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Series 2-Metalwork For Your Lampwork DIY Tutorials
About half way through my two and a half years of metalworking classes, I took a 2-day lampwork and fusing workshop. I loved making glass beads, the color combinations are infinite and the variety of glass available (frit, stringers, rod, sheet) gives you a very wide field for experimentation. But, after making the first boxful of beads, you go: “Hmm… what do I do with them?”
The natural progression was to use my lampwork beads on my metalwork jewelry. As I worked on a couple of projects, it occurred to me that there were a lot of people out there like me.
This set of tutorials was conceived with the idea of offering lampworkers, beaders and wire workers an alternative way of incorporating their beads onto one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces using metalworking techniques.
The projects will teach you how to make a fully handmade piece of jewelry and say goodbye to commercial findings.
Although the projects are made with lampwork beads, many of them have photos of the same project using other beads (wood, coral, bone and semi-precious stones)
Curl Bail Pendant I DIY Tutorial
This is the first of a set of simple pendants that involve no soldering.
This particular setting is a curled-over bail that lets you exchange the
pendant piece.
You can mount a variety of beads on these heavy gauge head pins to
use with the same bail.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 5 pages, 13 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
Forged and Stamped Component Earrings DIY Tutorial
Stamping offers an infinite array of options to decorate metal. You can buy or make your own stamps.
This is a simple project that involves shaping, forging and stamping wire to make a keyhole component.
These components are very versatile, they can be combined to make charms, chains and other decorative elements for earrings and bracelets.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 16 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Loop Head Pin Bracelet DIY Tutorial
After making many beads on regular mandrels, most bead makers
want to try making beads with larger holes.
These beads can fit onto the popular cable bracelets on the market.
They can also be used to make pendants or toggle clasps.
Here we will be making a simple linked bracelet to showcase your
large hole beads.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 5 pages, 13 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
Screw-on Interchangeable Cabochon Ring DIY Tutorial
Nothing beats a piece of jewelry that has interchangeable parts! And if you are the one making the parts, even better! You can make as many different ones as you want: change the shape, choose the colors of the piece to match your wardrobe. The possibilities are endless!
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 8 pages, 24 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for intermediate and advance students.
$19.95
Simple Forged Neck Wire for Large Focal Bead DIY Tutorial
Large lampwork beads are time-consuming to make, but they offer the
maker a larger surface area to play with color combinations, frits, and
other decorations.
The best way to display these large beads is often something simple
that draws the eye to the focal point of the necklace: your beautiful
complex bead.
Forging large gauge wire is an easy way to make a sturdy choker to
display your one-of-a-kind focal bead.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 9 pages, 19 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
"Clam" Ring DIY Tutorial
Another simple ring that will let us explore the use of another cold connection: the screw & nut.
For the texture on this ring I used a hammer with a hand carved face.
Making your own tools is another way to individualize your jewelry, and make truly one-of-a-kind pieces.
To carve the face of the hammer you only need a metal cutting wheel on your rotary tool and a bench vise.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 15 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Chain I: Blue DIY Tutorial
Turquoise and blue is one of my favorite color combos.
Since I have lots of beads in this color palette, they were perfect for a
long chain. I got to use 37 of my beads.
A large amount of silver went into the making of the links. Feel free to
use copper instead of silver for the larger ovals and bead links.
This necklace is 104 cm long (43”) and can easily be worn double with
the use of an “S” clasp.
The mix of different shaped beads draws the eye to go all the way
around the necklace.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 9 pages, 25 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$14.95
Etched Cuff with Bead DIY Tutorial
Etching is a process in which a metal is exposed to a corrosive solution
that eats away the surface of the metal. If a design is made on the
surface of the metal with a material that is impervious to the corroding
action, the design will be in relief over the corroded surface not protected
by the “resist”.
The most commonly used etching chemical for steel, copper and brass
is ferric chloride.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 14 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
Fan Bail, Pendant II DIY Tutorial
Another very simple, easy no-solder pendant.
This is a project for those not so big beads that came out amazing and
you want to use as focal elements.
The fan shape gives the pendant an oriental feel.
It can be used on a long chain as seen in the photo, or it can be worn
on a neck wire closer to the face.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 5 pages, 15 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
Large Forged Head Pin and Domed Earrings DIY Tutorial
Head pins are very versatile jewelry making elements. They can be used to connect pieces, thread beads and attach elements.
For our head pins I added a twist: making them with a thicker gauge than regular head pins. I forged and stamped the wire before winding the glass around the tip.
Doming is a way of shaping metal that gives volume to a at sheet of material. In this case we will be doming a textured disk into a shallow bowl.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 8 pages, 24 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$14.95
Chain II: Earth Tone Orphans DIY Tutorial
I had a collection of earth-tone “one-of-a-kind” beads, better known
as the ”orphans”.
Each of the beads has some interesting detail that I loved and could
not bear to part with.
I always had the idea of using all of the beads together in a long chain
necklace.
As the beads were big, the chain links had to be big too.
The organic shapes of the forged and stamped thicker gauge oval links, in
sterling silver, went well with the large beads.
The twisted copper wire jump rings added color and textural interest
to the metal components of the chain.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 18 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
Large Washer Ring DIY Tutorial
This is a very simple and fast ring project to make if you have the 2 big disk cutters.
The pyramid shaped head pin was made by pressing the hot glass into one half of a crystal shaped bead press.
At the end of the ring tutorial you will find a mini tutorial and some tips to make these pyramid shaped headpins.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 17 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Reverse texture Copper and silver earrings DIY Tutorial
There are many ways to texture metal; one of the easiest is to use hammers that have some design cut in to their faces. There are some available at jewelry suppliers or you can make your own.
In this project we will use a commercially available hammer. Its one of my favorites; you get a surface covered with tiny overlapping squares.
We will get a “reverse” texture on the silver by rolling it through the rolling mill.
Obtaining a raised squares texture.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 16 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Riveted Copper Cuff with Glass Disks DIY Tutorial
Cold connections are a fun way to add lampwork glass to metal jewelry
pieces.
In this project we will be making a cuff bracelet in copper with riveted
textured elements.
The organic lampwork glass disks will be connected to the cuff with
miniature hex screws and nuts.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 8 pages, 22 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$14.95
Wavy Lines Pendant II DIY Tutorial
This is the third no-solder pendant project.
In this project I experimented with the same pendant shape but used
two different textures. I played with the use of liver of sulfur and
changed the color of the lampwork bead.
These changes gave each pendant a different feel; each one is a one-of-
a-kind piece.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 16 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
Floating Pillow Bead Pendant DIY Tutorial
Beautiful setting for a pillow bead. It can be strung on a chain as described
in the project. With the addition of a couple of jump rings it
can be worn on a neck wire.
In this project we will use another “cold connection” to attach the pillow
bead to the metal base.
This connecting element is called a “tab”. This type of setting can
work for other bead shapes as well.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 17 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$9.95
Oval Folded-over Flower Ring DIY Tutorial
On this ring we will manipulate a piece of sheet metal onto a three
dimensional ring.
The use of tiny drill bits lets us cut inside lines on the piece with the
Jeweler’s saw.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 5 pages, 14 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Shaped and Forged Double Head Pin Earrings DIY Tutorial
Forging is a fast and satisfying way of giving texture to your metal
pieces. This technique uses controlled hammering to shape metal.
The thin end of a riveting hammer can give a very nice texture.
Shaping and forging the thicker gauge wire before applying the glass
eliminates the danger of damaging the glass drops.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 19 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Three link riveted cabochon bracelet DIY Tutorial
Cabochons can be set in a variety of ways, a bezel being the most
common.
Bezel setting, if not using a commercial made bezel cup, requires soldering.
With this bracelet we will use a couple of non-soldering ways to set a
cabochon.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 13 pages, 40 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner & intermediate skill students.
$19.95
Fan Pendant with Interchangeable Bead DIY Tutorial
Having jewelry that lets you change the focal part of the piece according
to your mood or wardrobe is a very good thing. When you are a
bead maker, you have many options to choose from, and you can create
more as inspiration strikes you.
Need something purple and blue to go with that dress? Make a new
bead and put it on the pendant. You’ll have the perfect complement
for your dress!
This pendant can be made as a stand-alone piece. It can be worn on
a simple neck wire, a Viking knit chain or a rubber/leather necklace.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 21 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For intermediate to advanced skill students.
$14.95
Fused Silver Stud Earrings DIY Tutorial
Fusing is a technique commonly used while working with fine silver in
the making of woven ring chains and granulation. It can also be a very
useful way to recycle sterling silver scraps.
Fusing requires a good eye and some experience in the use of a
torch.
The main reason for this project is to give you confidence to go on to a
bigger project. After fusing some scrap wire to a couple of small silver
disks, you will have the confidence to fuse a ring or pendant.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 19 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Large gauge spiral bangle DIY PDF Tutorial
Large gauge wire can be forged, stamped, filed or cut to make
beautiful neck wires and bangles.
Forging flat such a thick wire will give it a rounded, very organic edge
that cannot be obtained with a sheet metal strip.
It will also give us a bigger area to show texture.
This wide textured bangle will showcase your handmade lampwork
head pins or disks beautifully.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 8 pages, 22 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.
$14.95
Simple Tab Setting Ring DIY Tutorial
Tabs are small tongues cut into sheet metal that when folded or wrapped around an object can attach it to the metal sheet.
Tabs are one of the simplest “cold connections “.
In this project we will use them to set a small cylindrical bead on to a wide textured ring band.
This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 5 pages, 14 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.
$9.95
Asian box pendant DIY PDF tutorial
Most of the time cylindrical beads incorporated into a pendant, are set to hang vertically from a bail.
I thought it would be fun to do a horizontal setting for a change.
The bead is set at the bottom of the pendant and is free to move so you can enjoy every side.
The texture on the pendant is the result of a handmade steel stamp, using the design in closely placed rows.
This project includes a bonus mini-tutorial on how to make your own hand-cut stamps.
The pendant can be worn on a plain neck cable, a silk ribbon, or a chain.
But it looks especially well threaded onto a beaded Kumihimo cord made with matching glass beads.
The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 11 pages, 23 photos, a life size template of all the components, plenty of tips and a Bonus Mini-Tutorial !
For beginner skill students.
$14.95
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