Daily Blogs

Jewelry Business: Running a Business with Family with Guest Blogger Allison Korleski

Vanbeads — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT


Allison Korleski is Acquisition Editor for Interweave Press

As a knitter of many years, I often look forward to carving space in my busy schedule for some time alone with my needles, yarn, and whatever serial program I am currently watching. (I have afghans named "Pride & Prejudice" and "The Wire, Season 4"). At the same time though, crafting is also a particularly social activity-we join groups, we take classes and workshops, we dream of attending retreats.

Together, we can collectively support one another, exchange ideas and inspiration, take true joy in the accomplishments of others around us while improving our own skills. Nothing beats the collective cheer we get when showing off our latest successful project. The pleasures of such contact and collaboration can translate into professional relationships as well.

Take for instance, husband-and-wife Mark and Viki Lareau. They've translated their expertise into a bead store, a busy class and workshop schedule, and founding and running a successful bead festival for the past several years. They've also found the time to produce three books between them: Mark focuses on the craft of metal and wirework while Viki shows the crafter how to take their hobby and turn it into a profitable business.

Now we join a husband and wife team for a look at how they balance their busy lives . . .

Viki Lareau on the beading business with husband Mark

So how did you and Mark come to open your bead store, start teaching classes and write three books on jewelry: your book Marketing and Selling Your Handmade Jewelry and his books All Wired Up and Getting Started Making Metal Jewelry ?

Viki: We've been married over 20 years. We met when we worked at the same company in Vancouver-managing a chain of retail bead stores. Mark did all the buying for the stores but wasn't really into the whole beading and jewelry world. After a couple of years, we quit and opened our own store, The Bead Factory in Tacoma, Washington-and Mark got much more into it.

When we first opened our store, there was more of a "hippie" vibe to jewelry making but we really wanted to focus more on contemporary jewelry and now our customers are much more mainstream.

What is it like working with your husband? Are you involved with each others work or do you give each other space?

Viki: I actually have always liked having our own business. I could never imagine he or I having 9 to 5 jobs again. Good boundaries are important for our business. We each work in different assigned sections of the business. The flexibility our own business offers us has been a blessing in raising our children. But is hard working with your spouse, not many people can do it. There are tons of ups and downs running a business together.

Mark is into metal and teaches classes for us on making metal jewelry. I do more contemporary classes on trend pieces and teach people how to make the latest things in the stores. These are very different areas and we don't really interfere or give each other advice. Sometimes I wear my husband's creations. His classes are the most popular at the store. It is a natural progression for those who have been beading and want to take on a new skill.

Are you looking for solid and inspirational advice for running a successful jewelry business? Each issue of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine offers useful information on starting, running, and expanding your jewelry business. Whether you're just starting out a seasoned jewelry business professional, you'll find ways to stay on top of the game with Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine.

And don't forget: each issue of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine is packed with jewelry-making techniques, tutorials, new product reviews, and information about all your favorite jewelry-making materials. Subscribe to Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine and use it to help grow your jewelry business!

Who is your favorite crafting partner? Do they assist you with your jewelry business? Share your thoughts and experiences with running a jewelry business and collaborating with family here on the blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Going 'Round in Triangles With the Fabulous Jean Power

Vanbeads — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT

I don't know about you, but I've been totally enthralled with the Beadwork magazine Designer of the Year projects from Jean Power. I've always been fascinated by shaped peyote stitch beadwork, and Jean has elevated the simple peyote stitch triangle into a complex and elegant beaded jewelry component, and once you've tried her techniques for making these versatile little beaded shapes, you'll be amazed at how easily they come together. I wanted to know more about this globe-trotting, roller-derby-skating beadwork designer. I was lucky enough to catch Jean between international teaching gigs, and she was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me about her beadwork, her travels, and being on a roller derby team!

Q: How did you get started with peyote stitch and beadweaving?

I had grown up with a love of crafts and did a lot of painting and sewing. Cross stitch and embroidery were favorite techniques of mine, and the more I did, the more I loved those little beads that I used to embellish some of the designs. Then one day, a bead shop opened up near where I worked, and I was completely mesmerized the first time I looked in the window. I went into the shop and just started thinking: What are Delicas? What are drop beads? How do you know what thread to use? It was a long time before I had the nerve to do any beading! I just didn't know where to start.

In 1991, I came across a beading kit that answered many of my questions. I used it to make my first brick stitch amulet bag, and I never looked back!

Q: Why did you choose to start working with peyote stitch? And why did you start working with peyote stitch triangles?

I learnt peyote stitch from Carol Wilcox Wells' wonderful first book shortly after making my first brick stitch amulet bag, and towards the end of that year I decided to bead my own vessel. Learning about the effect increasing could have on your work while I attempted that piece led me to try and make a triangle, and eleven years later I still love beading peyote stitch triangles! I find a triangle a fascinating shape, and one which I could explore endlessly. I return to peyote stitch triangles over and over, and I love pushing the boundaries of this simple shape. There is so much wonderful potential in making peyote stitch triangles, I seriously think I could work with them forever.

Q: You have such a unique style of beadwork! How would you describe it?

I think of my style as a geometric, pared-down but bold look that uses the individual beads themselves to make a design and a statement. My work is usually unembellished and unadorned, for two reasons: personal preference, and until recently, we didn't have access to as many lovely beads as we do now here in the UK. (United Kingdom) When I design a piece of beadwork, I always keep in mind what beads are easy to find at your local bead shop.

Since I started beading, I've always wanted to show the structure, shape, and form of my work and not cover all of it with oodles of crystal fringe. Even when I do work with crystals or other shaped beads, I still try to retain a simple style. That's the challenge for me: achieving something visually attractive and complex with just one size and shape of bead! It takes more planning, thought, and design work than relying on "glitzier" beads to add to a design.

Sharing this idea of technique and design is something I really enjoy, and I'm very excited to be working on a book with Kate McKinnon and Dustin Wedekind at the moment which will further explore all of that.

Q: You travel quite a bit to teach beading. What has been your best bead-related trip so far?

I am very fortunate to say that there have been many wonderful bead-related trips! Last year, I traveled to Tucson, Arizona and stayed with Kate McKinnon, where I got to meet Dustin Wedekind, Teresa Sullivan, and had a reunion with Marcia Decoster. I recently traveled to Egypt, where my days were filled with teaching people from so many different backgrounds. Seeing such a diverse group of people come together to learn and share our love of beading will always be a treasured memory.

Q: Where would you like to be five years from now?

I can honestly say pretty much where I am. I am fortunate to be able to work in a field I love, travel the World, have amazing friends in the beading community and spend a lot of my time learning and being creative. All I ask for on top of that is good health and maybe a bigger house so I can fit all my beads in!

Q: Now, what's all this about you doing roller derby?

I got into roller derby nearly three years ago. I'd never been on roller skates before, and was completely out of my comfort zone. But the first time I went into my team changing room, the conversation centered around what necklace a skater should wear for the game that day, and I thought, any sport which encourages the wearing of ridiculous clothes and having an alter-ego is the sport for me!

I skate for the fabulous London Rockin' Rollers, using the name Femme Fatality. My experience with roller derby has resulted in making many wonderful friends, more travel, and learning some interesting life skills.

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Peyote stitch triangles are the perfect introduction to shaped peyote stitch for both beginner and advanced beaders! If you're new to the world of shaped peyote stitch and want to learn more, check out Bead Stitching Triangles with Jean Power. This DVD of nine watch-and-learn lessons covers everything you need to know to start creating peyote stitch triangles for your own unique beaded jewelry designs.

Learn all about increasing and decreasing in peyote stitch as you craft these amazing peyote stitch triangles with your favorite seed beads! Pre-order your copy of Bead Stitching Triangles with Jean Power and start going around in triangles with this master bead artist.

Have you tried any of Jean's Designer of the Year projects in Beadwork magazine yet? Take a picture of your finished creation and post it in our Reader Photo Gallery to inspire someone else!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Anyone Can Make Polymer Clay Beads...Right?

Vanbeads — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT


The necklace from Enlightened Polymer Clay that served as my inspiration.

I've never felt that polymer clay has been a particularly strong set of jewelry making skills for me. After watching a peculiarly talented friend of mine create an entire Lord of the Rings chess set from polymer clay years ago, I was itching to try my hand at bead making with polymer clay. And while I jumped into polymer clay bead making with my usual enthusiasm for beads and jewelry making, the results were, shall we say, less than spectacular.

When my son started approaching the appropriate age for Play Doh, I felt my old anxieties about clay resurface. Thankfully, he was perfectly happy with my ability to make little "worms" and "snakes" and simple, rolled balls of clay. I think I mistook his delight at my colorful little piles of snakes and balls for an acknowledgement of my polymer clay bead making skills, because when a whole box full of polymer clay and supplies arrived at my house, I dove right back in with my usual can-do attitude.


	The pile of polymer clay beads and jewelry making components, awaiting their transformation into a finished piece of jewelry.

Once again, I got shot down. My polymer clay beads collapsed when I tried to pierce them with a toothpick. My beautiful simulated wood-grain bracelet got too close to the top elements in my toaster oven and bubbled and melted into a huge mess. Wasn't there anything that I could do with polymer clay beads that would come out right? I was ready to just give up on bead making with polymer clay.

But, no. I'm too stubborn for that. So, I cracked open my copy of Enlightened Polymer Clay and picked a project that I was determined to make. After all, if I can make snakes and balls out of Play Doh, I can make something out of polymer clay, right? I picked out a necklace that I liked and decided that I was going to make something useful and beautiful out of polymer clay, even if it killed me.


*Stylish and safe: wear proper safety gear when you're drilling holes in polymer clay beads.*

My son had had a blast cutting out shapes in the polymer clay with the little clay cutters I had, so I figured that was where I would start. I conditioned two different colors of polymer clay and then cut out about a dozen each of two different shapes. I laid these carefully on the tray in my clay-dedicated toaster oven and turned it on.

This time around, however, I was more careful with the heat and the time. Instead of baking it at the temperature suggested on the package, I went about twenty-five degrees lower. I also left the pieces in for only ten minutes, since they weren't very thick and weren't very big. Success! My polymer clay jewelry making components came out of the oven perfect!

Next up, I was going to make some polymer clay beads. Oh, yes, I was! I mashed up three different colors of polymer clay, conditioned it, rolled it out, and then tore off little pieces and rolled them into balls.

Now, here was my dilemma again. How did I get the holes in these beads without making them collapse on themselves when I inserted the toothpick? The answer hit me as I was thinking about my little polymer clay shapes, now cooling on my work table. I could drill holes in them!

I threaded the beads on the thin skewers of my bead baking rack and put them in the toaster oven. Again, I was very careful with the heat and time, and these beads came out of the oven looking as perfect as they had going in. I was ready to drill!

Thankfully, I have a totally decked-out Dremel tool from my glass days when I would drill holes in my fused glass earrings and bracelet-making components. Just like when I drilled my glass, I wore my safety goggles and a dust mask. You wouldn't believe it, but polymer clay makes a lot of dust and nasty things that you just don't want to breathe while you're working.


	My very first polymer clay bead necklace! I'm so proud!

Once I was happy with the holes in my beads and components, it was time to wire and string them together! This was where I totally wimped out. With a looming deadline, I linked about half of them together with jump rings and wire-wrapped loops, and I finished the necklace with a piece of chain instead of spending more time wrapping and looping. The effect was pretty cool: a vintage-looking necklace with my first successful polymer clay beads!

Using polymer clay for bead making definitely has its advantages. Polymer clay is lightweight, easy to work with, and has so many possibilities for finishing! You can sand it down, carve it, or paint it. There's so much room for self-expression with polymer clay bead making that I'm sure to try it again!

If you are looking for some beautiful and unusual polymer clay bead making projects, check out Enlightened Polymer Clay. The simple and organic shapes of the polymer clay beads and components will inspire you to create your own polymer clay jewelry using these simple clay techniques. Get your copy of Enlightened Polymer Clay and see just how satisfying it is to make your own polymer clay beads and jewelry creations!

Do you have a tip for working with polymer clay? How do you get the holes in your beads without collapsing the beads? Do you use a drill or sander to finish your beads? Leave a comment on the blog and share your tips and advice for making your own polymer clay beads and jewelry making components!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Mixed Media Jewelry: It's Easier Than It Sounds

Vanbeads — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT

When I was a kid, I was interested in making jewelry out of anything and everything. Some of my first handmade jewelry projects were made from not beads, but pieces of thick watercolor paper that I had cut into shapes, painted and sealed, and then glued together! Back then, we just called them paper earrings, but today, they fall under the category of mixed media jewelry.

Thirty years later, I still love making mixed media jewelry projects. Mastering a new set of skills or a new jewelry making tool doesn't just give me a sense of accomplishment, it makes me feel more confident when it comes time to sit down and start a new jewelry making project. It's the difference between thinking, "I can't make THAT!" and, "Sure, I can make that!"

If the thought of mixed media jewelry makes you cringe, just think about those paper earrings. Mixed media jewelry can be so easy and so much fun, it might make you feel like a kid again! Need a little more encouragement? Check out these mixed media jewelry projects:

		For those of us who have dabbled in other crafts like quilting and sewing (or for those of us who just have a weakness for cool fabrics, even though we have no idea what to do with them!), you can make a stylish and fun fabric necklace! Alison Wright's Fabulous Fabric Necklace uses basic sewing and a handful of wood beads to create an easy mixed media necklace.

		Mixed media jewelry projects also have the advantage of using recycled or upcycled components, like Kerry Bogert's Waste Not, Want Not necklace. These easy-to-make mixed media pendants use bottle caps, resin, and gorgeous silk ribbon to make a one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art.

		Another easy mixed media jewelry project is this fun Darling Domes bracelet by Mary Lynn Maloney. Use any kind of collage paper that you'd like to make this bracelet as a personal jewelry statement! Perfect for someone who is just venturing out into the world of mixed media jewelry, this bracelet uses a pre-made bezel bracelet with glass domes to capture your images.

		Maybe you've done a little bit of mixed media jewelry before and are feeling brave. Learn some new mixed media jewelry making skills when you create a pair of Nepalese Nights earrings by Candie Cooper. Make your own bead caps from recycled cookie tins and add a pair of felted beads, and accent them with your favorite seed beads!

		Now, you're ready. Use all of your mixed media jewelry making skills when you make a pair of Deryn Mentock's Mojave Earrings. Your resin jewelry making and wire wrapping skills will come in handy when you create a pair of these one-of-a-kind earrings. And why settle for the ordinary? Make your own sterling silver ear wires and you'll have a truly unique pair of earrings to wear on days when you feel a little funky!

Need a few more reasons to love mixed media jewelry? I love using found objects and papers that are special to me in my mixed media jewelry projects, because the finished pieces have a very personal meaning to me. (They also make great and thoughtful gifts for friends and family.) And using recycled components makes me feel like I'm doing something good for the planet, too.

Are you ready to begin your journey into the world of mixed media jewelry? Take advantage of the special eProjects sale going on for a limited time in the Beading Daily Shop. All eProjects are on sale for a limited time, so stock up on your favorite jewelry making projects and find out where your imagination will lead you!

Have you tried any mixed media jewelry making projects yet? What are your favorite mixed media jewelry making techniques? If you haven't tried mixed media jewelry projects yet, why not? What's holding you back? Leave a comment and share your thoughts about mixed media jewelry making here on the blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Wire Wrapping Tools for Survival

Vanbeads — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT


	Could you survive on a desert island with just three wire wrapping tools?

No, it's not that old television show where a group of mismatched tourists gets stranded on a desert island with enough clothing and accessories to last them for years of misadventures...but it's pretty close! I've found myself stranded in airports and stuck in traffic on the thruway, but never all alone on a desert island with just my wire wrapping tools for company. Although sometimes, that sounds pretty good.

But the question is: what wire wrapping tools would be the best to have handy if such a situation arose? I know what beading tools I'd want to have handy if I were stranded on a desert island, but it seems that the wire wrapping tools might have some more practical uses for survival on a desert island than a pack of beading needles. And since I'm traveling a lot more lately, I thought I'd ask our resident wire wrapping expert Tammy Jones from Jewelry Making Daily what three wire wrapping tools she'd want on a desert island and why.

Don't be fooled! Even though these tools look simple enough, they just might come in handy if you need to break open a coconut!

		Desert Island Wire Wrapping Tool #1: Round nose pliers. Yes, round nose pliers are the workhorse of wire wrapping. Great for making simple loops, wrapped loops, ear wires, coils, jump rings, or pretty much anything else that involves bending wire in a round shape. Bonus Desert Island Survival Use: Those perfectly round, tapered jaws are perfect for jamming into coconuts. You certainly won't get dehydrated with all that fresh coconut milk to drink, thanks to your round nose pliers!

		Desert Island Wire Wrapping Tool #2: Chain nose pliers. You can do pretty much everything else with a good pair of chain nose pliers. Chain nose pliers are great for gripping wire, starting wire coils, opening and closing jump rings, and flattening down those pesky wire ends that stick up when you're making a wire-wrapped loop. Bonus Desert Island Survival Use: Chain nose pliers are perfect for grasping things, so they'll probably work if you decide to dine on shellfish like crabs and mussels while stranded on your desert island. Remember -- you need to keep your strength up until help arrives!

		Desert Island Wire Wrapping Tool #3: Stuller wire cutters. If you're going to spend a lot of money on one good wire wrapping tool, make it your wire cutters. You'll be using those wire cutters more often than you think, and you want to make sure that you have a pair of cutters that can both create perfectly flush cuts and stand up to long-term use. Bonus Desert Island Survival Use: Cutters! We have cutters! Use them to tear down vines and small saplings. Lash the trees together with the vines to make a raft, and paddle yourself right off that island and back to civilization!

Just in case you can't make that vine-and-tree-trunk raft work, you'd better have something to keep you busy while you wait for help to arrive. Good thing that you have your copy of Wire Style 2 eBook with you! Each project gives you practice in coiling, shaping, wrapping and forming wire into beautiful, handcrafted jewelry. It's all the same great instructions, illustrations, and projects as the print version, but available for instant download to your laptop or desktop computer. Download your copy of Wire Style 2 eBook, grab a handful of seashells, and start making some gorgeous wire wrapped jewelry in your own little island paradise!

What three wire wrapping or beading tools would you want with you on a desert island? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your ideas with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

The Perfect Gift for Mom

Vanbeads — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT

Mother's Day is almost here, and it's not too late to start making something beautiful and handcrafted to let your mom know that you appreciate everything she does for you. Whether your mom loves to make or receive handmade beaded jewelry, or wonderful beaded crafts, we've got you covered. Check out my favorite ideas for Mother's Day gifts from the Beading Daily shop!

		For any new mom, saving that first lock of hair from baby's first hair cut is something special! Why not give your favorite new mom a beautiful handmade beaded keepsake tin? Dustin Wedekind's lovely First Haircut Box can hold that all-important first lock of hair as well as a special photo of baby.

		If you have a hard time putting your feelings into words, let your beads do the talking with Jessica Stephens' beautiful Words from the Heart bead embroidered pins. Make one in your mom's favorite colors and let your Mom know how special she is to you with this easy beading project.

		Could your mom use a little more sparkle in her life? Whip up one or two of Miwako Nara's Bracelet with Heart and add some light to her life! These fun bracelets use crystal beads and round pearls to make an unforgettable Mother's Day (or any day!) gift.

		What mom doesn't want to feel like a princess on Mother's Day? Give her a pair of these stunning Pearly Twist earrings by Melody MacDuffee, and you will have your mom feeling like she can rule the world!

		Or maybe your mom is all about preserving special family memories. Why not make her a custom scrapbook, embellished with beads in her favorite colors? Katie Hacker's Stylish Scrapbook project makes for a wonderful place to preserve treasured photographs and keepsakes.

Of course, if your mom loves to make her own beaded jewelry, you can always get her a subscription to Beadwork magazine or Jewelry Stringing magazine! That's a gift that keeps on giving, all year long, and who knows -- maybe she'll make a couple of those gorgeous beaded jewelry projects as gifts for you.

Do you have a special idea for a great Mother's Day gift? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Use a Little, Use a Lot: Just Use Some Crystal Beads In Your Next Beading Project!

Vanbeads — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT


Triangulations by Kathie Khaladkar

Crystal beads are everywhere these days! When I was at the Tucson bead shows earlier this year, you couldn't turn around without seeing some glitz and glam, and walls and walls of sparkling crystal beads. Truthfully, I was not a huge fan of crystal beads when I first started beading, preferring to use my favorite gemstones and freshwater pearls in my beading designs.

But one grey Sunday morning with my regular beading group changed all that when our project was a beautiful and delicate necklace made with several hundred sparkling crystal beads. After that, I started looking for ways to include a little bit of sparkle in most of my beading projects by using crystal beads here and there. Now, I've completely fallen for those huge 27mm crystal stones that I keep seeing in colors that look good enough to eat, and my collection of crystal beads has grown from just one large tackle box to two whole drawers in my bead cabinets!

Now that I'm a smitten kitten when it comes to using crystal beads, there are lots of reasons why I love to use them in my beading projects!

Crystal beads are fashion-forward. There's a reason why fashion designers like Coco Chanel, Elisa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Yves St. Laurent, and Gianni Versace all used crystal beads in their fashion designs! Crystal beads have always been at the cutting edge of modern fashion design, and they continue to be a favorite with both designers and fashionistas alike. Check out any photos from red carpet arrivals, and you'll see famous actresses just dripping with sparkling crystal beads!


	Band of Jewels by Melanie Potter

Crystal beads are instant classics. Just look at how popular vintage crystal beads are! Some of these beads were produced forty, fifty or even sixty years ago, but they fit in easily with today's modern jewelry and beading designs. Yes, crystal beads will always have a place in modern jewelry design, no matter what their shape, color, or size. One of my favorite thrift-shop finds was a small cardboard box filled with vintage Swarovski crystal beads from the 1920's. I strung them up with some modern pressed-glass beads for a necklace that I can wear anytime, anywhere.

Crystal beads can be used with any other kind of bead! It's true. You can mix crystal beads with seed beads, drop beads, cube beads, triangle beads, handmade ceramic beads, Lucite beads, or even gemstones and pearls. The crystal beads don't have to take center stage, either. I love using crystal beads as fringe and accent beads when I work up a piece of bead embroidery using my favorite gemstone cabochons. Crystal beads are so versatile, you can even use them with leather, silk cord, and metal stampings to create unique jewelry pieces with a vintage feel.

Crystal beads can be used with any beading or jewelry making technique. Crystals work well with simple stringing projects, wire work and wire wrapping projects, beadweaving projects, and even in bead embroidery. Crystal beads are such a versatile addition to any beading project that you want to make because they come in so many shapes, sizes, and colors and because they mix so well with other types of beads.


Crystal Connections by Daeng Weaver

Crystal beads are...well, fun! There's no denying it: it's just fun to use crystal beads in my beading projects. Adding those little sparkly bits to my beadweaving makes the whole project shine! Crystal beads make me glad to be a girl, because I can get away with wearing them pretty much any time I want. I can't say the same for my husband -- somehow, it just wouldn't look right if he showed up at work wearing a crystal bead bracelet.

Are you ready to see what adding a few crystal beads can do to your beading projects? Check out Beadwork magazine's special issue, Favorite Bead Stitches 2011. You'll find over fifty-five amazing projects, some of which include gorgeous crystal beads, using all of your favorite beadweaving stitches like peyote stitch, herringbone stitch, and right-angle weave! Plus you'll get expert advice on developing your own beadweaving skills and beaded jewelry designs from master beadweaving artists Carol Huber Cypher and Carol Wilcox Wells! Check out Favorite Bead Stitches 2011 on Zinio and start adding some sparkle to your beading table with some crystal beads!

Why do you love using crystal beads in your beading projects? Do you prefer to use large, splashy focal beads? Or are you happy to let the crystal beads take a backseat to some other focal bead? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your thoughts about using crystal beads!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Happy Anniversary and a Giveaway!

Vanbeads — Wed, 02 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

I can hardly believe it, but yesterday marked one year since I started at Beading Daily! It's been such an amazing year, and I've thoroughly enjoyed all the writing and beading that has gone along with it. Time flies when you're having fun, and I've been having a lot of fun interacting with beaders and artists all over the world.

And because I love my readers, I thought I'd round up the ten most popular blogs I've done on Beading Daily since I started last May. There's some great information here, and great comments from readers, too!

		Use Peyote Stitch and Herringbone to Make a Triangle-Shaped Bezel Once I discovered how much fun it was to stitch bezels around triangle-shaped cabochons, I just had to share! Handmade cabochons are so much fun to use in your beading projects, and being able to make a secure peyote stitch bezel for cabochons with an unusual shape can really let you explore more beaded jewelry design possibilities. These triangle shaped bezels work up fast, so have fun!

		Tips for Traveling with Your Beads Oh, yes, I try to take my beads with me everywhere I go! Whether you're going to your local beading group's get-together or traveling halfway around the world for a beading class with a master bead artist, it takes a little bit of planning to make sure that you bring everything you need. There are some great tips in this post for traveling with your beads because, really, you CAN take them with you.

		How Do You Start Your Bead Crochet Ropes? Bead crochet is one of those things that I really love to do, but just can't seem to find the time to do very often. If you struggle with starting your bead crochet ropes, there are two methods here for you to try. Just like anything else worth learning, there's rarely a one-size-fits-all approach to learning a new beading technique!

		The Peyote Stitch Patterns of Carol Dean Sharpe Carol Dean Sharpe's amazing peyote stitch beading patterns continue to be bestsellers in the beading world. For anyone who knows about her beautiful, graphic peyote stitch beading patterns, this is a wonderful interview where Carol shares how she got started designing beading patterns. If you haven't yet discovered Carol's peyote stitch cuff bracelet patterns, you're in for a wonderful treat!

		The Secret for Perfect Peyote Stitch Bezels? Brick Stitch! Brick stitch gets a bad rap, I think. It was the first beadweaving stitch that I taught myself when I first learned how to bead, and I still use it as a go-to beading stitch when I'm designing my own beaded jewelry. Brick stitch works in perfect harmony with peyote stitch to create secure, perfect-fitting bezels for all your favorite cabochons!

		What Do You Do With Leftover Beads? Huh? What are leftover beads, again? No, really, whenever you finish a project, chances are that you're left with a little pile of beads that aren't really enough to do anything with. Check out my suggestions, and some suggestions from readers, on what to do with your leftover beads so that they don't go to waste. (As if that would ever happen!)

		Four Fun Ideas for Making Beaded Earrings Beaded earrings are a huge favorite with beaders everywhere, for so many reasons. Beaded earrings usually work up pretty fast, they help you master new beading techniques, and beaded earrings make great gifts. Best of all, beaded earrings are perfect for beginners who are just learning how to bead because you can make spectacular looking earrings using very basic beading techniques!

		Wrapped Around Your Wrist: 6 Free Beaded Bracelet Patterns from Beading Daily One of the fun things I get to do here at Beading Daily is to put together collections of patterns into free eBooks for beaders to download, and this beaded bracelet eBook was a lot of fun to edit. Beaded bracelets are another fun beading project for beginners who are just learning how to bead for all the same reasons that we love beaded earrings. But the advantage of making and wearing a beaded bracelet is that you can look down at your beautiful beadwork on your wrist all day long!

		Readers Share: A Bounty of Brick Stitch Projects Well, this was by far the most popular blog post during my first year here at Beading Daily. Apparently, the readers and beaders of Beading Daily really, really love their brick stitch beading projects. Maybe brick stitch doesn't have such a bad rap, after all...

		Start With: A Simple Strip of Peyote Stitch It's amazing how a plain strip of peyote stitch can go from drab to fab with just a few little twists. We all know how versatile peyote stitch is, but even in its simplest form, it can still be a great way to make gorgeous beaded jewelry.

So now that we've had that little walk down memory lane, how about a giveaway? Leave a comment on this blog post telling me which blog you enjoyed the most in the last year on Beading Daily or tell me something you'd like to see me write about in the future. I'll choose two comments at random and the writer of those comments will each win a pack of five (5) assorted back issues of Beadwork magazine and Jewelry Stringing magazine! You have until Monday, May 7, 2012 at midnight EST to leave your comment. Good luck!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

How Is a Seed Bead Pattern Like a Buddhist Sand Mandala?

Vanbeads — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT

No, really, it's not a joke. I didn't want to start this blog with something like, "A Buddhist monk walks into a bar, and..." But really, did you know that seed bead patterns are actually a lot like Buddhist sand mandalas?

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting with the Gajang Tsawa Monks during their world peace cultural tour. As part of their activities to celebrate the culture and arts of Tibet, they constructed an intricate sand mandala in the main gallery of the North Country Cultural Center for the Arts in Plattsburgh, New York. It was truly magical and inspiring to watch them at work.

A mandala is a form of sacred art in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths. They are intricately designed and depict many symbols that are sacred to Buddhism and Hinduism within four "gates" around a central circle. A mandala can be constructed as an aid in meditation, as a tool for teaching spiritual concepts, to denote a sacred space, or as a way to access the unconscious. They can be made as a form of prayer, asking for wisdom, health, or compassion to be bestowed upon all that create and view the mandala.

One morning, I sat in on morning prayers and meditation with these monks. After prayers, four of them started working on this sand mandala, meant to bestow wisdom on all sentient beings.

That morning, a local school group came in for a question and answer session. The monks' tour guide gave us some background information about these sand mandalas. He told us that there are no visual references for these mandalas. The descriptions and instructions for creating them exist only as text within the Buddhist scriptures, where there are currently descriptions for over one hundred and sixty million mandalas!

While I was trying to wrap my head around the concept of one hundred and sixty million descriptions of Buddhist mandalas, I started thinking about my favorite seed bead patterns. Not that there could possibly be anywhere near that many seed bead patterns in existence today, but the concept is basically the same. You follow along with a set of instructions to create a piece of beaded jewelry. Sure, sometimes we "cheat" with our seed bead patterns and include photographs or illustrations to highlight what may be a difficult task to visualize, but most seed bead patterns are really just a set of words and abbreviations written down for someone to follow.

While the kids continued to ask some very good questions about the mandalas, I wondered: how specific were these instructions for the Buddhist mandalas? I asked the tour guide if a different group of monks from a different monastery read the directions for this particular mandala, would they interpret it the exact same way? Would it come out any differently, depending on how they understood the instructions?

The tour guide said that the instructions for these mandalas were so specific that no matter who made it, this particular mandala would look exactly the same, right down to the colors of the crushed marble sand used to draw out the intricate patterns. Just like my favorite seed bead patterns, if you follow them to the letter, your piece of beadwork will look exactly like the original.

Like I wasn't already completely blown away by the whole concept behind creating one of these intricate sand mandalas, I thought of one more similarity between them and my favorite seed bead patterns, and it has to do with the Buddhist concept of impermanence.

After the sand mandala has been created, it is destroyed in a special ceremony, and the sand used to create it is deposited in the river in the hopes that it will bestow wisdom, health, or compassion on the water creatures who live there. From there, it is hoped that the wisdom, health, or compassion will spread throughout the rest of the world, extending to all sentient beings.

In the Buddhist tradition, one of the most important teachings is that of impermanence. Nothing in this world lasts forever. Even the natural features of the world around us like mountains, oceans, or deserts are subject to change. Mountains erode; oceans dry up or move; and deserts become flooded.

In that same tradition of impermanence, even the best beaded jewelry will eventually fall apart. It might not happen tomorrow, or next week, or in thirty years. But eventually, the thread you used to weave those seed beads together will disintegrate and the beadwork will fall apart, back into a little pile of beads. Even the glass seed beads won't last forever. They, too, will turn back into the sand that was used to make them.

Now, I don't mean for this to be depressing or sad. Thinking about the concept of impermanence makes me find the beauty in the moment. Right here, in front of you, is a piece of beautiful beadwork, lovingly stitched from a seed bead pattern. The teaching of impermanence should help you grasp the present and be joyful in it! It doesn't matter what will happen in ten minutes or in ten years. What's important, really, is what is in front of you. (And if that happens to be a piece of beadwork, all the better!)

So, let's practice living in the present moment! You'll find ten ways to be here, now, with Beadwork Presents 10 Seed Bead Patterns, available as an instant download in the Beading Daily Shop. Pick your favorite from these ten beautiful seed bead patterns and chances are, you'll have everything you need to start beading right away. What better way to appreciate what you have right in front of you? Download your copy of Beadwork Presents 10 Seed Bead Patterns and we'll all work on achieving inner peace through our beads!

Do you find that beadwork has a spiritual meaning for you? After spending a week with these Buddhist monks, I've discovered that beading is my spiritual practice of choice! Share your thoughts and experiences here and leave a comment on the blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

The Picture Perfect Beading Challenge is Ready!

Vanbeads — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Sometimes, choosing the colors for your beading projects can be the hardest part of the whole project. A friend once suggested that I look to my photographs to create color palettes, so I pulled the colors for a beaded necklace design from a picture that I took on Christmas Day in 2008. That necklace, my Ode On a Grecian Urn, eventually wound up on the cover of a Beadwork magazine special issue. After that, I was hooked on creating color palettes for my beaded jewelry designs from my favorite photographs.

I recently discovered an awesome online tool for creating color palettes from pictures and thought it might be fun to have a color challenge here on Beading Daily. I asked for submissions of your photographs to create color palettes, and, well, the awesome readers of Beading Daily came through! There were some truly beautiful photographs submitted, and it was tough to choose just three of them for the first Picture Perfect Beading Challenge.

		The first photograph was submitted by Linda Roberts. Linda said that she has had flowers on her mind lately, and this was a photograph she took in her garden a few years ago. I loved the orange, yellow, brown and pink hues that came out in this color palette. This color palette has a lot of potential for a beading project!

		Our second photograph, another flower submitted by Antje Hornig of Germany, resulted in an amazing variation of pinks, greens, and purples! Antje said that no one knows the name of this flower, so if anyone recognizes it, please leave a comment and let us know what it is. Beautiful!

		The last photograph was a real surprise for me. Stephanie Dixon snapped this shot while at the Tucson gem and mineral shows back in February, and seeing it brought me right back to Arizona. I did not expect the wide range of blues, greys, and browns to come through in the color palette that was generated!

So, here's how it'll work: raid your seed beads, go through your crystal beads, and take stock of your glass beads. Pull together beads based on one of these color palettes and make something! It can be a piece of beaded jewelry, a beaded accessory like a handbag or a pair of shoes, or a bead craft like a lampshade or basket. You have until Thursday, May 31, 2012 to create your piece and take a photograph of it. Starting on May 15th, there will be a new Reader Photo Gallery set up just for pictures of our Picture Perfect Beading Challenge pieces so we can share them with each other. (You can make as many pieces as you want from as many of the color palettes as you want. Don't feel limited if you want to use more than one palette!)

I'll be looking for more photograph submissions starting at the end of May so that we can do a new set of color palettes every month. Sound like fun? Dive into your seed beads and make something beautiful with one of these color palettes! I can't wait to see what beautiful beaded creations we can come up with!

Do you have a special source of inspiration when it comes to choosing color palettes for your seed bead and beading projects? Leave a comment and share it with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Jump Start Your Wire Jewelry Skills!

Vanbeads — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:00:00 GMT

Learning how to swim is like learning a new jewelry making skill. You dip your toes in the water, then your foot, then you wade in until you're knee-deep. By the time the water is up to your shoulders, you realize you might just be in over your head! And while my own wire jewelry making skills have definitely improved, thanks to my experiments making my own wire jewelry findings and my newly-discovered love of Viking knit chains for my beaded pendants, sometimes I still feel as though I'm just treading water when it comes to making my own wire jewelry.

Thankfully, the beady bloggers here at Beading Daily have some pretty great wire jewelry projects for those of us who are still in the doggy-paddle-stage for wire jewelry making. These deceptively simple wire jewelry making projects will actually let you develop your wire jewelry skills as you make some truly beautiful and unique finished jewelry!

		Practicing your wire loops is easy and fun when the result is a stunning wire and bead chain. I've seen these kinds of chains for sale in many bead supply companies, but I prefer to make them myself. Wire and bead chain looks great with crystals, gemstones, pearls, or even large seed beads. The next time you make a beaded pendant and get stuck on what to do for the necklace strap, think about making your own wire and bead chain! By the time you finish a few inches of this easy wire jewelry project, you'll be making perfect and consistent wrapped loops every time.

		Once you're comfortable with your wire loop skills, you're ready to move on to making pendants with wire and beads! Even though you can't get much simpler than this gorgeous coiled wire and lampwork bead pendant, it looks like a piece of handmade jewelry you'd find in a high-end craft gallery. If you're not comfortable enough to start using the pricier precious metal wires like sterling silver or gold-filled, consider using copper, brass, silver filled, or even colored craft wire.

		Learning how to coil wire is a basic skill for wire jewelry making that can be used so many different ways! One of the easiest ways to use a wire coil is to create a simple wire bail for a marble. It's so easy, and the design possibilities are endless -- unique earrings, bracelets, and pendants can be made from these cool jewelry making components!

		I'm also a big fan of making spiral wire components for both my wire jewelry projects and my off-loom beadweaving projects. Once you can make a neat spiral for a marble, you can use that technique to make these fun wire dangles, accented with your favorite beads! Wire spirals make great earrings or accents for beaded fringe.

		And, oh yes, if you can do any of the projects here, then you can use your wire jewelry making skills to make your own ear wires and earrings out of almost anything -- including cool buttons like these! These wire and button earrings are a snap to make, and once you see how easy it is to make your own ear wires, you'll never have to buy them again.

So what are you waiting for? The water is great, come on in and get your feet wet with a few great wire jewelry making projects in Step By Step Wire Jewelry magazine! Each issue is full of fantastic wire jewelry making projects that help you learn new wire jewelry skills while expanding on the skills you already have. With step-by-step photographs and clear directions, you can't go wrong. If you don't want to miss a single issue packed with product reviews, wire jewelry tips and tricks from the pros and page after page of gorgeous and inspiring wire jewelry making designs, subscribe to Step By Step Wire Jewelry magazine today.

What was the most important wire jewelry making skill that you learned? Was it mastering wire wrapped loops? Making wire spirals? Something else? Share your experiences and your favorite wire jewelry making skills by leaving a comment here on the Beading Daily blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Free eBook: Learn How to Create Your Own Beaded Jewelry Designs

Vanbeads — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:00:00 GMT

"Where did you come up with the idea for that piece of beaded jewelry?"

I hear that all the time when I'm showing someone a piece of my handmade beaded jewelry. And really, if you know where to look, you'll find beaded jewelry design ideas all around you. Coming up with beaded jewelry design ideas can be as easy as playing around with your favorite beadweaving stitch!

If you love making handcrafted beaded jewelry, you'll love our new free eBook, our Guide to Making Jewelry with Beads: Create Handmade Beaded Jewelry from Your Own Bead Jewelry Designs. We've selected some of our best jewelry design blogs, beading stitch tutorials and then added a sample of free bead jewelry patterns to show you how each beading stitch can be altered and modified to create a unique piece of handcrafted beaded jewelry.

Need a few good ideas to get you started? Check out our favorite blogs about beaded jewelry design ideas, including five ideas for making beaded necklaces, four fun ideas for making beaded earrings, sketching ideas for beaded necklace shapes, and examples straight from the sketchbooks of our readers about how to sketch out your beaded jewelry designs!
Try Dustin Wedekind's instructions for brick stitch increases and decreases to learn more about how to shape this very versatile beadweaving stitch. Then try Nancy Jones' Bead Be Bangled bracelets to see how brick stitch is used to create these easy-to-wear beaded bracelets.
Next, learn how to do two drop odd-count peyote stitch with Dustin Wedekind's directions. This popular variation on peyote stitch can be used to create shape and texture in your beaded jewelry designs. Follow up with Laurie Nelson's lovely Lady's Slipper Earrings to see how shaped peyote stitch can be used to make beaded flower petals.
Netting can be used in so many different ways to create wonderful beaded jewelry designs, and Dustin Wedekind's hexagonal netting tutorial illustrates how this beading stitch can be modified to create lovely shapes. Bonnie Voelker's Potato Chip Netting project takes it one step further and uses free-form netting to create one-of-a-kind beaded jewelry.
Right-angle weave is probably the most loved and feared beading stitch around. But never fear - in Stitch Pro by Jean Campbell, she takes the guesswork out of single needle right-angle weave. Once you've mastered right-angle weave, try Eileen Arnstein's Link Necklace, composed to right-angle weave chains that are linked together as you stitch them!

So the next time you feel like making beaded jewelry, sit down with these handy references and see what comes out of your own imagination! Who knows? You might find that you have more beaded jewelry design ideas in you than you ever thought possible! Download your copy of Beading Daily's Guide to Making Jewelry With Beads: Create Handmade Beaded Jewelry from Your Own Bead Jewelry Designs today and see where your creativity (and the beads!) will lead you.

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Ideas for Making a Keepsake Necklace

Vanbeads — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:00:00 GMT

Spring in my part of upstate New York means warmer days, open windows, laundry drying in the sunshine, working in the gardens, and lots and lots of outdoor activities. It also brings graduations, weddings, proms, and other special events. And of course, as a jewelry maker, my first thought for marking these special occasions is making a keepsake necklace to preserve all the wonderful memories of the day.


*Buttons taken from old clothing make great keepsake necklaces, like the Beauty in Buttons necklace by Nancy Chase.*

Making a keepsake necklace means that you should add a little extra something to your necklace design to let the recipient or the wearer know that you were thinking about them. But you don't need a special occasion to make a keepsake necklace. Sometimes, "just because" is reason enough!

What makes it a keepsake necklace? Making any necklace into a keepsake necklace just requires a little extra something personal to your necklace design. If you're not sure where to get started, here are five ideas for making any necklace into a keepsake necklace:

Birthstones. Using the birthstone or favorite gemstone of the recipient gives the necklace a personal touch and adds a little bit of meaning. Even if you don't want to use the genuine gemstone bead in your keepsake necklace, you can always find a suitable color of crystal bead to fill in for it.

Buttons. If you want a unique clasp for your keepsake necklace making project, snip a button off of an old sweater, pair of jeans or jacket that has special meaning for you or the recipient of your keepsake necklace. Just make a simple loop of beads to slip over the button! Shank buttons also make great focal points for keepsake necklaces when attached with a simple wire-wrapped loop. Buttons with two or four holes can be strung on leather, cord, or ribbon to make gorgeous keepsake necklaces, too.


	Kristal Wick's Time and Tide necklace is a perfect way to create a keepsake necklace using charms, beads. fabric, and ribbons!

Ribbons and trim. If you love using ribbons, silk, fabrics and fibers in your necklace making projects, you can add another unique touch to your keepsake necklace by using a strip of ribbon or fabric from a cherished (but worn out) piece of clothing. A friend of mine took some of her oldest son's old t-shirts, washed them, and cut them into colorful strips to add to her jewelry making projects.

Pictures and photographs. Now that I've learned some resin jewelry making techniques, I've found a great way to add pictures and copies of treasured family photographs to my special keepsake necklace making projects. Baby pictures and family photographs in particular make nice additions to keepsake jewelry. (Just make sure that you copy the photograph you want to use and use the copy instead of the original.)

Recycled or upcycled jewelry. A friend of mine once gave me half a dozen strands of pearls that belonged to her grandmother and her great aunt. My job was to turn them into keepsake necklaces for her and her daughters so that they could share that family connection. Take a look through your grandmother's jewelry box and see if you can find some beads, bracelets, earrings or brooches that can be used in a piece of new keepsake jewelry.

If you're planning on giving your keepsake necklace as a gift, think about how you want to present it, too. A beautiful handmade box, silky pouch or other special packaging will add another warm and wonderful touch to your finished necklace!

Using some of these materials for necklace making might pose a challenge, if you've never worked with them before. But never fear - jewelry designers Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel have created a fabulous reference for using all sorts of jewelry-making components. Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry has fifty designs using leather, ribbon, and cord, and all the step-by-step instructions you need to make beautiful keepsake jewelry with your own special items. And if you want to get started right away, you can download this title as an eBook! No cost for shipping, and virtually no waiting. (Because who wants to wait when you could be beading?) Download your copy of Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry and make a special keepsake necklace for someone you love!

Have you ever made or given a special keepsake necklace? What did you use to make it? Why was it special? Leave a comment and share your story here on the Beading Daily blog! Or better yet, take a photo of your special keepsake necklace creation and post it in our Reader Photo Gallery!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Is Anyone Up for a Color Challenge?

Vanbeads — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

I've probably told this story before, but I picked the colors for my Ode On a Grecian Urn beaded necklace project from a picture I snapped of the deer that came to visit us on Christmas Day back in 2008. It was so much fun selecting the colors based on what I saw in the photograph, but I had to sort of hunt and peck to pull out the right colors. Lacking an easy way to pull colors from the photograph meant that this process was probably a lot more time consuming than I wanted it to be.

Fast forward five years, and I just discovered a cool website that allows you to upload any photograph you want and then pulls all the colors for you. It even separates them into light, medium and dark color palettes! Ah-ha! Now I've got a handy tool for making my own color palettes from photographs when I'm looking for a little inspiration for my next seed bead pattern!

I tried it out with a photograph I took at the Getty Villa in Malibu, California back in 2006. Here's the original photograph of a decorative door panel:

And here's the color palette that I pulled using the website:

Pretty cool!

So, who's up for a challenge?

Here's how it will work: I want your photos! Email me a good photo, at least 300 dpi, to jvanbenschoten@interweave.com before Friday, April 27, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

(PLEASE, make sure that the photograph is one that you personally took so we can avoid any copyright issues!)

On May 1, 2012, I'll post three photos and their corresponding color palettes here on the Beading Daily blog, and you'll have until May 31, 2012 to create something based on one of those palettes and post a photograph in the Reader Photo Gallery. You can make as many pieces as you like, using any technique that you like, including stringing and beadweaving. All types of beaded jewelry, accessories and objects are welcome! Some of them just might end up in a future Beading Daily blog. (Hint, hint.)

Let's see who's up for a challenge! And meanwhile, if you want to try making your own color palettes, check out the website I started using, CSSdrive.com.

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

How Safe Are Your Beading Tools...Really?

Vanbeads — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:00:00 GMT


	Who would have thought that you need a first aid kit for beading?

True story: the other day, I was browsing in my local big-box craft store for some supplies I needed to finish a project before a deadline. Thinking ahead to some future blogs for Beading Daily, I started looking at some of the jewelry-making tools and beading tools. I selected some metal working tools and metal jewelry supplies, including a chasing hammer. There were two of them on the shelf, and one had a loose handle. I picked up the other one, which seemed to have its handle firmly attached to the head of the hammer.

When I got to the checkout, the cashier began ringing me up. When she got to the chasing hammer, she put it aside and told me that she couldn't sell it to me because it had been recalled for safety reasons.

Really? What were those reasons? I asked.

The handle comes loose from the head of the hammer, she said.

Well, after I bust out laughing, I started to think about the beading tools that we use every day. I was so excited to write about the safety of our beading tools that I rushed back to the car where I had stashed my notebook, threw open the notebook, and...gave myself a huge paper cut.

Bloody notebook pages aside, I wanted to take a look at how safe my beading tools actually are.


These innocent beading needles might once have been considered instruments of torture during the Cold War.

Beading needles. Sure, I've seen people suggest using dental floss threaders or pieces of beading wire folded in half as a way to move their beading thread through their beads. But 99% of us use beading needles as the primary vehicle for stitching those teeny, tiny beads together. And those beading needles are SHARP!

My husband discovered just how sharp those beading needles are one morning when he woke up with a slight throbbing pain in his hand. Looking to see what was causing it, he noticed one of my size 11 beading needles inserted in the webbing between his fingers. Ouch. He said it reminded him of scenes from those Cold War movies where the Russians and Americans are trying to torture each other, and judging from the look on his face as he removed the beading needle from his hand, he probably wasn't far off.


	Embroidery scissors in your carry-on bag: the quickest way to get a full-body pat down at the airport!

Scissors. If ever there were a contender for Most Dangerous Beading Tool of the Year, it would have to be my embroidery scissors. My favorite pair of Fiskars have tiny, wickedly sharp pointed tips that are great for snipping my nylon beading thread and getting into tight corners with my bead embroidery pieces.

I once accidentally snipped a piece of my finger tip along with my Ultrasuede, and I couldn't believe how bad my finger hurt. We couldn't decide whether or not I needed stitches, but in the end, my mother-in-law (who happens to be a retired surgical nurse) said that it would heal on its own.

Now, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says that you can't bring any scissors on an airplane with blades longer then four inches. I'd have to argue that bringing my favorite pair of Fiskars in my carry-on bag is probably the most likely way for me to get myself a pat-down when going through security!


Harmless jewelry making pliers, or jaws of death? You decide!

Jewelry making pliers. These don't sound like they'd be too dangerous, but as the mother of a four-year-old, I've seen what my jewelry making pliers are capable of in the wrong hands. Those round, pointed jaws on a pair of round nose pliers or chain nose pliers are enough to send my dog scrambling for cover when my son gets his hands on them. Somehow, I don't think the manufacturer intended on them to be used for yanking out dog fur.

And I don't even want to get into the time when my husband grabbed my good pair of German chain nose pliers and used them to remove the dead ticks from the hide of a deer he shot during hunting season. I don't have any problems with him providing us with a winter's worth of venison, I just want him to leave my jewelry making pliers out of it!

So, hey, now that you're prepared, why not throw a little caution to the wind and actually make something with those beading tools? Check out the amazing book Handcrafted Wire Findings by Denise Peck and Jane Dickerson. You'll find over thirty projects for making your own jewelry findings with wire and all those dangerous beading tools we love so much! Making your own wire jewelry findings is a great way to save money and add a little personal touch to your beading and jewelry making projeects. Get your copy of Handcrafted Wire Findings now during the big Interweave Store sale and get some practice with your first aid skills! I mean, make some cool wire jewelry findings!

Do you have a somewhat humorous story about being injured by your beading tools? Leave a comment here and on the blog and share it with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer