Sharing a re purpose idea from Beading Daily

I signed up a while back with Beading Daily and get great email updates with wonderful tips and project ideas. They have a great blogging team sure to keep you interested and right now they are offering a free download of 5 patterns. The patterns rotate with the refreshing of the page so if you are not into bead stitching, refresh till you see the style of work you want to learn and click!

This one I wanted to share with you. I have seen a trend lately in the blogs I follow on 're purposing' jewelry. I thought it would be a great addition to the blogosphere as people are "googleing" for more information on this.


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7 Tips for Redesigning Jewelry

Second Chances

As part of my "get organized" resolution, I've been cleaning my studio (a.k.a. "unfinished basement"). One cardboard box in the corner held my first necklaces. Some were badly made, but others were just no longer me. And some, like the necklace with spiky rubber neon green beads, fell into the "What was I thinking?" category.

Before I wrote the "Take 2" article for the spring issue of Stringing, I would have tucked these beading disasters away forever. But now that I've seen the spectacular redesign results of designers Danielle Fox, Andrew Thornton, Molly Schaller, and Denise Yezbak Moore, I firmly believe that almost every piece of unworn jewelry (except perhaps neon necklaces) deserves a second chance.

If you have jewelry that you never wear or pieces that just won't sell, maybe it's time to give them another look. Here are some tips I've uncovered:

7 Tips for Redesigning Jewelry

1: Be open to possibilities. Just because you start with one idea doesn't mean you need to stick with it. I intended just to restring my bracelet (shown below), but as I worked, I realized that I'd prefer a necklace. (Bracelets make such a racket when you're typing at the computer!)

2: Ask for feedback. Get opinions from someone you trust. Sometimes it's easier for others to spot problems than it is to see them ourselves.

3: Seek inspiration. Page through copies of Stringing, study reader galleries on the Beading Daily forums, and paw through your bead stash or local bead shop. What catches your eye?

4: Start small. While a necklace might need a total overhaul, often changing just one element, such as a focal or clasp, will be enough to make it work.

5: Take a photo. If you're nervous about taking a piece apart, take a photo of it first. This will give you a security blanket. You can always reconstruct the original piece if you don't like the new results.

6: Go back to Square One. If you're unhappy with a piece of jewelry, but don't know what to do to improve it, think back to why you were inspired to make the piece in the first place. If it was a color combination that you loved, for instance, make that your springboard for another design.

7: Wear it. Some flaws––a faulty clasp, a too-short necklace––only become apparent with the piece on. Figure out why your piece doesn't fit comfortably, then fix it.

	My "Before" Bracelet and "After" Necklace I enjoyed this redesign process so much that I redid a second piece in addition to the one in Stringing. I'm sharing it exclusively on Beading Daily.		After: The redesigned necklace has an edgier, more modern look with gunmetal chain and an enamel clasp.
	Before: This bracelet was too sweet for my personal taste.

Be sure to check out all five sets of before and after photos in the spring issue of Stringing, along with nearly 100 new necklace, bracelet, and earring designs (including some with great floral ceramic beads!), tips on how to sell your jewelry at outdoor shows, and where to get the latest woodland creature beads and the cutest little raku house beads I've ever seen.

While we wait for our copies of Stringing to arrive, tell us your tales of redesign. Have you ever redesigned a piece? Why or why not?

Share your ideas here on Beading Daily.

Beading Daily Earring Exchange!!!

I was so excited to get a package in the mail - to me, from me!

*blink* *blink*

Why am I getting a SASE?

I opened it up and a little envelope fell out.

Inside were the loveliest pair of earrings!! The Beading Daily Earring Exchange!! I had forgotten all about it!



So cute, little nests of wire and tiny seed bead eggs. These are just adorable.



I was very disappointed that the creator - Anne - had not placed a card or email with the earrings so I could thank her.


I will have to stop by their forums and thank her there. Hopefully she will stop by to check.
I am hoping ppl will post links to pictures of their earrings. It may be fun to stop by from time to time to see who got what!

Thank you Anne!!!!!

Beading Daily Earring Exchange - Tutorial

Beading Daily is doing an earring swap! The earring swap is to celebrate Denise Peck's new book, 101 Wire Earrings.

Here's what ya do -
Make a pair of earrings, mail them in, include a SASE, and they will send you a pair of earrings created by another artist! By participating you also give permission for photos of your earrings to be used by Interweave, as they choose, in publications, on their site or in their shows, EXCITING! - details -

As I was making earrings this morning, I thought I would create a little tutorial on how these came about. This is my first time using a Wig-Jig. I wanted to play around with it, so come along with me on this maiden voyage.

Here is what I used -
8" 18 ga sterling wire
4" 24 ga sterling wire
2 8mm bicone crystals
6 4mm swarovski bicone crystals
2 6mm faceted quartz roundels
2 4mm bali sterling spacers
6 sterling head pins

Cut two pieces of 18 ga wire, 4" long

Place the 10mm round pegs two spaces apart.




Place one end of the wire at the 9 o'clock position on the bottom peg on the wig-jig board. Hold the end in place with one hand and take the wire up and around the top peg in a counter clockwise direction. Bring the wire around til it is pointing to the right.


Slide on your beads - spacer, 8mm crystal, spacer



Bring the end of the wire (that is pointing to the right) completely around the bottom peg in a clockwise direction till it is pointing back to the right again.




Push the end of the wire that is pointing to the left up so it completes the circle around the top peg and push the end of the wire pointing to the right down and around to complete the circle around the bottom peg.


Remove the wire from the Wig Jig board. Use your chain nosed pliers to create a wire wrap, making one or two wraps with the end of the wire near the spacer beads. Repeat with the other end.


Give the loops a couple light tap tap's with your hammer on your anvil to strengthen the loops.







Make some charms to liven them up.


Put bicones on a head pin. Grip the wire with the tips of your round nosed pliers. Bend the head pin to a right angle at the top of the bead.



Rotate the pliers a quarter turn up, counter clockwise, and bring the wire around the top tine of the pliers.


Rotate the pliers a quarter turn clock wise, and take the wire around the bottom of the tine til it is pointing away from you. Snip the tail close to the bottom of your loop as to keep the edges flush.



Gently pry the end away from the base of the loop and attach it to the form you just created on the Wig-Jig.



Push the end closed and your charm is secure. Make two more charms for this form.



Cut a 2" piece of wire. On one end create a wire wrapped loop. Slide on the facted quartz.


Start your wire wrap by creating the inital bend around your pliers. Before committing the wire wrap, slide the wire form (oppisite end from the crystal charms) on the end of the wire, resting it in the bend.


Hold the bend of the wire and the form with the tips of your chain nosed pliers and finish the wrap working down toward the quartz bead.


Attach your earring wires to the other end of your wire wrapped loops and there you have it!

Wig-Jig wire formed earrings!!





10 bonus points to who can tell me what is 'not quite right' with these images.