Where to Find Ideas and Assistance for Jewelry Making
Magpie Gemstones formerly provided direct links to interesting jewelry making projects and tutorials. Since the listing of these resources has and will continue to grow and be quite lengthy, I hope that the following information about particular sites will prove more helpful to you.
I’ve attempted to list those internet sites that I found most helpful and include the predominant topics of the sites. While examining the sites, it occurred to me that if I think about the basic purpose of the particular company or site, I’ll have a pretty good idea of what type help they offer us. For example, if the company wants people to buy and use their tools, they will logically provide videos of how to operate what they sell.
Obviously, it is impossible to list all the pertinent sites or everything about each site; so please do not dismiss a site simply because I didn’t mention it or indicate it had the specific information you seek. This is just a beginning to guide you toward solid information.
First, of course, we would enjoy having you peruse our own site at www.magpiegemstones.com. We have been steadily gathering information and writing for you for several years and hope you find the free articles and tutorials about jewelry making and jewelry selling helpful. We will continue to add articles and/or tutorials on a weekly basis. We also encourage you to visit the sites we list here as well as any others you find useful through an internet search. The sites discussed herein are listed in alphabetical order.
Site: Auntie’s Beads
Address: www.auntiesbeads.com
Description: Aunties Beads offers free jewelry making articles, projects, and videos. I didn’t find any projects pertaining to metal work or soldering. They offer some seed bead projects as well as simple wire projects. The videos are relatively short.
Site: Beading Gem
Address: www.beadinggem.com
Description: This site offers a great daily newsletter called The Beading Gem’s Journal. Each day the journal features a different specific jewelry making topic and provides several links to tutorials or videos pertaining to the topic.
Site: Beading Help Web
Address: www.beadinghelpweb.com
Description: This site offers free simple projects categorized as earrings, bracelets, necklaces and wrist-ankle wear. There have not been any recent entries for the blog on this site and it wasn’t possible to determine whether or not it is actively maintained.
Site: Beaducation
Address: www.beaducation.com
Description: Beaducation provides clear free videos that demonstrate how to use the tools and supplies that they sell. For example, you can view how to use texturing hammers, stamps, jewelry saws, etc.
Site: Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Address: www.firemountain.com
Description: This site offers free videos in categories that include wire working (making headpins, wrapping cabs, crochet with wire, etc.) art materials, metal clay, polymer clay, stringing, stone setting, tools and jewelry care.
Site: The Ganoksin Project
Address: www.ganoksin.com
Description: This site describes itself as the complete gem and jewelry making resource. The free videos provided appear to be mainly projects that require a torch for working with metal and wire. The site offers some nice galleries of metal and wire work as well as a huge library of articles and videos called Benchtubes.
Site: Interweave
Address: www.interweave.com
Description: Interweave provides information specific to jewelry making through Jewelry Making Daily and Beading Daily. Both of these have free small downloadable books about various topics including stone settting, wire wrapping projects and peyote and brick stitch patterns. You can gain access to these by joining their mailing lists. When you do this, you receive a daily newsletter containing other information which also alerts you when new downloads are available.
Site: Jewelry Makers Network
Address: www.jewelrymakersnetwork.com
Description: This site has a few, well made free videos such as how to make fine silver ear wires. This might be a site to keep an eye on and see what new information is added.
Site: Jewelry Making Library
Address: www.jewelrymaking-beads-library.com
Description: This site has a vintage look and provides solid information. There are no videos; yet it is a good place to look at the basics.
Site: Rings & Things
Address: www.rings-things.com
Description: Rings & Things provides free jewelry-making formation in the following categories: jewelry-making tips & tricks, colors and fashion trends, general industry terms, and metals. This site has a plethora of information and also provides some “how-to” videos. They do not provide complete projects.
Site: Silver Jewelry
Address: www.silverjewelryinfo.com
Description: This site does not provide “how to” information, but rather shares articles about silver such as Thailand Silver, silver pocket watch cases and their development, etc. I list this site since I think the information provided can be helpful in marketing jewelry.
Site: You Tube
Address: www.youtube.com
Description: This site contains a huge number of videos on jewelry making as well as other topics. You type in a search word, such as soldering or wire wrapping, and the site’s search engine locates appropriate videos.
Dr. Karen Meador
Dreamcatcher Consulting
http://www.dreamcatcherranch.net
www.dreamcatcherdesigns.etsy.com
~~All articles are copyright. You can reprint these articles as long as the original author is sited and a link to their site and this website is included. The name Magpie Gemstones must be used as the hypertext and link to the home page.~~
