Need a last minute jewellery project for Halloween? How about this glowing black cat's eye pendant made with EnviroTex Jewelry Resin ! No need to save it just for Halloween though - it will be perfect for Friday the 13th too! I played around in Photoshop and created a few different eyes (different colours, different pupil shapes) but I picked the second eye for this Halloween project. Click here to get the file, print it and cut the eyes out. They are sized to fit a 1" bezel when printed on A4 (you may need to make adjustments if you print on Letter size paper). If you colour copy them (with a laser printer) onto transparency film you won't have to seal them but if you print them onto paper, make sure you seal them thoroughly with Mod Podge and allow the sealant to dry completely before proceeding. Mix the resin according to the instructions and spoon a small amount into the bezel with a wooden stir stick. You need just enough so that you can spread it out to the edges e...

I love it when unexpected deliveries arrive at my door! This week, I got a surprise delivery - one which made my day. I had hoped it might arrive before Christmas, but here we are in October and the advance copy of my new book "Fabulous Jewelry from Findings: Chic Designs using Spacers, Caps, Clasps, and More" arrived by courier, all the way from the US. This book has been three years in the making and to see it finally come to fruition is a dream come true. To say I'm excited would be an understatement! Fabulous Jewelry from Findings is a jewellery making book with a difference - there are no beads, no embellishments and no crystals. Instead, the projects in this book show you how to make chic and elegant jewellery using nothing but jewellery findings: where clasps become necklaces, bead caps become rings and spacers become bracelets. You'll do a double take as you realise what these jewellery pieces are made of! These innovative designs will have you looking at je...

Earlier this year I saw Beadalon's cool new Knot-A-Bead Tool in action at CHA. It made quick work of knotting strands of beads and the demonstrator made it look SO EASY. But if you've ever watched a product demo at a craft show, you'll know that it looked much easier when the demonstrator did it than when you tried to do it at home. But I'm happy to say that this is NOT one of those occasions.... this tool is every bit as easy to use as it looks and I'm pretty impressed with how well it works. It's definitely a tool worth adding to my collection! So let's take a look at the knotting process. You'll need: Beadalon Knot-a-Bead tool Silk thread Clam shell bead tips (aka calottes) G-S Hypo Cement Needle Tool Beads or pearls of your choice I'm working with silk thread which comes with a needle already attached. It even has a knotted end (so it won't fray) so I've just threaded on a calotte (from the inside of the hole). Next, string your beading ...