Hello, Jewel Schoolers! We’re having so much fun at Jewel School getting ready for our busy fall season. Sheree and Katie are looking forward to bringing you some of the beads and great ideas from my most recent buying trip. Of course, as the buyer, the most important thing for me is the fabulous Jewel School product. Now that we are transitioning into the warmer fall tones, it is time to bring out new styles and colors in all gemstones imaginable. On the special buying trip, I found new product that plays into the hottest colors of the season. If you caught our Fall Fashion show the week of September 9, then you got a little teaser of what’s coming up for Fall and Winter. So exciting!
Our first ever Jewel School Workshop event in August was an awesome experience. Since we had never held a workshop for our customers, we didn’t know what to expect. If you were one of the 65 people in the two day event in Knoxville, then you know how stimulating it is to work on new projects and meet others that enjoy jewelry making as much as you do. Plus, all systems are a go for a future event! We are already hard at work planning the next event and will publish the dates for it in late spring. I’ve included lots more about the workshop on down the page. Check out the pictures!
Our Project of the Month is a favorite necklace design we used in one of the workshop classes. The Red Carpet Ready Choker is a stunning work of art! We had such a great response to this project that we’re publishing it here for all of our great jewelry makers to enjoy. Made with gorgeous Swarovski Elements, it really takes your creations up a notch. Enjoy and as always, Happy Creating!
- Callie Lewis, Jewel School by Jewelry Television Buyer
JTV's First-Ever Jewel School Event!In August, Jewel School and Jewelry Television had the most invigorating two days at our first-ever Jewel School Workshop! Held in Knoxville, Tennessee at the JTV Headquarters on August 26 and 27, we tested the waters to see if a customer-oriented event would be a success. Well, mission accomplished! Sixty-five enthusiastic jewelry makers made the trip to JTV and together we shared the joys of beading!
Jewel Schoolers get ready to see a fashion show at the event
This test event was invitation only and although we wanted to invite everyone from coast-to-coast, the Fire Marshal and a good dose of reality determined we had just enough space for 60 to 80 people. A list was created (based on customer buying preferences) and we sent out 400 invitations to customers living within a day’s drive of our headquarters here in Knoxville. From this list, 83 people accepted and 65 actually came for the two day workshop. As it turns out, that was the perfect number! (If you didn't make it to this event, don't despair! We are already thinking about how we can offer a bigger and better program next time!) It was a lot of fun meeting Jewel Schoolers face to face!
JTV Show Hosts Sheree Henry and Scott Parker had fun with the Jewel School customers.
Company founder Bob Hall (far left) and CEO Tim Matthews (far right) look on as co-founder Jerry Sisk greets an enthusiastic Jewel Schooler
A Design Contest was held and we were blown away by the jewelry-making
talent showcased in the entries! Workshop participants and JTV staff
voted Donna Payne’s quartz necklace with contrasting gold wire wrapping (picutred left)
the overall best.
The competition was so close there was a four-way tie for second place! Pictured below is JTV's President and CEO, Tim Matthews, who presented Donna with the First Prize for the Design Contest, a lovely tanzanite and diamond necklace. Donna even made an impromptu appearance on one of the Jewelry Television broadcasts!
Picking out the beads for a project allowed for creativity and provided an opportunity to interact with other attendees. Many of the attendees wore some of their own handiwork during the workshop.
The vivacious best-selling author Margot Potter (pictured below) brought her crafty magic to the classroom and shared instructions for make trendy wire-wrapped rings with unusual buttons. Margot’s session even left a few of our non-Jewel School employees feeling the addictive joys of making jewelry.
Jewel School buyer Callie Lewis (left) and industry expert Margot Potter
Drew Potter (pictured below) from Beadalon shared some of the hundreds of tips and tricks and how to solutions he has stashed in his repertoire of experience. He also generously supplied each class member with a selection of not so common findings and explained how to use them.
The customers had a blast with the show hosts and Jerry Sisk, one of our Co-Founders and a graduate gemologist. He was so at home teaching classes with Show Host Sheree Henry and Senior Buyer Shawn O’Sullivan on the practical ways of using gemstones in jewelry making. Jerry added a class on how to use some of the sophisticated gem identification tools. Many have been watching him on television Jerry on television for years and enjoyed meeting him in person.
Two of JTV's Graduate Gemologists (GIA), Jewelry Television Co-founder Jerry Sisk (left) and Senior Buyer Shawn O’Sullivan taught a class on gemstones. They also brought along gemstones for the class to compare.
JTV's own Christiane Ross (pictured below) has a lot of new members in her fan club. She’s an excellent seamstress and costume designer but also a skilled beader and an expert in chainmaille construction. Her classes were Standing Room Only, including the session on making holiday earrings.
We also had fun with Gail DeLuca (pictured below), a local jewelry maker and shop owner. Patience is Gail’s strong suit and she carefully wove her way into our hearts with her peyote stitch class. She also held classes on how to make her signature Kisses and Hugs bracelet and showed us how to string a 3-strand necklace so that it lays just perfectly!
The workshop was certainly one to remember, thanks to our customers. It had the feel of a family reunion! We had sister acts, a couple of husband and wife teams, and a handful of BFF buddies. But many of the attendees came by themselves or left family members at the hotel or sent them on a daily outing while they were beading. We had beginners and a couple of people so experienced they even helped other attendees during the classes!
One Jewel Schooler told us she started selling her creations when her husband lost his job and she has no plans to stop now!
A talented Jewel Schooler lends a helping hand to fellow attendee.
For some of the guests it was just a trip across town to get here but
for others it required some planning. At least four ladies hopped a
plane from Florida, another drove from Maryland and we had visitors from
St. Louis, the Atlanta area, Mississippi, Kentucky, Cherokee, North
Carolina, Newport News, Virginia and a few other cities, towns, and
states.
The Jewel School team learned so much from our customers! We’re already planning for next year’s workshop, which promises to be even bigger. Be on the lookout for more information. You won't want to miss it!
Red Carpet Ready Choker and Earrings Project
by Margot Potter for Jewel School
This oh so chic choker was inspired by a well known fine jewelry designer’s fabulous diamond and platinum necklace worn by an iconic pop diva to the 2009 Golden Globes awards show. Yes, I’m being intentionally obtuse! I loved the way the original choker filled in her neckline, but still left plenty of open space for light and skin to play. Is it just me or do these award shows need some necklaces? There are simply too many empty necklines begging for some bling!
My bead savvy version is made of Beadalon satin silver wire and
SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystals. You can bet your sweet bippy this one is a
lot more pocketbook friendly than the diamond and platinum version!
You don’t even need a red carpet to wear this one. Heck, sport this to
the grocery store with a matching tiara and watch the paparazzi flash
bulbs fly!
Designer Note: Make this longer or shorter, vary the lengths or change
up the color palette to suit your personal style. I’m a big believer in
embracing your unique eye for design.
Finished Lengths:
Necklace: 18” with chain at final loop
Earrings: 2.5” from top of ear wire to end
Materials
12mm crystal SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS cosmic ring
45 4mm crystal ab SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS bicones
18 6mm crystal ab SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rounds
13 8mm crystal ab SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rounds
208 4mm crystal ab SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rounds
2 9x6mm crystal ab SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS briolettes
1 large silver plated swivel lobster clasp
3 6mm silver plated jump rings
1 10mm silver plated jump ring
15 silver plated head pins
1 5” length silver plated elongated cable chain
18 silver plated size 2 crimp tubes
2 dapped silver plated French wires
.015 Satin Silver Beadalon wire
2 silver plated loop crimp ends or EZ-Crimp ends
Tools
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters
Bead Board
Finished size 15-18” inches with extender chain
1. It really helps to get the core of this design on your bead board so you don’t skip any beads while you’re working along the design. Here is the core necklace pattern: Start with 8 4mm rounds then use the following pattern: 6mm round, 2 4mm rounds, 6mm round, 3 4mm rounds, 6mm round, 2 4mm rounds, 6mm round and continue working around the board until you’ve added your ninth 3 4/6/4mm segment. Follow with 8 4mm rounds.
2. Create 4 beaded head pins each with a 6mm crystal round on the bottom followed by 4 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.
3. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm round on the bottom followed by 5 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.
4. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm round on the bottom followed by 6 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.
5. Create 1 beaded head pin with a 6mm round on the bottom followed by 7 4mm bicones. Loop the top.
6. Attach a 20” length of .015 Satin Silver wire to your lobster clasp with a loop crimp end using your chain nose pliers
7. Add your first 8 4mm rounds to the wire. Cut off a 3” segment of wire and create a small loop by threading the wire into a crimp tube. Use chain nose pliers to smash tube flat. Add 13 4mm rounds to the wire. Thread wire into a second crimp tube and round wire so it’s not too stiff, then thread wire into crimp tube leaving a small loop before smashing flat with chain nose pliers.
8. Thread the first loop on wire. Add a 6mm round, a 4mm round and thread on your smallest beaded loop top head pin, add another 4mm round, a 6mm round. Thread the second loop of your bead swag on your wire. This is your first mini beaded swag. Add three 4mm rounds before starting your next swag, which is the same length as the first.
9. This is your pattern for swags along the necklace. Each swag is inserted before and after your 6mm rounds. The swags graduate in size along with the beaded head pins with the first and last two swags each being 13 rounds long. Here is your pattern: 15 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 5 4mm rounds, 19 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 6 4mm rounds and center of necklace is a 25 4mm round swag with a 7 4mm round loop top dangle. Repeat pattern in mirror of first side.
10. When you reach your final swag, add 8 final 4mm rounds and secure your necklace closed using your chain nose pliers and a loop crimp end. Add a jump ring to this loop crimp end. You’ll need to cut the wire to fit inside of the loop crimp, you can opt to use an EZ-Crimp end or traditional crimps concealed with crimp covers.
11. Attach a 3” section of elongated cable chain to the jump ring side of your clasp.
12. Slide a cosmic crystal on a 10mm jump ring and attach to the end of your chain.
13. Create coordinating earrings by cutting the head off of 2 headpins and sliding a 4mm round, 6mm round and 4mm round on and looping the top and bottom of each with round nose pliers. Attach the top of the segment to the bottom of each subsequent beaded segment. Add a briolette on a jump ring to one end of your segment. Attach an ear wire to the opposite end. Repeat for second earring.
How to Use Crimping Pliers
One of the highlights for the Jewel School workshop was Drew Potter’s class on unusual findings. Drew is a sales expert for Beadalon and was known at Jewel School as "Mr. Beadalon". Drew expertly taught us to use findings and took the time to give demonstrations. He is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge gathered while owning his own bead store for years. One of the points he made during the class was how so many jewelry makers are using the bead crimp tool improperly. We thought we would share Drew's advice with you!
Drew explained that he personally took instruction on how to use the tool from the man that developed it. He says using the tool is as easy as these three steps:
Step 1- Place the crimp tube in the first or outer jaw of the pliers, keeping the wires parallel. Squeeze the pliers firmly on the tube.
Step 2 - Move the now oval shaped crimp into the second groove which has a crescent shape. Squeeze the crimp pliers again.
Step 3 - Return the crimp to the outer jaw, give it a quarter turn and squeeze the crimp again. Now, the crimp is round. To make it look even more finished, cover it with a crimp cover and squeeze the cover until both ends are touching but not overlapping.
The crimping tool is used with crimp tubes and beads which are designed
to give a clasp a secure connection and add a professional appearance to
a finished piece of jewelry. The beading wire that runs through the
tubes will be firmly encased in the crimp tube with a nice round or oval
appearance. It makes for a smoother design and is enhanced when a
crimp cover is placed over the crimp. (Crimp tubes and the beads are
available in several sizes and colors for use in a variety of projects.
There are also different sizes of crimping tools to accommodate the
various crimp tube sizes, but the standard size works well for
projects.)
