HELLO VISITORS

Hello: My name is Jacqueline Marchant. I am a Jewelry designer /creator and book reviewer for some very famous crafting publishing companies. When you check out my book reviews you will learn who they are. In these reviews you will receive loads of information and my feelings about the publication. I have learned an extraodinary amount about all the many facets and mediums in designing and creating jewelry from these books and I am over the moon that I have them to refer to , they have been a god send to me. IN THIS BLOG YOU WILL FIND TONS OF INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS I HAVE FOUND IN MY SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE,THESE VIDEOS HAVE BEEN GRACIOUSLY SUPPLIED ONLINE FOR US ALL TO LEARN FROM BY SOME VERY TALENTED, BRILLIANT ARTIST. i HAVE LEARNED FROM THESE VARIOUS VIDEOS FROM YOU TUBE AND OTHER PLACES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AND PLACE THEM ON MY BLOG SO I CAN READLY REFER TO THEM FROM TIME TO TIME AND I HOPE YOU FIND THEM HELPFUL ALSO, I HOPE TO ONE DAY BE AS BRILLIANT AS THESE VIDEO TEACHERS.To learn more from these various artist just click on title of videos to link to all their other tutorials...thank you ... YOU WILL ALSO SEE SOME PICS OF MY WORK, AND SOME OF MY ADVENTURES. I ALSO LIKE INCLUDING OTHER ARTISANS SITES FOR YOU TO EXPLORE. I FIND THE MORE YOU EXPLORE THE MORE YOU LEARN AND BY DOING THIS YOU GET INSPIRATION TO CREATE YOUR VERY OWN ONE OF A KIND MASTERPIECE. HOPE YOU ENJOY MY BLOG AND COME BACK AGAIN . WHILE HERE PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JOIN MY BLOG.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY......BYE FOR NOW, JACQUELINE MARCHANT

Friday, June 29, 2012

Polymer Clay Surface Decoration Acrylic Ink Effect.wmv

Thursday, June 28, 2012

LIFE HAS BEEN SO BUSY

Sorry bloggers haven't been around as much. I have been so darn busy with these home renovations, my book reviews . I haven't been able to design anything lately as all is boxed up so room can be done. But it will be totally worth it in the long run. So hang in there with me. Even though haven't had many new post, there is still loads and loads to look at and read see my archives. I will be back on the blogging trail soon and you want be able to shut me up. Thank you one and all for your support and don't forget to follow my blog . bye for now and Happy beading to you all

Friday, June 22, 2012

Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry signed book giveaway! « Lark Crafts Lark Crafts

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

30-MINUTE BRACELETS by MARTHE LE VAN

30-MINUTE BRACELETS by Marthe Le Van published by LARK CRAFTS An Imprint of STERLING PUBLISHING CO.,INC 136 page paperback publication. On the first three pages you are treated to a small picture of each of the 60 projects. On Page 9 you will notice two complete list of items needed to create the projects in this book. List one is The BENCH TOOL KIT. List two is The SOLDERING KIT. So grab your pocketbook and lets go shopping.

On Page 10 project one begins. At the top of each project you will notice a little get ready list of techniques used to create the project. EXAMPLE: PROJECT 1 GET READY: SAWING. FILING. HAMMERING. BENDING. Each project has their own get ready list of techniques used. Project 60 ends on page 129. Starting on page 130 and ending on page 133 you are treated to information about all of the contributing designers. On page 135 we learn that the author MARTHE LE VAN is a jewelry, metals, and beading editor for LARK JEWELRY AND BEADING. Since 2000, she has written, edited, juried, or curated more than 60 books. Here are a few individual pictures of a few of the projects in this book.

I loved this book of brilliant and stunning bracelets as much as I did the, BOOK OF RINGS, THE BOOK OF EARRINGS AND THE BOOK OF NECKLACES. Marthe Le Van's expert experience shines in her layout of these 60 projects with written step by step instructions. Regardless how long it will take each of you to create these pieces, in the end you will have an awesome piece of bling to flaunt. Even if you don't love each project, you will learn new techniques while constructing them and will come to appreciate the artistic brilliance in each piece. So as the book says, and I quote,"SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? PICK A PROJECT AND SET THE TIMER. MAKE A FABULOUS FASHION STATEMENT...FAST."

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

30-MINUTE RINGS by MARTHE LE VAN

30-Minute Rings by Marthe Le Van, published by Lark Crafts an Imprint of Sterling Publishing. This Brilliant 136 page paperback book begins with pics of each project. On page nine you receive 2 list of supplies you will need to do all these projects. List one is a BENCH TOOL KIT and list two is a SOLDERING KIT. So get ready for a little trip to the store. On page ten the 60 projects begin with written step by step instructions and continue through pages 128 and 129 where the last project is completed. On pages 130-134 you are treated to a brief designing history of each designer.

After reading this stunning book I was totally inspired. Within these 60 projects I found a lot of designs I truly loved and could see myself wearing . There were designs I couldn't see myself wearing but I totally appreciated the artistic value of them. There are projects for beginners through experts. As for taking 30 minutes per project well I think that would depend on each artist. As for me it would take me longer as I am not the fastest horse in the race. I was as mentioned before very inspired with the projects in this book. I am proud to have this awesome book in my crafting library. If you have any question regarding this publication please leave them in the comment area and I will be sure to get back to you with a asap. About the Author: Marthe Le Van is an extremely accomplished jewelry, metal and beading editor for Lark Crafts. Since 2000 she has written, edited , juried or curated more than 30 books.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Altered Dominoes

Domino Jewelry for Scrapbookers, Its easy, watch and see!

Mixing, Pouring and Creating Altered Art Bezels With ICE Resin

Mixed Media Technique - Faux Cloisonne

How to Make Polymer Clay Bead Necklaces : How to Make Polymer Clay Pendants

Saturday, June 16, 2012

30-MINUTE EARRINGS By MARTHE LE VAN

In the beginning of this 138 page paperback book you will see 3 pages of brilliant pictures of all 60 projects. There is also an introduction which is loaded with good words of advice , and I quote. " So what are you waiting for? Step outside yourself, trust your instincts, and turn the page. The clock is ticking." ... So what I take from this quote is: Throw you creative inhibitions out the door. Just sit down and go for it. The sky is the limit. Put your imagination to the test. In 30 Minutes. After the introduction you receive 2 list of items you will need to create these projects.

Time to go shopping.... Then the projects begin. Below see a few pics of just a few of the projects . Sorry I couldn't show you all of them .

Along with the picture of each project you get step by step written instructions. There are no step by step photos. There are 46 different Jewelers who contributed to these 60 projects . Designers such as Amanda Shero Granstrom , Anjanette Randolph, Heather Crossley, Nancy Wickman and Ann L. Lumsden just to mention a few. After an afternoon of reading and pondering. I found projects for all levels of jewelers. I saw projects I absolutely loved and I saw those I didn't love. Although I greatly appreciated the artistic endeavors of all pieces. There were projects I thought I personally could do in 30 minutes. There were also projects I knew for sure would take me longer than 30 minutes. But no matter how long it takes you , at the end of the day you have a beautiful piece of jewelry to flaunt. As always I was awe struck and completely enjoyed this Lark publication. Once again Marthe Le Van, the senior editor for Jewelry and metals at LARK BOOKS, gave us all a brilliantly written book.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

30-MINUTE NECKLACES by MARTHE LE VAN

30-MINUTE NECKLACES by MARTHE LE VAN , PUBLISHED by LARK BOOKS A DIVISION of STERLING PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marthe Le Van is a jewelry editor for Lark Crafts. Since 2000 she has written, edited, juried or curated more than 40 titles. Marthe is a member of the Art Jewelry Forum, The Society of North Amnerican Goldsmiths and the Precious Metal Clay Guild. ABOUT THE BOOK: What a fabulous collection of designs and designers. This 136 page paper back book gives what it promises and more. There are 60 Outstanding projects. There are a few projects suitable for beginners. There are also projects that are a bit more complex and will require a bit more experience. Before you get to the projects you are treated to 3 pages of pictures of each design. Then on page 8 you receive an introduction. On page 9 there are two list of supplies you will need to do these projects...List one : BENCH TOOL KIT List two: SOLDERING KIT...I can't imagine having all these items on hand , but hey I love to shop. On page 10-129 the projects begin. Then on pages 130-134 you will learn about each contributing designer. Page 135 is about the author and acknowledgement and page 136 is the designer index.

I found this book to be simply brilliant. I do however feel that some of the projects would take me longer than 30 minutes to complete. But I am not the fastest horse in the race. Every project isn't suitable for beginners. Some of the designs I loved and would wear proudly while others I couldn't see myself wearing. I did however greatly appreciate the artistry displayed in each piece.

Bulletin Board ReVamp

Beadphoria: Spring Cleaning Bulletin Board Redux

by Beadphoria

Happy (almost) Spring, Beadphoria friends! With this being the first Monday of the month, it is time for the Designer Crafts Blog Hop! The theme this month is March, and what it means to you. For me, March means the arrival of spring. A time for renewal. What was once barren is now brought back to life.

With the feeling of being renewed, we often want to bring beauty into our surroundings. One way we can do this is by doing some spring cleaning. This simple project will bring new life to a boring bulletin board and it will help organize your jewelry!

The bulletin board pictured above had been on the wall of the Beadphoria, Inc. for quite awhile. It became one of those things that you see, but didn't look at every day. As you can see, it was in desperate need of a makeover.

Materials for the spring cleaning makeover

Here are the materials we used:

-Bulletin Board

-Fabric Remnant

-Brown Velvet Ribbon

-Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

-Picture Hangers

The fabric was spread out onto the floor and the bulletin board placed in the middle.

Next, hot glue was put onto the frame on the back of the bulletin board to hold the fabric in place. From there, we flipped the bulletin board over. Using the glue gun, we tacked the brown ribbon in place around the edge of the frame.

How much prettier is that!

Of course the work had to be inspected by our quality control manager and customer service rep, Lola.

We placed the bulletin board back on the wall, and started putting the picture hooks in.

Close up of the picture hooks.

Only thing left was to add the jewelry!

We now have a beautiful showcase for our jewelry with a little bit of spring cleaning effort!

How to cover a bead with peyote stitch

How Do I Cover a Bead with Peyote Stitch?

Nov 20, 2011 by Vanbeads


This spectacular peyote stitch Bloomin' Bead was designed by Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers.

Beaded beads are fascinating for so many reasons. It's more of that Zen-like quality of beadweaving for me: imagine making a bead out of beads! Where does one bead stop and the next bead begin?

Before I get completely off topic, let's talk about covering a bead with beadweaving to make a beaded bead. It's a fabulous way to turn ordinary wood beads into something spectacular, and these little peyote-stitch beading projects usually don't take a lot of time to finish.

To make your own peyote-stitch-covered beaded bead, you'll need the following tools and materials:

Round wood beads. Start with round beads at first, since their shape makes it easy to shape peyote stitch around them. For this tutorial, I used a 20mm round wood bead that I found in an assortment from my local craft supply store.
A small strip of double-sided tape, also available at your local craft supply store.
2 grams of Japanese cylinder beads, size 11^o in color to match or contrast with your wood bead.
1 gram of size 15^o seed beads in a color to match or contrast with your cylinder beads.
Beading thread of your choice (6 lb Fireline recommended).
Size 12 beading needle.
Scissors or thread cutter.
Additional beads for embellishment, if desired: fringe beads, drops, daggers, bugle beads, or larger seed beads.

Let's get started! Here's how to cover your wood bead with peyote stitch in ten easy steps:

		1. Take a small strip of double-sided tape and wrap it around the center of your wood bead. This will hold your first few rows of peyote stitch securely in place and will also provide an anchor for your finished peyote-stitched beaded bead.

		2. Pick up an even number of cylinder beads. Always make sure you have an even number of beads before stitching so that your rows are even as you go. Tubular even-count peyote stitch requires that little "step up" at the end of each round! 3. Pass through the first bead picked up again and pull snugly so that you form a tight ring around your wood bead on the double-sided tape.

		4. Start working in tubular even-count peyote stitch until the beadwork starts to pull away a bit from the wood bead. You can flip the bead over and work some peyote stitch on the other side to keep your tension even and tight.

		5. Stitch a size 15^o seed bead in the first stitch and then alternate cylinder beads and size 15^o seed beads for one round. 6. Add a size 15^o in every stitch for two rounds. 7. Stitch a size 15^o in the first stitch and then make a decrease. (Pass through the next 2 beads and pull snugly.) Repeat around.

		8. Pick up beads for netting: 1 size 15^o, 1 cylinder bead, and 1 size 15^o. Pass through the next "up" bead in the round.

		9. Pass through the first two beads added at the beginning of the previous round. Work peyote stitch through the cylinder beads from the previous step until the opening begins to close up a little. Work peyote stitch for a total of three rounds.

		10. To secure the last row, pass through all the beads in the round just added and pull. Weave your thread into the beadweaving, tie a few knots, weave in a bit more, and trim. Repeat for the other side of the beaded bead.

		You can either leave your beaded bead as it is or add some fancy beaded embellishment. Try covering your beaded bead with beaded netting, stitching a pattern of bugle beads around the center of the bead, or adding fringe beads or daggers to the ends of your beaded bead. The sky is the limit when it comes to embellishing these little beauties!

A tip for maintaining even tension when working peyote stitch around this kind of beaded bead: when you pass through the first bead in Step 3, leave a thread tail that is approximately one-half the length of your beading thread. This way, you can flip the bead over and work peyote stitch on the other side of the bead without having to add a new thread!