We recently released a follow up PDF to Rebeca’s super popular Elfweave Braid project. Elfweave Variations takes the weave to the next level by offering your tips for creating 4 additional projects based on the original weave. This PDF was created in response to folks who have been asking us for more advanced projects – we hope those of your looking for the next challenge will find it inspiring!
You can find the Elfweave Variations PDF
on the Elfweave Braid kit page!
Each of these variations can be made using enameled copper for the colored rings in place of the anodized aluminum rings used for the Elfweave Braid. Below are some of our favorite two color combinations to help inspire your color choices for these variations.
Violet + Gold
Lime + Green
Gunmetal + Ice Blue
Burgundy + Black
Royal Blue + Seafoam
Lavender + Eggplant
Amber + Peacock Blue
colored jump rings · Elf Box · Elf Sheet · Elfweave Braid · kits · variations
15
“Maillers’ Choice” kit – available today only!
No comments · Posted by Jenna in Maillers' Choice
This month’s “Maillers’ Choice” kits are now available on our sale page. We will offer these kits today only from noon to midnight CT – get yours before they’re gone!
This month, you get 2 projects in 1 with our Japanese Cross + Polyhedron Earring kit. Make sure to purchase the instructions PDF to learn how to create each design + receive a special bonus variation design idea!
Instructions are available on same page as the kit for your shopping convenience.
Ten years ago, on this day, I made my first piece of chainmaille. *squee!* At that time, I didn’t realize that my life would never be the same. I certainly didn’t imagine I would be where I am today. It’s been an amazing journey, and I’ve learned so much from my students, customers, co-workers and fellow chainmaillers.
Here’s a little glimpse into how I fell down the rabbit hole 10 years ago:
I’d fallen in love with a chainmaille belt I saw someone wearing at a Renaissance Faire in Germany. I couldn’t find any to purchase that I’d liked, either there, nor when I returned home. But I did find an eBay listing for “1,000+ rings! Make your own chain mail!“ I figured I didn’t have anything to lose, so I bought the rings. They turned out to be 16ga galvanized steel. Oy. I am lucky those rings didn’t scare me away, but instead, somehow caused me to fall in love with this artform.
The very first piece of maille I made. I didn't follow any instructions; my fingers just instinctively knew what to do. My technique and speed, however, were a different story. 
I had enough rings leftover to make a second belt. This one hasn't survived as well as the first one; somehow parts of it were cannibalized for other projects during the early parts of my mailling career.
With no proper pliers around, I improvised. Yep, the desire to create maille out of that first pack of jump rings was too great. I couldn't wait to get started, so I used these li'l guys!
Oy. I cringe looking at my first closures and non saw-cut rings.
Typical chainmaille insanity: I taught myself Dragonscale about 2 1/2 months after I started making maille, using, of course, 20ga rings! This is I20 SSTL with D20 ALUM/COPP — 20ga 13/64" (5.2 mm) stainless steel with 20ga 1/8 (3.2 mm) aluminum and copper.
Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen the industry really blossom. Maille seems to be everywhere these days, and there are some fiercely talented folks out there. I’ve seen some chainmaille artists, and even several suppliers, come and go (*sniff*). I’ve watched the number of known weaves documented on M.A.I.L. soar from 200(ish) to more than 1,100. I’ve spent more than 1,000 hours teaching thousands of students how to make maille. And I gotta say – I still love what I do every bit as much as I loved making that first belt.
Thank you to everyone who’s helped me along the way: artists who’ve taught and/or inspired me, and stores and galleries who took a chance on a new artist/instructor—including Spider, Maillemaster, Emerald Dragon, Buddha, Zlosk, Sarah Chapman, Caravan Beads, Lillstreet Art Center, Aesthetic Eye — the Chicago Craft Mafia, the talented and hard-working crew of anyone who’s ever worked for B3, every single customer and student we’ve had, and many others. I am eternally grateful.
For more of my early work, see the post celebrating my 8-year anniversary of making maille.
beginning maille · chainmaille belt · dragonscale bracelet · first project
2
Congratulations to April’s Featured Product Contest Winner!
No comments · Posted by Jenna in Featured Product of the Month
Voting for April’s Featured Product of the Month contest is officially closed and the winner as chosen by you is……
Chrys M. with his piece “Captive Crystal Byzantine”!
Congratulations, Chrys! Your creativity has earned you a B3 gift certificate for $25! To claim your prize, please send an email to community@bluebuddhaboutique.com.
A Note about April’s Contest: Some of you noticed that, while the contest was meant to be for projects that used round crystal beads, some of the projects that made it to the final voting used bicones. This was an oversight on our part and we want to extend apologies for confusion or hard feelings about this. In our enthusiasm to get the finalists together, we made the mistake and didn’t realize it until public voting was already underway.
Taking down the survey to replace it with just the entries who used round beads could have resulted in some of those losing the votes they had already gathered. In the end, the entries using the bicones were not eligible to win, but it didn’t much matter anyway as Chrys’ piece did come in first regardless of our error. We have established a better process for looking over the submissions so we don’t run into this again. Thanks for understanding!
All of that said, we still want to sincerely thank ALL of April’s contest participants – the projects we received were each inspiring no matter the shape of the crystals! We are currently accepting submissions for May’s contest. Dazzle us with your use of stainless steel rings for your chance to win!
Happy Weaving!
1
Featured Product Contest: May 2012
2 Comments · Posted by Jenna in Featured Product of the Month
For May, it’s all about bringing out the big guns. Stainless Steel may not be for the timid but that doesn’t mean it can’t be tamed into something truly delicate and beautiful. We recently replaced our stainless steel stock with rings made from a much easier to manipulate wire, so if you’ve been intimidated in the past, now might be the time to give it another try. If you you’ve never worked with stainless steel before, we recommend playing around with the rings in our Try Before You Commit pack.
Note: If you liked the wire we were using before, check out our Stainless Steel sale – it will only be up another week or so, so don’t hesitate!
To see what this metal can really do, we recommend checking out this post featuring Melissa Banks – a well known steel wrangler – or visit Rebeca’s website for a few images of steel pieces she has created (like the one to the left.)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
Make a project which primarily uses our featured product. The project can most definitely use other rings and components, but the featured product should really be the star of the piece. 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 Product 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 product 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.
