Happy Father's Day!

I'm so looking forward to a special day with my two sweet loves! Out to brunch, a day by the sea and some yummy homemade treats.

Happy Father's Day to my husband, the best daddy in the world to our little girl.

HIS and HER Embroidered Leather Cuff TUTORIAL

I'm excited to share with you my latest designer project for Ornamentea.com...HIS and HER Embroidered Leather Cuffs. Isn't that just the sweetest thing? You can make one for that special guy in your life, BUT make one for yourself first, of course!

 

HER 

Beaded Embroidered Leather Cuff

Leather cuffs are hot! Maximize your style with a must-have beaded leather cuff bracelet.

Ingredients:

48 Brass filed cubes

24 Silver-plated 12mm buglebeads

18” of waxed linen cord (chose a color that closely matches the wristband you are using)

1 Suede Wristband

Tools:

Hole punch

Scissors

Ruler

Pen

1: Lay the cuff against the ruler, wrong side facing up.  Use the pen to make a mark 1 ½” from the end of the cuff and 3/8” from the bottom edge of the cuff. Then, make a mark that is 1 ¾” from the end and 3/8” from the top edge of the cuff as shown. Make a mark ¼” from each of the previous two marks as shown. Repeat 22 times.

2: Punch holes through all the marked places on the leather cuff as shown.

 3: Tie a double overhand knot at one end of the waxed linen cord. Thread the cord through the first hole in the cuff from back to front as shown.

 4: Use the linen cord to string 1 filed cube, 1 bugle bead, and 1 filed cube. Thread the cord through the next hole on the opposite side of the cuff as shown. Repeat 23 times to bead the entire length of the cuff.

 5: Tie a double overhand knot tightly against the back of the leather cuff and trim close to the knot as shown.

Tip: You can create a paper template for the cuff to make the measuring and marking a little easier. Trace the leather wristband on a piece of paper, make all the measurements and marks on the paper, punch all the holes with a paper punch and cut out the template. Then, transfer all the marks onto the cuff. I did not do that for this tutorial, but it's an option, especially if you are not so comfortable measuring and marking on the cuff or if you are making more than one. The measurements are fairly easy, though. I tried to make it as simple as possible.

Okay, now it's time to make one for HIM.

 HIS

Embroidered Leather Cuff 

Leather cuffs are hot for guys, too! Make this bracelet for all the special men in your life. Guys will love the wide suede band and the simple, un-fussy design.

Ingredients:

18” of waxed linen cord (chose a color that contrasts with the wristband you are using)

1 Suede Wristband

Tools:

Hole punch

Scissors

Ruler

Pen

Follow steps #1-4 above for the "HER" leather cuff, except omit the beads, unless your guy is into beads and there is nothing wrong with that!

This project would be...

Perfect for Father's Day!

Sunday, June 16th

Happy leather cuff crafting!

Fortuneteller's Bracelet TUTORIAL

My friend Lori and I share a passion for Irish waxed linen cord. It's one of our favorite materials to work with. She invited me to design a special jewelry project and tutorial to post on her blog highlighting our beloved waxed linen cording. I'm thrilled to share the project with you here. I created a simple bracelet. The materials may be humble, but the design is one I would wear on a daily basis. Those are the kind of pieces I love to make the most. The everyday jewelry. I love the texture and look of the knotted multiple gemstone strands, the joyful colors of the waxed linen cord and the gorgeous, hand-crafted copper button by Barbara Bechtel of Second Surf Studio on Etsy. The techniques are easy. These simple, tried and true knotting techniques I use over and over in my jewelry. This basic bracelet project is a great example of how easy it is to incorporate Lori's color cord mixes featured in her Jewelry Accord Shop in a jewelry design!
 

Fortuneteller’s Bracelet

Erin Siegel

Sodalite is said to be the stone of “insight”. The bright, colorful threads of waxed linen cord remind me of a long, flowing gypsy skirt that a fortuneteller might wear.

Materials:
72 Sodalite 6mm rounds
1 copper 20mm artisan button by Second Surf Studio
4’feet EACH of 4ply Irish waxed linen cord in the following colors: Plum, Fuchsia, Red and Sage

Tools:
Scissors
Ruler

Finished size: 7 ½”

Instructions:

 

1: Hold the four pieces of linen cord together at their centers. Tightly twist the centers of the 4 cords together for 2”. Fold the cords in half and form an overhand knot, leaving a ¾” loop of twisted cord.

 

2: Separate two cords. Use 1 cord to string 1 Sodalite round. Use both cords to form an overhand knot after the bead. Repeat 17 times. Repeat entire step for remaining cords.

3: Use all 8 cords to form an overhand knot. Separate cords in half and form 3 square knots. 

 

4: Use 4 cords to string one buttonhole. Repeat for the other buttonhole. Form a square knot on top of the button. Trim cords to ¼”.

Resources:

Sodalite rounds: FireMountain Gems. Waxed linen cord: Jewelry Accord on Etsy. Copper button: Second SurfStudio on Etsy.

Day Glow Earrings TUTORIAL

Day Glow Earring TUTORIAL

Spring is in full swing now. I'm seeing lots of bright colors popping up outside as well as inside my favorite shops and clothing boutiques. My latest jewelry design for Ornamentea.com is an ode to warm, sunshine days ahead and a nod to the neon fashion trend! Click over to Ornamentea.com to see the full tutorial.

These sunny earring will brighten any day whether the sun is out or not. I love the look of the turquoise crystal chain adorned ear wires, the texture of the bright orange waxed linen cord and the cheery yellow ceramic beads by artist, Elaine Ray.

A special thanks to Debbie Blair, editor over at Jewelry Stringing magazine for featuring my earring tutorial for Ornamentea on the Beading Daily Blog! Check out her blog post to see Debbie's unique version of these earrings!

Ingredients

- 2 12mm Elaine Ray ceramic rounds
- 2 large kidney ear wires
- 2 3" headpins
- 3" of 2.5mm crystal chain
- 36" of Irish waxed linen cord

Tools

- Chain nose
- Round nose
- Cutters
- Scissors

1. Use 18" of waxed linen to tie an overhand knot onto 1 headpin, leaving a 3" tail as shown.

 

2. String 1 ceramic round onto both cord ends and the headpin as shown.

3. Using the long end of cord, wrap around the headpin and the short tail above the bead as shown. Tie the two ends of cord together with a square knot, trim and make a wrapped loop above the linen wraps as shown.

4. Hold a 1 ½" piece of crystal chain on top of 1 kidney ear wire. Place the middle of the remaining waxed linen cord under the first crystal in the chain and wrap the cord around the chain and the ear wire in a criss-cross fashion as shown. Tightly wrap until all the chain is securely attached to the ear wire. Tie the two ends of cord together with a square knot and trim close to the knot.

5. Attach the beaded dangle to the ear wire and repeat steps for the second earring.

My Jewelry Studio

I realized I've never ever shared my current studio space! Frankly, that's because it is usually in such a disastrous state that I wouldn't wish to show anyone on a good day. Last weekend, I received a much needed reprieve when the grandparents took Nora for two whole days. What did I do with my rare freedom from motherly duties? I cleaned out my whole studio from top to bottom. Obviously, you can clearly see where my priorities lie. As soon as I get a moment to myself, I go straight to fixing up my studio! Oh, and deciding to take on that task was not that fun, mind you. There were huge boxes upon boxes of stuff piled up under the desk, items and paperwork that I had been avoiding dealing with for over a year and a mish-mash of beads and findings in every corner that had been thrown every which way. In my defense, I did have some help with the beads going everywhere part. There's a 2 year old around here that loves to play with Mama's beads. ;) Even with all that work, there is plenty more I would love to do with my space, but at least it is clean, the top of the desk is clear and I can work in there once again! It was well worth the effort.

This is the top of my main work surface where I keep some of my jewelry and favorite displays, a few bead storage units, my essential jewelry-making tools and some bead bowls and baskets. I love the art piece on my wall. I need to hang more pictures and art!

My materials wall. This wall is directly behind the desk and chair. The pegboard expands across almost the entire length of the wall. Over the years of making jewelry, I've learned I work most efficiently when I have my supplies out where I can see them all the time and can get to them quickly and easily. 

My pegboard wall holds materials and tools I use on a regular basis: metal gauge wire and beading wires, rulers and measuring tapes, scissors, hammer, metal and leather punches, bead stops and misc. tools, silk knotting cords, leather cords, suede lace, hemp, cotton and Irish waxed linen cord, silk cords, dupioni ribbon, sari ribbon and fibers, glass beads, gemstones and wood beads. 

Studios and organization is such an interesting topic for jewelry makers because anyone who works with beads knows the dilemma of bead storage and setting up a space that works. It is the bane of our existence! There seems to be no easy answer or solution for most of us. Ideally, I'd love to have absolutely every bead and finding visible at a glance. Just like when you walk into a bead shop, everything is out where you can see it!  

How about you? How do you like to organize your work space? Have you shared photos of your studio? It's always fun to get a glimpse inside any creative space! Please share with me by leaving me a link to your photos in the comments! Even if you don't have photos, I'd love to hear your thoughts on studios and organization.

Learn To Make Leather Links For Jewelry

 

Leather Infinity Links Video Workshop

by Tracy Statler

Leather in accessories is hot, hot, hot! I think I've said this before, but it's worth repeating. If you want to make chic jewelry that's in demand now, consider incorporating some leather into your designs. Leather is a wonderful material to work with and it adds texture and interest to your jewelry. My stylish friend and book contributor, Tracy Statler is currently offering a video tutorial on how to make these fun leather infinity links. These components are a versatile way to add leather to your jewelry. Incorporate them into bracelets, necklaces and even earrings.

In this video tutorial, Tracy takes you step-by-step through the process of creating her innovative beaded leather infinity links. She also provides you with a handy supply list and helpful tips and tricks to make creating these cool components much easier.  Tracy is available for questions and support, if you need it. She does allow designers to sell jewelry that is created from her tutorial, which in my book is a huge plus and very generous! There's even an option to pin and share your designs on a Pinterest gallery board that Tracy has created specially for those that purchase her tutorial. That's a great way to connect, share and promote your jewelry!

Click Here To Purchase

You can purchase Tracy's video tutorial through her blog, Make Bracelets! I highly recommend that you check it out.

Oh, and as if you needed any more eye candy or convincing, below are more examples of Tracy's work showing the versatility of her leather technique. If there are any designers to keep your eye on, it's this girl. She's a phenomenal, high-quality fashion jewelry designer that enjoys sharing professional tips and tricks, knowledge and supply resources, teaching and writing jewelry-making tutorials and how-tos. What more could you possibly ask for? Do your- jewelry-making-self good and join her on her blog here.

I hope you enjoy her inspiration. I know I do!

Bracelet by Tracy Statler

Tracy Statler Designs

Mixed Metal Chevron Necklace TUTORIAL

Lately, my jewelry designs are all about what's going on in the fashion world and the latest styles and trends. And of course, right? Jewelry and fashion inherently go together. They are one in the same. Jewelry and clothes both serve as vehicles for us to express ourselves and our personalities. More than ever I'm into clothes and expressing my own personal style. I get giddy to put my jewelry creations together with my outfits. I want my jewelry designs to be relevant with styles I love to wear myself and what other women want to wear, too. And with being a designer for the ever-so-hip Ornamentea, it's now officially my job to stay current and on-trend :) I wouldn't want it any other way. 

 Mixed Metal Chevron Necklace Tutorial

One motif that I've seen popping up that I'm just loving is the chevron! I think chevrons are here to stay, people. This long, swingy necklace will keep you looking chic and oh-so-stylish. Find the tutorial to make it here.

Ingredients

- 22 Silver-plated 12mm bugle beads
- 6 Copper-plated 12mm bugle beads
- 14 Antique silver 3" headpins
- 1 yard of antique copper 2x4mm cable chain

Tools

- Chain nose
- Round nose
- Cutters

1. Convert all the headpins into eyepins by trimming off the heads and creating a loop at one end as shown.

 2. Use one eyepin to string one copper bugle bead and one silver bugle Bead; form a simple loop. Repeat 5 times. Use one eyepin to string 2 silver bugle beads; form a simple loop. Repeat 7 times

 3. Cut a 2" piece of chain. Attach 1 loop of a silver beaded link to one end of the long chain and the other loop to one end of the short piece of chain. Skip the second link in the chain. Attach 1 loop of a silver beaded link to the third link in the long chain and the other loop to the third link
in the short chain. Continue attaching the beaded links to the chain in the same manner following the photo shown.