Posts tagged with 'metal'

  • Fiber or Metal Cuff?

    POSTED BY TAMMY POWLEY, SEPTEMBER 28 2007 08:00 AM | PERMALINK

    At first glass, I have to admit this cuff bracelet does look like fiber, but then when you take another moment to look at it, you realize it's actually copper wire. This project is called Tough Cuff, and was designed by Stephanie Riger. It's available as a free downloadable file from Art Jewelry magazine. It's one of those icky pdf files everyone seems to love these days, so if you don't have Adobe reader, you'll need to download it too, but yes, that's a web free as well, so no worries.

    Now,...

  • Inspired Transformations

    POSTED BY MIRELA POPOVICI, SEPTEMBER 27 2007 02:51 PM | PERMALINK

    One of our viewers, Mirela Popovici submitted her pictures and tips on materials for jewelry making and her new discovery of Precious Metal Clay. If you have any tips or suggestions that you'd like to share with other viewers, let us know by emailing us at tips@metalchik.com.

     

     

     

    Crochet Silver Wire

     

    The materials I work with are just as important as the design. For me, as a hobby seamstress with love for fabrics, it is all about creating. Starting from scratch to create materials requires more...

  • Metal Chickens and Torches

    POSTED BY TAMMY POWLEY, SEPTEMBER 26 2007 02:14 PM | PERMALINK

    When I took my very first serious metal class at an adult education facility in Orlando, Florida, I'll never forget my first turn at the torch when learning to solder. I took the class with a girlfriend from work and my husband, and when we turned those babies on, woow moma! Our eyes were as big as saucers. At least my girlfriend's were, and I bet mine were as well. My husband was too macho to be chicken of the torch like we were.

    One problem with using a torch for us was that neither of us had any...

  • Resin Jewelry Comes Back

    POSTED BY TAMMY POWLEY, SEPTEMBER 20 2007 09:00 AM | PERMALINK

    Resin jewelry is making a come back. I suspect a lot of this is because of the mixed media craze right now. What better way to combine materials such as paper, fiber, and metal than to encase it all in resin? Organic materials like leaves and flower are also a good choice for your resin designs. You can make pins, pendants, earrings, and I'm sure much more once you get going.

    Pictured above are some do-dads from a very cool crafty web site called Craft-E-Zine, and on the resin page are...

  • Y2B a Metal Chik is Cool

    POSTED BY TAMMY POWLEY, SEPTEMBER 19 2007 09:00 AM | PERMALINK

     

    Being able to make your own jewelry can really come in handy. First of all, you can make jewelry to match any outfit you have. That's pretty much an obvious benefit. However, I was reminded this week of another plus about the whole jewelry designer thing - making jewelry to go with jewelry.

     

    I'm basically a jewelry addict, so while most of my jewelry I make, I also buy it now and then, such as this awesome necklace from Signals.com. On one side, it has a quote from Emily Dickinson, whom I...

  • Little Jewelry Tools for Big Jobs

    POSTED BY TAMMY POWLEY, SEPTEMBER 18 2007 09:00 AM | PERMALINK

     

     

    Beadalon may be known mainly for its beading wire, but it also manufactures a kinds of other jewelry making goodies, such as tools. The company recently came out with this handy little tool kit, which includes 4 pairs of Beadstrom pliers (semi-flush cutter, round-nosed pliers, flat-nosed pliers, and chain-nosed pleirs). While they have the same pliers sold individually as well as with longer handles, for me, I prefer smaller handles with most of my tools because they fit my hands better.

    If...

  • Tool Time with Metalchik

    POSTED BY VICTORIA TILLOTSON, SEPTEMBER 17 2007 12:12 PM | PERMALINK


    Sterling and 18K Gold Ring with Tourmalated Quartz

    Tools, glorious tools!
    What wouldn’t we give for those extra bit more? That’s all we jewelers live for! Why should we be fated to do nothing but brood on tools, magical tools, wonderful tools, marvellous tools, fabulous
    tools!!!


    So much for my Metalchik ode to Oliver Twist. Seriously, tools are the most important, and most debated, aspect of any jewelry making. So dizzyingly diverse is the array of jewelry tools that it’s enough...

  • Jean Yates: Chain Link Chik

    POSTED BY TAMMY POWLEY, SEPTEMBER 14 2007 09:00 AM | PERMALINK

    Jean Yates, author of a ja-zillion articles from a slew of jewelry making magazines and avid blogger at Snap Out of it Jean! There's Beading to Be Done! has created her own little - but growing - chain maille gallery. Pictured above is one piece from her gallery.

    But, she didn't stop there. In fact, she's got a new book coming out in Janurary called Links: Inspired Bead and Wire Jewelry Creations, published by Northern Lights. It's available right now for early ordering at Amazon.com:

    ...

  • Metal Clay Controversy?

    POSTED BY TAMMY POWLEY, SEPTEMBER 11 2007 04:46 PM | PERMALINK

    Jewelry making may seem innocent enough, but at times, it can be filled with controversy. For example, there's been a lot of chatter on the web lately about the safety of metal clay. Kate McKinnon writes about it on her web journal:
    This page is presented as an overview of my ongoing research into the current practices in the field, and the relative safety and effectiveness of various working and firing techniques.

    My thoughts at this time are simple- I believe that the kilns should be...

  • ReVamp!

    POSTED BY VICTORIA TILLOTSON, SEPTEMBER 10 2007 12:00 PM | PERMALINK

    Makeovers…who doesn’t love them? Our culture is obsessed…and so is Metalchik! I love to take something old and make it new. It’s like keeping the old soul and adding a cool new body.

    While everyone likes a beautiful piece of antique jewelry, some old jewelry is just plain yucky. For those of you MY age (not telling!), the most dreaded piece of jewelry might be the stickpin. Wow, what DO you do with that? Well, while I’m still puzzling over that one, I’ll share my thought about other neat-o revamps you...