Polymer clay can be used to create items of jewelry, small accessories, card toppers and many other items. Modelers use polymer clay extensively, as do doll makers and miniature artists
 for miniature polymer clay projects).

Polymer clay is available in many strong colors. The clay can also be blended together to give an almost infinite palette of colors. Brands of polymer clay are created using different formulas, meaning that when blending polymer clay it is best to use clays within a single brand. Polymer clays must be baked or cured in line with the manufacturers instructions.

I have been reading and learning how to use Polymer\ Clay to make Jewelry.  If anyone else has used this product would love to hear from you.!   Check out my blog at http:sharongulezianjewelry.weebly.com

If anyone needs to order boxes I highly recommend this company. http://www.bagsandbowsonline.com. I ordered my boxes here and they are truly beautiful, excellent customer service and reasonable prices. 
check it out.  
Any one else have suggestions to add?

Great idea for holding your earring.









Buttons can add a memorable, handmade touch to your packaging – especially if they’re a good match with the style of jewelry you make.

For example, you might use vintage buttons as packaging for Victorian-style earrings.

And for keeping your own earring pairs together at home, buttons are a great solution!

To reduce strain on your handmade beaded bracelet is to make certain that it’s the correct size for the person wearing it.
If the bracelet is too tight, it will place unecessary stress on the bracelet. This is especially true when the bracelet has a toggle clasp, and the wearer has to try to pull the bar end through the round part of the clasp.
The proper way to find the correct bracelet size is to measure the wrist and add 1 1/2 inches. If using large beads (10mm or greater) you may need to add length to accommodate the large bead diameter.

To make a strong beaded bracelet, it’s important to make certain that you’re using the best components available.
I use either Soft Flex or Beadalon in 49-strand, medium strength for most of my bracelets. If you’re using beads with small holes such as  pearls, you can use the lighter 19-strand. Use the strongest, highest strand stringing wire that will fit the holes in the beads.
I would not use fishing line or nylon string to make  bracelets. Use nylon coated stainless steel.
Do not  string too tightly.String your handcrafted beaded bracelet lose enough that it is pliable. Make certain that your bracelet is not  too stiff when you bend it in a circle before you crimp your bead. Make sure  that the loop you create beyond the crimp bead goes through the clasp is not too small or tight. Your clasp should move freely to prevent stress and friction on the string that could cause your bracelet to break.
Use a wire guardian to protect the stringing material if your clasp has a sharp or 90-degree edge where the stringing material passes through.

BLACK SPINELThe rich and regal spinel is a gemstone that ranges in color from pale pink to deepest black. The black spinel is one of the rarest spinels. The spinel is known as the "great imposter" in the world of gemstones. Several of the "rubies" in the Queen of England's crown jewels are actually spinels.
Spinel is associated with love and supposedly help the wearer to put his or her ego aside in devotion to another. Spinel is also thought to encourage passion and increase the duration of life. Black Spinel in particular is said to be a protective stone that assists in re-establishing relationships and resolving issues. It is also believed to ease sadness.
Spinel is rated at 8 on the Mohs hardness scale. It is a very durable gem and suitable for everyday jewelry wear.

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Malachite from AfricaMalachite is a type of basic copper carbonate that is formed from copper-containing solutions near copper ore deposits. Though fairly soft compared to most gemstones (3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale), it is popular for jewelry and ornaments due to its striking green colors and interesting veined patterns.
Malachite is now relatively rare, but has been found in many locations around the world. The most important deposits were in the Ural Mountains of Russia, where 20 ton blocks once came from the quarries and were used to decorate the palaces of the Russian tsars.
Perhaps some of the most famous malachite in the world is the Malachite Room in the Winter Palace of the Russian Royal family. It was designed in the late 1830s and Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, the wife of Tsar Nicholas I, used it as her drawing-room. The room, including columns, pilasters, fireplace trimmings and decorative vases is made completely of malachite using the "Russian mosaic" technique.


Today much smaller deposits of malachite are found in Africa (Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia and Zimbabwe), Israel, England, France and in the USA (Arkansas and Arizona). It has also been discovered at the famous mining district of Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, once known as Zaire, has become the most important malachite producer. The richest deposits are found in the mining district of the "Shaba Crescent" in Katanga Province. The mines are found in the Ruashi district of Lubumbashi which is the province's capital and the second largest town of the country after Kinshasa. The Belgians founded it as a mining settlement in 1910 and it quickly became the center of the copper belt.
The malachite, which is of gemstone quality, is mined mainly by hand in small copper mines, some of which were abandoned when copper deposits dried up. Many of the most spectacular specimens of malachite found here contain combinations with other minerals, such as azurite, cuprite or chrysocolla.
Malachite is an opaque stone with a unique ornamental light and dark-green banding which makes for attractive jewelry designs and carvings. There are many local artisans involved in the malachite trade. The malachite carvers in the Ruashi district of Katanga irrigate their lapidary machines to keep the blades and grinding stones working well, and their houses are easily identified by the streams of green water trickling out.

To prevent tarnish from forming on your jewelry, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort in cleaning your jewelry before every show and party.

What Exactly is Tarnish, and What Causes It? Preventing tarnish on jewelry is far less work than removing it!  Tarnish is a layer of corrosion that develops on many metals, especially sterling silver. Sulfur and other airborne chemicals are the main cause of tarnish, and jewelry tarnishes much faster if it’s left out in the open than if it’s stored away in an acid-free closed container.
The metal of tarnished jewelry has a darkened appearance, which can reduce your sales.
Keeping your jewelry inventory clean makes it sell much better.
I really don’t mind cleaning each piece of my jewelry inventory once, right after I finish creating it.  I do mind the process of having to haul out and re-clean my entire inventory, to shine it up for upcoming shows!

Closed Plastic Bags
Store individual pieces of jewelry in sealed zip-close baggies. Or store entire displays that are already loaded with your inventory inside large, heavy-duty trash bags that are tightly closed.
Also store your metal jewelry supplies (wire, findings, headpins, earwires, etc.) in tightly sealed plastic bags.

Silver Tarnish Cloth
if you store your jewelry inventory loaded onto your displays, you can wrap or cover the displays with Silver Tarnish Cloth (also sometimes called Pacific Cloth), which is available by the yard at fabric stores. Use a 50% discount coupon store’s coupon. Then I took the cloth home and cut pieces of it to fit perfectly on top of each jewelry tray and around every other loaded display I have.

No-Tarnish Strips

You can put no-tarnish strips in with your inventory, and change the strips every two to three months. Mark the next changing date on your calendar so you don’t forget to put in fresh no-tarnish strips regularly.
If your jewelry is displayed in a small, closed case in a shop or gallery, consider putting some of these strips in an unobtrusive spot inside the case.Instead of no-tarnish strips, you can substitute a few pieces of regular chalkboard chalk in with your jewelry. The chalk works similarly to the strips, absorbing the airborne substances that cause tarnish. Chalk should also be changed every couple of months. Who Knew???  

Quick Wipe down

I have always stored my stringing materials in plastic zipper bags. Not a great system, but I didn’t know there was anything else to use! Recently, I discovered a thread rack that I can use to organize all of my bead stringing thread, macrame cord, spools of wire, elastic cord  you name it! 
for those of us who don’t have a local jewelry supply shop, another advantage of shopping the hardware / home improvement store is that we can get things the same day we need them – and without paying for shipping! 
Look in the sporting goods section of Wal-Mart and you can find a box that holds 6 rolls of fishing line. You thread the line through the holes at the front and it keeps the line neatly on the roll while you measure out the amount you need. I have fire line, stretchy jewelry line, and thin cording in mine.
If you use line that’s too large to thread through the holes, just pop out the rubber grommet. I also found a plastic (gray with purple sections) tackle box that has different sized sections that fit snugly against the lid and each other, so there is no space for small beads or findings to slip into another compartment. Each compartment is removable so you can use the ones you need and keep the lid closed.
Real handy to avoid accidental spillage. It’s compact and great for carry along projects. I believe both items are made by Plano.I hope you find this helpful.  I welcome any suggestions that could help all of us.  

Shown02/05/2013

0 Comments

Pendants are a fun focal point to design necklaces around.

They're also a great eye-catcher in your booth at shows and
home parties.

Many jewelry artists make their own gorgeous pendants - but
you may also be interested in using ready-made ones in some
of your designs.

Do you have  some ideas for finding unusual pendants that are
already made? 

I actually found some beauty's at the flea market.