The Search For Stones

by Maria of MariaMaria

In being an artist/crafter, I find I am always looking to re-purpose items or find new items at an inexpensive cost while creating quality items. I love making jewelry and embellishing them with stones. Here are a few ways to obtain stones at the least cost to you:

1. I have personally lost many an earring (most women have ). If by chance it belonged to a pair that had stones these can be used in your current jewelry making projects.

2. Thrift stores, always a good choice for re-purpose jewelry - try your local stores.

3. Shopgoodwill.com a great source for stones, tools and other craft items. You can search specifically for the items your looking for, or under various sections like Crafts/Hobbies, Jewelry, Tools. Research the web for retail prices and set your limits to what you will pay for an item.

4. Propertyroom.com is my best source for semi-precious, precious stones and Swarovski stones. Some of the precious stones even come with gemologist certifications. You can search under Jewelry and look under Loose Stones - also check in the Apparel section under Women's Accessories. The last section you can check under is Other, Art Collectibles/Other. Read the listings carefully to determine if they are natural or lab created stones; set your limits and bid accordingly. Note: they usually have multiples of items or lots you may be looking at, so if you missed out on something, try back again and be mindful of this when bidding.

You can find Maria's Inspirational Jewelry at MariaMaria or http://word2liveby.com

The Vintage Art of French Beading

By Crystal Leslie of Ayana Creations

There are two methods that can be used to make beaded flowers, the Victorian method, also known as the English or Russian method, and the French method. The main difference is that in the Victorian method, the thread or wire passes through each bead twice or more, and the wire passes from row to row on the sides of the petal or leaf. With the French method, the wire passes through each bead only once, and passes from row to row in the center of the individual piece.





I use the French beading method to create my flowers. Thousands of tiny seed beads are strung onto flexible wire and shaped into various flower components. These parts come to life when they are crafted to make flowers and foliage. Next the stems are wrapped with floral tape. The stems can also be wrapped embroidery thread or beads for a more dramatic effect. I prefer embroidery floss because it has a silky finish.