Great Neck Jewelry Class: Leather Charm Necklaces

LeatherCharmNecklaces
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

Hello Girls! It was great to meet all of you last week! I hope you're having a nice weekend.
This week in class we'll be making necklaces with Greek Leather. I found a great online source for this at Greco USA . The cord is very reasonably priced and comes in great colors! I get the 1.8 mm size.

To make the necklace, first you choose your decoration for the cord. You can pick a pendant or sting some beads; you just have to make sure that the beads have holes that are wide enough for the leather to fit through.

When you're finished, the ends can be finished with endcaps that you can crimp. I haven't found a substitute for these in silver plate, so we'll be using sterling silver. I'll show you how to fasten the endcap to the leather so it stays tight! One side will have a hook, and the other a loop to fasten.

See you Wednesday!

Great Neck Jewelry Class: Memory Wire Bracelet

MemoryWireBracelet
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

Hi there! For our first project, we'll be making a memory wire bracelet!

I think it's called memory wire because it 'remembers' how big your wrist is! Not exactly - but the wire is designed to retain a certain shape that fits on most people's wrists. You can also get it in necklace size, and recently I saw some for rings. You can get it at AC Moore, in the jewelry section.

The first step is to cut the wire so that it goes around your wrist at least once. If you want to make a thicker bracelet, you can make it go around your wrist several times; it will just take longer to add more beads.

The next step is to finish one of the ends by using your round nose pliers to make a loop, so the beads can't slide off. Another option would be glue a half-drilled bead onto one of the ends.

Then comes the fun part - add the beads to your bracelet to create your design! You can fill the wire completely with beads, or leave some room for the beads to slide around a bit. Finish the bracelet by using your round nose pliers to make a loop in the other end of the wire.

I hope you enjoy wearing it!

Hammered Wire and Bead Earrings

Hammered Wire and Bead Earrings
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

I got a wire jig before Christmas, but it took me a while to get it out to start making my own ear wires. I got the hang of it after a few tries, and I'm hooked! I haven't tried using it for other parts of the design yet. I added some colorful gemstones and crystals for some interesting designs!

Caribbean Chill Pill #4

OrientBay
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

For those of you stuck in colder climates this winter (that includes me!) here is a lovely shot of Orient Bay in beautiful St. Martin to lift your spirits.
Have a great day!

It's a New Year...

RoseBall2
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

...and I've got lots of exciting plans! On the jewelry front, I'm excited to start studying metalworking at the Guilford Arts Center here in Connecticut. My work has been limited so far by my inability to solder. I hope I can do it! There's one way to find out.

Also, I'm very happy to be teaching a Jewelry Making Class at Great Neck Elementary School this winter! I plan to post details of our projects each week on my blog, so stay tuned!
Happy Snow Day! Katey