Oh dear! It has been a long time since my last blog because I have been busy with loads of exciting projects, but at least this one has come to fruition. I have spent a long time working on the details of this design because it is very important that a feature, such as a gemstone fan, will sit correctly …
There is a constant flow of new bead shapes coming onto the market, which is very exciting, but they have generally been designed with the beadweaver in mind. Some shapes, such as top drilled Pips and Petals, are easy to use in all sorts of kumihimo designs, but others are less obviously of use to braiders. One of the great …
I am always happy when I can work with bicone beads. The double cone-shaped beads work so well in kumihimo, adding texture and sparkle to the design. They slot together neatly in a braid and also work very well together with other beads. This week I was able to use some pretty 6mm Fluorite bicone beads to make a bracelet …
Developing the Prumihimo Disk has been a very exciting journey for me. I had only intended to sell it from my website, but as the demand grows my little disk is finding its way into customers’ hands via several different routes! Last month the disk had its US TV debut on JTV. Last week the disk had its bead show …
Due to popular demand, I have just made available a 2-disk replacement Prumihimo Disk package in the shop on this website. Lots of people have asked if they could purchase additional disks because they want to have more than one project on the go at any one time. This is certainly the way I like to work too. I used …
It was a busy show for me on Tuesday at Jewellery Maker because not only did I have to demonstrate two kits as usual, but I also had to make a competition prize during the show with some Sunstone rondelles. Guest Designer challenges have often been a part of the show, but whenever possible I have tried to get out …
The Squiggle tutorial was originally written for use on the regular round kumihimo disk, but I have now rewritten it for the Prumihimo disk. Rewriting a tutorial is a good opportunity to revise the information and for this tutorial I have added some guidance on sizing. I am often asked to give precise quantities of beads or cord lengths for …
On Monday 14th March JTV in the US will be showing my unique Prumihimo Disk. The wonderful Anne Dilker will demonstrate how to use the disk and has put together a great kit of materials. So I would like to extend a warm welcome to JTV viewers and take this opportunity to say a little bit about my disk. The …
With a wealth of information available at our fingertips via the internet, it is easy to think that you have everything you need to learn a craft and develop your skills right in your own home. There are YouTube videos covering every subject you could think of and plenty more besides. There are Facebook groups full of willing members to …
Working for Jewellery Maker can be challenging because the designers have no control over what is put in the kits. We have all indicated the sort of materials we prefer to work with, but there is no guarantee that we will get what we find familar and easy. When I opened the parcel for my recent show I really did …
