Jewelry Making Resources | Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

Ask the Experts Wire Q&A

Q: When doing wire weaving, I am having a hard time keeping the base wires straight, so my design comes out a little crooked. I am using either 20- or 18-gauge base wire. What am I doing wrong?

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Ask the Experts Polymer Clay Q&A

Q: Can polymer clay be painted on with water-based paints? Before or after baking? And what kind of sealer do you use on the finished product?

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Ask the Experts Seed Beads Q&A

Q: When using beads and E6000 to glue a cabochon to ultra suede or Lacy's Stiff Stuff, is one row of beads around the base sufficient? Some instructions say to add several rows of progressively smaller beads, some don't. This is for a stationary object not jewelry. Thank you for your help.

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Ask the Experts Glues/Adhesives Q&A

Q: I'm making jewelry and keychains using glass cabochons and to stainless steel bases. What is the best type of glue to use? Will E6000 mess up the picture or words on the cabochon? Thank you.

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Memory Wire Bracelet

Deck your wrist with holiday spirit! A glittering enamel wreath charm steals the show on this festive bracelet, wrapped with joyful red and green accents.

Design Idea RE24

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Single-Strand Necklace

A perfect necklace for the Year of the Horse or those who like a little horseplay in their style. Crazy Horse™ stone adds a touch of wild elegance.

Design Idea QJ4B

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5 Ways to Make Resin and Polymer Clay Pieces into Jewelry

Here are five common ways to turn a polymer clay or cast resin piece into a jewelry component, based on whether it is undrilled, half-drilled or fully drilled.

Earrings

Adorable bluebirds grace these fringed seed bead earrings, featuring vibrant contrasting colors and a striking chevron base.

Design Idea QH3D

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Earrings

When are reindeer elegant? When they’re crafted with gold-plated findings and accented by sparkling Crystal Passions® Siam beads, as in these sleek earrings.

Design Idea QH2X

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Ear Cuffs

Embrace a colorful goth style with this ear cuff-and-stud ear jewelry featuring sugar skull charms, rose ear studs and glass-based pearls.

Design Idea H34Q

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Netting (Single Thread)

Begin by stringing a base row of 13 beads. String 5 beads and go back through the fifth bead from the end of the base row. String another 5 beads, skip 3 beads of the base row, and go back through the next. Repeat to the end of the row, passing through the fifth, fourth, and third beads of those just strung and exiting from the third. Turn the work over and go back across the same way.

Earrings

Discover your crafting muse with these enchanting sweetheart earrings, boasting charming hearts, graceful butterflies, and sparkling Preciosa crystals.

Design Idea QG28

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Gold-Plated

Items have an industry standard of .15 to .25 mils thickness of gold which is plated to the surface of the base metal.

Cuff Bracelet

Crafting this stylish bracelet is easy with an Almost Instant Jewelry® silver-plated cuff bracelet setting.

Design Idea QD38

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Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Has Great Discount Pricing

The more you buy, the more you save with Fire Mountain Gems' All-Assortable Pricing. Our pricing method is based on the total number of items in an order so the more items in your shopping cart the better

Organic

Refers to a bead made of a carbon-based material. Many jewelry-making components composed of pearl, wood, bone, horn and shell fall into this category.

Keychain

Lisa Pavelka created a colorful keychain charm using her signature texture plates, craft foils and Magic-Glos® on a polymer clay base. Zoom in on the tiny wing details and get inspired.

Design Idea GC0S

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Using Crowdfunding and Subscription Sites to Sell Your Jewelry

These platforms provide unique opportunities for you to connect directly with your target audience, generate funding and establish a loyal customer base.

Perceived Values

I suggest you price the work to be attractive to you--profitable. I've written about this before and devote a chapter in my book to getting the price right. Basically, all pricing must start with accurate information about the cost of materials.

How to Use Lacy's Stiff Stuff™

Lacy's Stiff Stuff™ is a favorite base for bead embroidery, especially seed beads. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to making the most of this material.

Bookmark

Create this enchanting bookmark featuring two hearts embellished with Crystal Passions® rhinestones. A flowering vine winds its way down the double-sided base.

Design Idea FB3N

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Memory Wire Bracelet

Transform your festive look with our stunning Christmas charm bracelet, beautifully embellished with glistening Czech pearl-coated glass druk beads.

Design Idea PH2H

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Ask the Experts Seed Bead Stitches Q&A

Q: I am pretty new at beading and I am in love with seed beads. I am trying to do a two-row base for a necklace. I have tried peyote and square stitch. How do I get the tension right? I end up with it wiggly, or spiral, or twisty, anything but flat. Thanks.

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Ask the Experts Wire Q&A

Q: I'd like to make a very small simple wire chain base for a charm bracelet. Can size 30-34 gauge wire work?

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