Bead Design Boards for Jewelry & Beading AND Rhinestone Picker Tool Review-Friday Findings

May 182018
 

If you’re a creative person you probably have many projects going on at any given time.

But if you’re a beader how do you keep all of those different projects organized and keep your beads from spilling all over the place?

ff bead design boards, rhinestone picker

This set of three design boards is a great place to begin. In it you have one board for designing necklaces, one just for bracelets and another that you can use to corral most any project.

If you bead and like sparkly things you may have discovered flat back rhinestones. These little gems are wonderful for embellishing jewelry, polymer clay, garments, home dec and more.

But, they can be tricky to pick up and place exactly where you want them to be, so I was happy to receive this set of rhinestone picker pencils from the folks at BeeBeeCraft.

Watch today’s video for the details and my honest opinion on all these products.

As a special favor to my email newsletter readers BeeBeeCraft is offering $6 off your order of $15 or more to the first 25 people to use the coupon code: SANDY6

(This offer is good until July 15, 2018.)

Enjoy the video, the discount and happy creating!

Watch the Bead Design Boards for Jewelry & Beading AND Rhinestone Picker Tool Review-Friday Findings video at YouTube.

These products were provided to me for free for review purposes; however, BeeBeeCraft has no control over my content and I was not paid for the review.  The opinions shared are my own honest views.

Purple & Pink Posy Bracelet-Flower Beads and Leather Jewelry Tutorial

May 152018
 

Leather is often the perfect choice when creating jewelry for guys.

But make just a few alternate design decisions and you can have a really lovely feminine piece.

pink & purple posy bracelet cover

Today’s bracelet combines metallic violet braided leather, rose gold findings and pressed glass flower beads for a boho-chunky yet soft and pretty piece of jewelry.

It goes together easily, but in order to insure a perfect fit do allow some time for the glue to dry in stages.

Tools and Materials:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Purple & Pink Posy Bracelet-Flower Beads and Leather Jewelry Tutorial video at YouTube.

The leather and findings were provided to me for free for promotional purposes; however, Endless Leather has no control over my content and I was not paid for making the project.  The opinions shared are my own honest views.

Brushes For Miniatures-Arteza Set of 15 Liners, Spotters & Rounds Review-Friday Findings

May 112018
 

Adding teeny, tiny painted details to our polymer clay and jewelry work can only be accomplished with teeny, tiny paint brushes.

I do lots of work in miniature, so I was intrigued by this set of 15 brushes by Arteza.

ff arteza brushes

I really like having the variety of shapes and sizes to choose from and so far have been happy with the results.

They aren’t top quality, but for someone who is rough on paint brushes, they’ll do.

Watch today’s video for more details and a demonstration of the Arteza Detail Paint Brushes, Set of 15.

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Brushes For Miniatures-Arteza Set of 15 Liners, Spotters & Rounds Review-Friday Findings at YouTube.

This product was provided to me for free for review purposes; however, Arteza has no control over my content and I was not paid for the review.  The opinions shared are my own honest views.

Rivolis, Chatons & Fancy Stones-What Are They and How to Use Them? Friday Findings

May 042018
 

I’ve been using Swarovski crystal bicone beads for years, but just recently took a closer look at another shape: rivolis.

They’re often used in bead weaving and bead embroidery projects, and wow, do they bring on the glitz!

ff rivolis

As I mention in the video, I’ve recently taken a few bead weaving and bead embroidery classes at Interweave.

My favorites so far are:

Btw, I didn’t pay the stated price for any of the classes. Interweave sent out an offer in April for a month of their courses for $1. I’ve definitely gotten way more than my money’s worth… although I probably spent the equivalent difference on beads & supplies, lol.

Since several of the projects used rivolis, I decided to buy some and learn more about them.

rivoli bead embroidery

I haven’t been disappointed in all their shimmery goodness!rivoli bead embroidery 2

Here are links to the products I show in the video:

You can also purchase Swarovski crystal rivolis and findings at Amazon. I found for the most part, the prices and selection are better at ArtBeads.com.

Watch the Rivolis, Chatons & Fancy Stones-What Are They and How to Use Them? Friday Findings video at YouTube.

Springtime Leather Lariat Necklace-Quick & Easy Jewelry Tutorial

May 012018
 

If you’re looking for a simple design for a necklace that’s easy to wear AND uses up some of those jewelry odds & ends you have lying around, I have just the project for you.

springtime leather lariat necklace

This lariat is basically just a length of leather with a nice silver cap glued on each end and dangles hung from the ends. It’s so simple that it’s endlessly customizable.

To wear it you simply fold the leather in half, wrap it around your neck, then slide the ends through the loop. 

You can find the flat leather and findings at Endless Leather:

springtime leather lariat long

Tools and Materials:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Springtime Leather Lariat Necklace-Quick & Easy Jewelry Tutorial at YouTube.

The leather and end caps were provided to me for free for promotional purposes; however, Endless Leather has no control over my content and I was not paid for making the project.  The opinions shared are my own honest views.

Can You Use Pottery Tools With Polymer Clay? Arteza Sculpting Tools Set Review-Friday Findings

Apr 272018
 

Most creative people love their tools!

And polymer clay artists, in particular, seem to enjoy seeking out unexpected and unusual things to use for creating textures and shapes.

ff arteza clay sculpting tools

If you work with polymer clay, have you ever considered using tools for sculpting pottery?

Today I have a review for you of the Arteza Pottery & Clay Sculpting Tools (set of 42.)

I’ll go over everything that comes in the box, and discuss and demonstrate ways I would use them in my clay work.

Since I’m not a potter, some of the items are unfamiliar to me. Please share if you know their specific uses!

Enjoy the video and happy creating.

Watch the Can You Use Pottery Tools With Polymer Clay? Arteza Sculpting Tools Set Review-Friday Findings video at YouTube.

 

This product was provided to me for free for review purposes; however, Arteza has no control over my content and I was not paid for the review.  The opinions shared are my own honest views.

Arteza Polymer Clay 42 Colors DIY Set Review-Friday Findings

Apr 202018
 

When Arteza contacted me asking if I’d like to review some of their products I was excited.

When I calculated the price of the clay set they were sending me I became less so.

ff arteza clay

This set of 42 colors of polymer clay with the container, a few tools and a package of jewelry findings works out to the equivalent of around $1.40 per 2 oz. block.

The price has gone up quite a bit since I recorded the video. It was $21.99 on their website at the time, but now is $29.99. The link at the beginning of the paragraph above  is for Amazon, which has a better price for you.

I don’t use Sculpey III in my work, as I find it too soft, but if you are looking for an inexpensive set of oven bake clay I recommend this set from Amazon instead:

In my mind the clay being this inexpensive did not bode well for the quality. Interestingly, the issues that I expected to find turned out to be not a problem, but there were other unexpected issues.

Watch the video for my review and opinions on this set.

Watch the Arteza Polymer Clay 42 Colors DIY Set Review-Friday Findings video at YouTube.

 
This product was provided to me for free for review purposes; however, Arteza has no control over my content and I was not paid for the review.  The opinions shared are my own honest views.

How To Create 3-D Fairy (or bird, butterfly or angel) Wings with a Rubber Stamp-Polymer Clay Video Tutorial

Apr 172018
 

Think about all the different times and places you’ve seen images of bird’s wings, butterfly wings, angel wings or even fairy wings.

Whether in art, fantasy or nature, wings are very beautiful and popular things!

fairy wings cover

I have a little fairy sculpture who has been needing her wings for quite some time and finally I got around to making them. She is part of a larger sculpted piece which I will be completing soon. If you follow me on Instagram I will post it there when it’s done.

I was really pleased with the method I figured out for making the wings. You could use this technique to create all sorts of 3-D objects out of two dimensional stamped images.

I’d love to hear your thoughts for different ways you would use these ideas!

Tools and Materials:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the How To Create 3-Dimensional Fairy Wings (or bird, butterfly or angel wings) with a Rubber Stamp-Polymer Clay Tutorial on YouTube.

Silk Ribbon Embroidery Basic Tools, Materials & How-To’s-Friday Findings

Apr 132018
 

Silk ribbon embroidery is one of those creative endeavors that gives even the absolute beginner amazing results. With just a one or two simple stitches, you can make all sorts of gorgeous things.

It’s also very forgiving, the ribbon does most of the work for you!

ff silk ribbon basics

I’ve been doing hand stitching since I was a little girl and always find it very soothing and relaxing. If you haven’t done it yet, I hope you’ll give a try. 

Maybe you’ll come to love it as much as I do.

Today’s video will show the basic tools and materials (which are few) for working with silk ribbon embroidery. While there are some incredibly detailed and complex pieces out there, my main focus is on creating simple little compositions that can be made into jewelry.

In the video we’ll cover: 

  • How to handle silk ribbon
  • What types of fabric to use
  • How to choose a hoop
  • The kinds of needles you’ll need
  • 3 of the most basics stitches and examples of how much you can do with them

Supplies shown in the video:

Enjoy the video. Happy creating!

Watch the Silk Ribbon Embroidery Basic Tools, Materials & How-To’s-Friday Findings video at YouTube.

Dragonfly Fields Necklace-Shaped Beaded Multi-Strand Jewelry Design Tutorial

Apr 032018
 

This necklace design is different from your usual chain and pendant.

In fact, to be honest, when I finished with it, I wasn’t quite sure that I even liked it!

dragonfly fields necklace cover

But then I tried it on, and that made all the difference. Suddenly, in spite of the smallish pendant, it felt like a piece with lot of presence.

dragonfly fields necklace insta 2

It sort of makes me think of the bib style necklaces that are popular these days.

It’s also interesting that the shapes change as you change the length at which you wear it. Lots of interesting options to pursue!

If you make your own version of this necklace, please feel free to share your results.

Tools and Materials:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Dragonfly Fields Necklace- Shaped Beaded Multi-Strand Jewelry Design Tutorial video at YouTube.

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