Peachy with Gold - Hoops with Bracelet (Set)

My first time working with memory wire, and I was amazed at how easy it was (actually every time I make a piece of jewellery I get amazed hehe). I think I used the wrong cutter to cut the wire.

Memory wire is harder than the ear findings (pins, ear hooks etc) and comes in a package all coiled together. It looks like a spring with big diameter, OR a better example is that it looks nearly exactly like a Slinky. Following is my first set made using memory wire and I'll include what I used to make it and a brief description of how I made it.

PEACHY WITH GOLD

Czech Faceted Round Crystals 6mm

Peachy Pink Fire Polished Crystals 8mm

Gold Plated memory wire

Round nose pliers

First I took the memory wire and cut a little more than a full circle from the memory wire (the extra was taken to make the 'lock'. I cut three circles in total; 2 for hoops and 1 for bracelet. Than I put two Clear Crystals followed by one Peachy Pink Crystal followed again by two Clear Crystals. I repeated the same procedure for the other hoop. At one end of the hoops I made a loop (How to make a loop video is available in my previous blog, click here to access it) facing upwards and on the other end I turned about 6mm of the wire ninety degrees to the side, creating a 'lock' for the hoops. 

For the bracelet I made a loop on one end of the wire and beaded 6 Clear Crystals followed by one Peachy Pink Crystal, repeating the procedure until the end of the wire was reached leaving approximately 6 mm for the loop to be made to close off the bracelet. For the lock for the bracelet I took around 2.5 cm of the Gold Plated wire and made a loop sideways on both ends, facing the opposite ways creating an 'S' shape. I did not close the ends completely of the loops and put one end in one of the loops in the bracelet than closed it with  Flat Nose pliers and left the other loop a bit open so that the bracelet can be unlocked to be worn and locked when worn =)

Under the stars

Glass crystals on silver plated flat head pins with glass butterfly and silver plated ear hook. I will be setting up my etsy store pretty soon =)

Pink Sparkle --- I see improvement

I received my order from Shipwreckbeads as well (sighhhh $30 shipping *tear---> heart breaks) on Thursday and forgot to update on my previous blog (I know I can go back to the post and edit it....but I like to add it on here before I go on to the next topic). It was nicely packed and most of the items were of decent quality. My main tools (pliers and cutters) were coming in this order and as soon as I got it I started experimenting! My first attempt was Pearl Crystal Dreams and now I am on to the next one.

I call my next project Pink Sparkle.

For each earring I used one straight flat head pin (silver plated), 6 Czech Crystal Diamonds in Pink and 2 clear glass crystals as well as one earring hook. I am starting to get a hang of it now, creating those loops take time though! I have successfully broken quite a few wires before I cam even close to what it is suppose to look like. For the newbie like myself, the following youtube video helped a lot! 

It may look easy but these wires bent easily from places you don't want it to bend. This is KEY to learn as every single piece of wire (well, most) need loops somewhere in them.

I am finding it fun to create earrings and come up with designs and am also thinking that I might as well start selling them. I don't know about the price I will sell them for though.

Pearl Crystal Dream Cluster- My first attempt!

My first attempt of making cluster earrings!

I used glass crystal beads and pearls, ball head and flat head silver plated pins and ear wire hooks.

It's a little messy, but hey it's only my first attempt =)

Basic supplies needed to make earrings

As I was reading over my last blog I realized that I mentioned that there are suppliers from China that can be trusted, but forgot to mention which one I used hehehe. So the site of the supplier that I ordered from is www.ayliss.com . The best part is that they offer free shipping all over the world and their prices are extremely reasonable. I received my order within 10 business days, it was packed nicely AND the quality of the items was good as well. I ordered Silver plated pins and ear wire to experiment with, and later plan on ordering sterling silver findings. I still have to find a good wholesale site that offer superb pricing on sterling silver products.

Now that I am done completing my previous blog, on to this one. There are numerous tools and supplies to make jewelry but there are a few basic ones that a person needs to definitely have. These are:

• Round nose plier
• Chain nose plier
• Cutter
• Pins (flat head or ball)
• Ear wires ( hook or ball head pin etc)
• and of course beads/ crystals/ gemstone

There are many different kinds of materials that the findings (ear wire, pins, clasp, bead caps etc....google ear findings to know all different kinds =)   ) are available in. Some for example are silver plated, gold plated, sterling silver, gold filled, surgical steel, vermeil, steel, copper, 18K gold, 14 K gold. Most of these words are defined here:

• Silver plated: A thin layer of pure/Sterling (usually Sterling) Silver plated over base metal
• Gold plated: A thin layer of Gold plated over base metal (usually Steel or Brass)
• Fine Silver: Contains 99.9% Silver, sometimes stamped .999
• Sterling Silver: Alloy containing 92.5% Silver with 7.5% base metal (usually Copper) usually stamped .925
• Gold filled:  5% or 1/20 of the weight contains Gold. These are not actually filled with Gold but have multiple sheets of Gold covering the base metal (usually Brass or Copper)
• Surgical Steel: contains 8% nickel
• Vermeil: ...Pronounced Vermay....Sterling Silver that has been Gold plated
• Karat: Measure of purity of Gold, how much gold is mixed with an alloy. 24K is pure Gold, 14K contains 58% Gold and 18K contains 75% Gold.

most definitions taken from: http://craft.ontheinternet.com.au/beads/gold-filled.htm

If there is something that I may have forgotten to add, feel free to add it through your Comments. I'll add it to this Blog and also put your name for reference =)

Baby steps into beading and jewelry making

In the last week of March 2011 while "youtubing" a few how to sugar videos, I came across a video on how to make earrings. After watching the video, I suddenly had the urge to start making my own jewelry. There are a lot of actions that I take impulsively (which sometimes end me up in trouble) and so I started looking into instructions on "how to make earrings with beads". People, when you type that in Google there are approximately 11 million websites in the result! Now I did read a few articles and postings, and got a rough idea of beading terminology. Wanting to start ordering my supplies, I made a list of basic tools and supplies I will need to get started ( shared in the next blog). The websites that I found most useful   are:

• http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/easybeadearringprojects/ss/122207.htm
• http://beads-projects.com/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k49d76HSO4

On to suppliers... where do I begin?! There are retail, wholesale and middlemen claiming to be wholesale. A lot of times wholesale websites want the business number, but there are a few that will allow you to make an account without the need of registered business and this way you can get very good material at a fraction of price.

How would a person know which ones are genuine and which ones are just there to rip you off? In most forums that I read, people said that if the online store is doing there business from China stay away from it. I whole heartedly disagree! Yes, there maybe 75% (it's a guess, now don't you go on quoting me on this) that may not turn out to be who they claim they are, but the remaining 25% are not scamming you and are still there to give you the best they can. When dealing with an international online store, obviously one has to do their research and Google everything related to the website they can, reading others experience with the company, and better yet if they have an eBay store and/or Facebook page, checking the feedbacks and comments.

As I live in Canada, I am always checking out the shipping cost first after seeing the home page of a site. I made a mistake by not checking out the shipping price for one of the site (Shipwreckbeads.com). 

Now I ordered from this site because they have great products and the prices are amazing as well, it's just the shipping cost that made my heart twitch when the customer service rep told me.  My total was $70 (Can) out of which $30 was shipping! The mistake I made was in a hurry I placed my order and shipping was to be calculated automatically and deducted off so it did not appear when I paid through Paypal. If you live in U.S.A I think this is a great site to buy your supplies from, but if you are outside of this country just be a little careful with shipping charges. I don't want to cancel my order because obviously shipping and handling is non-refundable so it will be useless. I am waiting for my order still and it was shipped on April 6, 2011.

The website that I found absolutely fantastic is eebeads.com. You do not have to order a huge quantity and their rates are reasonable. Plus with $3.00 shipping to Canada I was in heaven. I placed an order on Friday April 8, 2011 and am waiting for it, lets see how it turns out ( I spent about $75 (Can) ). Oh and the order was shipped within few hours of placing it so they are super fast as well.

It is difficult to find one website that contains step-by-step information on how to get started, so here I am combining my two new hobbies (blogging and beading) and sharing my step by step journey and experience, hoping one day that it will help some one and point them in the direction they want to go :) .