Ouch! A Remedy for Chapped Hands and a New Issue of Stringing Magazine

Candie Cooper in winter Stringing jewelry magazineIt’s always exciting to see my projects go to print.  Big thanks to Stringing magazine for including three of my designs in their winter issue!  I don’t like to kiss and tell so this is as much as I’ll show.  It’s on newsstands now or there are digital copies available which are especially great for tablet users!dry chapped handsWinter is still here.

Still here.

And my hands are dry and chapped.  I wanted to share one of my new favorite fixes:Rose salve remedy for chapped handsC.O. Bigelow’s Rose Salve No. 012.  You can get it Bath and Body Works or online of courseRose Salve heals dry chapped hands in winterThere are lots of things I love about it–it’s pink, it smells nice, all in a compact tin.  I keep it in my jewelry making pliers kit.

I don’t know about you, but by the end of winter, my skin is comparable to a 220 grit piece of sand paper.  I try to drink more water, use lotions after showering and so on, but inevitably I am dried up.

Totes.Rose Salve relief from dry chapped handsSo this has been one of my recent treats for my dried up, cracked and chapped handsies.My happy hands hahaThe thing is, don’t stop after one application.  As soon as your hands feel good, put it on again….and then again to rehydrate them.

Happy hands make good jewelry.C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve heals dry skinPlus, I’m a sucker for a vintage looking tin.  I will totally recycle this thing into jewelry when it’s empty (and that won’t be long if we keep getting hammered with these cold bursts!).

Until next time, sweet people!

How to Make a Crystal Layering Necklace

This post is brought to you by Beadalon.com.  All opinions are yours truly.DIY Jewelry Making  Crystal Quartz Layering Necklace from Candie CooperHave you been to a bead show lately?  I have and I can tell you there are so many stunning strands of quartz crystals and druzy beads.  It’s not good for the pocket book.  Take a peek at some of the ones I brought home from Bead Fest Philly Summer.Quartz and Geode Necklace Beads

Quartz and Geode Necklace Beads

Geode Crystal Beads

Orange Crystal Necklace BeadsI am especially smitten with, well all of them.  Well.  Except maybe the blue ones.  I don’t know what happens to me when I’ve been around beads too long (it also happens when I’m in Walmart too long), but I inevitably end up with something that I just. don’t. know. why. I. bought.  Sigh.  It’s cool, but is it jewelry worthy?  The verdict is still out and may be for a very very long time.  It’s over indulging I think.  Eating dessert when you’ve already had a slice of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.  Just too much of a good thing!Jewelry Making Quartz Layering Necklace Tutorial from Candie Cooper with Beadalon Champagne colored beading wireThe main materials are Beadalon‘s Champagne colored beading wire in 49 strand, .024″, brass stamped chain, #2 or 3 crimp tubes will work and some crimping pliers and wire cutters.

I also worked in some added strands from Dakota Stones–more purplish quartz chips and gold hematite squares.

These colors are all over the Fall look books so I know this necklace is going to get a workout in the next couple of months.String the quartz onto Champagne colored Beadalon WireI was so happy to find I still had 10″ of my very favorite colored Beadalon wire to use for this.  I love champagne anything!  However, Beadalon makes beading wire in pretty much every color in the rainbow!

Note! These stones are heavy and have rough edges that can potentially saw through thinner beading wires.  That happened to me once (love learning those lessons the hard way!) so take it from me, get the good stuff!  Beadalon, .024″ 49 strand is the way to go because it’s super embarrassing to say you “make jewelry” and then have gems and beads scattering all over the floor.  Even more humiliating to be on your hands and knees picking them up at a party.  None the less, when using stones like this, it’s always a good idea to take a peek at how the wire is doing and holding up.How to use crimp beadsString the tail of your wire through a crimp bead, the last link of chain and back through the crimp bead.  Grab your crimping pliers!How to Crimp wire to chain in jewelry makingPlace the crimp bead in the opening closest to the handles and smoosh down like so.How to Crimp beads to wire step 2Turn the crimp bead 90 degrees, place in the next opening away from the handles and fold it on over like this:Crimping wire to chain layering necklace tutorialSee how it folds the crimp bead over?How to open a link of chainThis necklace does not have a clasp.  I simply determined how long I wanted the necklace to be so I could slip it on and off, opened a link of chain from side to side and removed the extra which will be used for a rainy day.Layering Necklace TutorialSlide all the beads to the finished end, string a crimp onto the wire and through the last link of chain and crimp again.  Trim the excess wire.Autumn Layering Necklace TutorialBlissfully simple!
Layering Necklace Tutorial from CandieCooper.comMeet your new favorite necklace!  She can roll solo or party with a few necklaces.