Bird Charms Take Flight!

Wow, kids!  Bird charms are so darn popular lately!  And it's no wonder, with all the super adorable bird charms available right now.  We've added quite a few fabulous feathered friends to our sterling silver charm boxes this week.  From swallows to hummingbirds all the way to the wise old owl, our range of bird charms is now top notch. Here is a quick preview of some of our newest...

Peace Dove, $6.00 at Bead World

Asian Bird Cage charm, $10.95 at Bead World

Disc with Bird Cut-Out, $10.95 at Bead World

Bird on a Perch, $7.20 at Bead World

Owl Pendant, $14.25 at Bead World

Hummingbird, $7.80 at Bead World

Fire is Fun!

This weekend, we had a "Train the Trainer" class at Bead World.  What was I thinking, giving a group of crazy jewelry instructors torches and letting them loose in my store?!  Remarkably, though there was much teasing and trash talk, no one was burned.  We learned important things like 1) Don't touch hot stuff!  and 2) Things stay hot longer than you think!  Really, though, all of the staffers did amazingly well.  They qualified to teach three classes each, significantly raising the number of torch classes we can offer.  I'm so excited!

"Introduction to the Torch" is our basic, beginner torch safety class.  It could really be called "Turn the torch on.  Turn the torch off.  Don't set yourself on fire."  This is the class that lets you experiment a bit with the feel of a torch in your hand, and helps you gain confidence.  We ball wire, which is how you make headpins.  We make a groovy wire wrapped interchangeable bail, too.  If you think you might like playing with fire, this is the first step to doing it safely.

"Fusing Fine Silver" is our first fusing class.  (You must have taken our "Intro to the Torch" or a similar course to take this class.)  We use the torch to close fine silver jump rings and build a stylish chain bracelet.  Then, we texture and work harden the chain using a hammer and steel bench block.  Gorgeous!

"Advanced Fusing Fine Silver" takes fused chain building to another level with the introduction of shaped links.  (Pre-requisite: "Fusing Fine Silver")  Learn the basics of chain customization, try several traditional link shapes and open your mind to a whole new world of posibilities.

Come try a class and see how fun fire can be!

PMC -- What the Heck Is It?

As the first bead store in the Phoenix area to teach Precious Metal Clay classes, we hear a lot of questions about this remarkable material.  "How do you work with it?"  "What can you so with it?"  "What the heck is it?"  Precious Metal Clay (or PMC, as it is more commonly called) is a mixture of .999 silver ground up into a very fine dust, water and and organic binder. It has a texture similar to polymer clay and can be molded, shaped, rolled out, stamped and cut with cookie cutters. When fired in a kiln, all that's left is the solid fused .999 silver.  What this means to a crafter is the ability to make custom silver charms, pendants, findings and more without having to learn silversmithing skills.  Many items that are time consuming and difficult to create using traditional methods are a snap with PMC.  It's so fun designing unique silver elements that it becomes an addiction!

PMC comes in a variety of formulas. They vary in firing time, firing temperature, workability and finished strength. Choosing the right PMC formula for a given project is very important, so we strongly recommend taking a beginner's class to help you get started.  If you live in the Valley of the Sun, I know some great bead shops that teach PMC classes!  Bead World markets PMC in several ways. Of course, we teach PMC classes and sell PMC products, tools and supplies. We rent kiln time and workshop time to clients who have not yet invested in their own full home studio. We also sell several beautiful books on PMC.  If you don't live in the Phoenix area, PMC and PMC supplies are available through many bead stores throughout the country and in online stores.

If the idea of creating custom silver pieces is appealing to you, check out PMC and all you can create with it.  You'll be so glad you did!