Metal Chik - The first online network for jewelry making and trends

China 4 Jewelry Lovers

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST

These bead and chain lovelies are from Candie Cooper, aka the Savvy Crafter, who is currently living in China right now enjoying the sites, sounds, and jewelry goodies. If you are new to her blog, then find some time to stop by and catch up. She often shows and tells about her various excursions.

The recent trip that inspired her to design these earrings included a stop at a bead vendor building filled with beads (she's got some excellent photos of this....drool city, baby) followed by a gem and jewelry show in Hong Kong.

Previous posts include trips to the beach where she meets a beaded jewelry guy peddling his wares, Candie sewing paper together for a new crafty idea, some yummy looking noodle soup, and pretty much a blog diary about her crafting work and life in general. Other things I love about her blog are the great photos she takes. They really make her blog pop and inspire you to pick up your jewelry making tools as well.

Copper Wire Bracelet

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST

I'm a big fan of wire and beads, so I had to stop when I was surfing around looking for copper wire ideas. Victoria has mentioned before that when working with metal, copper is a great place to start because it is so inexpensive. So for newbies, it is a good way to get started without spending a lot of loot to boot.

But just because you don't spend a bunch of money on your jewelry supplies doesn't mean you can't make some great designs that you'll wear and enjoy for a long time. This bracelet project designed by Margot Potter, which I found on the Beadalon web site, is an excellent example of that. It combines natural copper wire with crystal beads, and then you can see that the various strands are woven together so the wire is visible through and around the beads. While the complete instructions are linked above, I think this is also a good inspirational project because you can go on to create a number jewelry combinations with clear crystals and copper wire.

When Looking Old is Good

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST

Aging metal or giving it that spcial patina can really make a piece of jewelry pop.

Metal Craft Discovery Workshop: Create Unique Jewelry, Art Dolls, Collage Art, Keepsakes and More! by Linda & Opie O’Brien of Burnt Offerings Studio is a wonderful how-to and project book using metal sheet and found objects to create metal and mixed media art. One of the best parts of the book is the section on aging metal. Liver of sulfur and coloring with a torch are covered, but my favorite recipes are the ones for aging copper and brass. Did you know you can get a nice patina with potato chips? And ammonia and salt gives an intense bright blue patina.

Although six of the twenty-one projects are jewelry projects, all of the projects use techniques that can be adapted to jewelry. There’s a thorough discussion of basic metal techniques, as well as instructions on using image transfers, resins, rivets, and tools.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST

Do you have some vintage clip-on earrings? Instead of wearing them on your ears, put them on some shoe clip findings and clip them on your stilettos or flats for a fresh look. It's a great way to stretch your shoe budget. Here's one I did with vintage earrings:

Same shoe, different look:

Craft Supplies Online has some shoe clip findings. remove the clip back from your old earrings and wire the front onto the shoe clip finding and voila!

Once a staple of every wardrobe, shoe clips are back in fashion. Check out Absolutely Audrey for some beautiful shoe clips.

Metal Clay Call for Entries

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST

Call for Entries

Book Title: Picture Yourself Making Metal Clay Jewelry: Step-by-Step Instruction for Forming, Firing, and Constructing Finished Jewelry
Publisher: Thomson Course Technology
Series: This text will be part of the publisher’s “Picture Yourself” series.
Author: Tammy Powley
Contact Information: tammypowley@yahoo.com
Estimated Publication Date: May/June 2008
Call for Entries Deadline: December 5, 2007

Book’s Focus: The focus of this book is super simple - to make metal clay component projects (charms, pendants, beads) teamed up with basic jewelry techniques resulting in projects which allow readers to make finished jewelry pieces showcasing their metal clay creations.
Audience: The audience is the interested hobbyist who has very little if any metal clay or jewelry making experience.

Project Descriptions: All metal clay projects will be designed to use low-fire metal clay (either PMC3 or Art Clay 650) and will be small enough to allow firing by either a hand-held butane torch or hot pot. The projects will include instructions for both making the metal clay component (such as beads or a pendant) as well as incorporating this item into a finished piece of jewelry (such as earrings or a necklace). Therefore, other jewelry techniques including basic bead stringing and wire work will be covered as well.

Gallery Format Submission/Instructions: All items submitted for the gallery must be sent in digital .jpg format, min. 300 dpi and emailed to tammypowley@yahoo.com by Dec. 5, 2007. Please include “metal clay gallery” in the email subject line. Along with the image of the finished jewelry piece, include type of clay used, form of firing used, and any other materials information. Though low-fire clay items are encouraged, since that is the focus of this book, other types of clay items will be considered for gallery inclusion. Those artists selected for the gallery (included in the final published copy of the book) will be required to sign a release for publication form and will have their names and contact information (if desired) included in the gallery section.

Project Format Submission/Instructions: Though the author will create the majority of projects for the book, some projects by guest artists may be included if they are deemed appropriate for the scope of the book. Entries should include projects using low-fire metal clay (either PMC3 or Art Clay 650) and should be fired using either a butane torch or hot pot. A list of supplies and basic techniques should be included along with step by step digital color images of the process. (The author will write up complete instructions for any accepted projects.) Images should be clear, high quality, .jpg format, min. of 300 dpi, and emailed to tammypowley@yahoo.com by December 5, 2007. Please include “metal clay book project” in the email subject line. Those artists selected for the projects section (included in the final published copy of the book) will be required to sign a release for publication form and will have their names and contact information (if desired) included in the text. The author will also send them a free copy of the book when it is released for publication.

Disclaimer: The author will accept submissions in good faith and as she deems appropriate for the book; however, this does not in any way guarantee publication since other issues such as space, page numbering, page breaking, etc. can require the publisher to make alterations to the finished text without the author’s knowledge.

From Pin to Pendant

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Peggy's clutch purse idea on episode 8 of metalchik reminded me of these pin converters that I had seen:

They're available from Fire Mountain Gems (look in findings under bails, pin converters). If you would rather wear your vintage pin as a pendant slip the tube of the converter over the pin stem, run a chain through the bail or bead a matching necklace, and you're done.

Or you can make your own pin converter by wrapping a little wire around a mandrel a little bigger than the pin stem. Make one larger loop in the center.

Tool Bonanza

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EDT

The November tool issue of Jewelry Artist (formerly Lapidary Journal) was in my box this afternoon and I’ve hardly been able to put it down. It’s packed with great ideas for making your own tools. I’ve wanted to pattern some metal but couldn’t afford a rolling mill so I was really happy with their tip on making texturing hammers from old tack hammers. I also like the tip on making an inexpensive bracelet mandrel and mallet.

Jewelry Artist has always been a great magazine for bench jewelers. There are articles and projects that involve setting and cutting stones. My interests are mostly in stringing, Art Clay, PMC, and wirework and I find Jewelry Artist has lots of articles and projects that interest me. Do you like the metal clay pendant on the cover? The instructions are in this issue.

Broom Straw Silver Casting

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:41:10 EDT

Recently my family and I visited Maker Faire in Austin and saw a lot of interesting artists at work. Here is Michiel Rushing demonstrating broom straw casting. First the silver is melted.

Next it’s poured into a bound broom head that has been soaked in water.

These are the castings. They look a little like stalactites. They will have to be cleaned in pickle and soldered to findings or drilled to make pendants, rings, or other jewelry.

My husband, who really likes melting things, made this one after seeing Michiel at work.

I’m going to cut the casting into two pieces and make the long part a pendant or maybe a pin. I’m not sure about the lower part yet. The nice thing about broom straw casting is if the results aren’t what you want you just melt it again and do another casting. Any little left over bits get put into the next casting also.

Become a Metal Master at B&B

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

The Bead & Button Show has announced some of the master jewelry classes that will be offered at the next show, and one of them includes a class with the metal master himself, Tim McCreight:

Direct Casting: Ancient Methods for Contemporary Work

This energetic and unusual workshop will explore ancient casting techniques as a way to develop skills in thinking three dimensionally. Working with pewter, you will focus on low-tech approaches including charcoal, cuttlefish, and sand casting, all of which allow almost immediate gratification. Participants will have time to experiment with a range of techniques, with time enough to revisit the process that interests them most.

Who Should Take This Class?
This class requires no prior casting experience, but familiarity with files and a torch will be useful. You will touch on modern methods, but the intention of the class is to strip technical barriers that can squelch the immediacy of working in the round and in the moment. It is not the goal of this workshop to convert jewelers to pewter. Instead, you will work with an inexpensive low melting alloy that permits terrific freedom and ease.

It's great to see a class like this being offered because one past criticism of shows like this is that most of the classes are geared toward bead weaving. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but not everyone wants to learn how to make a flower from tiny seed beads which will take them about a 100 hours to complete.

Hunting Wholesale Jewelry Shows?

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

If you are serious about the jewelry biz, then wholesale is the only way to go when purchasing all the supplies you need to make your jewelry creations. Luckily, when I first started selling jewelry back in the late 90s, I stumbled upon a wonderful wholesale resource, and I've been a fan ever since of the G&LW Shows, aka Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers Inc.

While I will say that these shows every year seem to have more and more finished jewelry than jewelry components, you'll still find plenty of goods to make your jewelry such as gemstone and crystal beads, findings, wire, chain, tools, equipment, and displays. It's also a great way to hook up with wholesalers that you may want to do business with outside of the show later in the year. Many have web sites and catalogs these days. For example, that's how I discovered CGM Findings.

You can find a monthly show schedule included on the G&LW web site. Granted, they aren't all over the U.S., but they do come to 11 different states, so chances are pretty good you'll find one at least semi-close to you. If you plan to go, you'll need to have proof that you can purchase wholesale, such as a tax ID certificate. They require that you preregister usually as well. Then once you are "in," you'll receive a brochure when the shows come to your area.

In Florida, they have about three a year. I can't go to all of them because I would put myself in the poor house, but I try to go about once a year and load up. I would suggest having at least a few hundred dollars to spend at the bare minimum. And, you may want to leave the credit card at home if you don't have a lot of self-control! There is so much great jewelry stuff at these shows, it can be very difficult to resist temptation.

Enamel Excitement!

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:00:02 EDT

Sterling Silver and Black Enamel Pin
by Henning Koppel for Georg Jensen, ca. 1960s

(courtesy of Carol Lane at Trocadero)

It was exciting and inspiriting to see Peggy's art nouveau and art deco jewelry these last few weeks! As a former dealer of vintage jewelry and general vintage lover, it was great to see a really refined collection and learn about the Arts and Crafts style. I love enamel, as Peggy does, and like to use cold enamel in my work. (I'm not yet 100% on my hot enaml technigue - sshh!!) Anyway, enamel is a great way to bring color and brilliance into your jewelry...without the price tag of gemstones. I encourage all jewelry enthusiasts to take a class on enamel. It will totally expand your repertoire! And if you don't want to add it to your jewels, you can also enamel bowls and other decorative objects. (And you'll have fun doing it).

So I thought I'd show some cool enamel pieces from later in the 1900s, specifically Modernism 1960s! (I know, broken record about modernism, but hang with me...these are awesome).

My favorite enamelist of the 1960s-1970s is Norman Grant, a Scottish artist. My friend Vanessa Frisbee wrote an awesome article for Modern Silver Magazine called "The Wonderful World of Norman Grant." I'm stealing some pics from here! (Thanks Vee!). Check this out:

This pendant is made of sterling silver and (of course) enamel. Notice how Grant uses enamel like paint, to illustrate a flower representationally. This technique is different from cloisonne, in which the craftsperson makes a pattern with this sterling (or gold) wire and then fills in the colors. I love this because it looks so contemporary and organic. It's from 1974.

These earrings are great, too:

Very wearable! These are from the later 1970s.

Enamel is not just for the ladies: check out these cufflinks by Grant:

Bubble city! Very unisex, actually, probably ca. late 1960s. (I wish cufflinks would make a real comeback - I love them!!)

Finally, here's a pin:

Look at the cute little heart detail! And again, Grant uses a painterly technique for his enamel rather that cloisonne. It gives it a really abstract look.

At Modern Silver Mag, I also found the following pieces in a great article by Susan Crosby.

Super cool, right? It's not signed, meaning we can't tell who made it, but it's certainly from the 1950s and has that great Eames look. This piece espeially goes to show that enamel doesn't necessarily have to be dainty. It can be bold and modern too! And check it out: the artist incoporated a Lapis cabochon at lower right.

Here's another mod one I like:

According to Susan, it's by an artist from the 1970s named "Bachrach". I couldn't find more info about this person...what a shame! There are so many great artisans who go unknown. :(

So there you have it, some more enamel with which to become enamoured! Check back with me in a later blog this week for some definitions of enamel techniques and tips. And of course, as usual, email us with your comments!!

Jewelry Visions Awarded

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Do you have jewelry vision? Are you a top-notch designer waiting to be recognized for your fabulous jewelry designing talents? Then you are the perfect person to enter the MJSA Vision Awards Design Competition. MJSA stands for Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America, and every year they run this huge awards competition. Pictured above left is one of the 2007 award winners:

2nd Place
Palladium Distinction
Nina Basharova of New York City

“Rock Candy Ring” in 950 palladium with black diamonds and a 12.5 carat tourmalinated quartz.

Here's another winner from 2007: 1st Place Mokumé-gane Distinction
Lisa Krikawa of Krikawa Jewelry Designs in Tucson, Arizona

MJSA is accepting entries for the 2008 awards right now with a December deadline looming:

PROVIDENCE, RI - Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) is now accepting entries for its 17th Annual Vision Awards Design Competition. Each year, the competition recognizes the talent and innovation of designers whose work has a profound influence on the future of jewelry design.

In addition to the Professional and Student Awards, distinction categories for 2008 include the new Enamel Distinction, sponsored by Rio Grande, as well as the return of the Platinum Distinction, sponsored by Platinum Guild International. The 2008 competition also includes these distinction categories:

- Natural Color Diamond Distinction, sponsored by Natural Color Diamond Association.

- CAD/CAM Distinction, sponsored by Roland.

- Palladium Distinction, sponsored by Hoover & Strong.

- Laser Distinction, sponsored by Crafford-LaserStar Technologies.

- Mokume-gane Distinction sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio and Shining Wave Metals.

- Reactive Metals Distinction, sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio and Cabot Supermetals.

Winners will receive monetary awards of up to $1,000 and will be honored on April 13, 2008, at the MJSA Expo New York show. In addition, winners will receive recognition in MJSA Journal, as well as other trade publications, and on MJSA Online.

Entries must be postmarked by December 30, 2007.

For submission guidelines and further information, or to request an entry form, contact MJSA Vision Awards at 1-800-444-6572, e-mail info@mjsa.org, or visit www.mjsa.org.

Chain Cutting Tip

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

I had someone email me the other day asking how to cut chain. Honestly, it's something I never really thought that much about before, even though I use chain fairly often in my jewelry designs. I guess that I just go at it with my wire cutters and don't really stop to think that maybe I'm doing it wrong or maybe there's a better way to do it and I'm just clueless about it.

So, I have been looking around the web wondering if I'm alone in just whacking away with cutters. Maybe I am. I'm not sure yet, but my chain research did dig up some handy tips for cutting chain from the Beadshop.com web site, which offers a quickie step-by-step how-to complete with images to run you through the proper way to do what I've been hacking away at in my own little clueless jewelry world.

Metal Metallics Beading Wires

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Even if you don't normally feel like a metal chik, maybe you are more of a bead-a-cious babe, you can still get your metallics on with metallic beading wire. All the three big beading wire giants now make some very cool metallic colored beading wire, so you can match up your copper or brass beads with stringing medium to match. Pictured is Metallics by the Soft-Flex Company.

Then there's Beadalon's answer to metal wire with their silver colored wire pictured here. Beadalon does not sell retail through their site, but I found this available from one of their many retail vendors, A Bead Store.

Finally, there's the other big boy of beading wire, Accu-Flex, which comes in lots of colors including brass and sterling silver.

Colorful Jewelry Choices

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Color selection is just as important to jewelry designers as it is to clothing designers, and we need to think ahead. Right now, we are in fall 2007, but what about spring 2008? What about fall of 2009? Sounds like it is so far away, but if you try to keep ahead with your jewelry inventory, you really have to think pretty far in advanced.

One resource for keeping up with color trends is the color forecast published on the Fire Moutain Gems and Beads web site. Their current forecast goes up to Fall-Winter 2008/2009 and includes downloadable pdf files with color samples. Pretty handy - if you have a color printer, you can print them up and hang them on the way for reference as yo design. Some of the colors they list include baking chocolate, green tea, pumpkin, and...hmm...anyone getting hungry?

The Virtues of Vintage

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Victoria's Discotech Neckpiece 2002

Almost every designer you can think of says they have been inspired by vintage style from this or that era. I guess it shouldn't be surprising: after all, it's said that in art there are no new ideas, just new interpretations of the old. I think this is why vintage jewelry from any age never quite goes out of style.

This is why Peggy's clutch purse idea this week on metalchik is genius: Using pieces from her vintage collection, gathered not only at antique sales but stoop sales, ebay, and flea markets, Peggy's personal style enlivens a classic if uninspired mass-market clutch. Oh, there's nothing wrong with the purse as-is, but it really comes to life through an application of Peggy's original style as expressed through her collecting choices. From nice but mundane, the clutch becomes something original and unique. Unique is a term bandied about willy-nilly to indicate something different or interesting, but let's attend to its real definition: a word to that means "being the only one". Unique means an item is one-off, that's it, finito. So while a style may have an interesting or unusual character to it, it's hardly ever unique. However, with something customized like Peggy's purse, you can fairly say it is unique.

I thought of a couple of other cute pins that could be used in to freshen up a bag (or a scarf, a hat) like the one with which Peggy inspired us. 1930s-1940s costume jewelry had an obsession with realism, and you can see this in the representational pins in the shapes of animals, object, natural forms, from companies like Miriam Haskell. Another trend around this time, maybe a bit earlier, was Bakelite, and pins from that era have a wonderful geometric look with clean, machined lines. An who can forget 1950s rhinestones? From crazy starburst shapes to demure feathers and swirls, rhinestones were all the rage...and continue today. Any of these would be neat additions.

My personal favorite, however, is 1950s-1970s modernist sterling silver jewelry. Scandinavian or American, I find endless fascination and inspiration from atomic forms, minimalism, and organic motifs which punctuate much of this work. Wonderful examples of Scandinavian modernism come from companies like Georg Jensen, N. E. From, Lapponia, Kaunis Koru, and more. In the Unted States, modernism was a more individual pursuit, as it were, and some of the best jewelry came from one-man shops in Greenwich Village. Artists like Ed Wiener, Paul Lobel, Art Smith, Margaret de Patta, and more changed the shape not only of what constituted jewelry, but what constituted beauty in general.

Pins from this era have fluid, modern shapes, or exude a wild abstract/expressionist/surrealist vibe with random elements and stones scattered all over. Peggy used a modernist sterling silver pin from Mexico for one of her looks, and it "chic-ed" the plain clutch into a veritable La Dolce Vita prop. You could almost see it clasped in the hand of the exuberant Anita Ekbert as she splashed about La Fontana di Trevi, Mastroianni following her in a daze of ardour.

I can't stop talking about modernism, but I will. But before I go, let me point out a wonderful site for information on modernist jewelry and jewelry collecting in general: ModernSilver Magazine. It features smart articles by antique jewelry dealers, enthusiasts, and historians, with lots of fabulous images. It also has inspriational pieces about contemporary jewelry artists, as well as gallery shopping and links to excellent antique jewelry websites, books, and more.

Low Tech Silver Patina

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Want to blacken or patina some silver but don’t have Silver Black or Liver of Sulfur? Don’t want to use hazardous materials? There’s a simple way to get the job done.

I used a very overdone boiled egg to put the patina on this piece.

It's easy. Boil the egg several minutes too long. You want lots of that green stuff that forms around the yolk when it’s over cooked. The green stuff is sulfur and it causes silver to darken.

Peel the egg, remove the yolk and crumble it into a plastic baggy. I was in a hurry so I heated my metal piece with a hairdryer, blew hot air into the baggy, put my silver in and closed everything up. To keep it warm longer I covered it up with a folded towel. The next morning I had nicely blackened Art Clay hearts, which I then brushed with steel wool and burnished slightly.
The egg will spoil, so if you need more darkening, boil a fresh egg and discard the old one.

If you aren’t in such a hurry and want color instead of black, put it in the refrigerator. This may take a week. Check it frequently until the color is right. The sulfur causes color changes that range through yellow, orange, brown, red, purple blue, green, and gray to black.

If your silver piece will touch the skin it’s a good idea to seal it with a clear lacquer or other sealant. The patina can wear off if exposed to the skin.

DIY Green Jewelry

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Nothing is as satisfying as taking something you might otherwise throw out and making something fun and fashionable. Plus it's good for the environment. These two outstanding designers have taken recycling to a new level.

Anna Roebuck of Bags2Riches hand fashions wonderful jewelry from colorful plastic bags. I especially like her earrings and cuff bracelets.

Amy Ybarra Murphy has a tutorial on Craft Chi about making stylish earrings out of packaging material.

And what about those old computer and electronics parts? I've been known to raid the trash after my husband, the physicist/computer geek has thrown away various parts. I'm amassing a stash for my planned "technology" jewelry. Here’s a tutorial (not mine) on making a bracelet from an old motherboard. This would make a nice bracelet for a guy or gal.

Artist in Your Pocket

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Australian Artist DK Heath (Remy) has some of the most incredibly detailed tutorials I’ve ever seen.
Unlike book publishing, where the publisher limits the amount of pages, downloadable tutorials have
little limitation.

I especially liked her Treasure Coil Wrap Pendant tutorial. It can be easily adapted to different
shapes, and it is possible to change the pendant stone to another if necessary—something you usually
can’t do with a wire-wrapped pendant. The tutorial is 36 pages long and has 106 color photographs.
Every step of the project has an accompanying close-up detailed photo. I think in many ways this is
better than a class, since you have the photos to refer to again and again. It’s like having the
Artist in your pocket.

The Cosmic Knot Ring is fun looking and not as complex as it appears. It is easy to customize.
Again, this tutorial is extremely detailed with 32 pages and 95 color photos.

Check out the site and the two free tutorials, the Cage Pendant, and the Off-Beat Pendant.

Get Wired on DVDs

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Sharilyn Miller has some excellent new wire jewelry DVDs out: Rings of Beauty and Tribal Treasures. You can pretty much guess what you'll learn to make on the first DVD, rings - lots and lots of different rings using wire and also some beads here and there. The other DVD shows how to make a wonderful "tribal" style bracelet.

Sharilyn, who you probably know from her jewelry books and time spent as an editor over at Somerset Studios, shows how to make a bracelet that looks more like an ancient artifact than a piece of jewelry you just made yourself. While she explains how to construct the bracelet, she also covers all the basics including tools and wire techniques.

Though Sharilyn travels extensively teaching, you may not be lucky enough to take one of her workshops her in person, so these DVDs are the next best thing.