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Wondering if I've given up learning making of jewelry after disappearing for almost 3 months? Of course not! It's just that I have to temporary give up what I wanted to do for something that I need to do. Alright, moving on~ it's high time I should really work on my basic knowledge for jewelry making. After this, promise that I'll get myself a set of the basic tools for some hands-on mini jewelry making projects. Life has been roller-coasting during these few months with extreme stress during exams, relaxation after exams, grumpiness back at work, frustration during work and happiness during joyous events.
I do not complain for the unhappiness created as everyone serves a purpose in life. It's what they have to do and who they are, where no one is ever perfect. It is the mixture of flaws that allows my life to be able to experience the ups-and-downs. Imagine if everyone is perfect and serves the same purpose, our life will be too plain sailing, and bored as time passes by...
We are here to compliment each other, improvise and complete each others life by doing what we are supposed to be. Parents' role is to teach the child, a child is to learn and the government is to set laws for the citizens and eventually; function as a guide for the parents to teach the child on what is correct/wrong.Just as people, jewelry making involves various kind of tools that are needed to come together in a project, to make the right piece of jewelry for the perfect someone.
Let's get started with the functions of some of the basic tools:
Round Nose pliers: Close loops, hold small jewelry and close jumpings. Chain Nose pliers: Gripping and reaching into tight places, used to open/close jumprings, bend wire or as that extra set of fingers.
Flat Nose pliers: For sharp bends, flattening wire/metal and flat surface will hold jewelry component without marring.
Bent Chain Nose pliers: Do everything chain nose pliers do but have a bent tip. that allows you to hold or reach into those more difficult angles.
End Cutting pliers:Use for cutting wires - cuts flush
Beader's Tool kit: Round-nose, bent-tip, needle-nose and flat-nose pliers, side and end cutters. An awl, tweezers, millimeter gauge and ruler complete the kit, all secured in a black vinyl case.
Just as the complex relationships, these are only the first level of tools required to compliment the whole process.
8:14 AM
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Tools Basics: Tools that makes things right
For something to be perfect, it needs to be complement by other factors and I would say, one of the most important is factor are forces from external channels. Humans are one of the best examples to quote as no one will be perfect if he/she is living in their own world. It is through other's coaching, experiences, criticisms, encouragements, motivations, rewards and punishments that made one stronger and complete. Without these external forces, we will still be who we are in our own delusive world. We won't be who we are today, and achieve what we had and could have in future.
These factors revolve around us at various environment and we were being tuned right from different exposures. We are always on the go to learn and change to be a better person everyday. Slight changes happen in oneself everyday through incidents encountered and we might not even noticed it. Over time, it's those daily things that matters and change us. We might still not be perfect at the end of the day, but we will definitely be a fine piece of work welded for admiration and appreciation through the right means.
This implies to perfecting a fine piece of jewelery too. In order to be perfect, a gem will just be a gem; and a chain just a chain. It is the process that we make them go through, tools we used and methods on the gem and chain that makes a difference. With proper management and care, it will be a nice piece of artwork to be completed. We should never use a tool too rough or strong to spoil the Gem nor use gentle tool to cut the chain, as it would only leave the chain with different cutting marks dangling around heart-heartened.
Hence, a right tool must always be used for the right materials on each occasion for any jewel making process...
12:43 AM
Saturday, October 6, 2007
The Metal Basics: Which Metal will rust first?
Positive thinking, a factor that keeps me going... What will happen when the positive 'fire' in me dies off one day and what is left are nothing but black ashes? Being positive, I hope that this day would never come though i know it bound to happen someday... It's just like how various kind of Metal would rust first, under different circumstances - It's only a matter of time.
Rust - normally used for iron-based metals, the name for the familiar dusty or flaky red-brown iron oxide that slowly builds up on these metals.
On copper, bronze, or silver, we talk about “tarnish” if we are thinking about the degradation of the metal surface, or a "patina" if we are thinking about the pretty and sometimes artistic effects that tarnish can produce on the surface of these metals.
Steel - large number of different metal alloys, containing mostly iron, a little carbon, and varying amounts of different other metals.
Tungsten steel - very hard and strong for use in tools; your tools will rust quite badly if you leave them out in the weather for a few days.
Stainless steel - resist rusting and other sorts of attack by chemicals in a wide range of situations, but it is quite soft.
Different steels are designed and made for different purposes. It is almost impossible to compare the rusting rate of "steel" with anything -- it depends what sort.
Iron reacts very slowly with ordinary oxygen, but reaction is catalyzed by water, acid or salt.
Copper hardly reacts with oxygen at all but does react quite slowly with carbon dioxide, water and oxygen to form a green tarnish. It reacts more quickly with salt spray and acid to form a different green tarnish.
Silver does not tarnish at all in ordinary air but if it is used in the kitchen, it will rapidly forms a black tarnish when traces of gases produced during cooking are found.
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin and it reacts very slowly with ordinary oxygen to produce whitish tin oxide tarnish, or more rapidly in the various types of polluted air to form the same products as copper.
Final deal: Always play safe by choosing stainless steel as well as, keep them away from perfume water and oil traces.
Source: John Christie, Faculty, Dept. of Chemistry.
10:01 PM
Monday, October 1, 2007
The Jewelry Basics: Findings for a perfect piece of work
To catch up with the reality, i gave up my interest. To pursue the needs in reality, i put a pause to my real-life. Once in a while, i looked back and i asked: "Is it really worth my while for all these?", "Are these the things that i should sought after?", "Will all that I've done bring back what i really wanted?". I pondered and I wondered, but I shall strive and prove that... yes, it is worth it, and i'm on the right track. I've not given up my interest and love, postings will be done once researches have been done and found out. Do stay tune for more information...
Findings help each piece hang correctly and should be the right size for your jewelry; if they are in proportion to the materials for your jewelry, they will help balance the overall design.
JUMP RINGS are circular or oval metal rings that are not completely joined together. They come in a variety of sizes & thicknesses to suit all kinds of jewelry projects. Use them to link two findings together.
CLASPS usually consist of two pieces, attached to each end of the necklace or bracelet. They come in an assortment of designs, sizes & colors (including the screw clasps, spring rings, barrel clasps & S-clasps. You can also buy decorative two-part clasps that have preformed holes for more than one thread. Choose a style / design that suits your jewelry best.
HEAD PINS/T-PINS and EYE-PINS are wire pins that come in various lengths to link beads to each other or to a necklace / bracelet / earring chain. A headpin, which has a flat head at one end like a blunt dressmaker's pin, is particularly useful for making pendant drops and charms. Eye-pins have a preformed loop at one end and are most often used to link together beads or findings.
CULOTTE CRIMPS conceal & secure knots at both ends of a necklace / bracelet. They help make a finished jewelry polished. Culotte crimps come in different sizes to suit the thread you are using & in slightly different styles.
The most important findings are jump rings, calotte crimps, crimp beads, head / eye-pins, jeweler's wire, clasps, spacers & beadcaps. These may all sound rather strange to you now but by the time you have worked through jewelry projects, they will be much more familiar to you.
12:40 AM
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Delayed project
Apologies for the late entrance and updates. It has been a stressful, moody yet interesting week. I've learnt new things but it's not related to jewel making. I've really tried my best to allocate time for it... but not at the moment~ life's hectic with classes and work.
Learnt, experienced new things, theories from lectures, bits and pieces of life, how one react and most importantly, how must one be able to protect oneself at all times. It's really important... trust is the factor, but it's tough!
It was a moody one day but I've learnt to not get emotional... I must try to contain my tears and not shed easily. I promise that i'll work on, and get started to collect materials for my blogshop.
... The day i stopped to shed tears, is the day that i've grown... When and how long will it be? ...
11:39 PM
Sunday, July 22, 2007
The 1st book: Simply Beautiful
Fell in love with this book as it was the perfect book that I have been searching high and low for... Sought a few places such as the Popular bookstore, Library and even Bras Basah bookshops; but invalid. Happened to chance into this book when I was hanging around at Plaza Singapura while waiting for lessons to start.
There are 4-5 similar jewelry making reference books at TIMES, the bookstore but after viewing those few, I still prefer this. The book title was: 'Simply Beautiful - Beading' by Heidi Boyd. Contents includes simple projects to self-start jewel making and the step-by-step visual guide was definitely an added bonus for beginners like me.
The journey's gonna get exciting...
2:38 AM
Sunday, July 15, 2007
The 1st step to 'The Making'
Started afresh from zero and a book was what i needed most at the moment. Went to the library for a few trips and borrowed some books. First, was to learn more about blogging, so i got a book 'Blogging for Dummies'. Next, to start my jewel making interest, I've also found a book on guide to making jewels.
Managed to finish the blogging book and solved a few queries... However, looking back now, I seemed to remember not only 1/2 of the contents; and maybe only 1/4 of it? Anway, it was definately a good book for new bloggers to read. The book for jewel making was good but it sure needed more than 80% of effort to kick-start and hands-on for practical works.
Few weeks have passed and till date, my passion for making jewel making and a blogshop have not lessen... The next thing on mind was to research on more blogshoppe and researching more books to get more ideas!
