Everyone has a system for organising their bead stash whether it be by colour , shape , type , or material , and it's usually influenced by the way they design and the kind of jewellery they make. For me, I like to keep my go-to beads organised by colour - these are the beads that support the main element or focal point of the design. I also have a separate storage areas devoted to just crystals, one to pearls and gemstones, another to resin/acrylic/plastic, and yet another to large holed beads. There are of course more.... but you get the idea. This system works well for the way I design. But recently, I was looking through my bead collection and noticed a glaring gap in the rainbow of colours that makes up my bead stash: I have practically no yellow beads! I keep my beads organised using the Best Craft Organizer furniture system which I can customise to suit my needs. Yellow is such a cheerful and uplifting colour. It sings with happiness. And whilst it can be a bit overpowering ......

About 10 years ago I bought an inexpensive candelabra which, after many years of neglect, had collected a thick layer of dust and wax. I always avoided cleaning it because it seemed like scraping off the melted wax would be a difficult thing to do. But for a special occasion in our household recently I decided it was time to tackle the job of cleaning it up. Who knew it would only take 10 minutes to clean?!! Check out how easy it is to do in the video and then see how it was transformed into a chic and elegant table decoration draped with beads and crystals - it's the perfect centrepiece for a wedding table or special dinner party. CheC 'Til next time..... If you can't get enough of My Tutorials and you want even more inspiration,  click here to find my books and printable pdfs...

Here's a pair of whimsical, barnyard inspired earrings that are fun and easy to make using a simple wire technique to create the feet. What you'll need: Materials 2 x lampwork chicken beads 20 gauge non tarnish silver wire 2 x 4mm silver bicone beads 2 x 6mm silver bead caps 2 x 6mm silver spacer beads - mine look like a bon bon (with a flare at the top and bottom), but a plain cylinder spacer bead will also work Pair silver earring wires Tools Chain nose pliers Flat nose pliers Round nose pliers Flush cutters Cut a length of wire 12.5cm (5") long and bend it at a 90° angle, about 2.5cm (1") from the end. Hold the flat nose pliers in the corner of the angle just created (on the long end) and bend the wire back around the outside of the jaw. This will create the first claw. Repeat the last step to create 3 claws altogether. Shape the claws by gently squeezing each one together at the base with the pliers. You want to make sure that the two outside claws are pointing sl......

If you've ever managed to catch me demoing at the craft shows in Brisbane or Sydney you are sure to have seen me work with Friendly Plastic. One of the most popular things I demo is the Twist Bead. It always draws a big crowd and lots of Ah-ha 's as onlookers see the wonderful spirals appear around the bead. But if you haven't seen a twist bead made before then check out the video below to see just how clever it is. This one is for all my fellow Friendly Plastic addicts :) 'Til next time...........

On my recent visit to Michaels, I found some rather unusual looking ring settings in the jewellery section. These adjustable rings from Cousin Corp have what looks like a stirrup on the top but it's actually a bail with prongs; just the perfect size to hold a Trinkette bead. But it was actually some Crystazzi bling that caught my eye and a quick and easy project was born. This project is so quick that you will go from this...... ........ to this, in not much more than 10 minutes! This ring finding is really easy to use. Just place your selected bead inside the bail so the bead hole and prongs are aligned and then pinch the bail together. To bling up the ring base, glue on some coordinating Crystazzi flatback crystals. Make sure you use a suitable crystal adhesive to attach the individual crystals up the arms of the ring Use tweezers to help you place the crystals. I stopped at two columns of 4 crystals so that it would still be comfortable to wear on your finger. And there it is.........

I love visiting new places as I'm sure we all do, but one of the things I enjoy most is checking out the local craft shops. Whilst in Canberra, I stopped in at two bead shops to buy some goodies I haven't found locally. At Bead Street , I found these gorgeous acrylic petals which I just couldn't resist. They remind me of the sweet peas we planted in the garden a few weeks back. I can't wait until they flower, but in the meantime, I have this lovely selection of petals to include in my jewellery. At the Bead Barn I found a good selection of cloisonné beads, some fancy magnetic closures and a variety of spacer beads and slides which I haven't seen before. I like to keep a variety of fancy closures on hand for projects that need the closure to be integrated into the design. These will be perfect as they look more like beads than clasps. The Bead Barn is located in a tourist area outside of Canberra where there are a lot of other places that might interest crafty folks......

As a jewellery designer, it was only logical that beads would feature in the decorations for the celebration dinner. Here I've combined them with one of my favourite jewellery components, filigree stampings, to create a unique napkin ring that fits perfectly with the purple theme of the party. Making your own napkin rings is a great way to stamp your personal style on any celebration. Materials: Size 11/0 Delica beads: Fuchsia Lined Aqua AB; Silver Lined Crystal Preciosa 4mm bicones: 12 Amethyst; 12 Tanzanite Preciosa 6mm bicones: 6 Amethyst 3 square Silver Filigree brass stamping 6 silver eye pins 3 silver jump rings 26g purple wire Tools: Bead spinner Round nose pliers Flat nose pliers Flush cutter length of cardboard cut to 3.5cm (1.5") wide cardboard tube from paper towel To make the petals for the flower, I unwound about 1 metre (approximately 1 yard) of wire from a reel of 26g purple wire and made a hook on it. Don't cut the wire from the reel because the reel will a......