The Heart of the Hive

  Those who know fine jewelry, may be familiar with the 5 C's of diamonds.  That got me thinking, what are some of the reasons people might purchase hand-crafted jewelry?   There are some people who will only wear fine jewelry.  And there are others who wear very little jewelry.  In the middle are the individualists who love to wear hand-crafted jewelry.  They peruse the art shops and festivals in search of their next wearable treasure. But why?  What makes handmade jewelry so desirable?  Let's take a look at the 7 C's of Handmade jewelry - and yes, this is my own list from my experience.  There's not much scientific about it. Chic!   Handmade jewelry is usually designed with current trends in mind. Much of the handmade jewelry today is made in a jeweler's home studio and supplies are purchased from local bead shops or specialty shops online.  This enables designers to pivot with the trends.  An example of trendy jewe...

This is a winter necklace is a little thing I whipped up for myself one afternoon.  I thought I'd share a basic how-to for this "Let It Snow" design!  Although it not in my shop at Bee City Studio , there are other necklaces available if you would like to shop now. One nice thing about snow-themed items is you can wear them all winter!  This pendant is inexpensive to make and lots of fun.  The supplies you will need are as follows: Pendant: Mold putty Plastic snow flakes (I got mine at Walmart in an end aisle, displayed with packages of novelty buttons) Polymer Clay - grey, blue, silver or while - I used silver Metallic paints - I used Ice Blue, Midnight Blue White craft paint Varathane Glossy Sealer Tools: Pasta machine (or your fingers, be prepared to really work them) Glass or plexi-glass as a rolling surface Plastic or acrylic rolling tool Round cutter (I used a lid from some candy sprinkles) Hand drill or dremel tool to make the hole after baking  - O...

Recently, I put together this "must-have" tool guide for new jewelry designers!  This guide is for beginners, but we experienced folks have these same tools in our shops - they're that important.   If you don't like scrolling and commentary in between, skip to the video at the end.  You'll be able to adjust the speed if needed - just use the settings button on the video. Thanks for visiting - please leave a comment if you enjoy the guide, have questions, or have other suggestions!   If you want to browse or purchase jewelry, visit my store and shop now.   So glad you're here at the Heart of the Hive!  I think this will be valuable information for new jewelry designers! Nearly 20 years ago my friend open a bead store and helped me make a pair of earrings.  I was hooked immediately, and knew as a maker and crafter, I had found my niche!  I started with very minimal tools and struggled to find my way.  The whole landscape was new to m...