llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 28, 2004 8:25:58 GMT -5
I have been grinding my rocks - and sometimes my fingers! Got my drill press finally set up. Have several ideas for some jewelry. Heard about several places I can put my stuff on consignment. And have ordered a FireMountain catalog. Now all I need to do is order the stuff and get moving making it! Anyhoo, I have been trying to decide where to start. I don't want to order a bunch of stuff I will end up not using, but want to make sure I get what I need. So, I need some help from you jewelry making gals on what to order and how much! What did ya'll start with? llana
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Post by hermatite on Oct 28, 2004 8:44:20 GMT -5
Hey Llana, you might want to take this to im if you're interested but, if you go to www.firemountaingems.com/ you'll see that they have a great selection of findings and all kinds of stuff...the more you buy the more you save. So here's what I'm thinking, if you find something you'd like share it with me and I'd be willing to go in to increase the amount ordered. Maybe we could get the other jewelry types to do the same thing. Then we could just split the lower cost. The kind of jewelry you're making will depend on the type of findings you want. I'd be happy to help with ideas and I know lots of others would as well. I'd like to open this offer up to anyone else too. We could work out the details I'm sure!
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 28, 2004 8:54:50 GMT -5
good in theory, Herm, but i think what we'd all save in quantity we'd lose in postage.....that gets more expensive by the minute, i swear! llana, you need to start with clasps, bead tips, jump rings, spacers of a few different kinds, bead caps, too. ear wires if you want to make earrings to match. headpins. beads, obviously! glue, string (i use #3 Silkon thread for most things) of a few colors, more later when you see what a difference it can make to some things. a good pair of tweezers and i highly recommend a bead board. it's a start! KD
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Post by hermatite on Oct 28, 2004 9:12:38 GMT -5
darn it... Reality bites! Okay...well... I didn't think postage would be that much. I admit I've lost way too much sleep lately due to the red sox. Anyway...just a thought. Nevermind...nothing to see here...go about your business... move along. Didn't mean to cause unnecessary reading.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Oct 28, 2004 12:37:10 GMT -5
and you might want some leather and satin cord and end connectors to put the clasps on for a more simple necklace.
kim
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 28, 2004 13:49:32 GMT -5
Herm, I am tickled pink that the Red Sox won the Series. I am not a huge baseball fan, but am usually interested in the playoffs. Needless to say, I was rooting for the Astros to go to the Series, but when they lost it was not difficult at all to root for the Red Sox. Hell, I would have rooted for anybody besides the damn Yankees! ;D The only thing better would have been the Astros whipping up on the Yankees! ;D Maybe next year! I appreciate all the advice but still don't know where the heck to start! LOL! I wish they had a starter kit "Jewelry Making for Idiots!". Guess I need to kinda figure out exactly what I want to make - that might help. Maybe it will be easier to figure out when I get the catalog. Should have it by next week and maybe by then I will have something sketched out and an idea of what I want to do so I'll have a better idea of what I need. llana
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Post by hermatite on Oct 28, 2004 13:58:33 GMT -5
Hi Llana...as you can see, I'm not smart enough to know when I'm behind. What kind of jewelry do you want to make? earrings? necklaces? or are you looking at all kinds? What I did was go to the local library and take out everything they had on jewelry making...all kinds...wire wrapping...everything. Even if it wasn't what I wanted to make it gave me an idea of what tools are used for what...even what findings are called what. Once you get the catalogue you'll find lots of ideas. I particularly like the fremountain catalogue for that reason. But it doesn't necessarily tell you what all the parts were that went into assembly, or what tools you'd need. for that I found the books really helpful.
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Post by hermatite on Oct 28, 2004 14:21:09 GMT -5
Also have you tried googling "jewelry kits" or "Jelwelry starter kits"? I know this is pretty obvious. I tried it and came up with a lot of different ideas. I didn't post any sites because I wasn't sure what you have in mind.
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 28, 2004 14:59:54 GMT -5
I wasn't sure what you have in mind.LOL! I'm not even sure what I have in mind! The first piece I am going to try to make is real simple, I think! I just need a couple of nice stones - got them and four short chains. After I get that one done, who knows what I might have on my mind! Scary thought! I have googled for kits yet. Should have done take, but just didn't think about it! DUH! llana
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Post by docone31 on Oct 28, 2004 17:48:03 GMT -5
I took a different route. Instead of getting findings, I made them. I figuired out how to draw silver wire, make jump rings. I figuired out how to planish sterling into bead caps, made a dap block, then I figuired out how to solder with a propane torch instead of a two gas torch. When I do my settings, I either solder one up, or I do wire wrap, or both. A soldered wire wrapped setting can be pretty cool. If you go to Walmart, and go to the tool section, you will find a set of ten "jewelers" screwdrivers. The brand name is benchmate. They have plastic handles, and long bits. If you cut the bit part off, and fine sand the shank, you have the means to make five different size jump rings. With toenail clippers you can make square end jump rings. TA DA!!!! Anyone who can cut stones like you do, can make tools to make findings. Take some pieces of silver wire from trim or other cut offs. Melt it onto a 2X8, sprinkle borax onto it and drop it into pool acid solution. Sodium Bisulfide, found at Walmart in the pool department. Sodium bisulfide is Sparex in a different package. Remove the ball of silver, put it on a flat piece of metal, like a vise jaw, or chunk of steel. Hammer it flat. Heat it, and hammer some more. Take the toenail clippers and clip a pattern. Gently heat it to red. Bend it down on the stone to be set. Voila! Bead cap! Handmade no less. Jewelers keep a lot of secrets by making high mass out of what they do. If you can cut those stones like you do, you can make the findings. I crochet silver wire for necklaces. I make the settings, the findings, the clasps. I sell an handmade piece. You can do it also. It is simpler than it seems. You can do it.
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Post by hermatite on Oct 29, 2004 8:30:56 GMT -5
Yes doc, I thought of making findings too, because it is way simpler than it sounds. I've just tried experimenting with different wire twists and looking at prefab clasps and figuring out how to make my own. It's really simple and just lets your creativity flow. The only drawback I can think of is that you need a set of pliers...now I got a 5-plier set at a craft store for ten bucks to begin with and it was great...so I'd suggest this route too. It's not a lot of cash outlay and then if you decide you want more you can work up to better tools. I also took a class at the local community college that really boosted my confidence in my abilities to make my own stuff. But I can attest to the fact that you don't have to be a pro to make your own findings.
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Post by Cher on Oct 29, 2004 12:07:51 GMT -5
Take some pics Herm, inquiring minds want to see please.
Cher
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Post by hermatite on Oct 29, 2004 12:12:03 GMT -5
oh geez...lol...guess I'll have to put up or shut up, eh? I give my stuff away, Cher, but I'll see what I can find.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Oct 29, 2004 12:33:11 GMT -5
yes let us see hermatite!!
kim
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Nov 8, 2004 10:09:26 GMT -5
I got my Fire Mountain catalog and WOW! I was expecting a small magazine like catalog, not one the size of a small town phone book! Too much neat stuff, too little money to buy it all. I sat down and browsed thru it and wrote down all the things I wanted - total cost $478.00. GULP! I whittled down my list a bit - total $328. Whittled and whittled some more, took something off, then decided I might need it, put it back on. Since I don't know exactly what I want to make, it's kinda difficult to figure out what I need. I got frustrated so just set it aside for the time being. Then I thought I would see what I could find on ebay and found the solution to my problem. There are several jewelry making kits up for auction. I am bidding on one that has everything from tools to wire to beads (including a bin of tiger eye beads) to jump rings and spacers. 25 pounds of stuff! I am winning the auction with a day to go and have placed a max bid that has yet to be reached. All the stuff in this kit would cost a whole lot more than my max bid. It may not have exactly the stuff I would really like to have, but I think it will be a good starter kit. Unfortunately it doesn't have a bead board or one of those wire thingy-m-jigs, but I can order them. So, I'm excited and hoping I win the auction
llana
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Post by rockyraccoon on Nov 8, 2004 10:46:53 GMT -5
good luck llana! you are going to love it!
kim
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aquababie19
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2004
Posts: 97
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Post by aquababie19 on Nov 8, 2004 11:39:44 GMT -5
i know i'm late, but i love firemountaingems. i order from them about once or twice a month. i also use two local bead shops as well. i can also get good buys on ebay as well. things i use are: jump rings & split rings crimp beads memory wire ( for wrap chokers) tigertail or accuflex head pins & eye pins silver coated wire, copper wire or sterling silver wire ear wires a good set of beading tools beading board i have enough beads on hand, but i always buy things on sale as well. i also thought i would add a link to my pics i take too. i need to add some new ones...hope this works hpphoto.com/servlet/com.hp.HPGuestLogin?username=aquababie19&password=67268582
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Nov 9, 2004 20:33:59 GMT -5
Kim, I would've loved it if I would have won the auction, but I didn't! BooHoo! Just made me sick when I got home today and saw that I didn't win it. Now I have to get out that FireMountain catalog and try to decide what I want to order. Ya'll have given me a good list to get started with, but how 'about some tips on how much to order of what! That's what I am really having a hard time with. I don't know exactly what all I want to try but I do know I have a couple ideas about a choker type thing. I already have all kinds of wire, including sterling silver, some beads and tools. But I need all those other doo-dads and stuff! Decisions, decisions - oh, help me please! Aquababies, I went and looked at some of your stuff - nice! llana
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Post by rockyraccoon on Nov 9, 2004 22:33:35 GMT -5
llana which things are you having diffictulty deciding how many of?
kim
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aquababie19
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2004
Posts: 97
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Post by aquababie19 on Nov 10, 2004 12:38:20 GMT -5
i think i buy my headpins and eyepins in packs of 100. i keep plenty of these because i use them for earrings and making drops. the earwires i keep in good quantity as well. i also try to keep a variety of clasps on hand. you'll know if you're buying too much thanks @ llango. here's another link to another album. this was stuff i did for a fashion show www.hpphoto.com/servlet/com.hp.HPGuestLogin?username=aquababie19&password=99248301
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