How to Make Jewelry From "Ordinary" Treasures By Yvonne Skudder

Almost every girl in town has a box of shiny buttons from Grandma's sewing chest, colorful beads, dominoes, checkers, or mahjong pieces she got from flea markets. Maybe she has partial board games, such as checkers and scrabble, or old colorful playing cards tucked away somewhere.

Gather your treasures together and start making colorful jewelries. Buy long elastic where you can string the pieces together. Make colorful combinations of your treasure. Strap those buttons on a piece of elastic that you bought. You can create an eye-catching bangle bracelets or creative necklaces.

Glue dominoes, checkers, and scrabble pieces together to make earrings. Whatever your material is, mount your artwork into one-of-a-kind jewelry and reinvent.

In addition to having fun putting your treasures together, these are good ideas for gifts for friends and families. Imagine giving out your treasured "heirloom" materials to them. And what do you know? They might send you their extra buttons and collectibles.

Not only you can make these jewelries as gifts, but you can also sell these jewelries and start your very own home jewelry business. Build your inventory and start with a minimal investment for supplies. The season for selling jewelry is year-round because these can make wonderful birthday and Christmas gifts, as well as casual accessories.

In addition to that, men, women, and children can wear these buttons, dominoes, and checker pins and earrings, so the sky is the limit for profit. To learn how to start making money from handmade jewelries, watch out for the next article.

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Guide to Pliers - The Essential Jewelery Making Tool By A Hunter

Of all the jewellery tools available, pliers are possible the most frequently used. There is now an almost bewildering range of pliers available to the jeweler, all with their own character, and use. This article reviews the most popular types of jewellery making pliers.

Round Nose pliers
Round nose pliers have round tapered jaws and are ideal for shaping wire into loops curves and bends, and are probably most often used for making circles or jump rings.

Half Round or Ring Pliers
Half round pliers are commonly used for working with rings, bending wire/sheet into a circle without leaving marks. The flat jaw enables the jeweler to hold the outside of the curve whilst the D shape jaw is used to form the curve on the inside.

Snipe Nose or Chain Nose Pliers
Snipe or Chain nose pliers are ideal for those detailed jobs. The flat tapered jaws means they are perfect for maneuvering pieces into place, attaching jump rings, and fine wire work. For those who are keen beaders snipe nose pliers can also be used for closing crimps and attaching bead caps. In addition Snipe Nose pliers are ideal for making angled bends.

Flat nose pliers
Flat nosed pliers are available in a range of sizes and are used to bend sharp corners in wire and sheet, plus are ideal for holding items flat, straightening wire and can be used to open and close jump rings.

Crimping Pliers
Crimping pliers are designed specifically for securing crimp beads. Some jewelers will simply use a pair of snipe or flat-nosed pliers to flatten & close the bead. However crimping pliers make this job easier and give a more professional, smooth and unobtrusive finish.

Side Cutters / Top Cutters
Side cutters & top cutters are used for cutting wire and sheet in restricted areas.

Split Ring Pliers
These pliers are used to open split rings easily and quickly. Simply place the bent nose in the center of the ring and add pressure. The split ring will then easily slide apart.

Parallel-Action Pliers
The unique box joint on the pliers keep the jaws parallel as they open and close. Parallel pliers are ideal for all forming work e.g. straightening sheet and thick wire. Choose parallel-action pliers when you need to hold an object securely whilst applying pressure.

As with all jewellery tools, your range of pliers will increase as your skills and the techniques you tackle progress. When choosing pliers consider you get what you pay for if you buy the right jewellery making tools then they will last you for life time- consider brand names or buying from a specialist jewellery tools supplier.

Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of jewellery making supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and silver solder, jewellery making tools, precious metal clay and gold and silver sheet - gold, silver, platinum and palladium plus technical information for jewellers, jobbers, designer, craftsmen, artisans and students.

Contacts
Adam Hunter
E-commerce Marketing Manager
Tel(DDI): +44 (0) 121 212 6491
E-mail: adam.hunter@cooksongold.com

Natural Dyes - Tropical Dyes From Wood By Teresinha Roberts

Brazilwood, logwood and fustic are famous traditional natural dyes that produce bright colours on wool, cotton and silk; brazilwood yields rich reds, logwood purples and fustic strong yellows. These three dyes are made from the heartwood of medium to large trees originally found in tropical forests. With proper care, all three dyes have a good light-fastness. Eventually they mellow to paler but still pretty colours.

By late 1500's large quantities of brazilwood, logwood and fustic were imported into Europe from Latin America. These three new dyes cost much less than those previously available therefore allowing more people to have colourful clothes.

Brazilwood

Brazilwood is found both in Asia and Latin America and Brazil takes its name from the tree. The wood comes from several species of Caesalpinia trees and it gives lovely rich reds.

Even though I was born and brought up in Brazil, I never saw a brazilwood tree, never read about the fiery reds it produces and was never taught that the word Brazil comes from the Spanish brasa which means glowing embers. It was only when I came to live in England and became interested in natural dyes that I learned more about this tree. I was very surprised to learn that my country of birth was named after the wood found there, rather than the other way round.

Brazilwood, however, was well-known for centuries, long before Brazil was discovered by Europeans; it was first mentioned as a dye in 1321, sourced from East Indies and India.

Most of brazilwood sold as a dye now comes from Asian trees. The species from Brazil, Caesalpinia echinata, is also known as pernambuco and is sometimes referred to as the music tree because its wood is used for making violin bows.

Logwood

Logwood dye is made from the heartwood of Haematoxylon campecianum, a forest tree from Central America. Haematoxylon literally means blood wood and it refers to the colour of the heartwood, while campecianum refers to the city of Campeche in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico where this tree was abundant. Logwood was floated down rivers as large logs, hence its name.

Logwood chips produce purples, greys and blacks, the colours depending on the mordants used and the acidity of the dye bath. The dye haematoxylin produced from logwood is still used as histological stain for microscopic slides.

Old Fustic

Old Fustic, or Dyer's Mulberry, is made from the heartwood of Maclura tinctoria, a medium to large tree of the mulberry family originally found in the forests of Brazil and the West Indies. It is a beautiful wood for wood turning and is then known as amarillo, which means yellow in Spanish.

Fustic yields a range of colours from strong dark yellows to an attractive peach colour on silk, cotton and wool and it has good light-fastness. It was used extensively from about 1600 to 1850, as it produces a strong colour at low cost. During the WW1, fustic was one of the dyes used to produce khaki for army uniforms.

Dyeing with Brazilwood, Logwood and Fustic

These three dyes are normally sold as wood chips but are also available as natural dye extracts. I prefer to use brazilwood and logwood as wood chips, as I seem to get a better colour this way. However, I find the fustic extract better than the wood chips.

To obtain strong colours, put 50g of wood chips in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and then leave them overnight. The following day, boil the chips in the water for about an hour. You must remove the wood chips before adding the fibre as they have small barbs that attach themselves to the fibre and would have to be carefully picked off one by one. The best way to remove the chips is to leave the dye bath to cool down for an hour or two and then pour the contents of the saucepan through a sieve, saving the liquid. You can also save the chips by spreading them out to dry, as they can be re-used several times. Add 100g of wool mordanted with alum to the dye bath and simmer for 30 minutes. Take the wool out and add another 50g of wool for paler colours. You might still get some colour on a further 50g of wool.

A pinch of iron mordant changes the final colour; brazilwood becomes darker and purpler, logwood goes greyer and fustic greener. A strong dye bath of logwood and fustic together with a pinch of iron will produce a black with great depth of colour, whilst brazilwood and fustic produce a fantastic orange.

Advantages of Wood Dyes

Brazilwood, logwood and fustic are great dyes for beginners, as they are both easy to use and very economical. If you want vibrant tropical colours that conjure the spirit of Brazil and the Caribbean, then tropical wood dyes are the ones to use.

About the author:
Teresinha Roberts is a Brazilian-born textile artist with an MSc in Biology and a City & Guilds in Embroidery. She specialises in natural dyes and is a member of the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. Teresinha is regularly invited to talk to weavers, spinners, dyers, embroiderers, botanical and environmental groups, amongst others.

Visit our website at http://www.wildcolours.co.uk today to buy natural dye extracts and to learn more on how grow and use natural dyes.

A Pasta Machine For Clay By Alice Lane

Believe it or not, there is actually a pasta machine that is used strictly for clay. Although it might be obvious and quite common sense, no you cannot use the clay pasta machine for your food too. Working with a pasta machine is a lot of fun when you are dealing with clay. There are many different things that you can create.

A pasta machine for clay is exactly what you think it is. It really looks like a regular old pasta machine. The best type to buy is one that you power by a hand crank. The ones that are powered by a motor might not be strong enough to handle a polymer clay transfer. These machines also do precisely what you would expect them to; create long strips of flattened out clay. When it comes to working with this flattened clay, there are many different creations that you could make.

Rather than using a clay extruder to assist with your sculptures, now you can use a pasta machine instead. You can use it to flatten out your clay to make thin pieces to add to your artwork. If you are making a vase and want to add a three dimensional flower to the side, this is the way to go. Simply flatten your clay and cut out the shape of the flower that you want. Not only will the pasta machine save you the hassle of having to roll out your clay with a rolling pin, but it will also help save your sanity by creating clay that is the same thickness throughout.

One really fun thing that you could create using a pasta machine is a game board. If you flatten your clay and then cut the clay into inch wide strips you can put together a game board. Simply weave the clay strips over and under each other for a chess board. When you add some low fire glazes the finished result will be fantastic and unique!

Another fun way to use your pasta machine is to blend clay colors. Simply place one piece of clay over the other and run it through. This will blend the two colors beautifully and effortlessly. Keep running the clay through until the desired result has been reached. No matter how you decide to use your pasta machine, the choices are limitless. You will probably find that you use it more than your other clay tools!

If you are looking for a new and fun way to work with your clay, consider purchasing a clay pasta machine. AMACO has plenty of information regarding polymer clay transfer to get you started. Working with a clay extruder can be just as creative as well. Visit AMACO for information on that as well. When you have finished with your creation and are ready to add some low fire glazes, AMACO has a wide selection to choose from.

How to Use Polymer Clay Safely By Lisa A Mason

Polymer clay is a wonderful material that is used for making jewelry. It is flexible and easy to work with making it the number one product used today. It's not a dangerous product as long as you know and follow a few simple safety rules. The first step is to fully understand what it is and how it works. Polymer clay is a form of PVC or polyvinyl chlorides. When making it, the ingredient plasticizer is added to make the material soft and manageable.This is what makes it so pliable and easy to create different molds and shapes from it.

It is vital that you do not let the polymer clay come in contact with food because the plasticizer in the clay is dangerous if ingested. You don't want to use any items that you use to cook it or use on unprotected counter tops where you prepare food. Therefore, it is important to follow certain steps to make sure it does not come in contact with food.

Steps on how to use this clay safely:

* Keep the polymer clay away from all food products and areas where food is prepared. This includes the kitchen table and counters.

* Separate any utensils used for the clay from the ones used for food. Keep them together with your polymer clay and make sure they are labeled so they will not accidentally end up back in the kitchen.

* Any appliances used for polymer clay should never be reused with food products such as the pasta machine or the oven you use for firing. Most artists use portable or toaster ovens for firing the clay because the plasticizer can leach out during this process making the oven unusable for cooking food.

* Do not let the oven go above 300 degrees Fahrenheit when firing the clay because if the clay begins to burn it can release toxic fumes into the air. Always fire the polymer clay in an area that is well ventilated.

* Always wash your hands thoroughly after each use. Plain soap and water doesn't seem to affect the polymer clay very much so try using a pumice stone along with the soap to help remove it from your hands. Using certain facial scrubs, hand creams or rubbing cooking oil on your hands can also help remove the clay.

* Supervise the use of polymer clay when it is being used by children. Don't allow small children to use the clay at all if they still put their fingers or other things into their mouth.

Following these few simple safety rules will help to ensure you stay safe while having fun making jewelry and other creative designs.

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content. She has also authored her own books and works as a consultant to other writers, Internet marketers and Internet businesses.

Lisa Mason, Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company, public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa's blog from her website: http://www.freelancewriter4hire.com

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