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30 Necklace Tips and More in The Best of Stringing Magazine Have you done something really interesting in your jewelry-making lately? Perhaps you found a unique way to attach a pendant or discovered a new trick for incorporating a clasp? I've been in...

A few short years ago I decided to quit my day job and attend culinary school. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly on a whim, but I had finally decided to follow my passion and learn the art of creating beautiful cakes and pastries. Although I learned how important it is to work neatly and to mise en place my ingredients ahead of time, by far the biggest—and most challenging—lesson I learned is what Chef Elizabeth called the Ta-Da moment. ...

I may be the owner of the last reversible skirt in America. To be honest, I've only worn it with the pattened side showing, but I love the idea that I could wear the plain blue side showing if the mood ever struck. I especially enjoy packing that skirt for trips. It lets me pretend that I'm one of those über clever folks who know how to make 27 outfits out of 3 items of clothing and a scarf....

Recently, Stringing editor Danielle Fox and I were marveling over a necklace that had been submitted to the summer issue by sisters Silvija and Taya Koschnick. It was so simple, yet very appealing, the kind of piece that both of us would feel comfortable wearing often, even though our personal styles are quite different. While there were many other designs that were more complicated or technically difficult, this simple necklace stood out in a good way and reminded me that simple projects aren't necessarily simple to design. It's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more is better, especially if you sell your work. Remember, the worth of your design is not just in the materials, but the design skill you bring to it. ...

A Lifetime Supply of Wire When I started working with wire, my local bead shop talked me into a 20-foot spool of silver craft wire for practicing wrapped loops. I left there convinced that I had bought a "lifetime" supply of wire. It took me forever to...

Have you ever created a necklace with more than one focal bead? When I saw Katie Hacker's free Perfect Pinwheels necklace from Beadwork, I admired how she managed to use more than one large bead in her asymmetrical necklace. While I've combined smaller beads together to make larger pendants, I've never used multiple large focal beads in a single design. The key seems to be to use two different sizes of focals if you are placing them next to one another. Otherwise, spread them out throughout the necklace for balance....

I have a sick kid at home today. She’s barking like a seal, but she doesn’t have a fever so she’s got just enough energy to knock on my office door every half hour. Not too conducive to the technical editing I’m doing this week. So I put her to good use by asking her to organize my jewelry “vault”—the nearly bed-size plastic box where I keep most of my finished jewelry. ...

A few years ago I tried to make beads from ribbons. Sounds pretty easy, right? Cut a piece of ribbon, roll it up, and glue it. What could possibly go wrong? (How much time do you have?) My beads came apart at the seams and they were easily squashed. I couldn't figure out how much ribbon should overlap on the seam or what type of adhesive I should use. It's safe to say I was very intrigued when I saw Kristal Wick's new book, Fabulous Fabric Beads. Here was an artist who made and sold fabric beads for a living--if I still couldn't figure out how to make a good fabric (or ribbon) bead with this book, then I would just give up!...