Yesterday was my first full 4 hour show on Jewellery Maker and it certainly looks as if I had fun! I can’t believe how quickly the time went and it was wonderful to have so many lovely comments sent in to the show. It was also really thrilling for me to see entries to the wall of fame both yesterday …
This is a glimpse of an ingenius button hole fastening which requires only beads and cords and if all goes well I will be demonstrating the method on Jewellery Maker on Tuesday 6th May between 1 and 2 pm GMT (8 and 9 am EST). This will be my television debut, so watch out for trembling hands and quivering …
This was my entry for the spring challenge. Button fastenings work brilliantly with kumihimo and there are several different ways of making the loop and attaching the button. For this one I decided to experiment with making a button hole during the braiding process. Half Round Braid is ideal for this sort of technique. When I reached the required length …
This pretty bracelet can be found in the latest issue of Digital Beading. The spikey rizo beads are offset by the ultra-feminine bow. It is quick and easy to make up and the huge range of colours and surface finishes available in this grain of rice shaped bead means it can be adapted to suit any colour scheme or theme. …
Happy Easter to all kumihimo braiders! The long weekend is a great opportunity to eat far too much chocolate and spend way too much time braiding. Just be careful that sticky, choccy fingers don’t spoil your braids! I made this braid using my Stylish Stackers tutorial and was very pleased to find the perfect props for the photo. They won’t …
After such a wet winter it is wonderful that spring has arrived with such gusto! The gardens and parks have been transformed with vibrant displays of fresh spring colours, so I have decided to do the same thing to the pages of my blog. I took lots of photos in my garden, but I found that I got by far …
It is Mothers’ Day here in the UK and I would like to wish every mother a very happy day. I thought I would find some pretty flowers to post for Mothers’ Day. I haven’t shown this bracelet before and nor have I written a tutorial for it because the construction is rather complex and I found another way of …
Wags Wicone, what a great name! This clever little tool was invented by the husband and father of two jewellery makers. As with so many of the best designs it is very simple, but very effective. It is perfectly possible to wrap wire around any number of household objects to create interesting shapes. A knitting needle makes a very good …
Last month’s challenge over on the Kumihimo Challenge Group was to create a design using 16 cords (or warps if you prefer). By using 16 slots on the disk a whole new area of design possibilities open up and there are several websites offering pattern generators. Flowers, strawberries, cupcakes, watermelons can all be depicted in the braid, to name just …
I picked up some of this super shiny waxed cord at the Knitting Show on Thursday. Regular waxed cord is great to use with kumihimo. It works up into a tight, regular braid with a casual, natural texture. This new cord works up just as well, but has a lovely glossy surface, which gives a more ‘finished’ effect and is …
