by Sue Ashworth

First of all I’m no photography expert but I can tell you how to get to the stage I’m at quickly, and relatively cheaply, without you having to go through my 15 month learning curve and spending unnecessary amounts of time and cash…. basically I’m going to let you benefit from my mistakes.

If your passion is jewellery making, like me, you won’t want to spend lots of time taking photos but you know that only good photos will sell your product. Pop over to my website and if you like my style of pics come back and I’ll tell you how I do it.

For those of you who are back with me, welcome back, I’ll take that as a compliment

Here goes …

First of all there’s absolutely no need to splash the cash on one of those huge zoom lens cameras. Mine’s a small  Panasonic Lumix FS16 Digital Camera – Black (14.1MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 2.7 inch LCD that pops easily into a small handbag. Great for holidays and nights out too. There are many similar models on the market that do a great job, just make sure they have a macro facility, usually shown by a small flower. This allows you to take close ups and small detail. The automatic focus on my camera chooses whether or not the macro facility is required, which makes life even simpler. Cheating a bit I know, but I’m a jewellery maker not a photographer!

I started off using my son’s huge camera but found it complicated and hard to get my head round. I also bought a light box …… not required, and some very powerful daylight lamps which I now use whilst making jewellery on dark evenings rather than taking photographs!

I’ve found, through pure trial and error, that the best condition to take pics is in daylight. Avoid sunny days because that seems to add glare. My best photos are taken in daylight, in my conservatory, without direct sunlight. I also, now don’t laugh, wear my white towelling dressing gown to make sure that no bright colours from my clothes are reflected in the jewellery.

Choose a background you’re happy with, I’m currently using satin draped over an upright chopping board but you can be as creative as you want with this.Try and create your own unique style.

I use lots of handmade ‘props’ for hanging earrings and balancing things but I’ll save that for another blog.

Don’t move in, or zoom in too close, your jewellery may end up out of focus. You can always crop the photo after loading it onto your computer.

I take about 20 photos of each item in lots of different positions, then narrow the selection down to 5 when I’ve uploaded to my computer. I crop and resize these using Microsoft Photo Editor then use a free software package called Gimp to add light if necessary …. and sometimes just a little sparkle.

If you’ve got any tips for taking quick and easy photos of jewellery please leave  a comment … I’m dying to know.

I’m feeling really pleased with my new additions to my Yuju website. I know the majority of wedding tiaras and combs are generally made with diamante but you know by now that I have a great love of Swarovski pearls and crystals so I decided to experiment starting with a headband ….

Swarovski Crystal and Pearl Headband Tiara

I’m more than happy with the results, in my opinion far more romantic than the mass produced sparkly versions and something you can pass down to your children and grandchildren as a family heirloom and reminder of your special day.

Pleased with the results I decided to try a comb style tiara …

Swarovski Pearl and Crystal White Tiara Comb

Swarovski Pearl and Crystal White Tiara Comb

I can’t make my mind up which I prefer or which would be the easiest to wear. Which would you choose?

I’m the first to notice a stunning ring on someone’s hand at 20 yards but the added movement of a charm ring fascinates me, and I love how they reflect different styles and moods …sophistication, elegance, strength, playfulness … whatever your style there are a host of beads crystals and charms out there to suit all your moods and outfits.

Swarovski Crystal Violet Butterfly Charm Ring

Charm rings can easily be made by using the technique for wrapped loops demonstrated  step by step, in pictutres, in my previous blogs How to Make My Swarovski Crystal Blackberry Bracelet and How My Swarovski Crystal Pearl Chandelier Earrings Are Made

You can make them cheap and chearful using silver plated ring blanks or, if you want to wear them regularly, use 925 sterling silver ring blanks. These are available from many suppliers, just google ‘single loop ring blanks’ and you will be presented with lots of choice. I use adjustable ring blanks for my shop as they fit more people. But if you are making the ring for yourself you can select your own size.

Freshwater Pearl Charm Ring

I have attached the charms to the rings above using ‘split rings’, similar to a very small keyring, so there’s no chance of the charms becoming detached.

If you want your charms to be shorter you can attach the wrapped loop directly to the ring blank as you are making the loop. This is done using round nosed pliers made specially for jewellery making

Rose Quartz Sterling Silver Charm Ring

Or alternatively, you can simply use a split jump ring

Red Swarovski Crystal Heart Charm Ring

The possibilities are endless; hearts, initials, dice, sparklies. Check out The Bead Shop for inspiration … whatever your preference and style there’s a ring waiting to be made that’s unique to you. What charms would you choose?

I absolutely love this swarovski pearl set,  the added sparkle brings a traditional look bang up to date and perfect for a wedding … the lustre on these swarovski crystal white pearls outshines all the pearls I’ve ever seen

Swarovski Crystal White Necklace and Bracelet

For the necklace you will need :-

• 32 x swarovski crystal white 8mm pearls
• 6 x swarovski crystal 11 x 8mm pear shaped pearls
• 5 x swarovski 10mm xillion bicones
• 12 x rhinestone rondelles
• 1 x sterling silver heart shaped trigger clasp
• 2 x 5mm closed jump rings
• 9 x 5mm open jump rings
• 1 x sterling silver ball end head pin
• 1 x small silver czech crystal bead
• 4 x sterling silver crimp beads
• 12 inches / 30 cm tiger tail

There’s a huge selection of swarovski pearls available from  www.the-beadshop.co.uk in many gorgeous colours so don’t feel you have to stick to white, there’s a shade to go with every outfit.

Here we go …

Thread one end of your tiger tail through 2 of the crimp beads

Pass the end through a closed jump ring and back through the crimp beads

I always use closed jump rings with tiger tail to ensure the wire can’t escape through the split that you would have if you used the normal jump ring

Squeeze the crimp beads flat with a pair of flat nosed pliers

The tiger tail and the jump ring are now held secure

Thread half the round beads (16) onto the tiger tail

Thread on 3 pear shaped pearls, 3 bicones and 7 rhinestone rondelles in the sequence shown

The larger end of he pear shaped pearls are facing the centre of the necklace

Add the remainder of the pearshaped pearls, bicones and rondelles

Remember to face the larger end of the pear shaped pearls to the centre of the necklace

Thread on the remaining 16 pearls

As before thread the tiger tail through 2 crimp beads, through the closed jump ring and back through the crimp beads

Take the end of the tiger tail and thread it back through the 2 pearls at the end

Pull tight and trim with wire cutters

Squeeze the crimp beads to secure the jump ring and tiger tail

Take the sterling silver love heart trigger clasp

I think these love heart trigger clasps add a lovely touch to bridal jewellery

Open the jump ring with your pliers

And attach it to the closed jump ring at one end of the necklace

Make an extension chain at the other end using the open jump rings. Leave the last one open

Thread the headpin through the czech bead

Bend it 90 degrees using your round nose pliers

Bring the wire back over the pliers

Coil it around the stem of the wire approximately 3 times

Cut the surplus off with wire cutters then carefully squeeze with flat nose pliers until there are no sharp ends to snag clothes etc

It should look like this

Attach to the open jump ring on the end of the extension chain. Carefully close the jump ring. Your necklace is complete

If you don’t feel the urge to grab your tools and make your own the swarovski crystal white pearl necklace is available to buy

Swarovski Crystal White Necklace

To make the Swarovski Crystal White Bracelet you will need

• 8 x 8mm swarovski crystal white pearls
• 3 x swarovski 10mm xillion bicones
• 6 x rhinestone rondelles
• 1 x sterling silver heart shaped trigger clasp
• 2 x 5mm closed jump rings
• 9 x 5mm open jump rings
• 1 x sterling silver ball end head pin
• 1 x small silver czech crystal bead
• 4 x sterling silver crimp beads
• 6 inches / 15 cm tiger tail
  

  Follow the steps above but refer to this photo for the number and sequence of beads

  

  Complete as for the necklace

  Prefer to buy?  You will find both these items in my shop Prefer another colour ?…. email me with your preference

  

  Swarovski Crystal White Pearl Bracelet

  I hope you found this useful, and can appreciate the quality of the materials and workmanship that goes into making this lovely set. Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them as best I can ♥

   

Swarovski Crystal Blackberry Bracelet

This has got to be one of my favourites. It fits snug to the wrist, is comfortable to wear and looks stunning. Here’s the recipe ….

This is what you will need

• 120 swarovski crystal 8 x 10mm beads
• 120 silver plated ball ended head pins
• black jewellery elastic
• round nose pliers
• flat nose pliers
• wire cutters

Bring the tail end of the wire back over the pliers

Using your fingers wrap it around the wire 3 times to form a coil.

You will find that you have a length of wire left over

Clip this as close to the 'stem' as you can with your wire cutters

Then with your flat nose pliers gently squeeze the end flat until there are no sharp edges that can catch on clothes

This is what it should look like now

Follow this procedure for the remaining 119 beads. This will take quite some time and effort so you may want to do just a few at a time

Take 3 strands of elastic about 12 inches / 30 cms each.

Secure the ends with a bulldog clip, or if you haven’t got one, tie them to the end of your pliers. This is only temporary to stop the beads falling off.

Thread all three strands of elastic through the wire loop attached to each bead.

I used a darning needle with a large eye and a foil needle threader but you can do it without if you have good eye sight

When all the beads are on the elastic untie the knot (or remove bulldog clip)

Pull gently on each end until you can match which ends belong to each individual piece of elastic. Tie knots in each separate strand so that, if there are any breakages in the future, the beads will still remain secure on the other two strands. Trim the ends.

And there you have your gorgeous Swarovski Crystal Blackberry Bracelet

The look of this bracelet, when it’s not being worn, reminded me of a huge juicy blackberry ….. so that’s how it got named

Hope you enjoyed the story of how this was made and appreciate the quality of the materials and workmanship. If you’re not a keen jewellery maker like me, or just don’t have the time to make this particular one, you can buy it ready made on my shop

Swarovski Crystal Blackberry Bracelet by Yuju

Click here to buy

As my regular customers to Yuju.co.uk  already know I will only use high quality materials to make my jewellery because I want it to look amazing ….. and to last. Because of this I’ve decided to give you a step by step story behind each new item I create. Today’s blog is the story behind my

Swarovski Crystal Pearl Chandelier Earrings

Ingredients

2 x sterling silver earwires

2 x sterling silver pear shaped chandeliers from a reputable silversmith (I used Palmer Metals on this occasion)

2 x Swarovski Crystal White Pear Shaped Pearls

10 x 6mm Swarovski Swarovski Crystal White Pearls

12 x sterling silver 5mm jump rings

12 x sterling silver ball end headpins

Method

I threaded the sterling silver headpin through the pear shaped pearl making a loop with my round nosed pliers and carefully wrapped the end around the wire to form an attractive secure finish. I then secured the end of the wire using my flat nosed pliers to make sure there were no sharp ends to catch in hair or fabric, such as a bridal veil.

Using a sterling silver 5mm jump ring I carefully attached the peardrop pearl to the chandelier.

Next I made similar loops on all 10 of the small 6mm swarovski pearls. This can be very time consuming but definitely worth the effort

Again, using the small jump rings I carefully attached all the small 6mm swarovski crystal pearls to the chandelier making sure there were no sharp edges left to snag any garments

Finally I attached the sterling silver earwires to each earring to complete the pair.

More pictures / Buy

I absolutely love Swarovski Pearls, they have such a gorgeous lustre that makes them look equally as good as real pearls, if not better. They have a crystal core with a pearlized coating, which unlike most faux pearls, won’t fade or chip. And, there’s a huge selection of fabulous colours available from www.the-beadshop.co.uk If you want these earrings making in another colour ping an email to sue@yuju.co.uk and we’ll sort it out

Hoop earrings seem to be on trend with all the celebs at the moment. Check out Rhianna and Beyonce in any of the current glossy mags and you can bet they’ll be wearing a pair of oversize hoops. Well the good news is there’s no need to lay out a fortune for a sparkling pair of your own……why not try making some? Once you’ve mastered the technique you can design a pair to go with any outfit.

Crystal Cut Silver Hoop Earrings

I’ve made the above using tiny crystal cut beads that reflect lots of light to give that added sparkle. You can use any colour to complement your outfit.

To make the earrings you will need

What You Need

• Small beads of your choice.
• Memory wire (bracelet size)
• Silver plated ear wires
• Wire cutters
• Pliers

First cut your wire

Using your wire cutters cut two full circles of wire with an overlap of around 1cm at each end.

Coil one end of the Wire

Using your pliers take hold of one end of the wire and bend it back until the tip meets the wire. This will stop your beads from falling off the end.

Hooped End

Thread on Your Beads

Thread your beads onto the wire until you reach the 1 cm overlap at the end. The number of beads will depend on the size of bead you are using. Using your pliers, this time bend the wire down towards the centre of the hoop.

Bend Wire Down Towards the Centre

Make a hook

Using the tips of your pliers curl the wire upwards to form a hook.

Place the Hook Through the First Loop

Bend the Wire to Close the Loop

Again using the tip of your pliers, close the loop so that your earring forms a full cirlcle.

Open your earwire loop

Using your pliers open the loop at the base of your ear wire.

Hook it through the last loop that you made

Hook the earwire through the last loop that you made. Close the earwire with your pliers.

Hey presto you have a gorgeous hoop earring. You just need to make the other one to match.

Once you’ve mastered this simple technique you can make many variations.

Handmade-Crystal-Cut-Black-and-Silver-Hoop-Earrings

Handmade-Crystal-Cut-Purple-Earrings

 Handmade Shades of Pastel Hoop Earrings