love the skirt!!!! Although if I wore that to school with the velcro closure on it someone would rip it of!!

Your stuff is gorgeous! I love Japanese beadwork. The Bead Fantasies series is fantastic, and when I lived in NYC *OH how I miss you!* I used to go to the Toho and get Japanese books all the time. My fav's are the "Beads News" series

Thanks for the links! Can't wait to check them out

Jesi

Can you remmeber what that shop is called? I might be going to new york sometime soon and id love to buy a load of japanese beads cause where i live they cost me about 25$ with shipping and everything and Im totally obsesed with them !!! (Right now I'm sooooooo excited at the thoughts of getting them !!!!!) Thanks!!

There are instructions here off about.com jewellery making. The instruction for the loops are steps 4 + 5 of the necklace

http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/wirenecklaceprojects/ss/051306_4.htm

I agree that the type of thread is very important. at first i used monofilament thread (like fishing line) any my tension was terrible, but once i switched to nymo its fine!!

I myself cant do macrame but Ive seen books on amazon about kumihino braiding (like japanese braiding) I'm sure you could do a google search for free sites. Im not sure if its the same type of thing to macrame but I hope this helps!

I don't know any books or websites, but I know how I'd make it!

(Im bad at writing instructions so I hope you understand what I mean) Ok, first you'll need a mesh finding (a metal disk with lots of holes in it. you can buy them of designer findings, and you can get special ones with a brooch attached to the back) you could poke feathers through the holes and glue the feathers in place at the back. I think you might be able to get the feathers to curl around if you kinda stick them in sideways in the findings.

ooooooops!! I also meant to say to make the drop earrings you could sandwitch a headpin in between 2 matching post earrings so that they could be double sided!

I havent tried this, but i think that a strong glue like hypo cement should work

I have these metal cookie cutters in the shape of flowers, hearts etc that are about an inch high. I dont know where you'd get them (mine are ancient! ) but maybe you could check a special sop that sells kitchen stuff?

omg! a month ago I went onto a website that had a tutorial for something just like that!!! Ill look on my history and see if I can find it later! anyway, (if I cant find it) it wasnt for guilding (ok Ill admit I dont have a clue what gilding is! ) but the object was covered in layer of liquid PMC (precious metal clay) and fired in a kiln to make a solid gold. It probably isnt what you want but it will work!