-
If I knew now what I didn't know then...that's how I feel about everything that I've learned about earring making since I started beading over thirteen years ago. While I spent my time doodling beaded necklace and bracelet designs in my notebooks throughout college, ideas for beaded earring...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 24, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Bracelet Making, Earring Making, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
-
There are lots of reasons to learn a new craft or a new skill by watching a video. It's convenient, for one thing -- you can watch at home, anytime you want to, and you can stop and start the video wherever and whenever you feel like you need to see something demonstrated over again. Our new Craft...
-
Are you feeling a little beading challenged lately? I was certainly starting to feel sort of sluggish, like my ideas were all stuck in the same rut. Then my next challenge kit from Beadwork magazine landed on my doorstep, and I decided to look around for other challenges to stretch my creative muscles...
-
Native American beadwork has a rich heritage of symbolism through the use of colors, gemstones, and animal totems to tell stories and convey meaning. If you're looking to infuse your beadwork with a few special and meaningful symbols, check out some of these suggestions for including symbolic beads...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 22, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Gemstones, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Native American beadwork, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
-
Looking for an easy way to add a word or phrase to your next jewelry project? Recently I tried out the Micro Engraver from Bead Smith and learned a few tricks by making this easy mixed-media cuff. To make a similar cuff, you'll need the following: Blank metal cuff (mine is 10mm wide) Lucite, resin...
-
It's that time of year again -- I can't believe that summer is back already! Pretty soon, I'll be packing my bags and hitting the road for places like Bead Fest Philadelphia, a couple of trips down to do some serious bead shopping in New York City, and ending my summer travels with a trip...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 20, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
-
Why should you learn about beadmaking? Even if you only ever do bead-weaving (or think that you'll only ever do bead-weaving, and nothing else!) knowing a little bit about beadmaking can actually help when you're working on your own beaded jewelry designs, or making a beading project your own...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 17, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Gemstones, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Mixed Media Jewelry, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
-
I recently made a necklace for the Fall issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine using 24-gauge gunmetal wire. As I was sifting through my box of wires deciding which to use for this project, I realized it might be useful to discuss wires...especially the wires I couldn't bead without. If you're a...
-
I got bit by the crafting bug early on. As a child, I watched my mother creating with crochet, knitting, and needlepoint, and some of those designs included beads. Some of those projects were among my first exposure to beading and bead crafts in general -- learning how to add beads to each new craft...
-
One of the many things that I love about my job is when I get to see new beading products before they're available to the general public. My friend Sunyoung Park of Ezel Findings made my day last week when she sent me their latest innovative beading and jewelry-making product, the Beading Pal. The...
-
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...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 13, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Pearl
-
I love a good challenge, don't you? How about the challenge of using a cabochon, without a hole, in a piece of beaded jewelry? When I was learning how to bead, I was thrilled to find out that I didn't need to know metal smithing techniques to include my favorite gemstone cabochons in my beaded...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 10, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Wire Jewelry, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Mixed Media Jewelry, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Beaded Jewelry, Cabochon, Cabachon
-
If you're familiar with Beadwork magazine then surely you're already aware of the versatility of peyote stitch. One of my favorite things about this stitch is that there are often several ways to achieve the same look, especially when it comes to odd-count turnarounds. Personally, I'm a big...
-
Wearing my Battle of the Beadsmith piece at last year's Bead Fest Philadelphia with friends. In the last few years, I've seen more and more emerging bead artists who are pushing the envelope with their beautifully over-the-top beaded necklaces. That's part of the beauty of necklace making...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 8, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
-
Every so often, it's fun to follow along with someone else's tutorial and not have to invent my own. Such was the case when I received this fun tutorial from Ornamentea in my inbox last week--I knew I had to make these earrings! Not one who typically seeks instant gratification, for some reason...