Look at some of the newest fun items we've posted on OhioBeads.com:

Gold-Plated Earwires #5: Ball-End (5 pair/pkg) $2.50 Antique Copper Bead Frame #2: Round Frame (8/Pkg) $2.50 Antique Copper Bead Frame #1: Square Frame (8/Pkg) $3.25 Antique Brass Bead Frame #1: Square Frame (8/Pkg) $3.25 Antique Brass Charm _#23: 12mm Coin Dangle (10/Pkg) $2.97 Antique Copper Charm _#23: 12mm Coin Dangle (10/Pkg) $2.97

We've also added an Antique Brass Round Magnetic Clasp, Antique Copper 3 inch headpins and more!

Check it out. You should have fun with these new components.

Here's to your creativity!

Cynthia
OhioBeads.com

Antique Brass Fancy Leaf Chain

Antique Copper Fancy Leaf Chain

Antique Silver Fancy Leaf Chain

The people at InAroha have done a great job using this same type chain in bright gold in some of their jewelry collection.

To your creativity!

Cynthia
OhioBeads.com

Love This Chain. Excellent for layering and stand alone. Solid brass plated with antique brass and black gunmetal finish. The connector links open and make this chain easy to mix into other components. Separate the chain and use the round links for all sorts of interesting attachments.

Also freshening up stock in Rounded Diamond Link.

This chain comes in antique brass, black gunmetal, antique copper and Now… new antique silver!

Thanks for looking,

Cynthia

ohiobeads.com

Using bar link chain makes for an attractive easy pair of earrings. The chain is nice without alot of extra. My daughter created these in less than 20 minutes wire wrapping beads to the end of each chain and connecting all three chain lengths to the ring of the earwire. It took less time than folding the laundry and more enjoyable to say the least.  

Cynthia

ohiobeads.com

twitter.com/ohiobeads

A very talented customer named Chris D. sent us pictures of her jewelry design highlighting her artistic use of bronze art clay. The textural characteristic of her trinkets, especially these disc earrings, is so unique. She gave us permission to showcase her pieces here on our blog and we're delighted she likes using our antique brass chains to mix and match with her Bronze Clay charms, beads and pendants. 

I really like the organic feel of this piece and her craftmanship is top notch. Looking at others creativity is inspiring and in this case makes me want to give this medium a try.

Thanks a bunch Chris!!

Like what you see and your in the Cincy or Dayton Ohio area and need to know more about metal art clay?

Then stay tuned as I bring more info your way about local artist Trish Jeffers-Zeh from Zeffers Farm Studio!!

Until next time,

Cynthia

I've been working on this for some time now and finally finished this antique brass necklace!. Personally I love to mix different beads and textures, sizes and shapes to my jewelry pieces. Maybe because I like wearing a collection of small things that delight me. Good thing for chain, it helps people like me have a solid base to start with.

I have stuck to a color theme, but it is not tightly controlled.

The orginal plan was to make a lariat. Oh well that's the creative process for ya.

Here's a couple links to help you find some of these antique brass components quickly on the shopping pages.

Antique brass chain ..a flat oval cable..best seller across all finishes btw

Antique brass filigree, components and findings

Cynthia last wrote about Curved (Scalloped) Bar Link Chain and hinted at the gold-plated version being available soon.

Its here: in stock and posted online:

http://www.ohiobeads.com/catalog/goldplated-chain-round-curved-scalloped-chain-p-850.html

Paul
OhioBeads.com

Love these new antique brass pieces that arrived this week. 

• Pinch Bail- makes hanging pendants and drops easy.

• The 10 petal filigrees are light as air, try them for earrings or hook together with jumps and make a bracelet.

• The new braided frames are ready for your favorite photo. Great for charm bracelets, centerpieces on necklaces and heck why not funky little wine glass charms!

• The medallion is beautiful vintage like addition used as a stand alone on leather, ribbon, chain, or a compliment to your beadwork.

Check out the growing antique brass findings, caps, rings and filigrees here.

Stay Tuned!!

Cynthia 

Stack..Slide..Connect…Hang!

The possibilities are endless designing with closed rings in these great vintagey finishes. The mixture of smooth and textured finishes keep your designs fresh and unique.

The goal in Jewelry design, I feel, is to keeping your pieces very unique.  So mix things up this season and make something fun and full of rich antique brass and copper rings.

Just so you know

All the above rings are made from qualitly brass and plated with copper flash and then finished off with an antique brass and copper finish.

Cynthia

ohiobeads.com 

Antique Copper Chain 

Antique Silver Chain 

Cable chains are versatile staples for your beading designs. Use these as your primary focus in necklaces and bracelets. These cable chains are excellent choices for chain extensions. Affordabley priced, with a new price break offered at 50ft amounts. Ohiobeads.com carries a large variety of unique chains in many different metals and finishes.

All the Best,

Cynthia 

I posted this easy to make necklace on my brandolina blog site back in March. It generated quite a bit of BUZZ in bloggy land and now that the featured centerpiece ring is back in stock, I wanted to post here for you to see.

This is a make and take weekend project that is especially designed to use those orphaned beads hanging around on your bead board.

Beading supplies you will need: Hey no tools required, just scissors!

• 3 pieces of waxed linen cut in 5 foot lengths ( You can use any cording , thinner silk strands look fantastic)

• Assortment of beads with hole sizes that fit the cord

• A ring that has an opening large enough to fit up to 6 strands. The ring is available in antique copper finish and antique brass finish

Start by folding the cord in half and thread the folded half through the ring from underneath.

Then take the opposite end of the cords and feed through the center of the folded cord, pulling to form a noose.

Size the cord and ring around your neck and make sure you knot beads in place at the desired lengths. Also make sure the beads fit through the center of the ring.

Slide bead on the cord and secure with an overhand knot on the bottom of the bead to hold in place.

Keep knotting beads on all six strands. For added interest you can vary the lengths of the linen. Double knot under the last bead and dab a small amount of jewelers glue then trim excess with snippers.

Have fun wearing your new attention grabbing necklace. 

happy fall,

Cynthia

Don't be shy leave a comment!

These unique bead caps were specially selected and enhanced with a beautiful vintage finish and they've arrived just in time for fall. These will make your jewelry designs look like no other. Our new antique brass bead caps range in sizes, with the small dotted cap measuring 7mm and the large fancy and the oh so cute acorn bead cap are larger, measuring 12-14mm. All pair well with our antique brass plated chains and other antique brass findings. Also the the center medallion is new in this finish and gives you a great new centerpiece to mingle into your beadwork. I've tried to be patient for the new antiqued goodies to arrive (very hard for me I might add) and the wait was well worth the time. Check out the antique brass ox page here to get the full details. 

All the Best,

Cynthia 

P.S. Don't be shy, leave a comment!! 

Vintage with a modern flair!   and…

No wire wrapping skills needed! These lovely filigree and chain earrings are made with pieces of chain attached to the gunmetal filigree with petite size jumprings. Lightweight for measuring 2 and 1/2 inches long.

Tips to follow: 

1. Determine how long you want the earrings to be. Hey they're your creations you decide length.The longest piece of chain used in the sample above measures 4 inches.
2. Start with the longest chain first, then add the shortest section next. From here you can fill in the spaces with chain sections you think look best.
3. You connect the fine gunmetal chain to the filigree with small jumprings . In this case I used 2 sterling silver jumpring to each ring of the filigree. The silver adds a whisper of light to the earrings.
4. I also connected a 3mm sterling silver round bead on the single strand with a gunmetal headpin looped to the chain link.
5. Connect the leverback earwire directly to the top loop of the filigree. The ring on the leverback opens easily using a slight twist of the wrist while holding a needle nose plier. 

The most important advice I can give you is to cut lengths of chain for each filigree at the same time. This helps you have earrings looking like a matched pair, while avoiding frustration and wasting chain.

Ingredients list: 

1 package gunmetal filigree 

Sterling silver jumprings

3 mm sterling silver beads

Gunmetal leverbacks

Gunmetal headpins

1-2 feet of gunmetal double rollo chain #28 

All the Best,

Cynthia 

"Is that some of the jewelry you sell ?" the gal at the checkout counter asked, while staring at my bracelet.

I answered, "These are some new components we are selling on our website and this is how I linked them together to make this new bracelet."

Then I walk out to the parking lot to meet a friend, she notices the bracelet and wants these nifty new links and C connectors to jazz up some jewelry she is making.

And…after receiving more positive feedback I thought to include this "How To Make" in today's post highlighting a bracelet project using some new goodies from ohiobeads.com

It' easy to make, only takes a few minutes and requires enough skill to use a needle nose plier.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 packages of antique brass twisty rings measuring 20mm or 26mm round
• 1-2 packages of antique brass stamped C connector
• Open jumprings or figure eight rings
• Large lobster claw 

This bracelet is made by opening and closing C connectors to twisty wire rings using needle nose pliers. 

1. Lay out the components on a flat surface making it easier to measure length and establish a pattern.

2. Using a needle nose plier curl one side of the c connector around the twist wire link. These C connectors are quite strong so take it slow, being careful not to mark into the brass.

3. Repeat making the connections by rolling the C connector over the link and back into the center turning the "C" shape into a "B" shape.  

4. Attach the lobster claw clasp with a jumpring or try the new figure 8 link for something different.  Using 2 needle nose pliers open and close each end to connect the clasp to the bracelet. 

These new links and connectors can be used for many different jewelry making applications. These beauties are chock full of potential design and creativity. Pendants, chain linking, earring drops, clasp components, and on and on it goes. Check them out and make it your own.

It is always a thrill to tear open boxes of jewelry making goodies. You think by now we would have the box cutters handy for such thrill seeking, yet through the excitement we find jamming the keys through the six inches of packing tape to be equally effective. Oh well! Yesterday's excitement included new spools of antique brass ox chain. The picture shows off the textural chain with big ole' links perfect for one long drapey necklace or mixed with with a couple other chains for a multi-strand bracelet. My friend will hang three links from an ear wire and call it done, which would be easy to say the least. Then we just needed a simple cable chain in antique brass. Sturdy enough to hang lots of wrapped loops, or even making a a lariat necklace which is prominent in all the magazines. Either chain makes jewelry design more and more fun!

Nothing looks better than multiple colors of crystal mixed with antique brass chain. A little of this color and a little of that shape is all it takes to make this pretty necklace dripping with crystals in all your favorite colors.

A little undecided about color choices for your next beading project?

No worries this necklace has it all. I can't think of anyone I know who doesn't have a collection of swarvoski crystals or fire polish czech glass in vast arrays of color.

This necklace mixes those leftovers in a pleasing combination of peridot, pinks, sapphires, emerald, citrine, and whatever color appeals to you. Most if not all these beads were leftovers on my bead tray from past projects. After picking out a variety of color, shapes and sizes, antique brass bead caps were added randomly for texture and interest. All attached with headpins and jumprings in antique brass.

Making it come together.

After choosing your beads lay them out on your bead tray or mat so that colors, sizes and shapes are spread apart. Don't take too much time on this … you just want to separate lights and darks and keep like colors spread around the necklace. Wire wrap each bead, then cluster in groups of three and slide onto a jumpring. After working through this, attach these rings to your chain links with a heavy concentration of clusters in the center of the necklace. I spaced clusters farther apart with smaller beads around the sides and back of necklace. Set aside about an hour and half to complete this necklace design. (this depends on how wire wrapping skill level) Of course numerous variations exist. Add other trinkets, charms or centerpieces. A monochromatic color combination would be very dramatic. I think I'll try this next. Give it a try and put those leftovers to good use.

We are busily counting out packages of new antique brass findings. I really like having the option of  using our new 1.5 inch 24 gauge headpin. You won't feel like your wasting supplies when you only need to ad one bead to headpin. We are are also broadening our collection of antique brass jumprings. Currently we have 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm jump rings. Split rings in 7mm and closed rings in 6mm and 7mm. These findings are nickel free. Our new medium size lobster has a different design. This clasp matches our new antique brass chain that I recently posted about. Please tell us what other sizes of jumprings you would be interested using in your jewelry design? You can post your answer here below in the comments section.

Antique Brass chain is versatile and attractive and can used as your primary jewelry making material. Chain can be used to create one of kind jewelry pieces full of color and texture. Hang your favorite charms and trinkets using our matching headpins and eyepins. Wear chain in long layers mixed with other jewelry pieces. Antique brass has a vintage look and I love the warm base color of the brass with a slight green cast that occurs when brass is oxidized. Ohiobeads.com offers many styles of antique brass click here to see them all.

Just got some new antique (ox) silver plated chain listed in the shopping cart. This chain is a textured figaro that is delicate looking and made in soldered brass which adds lots of strength. Then it was silver plated with an oxide finish, giving it an antique look. I wrapped 4mm fire polish jet rounds on the bottom of each chain strand (six in all) and gathered the top links of the chain into a single loop on top with another 4mm fire polish bead and attached to the leverback earwires.  These have a vintage flair and with the sterling silver leverback they measure almost three inches in length. Having 2 feet of this chain on hand would be plenty for this project. Of course this style could be made longer or shorter, your preference. Quick and easy to make and almost a guaranteed compliment when wearing. In case you need more options we carry this chain in the following plated finishes: antique brass,  bright silver, gunmetal, Hamilton gold, antique copper and now sterling silver in antique ox finish. (All these earring making ingredients are now listed on a single project page to make ordering easy as ever!)

We also carry matching leverback earwires in antique brass and copper, gunmetal and have included here sterling silver and goldfilled leverbacks as well. 

Click here to see all these products on a single project page to make ordering much easier.