Bail Out, or Easiest Earrings Ever

I'm pretty sure that I've pointed out these pinch bails, or similar, in some of the inspirations that I've done, but they are soooo easy to use, it's worth making the point again.

These are bails - and before we go any further - let's clarify what we mean by "bail." Or "bale." There are two spellings of the word: bail and bale. Bail is a sum of money to release someone from prison, to leave, to abandon, to empty water from a boat. Bale is to bundle into a ball. Hay comes in bales.

Whether the jewelry term should be bail or bale - I frankly can't find a definitive answer to that - as it is a specialized term and most definitions don't reference it. As bale means to bundle - I would have guessed this would be correct - but I've been spelling it bail all along, so I guess I have a vested interest in that spelling.

And, by now, "bail" looks right. ;-)

(FWIW, I googled "bail jewelry" and got 1.2 million hits, but "bale jewelry" got me only 500,000 hits.)

However you spell it, the meaning is a loop that is used for hanging a pendant.

Quite a few of the pendants that we carry have a hole running from front to back, which means that if you just string them, they will hang sideways and not display the way they were intended. So - you have to come up with some way to have them hang in the correct orientation. One answer is a bail - which can be as simple as something you wire-up your self - in some case, a jumpring will do the trick - or a manufactured solution - such as the bails shown here.

These are often referred to as "pinch" bails, as they are closed by lining up the tiny posts with the holes in the pendant and "pinching" or squeezing them closed. Sometimes you need to use pliers to get them to close enough, and you may have to gently bend the main part of the bail apart first in order to get enough clearance to slide the pendant into place.

The long and the short of it is though, they don't have to be just used to hang a pendant for a necklace.

You can use them to make really quick and easy earrings. Like the pair pictured at the top here - this pair of earrings can be assembled in minutes - so that the unexpected girlfriend that your brother just showed up with for Christmas can be included in the gift-giving without embarrassment, and making you look like a kind, thought-ful, and the totally put-together and organized person that you want people to think you are - but aren't really.

Or, you can make earrings to match your outfit at the drop of a hat.

Here are some step-by-step instructions.


Remember - metal will fatigue and break with multiple bendings, so while you can probably open these once or twice, repeated opening and closing will break them. So you can steal the beads out of the earrings to finish another project, but you can't swap the colours to match your outfit on a daily basis.

And we have, at the moment - 28 different styles and colours, so - no excuses - you should be able to find something to suit your fancy! (Click on a pic to go to that item in the catalog. If you don't go to it directly - it is out of stock - email info@beadfx.com for the next availability.)

The Joy of Metal Clay - Bronze Patina, an experiment in ammonia fuming

It is Halloween so let's mix up a potion for our metal clay!

Last week, I talked about firing FastFire BronzClay. This week I am going to take the bracelet from that experiment and discuss using a technique called ammonia fuming to patina it.

About a year ago I was inspired by a piece and directions I found from the Squidoo Lens on BronzClay by Margaret Schindel. It is an extensive discussion about the original BronzClay (which is different than the FastFire BronzClay that I was discussing over that last two weeks). This site contains lots of useful ideas and tips (Squidoo Lens on BronzClay). If you scroll through the copious information you will find a section on finishing your bronze and more specifically there is a beautiful photograph of a turquoise coloured piece by Celie Fago and a short description on using ammonia to fume your bronze clay pieces. It was from this that I got inspired.

Here is the piece I made last summer:

BEFORE I start, remember to consider safety. Ammonia is an harsh chemical; read the label and take precautions. Consider using a respirator as the fumes are HARSH and dangerous. The label on my ammonia container states: "MAY IRRITATE EYES AND SKIN. DO NOT MIX WITH BLEACH. DO NOT GET IN EYES OR ON SKIN OR CLOTHING. DO NOT BREATHE IN FUMES..."

Here is what I did:

First I poured household ammonia (found at the grocery store) into a glass jar.

Then I took some wire and shaped it so that I could suspend the pieces in the jar so that they were not touching the ammonia and I hung the wire over the edges of the jar. I then covered the jar with a plastic wrap and left the container to sit. The article recommends allowing it to sit for 24 hours to 10 days).

Here is a photograph after 12 hours.

Here are the pieces after 36 hours.

And here is the original as a reference:

The pieces haven't achieved the colour I was hoping for so I have put them back in the jar for this week and will add a picture next week. Notice that the colour is not even, I am not sure whether this will correct over time, I guess we will have to wait and see.

Happy Halloween!

Remember to keep safety in mind when you are mixing up your potions.

The Business Chat - Craft Show Displays

Ho ho ho, yes people, ‘tis the season. Christmas craft shows have begun and hopefully many of you have one or two on your calendar. Let’s talk about making each show a super success.

First of all, what would you consider to be a successful show? Will you be happy if you cover your costs and don’t throw up from stress? Do you have a target dollar figure in mind? Do you want to pay for a month on the beach from your profits? We all have different goals and standards and you need to know yours before you set up your booth. Write down your goal for the show and post it by your worktable. This is what you’re working towards.

The most important part of your successful craft show is your display. When you attend a craft show you are opening your own retail store for a day or three. How your store looks absolutely affects your sales. Your display will make your store’s first impression on your customer.

There is no formula for guaranteeing a good booth. In previous posts we’ve discussed branding and your business image. The main aim of branding is consistency. Your booth is a part of your brand, so the style of the display must reflect your jewellery and your graphic signature. You are aiming to create a total package. Think of the impression that you want to make on a customer when they enter your booth. What word should spring to their mind when in your booth?

Many beginner jewellers struggle to find their style. We all experiment at first. Unfortunately this can lead to a booth where the main feeling is one of chaos. At this point in your career you should be visiting as many craft shows as you can. Always carry your handy notebook. Make two passes through every show. The first pass is to look at displays only, and not just the jewellery booths. Every time something catches your eye, stop and think about what you like about the display. Is it the colour, the height, the uniqueness? When you see a booth crowded with customers, ask yourself why. Conversely if a booth is empty, look for the reasons. Having the best product doesn’t mean having the best sales. After you have walked the show floor looking at booth displays, walk it a second time looking at jewellery. Ask yourself why your jewellery is better and why a customer would buy yours first (because yours is better, isn’t it?).

There are many professional jewellery display companies. When you use these, you look like any other jeweller. Opt for non-traditional (and usually cheaper) display units. Create something unique that reflects you. Good places to look are kitchen suppliers, home décor stores or restaurant supply stores. One of the most popular sources of display items is Ikea, they have great mirrors!

For indoor shows, lighting is the key. Buy the brightest, best lights that you can afford and buy double the amount you think you need. Take extra extension cords. Most importantly, make your display portable and durable. You are the one schlepping the display from home at 6 a.m.

Make sure your booth has good storage, since no one wants to see clutter. You will need a cash and packaging area. It’s also good to have a workspace in your booth. You won’t be selling every minute of the day, so why not put that time to use? People are fascinated with the process of creation, and it’s a great sales tool.

With any luck you will have the space at home or in your studio to set up your booth in advance and work out all the details. One of the most important tools you can create is a checklist of all booth items. If you can’t set up in advance sit down and write out your booth checklist and set up list. Walk your self through the set up and write down every step. I don’t know about you but I’m not at my best at 6 a.m. and having a list that tells me, “1. hang the curtains 2. wire the lighting 3. erect the grid walls” really helps. It’s also handy if you have others helping you, rather than telling everyone what to do they can look at the list.

As you write down the steps to setting up your booth, write down the checklist of all items you need. All those little tiny items must be accounted for. Don’t forget the screwdriver (check the screws you’re using to make sure you don’t bring a slotted head instead of a Phillips!), cable ties, duct tape, Windex, rags, pens and visa slips. It is a whole lot easier at 6 a.m. to pack up a car with a handy checklist than trying to remember details like Windex. Oh, and a tip – always bring rubbing alcohol and cotton balls if you sell jewellery. No matter how many times you tell people not to try on earrings someone always will.

Give yourself plenty of time for setting up. If you think it will take you 2 hours to set up your booth, arrive 3 hours early just to be sure. Always make sure that you are ready when the doors open.

Always remember that you are part of the display. People want a piece of you – the artist. Dress appropriate to your jewellery. Of course, wear your own jewellery (you’d be surprised how many don’t!). No matter how nervous you are, smile. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the show. Just relax.

When the show is over, analyze the experience as soon as you get home. Consider what worked and what didn’t. What will you change for the next show?

Inspiration Friday

If you would like to participate in our Inspiration Friday posts and get some free publicity...Come on people - free publicity is good!  It really can be anything at all, as long as you were inspired from the post to make something. It should be new.

Once you've got it made, send us a picture and we'll post it here. Submissions should be sent to info@beadfx.com with the subject line "Inspiration Friday"  There is no timeline, so please don't worry about trying to complete it within a week.  If you have a blog, or an etsy (or similar) site - we'll post a link to your site if you wish.

We have a submission this week from Jeannie Galt who has been getting ready for the holidays with these cute little snowmen earrings - and worry dolls!  Thanks Jeannie

Good thing Jeannie had something, as I'm still working on mine for this week!

You can see more of Jeannie's work here

Jeannie Gal
www.jeanniesbeads.etsy.com
www.jeanniegalt.artfire.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeanniesbeads/125348505100?v=wall

And here's your pic for next week:



If someone else would like to choose a future pic, let me know!

Costume Idea from Craftster.org

I know, this one has nothing to do with beads, but we have quite a few avid knitters in our midst. And it's just too cute not to share :-)

While, you probably don't have time to make anything up at this point - it's a cute idea, and like one of the commentors mentioned - have someone in a cat costume to accompany you/her/him!

craftster

Bedazzled Pumpkin

This is awesome!  Got a bit of time on your hands? (I know, I know) I think this just might be worth it though :-)

Bedazzled Pumpkin

Lampworking Weekend

This weekend, Amy Waldman-Smith will be teaching two fun lampworking classes:

Amy is famous for her Tree Beads. On Oct 30, learn the various techniques required to create all four seasons of tree beads, including encasing, stringers, twisties and more.


On Oct 31, you can also take a 5-hour Introductory to Lampworking class with Amy. This class is short and sweet. You'll learn: the basics of making glass beads, the types of glass out there, and glass studio and equipment safety information.

To register for any of the above classes give us call and reserve your spot!

Adios Amigas.

Micheal David Sturlin class

Well, as Jen mentioned, I took part of the Michael David Sturlin classes this past 4 days. I took the forging class on Thursday and Friday, and dropped by the sawing class briefly on Saturday.

Here, his sawing students watch with rapt attention as he demonstrates the finer points of handling a jewelry saw and making it do what you want it to do. Actually - as I stood and watched for about 10 minutes, (I was just passing through on Saturday) I learned about 3 valuable tips - so it was worth it. I was there to drop off the magazines that had come in the night before - including the new Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist with - guess who's work featured on the cover! Yep - Michael David Sturlin's! How cool is that!

Micheal is a very nice person, and very good teacher. He is patient, kind and enthusiastic. No question was too basic or too stupid for him to answer, and advanced questions were answered without hesitation or dumbing down. I was obviously not the only one impressed, as a number of students have taken classes with him before, and have come considerable distance to do so again. In fact - there are now hot rumors flying about scheduling another class for next year.

He had one comment that I really appreciated too - "If you are self-taught - you will probably eventually figure out how to do whatever it is you want to do. What you probably won't do is understand why the first six ways you tried didn't work."

I had a lot of fun, and it is always nice to slip away from the routine of life and immerse in a class. And, I now have a handful more rings to wear. You can never have too many rings. ;-)

Shown here - one of the rings I made in the class. (Hand forged fine silver. )

Joy of Metal Clay: Fast Fire BronzClay - Part 2

Success!!!

Last week I began discussing the new Fast Fire BronzClay (check out last weeks post). I managed to successfully fire my first two batches of Fast Fire BronzClay test pieces. I am excited because the base metal clays can be finicky in their ability to sinter properly. I am hoping that there will be better consistency with this Bronze.?!?

Above, is a photograph of some of the fired bronze pieces next to unfired pieces. It gives a visual of the shrinkage. (I forgot to measure to difference between the pieces in order to determine actual shrinkage).

Directions for firing Fast Fire BronzClay can be found on the BronzClay website (Firing Fast Fire BronzClay).

I fired these bronze pieces in my Paragon FireFly top loading brick kiln. They were placed in a steel pan with activated carbon. I placed a one inch layer of carbon down, then my pieces ensuring there was approximately 1/2 inch space between each piece, then I laid down another 1/2 inch layer of carbon, then a few more pieces, finally I added a top 1/2 inch layer of carbon. The lid was place on top of the pan but it was off centered to allow air to escape. I ramped the kiln full speed to 1525 F then held the pieces at this temperature for 2 hours. Of note: the directions from the manufacturer do not give you an exact firing temperature. They recommend that you test fire pieces at 1525F and then adjust your temperature depending on the results from your kiln (blistering = temperature too high, unsintered clay = temperature not high enough).

Of all the pieces that I fired at 1525 F, I only had only one problem with one piece. Apparently if the firing temperature is too high you will get bubbling or blistering on your pieces. I found this with only one of the 20 plus pieces that I fired. Here is a picture below. The piece on the left has numerous bubbles whereas the piece on the right is completely smooth. It is odd that this only happened on one of the pieces....the only other reason this could happen is if your piece is not completely dry upon firing. I cannot explain this any further....it is what it is.

The final photo below is of the piece with a garnet coloured cz. It turned out fine but if you look closely you can see that there is bronze on the surface of the cz. Apparently I did not clean the surface of the cz...now the bronze is permanently attached to the cz. This is what happens if you don't clean your cz's before firing. To clean them I usually wait until the clay is dry and I will scratch off the clay with a toothpick, then I take cotton swab with rubbing alcohol on it to clean off the rest of the stone. (I guess I skipped this step in my excitement to get things fired!)

About durability of these bronze pieces, they withstood all the banging and bashing I tried!!! I have been unable to break any of the pieces that I have made.

One comment that I have heard it that if you overload your pan when firing or if you do not allow enough space between the pieces then you will run into problems in your firing.

I will keep you up to date about my tests. Next week I hope to post on a patina for Bronze!!!

Stay tuned.