Crystal Grace Jewelry

If you have the time visit: http://refugeecrafts.blogspot.com/2007/10/challenges-and-little-success.html
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Helping refugee women achieve self-sufficiency through the beauty of handmade crafts.
We can use your leftover supplies!
For the time being, we have no funding for our project. We depend on donated supplies to make this venture happen. If you have leftover or unwanted beads or jewelry-making supplies in your stash, please send them our way! Your donation will be put to good use. Thanks!

Send packages to:
Sharon McCreary
EGOS/CRESL
1250 Welton St.
Denver, CO 80204

Want to know a great way of fighting stress? Experts will tell you... it's stringing beads.

For women, the mechanical work of putting small beads into a string has some very relaxing and even therapeutic effects. If you are one of those women leading very stressful lives, you can benefit a lot if you make your own beaded jewelry. Stringing beads and making beaded jewelry could be a very way to fight stress fight stress well also helps unleash your creativity. Besides, wearing something that you made yourself could give you such pride and joy so go ahead and start making your own beaded jewelry. The first thing that you will need to do to get started is to go out and shop for some materials for your beaded jewelry. There are many shops that are selling beads and other materials that can help you get started. You may choose to start with those inexpensive beads so that you will not waste a lot of money while you are still learning how to make different beaded jewelry designs.

How to Get Started

Now, if you cannot think of a good beaded jewelry design to start with, you better buy a book or some magazines about fashion jewelry designing. You don't really have to ready everything in the book if you don't want to. You can just select those designs that look cool and are easy to follow then start working. You must always remember that making beaded jewelry is supposed to be a stress free activity so does not drive yourself too hard. Just take your time to learn and do not push yourself to achieve anything overnight.

Once you have made some simple beaded jewelry designs, you can try one of those more challenging designs in your book. If you want to, you can start making your own designs so that you will have something that is uniquely yours. Designing your own beaded jewelry could be very challenging and fun. Besides, being able to come up with your own designs could give you a good sense of achievement so give it a try. Who knows, you might suddenly discover your talents for designing beaded jewelry. Note that there has been many women who dabbled into beaded jewelry making to help them relax and later on found out that they do have talent for creating some really outstanding jewelry designs and end up setting up their own beaded jewelry business.

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The term "rhinestone" came into use in the late 1800's, tourists to the Rhine country of Europe, where quartz pebbles that sparkled with many shades of color, were sold as souvenirs from the Rhine
River. As the supply dwindled the manufacturing ensued, and the widely used name, "rhinestone" emerged.

Europeans' call them paste, diamente, strass and austrian crystal, which are essentially molded leaded glass, some with foil backs of silver and gold, to refract light.

Cleaning with a soft toothbrush and household glass cleaner and a terry towel, which can be very useful in trapping any loose stones, I find is the the best way to care for rhinestone jewelry. Tap off
excess moisture from your brush, as to not allow to much moisture to get behind delicate foil backed stones, towel dry immediately,taking care to buff off the back side of the piece to remove excess
wetness, colognes and perspiration before storing.

One other thought, if your jewelry piece has lost a stone or prong,restoration is always an option. Vintage and contemporary replacement parts are plentiful.

Contact me if you have a piece you would like to repair, I may be able to assist.

Clear Crystal beaded necklaces, especially if pearls are incorporated, with a touch of rhinestone, would be the ultimate. Crystals come in various shapes, bicone and round, clear and AB coated in the same size as the pearls.

A choker, at 14-16 inches, is called the most classic and versatile necklace a woman can own. It goes with just about any gown neckline and hugs the middle of the neck. It looks best with plunging or v-necks, boat necks or off the shoulder gowns and if you choose to wear your hair up.Princess length is 17-19 inches and goes well with high and very low necklines. Brides should probably not go much longer than princess length to complement their gowns.Opera length strand, 28-34 inches, can be doubled to make a lovely two-strand choker.
Earrings Do a trial earring run: try on various earrings and see which look best with your gown's neckline and the hairstyle you plan to wear on wedding day. You want to make sure that your earrings show up. Drop pearls and pearls with some rhinestone is wonderful for wedding jewelry. The white of pearls can illuminate your face. You can also go for something more dramatic, such as hanging crystal earrings, but make sure they dont overwhelm your dress. If your gown is heavily beaded and sparkly itself, you may want to wear subtle or smallish earrings.
Colorful. Jewelry is a great way to add color to your wedding day ensemble, Sapphires, emeralds (or fakes) and semi-precious stones can add just a bit of punch to your necklace and earring choices. Colored pearls are all the craze now, and the hues range from gray to golden to pastel pink. Apricot pearls are among the trendiest selections. Be sure to keep colored jewelry choices subtle.
Bridesmaids: Give your bridesmaids some direction when it comes to jewelry. You can tell them all to wear pearls in colors that compliment their gowns, with matching earrings and bracelets. Some brides give earrings, necklaces or both that double as wedding day wear for their maids and wedding party gifts. It looks great if all of your bridesmaids wear the same jewelry; it's also fine if you allow them to make their own choices as long as they are in keeping with the tone of your wedding and that the choices do not match or duplicate the brides jewelry. Keep it Simple. Let your gown, not your accessories, stand out. Whether you go for classic jewelry or something a little funkier, make sure that your whole ensemble works together. Do some trial runs with your gown.