It's been a long while but I finally have my jeweler's bench set up again and ready to do some more metalwork! My jewelry work is mostly wire forging and wire wrapping, but now that I've got the bench pin and jeweler's saw back in action, be on the lookout for some different style designs. I can't wait to share!
Meanwhile, check out what's new in the shop - a new pair of interchangeable hoop earrings. I LOVE them, what do you think?
This gorgeous style is available in both sterling silver and gold filled, as well as with or without the gemstone charms.
It's not always easy to choose jewelry that fits well with every outfit, and certain necklines are more challenging than others when it comes to accessorizing with necklaces! I hope you enjoy this visual representation of choosing the best necklace for various shaped necklines. Read more from the creator of this image here - she goes over each of these neckline shapes in detail.
Well it's that time of year again! How did it sneak up so quickly?? Somehow it seems December always surprises me and I realize I haven't planned ahead as much as I should have and start scrambling to figure out what I'm going to give everyone for Christmas. Luckily, there are always tons of great deals and sales all over the place to make it a little easier on the pocketbook.
Of course I'm jumping on the bandwagon to offer my favorite people in the world (yes, that's YOU!) a great deal on some gorgeous handmade jewelry (if I do say so myself!)
My sale this year is for 25% off any purchase with coupon code "THANKS25"in my Etsy shop (Bespangled.com routes to the Etsy address until I can get my stuff together and finish building my website :) This coupon code will expire at 11:59pm CST on December 3rd, so if you've got your eye on something, get it now!
These sweet little beauties are new in the shop! I love the way a satin finish looks on hammered gold, and this pair of earrings is the perfect way to add a touch of golden luxury to an every day outfit.
Pair them with a crisp white shirt, jeans, and your favorite boots and you've got a classic casual fall look. Wear them to work with a fitted blazer, ruffled blouse, and slacks. They also dress up nicely - with your best Little Black Dress and heels!
I could really go on forever - I haven't found a single thing in my closet that these perfect earrings don't go with. How can you go wrong with simple little gold drops?
You may or may not know that I started a jewelry tutorial website last fall, JewelryTutorialHQ.com, where I have been making and sharing videos and tutorials on various jewelry making techniques. I have been having so much fun, and after hearing so many people urge me to teach a class, I'm finally going for it!
I am excited to say that I am teaching my first live jewelry class, "Rock Candy Rings," at The Artful Bead this summer! Class begins this Sunday, July 7th at the Carrollton location, but there are some classes on Saturdays as well. I would LOVE it if you would join me! Classes are limited in size, so be sure to register early.
Upcoming Classes:
(click to register)
Sunday, July 7th 12:00pm – 1:30pm (Carrollton)
Saturday, July 27th 10:30am – 12:00pm (Fort Worth)
Saturday, August 3rd 10:30am – 12:00pm (Carrollton)
Saturday, August 10th 10:30am – 12:00pm (Fort Worth)
I will teach you how to form an adjustable size ring band from a straight piece of wire. We will hammer, forge, and form it into shape, then I'll show you my technique for wire wrapping some lovely gemstones to the band. You will create lovely stackable rings that you can wear home the very same day!
I don't run sales in my shop very often, but Mother's Day is one of the special times I like to offer a discount for loyal fans and readers. Don't worry, it's not too late to order online if you're in the US! All orders placed this week will have an expedited processing time so that your items will be shipped within 1 business day of purchase.
I have over 120 lovely handmade jewelry items to choose from, including rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, charms, and pendants. You're bound to find the perfect gift for your special mom! Here are a few of my most recent favorites:
I love this gorgeous necklace, made with a pretty soft mint green chalcedony pendant and a one-of-a-kind sunstone druzy chunk, delicately wrapped in fine 14k gold filled wire. Both pendants hang freely from a delicate gold chain. The larger mint pendant can be removed so the druzy can be worn alone. Necklace is also available in another version without the orange stone if you prefer!
This fabulous cluster bracelet features over 50 natural gemstones - including peruvian blue opal, blue turquoise, green turquoise, citrine, smoky quartz, and cultured white pearls - dangling from a lovely textured sterling silver chain. Handmade silver spirals accent the charms playfully, and this bracelet fastens with a hand forged sterling silver hook clasp.
Wear it day or night, casual or dressy. It's a great spring or summer style, and perfect for the beach too!
Speaking of fabulous, these beautiful cluster earrings are great for dressing up your favorite pair of jeans. Beautiful bright blue turquoise drops hang below a soft cluster of white pearls, clear Swarovski crystals, pale aqua amazonite - all suspended from a textured sterling silver chain.
Handmade spiral headpins accent the cluster for a fun spring or summer look. Also great for the beach!!
All Bespangled Jewelry comes packaged ready for gift giving, tucked inside a pretty teal organza drawstring bag inside my sweet handmade kraft pillow boxes, tied with a ribbon!
This precious necklace is one of my new styles, and features 14 gorgeous natural faceted metallic pyrite nuggets and a lovely, delicate cable chain. It is part of my Yoga Inspired Jewelry collection, because Pyrite has so many wonderful healing properties: Pyrite makes a wonderful energy shield, blocking out negativity and fortifying and strengthening the mind with positive, energized thoughts. It enhances mental capacity and protects on a physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. This wonderful stone activates the 3rd Chakra (Solar Plexus). ~ *Centerpiece measures 1.5" long*. ~ Necklace is 16" long and fastens with a handmade s-hook and eye clasp. ~ All metal is your choice of 14k gold filled (shown) or sterling silver. *PLEASE NOTE sizes described above, as close up photos may make items seem larger than real life*. Questions? Don't hesitate to ask! All Bespangled Jewelry comes wrapped in a sweet organza bag tucked inside a handmade pillowbox, tied with a lovely ribbon. Your items are always ready for gift-giving!
This lovely gilded Hamsa necklace is one of my latest creations, featuring carefully hand-wrapped gemstone rosary chain and a handmade hook clasp. I love the look of the satin finished vermeil on the hamsa charm, which is a fine layer of 24k gold over solid sterling silver.
Delicate gemstone rosary chain comes in your choice of garnet, green onyx, peridot, or amethyst and is 16.5 inches long. Other lengths available by request!
Symbolism of the Hamsa
The hamsa is a symbol which is associated with a code of conduct called “Ahimsa,” which means ‘do no harm.’ Archaeological evidence indicates that a downward pointing hamsa (meaning 'five' in Arabic and representing the digits on the hand) was used as a protective amulet, often worn around the neck to protect the wearer from the 'evil eye'. It has long represented blessings, power and strength. This beautiful lucky hamsa necklace is in the Spiritual / Yoga jewelry section of my shop, where you'll find other handmade hamsa jewelry, ohm symbols, and Christian crosses as well.
This month's Etsy Fort Worth Upcycle THIS! Craft Challenge 'secret ingredient' is popsicle sticks. I have been making popsicles like crazy (and eating them like crazy) so I could use the sticks for this project...you know, so they would be officially 'upcycled'.
I'm really excited about the way these cute little bracelets turned out, and I can't wait to show you how I made them!
TOOLS & SUPPLIES:
• popsicle sticks (1 stick will make 2 bracelets)
• craft knife
• ruler
• power drill with 1/32" drill bit
• fine sandpaper (120-240 grit)
• round needle file (optional)
• container with water
• wide rubber bands
• cylindrical drinking glass (around 3" in diameter)
• paintbrush
• toothpick
•Krylon Crystal Clear gloss finish spray (optional)
• 32" 1mm leather or cord (cut into 2 16 inch pieces)
• acrylic paints
• *scrapbook paper (small scraps, at least 3/4" x 2 3/4")
• *Mod Podge
* You can either paint the wood with your own special design, or decoupage using the scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. If you choose the second option, we will still be using the acrylic paint to finish the back of the wooden pieces.
INSTRUCTIONS:
First, if you are using used popsicle sticks, wash them well and make sure they are completely dry.
Use the ruler to find the center of the stick. Mine was at 2.25". Use the craft knife to cut the wood in half. You will have to go over your cut several times. Do yourself a favor and make sure your blade is new and it will be a lot easier :) When you're about halfway through, you can flip it over and continue cutting from the other side, but whatever you do, don't be tempted to snap it when it's almost done, or it will splinter and you'll swear and throw things across the room.
I'm not saying I did that or anything... but I could imagine that somebody might..
Next, use the drill to make holes in the middle of each end, about 1/8 of an inch in. Run the drill as slowly as possible to avoid splitting the wood, which may or may not have happened to me. Twice. Again, a less ladylike and well composed woman than myself might be tempted to shout profanities and begin tossing things about, but I can assure you that I held my composure...especially since there are no living witnesses to tell you otherwise.
(NOTE: this is why I drill the wood before rounding off the end...)
Use the knife to round off the cut end of the popsicle stick. You may want to use another rounded end and trace it with a pencil for guidance. Don't try to take the whole curve in one swoop; shave off small bits at a time and you'll have better control of the curve.
Smooth the freshly shaped end with the sandpaper to take care of any bumps or splinters. I sanded the other end as well, so they both matched as closely as possible. Try to take care of the splinters around the drill hole as much as possible too, and if you happen to have a round needle file, this would be an excellently awesome time to use it!
When you are satisfied with the shape and smoothness of your wooden pieces, it's time to let them soak! I filled a plastic container about an inch high with warm water and let the wood soak overnight. If you are in a hurry, you can toss them in a pan with water and let them boil for 10-15 minutes, then let them soak for another hour or two in the warm water after you turn off the heat.
We are soaking the wood to make the pieces pliable, so we can give them a nice curve to fit on a wrist better. This step is optional, especially if you want to make your wooden centerpiece shorter...or if you want to make earrings or a pendant.
After the wood has soaked enough to make it easy to bend slightly with your fingers, use the widest rubber bands you can find to strap them tightly to a (cylindrical object about 2.75 - 3" in diameter). Use your thumbs to press the ends around the glass and encourage the curve, and leave them to dry for a few hours. Using a hair dryer will speed up this process, but make sure they are completely dry before moving on to the next step.
Now that your popsicle stick pieces are nicely curved and dry, you can either paint them with the acrylic paints, or decoupage them with Mod Podge and scrapbook paper. I'll show you the latter.
First, paint the back of the wooden pieces with the color of your choice and let it dry. You'll notice from the first photo below that I didn't do it in this order the first time, but it's much easier to paint the back and sides before the paper is in place so you don't have to worry about overpainting. Again...just saving you some headaches.
When the paint is dry, paint some Mod Podge on the top of your bracelet piece, then turn it over and lay it on the back of the piece of scrapbook paper you have chosen. Press the paper to fit the curve of the wood and let it dry before cutting the excess off with the craft knife.
Use the toothpick to gently poke through the paper from the back of the centerpiece, just slightly so you can see where the hole is. Then push the toothpick through the hole from the front of the piece, and twist it and push it all the way through the hole so it tucks the edges of the paper inside the hole nicely. Repeat for the other end.
Paint another one to two coats of Mod Podge over the top and sides (make sure you get the edges of the paper where it meets the wood), letting the piece dry between coats.
OPTIONAL: Spray the front of the finished piece with 2 coats of Krylon Crystal Clear gloss coat, allowing to dry between coats and according to the instructions on the can. I always finish my decoupage pieces this way, to give them a nice glossy shine and seal them well. I do the same for the painted pieces.
When everything has dried completely (and I mean completely - don't even think about touching this thing if it ain't dry or you'll ruin it with fingerprints, and don't come crying to me for sympathy), grab a 16" section of cord and thread it through one of the holes. Tie a knot using both strands together and secure it firmly near the edge of the wood. Repeat for the other end with the other piece of cord or leather.
Cross the ends in the middle, then loop one end around the other side of the cord and tie a knot around it. Pull it as tightly as you can to secure it well but so that it will still slide up and down on the other piece of leather for an adjustable closure. Repeat on the other side, knotting the other end of the cord around the opposite side of the cord. Trim the excess cord, leaving about 1/4" of the ends sticking out. You can snip these closer if you want to glue the knots, just be careful to glue only the outside of the knot so it will still slide well enough to work; you don't want to glue it in place. (If you glue, use hypocement or superglue).
That's it! You're all done, wasn't that awesome?? I had so much fun with this project I made three different bracelets, and next I'm going to make a pendant for a necklace.
I'd love to see your projects, please feel free to leave links to your own upcycled popsicle stick creations in the comments below, and of course I wouldbe honored if you'd like to link back to this tutorial on your own blog, especially if it has inspired you to post one of your own! However, if you'd like to include a photo, please only use the photos of the finished bracelets, not any of the step-by-step or in-progress shots without asking first. If you have any questions at all, please ask - I don't bite (too hard) :)
Recently I was accepted as a regular contributor to Squidoo's brand new SoCrafty Magazine. I submitted my Sushi Bracelet Tutorial hoping to be included once, and they loved it so much they asked if I would write a monthly craft-related post for their blog! I am so excited about it; I can't believe I forgot to mention it!
Here's another styleboard I made to fuel my obsession with Tangerine. I'm just crazy about orange and am having so much fun adding items to my shop which go along with this gorgeously juicy hue that Pantone named Color of the Year for 2012!
While I do have a few fabulous pieces of orange jewelry that are right on trend for Spring/Summer 2012, I also know that it's nice to spend your fashion budget on accessories that will transcend both seasonal and color trends that we all know can be out just as quickly as they became in. I'm obviously much more willing to spend a little bit more money on the things that I know I'll get a lot of wear out of!
I find amethyst to be one of the most wonderfully intriguing gemstones; it simply boggles the mind that a stone this color could come out of the ground and be so alluring and such a rich and amazing color naturally! I mean, it's a rock for crying out loud!!
This pretty purple rock is a variety of transparent quartz and is the birthstone associated with the month of February. It comes in a wide range of purples, from a very pale almost colorless version to a deep dark purple which has been popular among royalty and religious leaders for centuries. Somewhere in the middle of this color spectrum is a soft lilac color that reminds me of a pair of strappy high heel shoes my Grandma used to wear so she could reach the 5-foot tall mark :)
Among the beliefs that amethyst holds certain magical powers and the ability to open up the third eye and heighten awareness, is the assertion that amethyst quartz crystals have the ability to lessen the effects of alcohol. In fact, the very name 'amethyst' comes from the ancient Greek word amethystos, meaning not drunken.
Now, I'm not sure why, but this seems a little funny to me...perhaps because I picture some ancient Greek dude carrying around a couple of chunks of amethyst in his toga pocket ( - I'm almost positive that togas would have pockets - ) and coming back home to his wife after a night on the town with his ancient Greek buddies, convinced that he seems much less drunk than he actually is because he's been carrying around some purple stones the whole time.
Well, I digress. Aside from the silly connotations that its nomenclature implies, amethyst is a truly amazing gemstone and I plan to continue designing pretty things with it often!
This is my entry; a step-by-step tutorial to make your own bracelet with one of these pretty trays!
You can click on any of the photos below for a closer look.
Tools and Supplies:
✧ One disposable plastic sushi tray with at least 2x5 inches of flat usable space in the bottom
✧ 6 yards embroidery floss, 6 strand (I used DMC color #498)
✧ 2 hex nuts, 1/2 wide (3/16" inside)
✧ Small circle hand punch, 1/16"
✧ Scissors
✧ Saucepan
✧ Tongs
✧ 2 Wide rubber bands
✧ Non-tapered drinking glass, 2.5-2.75" in diameter (or another cylindrical object)
✧ Tape
✧ Big-eyed needle (optional)
Grocery stores often have this kind of trays for their sushi. You can find plenty of inexpensive options (and non raw fish options if you're not a fan).
First, I recommend washing your sushi tray (if it has been used for fish or food) in the dishwasher. I put mine on the top shelf and made sure the 'heated dry' setting was off, just to be sure it didn't warp the plastic.
This is what the original tray (9" x 6.25") looked like (to the left). You can see there is a section framed in the middle. That's the part I wanted to use for mine!
Using scissors, I cut into the tray and trimmed the sides off so I have just the flat part of the bottom of the tray (right).
Then I cut around the shape in the center. This will also work with a smooth tray. Your cut out piece should be a rectangle about 2x5". I suggest rounding the corners.
**Please note, I originally cut out around the larger rectangle, so the next few photos show the steps with that piece. It ended up being too big so I trimmed that outer edge off to be left with the innermost section of the tray which is the 2x5" piece.
The next step is to warm up the plastic piece in a pan of hot water. (You will want to have your rubber bands and glass or other cylindrical object ready before you start this step so go ahead and peek to the next step first). Keep the water just under boiling. DO NOT BOIL! This will cause the plastic to get too brittle and crack when it cools. It also takes some of the shine off the plastic and leaves a nasty whitish tinge in areas. Just be patient and watch it for several minutes.
Use a pair of tongs to turn the piece over so that the blank side is facing up, and press it gently to the bottom of the pan in the middle. This should encourage the ends to start to curve upward in the right direction. Keep coaxing the ends to curve by using the tongs to pick up the plastic and bend it gently by pressing against the bottom or side of the pan. You shouldn't have too much trouble getting the plastic to start to shape. If it is still too rigid, give it a little bit more time in the hot water and you'll be able to feel when it's a little bit easier to mold.
You won't be able to achieve the final perfect curve during this step...that's what the next step is for!
When the plastic is nice and flexible and starting to curve in the right direction, remove it from the pan with your tongs and act quickly to use rubber bands to hold it in place around a cylindrical form like this un-tapered drinking glass (it should be about 2.5-2.75" in diameter. This one is 2.75" across). The idea is to secure the plastic in place before it cools too much, so if you're not fast enough you may need to get it back in the water for a few extra minutes and try again. You'll be able to feel that it's too rigid.
You may want to use thick rubber gloves so you can handle the plastic comfortably, but honestly I didn't because it was cool enough to touch within seconds of taking it out of the water.
Leave the plastic in place on the glass for at least 15 minutes. When it is completely cool, you can remove the rubber bands and it will hold this shape! Be gentle as you continue from this point on, because after it cools it returns to being just as rigid as before, so could still possibly snap or crack if you try to bend it too far.
*This is the stage I realized that although it looks really cool, the size of the piece was too big (above left). I carefully trimmed off the outer rectangular area with a pair of scissors (trimmed piece, above right).
Next, I used the 1/16" small circle punch to make 8 holes along the bottom edge of each side of the cuff. As you can see I did a TERRIBLE job of making a straight line. I would suggest using a white wax pencil to mark where the holes should be and try to line up the punch to your marks. I made my holes about 1/8th of an inch up from the edge of the plastic.
For each side of the bracelet, I cut eight 10" sections of red embroidery floss (so, 16 sections total for the bracelet) and used two through each hole. I passed the ends of two pieces of cord up through the first hole and down through the second hole, then tied a double knot on the underside. I repeated this for each of the other sets of holes.
Then I slid all the ends of the bunch of cords through a hex nut, and tied all the strands into one knot, snug up against the hex nut on each side.
Now, we are almost finished!
The next few steps will make a square sliding knot around both bunches of cord, so that our bracelet will be adjustable!
First, cross your ends past each other and tape to the outer side of the opposite end of the cuff. Be careful not to pull too tightly, you don't want to crack the plastic.
Next, turn the bracelet so that one of the stitched ends is facing you and it is lying on its curved back (see below left).
Take a 24" section of embroidery floss and put it under the middle of where your tassels cross. We'll refer to these cords as the 'anchors' from now on. Tie a 'normal' knot to secure the string in place.
Then, to begin the square knot, bring the right end up and over the anchors, loosely so you leave a loop on the right side between the tying cord and the anchors. Now bring the left side up over the right end, then pass it under the anchors and up through the loop on the right side. Pull both ends to pull it tight.
Make it snug but not too tight, your knot needs to move easily.
This completes the first half of your first square knot.
The second half is the same but in reverse:
Bring the left end up and over the anchors, leaving it loose to make a loop (see above right) and pass it under the right end. The right end passes under the anchors (make sure it's over the left end first) and then up through the loop on the left.
Repeat with several more knots until you have about a half inch in length for your sliding knot. To finish, you can either tie a regular double knot with the tails (on the underside of the knot which will be against the wrist when worn) and then trim , or you can use a needle to weave or sew the ends back in through your knot. I personally don't like gluing because the glue can stick the sliding knot to the anchor chords and then won't slide!! ( I guess I need a little more practice).
This is a pretty good video which shows you how to tie the sliding square knot.
I think it's harder to explain that it is to actually do!
One last step: in order to prevent the ends from slipping all the way out of the sliding knot, I tied small knots in the tassels about 1/2 inch away from the square knot on both sides. The ends need to be able to pull through far enough so that you can get your wrist through, so to figure out where to place the knots find out how far you need to slide the slider. These little knots will be like stoppers.
I took four strands at a time and tied a knot in them, so that the tassel would keep its shape as a tassel!
You could also tie a tiny knot at the very end of every strand, or tie knots and add beads at the ends...etc. There are lots of variations for this bracelet. Have fun and please let me know if you need further help with ANY of this; I know there is a lot of info and a ton of steps.
I'd also love to see your own version of the bracelet, if you use this tutorial to make something similar, post them here in the comments so everyone can see!
I LOVE to be pinned on Pinterest :) I hope you'll share with the world by pinning me if you like what you see here!
This is what the original tray (9" x 6.25") looked like (to the left). You can see there is a section framed in the middle. That's the part I wanted to use for mine! 
Leave the plastic in place on the glass for at least 15 minutes. When it is completely cool, you can remove the rubber bands and it will hold this shape! Be gentle as you continue from this point on, because after it cools it returns to being just as rigid as before, so could still possibly snap or crack if you try to bend it too far.
First, cross your ends past each other and tape to the outer side of the opposite end of the cuff. Be careful not to pull too tightly, you don't want to crack the plastic.
Then, to begin the square knot, bring the right end up and over the anchors, loosely so you leave a loop on the right side between the tying cord and the anchors. Now bring the left side up over the right end, then pass it under the anchors and up through the loop on the right side. Pull both ends to pull it tight. 
