Five Wire Wrapping Video Tutorials

Instead of the usual ten links, I'm posting 5 videos. These are all basic wire wrapping techniques to make useful and basic components for your jewelry.

How to wire wrap end caps (could also be used as bead caps for the right bead shape)


How to wire wrap ends on leather cord (this is the technique I use for my jewelry, I really like the way it looks)


How to wire wrap a briolette or stone


How to wire wrap a hook & loop clasp


How to make a simple wire wrapped ring (once you have the basic technique down, you can make more complex designs!)


Enjoy :) Amber

Top 10 from Pinterest - Craft Show Display Ideas

I'm starting a new thing... Each week I'm going to post a top ten of ... something! It might be interesting beads, business tips, or even craft show display ideas.

This week I'm going to run with that last one, and share with you my 10 favorite items (found on Pinterest) that would make excellent craft show displays. Enjoy :)




1. Spray Painted Wicker Baskets
I kind-of hate wicker baskets. It might be because I grew up in a house with lots of them, all dusty and faded and generally gross. Or, maybe it's the look of woven wood that sets my teeth on edge. I'm not entirely sure, but learned this week that if you throw a coat of paint on those bad boys, I suddenly start considering where I can put them in my apartment...

I thought these would be a really cute way to display things at a craft show. I've always been a fan of bins, and being able to make them match your display colors (and look rather cool) is always a plus. You could even color coordinate the baskets to what is inside!

Have I mentioned that I'm an absolute nut for color coordination?




2. Framed Ring Displays
I love these so much! I have used regular and half size jewelry trays in my display, but I like a smaller ring display so that I can group "like" rings together, and keep them separate from other groupings. This is perfect, and you can make it match your colors!




3. Chalkboard Suitcase
Suitcase displays are adorable to begin with, but adding the chalkboard is genius. You can change the writing based on what is displayed... you can even write on sales or special deals!




4. Headband Display
I think of all the headband displays I've seen, I like this one the most. It seems like the usual ways to display these is to hang them all on a tube, or wrap them around a round cylinder, and it's best to display your items in a format that has them easy to pick up, otherwise customers might worry about knocking something over and end up not buying something they like.




5. "Cake" Stands
It looks like these were originally intended to be cake stands, but they can be made at various heights and with whatever plates you can find, so that they match the rest of your display. They would be great with white or solid color plates, so that the jewelry really pops!




6. Flat Extension Cords
Once these become more common on the market, I suspect they'll become the safety standard for craft shows!




7. Suitcase
I really, really like suitcase displays. This one is an excellent example.




8. Glassine & Washi Tape Packages
Wrap your customer's purchases up in these! They are so cute and perfect for branding! You could have a stamp or stickers made of your logo to add to these for a nice professional look.




9. Fabric Baskets
These are lovely, and if you can make them yourself, even better! It's nice to see a display at a craft show that catches your eye, and when you get up close you find the products in the display match it. Making these with scraps of fabric from your sewn products would be a great way to show off the fabrics to draw the customers in.




10. Bags with Button Closures
Another really cute glassine envelope possibility.

Have fun and stay inspired!

<3> Amber

Finding Your Voice in Jewelry Making

Being on Etsy or any other handmade site exposes us to the work of other designers and to trends in the marketplace.  There is a great amount of inspiration to be found here, and finding that great new thing that is happening is exhilarating.  We are driven to imitate what we see to a point, and artists of all types throughout history have imitated others in order to expand their own technique.

This is a valuable process that you can harness to find your own unique vision regardless of which art you work in. As jewelry designers, there is a somewhat standard way to work as you learn, in putting various beads, chains and findings together to create your work.

To broaden your knowledge and abilities, seek out artists on Etsy whose work you admire. Try to recreate what they've done - this is a tried and true method passed down from renaissance artists. Before an artist became a master in their own right, they worked as an apprentice to a master, duplicating the master's work and even doing some of the underpainting work for the master's finished pieces. Through this practice the understudy learned the technique well enough that when they were ready they could go and do their own unique work while drawing from what they had learned.

The key is to imitate other artists only to the point that you are learning new techniques - do not strive to replicate the work of another artisan alone, learn from many and continue to do so even after you've mastered many techniques. As you work you will be able to incorporate the lessons you've learned into your own unique style that speaks from your heart.

As always, create what you love and is beautiful to you, and never stop learning!

Amber