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

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

Really liked working with some new chain to make this funky bracelet. I loaded it with pressed glass and seed beads in bold bright colors that made a great contrast with black gunmetal chain #36.

This new black chain has plenty to offer:

• Soldered links..your trinkets won't slip out and great to use for chain extension
• Flat wire for modern and dressy look.. and
• 3 ring sizes which adds to versatility, more to work with!

It took about 2.5 hours to make..(actually made while watching FoodNetwork TV dramas) and had plenty of fun arranging color.

More than enough possibilites to keep ya busy I'd say..

Cynthia

ohiobeads.com

Did you know OhioBeads.com is now featuring chains that are ready to wear? We've just added pretty 14k gold filled snake chains to the shopping cart. These swanky chains are 1mm, with a spring ring closure and come in 16 inch and 18 inch lengths. Add light weight pendants or wear them plan. I wear both sizes together with nothing extra added.  Also makes a great gift.

Happy (almost) Spring.

Cindy

Imitation Rhodium finish is a new favorite of mine, versatile and priced right. I mentioned in the title how this finish is great plated on chain for wintery weather wear, but really could span across all seasons. This plate has a darker look then silver , but is clean looking without the the dark oxidation process used to darken metals. Also the high polish quality is long lasting and gives this chain an expensive look. We have lots of footage in the three most popular chain links and styles. Pricing at around 2 bucks a foot, it's worth a try. For you real chain freaks ( me included) we have super great pricing on 50 foot spools!!

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 

I've been in this biz for some time now and I can wholeheartedly state beaded rings are always popular pieces of jewelry to make and wear. These 8 loop ring blanks are plated silver and gold, adjustable and priced right. Most importantly the hard work is already done for you. No more wrapping wire around mandrels, just add beads with headpins or weave with wire. Our sample made by Alyssa is loaded with Swarovski crystal attached with headpins. We've also made these with pretty pearls and petite garnet stones. 

What a steal at 80 cents a piece!!  

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!! 

"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.

Tap into your wild side with this big link antique copper chain. This is stand alone chain, just attach a clasp with jump ring in one hand and pliers in another and your off and running lookin good without lots of time. We posted yesterday about this chain in antique brass suggesting other ways to incorporate this chain.

Like the big links, but just need something light and simple?

New cables are now on the antique copper ox chain shopping page ready to buy. These are small cables with 8-10 links per inch. Excellent for earrings, lariats, chain weaves, and layering. The antique copper on these new styles is dark and rich giving an aged look. Perk up your fall wardrobe with antique copper chain and findings.

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!

I've been busy creating earrings this week. Monday through Friday I have and continue to post a new earring design on Brandolina.typepad.com. I liked this pair so much I thought to share it here also. I worked in a monochromatic color scheme using various values and intensities of blue glass beads. The copper findings are complimentary in color and brighten the overall look. The big ring used is a link from a chain customers have named Hippie Chain. The paddle findings are light weight and these earrings can move. If you sell your jewelry at shows these are impressive looking, especially if you had several color versions. Gunmetal components would alos look great, making them a little dressier. Next time around I plan to make these in gunmetal mixed with iridescent colored glass, with a splash of gold and silver.

Popular 2 stranded czechglass beads offer so many creative possibilities. When these strands arrived one of our instructors made a bracelet very similar to this one featured, and displayed it in the showcase. One customer after another scooped these up designing many versions of this bracelet. They later brought their creations in to show off many color and bead combos. The glass bars are 1/2 inch long and crystals used here are 4mm. We paired these beads with a magnetized two strand tube clasp. However, single ring clasps and toggles work just as well. Just make sure the clasp is large enough balancing the look and size of the beads. Click here to view these 2 stranded beads in jet.

Thumbing through many jewelry magazines, you'll quickly notice that chain is used as the foundation of jewelry design. Adding centerpieces further personalizes your look. Many jewelry components can be used and look great as center pieces in necklaces. Here's another visual solution for you using this new pretty filigree with gunmetal finish. These are packaged in pairs, which also makes them great choice for creating earrings. Possibilities are endless with the kinds and colors of beads you mix together. Pearls add to the Victorian look , however you could use crystals, glass, or gemstones.

In this necklace I mixed gunmetal and copper chain and findings.

Here's a list of components I used:

• Jumprings- to add clasp to chain and attach filigree components to chain
• Headpins (24 gauge)- to wire wrap the beads to the filigree and in this piece adding pearls to the chain body
• 3 different chain styles and finishes
• 1 pack of gunmetal filigree
• Pearls, 4mm rounds and 6mm oval/teardrop
• Clasp 

Another addition to ohiobeads ever growing jewelry chain supply, this lightweight chain is excellent to use for necklaces and earrings. Layering this chain (like the picture) looks nice. You could mix and layer with beaded strands. Also, this chain would work well in many earring ideas. The antique copper finish will be a big hit for fall jewelry designs. And the silver gives a bright fresh look without the price tag of sterling silver. You can't go wrong at $1.97 per foot. Click here to see other new additions to our store.

Top selling bar link gunmetal jewelry chain back in stock! The petite scalloping of this bar link chain offers many design options. First, the chain looks great on its own. I've seen customers simply wear it plain with layering strands at varying lengths. The design above has three strands in the front of the piece, connecting to one strand around to the back of the necklace.

I like working with bar link chain because of obvious rings to ad wire wraps, jumprings and other trinkets, which evenly spaces your color, texture and shape in your jewelry piece. Adding small Swarovski crystals or czech glass in any color combo look dynamite with this chain. Hundreds of feet are waiting for your creative design expertise.

P.S. Just wanted to mention we have NEW 1 1/2 inch, 24 gauge,  gunmetal headpins in stock. When adding small drops with single beads, shorter headpins help you get the job done!  

These Italian made cutters are excellent for cutting thick wire and heavy links of chain. They are rated to cut 11 gauge wire or finer. Strong black steel blades will snip wire clean and flush. We cut ALOT of jewelry chain and these cutters have outperformed all other cutters. Treat yourself and invest in the right tools.

Here's a quick and easy jazzy pair of earrings you can make up before joining your friends for lunch. Dig into your beads stash, and grab a couple of your favorite colored crystals, czech glass or stone beads. The best size to look for would be 6mm in round, cube or diamond shapes. Collect 4 smaller beads (3mmish) and arrange and stack them onto a headpin. In this example we wire wrapped toward the top of the headpin, leaving an inch of headpin exposed. Gunmetal headpins look fab showing through glass beads and the ball-end ear wires add nice detail to the finished set. **The secret to making equal lengths is to bend both pins at the same time when making your first right angle bend before wire wrapping individually.**

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.

I have some design notes about this bracelet sample to share with you. I give Alyssa full credit for this bracelet, as always with her pieces, it drew instant attention the minute we put it on display. A simple design really, but the chain speaks for itself with clear Swarvoski crystal hanging from these large, bold links.

This copper ox chain is a heavier rolo style that could accommodate hanging many beads and charms. In this creation, only 10 crystal beads were used in this 7.5 inch bracelet. The antique copper rolo is well matched with the magnet clasp. I still recommend attaching a safety chain when employing the use of a  magnetic clasps.

In the gunmetal chain bracelet sample we added the beadcap and used a large lobster claw.

p.s.  When I wear the gunmetal version, I kind of feel like I need to hop on a Harley!

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.   

Sterling olive beads

Sterling lobster claw

They go together great.  You can see them together in a finished bracelet product on here on Cynthia's Brandolina blog.

Paul

OhioBeads.com 

Considered a chain classic, ball chain is made of small sterling silver spheres instead of open links. The ball ends easliy snap into the connector clasp, making for quick assembly. You'll like wearing this style chain for it's casual elegance. Wear it plain or attach bails or wire wrapped beads or pendants like our above inspiration. Adding our new sterling silver teardrop can be created in a snap, giving you more time to work on other projects.  A seventeen inch necklace already has 136 spheres in place without the need to string beads. Ready to wear , quick and easy.

I like use this ball chain for an anklet. Here, I easily attached a trinket from my bead stash with a sterling silver jumpring. Check out this new ball chain right here to make your own unique necklace or anklet. 

I must admit I have been hesitant about stocking real copper jewelry making components.  Not sure why exactly, except for the fact that customers might not like the unpredictable nature of this metal as it will change (patina) color with time. But so can other metals. We have been stocking brass findings and beads plated with antique copper. This darker oxidized look is so popular. However with the interest in rosey karat gold in higher end jewelry fashion we've also seen this trend trickle down into the beading world. The real copper is pretty with some pink undertones.  Also, another benefit is that it easy to work with , blends well with other colors and materials and is very cost effective. The hundred piece package of the 4mm copper beads sells for only $4.97. The 2×2mm copper crimps work like a charm and the 2 inch copper headpins are thin, accomodating smaller sized beads. 

Here's some good news: These new copper components have a lacquer coating that provides a protective layer. This helps preserve the copper with anti-tarnish properties. I'll mention here that this layer is not a permanent solution and is dependent on care and body chemistry.

At ohiobeads.com we have a great selection of decorative rings and links made in sterling silver. The marquis links featured in these pictures are unique and easy to incorporate into your jewelry making. I just recently made this sterling silver bracelet using the smallest marquis link.

This is super lightweight to wear, great for summer, and only costs about $20 bucks to make. Not bad at all! if you can make a wire wrapped loop, it'll take no maore than a half hour to make. 

I used 24 gauge wire to make the wraps, but a two inch headpin will work in a pinch.  These new oval beads coordinate perfectly. Last but not least, here's a new earring idea.

I used the smaller 20 x9 mm marquis and the 36 x 16mm marquis connected by the bottom wrapped loop of the peridot portion. Any small stone nugget, crystal or silver would look great.

Make it yours!