Free Mixed Media Jewelry Project from Beyond the Bead by Margot Potter for North Light Books

(Click on image to view components in close up)

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As promised, this is the first of two free projects or sneak peeks from my new mixed media jewelry techniques book Beyond the Bead available at fine book purveyors everywhere! You'll have to buy the book to see the step out photos. This project made the cover and impressed a book buyer from a major book chain so much, she requested a custom order! That's a good sign! The book focuses on making the bead, pendant or component and shows you a variety of ways to integrate the finished item into finished jewelry, so you're learning how to make the bird charms here.

Leave a comment to win a free copy of the book along with a special prize, I'll randomly select a winner next Tuesday. Good luck!
I’ll Fly Away
Copyright 2009
Excerpted from Beyond the Bead by Margot Potter
North Light Books

Victorian style bird and nest stamped images are accented with soft shades of blue and green and coated with a clear glaze. Can you believe they’re made of paper? Chipboard provides a litany of design possibilities for the jewelry artist, just don’t wear these beads in the swimming pool and you’ll be fine.

*You can do so many things with chipboard. The key is not to over saturate it with inks. If you want to layer inks, let them dry in between so the paper won’t warp.

Supplies
3 Pre-punched 1.75" chipboard circles
Bird and Nest Stamp set
Ranger Archival Ink jet black
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads in shabby shutters and broken china
Diamond Glaze
Ranger Cut and Dry Stamp Foam square
Small Sharpee black
4mm gun metal jump rings
Gun metal head pins4mm olivine Swarovski rounds*
4mm jet hematite Swarovski rounds*
4mm indicolite Swarovski bicones*
(*Order from Art Beads before July 31st and use my code to save 10%:SCF10P-POTTER-0112)

Tools
Round nose pliers
2 pair chain nose pliers
Wire nippers

1. Stamp selected images on cardboard circles.
2. Accent surface of circles front and back with accent foam dipped in distress inks. Use a different part of the foam for each color to prevent muddy results.
3. After achieving desired color layers, add a layer of Diamond Glaze taking care not so shake tube to prevent bubbles. Allow to dry.
4. Repeat for opposite side of cardboard.
5. Lightly drag Sharpee around edges of bead.
6. Place Sharpee in underside of bead hole and accent with black.
7. Thread a 4mm olivine round on a head pin.
8. Thread the beaded head pin into hole in front of bead.
9. Bend pin flush to back of bead and create a loop.
10. Create coil topped dangles, two of each color bead and attach them to a jump ring.
11. Slide the beaded jump ring on the bail at the top of your bead and secure closed with pliers.

Supplies
Bird and Nest stamps Cavellini Papers, crystals Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements, gun metal findings Rings n’ Things, Distress Ink, Archival Ink, Foam squares Ranger, Diamond Glaze Judikins, Sharpee by Sharpee, jewelry tools Beadalon.

Free Jewelry Project! Hugs and Kisses Necklace

I am in full swing show prep mode. It means I look rather scary because there is no time at all for the foofing or the poufing! I sure hope Ed Macmahon doesn't show up with a film crew or I am seriously screwed! Tee hee.

In lieu of any deep thoughts I'm giving you a freebie mixed media jewelry project for Valentine's Day. I used a vintage French image from my personal collection, but there are plenty of sources for vintage ephemera online and I'm sure Dover has a V-day themed permission free image book. I made this for a mag but it got bumped and I think it's really cute so I'm sharing with the class.

I'm off to spin more straw...until next time...craft on with your bad selves!

Cheers,
Madge Hugs and Kisses Necklace Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(click on image to view close up)

Hugs and Kisses Necklace
Copyright 2008 Margot Potter

A trip to the Paris Flea Market yielded some tres charmant vintage postcards, one of which inspired this romantic pendant. This mixed media design shows you some fun techniques you can apply to your own romantic images. If you can’t find any vintage postcards at the local antique malls, there are many online purveyors of laser printed ephemera image sheets and there are also databases of permission free images on the internet.

Materials
2” square Ranger Memory Glass Frame
2 2” Ranger Memory Glass squares
2 7/8” frosted clear acrylic letters (x, o)
2 small letter beads (x, o)
6x9mm padparascha Swarovski briolette
6mm light topaz Swarovski rounds
7mm faceted freshwater pearl
3 6mm silver plated jump ring
26” length silver plated ball chain
Ball chain connector
4 24 gauge sterling head pins
Ranger Gloss Paper
Cornish Heritage Farms Plaid Stamp
Jet black Archival ink
Marigold Distress ink
Alcohol ink silver mixative
Alcohol ink red pepper
UHU twist and glue

Tools
Brayer
Round nose pliers
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Sharp scissors
Felt and felt applicator tool

1. Ink Gloss paper with marigold Distress ink. Brayer ink into paper until you get a consistent color.

2. Stamp paper with jet Archival ink using the plaid stamp.

3. Cut paper to fit inside of frame.


4. Select an image, cut into silhouette and adhere to stamped paper along the right hand side. Adhere small images of roses on lower left hand corner.

5. Insert images in between two panes of glass and inside of frame, securing closed.

6. Place a small drop of each color of Alcohol ink on opposite corners of your felt on the applicator tool.

7. Gently pounce colors on acrylic letters, alternating in layers until satisfied with the result. Allow to dry.

8. Adhere inked letters to top left and bottom right corner of frame. Allow to dry.

9. Create coil topped dangles for your small letter beads, faceted pearl and light topaz round.

10. Slide the pearl, briolette and light topaz beads on a 6mm jump ring and close.


11. Slide the letter beads on a 6mm jump ring and close.

12. Slide both beaded jump rings on a third 6mm jump ring and attach to the top of the pendant.

13. Slip the ball chain into the top jump ring and secure with ball chain connector.
Sources
Letter beads and acrylic letters JoAnn, frame, inks, brayer, felt applicator tool, Gloss paper Ranger, UHU glue Saunders Manufacturing, findings Beadalon, ball chain and connectors Rings n' Things, ephemera sheets available at Art Chix Studio, rubber stamp Cornish Heritage Farms, crystals CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements.

Free Jewelry Project! Beyonce’s Lorraine Schwartz Golden Globes Inspired Beaded Necklace Set

Beyonce’s Lorraine Schwartz Golden Globes Inspired Beaded Necklace Set
Red Carpet Ready Choker and Earrings
Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(Click on image to view close up)

This chic crystal choker was inspired by the Lorraine Schwartz design worn by Beyonce Knowles to the 2009 Golden Globes awards show I posted here. I loved the way it filled in her neckline, but still left plenty of open space for light and skin to play. I had to have something like it and being the crafty gal that I am, I spent the better part of my morning devising a pattern. My version is made of Beadalon Satin Silver wire and Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements crystal beads and is a bit more diminuitive in scale, so you can bet your sweet bippy this one is a lot more pocketbook friendly than the diamond and platinum version sported by Ms. Knowles. I can’t wait to wear this to an upcoming Swarovski Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED™ cocktail party I’m attending in Tucson!

Materials
1 12mm crystal a/b flower pendant
9 6mm crystal a/b twist beads 4mm crystal a/b bicones
2 11x5.5mm crystal a/b tear drop beads (for earrings)
20 6mm crystal a/b rounds (4 for earrings)
208 4mm crystal a/b rounds (+8 for earrings)
1 large silver plated swivel lobster clasp
5 6mm silver plated jump rings
9 silver plated head pins
4 silver plated eye pins (for earrings)
1 3” length silver plated rolo chain
2 silver plated crimp covers
20 silver plated size 2 crimp tubes
.015 Satin Silver Beadalon wire

Tools
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Crimp tool
Mighty crimp tool
Wire cutters
Bead Board

Finished size 15-18” inches with extender chain

1. It really helps to get the core of this design on your bead board so you don’t skip any beads while you’re working along the design. Here is the core pattern: Start with 9 4mm rounds then use the following pattern: 6mm round, 2 4mm rounds, 6mm round, 3 4mm rounds and continue working around the board until you’ve added your ninth 6mm, 2 4mm, 6mm segment. Follow that with 9 4mm rounds.

2. Create 4 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 4 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

3. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 5 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

4. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 6 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

5. Create 1 beaded head pin with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 7 4mm bicones. Loop the top.

6. Attach a 20” length of .015 Satin Silver wire to your lobster clasp with a crimp tube using your crimp tool.

7. Add your 9 4mm rounds to the wire. Cut off a 3” segment of wire and create a small loop by threading the wire into a crimp tube. Use chain nose pliers to smash tube flat. Add 13 4mm rounds to the wire. Thread wire into a second crimp tube and round wire so it’s not too stiff, then thread wire into crimp tube leaving a small loop before smashing flat with chain nose pliers.

8. Thread one loop on wire. Follow by your 6mm round, 4mm round, thread on your smallest beaded loop top head pin, another 4mm round, a 6mm round and the other loop on your wire. This creates a mini beaded swag. Move down three 4mm rounds and repeat using another small beaded loop top head pin.

9. This is your pattern for swags along the necklace. Each swag is inserted before and after your 6mm rounds. The swags graduate in size along with the beaded head pins. Here is your pattern: 15 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 5 4mm rounds, 19 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 6 4mm rounds and center of necklace is a 25 4mm round swag with a 7 4mm round loop top dangle. Repeat pattern in mirror of opposite side.

10. When you reach your final swag, add 9 more 4mm rounds and secure your necklace closed using a crimp tube and your crimp tool around a 6mm jump ring.

11. Slide a crimp cover over the crimp at the clasp. Use mighty crimp tool to gently close the bead over the crimp. Repeat for other side.

12. Attach a 3” section of rolo chain to the jump ring side of your clasp.

13. Slide a flower bead on a 6mm jump ring and attach to the end of your chain.

14. Create coordinating earrings by sliding a 4mm round, 6mm round and 4mm round on an eye pin and looping the top. Repeat for a second segment. Slide a tear drop on a 6mm jump ring and attach to one of your beaded segments. Attach the top of the segment to another beaded segment. Attach an ear wire to the top. Repeat for second earring.

Sources
Beads and pendants CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements, wire and findings Beadalon.

Here's a pic of me wearing the necklace to see how it wears. (I suggest that you not click on this image unless you enjoy seeing a forty something woman without make-up in extreme close-up!)