Black Friday / Cyber Monday Etsy Shop Sale!

We now have a Black Friday / Cyber Monday promotion going on at our Etsy Shop. Currently we are offering 25% off all our merchandise via a discount code at checkout.  Visit our store for more details.  Our sale will run through 12:00 AM EST on 11/23 to 12:00 AM on 11/27. Happy Holiday Shopping!

Facebook Giveaway

Who has two thumbs and wants some free jewelry from Mazikeen Studios? If it's you, here's what to do!

1. Be one of the first five people to post a link to our FB site or Etsy shop to your wall.

2. Encourage people to like us, to really like us! (We're needy like that.)

3. Visit our giveaway photo album and leave a comment along the lines of "MINE SUCKERS" or "Taken" on the item you want. (Obviously, if someone already got to it, you can't have it.)

4. Message me your shipping details and I'll get that bad boy in the mail for you early next week!

Oh, and if you were a little late to the game and didn't win, you can still pimp our Etsy store and FB page on your wall. In fact, if you do we'll give you a code for 20% off anything in our Etsy store. Sound good?

Contest will stay open until all five winners are declared.  : )  Offer of the bonus code for link trade is good through 12/31/2012.  : )

We're On Facebook!

Hi there!  Mazikeen Studios is now on Facebook.  Come on over and "like" us; we're always adding new jewelry designs from our 7/52 creation blog, and soon we are going to start offering promotional codes for our Etsy Shop.  Stop on by!

Tutorial: How to Make Custom Necklace Cords From Memory Thread

I love pendants.  Oh boy, how do I love pendants.  But I get kind of bored hanging them on the usual plain chain or black cord.  When I found a really cool set of six eyeball wine glass charms for 60% off at my local Joann Fabrics, I knew I wanted to turn them into cool Halloween themed necklaces.  But I couldn't find any cord that was cool enough to make the eyeballs really pop.  So I set out to look for different kinds of thread that I could use to make a resilient, custom multi-colored necklace cord for these pendants.

I ended up picking up two different kinds of stringing material to make my custom cords.  The first is something called DMC Color Infusions Memory Thread.  I found it in the embroidery isle.  It comes in about two dozen different colors, so I had some good Halloween-y choices.  The Memory Thread is significantly stiffer than regular embroidery thread, but it seemed to have enough give to actually create a decent necklace cord.  It is thin, so I knew I would need to twist multiple strands to create a thicker cord, and that is where the wire base of the Memory Thread really comes in handy.  You can find all the different colors of Memory Thread for purchase at 123 Stitch.

The other stringing material I picked up was some regular rat-tail satin cord.  This cord is thicker, but came in less color choices on the spool at Joanns.  (However, if I wanted to get lengths of the "by the yard" rattail satin there were more choices.)  Additionally, in order to combine colors it would need some extra treatment as it would not hold the "twist" as well as the wired Memory Thread.  I'll cover the process I used to combine the colors of satin cord in my next entry.  : )

The Memory Thread custom cord was really easy to make.  In order to make a custom necklace cord from Memory Thread you will need:

- DMC Memory Thread in at least three colors.
- Scissors.  They should be sharp enough to cut through the memory thread.  You could also use wire cutters, but my craft scissors worked just fine.
- Flat or chain nose pliers.  For folding over the end crimps, and opening / closing jump rings.
- Pendant.  For stringing.  : )
- Glue (optional).  For securing the ends of the threads into end crimps.  I pretty much swear by Liquid Urethane or FabriTac.
- Two end crimps in the style of your choosing.  I used fold over end crimps as that is what I had on hand.
- Jump Rings.  You will need two if you are just adding the clasp to the crimp ends, grab an additional two jump rings if you want to add your pendant to the cord with jump rings.
- Necklace Closure.  Your choice!  Toggle clasp, spring ring, magnetic ends, lobster claw... the list is endless!

To start, the pendant I wanted to string had a fairly large loop at the top.  I wanted a thick-ish cord so I started off with five Halloween themed colors.  If you are working with a small loop on your pendant you can use fewer threads, but I don't recommend going under three.  If you want fewer colors but a thick cord, you can always cut two lengths of the same color (i.e. two green and two black for a black and green twist.)

Halloween themed Memory Thread colors.

I like my necklaces to fall just underneath my collar bone, which is about 16'' in length.  I cut 18'' of each cord color, leaving some wiggle room for errors and the shrink that can occur when you twist cords.  You can customize the length to suit your preferences, but remember to add at least two extra inches for the "shrink" that will be caused by twisting the fibers together.  Remember, you can always cut your finished cord shorter if need but, but too short is too short forever.  : )  Well, not really.  You can always add an extender chain if your finished necklace cord is a little snug or doesn't fall where you want it to  : )

Cut lengths of Memory Thread.

Once I had my individual lengths of Memory Thread cut, it was time to start combining them.  I had some crimp ends on hand from previous projects, and decided to use those to secure the necklace ends.  I added a dab of glue to the inside of the crimp end, lined up all the ends of the threads, then placed them inside the crimp.

Thread ends in crimp.

Then, I used my pliers to fold one side of the crimp down, securing the threads.  I did notices that the one thread on the very end liked to pop out, so it is extra important to hold it in place while folding down the other side of the crimp.  If you don't like the way that the ends are set in the crimp once the edges are folded you can always trim off the crimp and start again.  I ended up doing that once before I was really happy with the way my necklace threads were secured.

Folding the crimp down to secure the Memory Thread strands.

Once the ends were secure, I began twisting the colors together to create a colorful rope of sorts.  It was easy, I just grasped the thread a few inches from the crimp, then grasped the crimp and twisted until I liked the "tightness" of the coils.  Then I moved down a few more inches and started again.  Working a few inches at a time kept the coils tight and uniform.

Twisting the Memory Threads together.

 Once I had just about an inch to half an inch left on the cords, I stopped twisting.

End of the twisted cord. 

At this point, it was time to add the glass eye I took off of the wineglass charm. The crimp ends were too large to go through the loop at the top of the eye, so it needed to be added before finishing the cord. Check and see if your crimp end will go through the loop, bail, or ring on your pendant. If not, you may want to consider adding your charm before finishing the cord. If you finished your cord and find that your pendant will not fit, never fear! You can always add a set of two jump rings to hang your pendant. Use one large jump ring to go over the cord, and one small jump ring to connect the large jump ring and your pendant.

Adding the charm to the necklace cord before finishing the end.

Once the charm is added, trim the remaining Memory Thread ends to about a quarter of an inch.  try to make the ends as even as possible so nothing will stick out of the top of your crimp.

Evened ends ready for finishing.

 Once the ends are evened, you can add a spot of glue to the inside of the final crimp, and use the crimp to secure the necklace end.

Finishing the necklace end with a crimp.

Once the necklace end is finished, you can add the clasp of your choice with jump rings.  Woohoo!  you now have a fun, custom, funky colored necklace cord for you pendant.  Much better than plain black, right?

Finished cord with glass eye pendant.

I am really happy with my custom cord for my glass eye necklace.  Best of luck making your new custom cords with Memory Thread, and I'll catch you next time with a how-to on using rat-tail satin cord to create custom twist necklace cords!

Tutorial: How to Make Sugar Skull Beads

While working on Skull Week over at the 7/25 blog, I ended up needing to customize a whole lot of cheap plastic skull beads to make them unique.  This time of year is great for getting skulls and other Halloween-y or Goth types of components on the cheap, but it can be hard to make it look like you didn't just walk on out of a dollar store covered in plastic bones.  : )  I hope this tutorial helps you to customize some of the amazing finds you can get at this type of year to reflect your own personal style!

To start, you will need:

- Several Colors of Nail Polish.  I used colors from Salley Hansen's Insta-Dry and Xtreme Wear lines.  Enamel craft paints would also work well as they leave a nice glossy finish.
- Plastic Skull Beads.  I got mine at Michael's craft stores on pre-made bracelets for 1.99.
- Bamboo kebab skewers.  These are to help you handle the beads while painting them and keeps them free of surface contact for a flawless finish.  I got mine in the picnic supplies isle at my local Kroger.
- Very small point paintbrush, toothpicks, wire clippings, or straightened paperclips.  These will be for making the details on the skulls.  I ended up using 6 inch lengths of 20 gauge beading wire because it was what I had on hand.
- Newspaper, wax paper or other covering to protect your work surface.  That's pretty self-explanatory.  : )
- A well ventilated room.  This can be a really stinky project, so I highly recommend opening a window, turning on a fan, or working outdoors to keep you from inhaling a lot of fumes.  Also, if you feel lightheaded please remember to walk away for a bit.
- 20 ga or larger beading wire.  This is to create eye pins for your skull beads once they are finished.  Skip this material if you want to use your beads for something else.
- Bracelet clasp, or lobster claw clasp with large jump ring.  This will be the closure for your finished bracelet.

Step 1:  Find some plastic skull beads!  I got mine at Michael's on these pre-made stretch bracelets.  I haven't figured out what to do with the cross-bones style beads, but I am sure I will think of something soon.

Pre-made plastic skull bracelet.

Step 2:  Liberate your beads!  You can already see how much cuter they look once they've been liberated from their chunky stretch bracelet prison.

Liberated skull beads.

Step 3:  Skewer your beads.  On the left hand side of the picture in Step 4, you can see an unpainted skull bead on its bamboo kebab skewer.  This step is easy; just take the pointy end of the skewer and insert it into the hole on the bottom of the bead until the bead fits snugly enough that you can rotate the skewer without it coming loose or falling off.

Step 4:  Paint your skulls in their base color.  Once your beads have been skewered, you can use the skewer as a handle to rotate your bead while you paint it with your chosen colors of nail polish.  I simply used the nail polish brush to paint the skulls.  If you need to add a second coat of color be sure to let your first coat dry completely before adding more.  Otherwise it can become a sticky mess that takes forever to dry.  It took most colors two coats, and some colors three coats to fully cover the original color of the bead.  I did choose to leave some of the eye sockets darkened as I liked the effect, but it's easy enough to get in there and color them with the nail polish brush if you like.  You can see where I did that on the white, blue and purple skulls.  Set the skulls aside to dry completely before moving on to Step 5.

Skewered skulls with their base color coats finished.

Step 5: Begin adding dot patterns to your skull in a contrasting color.  Now is the time where we grab our tiny paintbrush, wire clipping, or toothpick and start adding dots to create the sugar skull look.  Take your implement of choice and just dip it into the nail polish bottle.  Let all the excess polish drip off before you start dotting on the skull or you'll end up with blobs instead of dots.  : )  I found it easiest to just touch the edge of the wire to the lip of the nail polish bottle to let the excess paint flow down before I took the wire to my skull.  Once your wire or brush is ready, allow the remaining polish to collect (very slightly) at the end tip and then lightly touch it to the skull.  I found I could get about three good dots in before I needed to re-dip my "brush".  And about every third dip or so I wiped the whole wire down on a napkin to clean it off completely.  On later skulls this helped my dots stay tiny.

As for the actual design of the dots my recommendation is that less is more, especially when it comes to the first color dots.  A skull can really quickly fill up, so keep your highlights to a minimum on the first couple of colors.  You can always add more later if you need to, but it's really hard to take them off once they've been added.  If you have a steady hand you can also add lines, swirls, scalloped edges and other details to your skulls.  I'm not steady handed at all so I stuck with dots and maybe a couple of lines.  : )  For design ideas just do a Google image search for Sugar Skulls.  There are a lot of good ideas for several different styles of sugar skulls pictured.

WARNING:  Please let your first color of dots dry completely before moving on to the next color.  Otherwise there will be smearing tragedy!  Or if you are impatient like me you can see Step 7 if you are imatient like me and need to fix a mistake.  : )

Adding nail polish dots with a wire "brush".

Step 6:  Continue to add color dots in contrasting colors all over the skull.  I picked four colors for my blue skull's highlights, and once the previous color was dry I just continued to add more dots all over the skull bead.  I included the back and sides as I wanted to make a bracelet and the rounded nature of the skull beads themselves meant that they would spin around some, and I didn't want there to be any "blank" blue space on my skulls.  Following the natural lines and contours of the head seemed to work best for me when planning out how to place my dots.  Don't be afraid to add horizontal as well as vertical lines of dots to add interest.

Back of sugar skull bead with multi color dots.

Step 7:  Correcting smears and other mistakes:  Despite your best efforts, sometimes the pattern on your skull will smear.  The best way I found to counter this was to dab as much of the offending polish as I could away with a paper towel.

Oh goodness!  A smear!  : )

Then, I took the tiniest paintbrush in my drawer (NOT the nail polish brush itself; that added way too much polish), dipped it in the nail polish and removed all excess polish, then lightly painted over the smeared area.

Painting over a smeared area.

Finally, once that area is dry you can add your pattern back to the skull, hopefully with a little more luck than I had!  I smeared and had to repaint the same area twice on this bad boy.

Final look of "corrected" area on sugar skull

Step 8:  Finalize pattern and add clear coat for protection.  Once you are done adding your colored dots, spots, stripes, and other adornments you can look over your skull one last time to see if there are any areas that need filling.  I went a little overboard on this guy as he was my first attempt.  My preference on later skulls was to use slightly less detailing and allow the base color of the skull to show through more but it really depends on you preference and the look you are going for.  : )  Once everything is good and seriously dry I recommend using a clear coat of acrylic craft paint for protection.  I found that a clear coat of nail polish made some of the colors bleed and look smear-y.

Finalized sugar skull bead

Step 9: Repeat, repeat, repeat!  It took me about 1/2 an hour to add the details to my first skull, but that seemed to be mostly learning curve.  The more skulls I painted the less time I ended up spending on each one.  It was also helpful to have several colors of base skulls available so I could add one color of highlights to the first, then work on the second while that one was drying, and so on.  Paint as many skulls as you want!  Enough for a bracelet and earrings set, or two bracelets, or a totally funky necklace.  : )

Assortment of finished sugar skull beads.

Step 10: Assemble Bracelet.  Take your finished skulls off their skewers.  Cut a 4'' length of beading wire (I used 20 gauge, but higher gauges would work well too.  Make a large loop with round nose pliers at one end of the wire.  You want to be sure your loop is large enough that the skull doesn't slide off the wire.  Then, cut excess wire off the top, leaving about a 1'' tail.  Use that tail to make another large loop with your round nose pliers.  Do this step for all your skull beads.  Then, connect your newly wired beads at the loops, making a line of skulls.   On the first loop, connect the clasp of your choosing.  I used a lobster claw clasp because the skulls were too large to make a toggle clasp effective.  On the last loop of the string of skulls, attach your large jump ring that will connect with your clasp.  Hurray!   You have finished your sugar skull bracelet.

Finished DIY Sugar Skull Bracelet

If you have any questions feel free to leave them for me in the comments section.  For more cool jewelry ideas check out our other blog. And you are always welcome to stop by our Etsy Shop.  Thanks, and we'll see you next time!

Welcome to Mazikeen Studio's Free Jewelry Making Tutorials

Hello and welcome!  Some of you may be familiar with me from my 7/52 Blog, where I am attempting to make seven things a week for a full year.  One of the things that I have discovered while attempting this project is that I've had to challenge myself to really pick up and use new jewelry making techniques!  I mostly use commercial components, but I love my handmade jewelry to have a unique style of its own.  So a lot of the tips and techniques I will be covering here will be how to alter components to make them completely unique to you!  It is my biggest hope that this blog will be fun, informational, or at least inspirational to others in the crafting community.  Stay tuned for updates and projects!

All the best,
Mazi