When one door closes, another one opens.
—Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)
Back in January, I wrote about Jewelry Stringing magazine closing. This magazine helped shaped me as a new jewelry designer, so I was sad to see it go. The good news is that its sister magazine Beadwork is currently folding in a few Stringing-like projects into future issues. I'm excited to have a new necklace in the June/July 2017 issue of Beadwork!
Stamped Metal Jewelry
The theme for the set of "Fast and Fabulous" projects in this issue was stamped metal. For my "Find Your Wings" necklace, I decided to stamp on metal beads instead of the normal pendant or charm blanks. I used copper-plated ovals and silver-toned beads from Michaels. Since I didn't know the metal content (how I wish craft stores would include that info!), I only used metal stamps that were rated for steel just to be safe. (You can damage your metal stamps if you stamp them on harder metals than what they are rated for.) The copper ovals were a little tricky to stamp because they are slightly curved; the flat silver ones were easier. The fun thing about stamping on beads is that you can decide whether or not to show the stamped message to the world (facing up) or to keep it to yourself (facing down). Unlike thinner stamped metals, you don't have to worry about the ugly hammer marks showing on the reverse side.
The eight stamped projects in this issue are from designers Jess Lincoln (Vintaj), Rita Pannulla (ImpressArt), Lisa Niven Kelly (Beaducation), Lorelei Eurto, Kristina Hahn Eleniak (Peacock and Lime), Gaea Caanaday, Becky Nunn (Nunn Design), and me (Michelle Mach). Each design puts a fresh spin on metal stamping, using a range of metals (brass, copper, pewter, and plated metals) to showcase different ideas such as a miniature book, a metal bead frame, or mandala patterns. Enjoy!