Summertime bracelets

I am not normally a wearer of bracelets, but when I found this diy, I loved the bright, summery colors used in the bracelets.

So, I made myself two: one with silver fixtures and light blue and coral string.  And the other with gold fixtures and orange and pink string.  What's additionally fun about this diy is the color options are endless!

My two DIY summertime bracelets

Learn how to make for yourself, here.

Chain of Change

Life is in serious transition mode now.. In all of this change occurring, I am trying to keep in mind the adage,

"Every end is a new beginning."

After a year, I've decided to postpone my return to America and continue living abroad.

Though there are so many changes now, what hasn't changed is my continued search for inspiration and love for DIY :)

I made this jump-ring chain necklace a while ago now and am still waiting for the perfect opportunity to don it.

MariaFrancescaPepe Tubular Chain Bracelet

The inspiration came from a picture I found on Pinterest (of course!) of a MariaFrancescaPepe bracelet.

After studying the picture for awhile to deduce how the jump rings were attached to each other, I set to work.

At its most basic form, all you really need to make this is A LOT of jump rings, pliers (or two pairs to save your fingers!), and a clasp... and patience.

How To:

(I made these pictures in hopes of making the instructions as understandable as possible!)

1. Open a smaller jump ring (or a chain of them or a paper clip) and slide on two jump rings.

2. Open and add two jump rings perpendicularly to the first two grey jump rings.

3. Push the blue jump rings back (so that they are parallel with the smaller jump ring). 

4. Slide the grey jump rings open so they make a 'V' and have the blue jump rings come forward.  Open two more jump rings and attach them to the blue jump rings.

5. Add two more jump rings perpendicular to the green jump rings you just added.  This is the same thing you did in step 2.

6. Push the purple jump rings back (so they are parallel with the blue jump rings.  Again, this is the same as step 3).

7. Slide the green jump rings open so they make a 'V' and have the purple jump rings come forward.

8. Open two more jump rings and attach them to the purple jump rings.

Pretend these two new jump rings are the green jump rings in step 5 and that you now need to add purple jump rings and then light grey jump rings. 

Keep repeating steps 5-8 until you get to your desired length.  Add a smaller jump ring to the end and a clasp.

A beautiful jump ring chain made (hopefully!) easy!

I decided to make a necklace instead of a bracelet - thoughts?

Inspiration: Metalwork

Seeing a lot of jewelry with amazing metal work - I want to start making some of my own.

So, I've been researching how to bezel. And I'm dying to try it out.

Time to buy a blowtorch!

Yet realistically, it will probably need to wait.
(And I should also take a class on it before playing with fire!).
Until then here's some of my metal work inspiration:

All of these images are pinned to my Jewelry Inspiration & DIY Board.  

Check it out here!

Chain Tassel Earrings, Part 2

Tassels have been of much inspiration to me this past spring.  While home over break from university, I made two pairs of earrings with chain tassels.

Pair 1
The first were inspired by a pair of earrings I had bought previously.  They were super easy to make and I always get compliments on these earrings when I wear them!

Supplies:
-Pair of earring hooks
-head pins with loop at bottom
-2 medium glass beads
-2 large decorative beads
-2 spacer beads
-chain (I used 3 pieces of chain per earring)
-pliers

On each head pin I put a large bead, a spacer, a glass bead, then closed the top into a loop.
For basic instructions on how to do this, look here.

I then opened the loop at the bottom of the head pin, and slid on 3 pieces of chain of equal length.  Close the loop tightly so to prevent the chains from falling off.


Add earring hooks to loop above glass bead.  All done!

Pair 2
The second pair took a little bit more time, but were not much more difficult.

Supplies:
- pair of earring hooks
- 2 cylinder shaped glass beads
- 10 small glass beads in various colors & shapes
- 10 normal head pins
- 2 head pins with looped bottom
- chain (I used 5 pieces of chain for each earring)
-pliers
-wire cutters

First, take the head pins with the looped bottoms and put a cylinder shaped bead on each.
Loop the top closed.

Put each of the small glass beads on a normal head pin (1 per pin).

Place 5 pieces of equal length chain to loop under the cylinder bead.  Do this for each earring.  Close the loop tightly afterwards so the chains do not slip off.

Once the chains are in place, add 1 bead on head pin to the end of each chain.  Loop the tops of the head pins closed.  Trim off any extra head pin with wire cutters.

The only step left is to attach the earring hooks to the top loop of the earring!

Here is some inspiration for tassel earrings.  I can't wait to make more of these!

                       Chain Tassel

                 String Tassel

These are more of a variation on the basic tassel earring:

              

                  Chan Luu earrings, $75.

Hoops with beaded tassels

In honor of the Olympics...

Rings necklaces have been all over Pinterest this summer!  The multiple rings linked together, sometimes in various sizes, remind me of the 5 overlapping Olympic rings.  Incidentally, I've been crafting lots while watching the Olympics.

Here are a few of the necklaces I have spotted:
                  

I found some large silver rings at home and the small pieces to attach the rings together.  Technically, the rings could also be attached using very small jump rings. 

I set up the rings in the pattern I wanted for the necklace.  Carefully, I attached the rings to each other.

While abroad, I bought a bundle of suede strings in a bunch of colors for dirt cheap!  I used the taupe/grey colored suede string to turn the linked together rings into a necklace.  I looped the suede string through a few of the smaller rings and then using the same small attaching pieces to connect it to the top of the larger rings.  Ta da! My very own ring necklace!

Better pictures to come soon!

Chain Tassel Earrings

I keep seeing tassel earrings everywhere this summer!
I spotted these earrings, left, on the Nordstrom website.  I really like the idea of using chain as the tassel instead of string.  On the right, the pair that I made for myself!!

Nordstrom earrings, $38

My DIY!

Making these earrings was super simple!  I found the four silver decorative pieces at the top while scavenging through my bead & sewing collection.  At ACMoore, I picked out the colored chain.  They had a variety of colors, but I picked the blue because it has a little bit of a silver shine on the sides!

First, I attached the top pieces with jump rings.  I used six jump rings initially on each earring, 2 at the top   of the first piece, 2 between the two pieces, and 2 at the bottom of the second piece.  I looped one jump ring through the two at the top of the first piece, and attached the earring hook to it.  With the two jump rings at the bottom of the second piece, I attached two more, but so that the 'o' faced forward instead of sideways.

I then decided on the length of the tassel I wanted and cut 10 pieces of equal length (5 for each earring).  After, I simply attached the chains to the bottom-most double jump rings and closed the rings tightly.  Ta da! My very own pair of chain tassel earrings!

Now, I'm looking for inspiration for some cute string tassel earrings.  My sister wants a pair too!
Here are some great ideas!

Mixing string and chain!