Daily Blogs : Brick Stitch

What Was Your First Beadweaving Stitch?

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Whenever I teach a beadweaving class, my students always want to know: what was the first beadweaving stitch you learned? (Followed closely by: which beadweaving stitch is the easiest and best stitch to learn?)


It only took me a few hours to make my very first peyote stitch amulet bag, but it took me over a year to learn peyote stitch!

I wish that there were easy answers to both of those questions. I really do! But, like so many other interesting things in life, my beadweaving path has been full of twists and turns.

When I first learned how to bead, I taught myself how to make amulet bags from a kit that came with a book. Looking back on it, the projects in the book were less than spectacular, but at the time, they were perfect for what seed beads I had access to, and they taught me a little bit about following a beading pattern.

My very first amulet bag was made with peyote stitch, with a couple of tiny loops of fringe on the bottom for good measure. I worked it up from a charted peyote stitch pattern, and I was quite pleased with it. I even made a pair of huge peyote stitch earrings to match! I remember thinking, hey, this beadweaving stuff is pretty easy!

Then I tried to move on to another peyote stitch pattern, and got a rude awakening. I couldn't, for the life of me, remember how I had made that first amulet bag. Every time I tried to start a new piece of peyote stitch, the beadweaving was uneven and lumpy. I couldn't keep the same number of beads in each row. Peyote stitch was, for me, a total disaster.


	Some of my very first beadweaving projects made with brick stitch, square stitch, and tubular herringbone.

I moved on to other beadweaving stitches like brick stitch, netting, and right-angle weave, mastering each of them in just a couple of weeks. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the hang of peyote stitch. It took me a whole year and eight weeks of beadweaving classes at my local bead shop to finally feel comfortable using peyote stitch in my beadweaving projects.

Now, I know that my experience may not be typical. Most beaders get their start learning peyote stitch, and most of the beginners in my classes ask me which beadweaving stitch is the best one to learn. I always tell them the same thing: the best beadweaving stitch for beginners is the one you learn first.

Because, really, we beaders are all so different in our interests and talents and skills! I really don't think there's one beadweaving stitch that's the "best" for someone just learning how to bead, but I do think that new beaders should be encouraged to explore and experiment with beadweaving stitches as they learn them. Just because I learned brick stitch in just one sitting doesn't mean that someone else might find it just as easy. The important thing is to bead fearlessly, and learn how to trust your beads (and yourself) to take you where you need to go.

No matter where your beadweaving path has led you, if you're thinking that your next step is to enter your beaded jewelry designs in a competition, now is the time! You've only got a few more weeks left to enter the 2013 Bead Star competition! New for this year, Bead Star is accepting entries made with beadweaving in all categories: Crystals, Glass, Pearls, Metals & Wireworking, Gemstones, and Emerging Artists. Do you have what it takes to be the 2013 Bead Star? You could win an all-expense paid trip to Bead Fest Philadelphia! Check out all the rules and find out how to enter the 2013 Bead Star competition today! (Deadline for entries is May 24, 2013.)

Now I want to know: what was YOUR first beadweaving stitch? What stitch got you started on the beaded path? Which beading stitch would you tell a beginner to work on first? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your stories and thoughts with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Shape Up with Herringbone Stitch

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Have you tried working with herringbone stitch yet? Whether you're a baby beader just getting started, or you feel comfortable with your bead-weaving skills, herringbone stitch is a great beading stitch to know. When worked with all the great two-hole and shaped beads popping up at shows and bead shops, herringbone stitch gives your beading projects a delightful texture, both in look and feel.

Getting started with herringbone stitch is easy! Check out these five blogs here on Beading Daily that give you all you need to know to get started with herringbone stitch, and then to take it further with techniques to add shape and texture!

		Hurray for Herringbone! Getting started with herringbone stitch is easy when you create a brick stitch base. Follow this easy tutorial to learn the thread path for flat herringbone stitch!

		Making Waves with Herringbone Stitch, Part 1: Once you're comfortable with flat herringbone stitch, it's easy to create beautiful curves without increasing and decreasing, just by changing up your bead sizes. Follow this easy tutorial to see how you can create a lovely wave in your herringbone, great for quick and easy bracelets and necklace straps!

		Making Waves with Herringbone Stitch, Part 2: Another way to create curves with herringbone stitch is to add seed beads between stitches. It takes a little practice to get the tension right, but this is another way to incorporate larger beads like fire polished rounds and crystal bicones into your herringbone stitch.

		Challenge Yourself with Variations of Tubular Herringbone: When it comes to making beaded ropes, tubular herringbone stitch is my go-to beading technique. Whether I work it plain or twisted, these fast and easy beaded ropes are the backbone of my beaded jewelry designs.

		Whip Up a Herringbone Rope With Some Texture. Another great option for jazzing up a plain herringbone rope is to just change up the size of the beads. In the same way that using a range of bead sizes creates a wavy strip of flat herringbone, using a variety of seed bead sizes in a herringbone rope gives you lots of texture and fun "bumps"!

If you've already mastered herringbone stitch and are always looking for new and innovative uses of the stitch, look no further than the pages of Beadwork magazine. With the fabulous Designer of the Year beading projects, and some of today's most innovative herringbone stitch designs by up-and-coming bead artists, you're sure to find great ideas for incorporating herringbone stitch into your beaded jewelry designs! Subscribe to Beadwork magazine and get six great issues of herringbone stitch inspiration!

Do you have a tip for someone just getting started with herringbone stitch? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your tips and ideas for mastering herringbone stitch with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Great Advice From My Favorite Stitch Pro: Jean Campbell

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Jean Campbell has long been someone that I look to for information and advice about everything related to beaded jewelry design. Along with her sense of humor and her twenty-plus years of beading experience, she's an absolute treasure trove of tips, techniques, and inspiration for those of us who love to bead!

Jean writes the Stitch Pro column for Beadwork magazine, and she also shares her beady musings with us on the Inside Beadwork Magazine blog here on Beading Daily. I picked out five of my favorites to share with you!

		Jean Campbell's 10 Must-Have Beading Tools. Are you looking to put together the perfect beading tool kit? Jean has recommendations for beading tools that every beader should have! A well-stocked tool kit is essential for anyone who wants to create their own beaded jewelry designs, so take a look and see what you should have to round out your collection of beading tools.

		Stitch Pro: Taming the RAW Monster. Right-angle weave is one of those beading stitches that can be a bear to master, but the payoffs are fantastic. If you've ever struggled with right-angle weave, Jean has some excellent tips for making right-angle weave much easier to navigate.

		Stitch Pro: In Search of the Perfect Clasp. Like anyone who dreams up and then creates their own beaded jewelry designs, finding the perfect finishing touch can be a challenge. Jean has come up with a brilliant way of using this Tierra Cast s-clasp for finishing a piece of beaded jewelry!

		Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads. Oh, sometimes those pesky little seed beads just don't want to behave themselves! If you've ever found yourself in a position where an extra seed bead or two has slipped into the wrong place in one of your beaded jewelry designs, Jean shows us two ways to safely break those beads right out!

		How to Become a Stitch Pro. Yep, knowing all the variations of all the different bead-weaving stitches out there can seem like a monumental task. But if you want to work on your own beaded jewelry designs, it helps to have at least a basic understand of the most popular variations of brick stitch, peyote stitch, herringbone stitch, and right-angle weave. Jean has come up with this handy reference chart that you can use to track your progress as you become a Stitch Pro!

Now, how would you like to learn four of Jean's most popular floral beaded jewelry designs? Watch as Jean takes you through each of four designs, one stitch at a time, to create one beaded ring, two beaded bracelets, and one showstopping necklace in Jean Campbell's Best Beading Workshops: Floral Designs. Not only will you improve your bead-weaving skills with each project, but you'll end up with four amazing pieces of beaded jewelry to add to your wardrobe! Pre-order your copy of Jean Campbell's Best Beading Workshops: Floral Designs and get ready for three hours of pure beading bliss! (Can't wait to get started? Jean Campbell's Best Beading Workshops: Floral Designs is also available as an instant download in high-definition!)

What's the best beading tip you ever received? Who was it from? Why did it make a difference? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your stories with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Earring Making Makeover: A Pair of Beaded Pearl Earrings

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite sources of inspiration for making beaded jewelry is antique and vintage jewelry. So when my good friend gifted me with a huge box of very special antique beaded jewelry, I decided to repurpose some of the jewelry for new jewelry-making projects.


	The original vintage pearl earrings (bottom) that inspired my earring making makeover (top)!

Even though earring making projects have never come easy to me, I was inspired by these vintage pearl earrings. I wanted to figure out how to re-create them using modern materials, and thanks to a little stash of Swarovski crystal pearls, I managed to do just that! These are real old-world glamor earrings, bold and brassy and fun to wear. Enjoy!

Materials:

24 Swarovski crystal pearl, Bright Gold, 5mm (A)
54 Swarovski crystal pearl, Bright Gold, 4mm (B)
66 Swarovski crystal pearl, Bright Gold, 3mm (C)
2 Swarovski crystal pearl, Bright Gold, 8mm (D)
FireLine beading thread, 6 lb. test
1 pair gold ear wires, or clip-on earring findings with 8mm pad

Tools:

Size 12 beading needle
Thread cutter
Chain nose or flat nose pliers (optional, but useful for guiding beading needle through a tight spot)

Step-by-step Instructions

		On a 5' length of beading thread, pick up 6 A. Pass through the first bead again, forming a ring. (If you are using ear wires, leave at least 7" of beading thread as a tail to use for attaching your ear wire.)

		Keeping your tension tight, pick up 6 C and pass through the same A again. Pass into the next A in the ring, and add 6 C. Repeat for each A in the ring.

		Pick up 2 B and pass through the A you're exiting again. Pass through the next A in the ring, and add 2 B. Repeat around.

		Pass through each B you added in the previous step again to form a solid ring. Pass through the first B of the second pair you added in the previous step.

		To form the "petals", pick up 1 B and 1 C. Push them all the way down against the B you are exiting.

		Pass your needle under the thread in the center of the 6 C you added in the second step. (Similar to catching the thread in brick stitch.) Pass back through the 1 C and 1 B you added in the previous step, then into the next B in the ring. Pass through the next 2 B in the second ring, and add another C and B in the same manner. Repeat around for each of the petals.

		From the B you are exiting, pick up 2 C and pass through the same B. (Same direction.) Pass through the next B in the ring, and add 1 C. Repeat around, alternating 1 C and 2 C until you have added a total of 9 C. Pass through all 9 C again and pull snugly to form a ring.

		From the C you are exiting, pick up 1 D and push it down into the ring. Find either the 1 C or 2 C directly across from the bead (or beads) you are exiting, and pass through. Pass back through the D and the bead (or beads) you originally exited at the beginning of this step.

		Pick up 9 B and push them down against the beadwork as far as you can. Pass through all 9 B at least twice more, pulling snugly to form a ring that fits around the D in the center. Tack the ring of 9 B down by catching the thread between beads of the ring of B you added in the third step. Knot your thread in the beadwork, weave your tail in a bit, and trim close to the beadwork.

		If you are using a clip-on earring finding or a post earring finding with a pad, use E600 or Euro Tool Super New Glue to attach the finding.

		If you are using an ear wire, weave your tail through the first 3 C you added in the second step. Pass through the ear wire, then down through the next 3 C, pass through the A, and back up through the first 3 C. Repeat the thread path a couple of times to secure, then knot your thread, weave it in, and trim it close to the beadwork. Repeat all steps for the second earring.

Would you like another free earring making project? For a limited time, when you purchase Melanie Potter's fantastic new DVD Bead Stitching Chevron Chain with Melanie Potter, you'll get her Wildflower Earrings as a FREE download! What could be better than learning the basics of chevron chain from a master bead-weaving artist? Get your copy of Bead Stitching Chevron Chain with Melanie Potter and get your free earring making project, too! (Or, if you're really into instant gratification, you can download Bead Stitching Chevron Chain with Melanie Potter and be watching on your desktop or laptop computer in just minutes!)

What's your favorite inspiration for beaded jewelry design ideas? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your ideas with us!

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.

Are You Captivated By Cabochons?

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT

In case I haven't mentioned it lately, I'm addicted to cabochons. If you take a look through my bead stash, you'll find drawers and drawers full of them -- gemstone cabochons, handmade ceramic and porcelain cabochons, even vintage Lucite cabochons and cabochons made from things like resin and polymer clay.

I love the challenge in figuring out how to include a cabochon (or two, or three) in my bead-weaving projects. Of course, since cabochons by definition don't have a hole drilled in them, the first step is learning how to create a beaded bezel to securely hold the cabochon so that it can be attached to a beaded necklace or bracelet.

When I first started learning how to bead, I mastered the basic open-backed peyote stitch cabochon bezel pretty quickly, but then I became interested in learning how to use other bead-weaving techniques to capture those cabochons, even cabochons that were triangular or square! Read on for some of my favorite bead-weaving techniques for making beaded bezels for cabochons:

		Part of the challenge of making an open-backed bezel for a cabochon using peyote stitch is getting the fit just right. Too loose, and the cabochon will fall out. Too tight, and there's too much thread showing between beads. Using brick stitch to create the first few rounds of your peyote stitch bezels pretty much guarantees a perfect fit every time!

		Bead embroidery is another popular technique for making beaded bezels for cabochons.Of all the beaded bezel techniques that I've learned over the years, this one was by far the most challenging. But now, after making hundreds of these for beaded necklaces and bracelets, it's almost second nature to me!

		Working with square and triangular cabochons is a snap when you know how to make a peyote stitch bezel for them using herringbone stitch to shape the corners! Make one or two of these, and you'll be looking for square and triangular cabochons everywhere.

		Right-angle weave is one of my go-to bead-weaving stitches, and as it turns out, it makes a fabulous, fast, and secure beaded bezel for a cabochon or crystal stone. Another reason I love using right-angle weave for a beaded bezel is how easy it is to embellish the finished bezel using drop beads, daggers, or other types of glass beads.

		I hadn't really thought too much about using herringbone stitch to make a beaded bezel for a cabochon or crystal stone until I wanted to make a quick beaded bezel to capture this pair of crystal stones I got from Nikia Angel. Using a variation of herringbone stitch for these made for a quick and very secure beaded bezel that can be used for all kinds of beaded jewelry!

No matter how you decide to bezel your cabochons, one thing is for sure: using cabochons in beading projects is one jewelry-making trend that I don't see going away any time soon!

If you're ready to learn all about using bead-weaving to make beaded bezels for your favorite cabochons, check out Melinda Barta's How to Stitch Beaded Bezels DVD. Melinda takes you step-by-step through six lessons that teach you how to use netting, herringbone stitch, and peyote stitch to capture your favorite cabochons, buttons, and crystal stones securely for spectacular beaded jewelry. Get your copy of How to Stitch Beaded Bezels and start using those cabochons in your stash!

Do you have a favorite bead-weaving technique for making beaded bezels? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share it with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

How to Make a Brick Stitch Ruffle

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT

Once upon a time, I found myself finishing up a bead embroidered necklace, and as usual, I didn't have a clue as to how I would add fringe to it. After I finished the brick stitch edging, I must have tried six or seven different patterns for fringe. Nothing looked right.

Looking at it on my work table one evening, I thought, "What if I tried a brick stitch ruffle around the bottom of this necklace?" I knew it was going to take a lot longer than other styles of fringe, but I thought it just might work. Sure enough, it felt as if the stitching took forever on that ruffle, but the results were perfect for what I had originally envisioned for the finished piece!

Making a brick stitch ruffle is really just a matter of increasing in the middle of a row of brick stitch. It takes a little practice to squeeze your needle in between the beads, but here's an easy way to get started:

		Start with an ordinary strip of brick stitch. Make sure your working thread is exiting the bottom of the strip. (Not like in this photograph where I have my working thread exiting from the top of the brick stitch!)

		Add two beads in the first stitch, then continue to add two beads per thread, one bead at a time. (Add the first bead like you normally would, then go back and add a second bead in the same thread.) You'll see the beads start to zigzag back and forth across the row.

		Each row of brick stitch will get longer as you continue to increase, and your ruffle will get more dramatic. For a softer ruffle, you can alternate increases to every other stitch.

		The finished brick stitch ruffle has lots of fun applications in bead-weaving!

Brick stitch ruffles are great for all sorts of beading projects: use them to add texture and visual interest to the edging of bead embroidery projects (like I did), or make ruffled brick stitch bracelets and pendants. A brick stitch ruffle can be made to look like waves for a water-themed piece of bead-weaving, or try surrounding a glass pearl with a brick stitch ruffle for a playful bracelet making component!

Practice your brick stitch skills and stock up on your favorite beading projects now during the eProject sale in the Beading Daily Shop! All eProjects are 30% off until 12 midnight CST on February 7, 2013, and since they're all instant downloads, you don't have to wait to get started beading. Download a few new brick stitch beading projects today and find out why brick stitch is one of the most versatile bead-weaving stitches out there.

Have you ever used a brick stitch ruffle to embellish a beading project? Leave a comment and share your ideas with us here on the Beading Daily blog, or better yet, take a picture of your brick stitch masterpiece and post it in the Reader Photo Gallery!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Another Necklace Making Makeover: Tiny Shell Beads Transform a Cabochon

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:00:00 GMT

This year, I'm working on some necklace making makeovers using a stash of vintage and antique jewelry that was given to me by a very dear friend from Los Angeles. Many of my original beaded jewelry designs are inspired by vintage and antique jewelry designs, so I'm really having a great time coming up with new uses for some of these beautiful old pieces of jewelry.

My mother had several beaded necklaces made from strands of tiny drilled shells, and I love the look of natural shells when they're used in bead-weaving and beading projects.

As soon as I saw this three-strand shell necklace in the stash of vintage jewelry from my friend, I knew I wanted to repurpose those shells and use them for something else. I had a wonderful clay sea goddess cabochon in my stash that matched the green shells perfectly, so I decided to go with a green, cream, and rose color palette for the piece, reflecting the colors of the tiny shells. I rounded out my materials with a few strands of matching freshwater pearls and a handful of Twin beads in a matching shade of green.

I couldn't get the whole piece finished over the long weekend, but my plans for this necklace making makeover include finishing the off-center fringe along the bottom, some more embellishments along the brick stitch edge, and a fluffy, embellished spiral rope using more of the shells and freshwater pearls! Once the necklace is done, I want to make a pair of earrings with a pair of matching cabochons from the same artist.

I'm really having a great time looking through all this old vintage jewelry and tearing it apart for new necklace making projects. It's turning into a great way to get me unstuck when I feel like I don't want to bead. Even better, it's helping me to use up a tiny bit of my humongous bead stash!

Are you looking for some new ways to make jewelry? If you love fresh ideas and combining jewelry-making techniques in your necklace making projects, you won't want to miss Beads, Baubles, and Jewels Series 1700 on DVD! There are thirteen great episodes on four discs that show you how to combine your favorite jewelry-making techniques like bead-weaving, wire wrapping, resin, mixed media techniques, and polymer clay for truly unique art jewelry. Get your copy of Baubles, and Jewels Series 1700 on DVD and challenge yourself to add some new dimensions to your necklace making projects.

How do you mix up your beading projects when you feel like you're stuck in a rut? Do you learn a new technique? Do you tear apart an old piece of jewelry and use the parts for something new? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your tips and suggestions with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Help Fund The Beaded Body Project on Kickstarter

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Working on the cutting edge of beaded art, bead artist Darcy Horn is now trying to raise funds for her latest large-scale project, The Beaded Body.

During a visit to Albuquerque in 1998, she started learning off-loom bead-weaving, and she says she hasn't put her needle down since. She started her business, The Jade Dog, thirteen years ago, and was finally able to quit her job in 2010 to be a full-time artist.

Last year, Darcy was commissioned to create a work for a fundraiser for the North American Spine Society. She was given a full-sized spine model to use as the base of the work, and used freeform peyote and brick stitch to cover the spine. That's when she got the idea to bead a full-size human form.

Darcy is hoping that The Beaded Body will evolve into a series of large-scale beaded works of art, using the color wheel to select her color palettes for the first group of three forms. For The Beaded Body, she decided to use a red-blue-purple color palette because she was so intrigued by the election map, with the red and blue blocking, and then later when she saw the county election maps that made the country map virtually purple.

But taking on a large-scale project like this requires a significant amount of capital, something that's hard to come by for many artists. So that's where Kickstarter comes in. This funding platform for creative projects allows independent artists to raise funds for their artistic visions, and many of her friends have used it with great success.

The Beaded Body is unlike any other project currently listed on Kickstarter, and you can donate as little as one dollar to the effort. (But remember that every little bit counts!) If the project doesn't reach its goal before the deadline, then none of the pledges are charged. Without the financial backing, Darcy isn't sure if she'll go ahead with the project, like she would if she were to be accountable to her investors.

The deadline for donating to The Beaded Body is December 22, 2012, so if you're interested in supporting Darcy and her work, head on over to The Beaded Body on Kickstarter and check it out!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

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

Free Embossed Leather Earring Project

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

I need another beading tool like I need a hole in the head, right? But a couple of weeks ago, I caved in and bought one of the new Big Kick machines from Vintaj, with the idea that I would make some lovely embossed brass pieces for earring making projects. Little did I know that playing with this machine would not just inspire me to create new and beautiful beaded earrings, it would push me a little further into the realm of mixed media jewelry!

I've always been a little intimidated by the idea of making jewelry with metals. Sure, I can cut and fuse glass and make lampwork glass beads on a torch. But those don't involve cutting or stamping or doing anything with metal. Well, even my five-year-old got into the fun, "helping" me crank the brass blanks through the machine and finishing them with the reliefing block and some colored inks.

When I found out that I could run thick leather through the Vintaj Big Kick, too, it gave me a whole new set of ideas for earring making projects! If you have a Vintaj Big Kick (or know someone who does), try this fun and easy earring making project using your favorite leather scraps and embossing folders.

Materials:

Leather scraps, approximately 1/2" thick (enough to make 2 leather coins, each 1 1/4")
Nicole's Beadbacking or other bead embroidery medium
Ultrasuede
2 grams size 8^o seed beads in color to match or contrast with your leather coins
1 gram size 11^o seed beads in color to match or contrast with your leather coins
5 grams Czech farfalle beads
6 lb. braided beading thread (Fireline recommended)
1 pair ear wires
E6000 adhesive

Tools:

Vintaj Big Kick machine and embossing folder
Scissors for cutting leather
Thread cutter
Size 12 beading needle
Flat nose or chain nose pliers
Sharpie markers (optional, for adding color to leather coins, if desired)

Step-by-step instructions:

		Cut two 1 1/4" circles from your leather scraps. Place them inside your embossing folder and run them through the Big Kick machine. If desired, you can add some color to the recessed parts of the embossed leather coin using fine-tipped permanent markers.

		Apply a small amount of E6000 to the back of each coin and adhere it to a small piece of Nicole's Beadbacking or your choice of bead embroidery medium.

		Using the size 8^o seed beads, work one row of beaded backstitch around the leather coin. Run your thread through the beads several times to cinch up the backstitch. As the beads tighten around the leather coin, you'll notice them form a slight cup around the leather coin to help hold it in place.

		Trim the bead embroidery medium close to the beads and glue the piece to a small scrap of Ultrasuede. Trim the Ultrasuede, leaving about a 1/8" edge around the piece.

		Using a 5' piece of beading thread, edge the piece using brick stitch and the size 11^o seed beads. After you've connected the first and last seed bead of the brick stitch edging, pick up 5 farfalle beads. Skip two seed beads in the edging, and pass down through the next seed bead. Pull snugly so that the farfalle beads "lock" together.

		Come up through the next seed bead in the edging. Pick up 5 farfalle beads, skip two beads in the edging, and pass down through the next seed bead. Repeat until you have three beads left in the edging left. (You may have only 2 or 4 beads left, depending on how many beads you used to edge your earring. As long as you have at least 2 unembellished seed beads, you're good to add the hanging loop for the ear wire!)

		Pick up 1 farfalle bead and 8 size 11^o seed beads. Pass back through the farfalle bead and into the neighboring seed bead in the brick stitch edging. Repeat the thread path once or twice to reinforce the hanging loop.

		Using the flat nose or chain nose pliers, attach the ear wires. These are big, bold earrings!

Something else I discovered about running leather through my Big Kick machine: it will also beautifully emboss my scraps of Ultrasuede! What a great idea for making the back of your bead embroidery pieces just as interesting as the front, right?

If you love using seed beads to create earrings (or other kinds of beaded jewelry), you'll want to check out the Beadwork Presents 10 Seed Bead Patterns eBook. Filled with ten great seed bead projects taken straight from the pages of Beadwork magazine, designed by your favorite bead artists. And right now, as part of the 12 Days of Deals in the Beading Daily Shop, you can take 50% off this great eBook of beading projects. Best of all, it's an instant download, so you can be reading and beading in just minutes!

Download your copy of Beadwork Presents 10 Seed Bead Patterns today and find even more great earring making projects using your favorite beads.

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Look What You Can Do With Brick Stitch!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Brick stitch, as I've said before, will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first bead-weaving stitch that I felt I had truly mastered, and for a very long time, I used it for all of my beaded amulet bags and most of my beaded jewelry designs. These days, I mostly use it for edgings on my pieces of bead embroidery, but there are so many other wonderful things you can do with brick stitch!

Diane Fitzgerald's classic beading book, Beading With Brick Stitch, is what I used to teach myself all about this amazing beading stitch. I think I made pretty much every project in that book, and I still use it for both information and inspiration.

Just for fun, I searched through some past Beading Daily blogs to see what's been written about brick stitch, and I found some pretty cool stuff!

		Create an Easy Ladder Stitch Bracelet with Michelle Mach. To begin most brick stitch projects, you work a row of ladder stitch, then work brick stitch in subsequent rows. That ladder stitch base is important to your finished piece of brick stitch -- if your base row is too wonky or the beads don't lie correctly, you may have problems later as you work. So make sure you have a good understanding of ladder stitch technique before you start your brick stitch beading project!

		Why I Love Brick Stitch by Leslie Rogalski. Leslie knows the value of brick stitch -- she uses it in quite a few of her beautiful beading patterns! Some of the reasons she loves brick stitch are the same reasons why I love this beading stitch: Brick stitch holds its shape well, it's easy to create triangles and geometric shapes in brick stitch, and the variations of brick stitch make it a very versatile bead-weaving stitch!

		Brick Stitch Makes Perfect Peyote Stitch Bezels. After I learned peyote stitch, I never thought that I'd be able to use brick stitch when making an open-backed bezel for a cabochon or crystal stone. But, yes, using brick stitch to create the first few rows of an open-backed peyote stitch bezel can mean the difference between getting a perfect fit on the first try, or spending lots of time ripping out when your bezel doesn't fit properly.

		Readers Share: A Bounty of Brick Stitch Projects. Earlier this year, I asked our readers to share their best brick stitch projects with me. What resulted was one of the most popular blogs ever on Beading Daily! Take a look at some of the wonderfully creative brick stitch projects sent in by our readers! (They're still great!)

While I was brainstorming about this blog with a friend, she asked me if I had ever done brick stitch with some of the new two-hole seed beads out there. What a brilliant idea! While I haven't actually gotten around to using either my Twins or my SuperDuos for brick stitch, I did start playing with brick stitch using some of my Tila beads and seed beads. So far, using brick stitch with the Tila beads results in a cool, staggered bead placement, and the overall beaded fabric feels a lot sturdier than if I were to use another stitch like peyote stitch or square stitch!

Learn more about brick stitch and eleven other essential bead-weaving stitches in Doodlebeads Volume 1 with bead artist Leslie Rogalski. You can watch step-by-step as Leslie demonstrates the basics of twelve bead-weaving stitches, including brick stitch, herringbone stitch, spiral rope, even and odd count peyote stitch, and lots of variations on each beading stitch. If you know someone who wants to learn the basics of bead-weaving, this would make a perfect holiday gift -- or get it as a gift for yourself!

Get your copy of Doodlebeads Volume 1 and see just how far you can go with twelve basic beading stitches. If you haven't yet mastered brick stitch, this is the perfect way to get started!

Don't forget -- you'll find this and lots of other great beading books, magazines, and videos on sale during the big Beading Daily Shop sale, through November 27, 2012!

Do you have a reason to love brick stitch? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share it with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

The Beading Stitches of Native American Beadwork

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Being a history geek, I love to know the whole story behind how things came to be, including many of my favorite bead-weaving stitches. Many of these stitches developed independently all over the world throughout the history of the human race, but chances are, if you do bead-weaving, you're using some beading stitches that are widely used in Native American beadwork.

For centuries, Native Americans used natural objects like animal teeth, seeds, and shells as beads for adornment on their ceremonial objects and clothing. With the introduction of smaller beads and glass beads from Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, Native American beadwork became more intricate and came to be an important part of each tribe's cultural identity.

Gourd Stitch or Peyote Stitch

I remember when I was first learning how to bead, one of the ladies in my class, a college librarian, found peyote stitch's name to be so amusing that she wasn't sure how she'd talk about it to her colleagues. I couldn't figure out why, until I realized that she was associating it with the hallucinogenic, also referred to by the name of peyote.

Well, good news, I told her, you can also refer to peyote stitch as gourd stitch. Both names for this popular bead-weaving stitch came from the ceremonial objects that they were used to decorate, gourds and other sacred objects for use in peyote ceremonies.

Brick Stitch or Cheyenne (Comanche) Stitch

Brick stitch was one of the first bead-weaving stitches that I ever taught myself, and it will always have a special place in my heart as my first love of beading stitches. In Native American beadwork traditions, brick stitch is done almost exclusively by the Comanche and Kiowa tribes for important ceremonial objects and clothing.

Lazy Stitch or Bead Applique

Contrary to its name, Lazy Stitch is anything but. This form of bead embroidery, usually done on tough buckskin hides by the Plains Indians, requires the artist or craftsperson to only pass their needle halfway down through the hide without actually exiting on the other side. This leaves a clean back to your bead embroidery of bead applique, but getting your lines or lanes of beads to lay straight takes a lot of practice and skill.

The name Lazy Stitch may have come about because of the long lines or lanes of seed beads created with each thread pass in this traditional Native American beadwork technique.

Loom Beadwork

Native American beadwork made on a beading loom isn't something that developed until after the Europeans arrived to colonize North America. The very earliest Native American beading looms were mostly used for weaving porcupine quills, called a tension loom. Most early Native American beadwork looms were made using wooden bows similar to the ones used for hunting. Or, a simple bar loom could be constructed by tying the warp threads between two closely-spaced trees and using some sort of wooden or bone spacers to hold the threads apart.

Daisy Chain or Potawatomi Stitch

Potawatami stitch is another name for daisy chain, and even though the name comes from the North American Potawatomi Indian tribe, it is not actually a traditional Native American beadwork stitch. The beadwork of the Potawatomi tribe is recognized for its beautiful abstract floral designs created using bead applique or bead embroidery techniques.

The Potawatomi tribe did use some bead stitching techniques, primarily the Winnebego side-stitch, which looks like a combination of loom weaving and African Helix.

Make Your Beadwork More Spiritual

The one thing that all of these Native American beadwork techniques and stitches have in common is the belief that the time spent doing them to create beautiful objects is a way to honor the spirit world. So, take a deep breath and relax before you sit down to bead. Light a candle and focus your intentions before you pick up your needle and beads, and most of all, remember to enjoy your journey.

If you want to learn more about the fascinating history of Native American beadwork, check out the classic Beading In the Native American Tradition by David Dean. This comprehensive guide to Native American beadwork includes information about how Native American beadwork developed, instructions for working with traditional Native American beadwork techniques, and tips and suggestions for how to study Native American beadwork.

Get your copy of Beading in the Native American Tradition and see you can be inspired to include some of the Native American influence in your own beading projects.

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Bead-weaving Stitches in Action: Choosing the Right Stitch For Your Beading Project

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Looking at a few of my favorite bead-weaving stitches, the first thing that I notice is that the beads are lined up in pretty much the same way: rows stacked on top of each other, nice and neat, with a few variations in the alignment of the seed beads themselves.

Four of my favorite bead-weaving stitches: peyote stitch, brick stitch, herringbone stitch, and square stitch.

But taking a closer look reveals that not all bead-weaving stitches are created equally. Each one has its own unique set of qualities based on the thread path that make it suited for certain jewelry-making tasks. If you're someone who loves to design your own beading projects, take a good look at the thread paths of these four popular bead-weaving stitches and see how they compare.

		Peyote Stitch. Peyote stitch is by far one of the most popular bead-weaving stitches of all time. The thread path of flat peyote stitch makes flexible when you bend it in pretty much any direction. Working in tubular peyote stitch makes it a little stiffer, so that your peyote stitch ropes can support heavy pendants or work well as stand-alone beaded jewelry projects.

		Brick Stitch. Brick stitch has a unique thread path among bead-weaving stitches. Beads in brick stitch are actually stitched together by their connecting threads in a manner similar to African Helix. (Which is probably the one bead-weaving stitch I have yet to master!) The alignment of seed beads in brick stitch look nearly identical to the alignment of seed beads in peyote stitch, but with one crucial difference: flat brick stitch can be bent relatively easily from side to side, but because of the nature of the thread path, it is extremely difficult to bend a piece of flat brick stitch from top to bottom.

		Herringbone Stitch. Much like brick stitch, the thread path of herringbone stitch runs from side to side, making it easy to bend a piece of flat herringbone stitch from side to side. And again, just like brick stitch, it's difficult to bend a piece of flat herringbone stitch from top to bottom. Tubular herringbone stitch, however, has a wonderful, supple, and sturdy feel to it, making it suitable for beaded ropes where you want to hang a heavy pendant. The multiple passes of thread through each bead also create a sturdier structure.

		Square Stitch. For those who like the look of loomed bead-weaving but don't want to weave in lots of threads or want to make tiny components for earrings and bracelets, square stitch is a great choice. Flat square stitch is quite flexible when you bend it from side to side, and can even be bent from top to bottom. But, beware: for those who don't like a lot of thread showing in their bead-weaving, bending a piece of flat square stitch will expose even more of the threads that hold the beads together. (Using a colored thread like Nymo or the colored Fireline from Sparkle Spot Bead Shop can help disguise those threads.)

I didn't talk about my right-angle weave, my other favorite bead-weaving stitch, because the thread path of right-angle weave is unlike anything else I can think of in the world of beading stitches. Because of that unique roundabout thread path, right-angle weave can be stitched and sewn together just like regular fabric. Like square stitch, there can sometimes be quite a bit of thread showing in between the stitches of right-angle weave, so using a beading thread in a color to match your seed beads is important.

Are you ready to explore more of what your favorite bead-weaving stitches can do? Do you need to complete your collection of Beadwork magazines from 2011? Check out the 2011 Beadwork Magazine CD Collection. You'll get all six issues of Beadwork magazine from 2011 in one, searchable CD. It's the same great content from the print magazine, but made digital for viewing on your favorite desktop or laptop computer. You'll get all of the very popular Designer of the Year projects, plus all the great product reviews, tips, and techniques from the professionals you trust at Beadwork magazine.

Or, if you're the type that can't wait to start beading, the 2011 Beadwork Magazine CD Collection is available as an instant download. Either way, get your 2011 Beadwork Magazine Collection and have fun testing the limits of your favorite bead-weaving stitches.

What's been your favorite bead-weaving stitch discovery? Have you found a new and innovative way to use one of our favorite bead-weaving stitches? Leave a comment and share your discoveries here on the Beading Daily blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennier

Five Reasons to Love Seed Bead Patterns

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Why do we love seed bead patterns so much? I recently posted something on the Beading Daily Facebook page about NaSeBeMo (National Seed Beading Month), and I was thrilled to see that there are as many people out there who are obsessed with working with seed beads as I am!

Someone that I used to know a very long time ago told me that she loved working with seed beads because of their transformative nature, and that's something that I still carry with me today. Following a seed bead pattern to make a piece of finished beaded jewelry or even a piece of home decor like a beaded box or beaded ornament gives me such a feeling of accomplishment. Taking that big pile of beads and turning it into something beautiful and useful just gives me a sense of well-being that I just can't find anywhere else.

Why else should we love our seed bead patterns? Here are my top five reason why I love seed bead patterns:

		Seed beads have the power to heal. Anyone who has ever worked with seed beads knows how wonderful it feels to create something with seed beads. Whether it's a piece of beaded jewelry, something to decorate your home, or sharing a bead craft with your favorite kid, those tiny little pieces of glass really have a way of making us feel better.

		Working with seed bead patterns can be a spiritual experience. One of my all-time favorite blogs that I've written for Beading Daily was the one where I compared working with a seed bead pattern to the creation of a Buddhist sand mandala. When I talk to other people who love working with seed beads as much as I do, we all agree that there's something very spiritual about working with seed beads!

		Seed bead patterns can be personalized. Along the lines of expressing yourself through your seed bead patterns, there's always room for interpretation when it comes to making your own seed bead jewelry. It can be something as simple as using your favorite colors instead of the colors specified in the instructions, or you can add texture by including a shaped seed bead. Using your imagination when personalizing your seed bead patterns can lead to some great beady discoveries!

		You can use seed bead patterns to teach yourself how to bead. Yep, I'm a real do-it-yourself-er when it comes to making my own beaded jewelry, and the thing I love about seed bead patterns is that you can learn so much from them! I'm a primarily self-taught bead-weaver, and I owe a lot of what I know to the innovative seed bead patterns of artists like Rachel Nelson-Smith, Marcia DeCoster, and Carol Huber Cypher.

		*There are loads of free seed bead patterns on Beading Daily!* One of my favorite things about Beading Daily are the free seed bead patterns! Not only will you find hundreds of free downloads for individual beading projects, you'll also find a whole list of free eBooks covering topics like peyote stitch, brick stitch, bead-weaving, right-angle weave, and herringbone stitch.

Another reason to love seed bead patterns: what with all the new kinds of seed beads I'm seeing in bead shops, at bead shows, and online these days, I'm always looking for ways to use them! I've got quite the collection of farfalle or peanut beads, Twins, SuperDuos, and Tila beads in my bead stash, in just about every color I need.

If you're looking for new ways to use some of those fabulous two-holed Tila beads, look no further than the new Stitching With Shaped Seed Beads: 10 Beading Projects to Make With Tila Beads, available now as an instant download in the Beading Daily Shop. You'll find ten creative, beautiful beading projects from your favorite designers like Melinda Barta, Diane Fitzgerald, and Kelli Burns, all using those tempting Tila beads!

Have you been hoarding your Tila beads, wondering what to make with them? Download your copy of Stitching With Shaped Seed Beads: 10 Beading Projects to Make With Tila Beads and start creating amazing beaded jewelry today!

Why do you love seed bead patterns? Do you love the healing power of seed beads? The meditative aspect of working with seed beads and seed bead patterns? Leave a comment here on the Beading Daily blog and share your thoughts with us!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer