I just received my April issue of Bead Trends (I know you love the magazine as much as I do...but don't worry if your is not in the mail box yet, mine came early!!! WHY YOU ASK?). I have two designs featured in the April 2013 issue. The first design is a necklace with matching earrings in my new half circle sweet daisy beads. It was made with copper chain and Swarovski crystal bicone beads in topaz.
Supplies:
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Beads: 5 half circle golden brown pottery beads with daisy’s www.CapturedMoments.ETSY.com
qty 4 8mm Swarovski crystal bicone beads in topaz artbeads.com
Chain: 22 inches of copper chain www.CapturedMoments.ETSY.com
Jump rings: qty. 14 9mm copper jump rings www.CapturedMoments.ETSY.com
Lobster claw clasp: one 15mm www.CapturedMoments.ETSY.com
Head pins: qty. 4 2 inch copper head pins artbeads.com
Copper daisy beads: qty. 4 5mm copper daisy spacer beads. Artbeads.com
Ear wires: qty. 2 copper ear wires www.artbeads.com
Step by step instructions:
Earrings
1. Take one head
pin and place one copper daisy spacer bead, then one topaz bicone bead; make a
simple loop. To make a simple loop use
your chain nose pliers and bend the head pin to make a 90 degree angle above
your bicone bead. Then with the wire end
facing towards you grip the end with the your round nose pliers and wrap the
wire away from you by turning the round nose pliers to make a nice loop. Then
wrap the wire around the bottom of the loop to secure. Cut off any excess wire. Repeat to make a total of 4 simple
loops. 2 will be used with the earring
and 2 with the necklace.
2. Cut 2 pieces of 3 inch
copper chain.
3. Attach one
piece of the 3 inch copper chain to one of the pottery beads with a jump ring,
attach the other end of the chain to the other side of the bead.
4. Carefully
open the bottom loop of the ear wire and attach the copper chain that is now
attached to the pottery bead into the center point of the chain. Add the topaz bead loop to the opening
also. Close the bottom loop of the ear
wire and repeat to finish 2nd earring.
Necklace:
1. Cut two
pieces of 7 ½ inches of copper chain.
Take 4 jump rings and attach a jump ring to each end of each piece of
chain.
2. Attach one of
the pottery daisy beads to one of the jump rings on the copper chain.
3. Attach the 2nd pottery daisy bead
to the first with a jump ring, add another jump ring and then attach the last
pottery daisy bead to the other beads.
You will have a total of 3 pottery beads and each will be spaced with 3
jump rings. I used a oval jump ring in the middle of the three jump rings for
interest.
4. Attach the remaining chain to the pottery
daisy bead with a jump ring.
5. Add a topaz bicone bead to the center jump
ring to the right and left of the center pottery bead. See finished piece.
6. Add a lobster
claw to one of the chain ends.
7. Enjoy!
I also have a bangle in the April 2013 Bead Trends Magazine (see page 46-47) it is made using one of my pottery heart beads.A simple design using copper wire from the electrical supply store.
Supplies:
Wire: 16 inches
of 8 gauge copper wire, from the hardware store, electrical dept.
And 16 inches of
12 gauge wire
Bead: Pottery
heart bead in Malachite Green from CapturedMoments.etsy.com
Step by Step Instructions:
1. Cut a 16 inch
piece of 8 gauge copper wire and make a larger loop at one end this will be
part of the clasp.
2. Thread
pottery bead unto the 8 gauge wire.
3. Bend the wire
around a bracelet mandrel, or an oval shaped object. I use the handle of an axe
from the garage. You want to then check
the sizing and see if it would fit your wrist comfortably. Cut off any excess wire leaving ¾ inch extra
to make a simple hook for your bangle.
Carefully flatten the wire on the bangle using a bench block and hammer,
make sure your bead is in place where you want it and flatten the wire around
the bead being careful not to hit the bead.
It is helpful if the bead hole is large enough to slide the bead out of
the way while shaping the copper wire.
Flatten the copper wire of the bangle to add detail.
4. Shape a
simple hook to the remaining end.
5. Take a 2 inch
piece of 8 gauge wire and fashion an “S” curve or other shape to accent your
bangle. Or any design that you like.
6. Flatten the
copper “S” shape using a hammer and a metal bench block.
7. Attach the
“S” shape to the bangle near the bead with the thinner wire. Wrap with wire to secure and wrap on each
side of the heart bead to secure the pottery bead from sliding on your bangle.
8. Wrap the loop
closure with wire to secure.
9. If you have a
torch or a gas oven you can carefully hold your finished piece to the heat for
a few seconds to torch fire the copper, changing its colors. If you see colors you like on the copper,
stop the torch firing as you cannot bring your piece back to those colors. The pottery bead will not be affected by a quick
flicker of heat.
I hope you enjoy the tutorials.
I hope you enjoy the tutorials.
