Cotter Pin Copper Chain Free Tutorial

Cotter Pin Copper Chain, Cotter Pin Copper Chain - it sounds like a tongue twister, doesn't it?  Thanks to that observation, I'll probably get dinged by google for repeating keywords, but I doubt it will matter too much.

I'll start by admitting I had to search for a name for this chain. Once you see a cotter pin, also known as a split pin, you'll see that it is perfectly appropriate. And far better than me calling this a hammered round loop double open loop chain which is where I was heading. Making this has put me back on a bit of a chain making and metal binge again. It feels good (really good) to hammer metal sometimes.

Huichol Style Beaded Daisy Flower and Star Tutorial

From the time I first saw colorful Huichol style beadwork, I have been itching to give it a try.  This week, I finally did - and I was not disappointed in the least. I think I may be sticking with this for a few more weeks.

Huichol beadwork is made using netting stitch. These flowers are all circular netting. Like many other stitches, netting has multiple forms of the stitch - tubular netting, flat horizontal netting, flat vertical netting and circular netting.  What you may not realize is that one of the most popular beadwork stitches is a type of netting stitch. Can you guess which one?

Chinese Knotting Cord Macrame Bracelets

Today will be a challenge. I have been making macrame bracelets with chinese knotting cord since Thanksgiving, and hoping to write about them, but here I am with an hour to go before I leave on a flight and I'm going to get this done!  Crazy!!

This isn't the first time I've made or published macrame bracelets. It's one of my first projects I learned in high school.  But, the new part for me is the Chinese knotting cord. It is, for sure, a game changer!  I also made the pretty heart centerpiece above as part of the heart wire jig tutorial I published last week.

Making Wire Heart Rings Using a Wire Jig

I have a lot of tools - so many that I have a tendency to forget about them. I actually have several jewelry making tools that are still in their packages, unopened. How does that happen?  Most people buy tools because they need them. I buy tools because I think someday I'll want to try something.

A wire jig was one of my early tool purchases. My first one was the purple plastic jig that you buy at the craft store. I used it right away and guess what?

Lisa Yang's Jewelry Group on Facebook

What can I say, other than, it's time!

I've thought about starting a group for people interested in jewelry making for quite a while, but I've held off.  That is, until the beginning of October, when I started playing with  the group feature in Facebook.  Lisa Yang's Jewelry Group was there, but no one knew about it.

I guess there's a part of me that approached it a little like the movie Field of Dreams. If you build it, (s)he will come.  Well, surprisingly I checked this week and a couple of people did come.  So, I approved them and decided that must mean it's time to move forward.