May 2011 Blog Posts (4)

Hi everyone! I wanted to let you know that I just added the Facebook Fan Club group to this site. Facebook fan pages are rapidly becoming a key mechanism for reaching more people and for sharing our unique designs with the world! Let's help each other out by "liking" our friends Fan Pages and use this forum to share tips. To join, click on groups from the main menu and select Facebook Fan Club or click here…

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This gadget is great if you have an iPhone, Android, or iPad. Just plug it in and your device becomes a credit card scanner! Charges are deposited directly to your bank account. You can even add the tax rate to be automatically calculated. After scanning the credit card, the screen comes up to capture your customers signature - they simply sign with their finger. You can then send a receipt either via text or email. This is going to be great at craft shows! The device is free. The only charge… Continue

When I tried to make my first Byzantine chainmaille bracelet I had no idea how important aspect ratio was. It came out so loose the pattern wouldn't even stay together and I couldn't figure out what I did wrong. :-( Then I read about aspect ratio. Aspect Ratio or AR is how the diameter of wire in millimeters relates to the internal diameter of the ring.



AR = inside diameter divided by the wire diameter



An aspect ratio has already been determined by chainmaille artists for…

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Argentium™ Sterling Silver wire is relatively new in the world of jewelry making. It is a highly tarnish resistant sterling silver that will keep its shine for years without any polishing. It was invented in 1996 by Peter Johns, a professor of silversmithing at Middlesex University in England. It is a patented and trademarked alloy that is at least 92.5% pure silver just like traditional sterling… Continue