Hey Jewel Schoolers!
Can you believe summer is just around the corner?! Where does the time go? I can’t believe I’ve been working with Jewel School now for ten months! Time truly does fly when you’re having fun. Gearing up for summer, we’ve got a lovely knotted necklace that is perfect for a bride or anyone attending a summer wedding. Bridal Jewelry is fun to make and if you make your own jewelry to sell, it’s a lucrative niche for the designer. You can use the Easy Knotter or the Beadalon Knotter tool to make these pretty exposed silk necklaces, they’re simple to create and stunning when worn. Speaking of the Easy Knotter, we are thrilled to have Maureen Olivetto back on Jewel School on Thursday, June 2. If you missed out on this incredibly smart tool the first time, now is your chance to get one home and start playing!
We also have the most auspicious return of Katie Hacker with her fun, customizable components on Sunday, May 22. KatieDids are designed to be used with 4mm beads, clay, resin, wire. Wait until you see these innovative and ingenious metal frames you can embellish endlessly! Katie is the host of Beads, Baubles and Jewels on PBS as well as being an author, designer, Beadalon Design team member and an ambassador for Create Your Style with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. Mark those calendars so you don’t miss this show!
I know you’ve all been waiting patiently for the next generation of Jewel School DVDs and I am happy to tell you that the first one is finished editing! We are producing copies as I type and the first DVD should be available on Jewel School in the next month! Stay tuned for our second DVD with Jackie Truty of ArtClay™ and much, much more to come in the future. We’re all tickled sixteen shades of pink around here! We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed making them.
BIG NEWS for Jewel School! We’re moving! Well, figuratively speaking. Beginning Thursday, May 26, both the Thursday and Sunday Jewel School shows will be on air from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT! This means we can invite our West Coast fans to the party! Huzzah!
We are so excited that Julie Evans is now a member of the Jewel School team. She’s lives the art of buying beads and everything else that goes into the Jewel School inventory. That’s great news! Julie’s heading out on buying trips this summer including an international trip to Asia! Read more about this amazing woman further down in the newsletter.
Calling all wire wrappers! Our customer this month is Jacque from Garden City, Kansas! Jacque creates stunning jewelry and has designed a beautiful website featuring wire wrapped pieces. Grandniece Emilee is working it, too! Jacque is in our customer spotlight this month.
Until next time, Jewel Schoolers, happy beading!
Margot Potter, Jewel School Education and Creative Coordinator
Veteran Retail Merchandiser Joins Jewel School™
It is with pleasure we welcome veteran retail merchandiser Julie Evans to the Jewel School team. Since joining the company last month, Julie has added new meaning to the words hit the ground running! On the job two days, she headed out the door to our four day Nashville Southern Women’s Show event and then quickly jumped into a redesign of Gem Gifts all the while getting up to speed with our Jewel School initiatives. As Jewel School Buyer, Julie brings so much to the table including 26 years of solid business experience creating, analyzing, negotiating, and executing strategic business plans in the retail industry.
Please join me in welcoming Julie Evans to Jewel School.
Jeffrey Banks, Jewel School™ Divisional Merchandising Manager
A Message from Julie Evans, New Buyer for Jewel School by JTV
Salute!! Gorgeous Bella Venetian Beads are coming to Jewel School for your up close viewing on Thursday, June 16. Bella mean beautiful in Italian and that may be an understatement. They are sparkling stunners!
Kathy Fox journeys to Italy and selects an assortment of Bella Venetian Beads. Artistically inspired by European opulence, the beads are created by the hands of the finest bead makers in Venice and Murano using secret glass recipes and traditions passed down from generation to generation. The centuries old process of hand forming single glass beads is truly fascinating with a vintage appeal. Venetian Beads use the power of natural light to fashion a colorful dazzle for the eyes. They are truly spectacular. No imitations here!!
Shop with us on June 16 and purchase your own Bella Venetian Glass Beads at an affordable price JTV secured just for Jewel School. You will be amazed at their beauty and inspired to create your own unique pieces of wearable art with these one of a kind glass beads.
Until then, wishing you all things bella!
Julie Evans, Jewel School Buyer
Make Your Own "Something Blue" Bridal Necklace, by Margot Potter for Jewel School
Pearls and sparkling crystals are suspended along baby blue silk in this lovely three strand design that is perfect for the bride. You can hand knot and measure this or use the Easy Knotter, either method works well. Try using EZ-Crimp ends for your knotted designs, they work surprisingly well!
Materials
JLW3053 20 8mm cream freshwater potato pearls
JLW3357B 40 8x5mm faceted cracked crystal rondelles
JLW4728J 80 11/0 clear ab lined seed beads
JSWR130A 3 size 4 Turquoise Silk Spools
JLW1768A 6 sterling silver EZ-Crimp ends
JLW1782A 2 6mm silver tone jump rings
JLW2103A 1 silver tone lobster clasp
Tools
JSKIT001 Beadalon Knotter Tool and Snips
(OR Easy Knotter and scissors)
Instructions
1. Slide needle on silk into an EZ-Crimp End, the needle will need to thread inside of the EZ-Crimp and slide out of the front hole. Slide this down silk about 20” from needle and attach EZ-Crimp with Mighty Crimp Tool.
2. Make a knot flush to the end of the EZ-Crimp. Slide on the following beads: 2mm, 8mm, 2mm, pearl, 2mm, 8mm, 2mm. Make a knot flush to the end of your bead segment.
3. Move down 1.5” and make a knot. Slide on the following beads: 2mm, 8mm, 2mm, pearl, 2mm, 8mm, 2mm. Make a knot flush to the end of your bead segment.
4. Continue moving down 1.5” from each beaded segment for a total of 7 segments. Thread needle into an EZ-Crimp end, threading through the front of the component. Pull silk flush to final knot, use Mighty Crimp Tool to secure silk and cut off excess wire. Repeat this process for a second beaded strand.
5. The third strand starts with a knot followed by a 1.5” space before making your first beaded segment. When you reach your sixth beaded segment, knot and move down 1.5” before attaching EZ-Crimp end.
6. Use chain nose pliers to secure all three strands on a jump ring on both sides. Attach the lobster clasp to the jump ring on one side.
Jewel School Customer Show and Tell - Jacque H.
If you have been looking for just the right moment to try wirewrapping, customer Jacque H. suggests picking up Dale Cougar Armstrong’s book and get going! The result, after a bit of practice, is unique jewelry with your artistic stamp on it!
Jacque is now a confident jewelry creator with a website for selling designs! The family benefits of jewelry making are many because it is often done around the kitchen table. In Jacque’s case, her adorable grandniece Emilee (pictured right) is picking up the skills and creating beautiful work! Here’s more about Jacque’s experiences in jewelry making, in Jacque ’s own words:
“Here is my story of how I came to jewelry making. In the summer time here in Garden City, Kansas, I do landscaping and gardening and get a lot of good ideas from nature for jewelry designs. When winter time comes, I make like a bear and hibernate. It’s a challenge to find things to keep me sane on those long, cold, gray days!
“I crocheted for a long time and loved it but when my fingers started locking up, I couldn’t do that anymore. So, I was looking for a new craft when my niece bought me wire wrapping books for my birthday. I started wire wrapping and beading and the rest is history, as they say! Wire weaving is on my radar, too.
“My daughter thought I was getting way to many pieces so over Christmas she created a web site so I can sell some of my jewelry. I guess it was a long winter! I’ve found a way to help others by donating pieces for local benefits. I used to donate my crocheting; now, I donate jewelry. Friends and family love getting pieces I make just for them."
“The best thing I can tell anyone ready to start wire wrapping is to not be afraid of it and get the Dale Armstrong book. it's wonderful. Jewel school also has some wire wrapping projects. They help a lot too. Jewel school has everything you need for jewelry making; it’s my new one stop shop.
“Making jewelry has kept me from going stir crazy in the winter and it has given me something to share with my great nieces who also now love making jewelry. My 8 year old grandniece Emilee is getting pretty good with wire. I love the time we spend together. Thank you Jewel school.”
Thank you, Jacque! We hear it over and over from our customers. Taking the first step is always the most difficult! After that, the fun and creativity blossom and open up new doors.
We love hearing your stories! Email us at jewel.school@jtv.com. Share photos of your work and we’ll try to get them on the air for all to see!
