On the top left is the original kumihimo disk, designed by Makiko Tada and manufactured by Hamanaka. On the top right is a disk available from a US website. They look pretty similar, but what is the significant difference? In the original design the numbers are located in between the slots. My guess is that this was done so that …
Squiggle is my latest tutorial and I suppose it is a bit like me, in that it doesn’t take itself too seriously! Jewellery should be fun and make you smile when you catch sight of it in the mirror. This design is both fun to make and fun to wear. It makes use of an alternative braid structure, which seems …
I have been working hard today on the handouts for a workshop due to be held in March. I was delighted to be asked to take part in the programme of workshops at Stitch’n’Craft in Dorset and I have given a lot of thought to the content of the workshops, especially the first one, which is an introduction to kumihimo. …
This is the day when the heart motif reigns, so I thought I would hunt out a few heart images to celebrate this most romantic of days. It doesn’t have to be full-on red hearts to get the look because a quirky or subtle approach is just as effective and can be worn or sold at any time of year. …
Kumihimo is the perfect partner to so many other jewellery making mediums. Many of the viewers of Jewellery Maker are extremely accomplished wireworkers, so I wanted to show how these skills can work brilliantly with kumihimo. With a bit of wire, some gemstones and a set of pliers a fabulous focal can be made, which can also be the starting …
Amethyst is one of the best known and best loved of all gemstones, so I was so pleased to be given a long strand of sizeable amethyst chips to work with. Added to that were some lovely pearls and some blue quartz and silver seed beeds. It was a wonderful combination and the jewellery certainly seemed to go down well …
This was one of the designs I demonstrated on my most recent appearance on Jewellery Maker. It may look intricate, but it is really easy to make and I have just posted the instructions on the site. If you are watching Wolf Hall on BBC 2 you may well feel that this has a bit of a Tudor feel …
Now that we find ourselves in the month of February hearts seem to be appearing everywhere. It is understandable that florists and card shops want to cash in on the opportunity, but supermarkets are fast turning this time of year into a Red Christmas. It seems we should all be not only giving cards, but also giving piles of red …
The instructions for the second kit shown on Jewellery Maker last week are now available. Click here to find them. Showing the designs all together like this shows just how versatile metal seed beads are. The large hole size allows multiple passes through the bead with a needle and thread, opening up all sorts of different design ideas. Using the …
On Thursday 22nd January I made my way up to Redditch for my first Jewellery Maker show of the year. The last one was early in December, so it seemed quite a while since I had been there. I travel there by three different trains and a taxi, so there is a high danger of being delayed. So far I …
