Handmade Jewelry - A Great Way to Relax!

Susie is no longer with us...

2011-11-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Many of you who have purchased my jewelry or have followed this blog have asked about Susie, my design coordinator in training. On November 18th, I had to take Susie to the vet to be put to sleep. She almost made it to her 14th birthday. She lived 18 months longer than she would have if I had not rescued her from my ex-husband. Her last days were happy and comfortable. She had been suffering with cancer for several weeks and had become too weak to stand on her own. The night of her death, her cries became so unbearable that I took her to the vet's emergency center to take her out of her misery. She went peacefully and is now buried with two of our other dogs on our land. Here are some last photos.

Susie and Lil Man on the sofa, 11/16/11.

Susie's grave.

Her headstone.

SHE WILL BE MISSED...

Etsy Store on Hold

2011-11-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Due to a dispute about selling fees I am having with Etsy, my store there is temporarily on hold. You can still buy from me at my Artfire store, Rojagato Designs on Artfire. Most of my Etsy stock is currently listed there, along with some new merchandise.

Christmas Stock On Etsy!

2011-09-13T16:34:00.003-07:00

I've started listing new jewelry pieces in my Etsy store for your Christmas shopping. Here's some items being added soon or are already on Rojagato Designs on Etsy.

Pink and Black Purse Charm

Green and Yellow Beadwork Bracelet

MIDNIGHT - Beautiful Beadwork Bracelet

DAISIES - Sterling silver and handmade lampwork bead bracelet

18 grams of sterling!!

Navajo Indian Style Beadwork Earrings

Done with the Hiatus

2011-09-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

Hi loyal followers,

I'm finally back making and selling jewelry again. I had put everything on hiatus due to slow sales and because I found that the online sites were making more money than I was. Handmade jewelry is a very competitive area. There are a lot of people out there selling handmade jewelry from foreign countries (sweat shops) and some people marketing some very cheaply made merchandise. I put so much of myself into my work that I was getting discouraged. I received enough emails from loyal customers to make me reconsider and start selling online again.

Right now I am selling on Etsy only. Go to: http://www.etsy.com/shop/rojagatodesigns to see what is up for sale right now. I will be adding more purse decorations and unusual designs. My online pricing is 15% below my retail pricing, plus I offer free shipping on everything.

Claudia

EBay Store is Closed!

2010-12-10T20:46:00.002-07:00

I closed my eBay store, Rojagato Designs for good 4 days early. As I stated in a previous blog post, I cannot warrant the costs involved in maintaining the store and competition with overseas sellers marketing under the guise of "handmade, artisan work" has made it impossible to sell my one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. I hope everyone understands the change in marketing and I hope you continue purchasing my work.

My work will still be available on more artisan based online sites. In the future, I will be introducing more unusual pieces and more items of precious metals. Keep checking back for new designs at my Rojagato Designs stores on Etsy or Artfire.

HOW TO MAKE A DOUBLE SPIRAL BRACELET

2010-11-20T15:47:00.003-07:00

I get so many people asking me how to do a double spiral bracelet. The trick is keeping the color segments separated while beading so you will get the look of two spirals. Most of this instruction is from Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher and is the easiest to follow. I have added some tricks to get the pattern right and to get the most durable bracelet. Use complementary colors in your beads to get the most striking bracelet!

Materials:

70 to 90 of two different color 4mm beads (A, B)

110 to 130 size 6° or “E” seed beads (C)

At least 300 of two different color size 11° (10° fits better) seed beads (a,b)

Spool of Fireline beading thread (size 1)

.015 Beadalon coated beading wire

Beading needle

Closure, crimps, wire guardians

1. Place one full unit of base with both segments. Pick up 4C (base beads). Pick up 2a, 1A, 2a (Color Segment A). Pass needle through the bottom of 4C base (see figure 1). Push Segment A to the left. Pick up 2b, 1B, 2b (Color Segment B). Pass needle through bottom of 4C base (see figure 2). Thread Beadlon wire through C base beads.

Note: Rotate your work so that Segment A is on the right and Segment B is on the left.

2. Pick up 1C base bead and a Segment A (2a, 1A, 2a). Push them to the left side of the work. Pass needle through the top 3C of the base and new C bead (see figure 3). Thread Beadalon wire through new C base beads.

Note: Because the initial base was 4 beads, pass through 4 base beads with every segment.

3. Keeping Segment B on the right of the base and Segment A on the left, pick up a Segment B (2b, 1B, 2b) without the additional C bead. This keeps the segments on the same level. Pass needle through top 4C base beads.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the piece reaches the desired length. Keep passing the end of the Beadlon wire through each new C base bead added. Threading it through the work at the end is practically impossible.

Note: Use Beadlon wire, crimps and wire guardians to add clasp to your piece.

As more segments are added, it will get more difficult to find the proper place to thread through the base beads. Watch the staggered appearance of the 4 mm beads. They should look “stair-stepped” if you are threading in the right place. Also, you should starting a new segment right on top of an opposite color segment as you complete your way around the spiral (see figure 4).

Here’s a finished bracelet I just completed using round 4 mm Swarovski crystals in Light Siam and Lime. It is for sale at my Etsy store, Rojagato Designs:

Have fun beading!

EBay Store is Closing For Good

2010-11-20T13:23:00.005-07:00

I have finally become totally discouraged with eBay, so I am closing my store there on December 14, 2010. I may sell old stock there occasionally, but I will not be re-opening the store again. EBay is promoting volume sales nowadays and this does not work well for artisans. You have to sell in volume to become a top rated seller on eBay. They are the sellers listed first when a buyer searches for a particular item. This hinders getting my work viewed since I am a small operation. I appreciate my loyal customers. If it were not for you, none of my work on eBay would get sold. Many of you realize the quality of my work.

Unfortunately artisan work takes time to create, so selling in volume would be difficult when you are dealing with one-of-a-kind items. Designing takes time. Beadwork with seed beads is very time consuming in itself. Even my seed bead tubes take roughly 2-3 hours to make. It is very disheartening to have to let my work auction for $9.99 when that does not cover material costs in most cases, much less pay me for my time to make the piece. By the time I pay eBay, PayPal and any shipping fees I am giving the jewelry away to the customer. Lately I have been paying eBay more than what I am selling there. In the future, customers will see my jewelry on venues like Etsy.com and Artfire.com listed for their actual value...actually my inventory on Etsy is currently undergoing price updates. The pricing you are seeing on eBay is at wholesale. I am not a wholesaler. I am a self-representing artist who likes to make beautiful jewelry. I hope you continue to patronize my stores.

What Goes Into My Jewelry

2010-11-12T16:23:00.007-07:00

All my customers are surprised about the quality of my work for the price they pay for one of my creations. The biggest problem I encounter as a self-representing designer is competition with sellers based in the Orient or Middle East where labor is cheap. They hire workers to bead bracelets for them and pay them $2 for 30 or more finished pieces. I notice on EBay there are sellers representing their work as "handmade" or "artisan" work and selling tons of bracelets for $1 or $2 at auction. Then there are the sellers like myself that take the time to make a quality piece using quality materials. It's difficult to compete in the current economy where everyone is trying to save a buck and customers rarely understand the difference between products.

What I'd like my customers to understand that on average, it takes roughly 3 to 4 hours to make one of my beadwork and charm bracelet sets. Each charm has to be hand constructed. Each seed beadwork section has to be constructed bead-by-bead. I use crimp covers and wire guardians for a more durable and professional looking product. To make a more affordable piece, I mix precious metals with plated metals, but the plated metals used in a piece have heavy plating and will not flake off like some of the cheaper products. The seed beads used in my products are either from the Czech Republic or are Japanese Delicas. I require the beads to be of a uniform size and shape before I will use them in my work. The glass beads, charms and gemstones used are A or B quality and purchased from distributors in the United States. The findings come from companies like Tierra Cast and Fire Mountain in the United States. What the customer gets in the end is a jewelry set that will last for years.

Many times when I am auctioning my jewelry, I am paying the customer to take the piece. I have shipping and transportation costs in procuring materials, I have to pay for the materials, I have to take and edit photos, I have to pay listing fees to put them on sites like Etsy or EBay, and I have to pay the sites a portion of my sale. If a jewelry set is sold for $20 and I pay shipping, I am not even paying myself for the time I spend in making the piece. I list my work online for 25 to 30% below what they normally sell for at artisan fairs since I am not having to sit in a booth marketing my work, so the customer is already getting a major discount on the piece. And I never make the same exact item twice. Plus I am offering the customer an extension of myself in my work. Every piece takes time and thought and has a story of its own.

My Etsy Store has Reopened for Christmas!

2010-10-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are faithful to Etsy, I have reopened my store, Rojagato Designs for the Christmas holidays.

Here's one of my newest designs at that store:

Check out the new designs that will be added in the next couple of weeks!

Pre-Holiday Sales Event!

2010-10-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

My EBay store, Rojagato Designs is having a pre-holiday sale! From October 15th through October 30th I am offering 25% off any of my current inventory (auction items not included). Also, I am giving FREE SHIPPING until Christmas.

All my jewelry is 100% hand-beaded by me. And unlike a lot of pictures of jewelry on EBay, what you see is what you get. My bracelets are substantial in size and every earring set has ear wires that are .925 sterling or 14K Gold Filled. The regular pricing on EBay is wholesale, so take advantage of my sale and get my one of a kind designs at a major savings. Here's one of my most recent designs:

Sample of Sold Jewelry

2010-07-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a few of my more recently sold jewelry pieces. Sold Jewelry I do custom pieces and each jewelry piece is one of a kind. Check out my EBay Store, Rojagato Designs for new jewelry that is currently for sale!

Claudia

Beading With The Daisy Chain

2009-02-17T23:30:00.032-07:00

I've been kind of lax in my promise to post beading techniques and tips. School and my new part-time job are taking up a lot of my time, so I stayed up late tonight to write this blog post.

This stitch is a favorite of mine since you can use it as a base to build all sorts of jewelry on...plus it is a very easy technique to master. You can vary bead sizes, using a larger bead for the center of the daisy, or you can use all the same color and size to start a base for a necklace or choker.

Step One:
Pick up a "petal" bead on the needle. Pull the bead down the thread, leaving six to eight inches of thread as a tail. Pass the needle up through the bottom of the bead. (Try not to split the thread as it will be removed later. )

Step Two:

Pick up four more "petal" beads, then one "center" bead on the needle. Pass the needle back through bead #1 towards the tail.

Step Three:
Pick up three more "petal" beads (#7, #8 and #9) then pass the needle through bead #5.

Step Four:

Pick up one "petal" bead (#10) then pass the needle back through bead #9.

Step Five:
Pick up another "petal" bead (#11) then pass the needle back through bead #10.

Step Six:
Pick up three more "petal" beads (#12, #13 and #14) and one "center" bead (#15). Pass the needle back through bead #11.

Step Seven:

Pick up three more "petal" beads (#16, #17 and #18) then pass the needle through bead #14.

Last Step:

Add more flowers until your chain reaches the desired length by repeating steps four through seven. Each additional daisy consists of 8 "petal" beads and 1 "center" bead.

When done, work the thread tail emerging from bead #1 back into the piece using the zig-zag method.

Here's a wonderful picture of a finished choker necklace using the daisy chain stitch with an interesting variation of colors.

Try this stitch out. It's fun and hard to make mistakes on. One piece of advice, use different colors for the "center" and "petal" beads to keep track of your stitches before you try a variation like this necklace.

Enjoy!

Claudia

Tubular Peyote Bracelet

2009-01-09T18:28:00.006-07:00

With my U of A classes starting on Jan. 14th, I have no time to promote my Etsy shop and finish my 2008 business taxes. Also, I am running short on time to write posts to my blog. In the last couple of jewelry making posts, I used pictures and step-by-step written instructions. Not everyone can follow these types of instruction, so I started searching for some really good video instructions. I came across this Auntie’s Beads Karla Kam instruction for a tubular peyote bracelet on You Tube. It looks pretty easy to follow and you can pause the video as you need to.

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQqgSBxokbc

Let me know how you like video instruction vs. written instructions. Relax and enjoy making your jewelry pieces!

Claudia

Wrapped Headpins And Eyepins

2009-01-04T07:24:00.025-07:00

Creating the wrapped loops on headpins was one of the hardest things to for me to master in jewelry making. The headpins can be costly, so your best bet is to buy some cheap 21 or 22 gauge beading wire without coating to practice on. Once you master the technique, it will add a touch of elegance and professionalism to your jewelry piece, plus increasing the security of your beads in the design.

You can create one wire wrap or as many as you like, but keep the number consistent throughout the piece. I like to use three wraps and 20 or 21 gauge headpins or eyepins.

Figure 1: Leaving a 1 inch (2.5 cm) tail, place the tip of your chain nose pliers where the bead will be. Bend the tail to form a right angle. I like using 2 inch headpins since they give you working room with the wire, but precious metals can be costly, so use the shortest headpin you can work comfortably with.

Figure 2: With round nose pliers, grasp the tail just past the bend and pull it over the jaw to point the other way.

Figure 3: Rotate the pliers so the empty jaw is above the partial loop and continue pulling the tail around the bottom jaw until it is perpendicular to the bead or the wire.

Figure 4: Pull a split ring, chain, closed jump ring, etc. from the tail into the loop.

Figure 5: To keep the loop round, grasp it with round nose pliers in your opposite hand just above the cross. Do not press pliers tightly on loop as it will dent the wire.

Figure 6: Grasp the tail with chain nose pliers and pull it around the wire until it meets the bead. Make the first wrap against the pliers and keep wraps close. Clip and press wire end flat with pliers.

A couple of extra tips:
1) If you order your supplies online, you will not save money by ordering 24 gauge pins. They work fine in delicate pieces where you are using nothing but wrapped loops and tiny beads, but are too thin to make secure eye loops. Also, 24 gauge headpins will pass through most beads.

2) If you choose to use plated headpins, buy them from a dealer like Fire Mountain Gems. The headpins and eyepins you purchase at local craft dealers like Michael’s or JoAnn’s are of a poor quality and you will waste a lot of pins. The plating is not secure and will flake off when pin is bent.

Enjoy! Claudia

Tubular Herringbone

2008-12-28T22:44:00.017-07:00

At shows and online I have seen a lot of jewelry crafters who have incorporated twisted strands of seed beads with a strand of large beads for bracelets and necklaces. The biggest complaint that I have heard about the jewelry is that the customer could not keep the seed beads twisted in the same way the artist had displayed the piece. In an attempt to get the same look myself, without customers complaining, I came across pictures of seed bead tubes and learned the stitch needed to create that look. Now my customers ask, “How do you get your seed beads to stay twisted?” The answer is easy…a tubular herringbone stitch!

When it comes to learning beading stitches, I am dyslexic. I cannot follow patterns or written instructions to save my life. After going from book to magazine to book again, I finally came across an instruction in a 2006 edition of Bead and Button magazine that I could use to teach the stitch to others. In the 2008 Beader’s Handbook (from editors of Bead and Button magazine), I found an even simpler version written by Associate Editor Lynne Soto.

Here is an excerpt: “Tubular herringbone usually starts from a ladder of beads formed into a ring, though it can also begin with a simple ring of beads. In either case, begin with an even number of beads. Once you get started, you can choose to make the ribs straight (photo c) or twisted (photo d).

Straight tubular herringbone
(1) For a ladder start, stitch a ladder with an even number of beads, and form it into a ring. Your thread should exit the top of a bead.
(2) Pick up two beads, and sew down through the next bead in the previous round (figure 7, a-b). Sew up through the next bead, and repeat around the ring to complete the round (b-c).
(3) You will need to step up to start the next round. Sew up through two beads—the next bead in the previous round and the first bead added in the new round (c-d).

Alternatively, begin by picking up four beads, and sew through them again to form a ring. Sew through the first bead again, and snug up the beads (figure 8, a-b). Pick up two beads, and sew through the next bead (b-c). Repeat three times, and step up through the first bead added in this round.

Whether you begin with a ladder or a ring, continue adding two beads per stitch. As you work, snug up the beads to form a tube, and step up at the end of each round until your rope in the desired length.

Twisted tubular herringbone
(1) Form a base ring with an even number of beads. Pick up two beads, and sew through the next bead in the previous round (figure 9, a-b). Sew up through the next bead, and repeat around the ring to complete the round (b-c)
(2) You will need to step up to start the next round. Sew up through two beads—the bead from the previous round and the first bead added in the new round (c-d). Work one round of straight herringbone (d-e).
(3) To create a twist in the tube, pick up two beads, sew down through one bead in the next stack, then up through two beads in the following stack (e-f). Repeat around the ring, adding two beads per stitch. Step up to the next round through three beads (f-g). Snug up the beads to form a tube. The twist will begin to appear after the sixth round. Continue until your rope is the desired length.”

Even if the written instructions confuse you, the diagrams are easy to follow. It will take some practice to get the tensions even and I bead the tube around a strand of 6° or 8° seed beads to keep the tube from collapsing. It also gives you a base to string additional large beads on. Check out Bead and Button magazine's website for more instructions and projects, http://www.beadandbutton.com/bnb/default.aspx.

Happy Beading!

Claudia

My Design Coordinator

2008-12-28T00:01:00.004-07:00

Precious the Cat
Rojagato Designs got its name from my 11 yr. old cat that sits perched on a large dog pillow overseeing every jewelry piece from design to creation. In Spanish, “rojo” means red and “gato” means cat (the spelling and word placement was modified a little to create the business name.) Precious is a red and white short-haired tabby cat that has no idea that she is a cat. Precious was raised by our basset hound (who has since passed on) and gets along with dogs much better than cats. She was named for the ring in the book, The Hobbit.

Three years ago, Precious spent most of her days wandering from room to room in our house looking for new places to hide and sleep, and she now oversees everything in my work area since I took up making jewelry. Now she lives for jewelry beading. Every piece is carefully scrutinized by Precious as it is constructed and has to meet her final seal of approval before it goes up for sale.

For my customers with animal allergies, I want you to know that every jewelry piece is thoroughly cleaned prior to shipment. -- Claudia