Rose Cluster Faux Perfume Bottle Necklace

Every Mum deserves a bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day. But why not go one step further and make her a pendant with a beautiful rose cluster bead that will live on long beyond a bunch of flowers. Make it yourself with love and show her how much she means to you.  This stunning bottle-style pendant is surprisingly easy to make. You just need an assortment of bead caps and a couple of crystals to add some sparkle to this special rose cluster bead. Here's a shopping list to help you out: Feature bead of your choice. I used Jesse James Feeling Rosy bead  from Grenadine Strand #2 (discontinued) 4mm and 6mm  crystal bicones  to suit your feature bead An assortment of bead caps 70mm long headpin  (you need really long headpins for this project) Beadalon snake chain kit Clasp 2 x jump rings Tools:   2 pairs chain nose pliers; R ound nose pliers; Flat nose pliers;  Flush cutters;    Bead mat Work Out Your Design ......

Read more »

Blush Memory Wire Bracelet

Show Mum how much she means to you this Mother's Day by making her this beautiful Peach Blush Wrap Bracelet. It's a really simple design, but the delicate colour combination of peach and blush, combined with a variety of textures and shapes, makes this a very classy and elegant bracelet. And although it looks complex, it's an easy project, even for a beginner jewellery maker. You can put this bracelet together in an hour or so! This project first appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of Craft Ideas. Here's a shopping list of the supplies you'll need: Jesse James Design Elements Pale Dogwood Strand #1 6mm Peach freshwater rice pearls, angle-drilled (or top-drilled), Peach, 16” strand Czech rondelle, 4mm x 2mm, peach and silver, four 4.5” strands Curved hollow tubes, 40mm x 2.5mm, rose gold, ten (substitute these shorter tubes if you can't find longer ones) Bracelet memory wire, gold Tools Round nose pliers Memory wire shears  - these are essential f......

Read more »

How to Clean Your Resin Mixing Cups

When single-use plastic bags were outlawed in my little corner of the world, it got me thinking about all the things we consume and throw away every day.  And then I began to notice how much I discarded in the studio.  With every resin project I make, I use  multiple plastic measuring and mixing cups,  oodles of wooden stir sticks,  numerous toothpicks,  and the list goes on... ...and they all landed in the trash when my project was done.  This is so  bad  for the environment ... there has to be a BETTER WAY!! I've always recommended using clean, NEW cups and utensils because it helps eliminate a possible source of contamination that could potentially   ruin your resin project. But when I discovered that resin doesn't stick to polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) -- that's what the little plastic measuring cups are made of -- it was a game-changer !  I realised I could STOP THROWING CUPS AWAY and play a small part in helping th......

Read more »