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A newbie's guide to the jewellery world!
Our new Kernowcraft team member Katie is getting to grips with our wide range of products. Here she tells us about her journey into jewellery…
Starting at Kernowcraft nearly two months ago the idea of moving into the jewellery world was an exciting prospect, and then I realised how much there really was to learn! Jump rings, thread protectors and necklet ends were flying at me from every angle and it seemed to me my foray into jewellery wasn’t going to be as simple as I thought.
An afternoon in the jewellery workshop soon put pay to that and I realised that there are a lot of things out there that are simple and easy to use for a newbie like me.
I was told the Dremel multi tool is a must for those who are serious about making jewellery. The C106 version includes a flexible pen sized shaft which makes working on smaller pieces ten times easier, as I was admittedly very slow making a pendant in the workshop I’ll be saving my pennies to get one for when I start my jewellery making course!
We have a lot of phone calls asking advice on how to attach our cabochons to our cabochon cups and I myself hadn’t realised how easy it can be. The Devcon 5 minute Epoxy (C20) is really straight forward to use, simply mix equal amounts of the two liquids together (you can judge this by eye) and it’s ready to go. It’s best to scratch the back of the stone and the setting before putting on the glue and then simply place the cab in the cup. It’s really simple and with some of the gorgeous stones they can be really effective. Labradorite looks great, especially when it catches the light!
For those who prefer beading work there’s the necklet wires (LS233) which are very easy to achieve great results with. Simply choose any variety of beads or slide pendants to thread on and then put the unfastened end into the crimp closing with a pair of pliers. These make very pretty and delicate necklets and allow you to be as creative as you want, no wonder a lot of people ask for it!
I can’t wait to start working with Precious Metal Clay after having a glance through the Magical Metal Clay Jewellery book (C253) there’s some great ideas from everything ranging from rings to brooches. I particularly like the idea of a liquid silver leaf pendant and have been enjoying reading about it in the Kernowcraft garden.
If you’re a beginner like me or simply find yourself a little stuck, the ‘Jewellery making tips’ section on our website has some great advice for everything from wire wrapping to using various settings and is a really handy reference, and it’s free!
So for everyone who knows me…I’m getting crafty, expect some jewellery for your birthday!
18th June 2010