Jenifer Miller, of BellaRayne Jewelry, is a talented jewelry designer. In June, we watched her make a necklace on her YouTube channel using elements from companies we love (including us - we're biased). We thought it was a great video and we love to see designers use beading supplies from varied sources. We also think it is important to consider every part of a design and make a masterpiece. If you overlook your clasps or crimps - your design might lack the visual punch or strength of a design made using high quality elements. We asked Jenifer what companies she cannot live without.
Meet Jenifer Miller. Her company, BellaRayne Jewelry, is named after her granddaughter Rayne and her late mother. Her jewelry is as beautiful as her company's name. She considers Kellie Sutton her jewelry mentor and is inspired by the amazing Danielle Wickes. We wanted to hear more about the companies she loves and uses to make her wonderful jewelry. Learn more about this fascinating designer and why you should be shopping from the companies she does.
5 Jewelry Making Companies Designer Jenifer Miller Of BellaRayne Cannot Live Without
Who are the companies you cannot live without? Jenifer Miller of BellaRayne Jewelry Co. has her FAB FIVE companies she cannot live without. She swears by Kellie's Bead Boutique, Soft Flex Company, TierraCast, SilverSilk & More, and Jesse James Beads. She also gets inspiration and beads from her (Plus One) jewelry designer Danielle Wickes of John Bead.
Jenifer Miller's Favorite Jewelry Making Companies
Today we are looking at jewelry designer Jenifer Miller's favorite bead stores and designers. We will get her insight into each company and why she cannot work without using their beading supplies and products. Follow the links below if you would like to shop the stores she does.
Simply the best! Soft Flex Wire is the designer's choice in bead stringing wire. We are a company founded by beaders for beaders. We believe in educating our community about our products and tools. We want you to excel in your art and jewelry!
SilverSilk is a revolutionary crafting material that has the possibility to open so many creative windows for jewelry making. SilverSilk is more than just a business. It’s an exploration, it’s therapy, and it’s new found friendships with like-minded creative folks.
Kellie's Bead Boutique is a full service bead store that opened in December 2009. Owner Kellie Sutton created a successful line of jewelry, Kellie Sutton Jewelry, that was sold to over 80 stores across Canada and worn by women in the US, Japan, Australia, England and more! Kellie strives to carry the best quality beads, have a great selection and will hopefully have something that will inspire you to make your own unique jewelry!
Steven Tierra first began casting jewelry for friends in his garage back in the 1970’s. “The Garage” has become the quintessential origin of inspirational success, and this environment of passionate tinkering and creating with friends remains at the heart of TierraCast today. Our talented and dedicated staff currently possesses over 350 years of company service, averaging 14.5 years for each employee! Long-term relationships with our vendor partners, contractors, and service providers also play a critical role in our success. Most importantly we acknowledge the tremendous relationship we have with our customers.
Inspiration. You know, that feeling you get when you are so excited about something it takes over your world and your day - and in the best way possible. Like, you are so exuberantly passionate about this one thing that it ends up enhancing all the other things in your life too, because you are purely happy. That is inspiration to us. It is a light, a fire from some place deep within. Our mission at Jesse James Beads is to spark that fire. To be the little ember that ignites your own personal creative flame. And when we have succeeded in this, our own inspiration is once again set ablaze. The creative circle continues, and our mission rolls on
I am Danielle Wickes of Danielle Wickes Jewelry! I am an artist and jewelry designer based in the Pacific Northwest. I love working with seed beads, bead-weaving and looming, and I also love creating hand-knotted mala and yoga jewelry, crochet, and jewelry made with leather and wire.
Danielle is a Content Creator for John Bead Corp. John Bead aims to reflect the needs of its customers while guaranteeing the highest of quality in both service and products. This third generation, family-owned and operated company believes in emulating the highest standard of practice by hiring passionate professionals, sourcing the highest quality materials and ensuring the best prices. We thank everyone who has supported us along the way, and welcome the future with enthusiasm.
This jewelry set was created using Jesse James Beads and Soft Flex beading wire, crimp tubes and ear wires.
Meet Jenifer Miller
The journey from needing a hobby, developing some techniques and evolving into a business all started for Jenifer when she connected with Kellie from Kellie's Bead Boutique.
During the pandemic, Jenifer worked remotely and needed a way to separate work life from home life. She had a Cricut machine and a bundle pack full of goodies, including some genuine leather sheets. When one does not know what to do with stash and extra materials, they jump onto YouTube and find a way. This is where Jenifer found Kellie. She found one of her earring kit tutorials and decided to order a few kits and learn jewelry making.
These earrings were inspired by the Oasis earrings kit from Kellie’s Bead Boutique using seed beads from Danielle Wickes at John Bead, Soft Flex beading wire and crimp tubes, and components, charms and ear wires from TierraCast.
Jenifer added, “What makes Kellie's Bead Boutique so special to me is not only due to being the first jewelry designer I came across, yet it was the versatility and availability of Kellie. The pandemic hit Canada too and this allowed some time for interacting with customers via social media and the live events with The Great Bead Extravaganza. I ordered from her regularly as I learned more from her and her Monday kit reveals on her YouTube channel. Kellie means more to me than just a company I order from.”
Kellie is Jenifer’s jewelry-making mentor and taught her all she knows about jewelry making but she is also a great friend of hers now too. Kellie has even named kits after her, her daughter, her late mom and even her brother (unintentionally).
Visit Jenifer's links:
BellaRayne Jewelry Design and Tutorials
Instagram
BellaRayne Jewelry Co.
Jenifer Miller's FAB Five Companies (Plus One)
My favorite piece ever - with SilverSilk, Soft Flex and TierraCast!
Since Kellie uses TierraCast in many of her kits, Jenifer fell in love with TierraCast and uses their amazing components and findings in her pieces. TierraCast is a California business with connections to all of the Fab Five companies. Jenifer would see Tracy Proctor demonstrating at the different online events. Jenifer added, “With Tracy’s sense of style and creativity, coupled with the TierraCast brand, it is no wonder I seek out kits and components from the companies I buy my supplies and kits from. I have since become a distributor for the TierraCast brand, and I build my business, hopefully offering kits, I plan to include their brand in every way.”
There are two companies – ready for the last three and the Plus?
Using a pendant and beads from a Jesse James Beads magical mystery bead box, beading wire and crimp tubes from Soft Flex.
After watching Kellie at the kickoff event for The Great Bead Extravaganza 2021, Jenifer learned about Soft Flex Company, SilverSilk & More, and Jesse James Beads. Watching the kickoff event exposed her to three more incredible companies she cannot live without.
One of the first things Jenifer did was visit the Soft Flex Company website and noticed they have design kits too – and these amazing crimp tubes and magical crimper tool. The design kits are a great way to learn more about the product and the kits always come with enough contents to make lots of projects. One thing Jenifer noticed about these design kits was the use of these bead mixes from Jesse James Beads. These exclusive bead mixes, the findings and components, and the beading or Craft Wire included in these design kits were enough to open the door to designing on her own. With so many tutorials available, it was easy for her to incorporate all of these fun and amazing companies, but she was not done.
Replica of a Nealay Patel design using Jesse James Beads and tassel - and Soft Flex beading wire and crimp tubes.
“I not only use Soft Flex Beading Wire, Craft Wire, crimp tubes and other findings in my pieces I made using gemstones and crystals, I use the Sterling Silver Extreme Flex Metallic Flex Wire, and 2x2 crimp tubes in Sterling Silver and gold-filled finishes for my Fine-Line pieces,” Jenifer added.
My Fine-Line luxury jewelry using gold-filled crimp tubes, sterling silver crimp tubes and sterling silver beading wire from Soft Flex.
Jenifer has also launched her Fine-Line jewelry – bracelets and necklaces, where she has at two local locations. One of the key components to her Fine-Line is quality and she feels it starts and finishes with the materials she uses from Soft Flex Company. Jenifer added, “There is nothing more frustrating when buying a high-quality jewelry piece than it breaking. Whether it being the stringing material or the findings holding it all together, I make sure my pieces will last by using the best beading wire and crimp tubes on the market. Soft Flex Company is another California-based company and I hit the jackpot when I found them. I would not want to use anything else when making jewelry to sell or give away as gifts.”
From my Fine-Line jewelry collection.
From my Fine-Line using sterling silver metallic extreme wire and 2x2 crimp tubes - sterling silver and gold filled finishes.
Not only does Soft Flex Company have their own events and participate in TGBE - they also collaborate with Jesse James Beads for other events like Galentine’s Day, Pool Party, Halloween, and even the JJB Summer Camps and winter workshops – just to mention a few.
Once one starts with YouTube tutorials, they will find all of these companies working with each other and including one another in Lives. This is no different for SilverSilk & More. Nealay Patel is the owner, designer and educator for SilverSilk and has been designing for years. Jenifer found Nealay at the same TGBE 2021 event and grabbed a Remnants Grab Bag from his online store right away – and a design kit, or two. Throughout 2021, Jenifer learned more and more about SilverSilk – which can also be found in Soft Flex Company design kits (pipe chain is the latest). Today, Jenifer has made two guest appearances on the SilverSilk Tuesday Tuts – on YouTube and Facebook, and they are working together for more dates in the future.
SilverSilk design from a Nealay tutorial - using Soft Flex Craft Wire.
“The knitted wire chains from SilverSilk & More work perfectly with the beading wires from Soft Flex. These unique chains; capture chain, pearlesque chain, hollow mesh, flat mesh and even the new pipe chain, all work well with the any size of Soft Flex’s beading wire. The colors of the chains in combination with the color options of beading wire, enhances the designs and takes the complete project(s) to the next level,” Jenifer added.
Here is where everything comes into full circle for Jenifer with her favorite companies she cannot live without; Jesse James Beads. Jesse James Beads works with many of her favorites and has been a loyal subscriber for their monthly Magical Mystery Bead Box for over a year. She tells us how much she looks forward to receiving these monthly boxes and recording unboxing videos. She records these videos at the time she receives them and when she is cutting into the box each month on camera, her viewers are seeing the real reactions as she reveals the contents of the boxes.
This pic is from Sara and Kristen’s presentation at the Jesse James Beads - Beads and Blooms Festival.
Another pic of the necklace Sara designed and macrame bracelet Kristen designed - both at the Jesse James Beads - Beads and Blooms Festival.
Jenifer started recording demonstration tutorials and posting them on her YouTube channel as she became more and more confident in her techniques.
The Great Bead Extravaganza is a jewelry-making/designing community, and to see how all of these companies collaborate during the events and then with spin-off events, Jenifer knew she had struck gold, hit the jackpot, found the diamond in the rough… she knew she was in great hands.
These are from the Danielle Wickes presentation for the JJB Beads and Blooms Festival using John Bead beads and TierraCast components and ear wires.
If you are wondering about the Plus – FAB SIX did not have the same ring or catch as FAB FIVE but when Jenifer saw Danielle Wickes from John Bead, she knew she needed to include this sixth designer/company as another cannot-live-without company. One can find Danielle Wickes working with all of these other five companies – Jenifer even found a connection between Danielle and Kellie with an earring kit using a TierraCast stitch around component and seed beads. Danielle can also be found at Jesse James Beads events as an instructor/camp counselor, she regularly uses TierraCast in her own kits and designs, she appears on Lives with Soft Flex Company and SilverSilk & More.
Jenifer is now a Jesse James Beads Design Ambassador and features them quite often in her YouTube tutorial and unboxing videos. She has worked with Danielle Wickes and sharing the Danielle Wickes Jewelry and John Bead brands. She is working with SilverSilk & More as a guest designer.
The necklace on the left is from a Soft Flex design kit with the jewelry tube with beads, charms and tassels - and beading wire/crimp tubes from Soft Flex. The necklace on the right is using seed beads from Jesse James Beads - heart charm from TierraCast, and beading wire and crimp tubes from Soft Flex.
The pink bracelet is from Kristen’s presentation at JJB Beads and Blooms Festival - macrame with Soft Flex. The bracelet on the right is use of seed beads from John Bead and coffee bean beads from Danielle Wickes Jewelry... along with some TierraCast findings and a charm - and Soft Flex Beading Wire and crimp tubes.
The girl from Northern California with a Cricut machine and bundle pack now has started a business and working with her FAB FIVE Plus companies she cannot live without.
Using Jesse James Beads beads and Soft Flex beading wire.
Join our Facebook group – VIB. Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!
Visit the Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!
Blog contributor Thomas Soles loves Jazz Age writers and crunchy french fries. His favorite gemstones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Freddie Mercury's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com