| Orders ship in 1-2 business days. | No one logged in. Log in |
| Shopping cart is empty. |
News
It's the New Website!
Make yourself at home, explore and have fun. You'll find rough edges here and there (I'm still polishing and filling in data) but let me know if you find something that needs attention right away. When you place your first order here, you'll create a new account as part of that process. Logins details will then arrive via email. We aren't sure yet how much order history from the old cart we'll be able to move to this one, but that's our next order of business once everything is running smoothly. Gift certificates aren't moved over yet either, so let us know if you have one you want to use right away. Now get outta here and go play. And take your shoes off, that's new carpet. ;)
Subscribe to the Newsletter
We're making a fresh start with newsletters, as well. They'll be simpler with the intention of bringing your attention to what's new over the past month or so with links to more detailed information on the website. We're working up a fresh mailing list for it, so sign up below if you're interested. We'll email the current newsletter list at least once to let everyone know about it, then we'll use the new mailing list exclusively.
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
We believe the best way to build our business is by helping you build yours.
ARTLAB is all about business, yours and ours, and will soon be the access point for our most exciting take yet on that philosophy.
Notice in our main menu where it says, Browse Maille Jewelry. That page will soon be a gallery of the available-for-purchase work of our very best customers, updated securely and in real time by them. Jewelry buyers (as opposed to jewelry supplies customers, our usual clientel) will be driven specifically to that page by the exceedingly cool ad campaign we've been planning for this and... well, you see how we mean to grow our business by growing yours.
Access to the gallery for posting is by invitation only and those will go out to our best customers as soon as the gallery is ready.
An Ever Changing Gallery of Finished Jewelry... for Sale?
This is where you'll soon find a gallery of maille jewelry made by our professional customers and available for purchase on their own sites. It's our most exciting project yet, epitomizing what ARTLAB means to us and we can't wait to see it up and running.
Although we currently have no jewelry available for sale, we have plenty available for inspiration here on our Wall of Fame. Enjoy.
What Do You Want to Know?
Making Maille Jewelry is where we talk about how it's done. Once you've mastered the basics at Getting Started, you can use the information here to learn how to design, embellish and finish jewelry. If you can't find answers to your maille making questions here or in our FAQs (do try our Search function, it's really good), you're welcome to post your question on one of our forums.
The Latest on Facebook . . .
Our Most Recent Blog Posts . . .
Persian (Full)
With some regularity, I get requests for ring size recommendations for Full Persian. We don't yet have a kit in the works for that and, because it's not one of my favorite weaves, I haven't played with it enough to have worked out all the best ring sizes. So if you don't mind, I thought I'd ask you all for some help. If you've made Full Persian with our rings, would you please add a comment to this post with the ring size(s) you've used, in which metals you've made it and the characteristics of the resulting chain with regard to flexibility and appearance? And if you happen to know the number of rings per inch, that would be great, too. This post will substitute for a weave gallery page until I have a chance to make one. Thanks so much for anything you can add. *s*
In addition to all these helpful comments, we now also have a discussion forum.
Embellishing Chain
As you probably know if you've spent much time on this site, I'm working on a book called Embellishing Chain. The book doesn't teach any chain weaves -- that's what our kits are for. What it does teach is every technique for embellishing chain that I've learned or developed in all the years I've been making chain. This is a long term project because it's a substantial book but I like to make pieces of the book available in other forms as I can so that you don't have to wait until the book is completed to make use of some of the techniques it teaches.
The first chapter of this book is available as a gift with our Earring Designer RingSet. If you're thinking about getting that RingSet, be sure to read the News post linked in its description. The set is more thoroughly described there and it's an unusual set so you'll want to make sure you understand what it is prior to ordering.
The most basic technique for embellishing chain is the bead link. You can find instructions for this traditional technique most anywhere that wireworking is taught but since no book on embellishment techniques would be complete without it, I've included it in the first chapter of mine, the one that comes with the Earring Designer RingSet. Obviously I can't put the whole first chapter of the book online, but I have posted an excerpt that includes the instructions for that technique because it's something everyone who makes chain should know how to do. And I've included a second technique because it goes so well with the first one. You can view the book excerpt here.
Below you'll find other techniques for embellishing and enhancing chain along with speedy buttons for ordering what you'll need. I hope you find these ideas inspiring and a lot of fun.
In the News . . .
· Announcements· Blog Posts
· Facebook Activity
It is evident that you spent a lot of time making your website so interesting and the directions to your kits so clear and easy to follow. Just wanted to tell you how much fun I had making the 3 bracelets in your beginning kit - I made them all this past weekend. I had never before worked with wire or jump rings, so that goes to show how easy your directions were to follow.
Thanks again for such a pleasurable experience - I'm looking forward to receiving the next kit that I ordered yesterday!
Mary Lou Smith
Thanks again for such a pleasurable experience - I'm looking forward to receiving the next kit that I ordered yesterday!
Mary Lou Smith
