THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

---

Make Your Own Polymer Clay Cabochon Mandrel Posted: 03 Sep 2012 04:00 AM PDT Guest Tutorial by Judy Larson It is tricky to make wire wrapped cabochons as there are at least 3 wires to be grouped together and curved around the gemstones. Many accomplished artisans make them beautifully through sheer practice.  But you could also make it easier on yourself if you used a wire wrapping mandrel. I bought an excellent metal set from Bezelform some years ago.  It comes in different shapes and sizes which helps me form wire around standard size cabochons.  However, if you are a starving artist and can't afford to buy or have irregular cabochons, then Judy's clever mandrel tutorial is for you! Necessity is indeed the mother of invention.  Judy explained, " Years ago, I found that mandrels were the best way to form the wires for cabochons. I was not about to invest tons of money in something I would not use that often so I made my own with polymer clay. " The mandrel created is much thicker and flat unlike the thin curved edge of the cabochon. So there is more room to wrap the bundled wires around. The disadvantage is you cannot hammer to work harden as you can with metal mandrels. But you can always work harden by tumbling after the pendant is finished, assuming the process is okay for the type of gemstone. Make Your Own Polymer Clay Cabochon Mandrel Judy does not sell jewelry nor has a website. But she does give free jewelry making lessons locally and has graciously allowed me to share her PDFs originally written for her students. Read more about Judy here. I have uploaded the PDF to Scribd, a free document sharing site.  I cannot attach PDFs to blog posts but I can embed the tutorials.  The easiest way to download the tutorial is to return to my blog, click on the post title and find the download link at the bottom of the embedded tutorial. More instructions here.  Scribd is free to use.  You've accessed the site incorrectly if you came across a payment option. Judy's Past Tutorials: Wire Wrapped Coin Pendant or Key Chain Tutorial Beautiful Twisted Wire Cross Pendant Glass Pebble Cabochon Pendant Tutorial Two Easy Wire Wrapped Bangle Tutorials Spring Garlands Wire Wrapped Earrings Tutorial Easy Beginner Wire Wrapped Loop Tutorials (beginner) Easy Wire Work Earrings Tutorials (beginner) Easy Double Ended Loop Jewelry Tutorial (beginner) Complete Viking Knit Bracelet Tutorial ______________________________ Original Post by THE BEADING GEM Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips

You are subscribed to email updates from The Beading Gem's Journal To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610