Gedeon - Beautiful bracelets by hand: seventy-five one-of-a-kind baubles, bangles and other wrist adornments you can make at home

Beautiful Bracelets By Hand Seventy-five one-of-a-kind baubles, bangles and other wrist adornments you can make at home Jade Gedeon FOUNDER AND DESIGNER OF WE DREAM IN COLOUR WITH JEWELRY FEATURED IN MORE THAN 800 BOUTIQUES AROUND THE WORLD The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: http://us.macmillanusa.com/piracy. Introduction We Dream in Colourlike so many businessesstarted quite by accident. Constantly creating bits and baubles, my Brooklyn flatmate and friend suggested we build a shared website as an outlet to sell our ever-growing collection. She left the site not long after to pursue a great career, but my line continued to grow and flourish thanks to the attention of great customers, wonderful blogs, amazing press and an incredible behind-the-scenes team.

I dont pay much attention to marketingI simply focus on making things that I love and hope others will enjoy. I still have friends elbow me when Im complimented on my jewelry and I dont mention that I designed or sell it. Im thankful for such a brilliant opportunity to share the satisfaction of making beautiful things. Jewelry has long been a means of personal expression, and thanks to ever-evolving materials and casual style challenging its traditional notions of stature, it continues to become more and more fun. The projects in this book range in style, but they share a common link: the inimitable appeal of handicraft. One of the hallmarks of my line is the well-traveled look of the pieces.

There is something undeniably appealing about the richness that things with age and patina bring to our lives, and whether by material or finish, many of the projects presented in this book reflect this notion. The materials used are affordable and easy to obtain, and there is endless room for personalization throughout the projects. I hope you have as much of a blast making each and every one of these as we did. Beads Long used for ornament and an early form of currency, beads have been traded globally for centuries and play an integral part in the development of commerce and economic networks. Our human ancestors began creating beads around 43,000 years ago, and you can seriously understand why Small, beautiful objects just get your want genes tingling. Gilded Waves Bracelet Be warned, the combination of cerulean tones and glimmering gold in this piece will have you daydreaming of sun-soaked sands and crystalline waters.

Might as well give up on work and skip to the beach! When shopping for beads, line up your strands and play around until you get a pleasing variety of shapes and sizes. BITS YOULL NEED Ten gold-plated crimp bead covers Ten 32mm crimp tubes Three 75mm gold-plated jump rings, 18 gauge One five-strand gold-plated D-ring toggle clasp Five 9 (22.9 cm) strands of beading wire, 0.024 diameter Three strands of gold-plated beads (or raw brass) at least 7 (17.8 cm) long Two strands of turquoise glass beads at least 7 (17.8 cm) long TOOLS Crimping pliers Wire snips Nylon-jaw pliers Chain-nose pliers Flat-nose pliers . Line up your strands in stringing order. Measure your wrist or a favorite bracelet, then subtract the length of the clasp, (dont forget the jump rings) to get the approximate length of your bead strands. Cut five pieces of beading wire that are 2 inches (5.1 cm) longer than your required length. . .

Thread crimp onto wire, loop through clasp and thread back through crimp, leaving a short tail. Lay the tube in the first U-shaped notch of the crimping pliers. Taking care to keep the strands separated, squeeze closed to crimp. Move the crimped tube to the round opening. Turning 90 degrees, squeeze to secure. If tail is too long, trim carefully.

Repeat for additional four strands. . String your largest strand first. Most beads need a little room to move, but if working with heishi (disc) beads, take care to allow extra space for the beads to flex when worn. Thread through the other end of the clasp with a crimp bead, but before crimping try it on to make sure it fits and moves correctly. Make any adjustments to length and extra room before crimping.

String additional strands from next largest to smallest, checking each time for fit before crimping. . When all the strands are crimped on both ends, connect the toggle with jump rings, using pliers to close. . Slip crimp covers on one by one. . .

Plot which poolside/beach/island youll wear this to first. Strata Bracelet Finished with a tiny tassel, layers of luminescent hues will make you swoon every time you excavate this gemstone beauty from your jewel box. Ours is a mix of green onyx, smoky quartz, carnelian and labradorite. BITS YOULL NEED 5 (14 cm), or more, selection of coordinating 42mm faceted rondelle gemstone beads Two brass beads (hole must be larger than 2mm in diameter to fit over crimp tubes) or two crimp bead covers Two 32mm crimp tubes Four 5mm jump rings, 1820 gauge One 4mm jump ring, 1618 gauge One 4mm jump ring, 1820 gauge One 95mm lobster clasp 9 (22.9 cm) length of beading wire, 0.014 diameter Spool of silk thread (youll only need a small bit) Fray Check or clear nail polish TOOLS Crimping pliers Wire snips Nylon-jaw pliers (if using crimp covers) Chain-nose pliers Flat-nose pliers Scissors Cardstock (an old business card works great!) . Make your itty-bitty tassel. Working with a -inch (1.6 cm) width of card, wrap your thread through a securely closed 4mm jump ring and around the card.

Continue wrapping around fully about twenty times, then, grabbing firmly, slide off the card. . Wrap the string around the top of the tassel, just under the jump ring, about six times. . Loop thread through the last wrap and knot securely. Using a surgeons knot (see techniques, ), knot again twice and dab knot with a bit of Fray Check or clear nail polish.

Let dry and snip off excess string. Trim bottom of tassel. . Cut your beading wire 2 inches (5.1 cm) longer than your required length. This will give you extra room to work with. Thread and crimp your beading wire onto a securely closed 5mm jump ring.

See techniques () for detailed instructions on crimping. . Thread your brass bead over the closed crimp tube to cover. If using crimp covers, slip them on and use a pair of nylon-jaw pliers to close them gently without marring the finish. . . .