Featured Weave Contest for September: Roundmaille

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OpenRound-700pxFor September, we’re featuring Roundmaille (which includes, but is not limited to Open Round, Turkish Round, Roundmaille, Captive Inverted Round, etc.). These weaves are super versatile, so we can’t wait to see what you come up with! Roundmaille is tube or rope-like, and with an endless number of variations, it can be made anywhere from dainty to chunky.

For some roundmaille tutorials, check out Open Round, Turkish Round/Roundmaille, and Jacob’s DNA Ladder (CIR).

Want to see which B3 sizes work well for this weave? Visit our base metal stats & uses page and our sterling silver stats & uses page.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:



Make a project which primarily uses the featured weave or a variation of the featured weave. The project can use any and all B3 supplies and can use other weaves, but the featured weave should be the star. Please see the complete rules and details below for more information about qualifications.




Take a picture of your project and submit it using our official Featured Weave Contest form (link below.) You may post the piece online somewhere and provide us with a link, or upload it directly in the form. You will be asked to provide your name and an email address we can use to contact you in case anything goes wrong with your submission—or if you are the winner of the contest!

GO TO THE SUBMISSION FORM.

Submissions are closed at midnight CT on 15th of every month and are limited to 2 entry pieces per person.



Get Votes! Submissions will close on the 15th of each month at which point the B3 Staff will choose our favorites. The top entries will be eligible for voting through a survey which we will post to our blog. If you are one of the finalists, feel free to share the link with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter or any other means.

Voting will close on the last day of the month.

 


We will award the top voted finalist each month with a $25 B3 Gift Certificate and will feature YOUR project in a special blog post and possibly even future B3 ads to inspire fellow chainmaillers all over the world.



Complete contest rules and details: Submissions are limited to 2 per person and must use the featured weave of the month as determined by Blue Buddha Boutique. The project is not required to be made from Blue Buddha Boutique rings, however any winning projects that use primarily rings from another supplier or rings made by the artist will not be eligible for posting on our blog or use in our ads to prevent false advertising. Pieces do not have to be specially created for the contest but should be no more than 12 months old. Current employees and interns of Blue Buddha Boutique are not eligible for this contest. Finalists are chosen by Blue Buddha Boutique and voted upon anonymously by the public to determine a winner. Submissions may be disqualified at the discretion of Blue Buddha Boutique if they are deemed inappropriate in any way. If a winner does not claim their prize within 15 days of notification, the second place winner will be awarded the prize. Please note: As of March 2013, participants are not eligible to win two or more months in a row.

Free & Easy Jewelry Project: Black and Gold ring + matching earrings

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Combine metal and rubber jump rings to create this 3-dimensional domed ring and simple matching earrings. Good pliers and a little bit of hand strength is needed for the higher gauge rings but the project comes together quickly and follows the fall trend of geometric jewelry. If you’re just starting out, you may want to use an easier metal to work with such as aluminum.

Like this project? Check out our free jewelry projects here on our blog!

Black & Gold Ring


This is a great project for folks who like to wear large rings. The band uses rubber rings so it is easy to fit and slides on and off easily.

ring-hand
MATERIALS FOR RING

1 x large jump ring (we used size KK14 in jewelry brass)
3 x medium jump rings (we used size J16 in jewelry brass)
12-20 x small jump rings for the band (we used size H18 anodized aluminum in black)3
32-40 x tiny rubber o-rings for the band (we used size C19 in black)

Note: The number of small and tiny rings you need will depend on how large you need your ring to be. Each set of small rings gives you approx. 5/8″ for the band.


1. Start by scooping 13 tiny rings onto the open large ring. These rings will be used to attach the center domed rings and the band. Close the large ring.

ring-full-arrows2. Open a medium ring, scoop 6 tiny rings and then weave the medium ring through 3 of the tiny rings on the large ring. Close the medium ring.

Tip: You may find it helpful to pinch the rubber rings with your non-dominant hand to make the part your are weaving through a little bigger and easier to slip the ring through.

3. Open another medium ring and scoop 3 more tiny rings onto it. Skip 2 tiny rings for the band, then weave this ring through the next 3 tiny rings on the large ring as well as the 3 tiny rings on the first medium ring. Close this ring.

4. Open one final medium ring but do not scoop more tiny rings.  Weave through the next 3 tiny rings that as well as the 3 on each of the other medium rings. Close this ring.

ring-back
5. The band is simply a 2-in-2 strip. Start by opening a small ring, scooping 2 tiny rings onto it, and weaving it through two of the hanging tiny rings on the large ring. Close this ring and double it. Repeat this until your strip it long enough to wrap around your finger. Don’t forget, the final set of small rings will connect to the other two hanging rings you have left on the large ring.

ring-sideways
That’s it – you’re done! Because you used rubber rings, the dome will be flexible so you can shape it to lay how you like.

You can use the same size rings to create complimentary earrings. Use the same technique of scooping tiny rings onto the large ring, weaving through these and adding tiny rings to the medium rings to build this shape.

Here’s what we used:

earrings

MATERIALS FOR EARRINGS

2 x large jump rings
6 x medium jump rings
24 x tiny rubber o-rings
2 x earwires in complimenting finish

 

You can get everything you need to create this free & easy project right here on the Blue Buddha Boutique website:

 



Jewelry Brass Jump Rings Black Rubber Jump Rings Gold Color Earwire TL-PLR-UERG-100px

Get in the mood for fall with October’s “Maillers’ Choice” kit!

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Below you can vote for the kit we will release in October.


Love Maillers’ Choice? Join the club! Subscribe and you’ll automatically receive every Maillers’ Choice kit in your mailbox each month.

subscribe-MC

shaggy-scales-1row-REDFor October, we’re getting in the mood for fall with this shaggy scales necklace.  Click the button below to help us create an original fall leaves mix.  We can almost hear the crunch under our feet already :)

 

The Winner of August’s Featured Weave Contest Is …

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Voting for August’s Featured Weave Contest is now closed, and the (adorable) winner chosen by you is:

Jessica G. with Sir Teddy Bear!

SirTeddyBear

Congratulations, Jessica! You’ve won a $25 B3 gift certificate. Email us at [email protected] to claim your prize.

FEATURED WEAVE FOR SEPTEMBER – Roundmaille

OpenRound-700pxFor September, we’re featuring Roundmaille (including but not limited to Open Round, Turkish Round, Roundmaille, Captive Inverted Round, etc.) These weaves are super versatile, so we can’t wait to see what you come up with! Roundmaille is just that – but more tube or rope-like, and with an endless number of variations, it can be made anywhere from dainty to chunky.

For some roundmaille tutorials, check out Open Round, Turkish Round/Roundmaille, and Jacob’s DNA Ladder (CIR).

Want to see which B3 sizes work well for this weave? Visit our base metal stats & uses page and our sterling silver stats & uses page.

Happy Weaving!



 

 

DIY Fashion: Chain Draped Shoes

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DIY-Chainmaille-Shoe-Chains

 

Chainmaille is popping up in fashion all over the place from high fashion runways to embellishments on t-shirts and even shoes.  We decided to take on one of these trends and create our own draping chains for shoes using a couple of our beginning level tutorials (one of which is even FREE) and some pre-made chain. We were pretty pleased with the results!  Here are our tips for creating your own.

DIY Draping Chains for Shoes

Shoe-Chains-Side Shoe-Chains-Back Shoe-Chains-Flat
    • Use a pair of shoes you think you might want to wear the chains with as your “mannequin”.  You want your final piece to compliment your shoes, so this is the best way to keep checking your work to see if you like how it’s coming along.
    • Stability for the piece comes from the heel section and the top-most draped chain.  Make sure the top chain and the heel section create a snug fit around your shoe/ankle to prevent the piece from sliding off the back of your heel as you walk.


Shoe-Chains-Heel-Closeup


    • Use sturdy jump rings for the these main sections.  We used 16 and 18 gauge rings so that they won’t start to pull apart as you wear them.
    • Put your shoe on to fit the draping.  We noticed that the draping fit considerably differently when we actually put the shoe on as opposed to just using it as a mannequin on our work bench.  Before you cut your chains, put the shoe on and get them to lay the way you want.



Shoe-Chains-Drape-Closeup

 

    • Order matters.  When connecting your draping chains to the heel section and the clasp ring, make sure they are in the same order (top, middle, bottom) or your piece will twist and not drape properly.

Shoe-Chains-Side

  • Make the closure adjustable.  You may need the fit to be tighter or looser depending on the shoes you want to wear your chains with.  We left a little extra chain to make the piece adjustable so it can be more versatile.
  • Have fun!  We’re pretty sure there are about a million different ways you could make these (we already have ideas for creating a pair using Half Persian 3-in-1 chains in varying sizes. Using rubber o-rings would also be really cool. :))


Take on this project?  Take a picture and post it using the hashtag #B3DIYFashion so we can see your handiwork!

 

What we used…


Heel Section:
–Mesh & Rosettes Tutorial
–L16 Aluminum jump rings (136 rings total for both shoes)
–Pre-made chain* for under the sole
We also “möbiused” the end rings to add stability – learn how to mobius jump rings with our FREE download.

Draping Section:
–Double Spiral Tutorial (FREE PDF download)
–L18 Aluminum jump rings (224 rings total for both shoes)
–Pre-made chain* in two weights (visit your local craft store to find chain you like!)

Closure:
–Möbius Ball to finish the end (FREE PDF download)
–H18 Aluminum jump rings (6 rings total for both shoes)
–Pre-made chain (visit your local craft store to find chain you like!)
–Lobster Claw

Putting it together:
The rings you need to assemble your pieces together will depend largely on the size of rings and weaves you use. For our piece, we primarily used size H18 to connect the heel section, draping chains and closure (we used a total of 14 size H18 connecting rings for both shoes.)

*If you are using any very small chain (like the kind we used in the draping and for under the sole), you’ll need a handful of small 20ga rings (we used size D20) to connect the chain. We recommend using stainless steel to prevent it from pulling apart too easily.

TL-PLR-WBMD-100pxTools:
Due to the variety of ring sizes/gauges needed to complete this project, we found ourselves flipping between a couple different pairs of pliers. We used medium flat-nosed Wubbers along with our Euro Tool Ultra Ergos to make this piece come together. You’ll also need a pair of wire snips for the chain.