DoubleSJewelry's Blog
For the Love of Handmade Beading
A Tip for Stretchy Bracelet Removal
Published: 06-11-2013 06:15am
Stretchy bracelets are everywhere these days! They are very attractive and inexpensive so I know you have at least one or two of them in your jewelry collection. Chances are that you also have one that is broken!These bracelets are made with a clear, elastic bead cord that is made to stretch. The cord comes in different diameters. The thinner the cord the more likely it is to break. Because you are constantly stretching the cord when you remove the bracelet it is pretty much a given that the bracelet will break at some point no matter which diameter cord is used.There is a way to lengthen the time before the bracelet breaks. Instead o... » Read More
Would You Believe There is a Room Made From Amber?
Published: 05-31-2013 07:24pm
It is true! King
Frederick I of Prussia commissioned Gottfried Wolffrani to carve an amber
chamber for the royal palace at Charlottenburg.
He was later replaced by Gottfried Turow and Ernst Schacht who finished
the panels in 1711. They were not
installed at Charlottenburg Palace but instead in the smoking room of the royal
palace in Berlin.
Later, an agreement was forged between Frederick William I
and Czar Peter I against Charles XIII of Sweden and to mark their successful
agreement, King William gave the czar the Amber Room. The panels remained in St. Petersburg until
1755. Empress Elisabeth I had them moved
to Catherine P... » Read More
Tibetan Jewelry Pieces
Published: 05-12-2013 01:10pm
A few days ago I went to the G & LW show in Franklin, NC and found these great Tibetan jewelry pieces. I don't usually work with pieces like these but they were so beautiful I just couldn't resist buying them! I think I will just let them sit with me for a while on my workbench so that I can enjoy them. Soon though I will have to either see if they "speak" to me about how they want to go together into a necklace, bracelet or earrings or just start playing with them and see what looks good. Either way I know it is going to be a fun undertaking.Each piece is so unique. Some are made with coral and inlayed gems, some are made of amber, ... » Read More
The Meaning of the Lotus Flower
Published: 04-29-2013 03:07pm
I recently sold a silver lotus flower and pearl necklace. The person who purchased it liked it so much that she asked me to design earrings and a bracelet to match it. I was honored that the customer had enough confidence in my work that she would ask me to do this for her!Her interest in the symbolism of the lotus flower inspired me to do some research for myself. The following information is what I found out about the lotus flower.The lotus flower is an Asian water lily that bears delicate, white flowers. The flowers open every morning and close each night. It is the only plant that can fruit and flower at the same time.In Buddhism, th... » Read More
Bead Shopping
Published: 04-06-2013 07:27am
I had the opportunity to go to the Atlanta Apparel Mart a few days ago to shop for supplies. That place is simply amazing! It is massive in size. I have gone many times but I always get "turned around" in it. You don't have to exercise on the day you go there because you definitely get your walking in!I do love going to the Mart because you can always find what you are looking for. I went to buy chain and found exactly what I wanted. Of course I also found a lot of things (and bought) that I wasn't looking for! A person could go broke there in one day.Now I just need to sit down and start making jewelry. I mentioned that I have beco... » Read More
Pay it Forward
Published: 04-04-2013 06:37pm
My temporary blog block is over thanks to a very nice person - Kathlene at the Witch and Mule here on Artfire! She has been generous enough to share information about me and my studio on her blog!I have had a week where it seems that people are only concerned about themselves and what they can take from life. And in the last decade it seems that people have headed more and more in that direction. So, it helps restore my faith in the goodness of people when you find someone who is willing to do an unasked for good deed for a complete stranger. I really feel the old saying, "You reap what you sow" is true so I know Kathlene will do well in a... » Read More
Blog Block
Published: 03-26-2013 08:33am
I know this must happen to a lot of people but I have had the worse case of blog block! I either cannot get motivated or cannot think of anything to write. It seems silly to write about things that people have no interest in or find helpful in some way.I have visited other people's blog to see what they write about. Some are very useful and some are very entertaining. Do people read blogs for information or for entertainment? I am not by nature a verbose person so writing for the sake of seeing my thoughts does not come easily for me.So, I put it to you....what would you like to see in my blogs? A daily joke or story? Only helpful in... » Read More
Lucite Flower Jewelry
Published: 03-07-2013 07:30am
I have gotten so excited about working with Lucite flowers. I had made many pairs of earrings and a couple of bracelets but now I want to focus on necklaces. There are so many pretty colors and different flower shapes that it seems like the designs could be endless!The cost of the flowers is a little high and the availability is not always what you would like but I think it will be worth it. I don't know how much of the vintage Lucite is still out but since companies have started making them again maybe the availability will get better.So, check back soon and see what you think of my Lucite flower necklace collection! ... » Read More
Cameo Jewelry Brief History
Published: 02-22-2013 10:44am
A cameo is a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewelry or other item. It has a design carved in relief on one layer while another layer serves as the background.Stone cameos of great artistry were made in Greece dating back as far as the 3rd century BC. The cameos were used mainly for signet rings at that time.Many modern cameos are carved into layered agates. The layers are then dyed to produce strong color and contrasts. The colors you see used most often are white on black, white on red-brown, and white on blue.Modern agate cameos are carved with the aid of the Ultrasonic Mill. Often a hand carved cameo ma... » Read More
Lucite Bead History
Published: 02-20-2013 09:43am
So what exactly is Lucite I was wondering today as I worked on creating better descriptions for my items here on Artfire? I did a little internet research and gained a better knowledge of what it is.Lucite beads are a type of plastic bead made with a material called polymethyl methacrylate, which is also knows as Plexiglas. Lucite is used by designers to make costume jewelry.Before Lucite was invented, designers used a type of plastic called bakelite to create costume jewelry. Bakelite was an opaque type of plastic that looked like yellow amber.The Dupont Chemical Company created Lucite in the 1930's. After WWII, designers began using Lu... » Read More
Cute Owls
Published: 02-07-2013 03:20pm
My daughter, who is a mobile dog groomer, took the day off to get her cats "fixed". Since she had to drop them off at 8:30 and pick them up at 5:00 she had the day to herself and asked me to go shopping with her. The weather here today was cold and rainy so we didn't want to go too far. We ended up at Hobby Lobby, one of our favorite stores. After shopping for the things that she wanted to purchase, we headed over to the jewelry supply isles.Of course I really didn't "need" anything but it seems I can never leave empty handed when I go there. They had these really cute little owl charms just staring at me with their big eyes - who could ... » Read More
Ground Hog's Day Celebration
Published: 02-02-2013 12:12pm
I don't know how you celebrated Ground Hog's Day today but I went bead shopping! I headed over to Duluth, Georgia to the Intergalactic Bead Show this morning after General Lee saw his shadow. I don't care if he did see his shadow, I think we are going to have an early spring!But, back to beads! So I showed up at the bead show ready to shop and buy. Unfortunately for me so did about a million other women. Seriously though it was more crowded than any show I have been to lately. The tables were so mobbed that I couldn't even get up to some of them. Of course I persevered though and made several purchases. I bought some beautiful citrin... » Read More
Bracelet Size Guideline
Published: 01-25-2013 09:46am
Do you ever need to know the proper length for a bracelet? If so, here is some information that you may find useful.Women's length of bracelet for different body sizes:Petite 7"Medium 7.5"-8"Large 8.5"Plus Size 9"Ankle 9.5"-10" - usually includes an extensionNow that you know the proper size, how do you measure for your bracelet size? First, measure your wrist with a strip of paper or a flexible tape measure just below your wrist bone. Note the length. To find your bracelet size, just add your wrist size with the appropriate measurement from the information below:Snug fit add 1/4" to 1/2"Comfort fit add 3/4" to 1"Loose fit add 1 1/4... » Read More
Swarovski Crystal History
Published: 01-20-2013 07:14pm
Have you ever wondered about the history of Swarovski crystals? Well, sitting here tonight thinking about jewelry and the various types of materials that can be used in jewelry design started me thinking about how some components are made. Swarovski crystals are used extensively in jewelry so I wanted to find out when they were invented and where.I found most of my information on Wikipedia but there were several other sites on the internet that were useful as well. Let's start with how you pronounce Swarovski - sworr-OFF-skee is the correct pronunciation.The company is split into two different companies because they have a business unit that... » Read More
Valentine's Day History
Published: 01-14-2013 08:54am
Everyone knows that February 14 is celebrated in many countries with flowers, candy and gifts all in the name of St. Valentine. But where did this tradition come from? No one knows for sure but there are several theories. Apparently the celebration contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. Who was St. Valentine and why is he associated with this rite?The Catholic Church recognizes three saints named Valentine or Valentinus. One story is that Valentine was a priest who lived during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers, he outlawed marriage for young men. ... » Read More
Happy New Year!
Published: 01-09-2013 02:47pm
You might have noticed that I haven't posted on my blog for a while. That is because I, like many others, have had a bronchial virus that put me on my butt for 2 weeks! My birthday was December 28 and I got sick the day before. So, my birthday was not fun. Neither was New Year's Eve. I am still sneezing, coughing and snorting but am starting to feel better.I thought I would talk a little about what we can expect this year in the way of jewelry trends. I did a little internet research and came up with so info to share with you. First of all, the color for the spring is Emerald green according to Pantone. Also, black and white will s... » Read More
