I have a small drawer full of real stone cabs and focal beads. I purchased these months ago with the intention of using them in combination with my polymer clay work. I finally made a couple test pieces to see if it was something I’d like to pursue. They turned out pretty decent. I used large focal beads made of Ocean Jasper. The pendants are approx 2″ tall.

A good friend just sent me this great link. I know about a handful of these sites, but 50 ?! I had no idea. Check it out

http://www.createapendant.com/etsypromote.htm

Thanks Matthew, for all the work making the list.

Saw this link on FaceBook and had to share it with my readers.  Looks like an inexpensive way to take great pictures.

http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/268/take-photos-of-your-wire-jewelry-using-a-lightbox/

I love wind chime and have several hanging around my yard. Hearing their music in a cool summer breeze is so very soothing. The music of the soft metallic ting to the deep hollow conk of the bamboo makes me feel relaxed.

A few years ago I did a swap for wind chimes and made 2 different styles.

I found some fun examples of wind chimes I’d like to share. Maybe you’ll be inspired to create a set for yourself.

Do you have a how-to article you’d like to publish or perhaps a piece of work you like to show off ? There are many ways to accomplish your desire.

Publishing Your Projects

1. You can self publish your projects and sell them on sites like Etsy, Artfire and Ebay. I do this method myself and have had great success. I recommend using a PDF file to distribute the tutorial.
2. There are websites that will pay you a small fee or give you merchandise in exchange for allowing them to put your project on their web site. This is a great option for those short and sweet tutorials that don’t suit magazine publication.
3. You can submit to a magazine. Every craft, hobby and jewelry magazine on the market is looking for admissions. All you need to do is a little research into their requirements. You can usually find this information on the official web site of the publication.

• For example: Bead Unique Magazine’s web site has a page that gives you detailed information about what they require of you, the type of projects they are looking for in upcoming issued and the deadline to submit your project. First you are asked to contact them with your idea or original design. If they decide it’s something that will suite their publication, you will submit the actual instructions with pictures (or detailed drawings) and needed items to finish the project. You have to jump through a few hoops, but it’s worth the effort.
• When writing a project based article be sure to make the step by step instruction simple and understandable. Include photographs or detailed drawings of crucial steps to help the reader through the process. And very important, when taking photos make sure they are in focus and well lit. Dark and blurry just won’t cut it. It’s my understanding that this is the first thing the publisher will look at and if they aren’t high quality photos you will be out of luck before they even get to the text.

Gallery Submissions

A gallery submissions is a great way to get your work seen and your name out there to be recognized. You just need good quality pictures of your item(s) and find the right magazine, web site or even blog where you can submit them. Blogs are a very fast growing segment of the internet (as you must know since you are reading this LOL). Many bloggers love to share the work of talented artists (like I do) and it’s a great way to put your work out there for people to see.  What does it hurt to send an email to ask if they would be interesting in sharing your talent with the world? You may get a “no thank you”, but even better, you may get a big YES !!

Now, if you’re feeling especially ambitious and have a large file full of creative, original and fun projects you’d love to share, approach a publisher for a book deal. You never know. You may be the next big star they are looking for.

Magazine Submission Info

Bead & Button

Bead Style

Art Jewelry

Belle Armoire Jewelry

Crafts N’ Things

Beawork Magazine

Polymer Cafe

Art Doll Quarterly

These are just a handful of magazine where you can submit your work.

When I am stuck in a creative rut I sometime look to nature for inspiration. Patterns in nature can be quit extraordinary and unpredictable. For instance, the patterns on these Sea Stars are quite intricate and very beautiful.

Butterfly and moth wing patterns are another fascinating choice.

Animal skins

Sea shells

I hope you are inspired to create

PYMII (Preserve Your Memories II) comes in both a pump spray and an aerosol can. I know what you are thinking. Aerosol??? It is safe to use on polymer clay, I swear.  Also works great on paper and seals inkjet printed photos. I read that people are using it to seal their watercolor paintings and metal sculptures.  I even remember fabric, too. There are so many ideas you really need to read about them all on the PYMII Facebook page.

I have talked about the product on my blog before, but I hadn’t tried it until recently. The stuff is nothing short of amazing !! I sprayed several of my Scrap Mokume Gane pendants and they shine like they’ve been sanded and buffed. After 48 hours, I tried very hard to scratch the sealer off the clay surface with my fingernail and it stayed put. You could barely see were I was scratching.

Just think. You can now seal stuff like mica powders, gold leafing, inks, image transfers, acrylic paint and screen printing with ease. It’s normally $13.95 for the aerosol and $9.95 for the pump spray. Get them in the month of August for $11.95 and $9. Just go to http://www.pymii.com/

It’s only available in USA, Canada and Australia, but they are looking very hard for a UK distributor.

Here are a few pictures of the pendants I sprayed with PYMII. The colors really popped after applying the sealer.

I’ve always been fascinated by Cold Connections. Using things like rivets, snaps, eyelets, grommets, brads, screws or just a piece of wire can be a creative way to connect two pieces together to make an interesting  jewelry statement. Wire wrapping is also considered a cold connection. A simple jump ring or a head pin with a loop on the end – Yes – they are a cold connections, too.

I consider Connie Fox an expert on cold connections. Her work is innovative and creative.  And she has a wonderful web store full of tools and supplies that are irresistible .

Another authority on cold connections is Susan Lenart Kazmer.  She has a fabulous book you might want to check out called “Making Connections” . (Note* – I think the publisher is going out of print on this book) There is a lot of info at your fingertips and a must have for your jewelry making library.  It retails for $48, but follow this link to Fire Mountain Gems and get it for only $25.70, plus $5 flat rate shipping with FedEx. Susan also has a DVD named Metalwork: Making Cold Connections with Rivets available from Interweave for $24.99

Susan’s Blog for those of you who would like to follow her work.

Tim McCreight, the overall master of metalsmithing, also has a DVD that should be very helpfull. I haven’t seen it, but come on ! It’s Tim McCreight It’s called Cold Connections and the Power of Found Objects

Goodness, I nearly forgot about Mary Hettmansperger !!! How I don’t know when I own 3 of her books. 

Cold connections is one of her specialties and how I initially got interested in the subject.  I saw Mary on several episodes of Bead, Baubles & Jewels and her work intrigued me. My favorite book is called Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet: Making designer Metal Jewelry. It’s full of interesting projects and fun ways to connect pieces together. I also love Fabulous Woven Jewelry: Plaiting, Coiling, Knotting, Looping & Twining with Fiber & Metal.

I rounded up a list of links to give you some ideas and inspiration.

Tutorials
ColdRivet
Techniques for Riveting
Setting a stone with no soldering
YouTube video
another YouTube video
Riveting video
Setting Wire Rivets

 
Inspiration
The Cold Connections - Metal Jewelry Sans Flame
Art Jewelry Magazine forum
doxallodesigns.blogspot.com