mary....jewelry making... | Arthritis Information

Hi Mary, nice to meet you. I glanced at your website and was intrigued. Do you sell the kits to make jewelry, or do you make it yourself? Is that a hobby of yours, or your profession? Do you have pain in your hands, and if so, do you find it difficult working with beads? I am a mental health therapist and work with a lot of teens. I've been interested in getting them involved in a project, such as jewelry making, to work with them on their creative side, build self esteem, self-expression and also a way to bless others. Thanks for letting me pick your brain :) Love and gentle hugs, Juliah

p.s. I couldn't find a way to post a private message to mary on this forum or I would have done that. Is there a way? Thanks, J

Love beading it is my hobby too!beadaholic here too.Pammy, I LOVE your website! Your jewelry is beautiful! I particularly love the lassos. And the photography.....wow! They are breathtaking! Did you do all the photos for the notecards as well? You have an amazing talent! Is this your career? How much time do you spend on it? I'd love to learn one of these skills, not just for myself, but to pass along to my clients. I have a number of teenaged clients who live in the housing projects. Most have low self-esteem, poor home conditions and lack of supervision. I'd love to get them involved in something that will help them feel as though they are "creating something" from nothing and something that comes from THEM. Something that will help them realize that they are unique, worthy individuals with something to contribute to the world. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Marian, I'd love to hear more about what you do as well!

Another beader and jewelry designer here. Work in beads and silversmithing. Don't have anything posted but will as soon as I figure out photo shop. Bead on

I'd love to give you some ideas. There are heaps of really simple things that the girls could make that are VERY reasonable. Memory wire bracelets and chokers are super simple, cheap and lots of fun to make. They can be made with any kind of beads and have charms dangling from them. They can really let a girls imagination go wild. Large packets of seed beads with a few fancy beads can go a long way and you can get memory wire in long loops like slinkys that you just cut off the amount you want (1 or 2 loops at a time for bracelets and 1 for choker) You just bend one end of the wire around with needlenose pliers then add beads in what ever order you like to get the look you want. When the loop is full (about 3/8' left) loop the end around the pliers and voila you have jewellery!! I'm not joking, ANYONE can do it! It is a great conversation starter too especially for girls with problems, you could get into colours and moods and all kinds of stuff. (Even emo can look funky). If you did it as a group exercise they could maybe even have a bit of a market stall and sell some stuff at a local craft market. Nothing more powerful than someone else wanting something YOU have made.

pm me if you want any more info.

Pam

Pam, thanks for the great ideas! I'd love to talk with you when I get back in town. I'm heading out to the beach for a few days and will chat with you when I return.

Lin, glad to know there is another beader on board! I'm amazed there are so many creative women here!

Anyone have trouble beading during hand flares? My hands are often painful, does beading help or hinder this? I wonder if using my fingers more might help. Anyone know?

Going to beach. Back Sunday night. Love to all, J

I love to bead as well. I see my stuff at my office and give to as presents to all my friends. There are MANY days, most days lately in fact, that I can not bead because my hands are too swollen and painful.

Have a great time at the beach! Don't forget the sunscreen! Hi all, love to see all the beadaholics! I do beading as a hobby and sell kits to support my habit. I have only had RA for a year and one of the reason I sell kits, is that it is difficult to string beads often. What I found was that the metal fog hindered my ideas for design. I teach college for a living, but bead for FUN!

I also do community ed classes in beading. Juliah, 2 of the best classes I taught have been to junior high and high school students. I was amazed at their creativity and it did not matter if they were boys or girls. As a matter of fact, the boys did fantastic. I just bought inexpensive class beads, memory wire and beading wire. I did bring some designs in, and gave some quick directions (odd number of beads work best, find a focal bead, mix things up)

OK all you beadaholics I have some designs coming out soon in some beading magazine.

SIMPLY BEADS OCTOBER - FALL CRYSTAL WATCH, DECEMBER - CRYSTAL CUFF AND FEB 08 BIRTHSTONE CRYSTAL

BEADSTYLE SEPTEMBER FALL IN SWAROVSKI BRACELET AND NECKLACE
WOO HOO, I guess my designs ideas haven't all dried up (yet)

Juliah - I will PM you
I used to make jewelry from jewelry I would buy at thrift stores. I would take it apart and make new things. It was so much fun. Then I went to the beaders and designed a necklace. My hands would not work. I was so sad. I did get my necklace which I love, it is so fun wearing something you made and getting a complement on it. Anyway, so now I can design jewelry but have to pay a beader to string it

Even if beading is beyond you, try and use the assorted piecse of jewelry and decorate photo frames, mirror frames, backs of hand mirrors, use in altered books, basket decorating and use as Christmas decorations. There are a tons of ideas for using jewelry pieces. PM if you want some more info. Lindy