Jewel School's Margot Potter Highlights Upcoming Events and Product Debuts on Jewel School by JTV
Hello, Jewel Schoolers! Summertime is here, and it's my favorite time of year for jewelry making! Our beautiful beaded baubles aren't hidden under bulky sweaters or jackets and virtually everything we're wearing provides an opportunity for beaded embellishment. Beaded flip flops or sandals, anyone? I never go out in the sun without a hat; why not bead the brim or make a variety of beaded accents you can temporarily attach to the crown of the hat and change to match your outfit du jour? Know a teen who lives at the pool or the beach? Why not a beaded anklet? Create a beaded lanyard for your sunglasses. Even your tableware can be spruced up with some wire and colorful beads.
The Jewel School Newsletter featured project is a patriotic resin pendant from Lisa Pavelka that is positively perfect for the Fourth of July! Ah, summer, it never lasts long enough for me. I intend to savor every lovely moment of it here in the Smoky Mountains.
Jewelry Television and JTV.com are beyond thrilled to announce the first of many new Jewel School DVDs--set to debut very soon! This DVD is part one of a three-part set focused on a variety of jewelry and jewelry-making techniques that will hopefully get those creative juices flowing. Our first offering is The Art of Making Earrings. It's an hour long and has five projects suited to the beginner, intermediate, and even advanced beader. This particular DVD goes on sale on June 26th, so don't forget to tune in and be first in line to get your copy! Our next selection will feature ArtClay with Jackie Truty, followed by The Art of Making Bracelets--in fact we're working to debut a new DVD every month!
The Jewel School buying team is on the road finding beautiful beads for you. Recently, they visited the Milwaukee Bead and Button show, the world's biggest consumer show for jewelry makers. All the movers and shakers attend to take master classes and stock up on artisan crafted beads. Our team had barely unpacked when they grabbed their passports and headed out the door to China. Jeff and Julie are sourcing new Bead materials our customers will begin to see in late August. We are very excited to work with some of the largest bead factories in the world--this means even greater variety and value in the weeks ahead. Many great surprises ahead as we canvass Asia to serve our customer.
Speaking of bead artisans, we have a terrific list of artists and new products debuting in the upcoming weeks on Jewel School! Create your Style with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassador, Deb Simon, who appears on Jewelry Television's Jewel School broadcast on Sunday, June 26 for EK Success. Another SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassador, Former Step by Step Wire Editor and Beadalon Design Team Member, Leslie Rogalski, will be appearing on Sunday, July 10 to share her passion for seed beading. Watch the Jewel School debut of Chain Maille with Lauren Anderson a.k.a. The Chain Maille Lady, another Beadalon Design Team Member, on Sunday, July 24. We are working on adding more guests in July, so be sure to tune in and see what's new!
And...we're being super sized! Jewel School will be expanding to a four hour show so tune in from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT starting in July!
Jewel School shines its Customer Spotlight on Elizabeth L. this month. Read her inspiring story and see her delightful designs below. If you'd like to share your story, just email us at Jewel.School@JTV.com. We love seeing your work and hearing about your passion for making jewelry! I'm doing a monthly bead challenge so if you'd like to participate, you’ll find the details here for Margot’s Bead Challenge . Come and play with me!
Until next time, happy beading!
- Margot Potter, Jewel School Education and Creative Coordinator
Jewel School Project of the Month - Rockin Resin Patriotic Pendant
Our project this month uses the Lisa Pavelka ROCKIN RESIN KIT, JTV.com item number LPK01. (Already own the kit--order a "refill" accessory kit. jtv.com item number LPK04). We’ve got step-by-step instructions for you to easily whip up this patriotic pendant! You may want to go the jtv.com and view the project video More Resin in the Jewel School videos.
Step 1-Condition and Roll Out the Clay
Work the polymer clay in your hands until it becomes soft and malleable, then roll it out. Lisa is using a ceramic tile as a work surface with parchment paper under the clay so it won’t stick. She’s using an acrylic roller, and the spacer slats from our Art Clay kit (ARTCLY027)to roll it out. You can buy the spacer slats separately (ARTCLY0020). You can also use a pasta machine, but please dedicate it to crafts only after that. After you roll it out, you can take the clay off the parchment paper so it sticks a little to your work surface.
Step 2
Place foil included in the kit over clay (shiny color side up), then rub the foil using a scrap piece of the parchment paper and the flat pads of your fingers to burnish the foil & make it stick. Rub 30 to 60 seconds.
Step 3
Peel off the foil by grabbing the end and pulling off in a lateral motion. Peel it off by pulling across the clay piece with your hand above the work surface. Do not pull up. Do this in a quick motion-- “rip it” as Lisa says.
Step 4
If there are any spots of clay the foil didn’t cover, position the foil back over the piece in the same place. Line everything up like a jigsaw puzzle, burnish it again, then rip it off in a different direction.
Step 5
Remove your piece from the tile by sliding a thin blade under it. The cutter from the Art Clay kit works wonderfully for this (ARTCLY0020).
Step 6
Press the bezel down onto the clay to make a slight indention so you know the size you’ll need to cut out.
Step 7
Use a craft knife and trim inside of the line made by your bezel. Then use your cutter to loosen from your tile. Save your scraps!
Step 8
Brush a little of the polybonder onto the inside of your bezel. Use a few light strokes--less is more!
Step 9
Drop in your clay.
Step 10
Tuck in with your craft knife trimming anywhere your clay is too long.
Step 11
You can add texture and press the clay down with a ball point stylus (this is called stipling). Any rounded tipped tool you have will work. I’ve even used a snippet of a large gauge wire (16g) and curled the end with my round nose pliers.
Step 12
If you want to embellish further, use your craft knife to cut a freehand heart out of your scraps.
Step 13
Add a tiny drop of the polybonder to the heart then place on your clay pendant.
Step 14
Bake @ 250 degrees F for a minimum of 10 to 20 minutes. We use a standard toaster oven, again, dedicated to only craft use.
Step 15
After it cools, pour in your resin. You can fill your bezel completely making the level even with the top of the side walls or even fill it until there’s a nice domed cabochon effect. It’s that thick!
Step 16
Sit your pendant under the UV light for 5 to 10 minutes. You can take it out and it will be hard to the touch, but set it aside somewhere safe to continue curing.
Continue to watch the VOD for a bonus project at end!
Jewel School Customer Spotlight - Elizabeth L., High Point, North Carolina
Our featured Jewel Schooler, Elizabeth L., admits to having a crafty gene that prods her to try new ways of creating jewelry, using her skills in crochet, knitting, sewing, and scrapbooking. With a lifelong passion for collecting gems found in the mountains of her native North Carolina, she easily transitioned to wire wrapping, and that was only the beginning. Elizabeth explains how she uses the available resources to let her creativity run wild!
“I began my love of gemstones with childhood gem mining explorations in the mountains of North Carolina. Slushing through icy water and mud was a vacation! I have grown into a little bit of a rock hound and have passed this love onto my children. I have been able to turn my passion for gemstones and a talent for making unique pieces of jewelry into a business!
“JTV has inspired me by not only having a wonderful collection of loose gems, cabochons, beads, and findings, but also through their extensive collections of jewelry-making tools. Jewel School not only offers these goodies but demonstrates them live on air. If I can see the process, than I can do it at home too!
“So, how did I start making jewelry? It was love at first sight with drusy quartz (pictured left). I bought several pieces and knew that I had to make them into jewelry. I had been watching the Jewel School programs for a while and knew about the wonderful Wire Wrapping DVDs. I bought those DVDs and all the tools and wire that I needed. It was quite easy! I started wire wrapping pieces to give away. I think all my girlfriends, teachers and acquaintances received a wire wrap piece of jewelry from me last year. From that I started selling the pieces I made through my own online shop and through consignment in a local gift shop in my area. My business has really taken off very quickly.
“I fell in love with the wire and crochet pieces by watching the on-demand video by Laura Timmons. Since I’ve been crocheting since I was nine, it seemed like a natural fit! They are just as easy to make as she shows online! My crochet necklaces are my biggest sellers right now and take very little time to make.
“I’ve also invested in the coiling gizmo. I was so excited to open that box and within a couple of hours I made some beautiful beads and earrings. I bought it with the intent of making unusual beads, but it’s expanded to much more! I have also made easy bangle bracelets and earrings as well. There’s a vast amount of projects out there for the gizmo that are easily found by doing an internet search. I am still coming up with interesting ideals to utilize this tool.
“My next expanse in my jewelry making is the Easy Knotter. I am just waiting to have a little time to play with it. Sometimes I let my design ideas roll around in my head for a while before I’m ready to start creating.
“So for anyone out there who is on the fence about starting to make jewelry, I say give it a try! Jewel School and JTV not only offer an array of gemstones, beads and other supplies, but a wealth of teaching knowledge to help get you on your way.”
Elizabeth, thank you for sharing your can-do spirit! You personify the wishes we have for all Jewel School customers! Good luck with your business, EBL Designs, too!
Jewel School Product Spotlight - Wigjig Olympus Peg Kit
Looking for some easy jewelry making ideas? Try the Wigjig Olympus Peg Kit to make intricate designs using a simple tool with pegs and an acrylic board. So easy! You can learn more about it by watching the Jewel School video with Margot and Julianna Hudgins. The kit comes with easy to read instructions, too!
