JewelleryMaker Blog

Egyptian Link Tutorial by Karon Crawford

Tutorial for Egyptian Link

1. Cut a 6.5 inch length of wire (gauges 0.6mm – 1.0mm are best suited for this, however if you are making a necklace or bracelet I recommend using either 0.8mm or 1.0mm). Bend the wire in half and grasp it at the centre point with your round nose pliers approx. 2/3 along from the points of the pliers.

2. Using your chain nose pliers, pinch the wire around the round nose pliers to make a loop.

3. Using your chain nose pliers, grasp the wire at the base of the loop and bend the wire away from you to make a gentle bend, not a sharp angle.

4. Using your round nose pliers, make a loop at each end of the wire, making them as small as possible so that they look like antennas.

5. Grasp one of the loops about half way with your flat nose pliers and moving the wire and NOT the pliers, make a spiral down to where the wire bends and repeat for the other side.

6. Make as many of these as you need for your design. Take two links and sit one behind the other like chairs. Take the one in front, turn it sideways and slot it through the loop of the link behind.

Turn it around to face front again so the loop of the link behind is resting at the bend of the link in front and push the loop down to close the link.

Continue to link them together until you have the desired length. You can manipulate the links with your fingers to ensure that they sit flat and straight.

Scale Maille Classic Bib, by Tina Booth

Hello everyone, I have had lots of requests for a tutorial the Classic Bib design. I’ve enjoyed seeing loads of you have been creating fabulous pieces and the scales are very versatile so I hope this is helpful to everyone wanting to try this design and I will put up some further ideas for you soon.

Tina x

Ingredients:

13 light gold scales

21 copper scales

22 purple scales

Silver plated copper chain, toggle clasp

7mm open jump rings

Tip:

Exchange these for other colours to make this your own taste, but I have found that 3 colours gives a nice balance.

1. Cut a 41cm length of curb chain. Find the middle of the chain and attach your first scale with a jump ring. This is middle scale of the first row, complete the first row of 7 scales following your colour scheme.

First row as seen from the front.

Tip:

I find it useful to have my pattern laid out first so it’s easier to just pick them up and work. The scales have a concave side and a convex side, for this design I have the concave on the front but you can vary the design by using them convex

2. Now turn your work over and work on the back to complete the pattern.

Tip:If you work flat on your beading mat you may find it easier to pin the chain to the mat to stop it moving around or you can pin it to a bust and work with it hanging.

Using jump rings attach each scale to its neighbour

First row of jump rings on reverse

3. Attach the next row of scales, which has one less. Attach each scale to the jump rings that have joined the previous row together.

Second row of scales attached to the first.

4. This pattern is repeated for the bib until you have all the rows complete. The final result will look like this at the back.

Firing Gemstones in Silver Clay, information by Natalia Coleman

Karon Crawford’s Wirework Spiral Ring…

Cut three 18cm lengths of 0.8mm wire and bind them together at one end with a small piece of masking tape so that they sit side by side. Calculate the centre of the wires and make a mark with a permanent fine maker pen (make sure you hide this mark with the wrapping wire) about 5mm back from the centre where you will start the wire wrapping. Cut approx. 40cm of the 0.25mm wire, push it up between the first and second wire and wrap around the first wire three times. From the back, take wrapping wire up between the second and third wires and wrap around the second wire three times. From the back, take the wrapping wire up and around the 3^rd wire and wrap it around three times. Take the wrapping wire down behind the three wires and push it up between the first and second wire ready to start the next row. Repeat to complete four more rows and trim all excess wire. (fig.1)

Remove the tape and bend the wires around a ring mandrel to the desired size, so that the wire ends cross over. Repeat the wire wrapping as before to secure the ring at the shoulders. Using your fingers bend the wires from each shoulder to curve out slightly and fan out the wire ends. (fig.2)

Thread a 3-4mm bead onto each wire and form into spirals to finish.(fig.3)

Karon Crawford’s Circles Necklace…

Cut a 1.5m length of 0.38mm beading wire and thread a bead onto the centre with two crimp beads either side. Thread another bead onto one end of the wire and thread the wire back through the first bead and both crimp beads leaving a circle of wire. (fig.1)

Thread the beading wire from the other side and thread it through the first bead and both crimps leaving another circle of wire inside the first circle. (fig.2)

With the same wire make a third circle inside the second circle, as before, and thread the two wires in opposite directions through another bead with a crimp bead either side, leaving another circle. (fig.3)

With one wire end make two circles inside the first. (fig.4)

Thread the left hand wire back through the middle bead and the top bead to make side loops either side of the top circles. (fig.5)

Thread the right hand wire through the middle bead and crimps and the top bead and crimps to make side loops outside the previous side loops. (fig.6)

On one side of the pendant make another double circle with two beads and crimps and repeat for the other side.

To complete the necklace, attach the wire end using crimp bead to some chain and add a clasp. (fig.8)

Karon Crawford’s Wirework Flower…

Cut approx. 45cm of 0.8mm wire. Measure in approx. 6cm from one end and bend the wire into a zigzag pattern as shown. Each zigzag should measure approx. 2.5cm. (fig.1)

The long wire ends will be used to make the bail so starting with the first 2.5cm zigzag, place your chain nose pliers at the centre point on one side of the zigzag and pull gentle outwards creating an angle and repeat on the other side of the zigzag. You should now have the first petal shape. (fig.2)

Continue this process with the remaining four zigzags and you should see the flower shape develop. (fig.3)

Cut approx. 3m of the 0.25mm wire, fold it in half and from the folded end, hold the wires together and start twisting them. I find it easier to do about an inch and then move down the wire and twist another inch etc. Holding the twisted wire on top of the flower, wrap it twice around the bottom of one side of the first petal leaving a 5cm tail. Take the twisted wire up through the middle of the petal, over to the other side and wrap it around twice. Take the wire down through the middle of the petal, over to the other side and wrap it around twice. Continue this figure of eight process to the tip of the petal and wrap the twisted wire around the tip a few times to secure. Trim the wire and start the next petal. Repeat to make 5 wire wrapped petals. (fig.4)

To make the bail, use the same wrapping method to bind the wire ends together, wrapping the wire for approx. 3.5cm and trim the wire leaving a 5cm tail. If necessary trim both wire ends leaving approx. 1- 1.5cm unwrapped and make basic loops with your round nose pliers to finish. (fig.5)

Bend the wrapped wire ends around to the back of the flower forming the loop of the bail. Close the loop by wrapping the tail wire around all the wires at the base of the bail 3 times. Trim wire to finish. (fig.6)

Using your fingers, bend each petal upwards and bend backwards from the middle of the petal. Using you finger nail or flat nose pliers gently push down on the centre of the wire wrapping at the top end of the petal to make a nice curve in the petal. Repeat for the other four. Push the petals together so that they sit neatly with the bail hidden behind. If you want to you can dangle some chain and bead from the loops at the bottom of the bail. (fig.7)

Cut three 12cm pieces of the 0.25 and thread a 4 or 5mm bead onto the centre of each wire. Bend the wire ends around the bead until they meet and twist them together. Repeat for the other two and twist all three together to make a bunch. (fig.8)

Place the bunch at the centre of the flower and wrap the ends of the wires around the base of the flower to secure. Trim the wires to finish. Make sure all wire ends are pushed neatly against your work to prevent them catching on clothing or scratching your skin. (fig.9)

Carol’s Adventures… Jaipur

What an opportunity!

When Paula (The head of JM) asked me if I would be interested in going to India, China and Hong Kong for 8 days on behalf of JM I didn’t have to think too hard I can tell you. I’d said, “YES” before she had finished asking me the question. The opportunity to travel to the other side of the world to see, first hand where our gemstone strands come from was incredibly exciting, not to mention the chance to experience massively different cultures!

Our trip would start in Jaipur and end in Hong Kong and over the 8 days myself and Chloe (head of production on JM) would visit gems faceting facilities, copper bead and resin factories, rough stone markets, we would also see how quality control processes are carried out on strands…. basically the whole process from beginning to end! 8 days didn’t seem long enough, but it was, just! It was the most jam packed, rewarding, exciting, interesting, scary and exhausting 8 days of my life! What a trip!

A journey to Jaipur

The first adventure was getting to Jaipur! Chloe, who incidentally is petrified of flying (so am I but tried not to let on) and I took a flight to Delhi and a connecting flight to Jaipur. The connecting flight only took about 20 minutes, which made me wonder why we didn’t go by road. I later found out that during the rainy season, which was when we were there, there is not a reliable road going into Jaipur as it gets flooded. This was one of the many reasons why I believe Jaipur is such an incredible place. Even though it’s a very difficult place to get to it is regarded by many to be the hub of the gemstone world, and I was about to find 101 other reasons why Jaipur is such a magical place.

Chloe and I with Prakash and Pramod.

Firstly the people in Jaipur are some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered. The team in Jaipur are wonderful. Pankaj, Pramod, Prakash along with Sharmil and Biplab are a fantastic team. But it wasn’t just the JM team who were friendly, every workshop and factory we visited we were greeted by smiling faces.

The streets of Jaipur, with added cows!

Jaipur is an attack on the senses! The constant sound of car horns are alarming when you first arrive in the city but within 24 hours you are used to them. Cows, donkeys, pigs, dogs, camels and goats roam the streets and people just drive round them. The sights, sounds (and smells) of Jaipur are truly incredible… Oh and then there’s the gemstones!

We tend to get a lot of our ‘Gems of Distinction’ strands from Jaipur and we had the chance to go and see the strands being made. I expected a fairly detailed process, carried out by skilled craftsmen. What Chloe and I learnt was incredible. We stood and stared on in awe as each gemstone was cut, faceted, drilled and stranded by hand. It is a hugely skilled, time consuming process which can take around 45 minutes for each gemstone. To see the process first hand was awesome, if a little sad when I think back to a game on JM where 200 strands of high quality black Spinel can sell out in under 5 minutes!

We were lucky enough to visit a copper bead factory and a workshop where our Lac beads come from. What struck me about both places was the pride which people take in their work. The attention to detail applied to the Lac beads for instance is breathtaking. Each bead is unique and each craftsman uses their own flair to make each bead their own.

The walls of the Pink City; Jaipur.

The highlights of Jaipur for me were seeing our gemstones being faceted, visiting the copper and resin bead workshop experiencing some of the best food I’ve ever tasted and riding an elephant!

It was one of the best professional experiences and life experiences I’ve had. Jaipur has definitely left a lasting impression on Chloe and I. We packed so much into the few days we were there and I would love the chance to go back (hint hint Paula!) I really hope you get a sense of what a special place Jaipur is from the footage you see on the channel over the next few weeks.

Save the date!

Embrace the magic of Christmas at Crafts for Christmas, Hobbycrafts and Art Materials Live from 8th – 11th November at the NEC, Birmingham.

Hobbycrafts is one of the UK’s largest creative shows, with over 200 exhibitors bringing the best of the creative world together. With everything from stamping, cardmaking and calligraphy to beading and jewellery making – it’s a perfect pre-Christmas one-stop show, full of inspiration and great ideas!

So come along and join the festive fun with JewelleryMaker, and take the opportunity to meet your favourite JM Presenters and a mix of our Guest Designers. Watch LIVE demonstrations, sign up for our make & take sessions, and enjoy exclusive exhibition offers, flash sales and a mix of competitions and prize draws that will make perfect Christmas gifts, or a special treat for yourself.
You can find our stands at: E32 & F14 Hall 20.

Buying Trip to Hong Kong

Here at JM we travel the world to secure you the very best deals on gorgeous gemstone strands.

Paula and I have just returned from the worlds biggest jewellery show at the Asia World Expo centre in Hong Kong, the following post is a little peek into what a buying trip involves…

We arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday 18th September feeling surprisingly upbeat after a long 10hour over night flight. Time for a quick refresh before sitting down with the manager of our China office to discuss the plan of action for the visit to the jewellery show and our goals for the up coming months.

Armed with our plan of attack we arrived at the jewellery show the following morning, the sheer size of the show is overwhelming enough and that’s without taking into account the other halls that specialise in other elements of the jewellery trade such as tools, packaging and loose gems. Each day, 4 days in total, was the same format. We would discuss the night before hand key items we would look for then head to the show and search!

We enjoyed meeting with a lot of our regular suppliers, it’s always nice to meet face to face with the people who we have brilliant working relationships with. Everybody we spoke to couldn’t be more helpful!

After sourcing some fantastic sparkly deals from our suppliers it was time to search for new suppliers with the aim of bringing you, our customers, new gemstone strands that you haven’t seen on screen before.

Hong Kong was truly an amazing place to visit, the pace of life is very different to the UK everybody live in immense high-rise apartments and building work goes on constantly. Hong Kong is very much a 24-hour city, after dark the buildings come alive with colourful neon signs and decorations. You do get the sense of a real buzz through the streets. We had a good giggle at the hands free set up in a few of the taxi cabs there, it became a bit of a competition between us who could find the taxi with the most ingenious hands free system. I’m delighted to say I won with a count of eleven mobile phones with one tablet computer!

I don’t want to spoil any surprises but WOW! I can tell you then next few months are going to be particularly exciting, getting ready to tick some items off your wish lists!

Han x

Workshops… September - December

Here at Jewellery Maker we run a whole host of exciting workshops aimed at giving you the very best basis in a wide range of jewellery making techniques. Run by our fabulous guest designers, who are specialists in their fields, the workshops are sure to inspire your creativity.

To book yourself on to one of our courses, or for further information, please phone our call centre on 0800 6444 655.

We look forward to seeing you!