Angel Pendant Tutorial.

The basic design behind this pendant is using a head pin with beads to make a pendant. Choose the right beads and you have an angel :)

You will need :-

1 head pin
1 x 6mm rose quartz bead
1 x heart shaped silver lined glass bead
1 x wings spacer bead
2 x daisy spacer bead 4mm
1 x 5mm jump ring
1 x ready made chain.





1. Thread on a daisy spacer bead, your heart bead (upside down), wing spacer followed by rose quartz bead.

2. Bend the head pin to form a right angle using round nosed pliers. Trim the end to 1cm from the bend and thread on the other daisy spacer for the halo.

3. Hold the very end of the pin with your pliers and roll over to form a loop. Open a 5mm jump ring and thread on to loop. Close the loop remembering to work harden by opening and closing slightly a couple of times. If you are unsure about turning loops and using jump rings see beaded and simple earring tutorials.

All you need now is to hang it on a chain :)

Sometimes you may find that the end of your glass bead doesn't sit under the wings very well. In that case, add a seed bead between the two

In the other angels pictured I have changed heart beads for teardrops and some faces for swarovski round faceted crystals. When designing your own, check the balance of sizes of all the parts.

I like to use the small crystal angels as decorations for the tree at Christmas, or hang them in the window to catch the light.

Of course you don't have to make angels, so here is another idea :)

This one uses 6mm Fern green Swarovski Xillion bicones with a pale pink silver lined heart.

Hope you enjoy trying this one, Happy Crafting :)

How to make a Memory Wire bracelet.

Entered in Emma's Crafty Challenge
My Craft Creations 2 colours black and silver.


I love memory wire bracelets because they are so easy to wear. Just open out and wrap round your wrist where they keep their shape. They work for any size wrist.

This is a very easy project, the only tricky part is rolling the loop.

You will need

40 8mm Black Onyx beads
40 3mm silver plated spacer beads
2 x metal rope beads
1 x charm, 1 x jump ring
2 x head pins
2.5 coils memory wire

Heavy duty or memory wire cutters, round nosed pliers.


1. I buy my memory wire in one long slinky and cut off what I need for each project. In this case, cut off about 2.5 rounds. Roll the end over to form a loop using round nosed pliers. The memory wire is quite tough so you need to roll it over the pliers firmly. Adjust the holding position on the loop if you need to. (Alternatively you can buy end stops that glue in place with E6000 ).











2. Thread on your beads, reserving 2 spacers and one onyx bead for the dangle. Start with a metal rope followed by an onyx bead then a spacer. Carry on adding an onyx followed by a spacer until you are near the end, finishing with an onyx bead then a metal rope bead. Cut the memory wire to leave half an inch sticking out, roll this with your pliers to match the loop at the start.

3. Make a dangle. These are made in the same way as the beaded earrings. Take a head pin, thread with spacer bead and onyx bead, bend pin to right angle, thread on spacer bead and turn loop. Open the loop slightly and attach to one loop on the bracelet.

4. Open a 5mm jump ring, thread on a charm, thread the jump ring through the other bracelet end loop and close the jump ring. Make sure to wiggle the jump ring back and forth when closing to work harden it.

And that's it :) This project has endless design possibilities for completely different looks. The only thing to remember is not to use beads that are too long as they may break from the stress of the memory wire.

Have fun with this one and do let me know how you get on. Happy Crafting :)

Quick and Simple Beaded Bracelet

I probably don't make bracelets as often as I should - it seems they take so much longer than pendants or earrings. This tutorial is for a very simple design that, as always, can be altered with different beads and clasps to create you own style.


1 x bar and loop clasp
10 x Swarovski 6mm round crystal beads (B)
4 x Swarovski Purple round crystal beads (C)
5 x Swarovski crystal 5mm bicones (D)
20 x 4mm marbled glass beads (A)
2 x 5mm metal rope  beads
2 x crimp beads
10" tiger tail.

Optional hand made silk flower.

Flat nosed or crimping pliers.

1. Thread a crimp bead and the T bar from the clasp onto the tiger tail. Thread the tail end back through the crimp bead.....

.... pull up the crimp bead to leave the loop small and neat and about half an inch of tiger tail after the crimp. Close the crimp bead firmly,

2. Thread on your beads, starting with one of the metal rope beads. I used the pattern
ABACABAD and repeated. When your bracelet is long enough (about 7.5 inches), follow an A bead with the other metal bead and the crimp bead.

3. Thread on the loop part of the clasp and thread the tiger tail back through the crimp bead and the metal bead. pull the tiger tail through until the loop is small and neat but not too tight. Close the crimp bead just a couple of millimetres above the last bead.

Trim any left over tiger tail to about half an inch and thread through a couple of beads to cover.

You could finish there, but I spotted a perfectly coloured silk flower I had yet to add a pin to as a brooch. I sewed it to the loop on the clasp ring and finished there.

Any left over beads? Why not make some earrings to match :)

Happy Crafting and I would love to see what you make :)

Entered in

Hotshot Craft anything but a card

Make in a Minute Beaded Earrings

These are absolutely the easiest earrings to make short of hanging a charm off an ear wire. Learning just one technique opens up the world of beaded jewellery. The only limit is your imagination.

For this project you will need

2 x head pins
2 x daisy spacer beads
2 x seed beads
2 x focal beads
2 x ear hooks/wires.

Round nosed pliers


1. On to your head pin thread one daisy spacer and one focal bead.

2. Bend the head pin to ninety degrees over the tip of your pliers.

 3. Add the seed bead, threading carefully round the bend. Cut the head pin to 1cm after the bend.

4. Hold the very end of the head pin with your pliers as shown, bead pointing down.

5. Now roll the pin over the pliers ( or roll the pliers towards the bead if you prefer).....

...... until the tip of the pin meets itself, forming the loop. ( note that I have left off the seed bead to make the photography easier )

6. Open the loop you have formed slightly sideways as you would a jump ring, and thread on your ear hook. Close the loop giving a couple of wiggles back and forth to work harden.

Now make your second one in the same way and you have a simple pair of earrings to wear any time.

TOP TIP When making your loops, you want the end of the head pin to meet at the bend. To do this you need to roll the pin at the right place on your pliers. On mine it's about half way down, but not all pliers are the same. To find the spot on yours, thread on a 5mm jump ring and see where it sits. Your ring should be rolled at a position about half way between there and the end of your pliers. Try it a couple of times before you make your project to get the feel for it.

Happy Crafting and I would love to see what you make :)

Magical Spring

Today is incredibly windy here in Staffordshire, but no snow and the temperature is not too bad, although it is supposed to be colder tomorrow. However it always gets me to thinking of spring when there is even a hint of sunshine and longer days.
It's my favourite time of year. It seems so magical as tiny shoots push up out of the ground and burst into flower. Bright colours abound, leaves unfurl and the air is full of the twitter and song of tiny birds. Everything seems suddenly busy, the days longer, the nights less dark.

                                                                    Young leaves on Rhus

 Apple Blossom

                                                                  Poppy









It's a time when the light is fresh and beautiful and natures miracles are all around us. I can never resist getting my camera out even if it's only for a wander in the garden. All the pictures above were from my garden last year.

Azalea

                                                                         Bluebell

Water Lillies





A trip out to a local garden at Gregynog brings more treats later in the spring.

I am a long way from both my old garden and the places I used to visit, so this year I will have to discover new places to wander and photograph...... I can't wait :)

Very Easy Earrings Tutorial.

This tutorial has been photographed making the pair of earrings opposite but is the basis for an endless set of designs - just choose your own beads and colours.

You will need

2 x Eyepins
2 x 10mm crystal heart pendants
8 x silver lined seed beads
4 x 4mm clear AB bicones
2 x lavender 6mm crystal cushion beads
2 x 5mm jump rings
2 x 7mm jump rings
2 x ear hooks.

Pair round nosed pliers, pair wire cutters ( or all in one tool )




1. Thread on to your eyepin 1 seed bead, 1 bicone, 1 seed bead, 1 cushion bead, 1 seed bead, one bicone. Don't thread your last seed bead yet :)
















2. Take hold of the eyepin with the tip of your round nose pliers as close as you can to the last bead and bend it round the pliers to form a right angle bend. Now you can add the last seed bead.

3. Using the cutters, trim the length from the bend to 1cm. Now comes the only bit that takes a little practice. Using the round nose pliers, hold the very end of the eyepin so that the beaded part is pointing away from you and down. Hold the beaded part close to the bend and roll it towards you over the pliers until the bend meets the end of the pin. This forms a loop. It is worth trying this a few times on a spare pin till you get used to the position on your pliers you should perform the roll. Make the loop too small and the loop will be off centre, too large and it will not make a closed circle. Some people prefer to hold the eyepin still and roll their wrists with the pliers. It's up to you which is easiest :)



4. Open a 5mm jump ring and thread on the eyepin and an ear hook. Close the jump ring.













Lastly, open a 7mm jump ring, thread through your heart pendant, then thread on the eyepin. Close the ring and you are finished. If you are not sure about opening and closing jump rings, follow the tip in my shooting star earrings tutorial in the Tuesday Tutorial page.

Now you can make designs with different colours and different beads to suit any outfit, mood or occasion. Why not make up 3 eyepins for each hook. Or use a headpin instead of an eyepin if you don't want a pendant bead on the bottom.

Make the eyepin up without an ear hook and you have a great charm to add to cards with a brad.

Have fun and happy crafting :)

Making Day

I've been having a serious making day today which has meant no computer interruptions :)

First off I made these Memory Wire bracelets. They are very simple to do but take a little time. I like to include something special in each design so there is a mix of silver lined and hand made glass, Swarovski crystal and gemstones.

My favourite is one with Fluorite, silver lined pink glass, Rose quartz and a hand made feature bead with a pink rose pattern inside. I'll have to take a better picture of it than this though :)
Fluorite is a lovely gem stone that varies from palest green to almost turquoise and from lavender to deep purple. Some stones even have both colours in at the same time.

Secondly I made some more hearts within hearts using different colours of Swarovski crystal for each heart. Showing here are Siam red and Aqua AB. These take a little knowledge of wire working to make but are well worth the effort. I used Silver plated wire for these but hung on Sterling silver chain.

Hope you like them :)