Beading Supplies We Love : Bead Crafts

Bead Hoard Curiosities Club for November 2012

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:00:00 GMT

If you love beading for the holidays, you'll love this month's finds in the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club from A Grain of Sand! So many beautiful beads to play with, I hardly know where to start! Everything seemed to glimmer or sparkle or shine, and the bright holiday colors really put me in the mood for some holiday jewelry-making with my beading supplies. So, here are my favorite picks from this month's Club box:

		The first items I picked out are these two beautiful vintage pins, just begging to be embellished for the holidays! If you got this month's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club box, you can embellish your pins and post pictures on A Grain of Sand's Facebook page for a chance to win the Design Challenge.

		Next, I found these lovely satiny silver bugle beads; a package of vintage plastic rings in bright red; assorted metal "bells"; and best of all, a vintage Swarovski crystal snowflake pendant!

		Some more of my favorite things: vintage seed beads, including striped seed beads; a vintage German glass cabochon; shiny gold baubles; a vintage three-strand clasp set with rhinestones; and a package of beautiful vintage glass stones, perfect for use in Crystal Clay or your favorite epoxy clay!

And, of course, there was the usual assortment of very cool vintage sequins, plastic beads, vintage metal chain, and vintage findings! Every month, it's like a treasure hunt to sort through all the fantastic vintage beads and findings included in the box from the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club.

If you're looking for a great holiday gift, why not get a box for a friend? You can find all the details over at A Grain of Sand. Make sure that you sign up before November 30, 2012 -- boxes ship on or close to the first of each month! You and your friends will love hunting through all the fabulous vintage beading supplies, beads, cabochons, and jewelry findings in each box.

Stay tuned for a sneak peek at how each box is made by the wonderful folks over at A Grain of Sand!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Beading Supplies I Love: Kumihimo Beading Supplies from Tapestry Beads

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Last month, I was lucky enough to be able to take a basic kumihimo with beads class at Bead Fest Philadelphia from the amazing Jill Wiseman. It was so much fun, and I picked it up so quickly, that the next day, I signed up for her advanced kumihimo class where I learned how to add focal beads and make a two-tone hollow kumihimo braid with a core of satin cords. You could say that I'm completely hooked on kumihimo, and yes, I'm working on writing up a few tutorials on basic kumihimo for Beading Daily in the coming weeks!

But meanwhile, if you've ever wanted to learn kumihimo and you're the kind of person who learns well from printed directions, you can find everything you need to learn how to do kumihimo with beads right on Jill's website, Tapestry Beads. Here's just a sampling of the kumihimo supplies you can find there:

Basic Kumihimo with Beads Bracelet Kits

This is the project that Jill teaches in her basic kumihimo with beads class, and the very first kumihimo project that I ever made. The kit comes with everything you need to make the bracelet in purple, silver, or gold iris. (Pretty colors!) The step-by-step instructions leave nothing out, from setting up your kumihimo disc to stringing on your beads to actually starting that first braid. You'll be amazed at how quickly this bracelet comes together -- you really can finish it in an evening.

If you've already mastered the basics of kumihimo and just want an easy project with beads, you can purchase a kit refill that comes with everything except the instructions. Jill's kumihimo with beads instructions are also available individually, without the kit materials.

Kumihimo Discs and Bobbins

Now that you're hooked on kumihimo like I am, you'll probably have four or five kumihimo projects going at once. Tapestry Beads sells more kumihimo discs and bobbins to help feed your need for making these beaded braids! (And the extra bobbins are also great for winding on long lengths of beading thread when you decide to hit the road with your bead-weaving projects, too!)

Kumihimo End Caps

I love the whole finishing process for my kumihimo braids, and the end caps are my favorite part! End caps and cones make for a nice, neat finish to your fun beaded kumihimo bracelets and necklaces, and Tapestry Beads has a wonderful assortment for the adventurous kumihimo beginner. There are huge end caps that can be used with size 6^o seed beads (or larger), and smaller end caps for smaller beads.

The only thing you can't purchase from Tapestry Beads online (yet) is the S-Lon or C-Lon cord we used for our beaded kumihimo projects. You can usually find S-Lon or C-Lon cord at your local bead shop, or for online sources, try Sparkle Spot Bead Shop or Caravan Beads.

Even if kumihimo isn't your thing (yet), make sure you spend some time checking out all the fabulous bead-weaving kits and projects that Jill has for sale at Tapestry Beads, including signed copies of her new book, Jill Wiseman's Beautiful Beaded Ropes.

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Jewelry Making Components and Supplies from Lillypilly Designs

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT


Lillypilly now offers a large selection of fine gauge copper sheets, perfect for mixed media jewelry making projects!


The fine gauge copper sheets are available with both patina and embossed patterns on them.


It's easy to stitch through the copper sheets using wire or traditional quilting threads.


Take a walk on the wild side with Lillypilly's new anodized aluminum rounds!


Lillypilly also has new and beautiful shell jewelry making components for stringing, resin, and bead embroidery projects.

You might already be familiar with the beautiful laser-engraved shell and gemstone beading components from Lillypilly Designs, but at this year's Bead Fest Philadelphia, I found some really intriguing new jewelry making components made from metal!

Patina Copper Sheets from Lillypilly Designs

If you've ever wanted to work with more metals in your beading and jewelry making projects, but don't really want to get involved with things like metal saws and serious metalsmithing tools, the new line of 36 gauge copper sheets are perfect for you. Using an ordinary pair of craft scissors, you can cut these fine gauge metal sheets into whatever shapes you want for your jewelry making projects. You can even use large scrapbook punches to create perfectly uniform shapes!

The 36 gauge copper sheets are available in a wide range of colorful patinas as well as embossed with fun patterns and designs. They can be encased in resin, used with cold connections, or just cut and layered for unique rustic-style pendants and earrings.

After seeing a quilt made with fabric and some of those 36 gauge copper sheets, I was inspired to experiment with them. I created a fun metal and Ultrasuede cuff bracelet using wire embroidery techniques. I was really pleased with how easy it was to cut and shape the copper sheets with my craft scissors, and I'll definitely be coming back for more the next time I want to create a mixed media piece of beaded jewelry.

Anodized Aluminum Sheets and Rounds

I also saw Heidi coloring these fun little anodized aluminum rounds with Sharpie markers! Now, it's not as easy to cut the aluminum as it is the fine gauge copper sheets, but the pre-cut rounds come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, making them the perfect way to add a little metal into your jewelry making designs.

The aluminum rounds can also be layered with resin, shaped into domes with a dapping tool, and used for links with the addition of a couple of holes made with your favorite hole punch.

I brought home a handful of aluminum rounds with the idea that I'll color them with my favorite Sharpie markers, then encase them in resin and use them like cabochons in my bead embroidery.

The aluminum rounds come in three sizes, nine colors, and nineteen different patterns for you to play with! They're like little miniature coloring books for your favorite jewelry maker.

Shell Pendants and Components

And of course, I couldn't leave without a couple of my favorite laser-engraved shell jewelry making components.

New for 2012, Heidi has shell bezels for use with resin. These lovely jewelry making components are perfect for adding your favorite origami papers or your colored aluminum rounds to make unique (and easy) beaded jewelry.

I also found a lovely pair of lightweight rectangular Buddha pendants (without holes) to use as cabochons for a pair of bead embroidery earrings, and a couple of smaller round pendants (also without holes) to use in a couple of beaded cuff bracelet projects that I have in mind.

The last item I chose was a small laser engraved shell donut. I love Heidi's shell donuts, and I find that they make beautiful lightweight jewelry making components for both beaded necklaces and beaded bracelets. With designs that are both delicate and intricate, I don't really have to do much to showcase these lovely little creations.

You can find out more about my Bead Fest Philadelphia finds from Lillypilly Designs by checking out their website, Lillypilly Designs.

Do you have a favorite item or two from Lillypilly? What is it? Leave a comment and share your favorites here on Beading Daily!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Beads I Love: Vintage Treasures from the July Bead Hoard Curiosities Club

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT

July's shipment from A Grain of Sand's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club held some fabulous finds! I couldn't take pictures of everything in the shipment (or we'd be here for a very long time), but I wanted to share a few of my favorites. (And check at the bottom of this blog for a link to a free beading project using some of the beads from this month's shipment!)

		Metal beads! Vintage metal beads! What could be better than these? I love the curved "macaroni" gold beads, and the fan/shell metal components are gorgeous as they are, or with a coating of my favorite Vintaj inks. The diamond shaped metal drops will add a nice tough to any vintage-style beaded necklace project, and are perfect for adding cabochons or using in a mixed media jewelry project.

		The bright yellow enamel chain pairs perfectly with the vintage blue glass nugget beads. Not sure how I'll use those nugget beads, but I'm thinking they'd make a great beaded necklace. And that enamel yellow chain? What a perfect base for a funky charm bracelet!

		This month's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club shipment also included a wonderful, fat, little bag of assorted vintage glass beads and a strand of black vintage glass rounds. Bead soup, anyone? These glass beads would make a fun wire and bead chain project, or great dangles for a charm bracelet using that yellow enamel chain in the photo above!

		And of course, there was a great little selection of vintage glass stones and cabochons in this month's shipment. The large black faceted glass stone will make a perfect pendant, and the red glass stones will be perfect for me to practice my beaded bezel skills. Maybe I'll mix them with the brass drops in the first picture for a vintage inspired festoon necklace!

There were even more great beads in this month's shipment, but I just didn't have time to photograph them all! I loved those curved metal beads so much that I used them to create a wire and bead chain project. A little challenging for me (since I'm not necessarily a great wire jewelry maker), but it was so much fun, and it looks great with just about anything I wear!

If you want to join in the fun, head on over to A Grain of Sand and check out the details on how to join the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club. You can sign up for the August shipment any time before July 31, 2012!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Beading Books I Love: Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry from Lark Books

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT

What do Jean Campbell, Marcia DeCoster, Jean Power, Rachel Nelson-Smith, Sherry Serafini, Nancy Cain, Diane Fitzgerald, Leslie Frazier, Margie Deeb, Kelly Angeley, Laura McCabe, Lisa Kan, Leslie Rogalski, and Melanie Potter, all have in common? In addition to being incredibly talented beaders, they all have beadwork featured in the newest book in Lark's 500 series, Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry.

Author and juror Ray Hemachandra has undertaken the monumental task of putting together a collection of beadwork from bead artists all over the world and turned it into a tribute to the craft of fine beadwork, written in the voices of those whom it is actually meant to recognize. The finished beadwork presented in this book ranges from intricate bead-weaving done with seed beads to artful stringing, and includes beads made from fibers, handmade glass beads, and mixed media jewelry using found objects of all kinds.

Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry is truly a testament to the humble bead, and how those beads allow each of us to express who we really are while at the same time uniting us in our thoughts, our dreams, and our spirit. No doubt that while you're perusing the pages of this book, you'll recognize many of the names of the artists included in this book. But I think that you'll also be delighted with the work of the artists whose names may not be so familiar.

As a source of inspiration, this is one book that you'll find yourself coming back to, over and over again. The colors, shapes, textures, materials, and techniques used in the beaded jewelry will have you looking at your own beaded jewelry design ideas in an entirely new way. It is a book in which you can easily lose yourself, only to come back with a fresh perspective on the age-old techniques of beading and bead-weaving.

You can find more information about Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry on the Lark Crafts website.

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Ray Hemachandra, juror and author of Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry, also works as the team lead and business manger for Lark Jewelry and Beading. He has authored or been senior editor for other books in the Lark 500 series.

More information: Lark Crafts

Got a Couple of Hours? Make a Bead Embroidery Ring with This Kit!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Are you looking for a great bead embroidery project that doesn't take days to do? I've found one for you! During my last shopping spree in the Etsy shop of Lisa Peters Art, I snagged one of her new Mini Flower bead embroidery ring kits. I'd heard lots of great things about these kits, and I was looking forward to making one.

I've seen other kits advertised as "complete" beading kits, but this beading kit really means it. Not only did this beading kit include all the beads and findings that you need to complete the project, but it also included a small thread cutter and a tiny tube of E6000 glue! (That little tube of glue is just too cute!) It also included extra beads to give you an extra design option for stitching your bead embroidery flower ring. Including the thread cutters and glue was absolutely brilliant, and makes this a beading kit that allows you to dive right in and start beading right away.

I sat down with this kit after dinner one evening, thinking that I'd at least make a good start on it while my four-year-old drew with his crayons. Two hours later, I was surprised (and very pleased!) to have a finished bead embroidery ring! I allowed the glue to dry overnight after attaching the bead embroidered flower to the ring finding, but I wore it the next morning and was again pleasantly surprised at how light and comfortable it was.

You can find your own Mini Flower bead embroidery ring kit by heading over to the Lisa Peters Art Etsy shop. New kits are listed weekly, so make sure you follow Lisa on Facebook to see when she starts listings for the week. These wonderful little Mini Flower bead embroidery ring kits sell out fast!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Bead Embroidery Supplies I Love: Lacy's Self-Adhesive Pattern Sheets

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:00:00 GMT

If there were a twelve-step program for bead embroidery and bead embroidery supplies, I should probably look into it. Until then, I'll keep on stitching away on my bead embroidered collars, pendants and cuff bracelets. And to add to my addiction to this amazing beading technique, I now know where I can get my hands on Lacy's Self-Adhesive Pattern Sheets.

Part of the challenge of bead embroidery is creating symmetrical designs in things like collars and cuff bracelets. With the Lacy's self-adhesive pattern sheets, I can draw, copy, or print my designs directly onto the sheet, then cut it to size, peel it off, and apply it to my bead embroidery backing. Voila! That's about as close to perfect symmetry as I'm going to get!


	A page of Buddhist coloring book mandala designs, ready to be turned into bead embroidery!


	Bead embroidery in progress using Lacy's Self Adhesive Pattern Sheet

I was so excited to try these sheets, I went out and found some copyright-free designs for mandalas from Buddhist coloring books. (Yes, there really is such a thing as a Buddhist coloring book!) I printed a test sheet first (highly recommended) to figure out exactly which way to feed my self-adhesive pattern sheet into the printer. The designs came out perfectly clear and ready to be used in my bead embroidery designs.

A word of caution: if you choose to print on these using an inkjet printer, it's important to give the sheets at least three or four hours for the ink to air dry. (Longer is better, if you can stand it.) Even after drying, the ink did smudge a bit when I was working, but none of it came off on my fingers or my beads.

The great advantage of using the Lacy's self-adhesive pattern sheets is that even if you can't draw (like me), you can still create fabulous designs on your bead embroidery medium. Using the self-adhesive sheets also eliminates the need to draw directly on your bead embroidery backing with a black magic marker, which can sometimes show through after you're finished.

When you've finished your embroidery on the self-adhesive sheet, you just tear it off. What you're left with is a beautiful piece of bead embroidery! These sheets have a lot of potential for bead embroidery projects. Create your own designs, or use copyright-free line drawings like I did to create unique bead embroidery patterns!


I created the Lotus flower design on this bead embroidered cuff bracelet using a Lacy's Self-Adhesive Pattern Sheet.

If you want to try Lacy's Self-Adhesive Pattern Sheets, you can find them at Sparkle Spot Bead Shop. At $3.25 per 8 1/2" x 11" sheet, this is one bead embroidery supply that I will definitely be keeping on hand!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Bead Hoard Curiosities Club for June

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:32:00 GMT

This month's little box from A Grain of Sand's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club was full of fun -- and very useful! -- vintage beads.

I've always loved metallic vintage beads, and this month's hoard was full of beautiful metal and metallic vintage beads, as well as some very cool metal jewelry making components. I loved the patterned ovals that were included in this month's box -- they are going to make beautiful earrings! A handful of beautiful corrugated metal beads included this month will work as either spacers or focal beads in a beaded necklace design, but I'm thinking that they might also work nicely in my top-secret Battle of the Beadsmith piece.

These flat, wavy plastic discs definitely caught my attention. Years ago, I purchased a strand of onyx beads in a similar shape, but they were much larger and much heavier than these lightweight vintage bead beauties! I can see mixing them with some vintage pearls or freshwater pearls for a classy date-night beaded necklace and bracelet set.

And speaking of lightweight vintage beads -- there was a smattering of beautiful lightweight plastic vintage flower beads in this month's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club shipment! I love using these in bracelets for a "garden" effect. Just make a strip of right-angle weave, peyote stitch, or even herringbone stitch, and embellish to your heart's content with these lovelies!

The most intriguing find in this month's shipment was a set of long, drilled, twisted Lucite tube beads. They reminded me of the vintage icicle Christmas ornaments my mother used to hang on our Christmas tree, and using them will most definitely be a wonderful design challenge for me. The textured Lucite teardrop-shaped cabochon will also be another fun design challenge.

Last, but not least, my favorite find from this month's shipment was a whole bag of drilled shells. Seeing these instantly transported me back to high school, when making macrame necklaces with shells and clay beads was my favorite jewelry making projects. This time around, however, I'm thinking about a slightly more sophisticated beaded jewelry design idea. Perhaps an embellished beaded rope?

Interested in claiming your stake in the huge vintage bead hoard? You can join the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club through A Grain of Sand, even for just one month, and get your own box of vintage bead treasures. Suzanne Branca hand-picks the contents for each box from some of the best finds as she and her staff sort through this amazing hoard of vintage beads and jewelry making components!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Have You Tried Crystal Clay?

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Last summer, I started seeing mentions of this product called Crystal Clay floating around in my favorite beading magazine. After seeing some amazing examples of what people were doing with it at the Tucson gem and mineral shows, well, I broke down and had to try some for myself!

Crystal Clay is a two-part epoxy clay. It comes in a wide variety of colors. You work with it by mixing one part colored clay with one part of base, then mold it into a bezel or other form, and then you can stud it with tiny Swarovski crystal stones.

Because I couldn't decide on just one color to use, I chose a sampler pack that included four different colors of clay, a small bag of crystal stones, and a special beeswax-tipped applicator.

Mixing the clays together was not as easy as I had imagined! It stuck to everything, and the vinyl gloves included in the kit were just a bit too big for my hands, which meant that every time I went to unstick the clay from my gloves, the gloves came loose. I finally discarded the vinyl gloves from the kit and put on a pair of better-fitting gloves that I had on hand from my other craft supplies.

Shaping the clay was the easy part. I pulled off bits and molded them into the bezels. I chose a couple of rings from Beyond Beadery and a pendant from Nunn Designs. I also stocked up on extra crystal stones to use with the Crystal Clay, and I was glad that I did, since the stones that were included in the kit were very tiny and wouldn't have done much to cover the surface of the clay. When you purchase your own Crystal Clay, make sure that you add a few extra crystal stones to your order to give yourself enough sparkly things to play with!

Using the beeswax-tipped applicator took a little practice, and as I worked, the warmth of the room caused the wax to melt a bit onto the crystal stones. (The wax, however, was easily cleaned up once the clay had set and solidified the next day.) Setting the stones into the clay is another skill that I'll need to practice. It always seemed like just as I got the stone into the desired position, inserting the next stone pushed it right out of place!

I was pretty happy with the results of my first experiments with Crystal Clay, and I'm excited to be taking a class from Beyond Beadery's Betcey Ventrella at York Beads in New York City on June 16. I'm hoping that she can give me some more tips and advice for using Crystal Clay, because it is definitely something that I would like to do more of! I can see great potential for this jewelry making medium, and the end results are sparkly and fun.

Have you tried Crystal Clay yet? What were your impressions? Do you have any tips for mixing the clay, setting the crystal stones, or cleaning up your finished pieces? Please feel free to leave a comment here and share your tips, tricks, and advice with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Resources for Crystal Clay:

Crystal Clay Website: Clay, stones, applicators, bezels

Beyond Beadery: Clay, wide variety of crystal stones, bezels

The Hole Bead Shoppe: Clay, wide variety of crystal stones, bezels

Nunn Design: Clay, crystal stones, wide variety of bezels and findings (wholesale only)

Things to Bead Around: Large Cabone Rings

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:00:00 GMT


These cabone rings can be found in any craft supply store with the yarn notions and make fabulous focal beads when covered with your favorite beading stitch!

I'm a craft store junky. If I have to run into my local bead crafts store to pick up just one or two things for a project, I always find myself migrating over to the yarn and fine art supplies to see if there's anything interesting that I can bead around or use to store my seed beads. Of course, there's always something new in the other craft supplies that I can use for my beading!

My latest craft store find are these wonderful cabone rings that I found with the yarn, knitting and crocheting notions. I remember my mother and my grandmother using smaller rings like these to make hundreds of crocheted potholders, and in her most recent book, Rachel Nelson-Smith uses the smaller rings to make wonderful beaded toggle clasps.

These large rings are about two inches (50mm) in diameter, so they may be a bit big for use as a toggle clasp, but they certainly make fabulous focal beads and links when you cover them with your favorite beading stitch! I started beading around my first ring with right-angle weave, and I'm experimenting with peyote stitch and herringbone stitch as well to add different textures and patterns.

Being fascinated with symbols the way I am, these rings are perfect for making all sorts of meaningful beading projects. Mandalas, wheels and circles are all spiritually significant symbols that can be interpreted with beads in many ways. They can be painted, embellished or wrapped with fibers, ribbons, and cords.

Look for some new tutorials in the next few weeks where I'll show you how to cover these with different beading stitches! Beaded rings make awesome components for your original beaded jewelry designs!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Things to Bead Around: Sticks from Lake Champlain

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Do you feel the need to branch out a bit in your beading? Well, all puns aside, my newest beading project obsession is beading around sticks!


The beach on Lake Champlain, looking towards Vermont. Photo by Sharon Schenckel.

I'm lucky enough that I get to live in what I think is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, near the shores of Lake Champlain. The weather up here can be a bit unpredictable -- in the last two years, we've had record-breaking snowstorms, floods and tornadoes! But living in the middle of these beautiful forests, rivers and lakes is really a very important part of what inspires me and my beadwork. The colors and shapes I see in nature provide many of the ideas I translate into beading projects.

During the winter, I love to take my son for a walk along the beach and we collect rocks and sticks that have been tumbled and polished smooth by the water. Just after New Year's, we took one of our walks with some relatives who were visiting for the holidays, and my niece helped me collect some very beautiful and interesting-looking sticks for me to start beading.

Beading around sticks is nothing new. Native Americans have been using natural objects for beading for hundreds of years, and both Wendy Ellsworth and artist NanC Meinhardt both have used sticks as the foundation for some beautiful beading projects that are also a source of self-exploration and spiritual growth.


	My niece helped me pick out this assortment of sticks from a beach on Lake Champlain.

I chose these sticks with the help of my niece because of the things they reminded me of when I saw them lying on the beach. Their shapes and even the colors of the water-washed wood gave me inspiration, and my recent trip to Tucson gave me some new color palettes to explore.

Choosing a stick. Choosing your sticks is really a very personal process. Find a patch of trees or a beach that holds meaning for you, or set out to explore a new part of your world. While you take a quiet walk, look around to see what speaks to you or what makes a connection in your mind. Try not to choose a stick that's too large or too difficult for you to carry out with you. You might meditate on a recent event or a question you have while looking for your stick.

Preparing your stick. Once you're ready to bead your stick, it's usually a good idea to clean it with a mild detergent and allow it to fully dry. You can carefully remove any rough patches of bark with a Dremel tool and smooth out other bumps with sand paper. If your stick has lots of little branches on it, feel free to nip them off with a small saw or clipper to make it a pleasing shape.

Then...just bead it! I've picked out a palette of colors for my stick, and I'll go with it and see where it leads. As I bead, I'll probably add some cabochons, buttons and maybe even some fibers to finish it. The beauty of making a beaded stick is that it can really turn into a wonderful mixed-media project that uses whatever craft supplies you might have handy.

Beading a stick can be a wonderful way of marking a transition or commemorating a special event in your life. I also like to look at this kind of beading project as a way to get me back in touch with the natural world around me.

What kind of unusual object from nature have you wanted to bead around? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Tucson Treasures: The Year of the Dragon

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:00:00 GMT

Anyone who knows me knows that I've always had a thing for dragons. When the movie How to Train Your Dragon came out, it instantly made it onto my list of favorite movies. Without giving too much away, I loved the way it was all about challenging your beliefs and perceptions,and being true to yourself. And since 2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon in Chinese astrology, I thought it would be appropriate to indulge my love of dragons while I was shopping at the Tucson shows this year!

According to Chinese astrology, the Year of the Dragon is marked by fearless undertakings, ambition, self-confidence and creativity. To celebrate all these characteristics, I thought I'd embark on a few new dragon jewelry-making projects, using some of these fabulous components I brought back with me.

Marsha Hedrick is a wonderfully talented porcelain artist, and these two dragon components of hers are beautiful examples of her craft! The darker dragon donut will be hard to match with my seed beads, but I'm sure I've got something I can use. There are two holes in this piece so I can make a wire dangle to hang in the center hole - maybe a bright ruby to add some color?

The dragon cabochon is going to be the focal of a necklace I already had planned out in my sketchbook, except that I hadn't known there was going to be a focal piece! Looking at the mottled tones in the background of this cabochon, I realized that I can include some of my new "desert palette" seed beads and fire polished beads that I picked up while I was in Tucson.

One of the things that had me so excited about my visit to Tucson was the chance to meet Andrew Thornton in person! I love following his blog and reading about his adventures in rural Pennsylvania, and I've recently discovered how much I enjoy using his handmade components in my beading projects.

While Tammy Jones and I were browsing Andrew's table at The Best Bead Show, I noticed a small pile of these beautiful, delicate bronze coins. The dragons, of course, are what caught my eye! Each one was set with a sapphire, which happens to be one of the gemstones symbolic of the Year of the Dragon. As I held the coin in my hand, I remembered a small bag of tiny bronze tube beads that I have had in my bead stash for many years and felt that this was going to be one of "those" beading projects. (You know the kind - they make you giggle with delight just thinking about them!) Sure enough, the day after I got home, I tore through my bead drawers until I located the tiny bronze tubes, found two colors of seed beads to coordinate with the sapphire, and picked out a bronze clasp from my stash to finish the whole thing off. Now all I have to do is find the time to make it!

I'm so excited about my year full of dragon jewelry-making projects! Have you ever been so excited by the idea of a new beading project that you just had to giggle out loud?

I'll be posting pictures of my finished pieces (and possibly some tutorials related to them!) in the coming weeks!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Great Holiday Gift Ideas for Beaders

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:00:00 GMT

Yes, it's that time of year again. When it comes to the holiday gift-giving season, there are two types of people. The first type, like my sister, has all the holiday shopping done before the end of August, and everything is neatly wrapped, tagged and stored in anticipation of the big day. The second type, like me, waits until pretty much the last minute and then goes on a fun (but frantic) bout of holiday shopping, paying a little extra for expedited shipping so that everything arrives on time.

But when I shop for beading gifts for my friends, I try my best to avoid shopping at the mall or at a "big box" craft supply store where I have to deal with crowds and busy parking lots. Instead, I try to buy my gifts online or at local craft shows from independent artists.

If you're looking for some great beady gifts for your crafty friends this holiday season, here are a few places where you can find fabulous ideas and do your part to support an independent artist at the same time!


Any beader would be thrilled to get one of these handmade bead mats by Judi Patuti!

Bead Mats from Judi Patuti - Bead mats are always a great gift idea for beaders, but these bead mats from Judi Patuti are a truly outstanding gift. With fabulous fabrics in bright patterns, these handmade bead mats will make a cherished gift for your favorite beading friend.

Brass bead embroidery blanks from Designer's Findings - If you know someone who loves bead embroidery, a selection of brass bead embroidery blanks from Designer's Findings will be a wonderful surprise. Most of these bead embroidery blanks are priced between $1 and $3 - perfect for giving!


	A Mirrix loom is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to upgrade their bead or tapestry loom.

Bead Reference Chart from Beaded Phoenix - I can't say enough about how much I love my Bead Reference Chart from the Beaded Phoenix. When I owned a brick and mortar bead shop, we had one of these reference charts posted on the back wall so that we could easily size up beads and stringing materials. Get one for a friend and see how often they'll use it!

Mirrix Bead Loom - For a real splurge, give a gift that keeps on giving. Mirrix bead looms are sturdy and well-made and will be appreciated by anyone looking to upgrade their beading or tapestry loom. If someone already owns a Mirrix loom, check out their selection of kits, patterns and accessories!

Sample pack of Nicole's Bead Backing - The first time I stitched some bead embroidery on a piece of Nicole's Bead Backing, I was hooked. The best part about Nicole's Bead Backing is that it comes in a wide range of colors, so you don't need to muck around with dyes. Give your favorite bead embroidery enthusiast a sample pack of this fantastic bead embroidery material!


The Beaded Phoenix Reference Chart Poster is a gift that will be appreciated and well-used!

Of course, another popular gift idea for your favorite beader is a gift certificate to an independent bead shop. Online bead supply stores like Beyond Beadery and The Hole Bead Shoppe offer electronic gift certificates, or check with your Local Bead Shop to find out if they offer gift certificates.

Do you have a great idea for shopping local for bead gifts this holiday season? Leave a comment and share your tips and suggestions on the blog!

Bead (and shop!) Happy,

Jennifer

Beading Looms: Mirrix Beading Looms Product Review

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:18:00 GMT


The Little Guy 12" beading and tapestry loom by Mirrix Looms is a great gift for yourself or for someone else!

My first beading loom was one of those "Native American" beading looms that I got for five dollars from a big box craft store when I was in high school. It was how I learned to work with seed beads, and I still have that beading loom tucked away in a plastic tackle box in the depths of my bead stash.

These days, however, I'm using a much more sophisticated piece of beading equipment when I want to do beading loom work. For the last two years, I've been working on a Mirrix beading loom, and I don't think I could ever use anything else.

Mirrix beading looms aren't necessarily the "prettiest" beading looms that you'll see. But they are built and assembled considerably better than other beading looms in the same price range. The Mirrix beading loom is built from a series of metal components that give you absolute control over your tension and warp lengths, and the shedding device is fantastic for making bead and fiber tapestries, like the bead and tapestry cuff bracelet kits they offer on their website.

My Little Guy loom (12 inches across) is also perfect for doing small tapestries. Weighing around five pounds, this lightweight loom fits comfortably in your lap and can also stand on a table using the padded fold-out legs. Setting up and warping the loom was easy to do using the video included with the loom, and if you need other assistance, Claudia and Elena at Mirrix will be happy to direct you to the numerous tutorials available on the Mirrix website. (They are also very happy to answer any questions sent to them via email!)

The construction of these looms means that they will last a lifetime, so this is a seriously good investment for anyone who loves to do loomed beadwork. Combined with the Mirrix company's fabulous customer service, a Mirrix beading loom is an investment you can feel good about.

You can find everything you need to get started with these beading looms including supplies, beading and tapestry kits and beading patterns, on the Mirrix Looms website.

Have you ever used a Mirrix beading loom? Which model did you use? Leave a comment and share your experiences here on the blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

THOSE are Beading Supplies?

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:00:00 GMT

Yep, we beaders are definitely a creative and thrifty bunch. When it comes to our beading supplies, there are lots of items that we "borrow" from other crafts that work just as well when it comes to our beloved beads!

Recently, I discovered a few really great beading supplies and beading tools that do double-time as supplies for other crafts and hobbies!


Yes, we beaders can get pretty creative when it comes to our beading supplies! Pictured above: fishing line cutters, plastic rings (used for crocheted potholders) and floss bobbins.

Thread bobbins. I hijacked these beading supplies from the cross-stitch and embroidery section of my local craft store. These handy little plastic thread bobbins are perfect for when I start a project with an extra-long length of beading thread. I wrap the thread around the bobbin starting in the center and use the first half. Then when I'm ready to start beading the other side of the project, I just unwind the thread, add a needle and go! No worries about adding a new thread. You can find these thread bobbins in both plastic and cardboard. (I prefer the plastic ones because they hold up longer.)

Rapala fishing-line cutters. A few weeks ago, my husband was looking for something to cut the fishing line on his favorite fishing reel, and his eyes fell on the Rapala cutters on my beading tray. "Rapala?" he spluttered. Well, of course it makes sense: since I use Fireline for pretty much all of my beadweaving projects these days, these scissors are the perfect cutters for me! You can find these scissors at most outdoor stores in the fishing section. (Right next to the Fireline.)

Tackle boxes. And speaking of fishing gear - one of my all-time favorite bead storage and carrying cases is this soft-sided tackle box that I found in a local department store. The big advantage here was the price: it cost me less than half of what I would have paid for a similar carrying and storage case had I purchased it through a regular beading supply company. Another benefit of this tackle box/bead storage bag is that it has lots and lots of pockets for my color wheel, sketchbook, extra pens, and other beading supplies!


	Another reason to hit the outdoor supply store with my husband: I scored my favorite tackle box/beading tote!

Dental floss threader. These beading supplies can come in handy for keeping your teeth shiny and clean, too! A few years ago while pregnant with my son, I discovered that using my dental floss threader was a great way to get my beading wire through a tight spot. (One of many things that I discovered while dealing with pregnancy-related insomnia during the long nights of winter!) To use a dental floss threader, slip your beading wire through the large hole, leaving a short tail. Insert the long end of the threader into the bead and pull gently until the beading wire is through the bead. These beading supplies are great for when you just need that little extra "oomf!" to get your beading wire where it needs to be.

Plastic craft rings. My mom and my grandmother used to make crocheted potholders, and they made a LOT of crocheted potholders. Consequently, we always had lots of these little plastic rings around the house when I was a kid. Well, in her latest book, Rachel Nelson-Smith has come up with a brilliant use for these little rings: bead around them and make them into custom beaded toggle clasps for your beadwork! They are the perfect size for necklace toggles, and you can use either herringbone stitch or right-angle weave to make easy custom toggles for all your handmade jewelry projects!

Take a good look through your bead and crafting supplies: which of your beading supplies is pulling double duty? Leave a comment and share your favorite "unusual" beading supplies with us here on the blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer