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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...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 17, 2013
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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
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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...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 13, 2013
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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
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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...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 10, 2013
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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
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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...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 3, 2013
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Filed under: Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Brick Stitch, Wire Jewelry, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Are you a member of the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club from A Grain of Sand ? If not, April might be your lucky month -- A Grain of Sand is having a Design Challenge using a special vintage jewelry-making component included in the April club boxes. The staff of A Grain of Sand will choose the design they...
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Oh, yes, even though I always seem to have a hard time coming up with designs for beaded earrings, I love to stitch up earring making projects from other talented beading designers! I really can't get enough of them -- earring making projects are great for last-minute gifts, or when I just need a...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Mar 22, 2013
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Filed under: Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Earring Making, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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There's no doubt about it: crystal beads can turn an ordinary beading project into something truly extraordinary. Maybe it's the sparkle, maybe it's the color of the crystal beads, or maybe it's the feeling of pure luxury that you get from wearing a piece of crystal bead jewelry, but...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Mar 15, 2013
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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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...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Mar 11, 2013
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Brick Stitch, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Earring Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Have you ever thought about entering a jewelry-making competition? Whether your new to jewelry-making, or you've been creating your own beaded jewelry designs for several years, taking that leap and entering your work in a competition can be a fulfilling and eye-opening experience. Entering a jewelry...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Feb 20, 2013
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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Sabine Lippert, one of Beadwork Magazine's Designers of the Year for 2013 has started distributing her newly-designed Rizo beads here in the United States. So far, the response has been fantastic! What is a Rizo? Sabine designed the Rizo bead to fill in the gap in sizes between a drop and a dagger...
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Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and keeping with the theme of love and hearts and all things sparkly, A Grain of Sand's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club had some beautiful vintage jewelry-making supplies in it this month! Take a look at my favorite pics: I loved the fun jewelry in this month's box...
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Beading Supplies We Love
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Feb 13, 2013
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Filed under: Crystals, Seed Bead Patterns, How to Bead, Pearls, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, mixed media jewelry, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Bracelet Making, Beaded Jewelry
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Who among us can resist the lure of beautiful handmade pearl jewelry ? The legacy of pearls throughout history is as fascinating as it is mysterious: pearls were once a luxury enjoyed only by kings and queens, retrieved from the depths of the oceans and seas. These days, pearls can be found in all kinds...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 16, 2012
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Bracelet Making, Beaded Wedding Jewelry, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Pearl
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No matter how much time and care you put into your bracelet making projects, choosing the right clasp can make all the difference in the world. Choosing a clasp that's easy to work, comfortable, and secure for your bracelet making projects might seem simple on the surface, but putting a little bit...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 2, 2012
Filed under:
Filed under: Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Bracelet Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Beading Daily
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What is it about peyote stitch that keeps us beaders coming back for more? I struggled with peyote stitch when I was learning how to bead -- there was just something about the thread path that I couldn't keep straight in my mind. But once I found a wonderful teacher who showed me why she loved peyote...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Oct 31, 2012
Filed under:
Filed under: Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Silly me. All through high school and college, I thought that jewelry making with materials like fiber, clay, fabric, and paper was just a fun way to make jewelry. Little did I know that it's actually mixed media jewelry, and when I need to stretch my creative muscles a little bit, it's the perfect...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Oct 26, 2012
Filed under:
Filed under: Chain Maille, Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily