Chain maille

I have at last mastered chain maille! With a little help from my friends at Uk Beaders and the two following links:

http://www.davidchain.com/byz_tut9.htm

http://cgmaille.com/tutorials.shtml

I can now do:

Shaggy Loops

Byzantine Weave

Helm weave

All very straight forward....see the pictures in the last post...but all very exciting! Chain maille is an art form I have struggled to master due to my AWFUL spacial difficulties! But now it seems to have clicked! I am very excited that I have lots of rings and 6 weeks off to play! Expect many photos to come!!

Next on my list....Rhino's snorting....just for the name!! :)

Bead Soup and CHAIN MAILLE...AT LAST!

I haven't blogged for so long! Why...because I've been beading! Haha! It's such a balance...to blog you need to bead...to show off your beading you need to blog! Darn life getting in the way!

Anyway, I have been working on some special pieces. At the end of June I received a package from Jean @ Bead magazine. The package was full of lovely beads! All completely to my taste! Lots of:

*Silver chain

*Silver earring findings, eye pins, head pins and lobster clasps

*Czech glass mix in Blue

*Purple Indian glass tiles

* A 'blue' kit full of different beads etc...etc..

all I had to do was to create lots of jewellery from it! Bead soup! I had completely free choice on how to use them and what to do, what to use and even whether or not I wanted to use my own beads in it.

I decided I wanted to use as many as I could and that I also wanted to use this time to create some pieces that really showed off my style and test out some new skills. Anyway...this is what I came up with...not sure when they will feature in BEAD but I will keep my eyes peeled, usually takes a few issues (4-6 months):

Blue byzantine weave braclet: Blue czech glass ovals and silver plated 6mm jump rings

Blue and white Shaggy loops bracelet:

The beginning of my helm weave necklace! With crackle glass 6mm blue rounds....a definate WIP!!

These three pieces are my real triumphs of the bead soup pieces! I have struggled with chain maille for a while and really decided that I would try my best to have a go and get my head around it! I am really proud of them!

A selection of earrings - Chain and blue czech glass earrings, touquoise glass and swarovski earrings and rainbow wire wrapped earrings:

Silver chain and pearl set - Includes a Y shaped necklace with grey 8mm pearls and 4 mm opal swarovski's and chain drop earrings with 8mm pearls and swarovski dangles.

Purple Indian glass focal Y necklace with silver connector wire wiggles and swarovski bicones:

Hopefuly Bead will like them! So....keep your eyes peeled!

How to cost/present your jewellery?!

Its often been a consideration of how to present my jewellery when selling it and how this contributes to cost. I like to create jewellery that is affordable, wearable and stylish but wont break the bank! So, I try to keep my costs to a minimum so I can pass it onto customers. I look at some people who make jewellery and the prices they offer their stock at and am amazed...ok, its hand made...ok they possibly use silver instead of silver plate but....wow. I know this a controversial topic and that beaders of the world will shoot me down but when you are trying to compete with shops to flog your stock then you must be competetive.


I think, when pricing my jewellery...would I pay that? Would I go into a high street store and pay that price?! Ok, I know they aren't really comparable, mine is hand made, by me, not a little boy in a sweat shop in china...and my materials are not bought in huge wholesale stacks but really are these things on our consumers mind when they buy the stock?! So...I tend to try and make and price my stock between £3 and £20 (£3 for earrings and £20 for a silver and swarovski necklace).

I try to think about what are my costs....how long did it take to make....and try not to charge more than X 100% of my material costs.

So...when it comes to adding in extras it bothers me...such as boxes for presentation or bags etc.

I want to make my jewellery look nice, I want it to look professional and people to get a good impression of it, however, every cost must be factored in. Its a true balancing act.

I have generally tried to avoid boxes and ribbon for my jewellery, although on request by a customer at Christmas I boxed a SILVER charm bracelet with a swarovski and silver charm cluster in a box, tied with purple ribbon (that was my most expensive piece to date....£35!) and nice, special pieces deserve a special touch I think.

My general, budget pieces are a little less packaged though and I think they still look nice.

I generally wrap them in tissue paper - silver or white and tape them. A special touch but not expensive. I generally do not factor this into my prices as it is negatable but looks like a little gift...

A set consisting of a swarovski necklace and earrings I sold at £15. I wrapped in silver tissue paper, the customer was happy and I did not have to factor in £2+ for a box...tissue paper...postage...which would have taken the set up to a price which was getting to the top end of my range and a price I would not feel comfortable charging...the same product but for £5+ more!?!

I did learn my lesson the other week though. A colleague at work offered me some organza bags for my wedding to put my favours in. I accepted and enquired about what she wanted for them. She said she did not want anything for them. Well, I thought it would be nice to pass some jewellery onto her so decided to give her a swarovski pendant....

I would normally retail this product for around £12 but in a tizz and with not having tissue paper in the house I just put it in a small plasitc pop shut bag that I received some beads in. On receving it I also did not explian to her that it was my pendant and about my beading and jewellery making....whilst grateful...I think she was a little confiused of where it came from and its quality! Eeek....a potenial cutomer lost by presentation.

So...what do you do?! The comission I have just finished for my friend and her mum I have used some of the organza bags procured from my colleage as it is for my best friend and her for her Mum's birthday present...no cost either but if I had bought them....then...but then it is special!!! :/

Conclusions then before I stray into my Derren mode! Packaging...makes your product look professinal...but cost is a factor....wthis eats into your profit or is passed onto your customers in an already competetive market....it needs to be a balance!

Birthday surprise...shhhhh!

Also from the back of last week, I made a pressie for my best friends Mum's birthday which is on the 28th June. It was based on the Vintage Rainbow bracelet that is on my blog but I have used softer colours and used wire work rather than stringing. Its gorgeous! I so want to keep it! Its so light and fresh and summery! I might have to make myself one!

I have used 8mm Czech glass faceted beads in clear AB and a range of 4mm Swarovski bicones spaced with silver seed beads. These were mounted on headpins and linked by jump rings. Will have to get it posted now.

Think pink....gothic pink!!!

Last week I had visitors and I had two new comissions from this.

My best mate from Hull asked me to make her a necklace, earrings and bracelet in the same style as I hadmade her a necklace a few years ago. The previous necklace was in green and black and in plastic so I thought I'd up grade this time as my tastes have matured into more expensive ranges since that!

So...I made a pink and black, simply strung in black and pink. The black beads are 8mm and 6mm czech glass and the pink beads are hot pink 6mm czech glass spaced with black seed beads.

They are certainly striking!!! And quite heavy! So...hope she likes them.

Give it away and more will come!

Just had a gathering at my house this weekend. I love it when people come over as it gives me a chance for them to have a raid of my jewellery box! I don't believe in foisting my jewellery onto people, heaven forbid, but if they ask, then they can have a look and take what they want. I'd rather it be worn than be sat in a box!





Anyway my bezzie mate from Hull had a raid and decided she would like... my chain of czech glass mixed beads and the matching bracelet.

I love this necklace, one of my faves, as it looked like mixed sweets and was very eclecitic but light! She also now wants me to make her a necklace in pink and black like one I made her before, just simple stringing and a necklace for her Mum's birthday which is based on my vintage rainbow bracelet. How cool!! :)

Also, she asked if she could have a pair of my earrings - a 6mm black swarovski bead and a flower clear AB Swarovski bead on two chain dangles. I only had one...as I hadn't finished the pair so I said I'd make the other one as I had my beads out for extending the necklace a little for her. As I was making her earrings one of my other friends turned up too so I ended up making her a pair of earrings in the same vain with a flower and a red and black 6mm bicone too! Its like...turn up to my flat....have a new pair of earrings on arrival! :)

My SIL came home from honeymoon too last week and brought with her a pressie of an enamelled M and Ms charm! So, will get round to taking a photo of that and then will get onto making it into a key ring for my keys....keep your eyes peeled!

Simply strung Swarovski

Oh I'm on fire with making jewellery at the moment! Haha!

Unfortunately the big O rang school last week so I have not had time to finish my wire creation for UK beaders yet but I have got around to doing some comissions for a very special customer...my Mum! She came to my flat about three weeks ago now and asked me to make two butterfly bracelets for a gift for two little girls who are being christaned in girly colours. She had also seen my 'purple haze' bracelet on my blog and asked if I could do her a necklace in the same style as she had just bought a new top which it would go well with...well..I can't keep a SPECIAL customer waiting can I so....here we are...

Hope you like them Mum! xx and don't feel left out Dad and Rich....I can make you one too if you like!!! Or knit you something....or possibly some cross stitch to adorn your walls!?!!! xx