Silver Lockets & Beads

Look at these dinky little silver plated lockets. I can't wait to start designing with them. You could add the little lockets in bunches to charm bracelets or make simple little mobile phone & bag charms from them. I like to add a bead or two at the end of extension chain on necklaces and bracelets I have made. I think I'll try popping a beaded locket on the end of my jewellery designs this weekend. I bet lots of you girls have drawers and caskets full of jewllery you have made but don't wear anymore and old pieces you have bought in the past that have fallen out of favour. Get out your jerwellery pliers and cut them up, then put them back together with some brand new beads for a fresh 2009 look.

Little Tubes of Glass Beads

Bluestreak Beads have got lots of new beads in stock this week including these tubes of Miyuki glass seed beads in a great selection of colour mixes just perfect for making jewellery. I like them because these handy little tubes are an easy way to add lots of beads in different colours to your jewellery making storeroom. Use miyuki seed beads on stretch magic elastic to make beaded bracelets or simply string the beads onto a long piece of flexrite beading wire to make a beaded lariat.

Antique Gold

Time for a change to a different findings finish...I am so bored of working with sillver findings though I know they are way more popular than goldor copper findings for most jewellery makers. So I have been designing with antique gold findings for a different look. While not exactly producing the "steam punk" look that has a cult following it was refreshing to use some different jewellery making materials. I pulled all the headpins and jumprings etc that I needed of the shelves of the store room then thought it might be a good idea to assemble a collection of findings ready to use in a convenient box for the next time I felt like a change. It looked so good I decided to add a few extras and produce a findings kit to put on the bluestreak beads website. Then I got carried away and did the same in antique silver and copper plate. The antique gold looks fab mixed with reds and blacks and the copper findings and chains combine well with aquamarine and blue A change is as good as a rest.

Choosing a Clasp

A beautiful hand made piece of jewellery deserves a gorgeous clasp. I like to finish mine with sterling silver lobster clasps or a beautiful bali silver toggle like the one pictured here. These are hand crafted in Indonesia by skilled silversmiths. they also make the most exquisite silver beads.

Lots of newbies to the bead jewellery making world ask us for jewellery making tips and techniques. There is a special section on the Bluestreak Beads website devoted to help and tuition. I have included sections on basic jewellery findings, how to make earrings, bracelets, necklaces and tons more including which jewellery tools to choose and a helpful tutorial on the basic techniques of jewellery making from turning a loop in a headpin to fitting clasps and the use of jumprings. It's not difficult to get started creating your own beaded jewellery.
More later.....Cathie

Friday morning at Bluestreak Beads and we want to get everyone's orders out in time for the postman to deliver on Saturday morning! Claire our chief picker is enjoyng the sunshine in Norfolk so Ashlea is going to have to work extra hard today.
We've got some lovely new beads in for your pandora style bracelets. I like the piglet charm best, he looks neat nestling between a couple of the glass beads.

Cathie