelated’ letter cane.
The letters from the Celtic Cross Stitch Generator could be used as templates.
Or, if you don’t want to make a letter, perhaps my Cross Stitch Heart!? ;-)
I already prepared the first letter of my name, but I won’t have the time to make such a letter cane very soon.
Sigh.
;-)
Links:
Note about letter cane (check at ‘WRAPPED:’ => ‘……Mosaic’)
In the Polymer Clay Cyclopedia: Checkerboard Cane
Here at unikatissima:
Celtic Cross Stitch Generator
Cross Stitch Heart
I found a great instruction on how to make a beaded I-cord.
She knits an I-cord where she works in previously stringed beads.
Because I only had seed beads I simply took some of my buttons and must say that I like the result, also.
My I-cord is a little bit uneven, because the heads of my buttons often got in my way, but I like it nevertheless ;-)
Links:
an anti pattern
I found at craftster an instruction on how to cast pewter in soapstone that I find really great!
Don’t the pieces look beautiful?
I’m considering earnestly to buy some soapstone pieces and some lead free pewter…
Links:
At craftster:
Pewter Casting in Soapstone
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Recently I saw a woman in the underground wearing a bracelet that I liked.
It looked quite easy and after trying it I noticed that it is ;-)
That’s what you do:
Knot seven threads together and fix somewhere.
String beads on the middle thread and part the other six threads in two strands.
Note: I used some cotton crochet thread for the test because I didn’t have no beads to be strung on heavier yarn.
Braid the three strands just like you’d do with your hair.
Make sure that the threads of the strands made of several threads lay neatly side by side.
As for the middle thread let lay a bead between the other strands at every braid.
Braid until you reached the desired length for a bracelet or a necklace and add a matching closure at both ends (links to closures see below).
The bracelet I’ve seen was made of hemp or the like, but I think that it would look great with fine leather strings, too.
As well I guess that one could use different sized beads and of course you can omit the beads.
Google search results for the making of closures:
Google search result for ‘bracelet closure’
Google image search result for ‘bracelet closure’
Google search result for ‘armband verschluss anleitung’
Google image search result for ‘armband verschluss anleitung’
I found a short but good tutorial on how to make beautiful jewelry from wire and polymer clay.
At the moment I don’t have any jewelry wire at home and I’m not working with polymer clay anymore, but this tutorial made me feel like beginning once more!
Links:
At flickr: Tutorial Wire Work and Polymer Clay (photos only)