Making a Ceramic and Silk Ribbon Bracelet

I am always trying to come up with new ideas on how my customers can use my ceramic pieces.  Out of pendants, beads, earring charms and bracelet toppers, I think the bracelet toppers hold the most mystery on designing with them.  I have been noticing how popular silk ribbon is and how it can add texture and color to a design, so I bought some!  I found a great store on Etsy called Color Kissed Silk and I purchased solid colors and multi colored ribbons.  I also had post cards printed up with easy directions for the wearer as well as my business name and information.  I sell jewelry at shows and galleries, so the bracelet and post card will slip into a cellophane wrapper to stay clean and neat.

This is what I started with:

The silk ribbon, my bracelet topper, 2 10mm sea sentiment beads from Michaels, and antique bronze metal toggle clasp, 10mm jump rings, 3mm spacer beads and head pins from Hobby Lobby.

Start by opening the jump rings and putting them through the bracelet topper holes.  Place a spacer bead, sea sentiment bead and spacer bead on each head pin and make a wire wrapped loop.  Put both of these on the front section of the large jump ring before closing it on the side that will not have the toggle clasp.  Before closing the other jump ring, put the round section of the toggle clasp through it, then close.  Tie one end of the silk ribbon around the jump ring with the bead dangles and tie the other end on the toggle bar.  Because the silk would not go through the small hole, I trimmed the stitching off the end and cut a 1" slice up the ribbon so I could get one half through and I tied it twice with knots.  Then I secured each knot with Hypo Cement.

This is the end result:

It is comfortable to wear and will fit all your customers by tying knots in the ribbon if you need to shorten the ribbon to make the toggle clasp close correctly.  I plan on making a nice amount of these for my upcoming shows.  I hope you will give it a try, too!

Michelle from Firefly Design Studio

Studio Saturday with Skye Jewels

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

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This weeks winner is....  SusanM

Congratulations! 

She said...

While I always appreciate creative packaging, I like it when the seller takes time to write a personal thank you. Even a quick hand-written "thanks" on a business card is enough. It's a small thing, but as a buyer, this little extra effort makes me feel like the buyer appreciates my business."
You have won $20 worth of (beautifully packaged!) goodies from The Curious Bead Shop.

 

Please send Rebecca Anderson an email

with your address and she will get it right out to you.

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This week we visit the studio of Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp

of Skye Jewels 

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The studio has been pretty quiet lately. I reserve my energy these days for getting back and forth to the hospital for my radiation treatments. I have them everyday except for weekends. I am almost halfway done so I feel encouraged to finally start working in my studio again! I have done a few things however and I am happy to share these with you today.

First I want to share with you that my wonderful husband is starting to come around to this little business of mine. He bought me a portable light box for taking pictures! I have used it on everything I have made so far! It's great! We don't get much light this time of the year, so it's nice to have a place to take pictures without having to wait!

   So this pendant is a part of my new batch that are now listed in my More Skye Jewels Etsy shop!

I have many more in this series of wonderful images created by my friend Ella of Calico Collage.  

 She also created these wonderful quote images at my request. I wanted these for a few reasons. For you to create with, for me to create with and I am hoping for a local shop to start selling them for me as well, but for scrapbooking. I think they would look great in a shabby chic style page.

I have been working on getting some more new pieces ready, but I am using some new products and the pendants take much longer to make. 

I am starting to do more everyday and hope to be back in full swing very soon!

On a different note I have been starting to make new inventory. Not too much, but it's a start. I am using some of my favorite lampwork art beads in my bookmarks. I used to make bookmarks all the time and stopped for a year or so. I just got bored with them. I did however get a special order for one and it got me going again. I made close to 100 of them in a week. They have a mix of beads and links, but most have lampwork beads.

 

 A few in brass tones with a variety of lampwork beads and crystals

Some in copper tones with more lampwork, crystals and some fun links

And last but not least silver tones with lampwork, crystals and faux sea glass! 

So tell me what you like to make make or purchase with lampwork beads for your chance to win some of my fun and colourful Ephemera Pendants! Leave your comment here and next Saturday we will announce our winner!

Marie is a Canadian jewelry designer and ephemera tile creator living in beautiful Calgary Alberta at the foot of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. You can read more about her work on her Skye Jewels Blog. You can purchase her jewelry in her Skye Jewels Etsy shop and her pendants and a handful of handmade findings in her More Skye Jewels supply shop.