Browse by Tags

  • Are You a Bead Snob?

    I met a well-known bead designer last year who confessed that she sometimes enjoyed mixing high- and low-end components together--beads from her local craft store with some high-end silver or handcrafted art beads or findings. I admitted to her that I did this, too. Looking back, it's funny how we furtively looked around as we talked in hushed tones, as if we feared we would be found out by the bead police and dragged away....

  • 5 Ways to Stretch Your Beading Budget

    Beading and saving money are two topics near and dear to my heart. My Celestial Sparkle necklace was inspired when I could only afford a single strand of borosilicate beads. I wanted to showcase them in a necklace, but everyone who saw the tiny strand said I should just give up and make a bracelet. Luckily, I didn't listen! I found some relatively inexpensive clear teardrops to space out my more expensive treasures and ended up creating one of my favorite necklaces....

  • A Handful of Beads

    I bought these beautiful borosilicate (boro) teardrop beads from Sonoran Beads at a bead show last fall. I loved the way the beads snuggled up next to one another on the elastic strand and the springtime blue/green color combination. I wanted to make...