Various shades of red .

Yet another of my creations


I made the above using various glass and plastic beads in various shades of red.
I later came across some red circles which I picked up at my local bead supplier and incorporated them in to the pendant and earrings pictured.





The beads where strung on beading wire with a few gold spacer beads to hi - light the gold trims of the circles.
I also used red suede thong and some red glass chips to add length and finish the piece.
It's quite striking against a black/ dark back ground. I think it will also look great worn along side a light coloured maxi dress. Which really gives this set it's chance to shine.

Until next time happy creating.
Natty.


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Decopatch jewellery.

I am so sorry for the delay of this post.
To be honest I create jewellery pieces as I am inspired and sometimes as you can imagine there can be floods of inspiration and then big gaps of nothing. I won't promise this will not happen again but I will ask for understanding.

It's amazing what you can do with paper and glue?
I am not going to get into the in's and out's of decopatch but if you follow this link address www.thedecopatchplace.co.uk you will get a greater understanding of the process and what's involved.
I created the above using the following
some plain wooden beads (size is up to you)
A pair of plain wooden earrings
Nylon cord ( same colour as decopatch papers main colour)
2 large jump rings in gold
14cm of chain in gold ( medium thickness )
Lobster claw clasp in gold
Decopatch paper
Decopatch glue
Brush to apply glue
Decopatch varnish to finish
Tiger print decopatch paper, cut unto small squares.
Then applied to the bead using the brush and glue. Ensure you over lap the paper and leave no gaps.



Look amazing.
These where the earrings I covered but as long as it's wooden the colour does not matter.
Once dried cover your beads with varnish for a longer shelf life.




String beads with nylon cord and connect ends through jump rings and thread back on it's self as ,though you are re threading the beads.
Once this is done secure a knot between second and third bead from jump ring.
The same should be done at the other end but ensure the cord is pulled tight when knotted to hide cord and knots.




Attach chain to jump rings at desired length and attach clasp.
Decopatch paper comes in lots of interesting colours and patterns and is not expensive.
The glue and varnish may cause you to cringe a bit, in regards to cost. A little goes a long way and think about the amount of projects you could get through.
Until next time happy creating.
Natty

Amethyst

Amethyst is just one of the many gem stones found on the Market. In it's purest form Amethyst is colourless. Fine quality Amethyst can vary in colour from a deep purple/red to a blush purple.
This gem stone is also linked with the star sign Aquarius. Jan 20 - Feb 20.














Amethyst and it's purple hues have been linked to royalty for many years. Purple is also seen as a passionate colour that evokes the emotions and also makes a statement about it's wearers unique taste.

The stone history: The story of the origin of amethyst comes from a Greek legend. The god of wine, Bacchus, was insulted one day by a mere mortal. He swore the next mortal that crossed his path, would be attacked by his fierce tigers. Along came a beautiful maiden named Amethyst. Goddess Diana turned Amethyst in a beautiful statue of quartz to save her from the tigers claws. Remorseful Bacchus wept tears of wine over the stone maiden, creating a lively purple stone. Stone history

Amethyst is also said to hold talisman qualities such as a protection from drunkenness, and psychic attack, transmuting the energy into love and protecting the wearer from all kinds of harm. Amethyst is a natural tranquiliser, it relieves stress and strain, soothes irritability, balances mood swings, dispels anger, rage, fear and anxiety. Amethyst activates spiritual awareness, It has strong healing and cleansing powers It is also stated that it calms and stimulates the mind, helping you to become more focused, enhancing memory and improving motivation. Amethyst also encourages selflessness
It's also claimed to boost hormone production cleanse the blood and strengthens the immune system.

Main countries of origin: Brazil, East Africa, India and Sri Lanka.

Now with that build up it's on to my latest project. I really like the colour hues that Amethyst comes in although purple is not a colour I very often wear. I wanted to do Amethyst chips some justice being the main focal point of my project. Amethyst chips I found to be quite affordable although the larger the beads the raise in price and if like me cost is important, then you more than likely expect quantity to match the cost. I also used purple resin beads in my project to cut cost and metal beads for effect.















Photos of the working out process. I used hair pins and large and medium sized jump rings to connect the beads.















My main tools where my flat nosed pliers, round nose pliers and some wire cutters.














Photo's of the finished products















Necklace














Earrings and.......














Bracelet






























As you can tell I used what seems like a lot of amethyst but as stated above I used Amethyst chips as the focal point of the necklace. I think the neutral coloured beads along with the silver give it a bit of glitz. The earrings are just large Amethyst beads on fish hook ear findings. I was a bit worried about the weight these large beads would put on the ears and so chose not to add any other beads.
The bracelet again is made up of Amethyst chips strung on wire, with a lobster clasp to finish.
I intend to do more projects like this one at a later date and with more details. So don't worry if this project went a bit over your head, I will cover lots of other projects in greater detail.
If however this project really caught your eye and you require further information please email me or leave your comments about this post and I will reply ASAP .

Until next time happy creating
Natty.

Paper bead up date

Welcome if it's your first time or welcome again if you have been here before to my new post for "A blog of gems"









After much thought and many a sleepless night. ( only joking )
I came up with this design for the paper beads made in my last blog post.
So I came up with..........









A necklace








Earrings









And a choker









This simple design also allowed me to produce a bracelet.








The necklace was made using wire which was cut into 3 different lengths, to give the tiered effect. I also used plain white round beads to create an effect with the black and white paper beads. Then I secured the 3 strands of with the aid of bead separators and crimp beads.This was then put onto 2 decorative silver coloured rings. I then attached silver coloured chain to the rings to increase length and a lobster clasp to finish.

The earrings where made up using wire which I looped at both ends 1 to secure the White bead and the other to enable me to attach a jump ring to the wire fish hook earrings.

The choker and bracelet where made using memory wire for the appropriate area and the ends looped to stop the beads from falling of either end.

I really loved making the paper beads, as well as being able to show of the finished products and state they where all made by my own fair hand.
I will defiantly dabble with paper beads again, so watch this space.







If any of you have tried making paper beads or have produce jewellery from them I would love to show of your designs.







Please email me or leave a message via the comments section.
Happy creating
Natty.

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Paper beads

I have had an interest in African jewellery and the colours used to create the effects. For some time So when I came across this article atBig bead little bead






On paper beads I was over the moon and with a little more research. I realised just how easy they where to make, so I thought I would give them a go.

Required items
Paper glue
Wrapping paper, news paper, old magazines( the choice is yours)
Knitting needles
Some type of varnish ( matt or gloss)
A ruler
Pen or pencil
Scissors

Method
First Mark your choice of paper with the dimensions of your required bead. I used 2.5 cm as the base of my triangle shape to get this type of bead shape.





Once finished cut out your triangle shapes.
They should look a bit like this.





Next using your knitting needle as a lever, begin to wrap the paper tightly around the needle.





Use small blobs of glue to secure your roll. Until you get to the end of your paper.






Your finished bead should look similar to the above. Use glue to secure the end and remove from needle. leave to dry.






Your finished beads .....
Although made of paper the beads do hold a firm solid form.
Once dried varnish to finish. I varnished each bead individually with a paint brush. You could string the beads on thin cotton thread and dunk them in a large container of varnish and hang to dry if space permits. I found this method very messy.
Varnishing gives your beads a form of protection.

Paper beading is something I would differently try again. Next time I will be more open with my colour choice. I was playing it safe with the black and White .
Now it's time to decide what project to use your beads in but that's a whole new blog post.

For more information on different sizes and shapes of paper beads check out this useful photo






I found atPaper eden
There are some beautiful paper beads to be found there.
Before I forget paper beads don't mind the odd spatter of water but they hate to get wet so be careful. Happy creating
Natty.




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The right tools

Welcome all to my second post for a Blog of gems. whether you intend to take jewellery making seriously or it's just a passing faze. Having The right tools are very important.






Here is a quick run down of a few tools you will be glad you invested in.

Don't get me wrong there are many other tools out there but these are your basics.


Flat nosed pliers
These pliers have a flat jaw with a rough surface to grip findings and wire. These pliers can also have tapered tips or blunt ends.
This pliers is shown above with the red handles.

Round nose pliers
These pliers have tubular jaws and are used for coiling beading wire. They are also used to make jump rings. This pliers is seen above with the green handles

Wire cutters
This pliers is flat on one side and has very sharp jaws.

Crimping pliers
these are not a must as a flat nose pliers can also do the same job. Crimping pliers give a more professional finish. Instead of flattening the crimp bead it gives a slight dent to one side. This plier is shown above with the blue handles.

Bead board
Again not a must but useful for keeping beads in one place while you work. The grooves hold the beads in position, so you can arrange your bead design easily.

The board is also marked with measurements to help you with necklace lengths and comes in a variety of colours. Grey being the most popular.

Once you have some of the above I think it's only fitting to have some basic stringing threads. This area can be very daunting as there is such an array of stringing threads available. I am still working this area out my self but if in doubt ask a sales assistant which type of thread and thickness would best suit your beading project.

So here's a real quick run down of some of the beading threads you will properly come across, at some time or other.

Mono filaments
These types of threads look clear in colour and some are slightly elastic. They are used to create illusion or floating necklaces and earrings. Some do not require added fastenings but just a simple knot to secure.

Braided threads
This thread is made up of multiple strands braided together to make one strong strand/thread. This type of thread also does not stretch and is meant to be hidden by the beads. Best used with crystals and beads with sharp edges. Something to also note is that, beading threads can also come in different thicknesses to suit the many different bead types.

Wire
This stringing tool can be used for any type of bead necklace or bracelets. Depending on the type and thickness of your wire will also depend on the hang of your finished project.
Something to note is with wire the greater the grade number the more flexible the wire.
Wire projects tend to be secured with crimps.

Leather thong
This tends to be tubular in shape and can be glossy. It is mostly used on pendents and beads with large holes.

Soft suede
This type of stringing material tends to be flat to look at has a rough texture and comes in a variety of colours.

Waxed cotton
This material is pre waxed and ideal for creating knots in bracelets and necklaces.

There are so many more cords and stringing materials available to many to talk about at present.
I advice that a good book on beading, will at least spend it's first pages, if not first chapter. To running through the basic tools, stringing materials and findings required to create your projects.






The above is a photo of a leather thong and below is soft suede. I hope you have found some of the above to be useful and a starting point to a new hobby or an already established one.
I will touch on jewellery findings, which cover chains, clasps, earrings, headpins, jump rings and many more in a later post.
2 really good books, I currently use for reference are" Bead jewelry 101"by Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell.
The other being "Ultimate necklace maker" by Dorothy Wood. Both can be purchased via amazon.
Till next time happy creating.
Natty.








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Welcome to "A blog of gems".

Hi my name is Natty,
I am the editor of " loc and roll" a natural hair blog as well as " A blog of gems".
I have been blogging now for over 2 years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I decided to start A blog of gems as being a girlie girl I find that not only does my hair have to look right but my make up, clothes and accessories.
No matter how much we hate to say it, we are all a slave to fashion in some shape or form.
Be it shoes, clothes, hand bags or jewellery.
I personally feel that the right piece of jewellery can totally up lift your whole outfit as well as tell you so much about it's wearer.
I first got into jewellery making as a teenager and have dabbled in it, on and off for many years. I have put together a few pieces for sale and also helped to design as well as create a few wedding pieces. Such as necklaces, bracelets and earrings .I have also run a few basic jewellery making workshops.
So with lots of encouragement and positive feed back about some of my hand made pieces. I decided to take my interest a little further.
I do not consider my self an expert but may be a half a step up from a beginner, lol.
I currently work with polymer clay as well as stringing bead projects.
So join me as I document my projects with you all and gain my confidence in a field that I love.


A quick bead history.

Beads have been important to many countries and cultures for eons. They have been used, as money as well as talismans and amulets. To bring wisdom, fortune , good luck and even fertility.
Beads can be made from shells, claws, wood, bone, seeds, glass, and gem stones. To state just a few.
It is estimated that beads date back may be 100,000 years ago and is also thought to be when the first jewellery pieces where created.
Now a days beads are mostly used as fashion accessories, as well as for health and well being.
Beads can range from being very expensive, for the likes of precious stones and pearls. To very cheap for mass produced beads, such as acrylic and wooden. You can even get mass produced beads to simulate precious stones and pearls.
Beads also come in a mass variety of shapes, sizes and colours, to suit every need and colour combination. So as you have gathered beading projects can be endless.

My aim is to not bombard you with to much information but to make my posts quick, interesting and informative reads. I have decided to do posts for this blog monthly for now but may be more regularly in the future.
So stay tuned for my next post which you can be alerted of by following this blog. It would not be right of me to end this post with out a mention of Loc and roll
My other blog page, so for a quick read or if natural hair care is an interest, why not take a look until next time,
Natty.