Whats your fave jewellery technique

Whats everyones favourite jewellery making techniques. Great to discuss for sharing ideas.

Mine personally are using eyepins to make beaded chains, headpin charm bracelets on chain and wire working (still quite basic atm but loving it. Simple stringing.

Also making fimo pendants and charms and shrink plastic pendants.

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13 replies since 2nd August 2011 • Last reply 2nd August 2011

Reply #1:

I really like wax carving, even though it's really expensive

uhh
soldering (with a torch)
drilling ..~

I like using wood, too ~

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Reply #2:

Thats really cool, a technique i really want to try but it is expensive is silver clay where the silver is in a clay form and you use a little blow torch or gas hob to bake away the suspension leaving the silver shape behind.

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Reply #3:

ahaha I wanted to try that too ~ I even got a book on it

apparently you don't need a blow torch, you can do it on a gas stove or kiln too

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Reply #4:

Working with wire is my main jewelry style, whether I used memory wire for something, or wrap wire by hand.

I'm not very handy with clay, so I usually just use glass and plastic beads.

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Reply #5:

I like wire wrapping and making charm bracelets as its pretty quick but looks great. I was really into bead weaving last year but I moved away from all my beading groups and haven't done so much recently. I like micro-macrame too, but it is pretty fiddly and time consuming, but does look awesome when its finished.

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Reply #6:

Me too with the wire wrapping and wire work. I'm think of getting into bead weaving.

My main material I love to work with it semi precious beads Happy

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Reply #7:

Semi-precious stone beads are my favorite kinds of beads. Turquoise, African Turquoise, Amethyst, and Green Aventurine are my favorites. Shell pearls are also among my favorites. I like glass, but don't like plastic too much, at least for myself.

A couple friends of mine own a jewelry gallery and they have a bead shop that I get lost in every time I stop by, lol.

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Reply #8:

I'm loving fabric work just now.
I've been doing a lot of felt and cotton,especially flowers.
My favourite are felt flower rings and big fabric brooches.

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Reply #9:

I can recommend you some bead weaving books if you need any help to get started, crafty geek. I'm a bit tight when it comes to beads so I tend not to use semi-precious. I do really love colourful plastic kiddie beads and gum ball charms, although I might be getting a bit old to wear them now.

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Reply #10:

I fancy having a go at PMC too, CraftyGeek.
I'm in the lucky position that my boyf is intrigued by the gadgety/ sciencey aspects of crafting, so I've pointed him in the direction of it and he is definately intrigued!!!
It's only a matter of time before he buys *me* some!

It's pretty cool stuff - I've seen it in action - little bit science, little bit chemistry, whole lotta magic ;D

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Reply #11:

Same here Monika, i just love the feel of semi precious stones, I've got stabalised magnesite which is very similar to turqouise but a bit more affordable. I just loave all of them really, and i love glass beads.

Oooo that'd be great Libby. I'm alway quite reserved when buying beads, but I find good sellers and check sales for semi precious beads.

Bindiibabe, Hopefully he gets it for you soon and you can tell me how good it is, I like the idea of using cottom and felt for beads, I love making felt brooches x

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Reply #12:

Hey Craftygeek, here's some beadweaving books to get you started:

The Beader's Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Beading Techniques
By Dorothy Wood
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beaders-Bible-Comprehensive-Beading-Techniques/dp/0715323008/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I32JXTOH1IQAQI&colid=1K9EVEHRA68PX
This is a bit of an alround jewellry book but has a good bead weaving section at the front, with NICE projects (a lot of beadweaving stuff is quite old fashoned looking- amulet bags and the like), which includes loom work if that floats your boat.

I also love this book:
Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber cypher
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Beadwork-Carol-Huber-Cypher/dp/159668013X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312806347&sr=1-1
Which has pretty much every beadweaving stitch you will come across and is easy to follow.

Beading daily have free projects and ebooks (although you do have to become a member and sign up for the newsletters).
http://www.beadingdaily.com/

This website also has free tutes although I don't know how good it is as I haven't used it much:
http://www.handmade-jewelry-club.com/

There are also quite a lot of decent jewellry/beadweaving magazines that you can get at WH Smith or hobby craft.

Hope thats enough to get you started if you decide to take it forward. x

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Reply #13:

Thank you Libby W. I do have the beading bible but lent it to a friend so i need to get it back lol, and I do buy alot of beading magazines, it only occured to me yesterday that they show the basics in the mags lol.

Definately going to get back into doing it, I did start when i first started making jewellery but got impatient Happy

Also really like the idea of a loom, i want to be able to cater for all tastes with my jewellery making for selling, so if someon askes for a weaved bridal piece or a wirework pendant i can do it even if its not a regular piece I make.

Thanks again hun xx

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