Daily Blogs : Bead Embroidery, Stringing

Five Fantastic Pearl Shapes For Your Beaded Jewelry Designs

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

It's true -- pearls never go out of style. Whether you like to do bead stringing or bead stitching, freshwater pearls are an elegant and classic addition to any beaded jewelry design. Pearls come in so many different shapes these days that it's easy to find just the right style to compliment your beading projects.

If you're just starting to add to your collection of freshwater pearl beads, I can recommend looking for these five popular shapes to get started. Most of them come in a wide array of colors to suit any of your beaded jewelry design ideas!

		Potato Pearls What they look like: Potato pearls are oval-shaped, with a hole drilled through the center vertically, as opposed to lengthwise. They usually have some striations as natural variations on them. What they're good for: Potato pearls are fabulous for adding a little bit of earthy elegance to strung jewelry designs or fringe. They can be found in a huge array of colors and sizes, making them perfect for almost any beading project.

		Button Pearls What they look like: Button pearls have one flat side and one rounded side, with the hole drilled top-to-bottom. What they're good for: Use these almost like end caps up against glass or ceramic beads in stringing projects (flat sides against either end of the focal bead), or stitch them flat-side down for use in your favorite bead embroidery projects.

		Rice Pearls What they look like: Like their name suggests, these pearls look like tiny grains of rice. They are not consistent in shape and size, although most of them are usually smaller than 4mm. What they're good for: Mix them with precious metal beads like tiny gold seamless rounds and smaller gemstone beads like garnets and peridot for simple, classic beaded jewelry designs.

		Stick Pearls What they look like: These are long, rectangle-shaped pearls with lots of bumps and grooves. Usually flat, there are some that are round in shape. These pearls can be drilled horizontally through the center or close to one end, or they can be drilled vertically, from end to end. What they're good for: These are the pearls to use for your best tribal-inspired beaded jewelry designs. In pairs, they also make great drops for earrings.

		Keishi Pearls What they look like: Usually flat, with the hole drilled through the center, these pearls resemble wavy discs, with some natural variations (bumps and lumps and striations). What they're good for: When strung in small clusters, these pearls always look "fluffy" to me, and they give a wonderful, organic feel to more refined jewelry designs. They also work well as spacers between gemstones or your favorite Czech glass beads, too.

My new favorite way to use pearls in my jewelry stringing designs is to mix them up with the big, bold colors of stones like turquoise, carnelian, and even some of my favorite dark agates. And if you want to stay on-trend, try mixing your favorite freshwater pearls with some of the fabulous new neon crystal pearls and beads popping up all over!

Ready for more fashion-forward jewelry stringing designs? Make sure you don't miss out on a single issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine! You'll find dozens of gorgeous beaded jewelry design ideas using gemstones, pearls, and all of the latest and greatest glass beads coming from the Czech Republic. Subscribe to Jewelry Stringing for the best in today's beaded jewelry design ideas.

When it comes to freshwater pearls, do you have a favorite shape? Why? How do you use your freshwater pearls in your jewelry design projects? Leave a comment and share your thoughts and ideas with us here on the Beading Daily blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Gemstones and Fashion Inspiration for Spring!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

From Jennifer: Spring is in full swing here in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York, and that means it's time to freshen up my jewelry-making projects with some new gemstones! Whether you love to use gemstones as beads for jewelry stringing projects, or you're like me and prefer to use glorious gemstone cabochons in your bead embroidery and bead-weaving projects, here's some great inspiration and information from Jewelry Making Daily's Tammy Jones and our friends at Pantone with suggestions for gemstones that you can use to match the Spring 2013 Pantone color forecast! Enjoy!


	Tammy Jones is the online editor for Jewelry Making Daily

Each year Pantone identifies the top ten fashionable colors of the year, as shown in clothing, fabrics, home décor, purses and other accessories, including our favorite, jewelry. Even if fashion and trends aren't your thing, if you're a jewelry maker or jewelry designer, you need to know these colors. Why? Because they're the colors that almost everyone else will be using when they design their clothing and accessories--or wearing when they buy their clothing and accessories--so you'll want your jewelry designs to play along.

Naturally, you should design to your heart's vision, but whether you add color to your jewelry through gemstones, enamels, fibers, or some other way, these are the colors to watch for Spring 2013 and the gems that match them. (Photos courtesy of Pantone.com.)

		Grayed Jade: This one is easy, it does look like jade--but shades of chalcedony and larimar could also work, along with faceted apatite and fluorite. Aquamarine in this slightly greenish shade is my favorite color for that gem.

		Tender Shoots: For this springy green, peridot comes to mind right away, along with grossular, tsavorite, and demantoid garnets.

		Emerald: Even though it's called emerald, this color looks a little more blue-green than emerald-green to me. Chrome diopside is another rich green option, but apatite and tourmaline will give you that hint of blue.

		Dusk Blue: Lovely sapphire and spinel as well as topaz and aquamarine could serve as this color in your gemstone creations, along with certain shades of chalcedony and larimar.

		Monaco Blue: This blue could also be served with sapphire and spinel, as well as lapis lazuli, iolite, sodalite, and possibly even very fine tanzanite.

		African Violet: Kunzite, fluorite, and amethyst have just the lovely shades of purple to match this color.

		Nectarine: Fire opals, as well as spessartite, mandarin, and hessonite garnets, match up with this juicy color, along with citrine.

		Lemon Zest: Lemon quartz is a good match for this one, along with yellow sapphire, tourmaline, chrysoberyl, yellow beryl, and topaz. Also look for Mali garnet, some citrine, and some members of the grossular garnet family.

		Poppy Red: Even though rubies are a little more blue-red than this red, rubies certain fall in this area, as do spinel. Pyrope and other garnets can be this color, as can dark fire opals.

		Linen: This pretty color immediately makes me think of pearls (surprised? ha!), but rose quartz and morganite might be a better match.

Want to stay up-to-date on what's new in the world of gemstones and lapidary? Check out Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine! Each issue is full of the latest and greatest in gemstones, from gemstone beads to gemstone cabochons, mineral specimens and everything in between. Subscribe to Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine and don't miss out on what the art jewelry world is doing with gemstones now!

What's your favorite gemstone for spring? Have you made any great new gemstone bead discoveries lately, or found a great new source for gemstone beads? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog with your gemstone bead and cabochon picks!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Why Bother With Bead Embroidery? Guest Blog By Cyndi Lavin

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 08:00:00 GMT


	Bead artist, blogger, and really good cook Cyndi Lavin

There are many reasons why I love bead embroidery, but the Zen-like qualities of the process are probably why I return to it over and over again.

On the surface, bead embroidery really is very simple -- just a couple of easy bead stitching techniques. But once you've mastered the basics, you can use bead embroidery to create astoundingly complex pieces of beaded jewelry! Today's guest blogger, Cyndi Lavin, is no stranger to astoundingly complex -- and beautiful -- bead embroidery. Read on to find out what inspires her to create, and how she wants to inspire creativity in others who share her passion for beads.


Ancient Waves by Cyndi Lavin

We all know that beadwork can be a ridiculously painstaking medium for self-expression, and it could be argued that bead embroidery is the most painstaking of all. It can also become ridiculously expensive, since once you get started, you have to have seed beads in every color, shape, size and finish!

Not all artists have the obsession with attention to detail that's required on the beaded path, but those who do are rewarded beyond measure. Not only by the work itself, but also by the inclusiveness of the amazing community of beaders. There will always be room for more members!

So, looking at bead embroidery another way, what could be easier or more appealing than stitching beads onto fabrics to create a world of color, texture, and and emotion? Bead embroidery is an art form that is easy to learn and accessible to everyone, but it also has unlimited capacity for increased complexity...or even for weirdness. As time goes on, you find yourself wanting to add a whole bunch of other things besides just beads, like found objects, and sometimes you also find yourself stitching on materials other than fabrics...and so it goes. Now you're working with mixed media bead embroidery, with no boundaries at all.

My goal as a bead artist and writer is to help you find your way into this fabulous art form. Did you know that you really only need to know how to do five bead embroidery stitches to get started? If you already know bead-weaving, I'll bet you already know how to do peyote stitch. Four more stitches are all you need to learn: back stitch, stack stitch, edging brick stitch, and picot stitch. That's it! I wanted to make it really easy for you to see if this is a journey you'd like to take, so that's why I offer the first chapter of my e-book Every Bead Has a Story, for free. It covers my favorite materials, tools, and stitches (including the four stitches listed above), plus it has a beginner project. The additional chapters of my book focus on altered surfaces, dimensional beading, found objects and unusual materials, and integrating bead embroidery with other fiber arts.


	Arctic Frost by Cyndi Lavin

Everybody's beading journey is different, and there are an unlimited number of other beading techniques and bead-weaving stitches that you can add to your repertoire once you've decided you're hooked. And you probably will get hooked, so maybe I should throw in the warning right now: run away before it's too late!

When I first began making bead embroidered necklaces, I tended to favor the familiar collar style. They were fun to make, but I felt that I had worked too long and hard to master all the off-loom bead-weaving stitches to simply throw away those skills. Eventually my style morphed into one that combined all the techniques that I love: embroidery, off-loom bead-weaving, stringing, and wire work. That's where I am now, and my newest e-book, Some Assembly Required, focuses on working with smaller components that are then attached together to form the final necklace.

Where to next? Only the beaded path ahead knows for sure! Enjoy the journey!

Follow your own beaded path and see what lies ahead. Looking for more great inspiration for mixed media bead-weaving and bead embroidery? Take a look at The Art of Forgotten Things by Melanie Doerman. You'll find page after page of inspiration, ideas, and techniques for taking everyday objects and using them to tell your own unique stories through beaded jewelry. Get your copy of The Art of Forgotten Things and see how you can make memories that will last a lifetime with your beads.

How do you tell stories with your bead-weaving and bead embroidery? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your thoughts with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Cyndi Lavin is a writer, bead artist, bead blogger, and a really good cook. You can find out more about her through her website, Beading Arts.

The Top 12 Beading Daily Blogs of 2012 - And a Giveaway!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Today is 12.12.12! We're almost halfway through December, and there are less than three weeks left in 2012. I always get a little nostalgic in December, and I usually take some time to meditate and reflect on all the wonderful things that have happened during the year.

This year is no different, but it's a little more special because of that date -- 12.12.12. So, to celebrate, I've put together the Top 12 Beading Daily blogs from 2012! Read on to see if any of your favorite blogs made it into the list:

		January: Find Your Steampunk Style with Jean Campbell Steampunk always seemed so intimidating to me, but this post from Jean Campbell took all the mystery out of making amazing, easy steampunk jewelry.

		February: Your First Seed Bead Stash Stocking your stash of seed beads can be a huge task if you're just getting started with bead-weaving! Here are some great tips for starting your seed bead stash.

		March: Readers Share a Bounty of Brick Stitch Projects I love brick stitch -- it will always be special to me, as it was the first beading stitch I ever taught myself. I asked for our readers to submit their best brick stitch projects, and the resulting eye candy is just amazing!

		April: Start With...A Simple Strip of Peyote Stitch Ever feel stuck in your beading? You can create some really spectacular beaded jewelry just by whipping up a simple strip of peyote stitch!

		May: Readers Share Beautiful Bead Embroidery Once again, I asked, and our readers delivered. This time, they shared some truly breathtaking bead embroidery pieces with us. Enjoy the beautiful beading!

		June: 5 Common Jewelry Findings That You Can Make Yourself Save time and money when you learn how easy it is to make these five common jewelry findings with your basic wire wrapping skills!

		July: Why Necklace Length Matters Understanding the different lengths of necklaces is important to be able to match them with your favorite necklines.

		August: Use Wire to Bezel a Cabochon This isn't so much a "how-to" blog as a "how-NOT-to-do" blog. Read about my adventures using Viking knit to make a bezel for one of my favorite gemstone cabochons!

		September: Getting Started With Flat Peyote Stitch Peyote stitch was one of the last bead-weaving stitches that I taught myself. However, had I known some of these tips or had some of these tools, it probably would have been a lot easier!

		October: Meet a Chain Maille Genius At Bead Fest Philadelphia in August, I met a lampwork glass artist who takes the ancient art and craft of chain maille to a whole new level! Read about her and see some of her absolutely marvelous creations.

		November: Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know You might be surprised at some of these four beading how-tos that every beader needs to know!

		December: Make This Free Embossed Leather Earring Project December isn't even half over yet, but so far, this free embossed leather earring project is our most popular December blog!

Did any of your favorites appear in this list? If not, now's your chance to nominate them, and win a little something, too! Simply leave a comment on this blog before midnight, CST on December 16, 2012 with your favorite Beading Daily blog from 2012. You don't have to choose from just this list, either -- take a look through all the blogs that were written by our friends over at Inside Beadwork Magazine and Inside Jewelry Stringing Magazine, as well as the blogs we posted in Beading Instructions and Beading Supplies We Love, too. You can post a link in your comment so everyone else can see it, too!

On Monday, December 17, 2012, check your email, because we'll notify three winners: two lucky people will win a five-pack of assorted back issues of both Beadwork and Jewelry Stringing magazines. One lucky winner will get to choose a prize from four of our favorite digital beading products! (Please note: we can only ship magazines to U.S. addresses only due to customs regulations.)

One lucky winner will get to choose one prize from the following great digital beading products:

You can also find links to all twelve of our Top 12 Blogs of 2012 on Pinterest for your pinning pleasure!

Good luck, and Happy Holidays from all of us at Beading Daily!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

How Has Jewelry Making Changed Your Life?

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

It's funny how learning one jewelry making skill can lead to so many others. When I first got serious about learning how to bead, I was mostly doing stringing and making earrings using head pins and eye pins. Then after my mother gave me a beautiful pair of Native American-style beaded earrings, I decided that I wanted to learn how to do bead-weaving and bead embroidery.


	The lampwork studio in my garage.

Of course, once I got started learning how to do bead-weaving, I discovered all those wonderful lampwork glass artists and their luscious creations. So, I decided to buy a single fuel torch and learn how to make my own glass beads. (We even bought our house because the garage had an insulated workshop that was not only perfect for setting up a glass torch and a kiln, but also had a huge picture window overlooking the mountain range across the river!)

Then, once I had the torch and the kiln set up, someone mentioned glass fusing to me. Well, I already had the kiln, and I was comfortable working with glass. Why shouldn't I learn how to make my own dichroic glass cabochons, right? Off to Vermont I went with my buddy, for a weekend course in fusing dichroic glass.

These days, I don't do much at the torch anymore, just because I'm so focused on my bead-weaving and my bead embroidery. But all those jewelry making skills that I've been learning for the past eighteen years have really transformed me and my ideas about art.

I don't know if it's just that another year is coming to an end, or if it has anything to do with the new jewelry making toy -- er, tool -- that I just bought for myself, but lately, I've been thinking about all the ways that jewelry making as changed my life and made it so much better.


Some of my handmade glass beads, in a necklace, We're All the Same But Different.

Learning how to make my own glass beads, believe it or not, made me much more confident when it comes to learning new jewelry making techniques. I mean, if I can sit there at a torch that's hooked up to one or two tanks of potentially explosive gases, with a flame hotter than 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit and melt glass rods into beads, I can do anything, right? Of course, thinking like that is what led me to go buy a little butane micro torch so that I could try my hand at fusing silver wire into handmade chain. (And who knows where that will lead me next!)

Jewelry making has made me more open-minded, both creatively and in my personal life. I used to be someone who wasn't eager to venture out of her comfort zone, but I've learned through my jewelry making projects and travels that saying "yes" to new experiences really enhances my creativity, and gives me new jewelry making skills to add to my arsenal!


My dear friend Jane and I in Vermont at a glass fusing weekend class.

I've met some pretty extraordinary people through my jewelry making journey, as well. It always amazes me how much we all really have in common when we sit down to bead together. After all, if we can be brought together by a little pile of beads, can world peace really be that difficult to achieve? I've met some of my best friends through my jewelry making journey, and whether we talk every day or only once or twice a year, we always seem to know how to pick up right where we left off!

Now, I'm not going to say that Handcrafted Wire Findings by Denise Peck and Jane Dickerson is a book that will change your life, but, you never know. I never thought of myself as someone who was particularly interested in making wire jewelry or wire wrapping, but once I tried a few of the projects in this book to make my own clasps and ear wires, I realized that making your own jewelry findings can add an entirely new dimension to your handmade beaded jewelry! Now, when I need just the right clasp for a jewelry making project, I prefer to make it myself instead of buying a pre-made clasp. And ear wires? No need to panic if I run out, as long as I have some copper, sterling silver, or brass wire lying around!

You don't need a lot of fancy tools or equipment to make your own wire jewelry findings -- if you have a good set of jewelry pliers and a good flush cutter, that's enough to get you started! All you need is your copy of Handcrafted Wire Findings, on sale now in the Beading Daily Shop. Or, if you want to get started right away, Handcrafted Wire Findings is also available as an instant download, ready for viewing in just a few minutes on your favorite desktop or laptop computer.

So, how has jewelry making changed your life? Have you met your best friend through a beading class? Discovered something new about yourself? Changed careers (like I did)? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your story!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

How to Bead For Halloween!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Halloween is arguably my favorite holiday for the fun factor: watching my son get dressed up in his costume, carving pumpkins, and, of course, my favorite fall foods like roasted pumpkin seeds and apple cider donuts. But even if you don't dress up for Halloween, if you know how to bead, you can make some pretty cool Halloween-inspired beaded jewelry! Here are a few suggestions for how to bead for Halloween, along with some of my favorite Halloween beading supplies!

		Tiny ceramic skull and teeth beads are great for getting into the Halloween spirit, and these little beauties can be found in The Crafty Bead Etsy shop, along with other ghoulish goodies like coffin beads, eyeball beads, ghost beads, and jack 'o' lantern beads!

		Just because it's Halloween, that doesn't mean that you have to use skull and ghost beads. These wonderful black Lucite flowers from The Hole Bead Shop are dramatic all year long -- and this particular Lucite flower bead comes apart into separate components that can be layered.

		More skulls! Cabochons are a favorite jewelry making supply of mine, and I'm having a blast working up two new Halloween necklaces with these. The cowboy skull cabochon is from Bead Stalkers, and the ceramic three skulls cabochon is by Lisa Peters Art.

		While I love the texture of the fish leather from Naturebeads, some of my friends have told me that it looks a little...well, creepy. Perfect for Halloween, right? The scaly texture of the fish leather, especially in green, looks like it could be alien skin!

		Always appealing to my inner science fiction geek, the wonderful work of MAKUstudio works just as well at Halloween as it does the rest of the year for making cutting-edge beaded jewelry. Use your imagination -- what kind of Halloween jewelry would you bead with this handmade ceramic cabochon?

Now, the "trick" to using all of these delightful Halloween treats is knowing how to bead, whether it's bead stringing, bead embroidery, off-loom bead-weaving, or maybe wire wrapping or even mixed media jewelry techniques like resin. And if you need some fresh ideas and fresh techniques for how to bead with some of these fun Halloween beading supplies, check out Beads, Baubles, and Jewels TV Series 1700 on DVD!

This newest season of Beads, Baubles, and Jewels includes dozens of new techniques for how to bead with your favorite beading supplies from the artists you love like Jean Campbell, Leslie Rogalski, Christi Friesen, and Katie Hacker. Pre-order your copy of Beads, Baubles, and Jewels TV Series 1700 and find out how to bead in new ways with these great beading and jewelry-making techniques!

Do you have a favorite beading supply for Halloween? Tell us what it is and where you got it, and leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

The Hardest Part of Necklace Making

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Last weekend, I started a new necklace making project using a huge crystal stone and an antique Chinese carving I bought from the FamilyonBikes Etsy shop. Designing the focal point of the necklace was structurally challenging, but I had a clear vision in my mind of how I wanted it to look. Making the necklace straps, however, was a whole other problem.

At first, I thought about making a single strap on either side using herringbone stitch. But I couldn't figure out how to attach them securely. Then I thought about making one long herringbone rope, but again, the weight of the pendant pulled on it too much for me to feel comfortable wearing it. Finally, I went through my sketchbooks from last year and found a drawing I did of a three-strand beaded rope necklace that I wanted to create. The three herringbone ropes will be the perfect combination of structure and shape to both support and complement the focal point.

But not every necklace making project that I design works out so easily -- or so quickly. It's easy for me to come up with ideas for the focal points and pendants, but when it comes to adding the straps, I struggle. I feel like I'm really just not that good at designing flat beadwork for necklace straps, but I don't want to just use jewelry stringing every time I need a strap for a necklace making project. If you're like me and you get stuck when it comes to making the necklace straps of your necklace designs, here are a few ideas to get you thinking a little more creatively:

		Ribbon, satin, or leather cord. Sometimes, a simple necklace strap is all that you need to complement a stunning focal piece. When I created this piece of bead embroidery using a carved bone Ganesha cabochon, I agonized over what kind of strap I should use to complete it. Instead of continuing with an intricately beaded strap, I added a couple of seed bead loops to the pendant and used a simple wire-wrapped piece of leather. Since I was anxious to be able to wear this one right away, it was a bonus that it only took me about an hour to create the necklace! I also like to use a length of satin cord, doubled on each end to form a loop, and then held in place with a peyote-stitched slide. The colors of the satin cord complement or contrast with the colors of your beaded pendant or focal piece.

		Chain. When I needed a way to quickly create bead embroidered pendants and necklaces for my summer farmer's markets and craft shows, I found that adding a length of chain to a finished beaded pendant was a fast and professional-looking way to add a strap to any necklace making project. Sometimes I'll mix it with a strand of strung beads or a piece of silk ribbon for a double-strand necklace strap with a little bit of mixed media jewelry appeal. Of course, now that I'm learning to love wire jewelry making, I can also make customized bead and wire chains for my necklaces. These work great with beaded beads or larger tubes of bead-weaving that you can embellish with fringe.

		Flexible plastic tubing. My local hardware store has loads of great jewelry making goodies, but the clear plastic tubing is one of my favorites by far. It really doesn't take long to stitch some simple right-angle weave around a piece of flexible plastic tubing. Leave it plain, or add embellishments like crystals, pearls, or swags of seed beads. Use it plain or with a lovely beaded pendant hanging from the center! You can also use herringbone stitch or peyote stitch around the outside of your flexible plastic tubing to create a sturdy necklace strap that has a hefty form for supporting a larger pendant.

Of course, it always helps to keep a sketchbook handy full of ideas for finishing your necklace making projects. I also include pictures that I cut out from fashion magazines or print out from websites that have gorgeous beaded necklaces that I want to translate into bead-weaving projects.

Are you bored with the same old ideas for neck straps? Take a look at The Art of Forgotten Things. You'll find dozens of ideas for using things like ribbon, chain, bead-weaving, and bead embroidery to create fantastic, artistic neck straps for all of your necklace making projects. Dabble in a little bit of mixed media jewelry making with techniques for using found objects, ribbons and fibers. You'll be inspired to use your favorite bead-weaving stitches with all sorts of new materials to create unforgettable beaded necklaces.

Get your copy of The Art of Forgotten Things and infuse your necklace making projects with delightful new ideas. Or, if you ready to get started now, you can also instantly download The Art of Forgotten Things as an eBook and be reading and beading in just minutes!

What's the hardest part of necklace making for you? Is it designing the focal point or the pendants? The finishing touches like adding a clasp? Or are you like me, and you freeze up when it's time to add a strap to your latest beaded necklace design? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your necklace making challenges with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

The Joy of Glass Beads!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Whether you love to stitch 'em, string 'em, or just hold 'em in your hand and bask in their glow, glass beads are probably the reason why most of us love beading and beadwork. And with all kinds of glass beads out there for you to use in your stringing and bead-weaving projects, the only limits to using them is your own creativity!

Czech Pressed Glass Beads

I've always loved Czech pressed glass beads, but some of these new shapes are really kicking my imagination into high gear lately. Take, for example, the Czech glass spike beads from York Beads that came out last year. Created with the input of beading rock star Laura McCabe, these beads come in three different sizes and in dozens of colors and finishes. The baby spikes are perfect for adding just a little bit of texture to your favorite bead-weaving projects. If you prefer making bold, tribal statements with your bead-weaing and beading projects, the large, chunky spikes make for perfect focal points.

The newest shape of Czech pressed glass bead with which I'm totally in love are York's gumdrop beads. These delicious little nuggets of glass come in some pretty spectacular colors, and they really do look good enough to eat!

Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads

Sadly, this was the year that I finally had to admit that I no longer had the time to sit in front of my lampwork torch and make my own glass art beads. That said, I've become a keen hunter of handmade lampwork glass beads from sellers on both Etsy and eBay.

One of my favorite new glass bead artist discoveries was the magnificent work of Beau and Shani Barrett of Evolving Creations Lampwork. There's a reason why they've named their business Evolving Creations -- every couple of weeks, something new and absolutely beautiful appears in their eBay listings, prompting a flurry of bidding. I'm the proud owner of a nice little drawer full of their amazing handmade glass beads, and I've always got my eye on their eBay listings and their Facebook page to see what's coming next!

Need More Reasons to Love Glass Beads?

Jamie Hogsett, the former editor of Jewelry Stringing magazine, co-author of the Create Jewelry series of books, and Education Coordinator for Soft Flex has given us five great reasons to love glass beads: glass beads are colorful, versatile, personal, international, and adaptable. The remarkable fluidity of glass in its molten state means that anything is possible when it comes to making glass beads.

My own personal favorite reason for using glass beads in my beading projects and bead-weaving is that I love the human aspect of glass. Glass beads have been produced by pretty much every human society since 2200 B.C., and their importance in human history continues to evolve even to this day!

No matter how you like to use your glass beads, or what kind of glass beads you like to use, you'll find something to spark your creativity in Jamie's classic book, Create Jewelry: Glass. Co-authored with editor Marlene Blessing, these twenty-one beading projects combine bead stitching, bead stringing, and basic jewelry-making in jewelry designs that are both fresh and classic.

Get your copy of Create Jewelry: Glass during the Beading Daily Fall Sales Event and re-discover the magic of using glass beads with your favorite jewelry-making and beading techniques! (Or, if you positively can't wait to start beading tonight, you can also download Create Jewelry: Glass as an eBook and be reading and beading in just minutes!)

What's your favorite type of glass bead, and how do you like to use it? I've been having so much fun using the Czech spike and gumdrop beads in my bead embroidery for the wonderful texture and dimension they give my beaded pendants and necklaces! Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and tell us why you're mad for glass beads!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Making Necklaces That Flatter: Why Necklace Length Matters

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

When I'm working on a necklace making project for myself, I have to pay attention to the length of the finished necklace. I recently realized that I have quite a long neck for someone who is so short, so when I wear very long necklaces (like lariats or opera-length pearls), I sort of look like a very short giraffe. That explains why I tend to gravitate towards shorter necklaces for myself like chokers or princess length necklaces.

Figuring out the perfect length for your necklace making projects can be a challenge, but there are a few things that you can do to get the perfect fit.

Start in the middle. If your beaded necklace has a focal point or centerpiece, begin by stringing or stitching that part first, and then add the necklace ends as you go. Don't worry about making the centerpiece or focal point of your necklace too short. It's always easier to extend the length of a necklace than it is to shorten it! Jean Campbell has some great suggestions for necklace making


	My Back to Byzantium necklace can easily be adjusted to any length, thanks to the herringbone tubes on either side.

extensions, including:

String extensions onto pieces of bead-weaving for a longer necklace.
Use a pre-made extender chain (or make your own).
Use a detachable extension that can double as a bracelet to adjust the length of your necklace.

Don't forget about the clasp. The length of the clasp will add length to your necklace making project, so remember to include that in your calculations. You should also take into account any kind of seed bead loops that you may have to make to attach your clasp to the necklace you're making. All of these things can add to the finished length of your beaded necklace.

Use a dressmaker's dummy. I've seen lots of serious necklace making done with the aid of a dressmaker's form to get the sizing just right. Some of you might remember the fun television show, Project Accessory. I love the way those accessory designers used the dressmaker's form to judge just how long their finished necklaces were going to be. Using a dressmaker's dummy also helps if you're trying to assemble a more elaborate necklace making project that's composed of several different components.

When am I going to wear my necklace? When you're working on your necklace making projects, think about when you might wear the necklace or with what kind of clothing it will be worn, too. Each different necklace length is better suited for a different type of necklines.


A lariat necklace works well with almost any type of neckline. (Drawing by Jean Campbell)

The clothing that you wear with your beaded necklaces is important, too. Do you have a favorite neckline for your shirts, blouses and dresses? In the winter, I wear lots of turtleneck shirts and sweaters, so something like a choker wouldn't be very comfortable. But a longer lariat, beaded rope, or even a large bead embroidery collar would work very well with my favorite winter turtlenecks. Summer means lots of scoop and v-neck tops, so that's when I wear my collection of light and delicate chokers and princess length necklaces.

Ready to find some new necklace making projects? Check out the back issue sale in the Beading Daily Shop! Through July 21, 2012, all back issues (including special issues like Favorite Bead Stitches 2011) are on sale for 50% off! Stock up on any issues of Beadwork magazine and Jewelry Stringing magazine that you might have missed, complete your collection, or start your digital magazine collection with instant downloads.

What are your favorite tips for sizing when you're making a necklace? Do you use a flexible cloth tape measure when checking the length of your necklace, or do you lay everything out on a flocked bead board? Share your tips, hints, and advice for perfect necklace making lengths here on the Beading Daily blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Bracelet Making: Three Special Bracelets in My Jewelry Collection

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

I don't wear bracelets too often, even though I have bags of them in my collection of handmade beaded jewelry. Most of the time when I'm designing a new piece of beaded jewelry, I usually come up with necklace making designs, not bracelet making designs. But, once in a while, a great bracelet making idea pops into my head, and I have no choice but to listen to the beads and run with it! Even better is when I receive a beautiful bracelet as a gift or learn how to make someone else's beaded bracelet design.

I recently added three new beautiful bracelets to my collection. Each one has a great story behind it!

		This bracelet was originally supposed to be my challenge project for Beadwork magazine later this year, but at the last minute, I was inspired to create a different piece for that particular challenge. Still, my Lotus Cuff bracelet was a great bead embroidered bracelet making refresher for me. I tried something new for this bracelet and decided to leave most of the colored bead embroidery backing exposed to add an additional color to the palette of beads I chose. The design of the Lotus Cuff was inspired by the time I spent attending prayers and meditation with a group of traveling Tibetan Buddhist monks back in April. The cultural center that hosted the monks was adorned with beautiful Tibetan Thangka paintings, which are a combination of painting and embroidery using metallic silk threads. No matter what my mood, when I wear this bracelet, I remind myself to slow down, breathe, and enjoy the ride.

		I don't often get the chance to bead with a group of friends, and I don't often have the time to work up another artist's beaded bracelet making design, so making the beautiful It's Becoming bracelet by Nikia Angel at York Beads in New York City a couple of weeks ago is something that I will remember for a very long time! It was so much fun to meet new beaders, hang out with Nikia for a while, and just relax and learn a new bracelet making project.

		This last bracelet was gifted to me by the wonderful (and talented) Tanya Borden. Tanya and I were swap partners in Lori Anderson's Pantone Bead Swap a few weeks ago, and part of the Pantone color-inspired package of beads I sent to Tanya in Thailand was a small bag of some flower-shaped sequins I found in New York City. Tanya was so inspired by the sequins that she sat down and created this delicate and fashionable bracelet -- and then she sent it to me as a thank-you! I was so touched to receive this unexpected gift that I've worn Tanya's bracelet almost every day since receiving it, and it's another wonderful reminder of how beads can bring us all together!

I think what I love the most about bracelet making is that you can use pretty much any materials with any beading technique you like to create a piece of beautiful beaded jewelry that you can look at all day! How refreshing is it to look down at your wrist and see all that beaded goodness down there?

No matter what your favorite bracelet making technique is, you're sure to find some new inspiration in 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings 2012. There are dozens of step-by-step instructions for new beading projects using beading, stringing, and simple wire wrapping techniques, as well as great information from my favorite color expert, Margie Deeb, on how to pair metal findings with your favorite beads. Pre-order your copy of 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings 2012 and give your imagination a boost!

Have you recently discovered a new favorite jewelry-making component or bead for bracelet making? Maybe you've discovered a new kind of seed bead or a new metal finding that you just can't live without. Leave a comment and share your favorites here on the Beading Daily blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

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

Jennifer VanBenschoten — 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

Making Mistakes: How to Correct Five Common Mistakes in Your Beadwork

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 02:00:00 GMT

When I was learning how to bead, I made loads of mistakes. Nobody's perfect, right? And that goes double for me, especially when it comes to my beading. Now that I've been beading for many, many years, I'd like to say that I make fewer mistakes. I'd like to say that, but I can't. Mistakes still happen, no matter how good you are at beading, but I've learned that it's not the mistakes you make when you're learning how to bead that matter -- it's how you correct them!


If you need to tear out some stitches, always remove your needle from your beading thread before ripping out stitches. Don't stitch back through the beadwork to undo your stitching!

Correcting your mistakes properly when you're learning how to bead can make all the difference between creating a durable piece of beadwork and creating a piece of beadwork that falls apart when you least expect it.

1. Splitting your beading thread. It doesn't seem like a big deal, particularly when you are learning how to bead, but splitting your thread can create a whole lot of problems with your beadwork. If you prefer to use nylon beading threads like Nymo or Silamide (and I still love my Nymo for bead embroidery!), you should always pay attention to avoid splitting your thread with your needle, even if you condition your beading thread before you start beading.

If you do split your thread, the best thing to do is to remove your beading stitches until you come to the place in the beadwork where the split thread occurred. Leave a thread tail long enough to weave in, trim your thread, and end it there. It's better to start a new thread than to continue weaving with a thread that's been weakened by a split. A split thread can show up weeks or months later as a hole in your precious beadwork!

2. Using the wrong color (or type or size) of bead. This was a biggie for me when I first started learning how to bead, and it still is to some extent. It happens to everyone, and sometimes you don't even notice it until you're finished with your beading project. To correct this mistake in beading, you always have the option of tearing out the beadwork, removing the bead, and replacing it with the correct bead.

If that's not an option, you can always just leave the bead in there and call it a Spirit Bead in the Native American tradition. (Native American beadwork usually contains one bead of the wrong color placed somewhere in the beadwork on purpose to remind of the fact that nothing made by human hands can ever be perfect!)

3. Removing a knot from your beading thread. Knots in your beading thread are just no fun at all. Knots in your beading thread are relatively easy to remove if you are using a gel-spun thread like Fireline or Wildfire, but can take a little extra effort if you're using a nylon thread like Nymo, Silamide or S-Lon.

To remove a knot from your beading thread, insert a beading needle or beading awl into the center of the knot and wiggle it until you feel the knot loosen. You can continue to work the knot loose with your beading awl or beading needle. When you discover a knot in your beading thread, never EVER yank on it! Pulling on the knot will only tighten it and make it even harder to remove the knot from your beading thread!

When loosening a knot in your beading thread, take care not to split your thread if you're using a nylon beading thread.


	If you need to break a bead to remove it from your beading project, don't grasp it around the middle with your pliers. You might also cut your stringing material or beading thread!


	To break a bead, grasp it around the outside edges and squeeze gently. Don't forget to wear your safety glasses to prevent glass from flying into your eyes!

4. How to properly break a bead. If you find that you need to remove a bead from your beadwork or from your bead crochet project, you can easily smash the bead with a pair of pliers and remove it. The trick to crushing a bead with a pair of pliers and not cutting your thread is all in which direction you break the bead. To avoid cutting your thread, position the pliers so that they are on the top and bottom outside edge of the bead, and then squeeze the pliers gently. Don't put the pliers around the center of the bead -- the crushing of the bead will most likely cut your thread as well!

5. Tearing out stitches. Most of us are familiar with "frog stitch", or "rip it, rip it" when we have to tear out a few stitches or a few rows of our beadwork. And did you know that there's a right way and a wrong way to tear out your beading stitches?

I used to bead with a woman who, once she had her beading needle threaded, would not remove it for any reason that did not include blood or fire. When she made a mistake in her bead-weaving, she would stitch back through the beads until she came to the mistake and then remove it. Unfortunately, this method for correcting mistakes in your beadwork can lead to split threads, broken beads, and knots in your beading thread.

Instead, it's always better to remove your needle from your beading thread and then gently pull out each of the beads and beading stitches until you reach the mistake. Yes, this means you have to thread your needle again, but in the long run, it means that your beadwork will be stronger and more durable.

Are you ready to make picture-perfect jewelry? Need some inspiration? Check out Bead Star 2011, now on sale in the Beading Daily Shop! Every year, the Bead Star competition draws some of today's most talented bead artist and jewelry makers, and our special issue Bead Star 2011 is a collection of the best entries. You'll find new beading and jewelry making techniques, great ideas for beaded jewelry and lots of inspiration for your own beaded jewelry designs. Get your copy of Bead Star 2011 and see just how brightly our 2011 Bead Stars shine!

What's your favorite tip for correcting your mistakes in your beadwork? Do you fix every single mistake in your beadwork, or do you just leave some alone? Leave a comment on the blog and share your thoughts with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

What's Your Favorite Bead for Jewelry-Making?

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:00:00 GMT

We all love seed beads, that's why we're here on Beading Daily. But there are so many other beads that you can add to your bead-weaving and jewelry-making projects to make them more interesting! With new beads coming out from companies such as Miyuki (Tila beads) and Preciosa Ornela (Twin seed beads), it seems that there are more and more reasons to add to your growing bead stash.

Here are a few of my favorite beads for jewelry making and why I love them:


Seed beads are my go-to beads for all types of jewelry-making projects.

Seed beads. Well, of course! Seed beads come in so many different shapes, sizes, colors, and finishes that in my mind, you really don't need anything else for jewelry making. Add some sparkle with a silver-lined seed bead or add some texture with a hex-cut or charlotte. Part of my attraction to seed beads is their versatility: you can create a substantial beaded chain or rope with just a handful of seed beads and some thread, or you can use them to add a subtle dash of color to a strung jewelry-making project.


	With all the colors and shapes of freshwater pearls available, is it any wonder why I use them so often?

Pearls. Whether they are crystal, glass, or natural freshwater, pearls are my second favorite bead for jewelry making. I use them in bead embroidery, for stringing necklaces and bracelets, and of course, for simple and classy earrings in an instant. These days, pearls seem to come in about as many sizes, shapes, and colors as seed beads, making it easy for me to include a few of them in whatever jewelry-making project I'm working on at the moment.


	I love everything about vintage beads, whether they're made from glass or Lucite!

Vintage beads. Part of the challenge of working with vintage beads is color matching. Since many of the vintage beads in my collection were created fifty or sixty years ago, it can be hard to match their colors with modern seed beads. But the feel of vintage beads is unmatched by any other type of bead I've ever used. Just by looking at their shape and their finish, you can almost always tell a vintage bead from other types of beads!

No matter what your favorite type of bead for jewelry making, you're sure to find an episode in the 1500 series of Beads, Baubles, and Jewels that showcases it! Each episode of this groundbreaking television series, now in its fifteenth season, focuses on one particular type of bead, including crystals, hearts, wood, vintage, metal, and briolettes.Tap into the creative know-how of internationally known teachers such as Stephanie Dixon, Leslie Rogalski, Melanie Brooks, and Kristal Wick to find new ways to use your favorite beads!

Now you can download individual episodes of series 1500 of Beads, Baubles, and Jewels right to your desktop or laptop computer and start learning new jewelry-making techniques using your favorite beads in just minutes.

What's your favorite type of bead for jewelry making? Could you pick just one if you had to?

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Four Free Steampunk Jewelry Making Projects!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:00:00 GMT

What is steampunk? Steampunk is a style that can be characterized as romantic yet edgy; industrial but artistic. Steampunk is the combination of your favorite science fiction book and your favorite romance novel with equal parts metal and lace. Steampunk jewelry has captured the imagination of jewelry makers for the last few years now, and it's not a trend that we see going away any time soon.

You might feel intimidated at the thought of creating your own steampunk jewelry, but the style is really very easy to create. Part of the fun of creating your own steampunk jewelry is finding the supplies - the beads, buttons, fabrics, and decorative components that go into a steampunk jewelry project are as close as a trip to your local hardware store and a good dig through your bead stash.

Still feeling a little overwhelmed by steampunk? Relax! Let the bead artists here at Beading Daily take you on a steampunk journey and watch them create four beautiful steampunk jewelry projects in How to Make Steampunk Jewelry: 4 Free Beading and Jewelry-Making Steampunk Projects.

First, Leslie Rogalski explains exactly what steampunk is and tells us about its origins in the science fiction world. Next, use your favorite vintage or funky fabrics to make your own steampunk-style bead embroidered buttons with Michelle Mach's Bead Embellished Buttons. These bead-embroidered buttons would make great clasps for a steampunk necklace or bracelet! If you love using metal clay, Helen Driggs' Multi-Metal and Cold-Connected bracelet project is a perfect example of the industrial side of steampunk jewelry. For a fun twist on steampunk jewelry, try Jean Campbell's Sassy Sisters bracelet - it uses tiny keys, buttons, and charms to create a personal steampunk statement bracelet. Finally, create a graceful beaded steampunk necklace with Marlene Blessing's Funky Romance from our very own Best of Stringing: Steampunk eBook.

Whether you prefer the softer side of steampunk or the more industrial side, I hope you enjoy getting started with making steampunk jewelry in this free eBook! Once you get the hang of it, you'll find inspiration for making steampunk jewelry everywhere you look!

Download your free copy of How to Make Steampunk Jewelry: 4 Free Beading and Jewelry-Making Steampunk Projects and learn how to infuse your beading and jewelry-making projects with that unmistakable steampunk style!

What do you love about steampunk jewelry? Is it the romantic aspect with the flowers and insects? Or maybe you like the edgier and industrial components - personally, I can't get enough of the keys and watch gears! Leave a comment on the blog and share your thoughts!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

The Secret for Perfect-Fit Peyote Stitch Bezels? Brick Stitch!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:00:00 GMT

There are a few reasons why you might want to make an open-backed bezel with peyote stitch for a cabochon. An open-backed peyote stitch bezel is great for a transparent cabochon when you don't want to glue it to a backing. Or if you have a cabochon with a thick edge that might not work well with bead embroidery, an open-backed peyote stitch bezel will let you turn a cabochon into a focal point for a great beaded necklace or bracelet.

But the way I learned to make an open-backed peyote stitch bezel always left too much room for error. Stringing the first two rounds and guessing at the size bezel it might make means that I find myself ripping apart the first four or five rounds of beadwork when I discover that the bezel isn't going to fit. Then a friend asked me why I didn't just use brick stitch to stitch the first few rounds of the bezel. After I figured out what she meant, I realized that this was a foolproof way to make a perfect-fitting peyote-stitch beaded bezel every time!

I like to make my peyote stitch beaded bezels using cylinder beads, but this will work with regular seed beads, too.

		Use ladder stitch to stitch two cylinder beads together. Then begin working in brick stitch, adding two beads per row, to form a strip of brick stitch.

		As you work in brick stitch, keep your tension loose so that you can curve the beadwork to take the shape of your cabochon. Check every now and then to adjust the tension as needed to make your strip of brick stitch curve nicely around the back of your cabochon.

		When you have finally reached the desired length, make sure that the first row and last row line up with each other to resemble peyote stitch. When you put them together, they should create a row of "up" beads for you to work peyote stitch around your bezel. Thread a needle on your thread tail and weave into the first few beads as you would if you were working in peyote stitch. Pull snugly and use tension to keep the two ends together.

		Begin working in peyote stitch at the top of the bezel. Work as you normally would, allowing the beadwork to curl up around the edge of the cabochon.

		Finish your bezel by adding a row of size 15 beads to the top and bottom of the bezel to tighten and secure it.

The only downside to this technique is that it doesn't work as well for cabochons that are triangles or squares. Peyote stitch beaded bezels for those kinds of cabochons should use the combination of peyote and herringbone stitch to make sure that the corners of the beaded bezel fit snugly around the cabochon.

If you love making beaded bezels for cabochons, crystal Rivolis and other types of stones, check out Melinda Barta's How to Stitch Beaded Bezels DVD. Melinda gives great instruction on how to use your favorite beading stitches like peyote stitch, right-angle weave, herringbone and netting to capture cabochons, Rivolis and even buttons and other objects in beadwork so that you can turn them into great pieces of beaded jewelry! Pre-order your copy of How to Stitch Beaded Bezels and open up a whole new world of possibilities in your beading projects!

Do you have a "secret" for making perfect-fitting beaded bezels? Share them with other beaders here on the blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer