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Okay, I have to 'fess up: I'm one of those people who rolls her eyes when she sees the Christmas and holiday displays being put up in the drugstore or the departments stores before Halloween. And I really despise the hustle and bustle and the feeling of being rushed through the holiday season...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Sep 14, 2012
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Filed under: Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Beading Tools, Lapidary, Jewelry Business, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist Magazine, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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I love my little "corner office" where I have my desk, my computer, and my beading area set up. What I don't love is that because we have a large dog who gets into things, I have to constantly remember to empty my garbage can of thread scraps and snips all the time so that he doesn't...
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Last month, I was lucky enough to be able to take a basic kumihimo with beads class at Bead Fest Philadelphia from the amazing Jill Wiseman. It was so much fun, and I picked it up so quickly, that the next day, I signed up for her advanced kumihimo class where I learned how to add focal beads and make...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Sep 11, 2012
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Filed under: Beading Tools, Bead-weaving, Seed Bead Patterns, Stringing, How to Bead, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Bead Crafts, Kumihimo, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Beading Daily
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Flat peyote stitch is a great bead-weaving stitch to know, but starting a new piece in flat peyote can be tricky, especially for a beginner. Those first three rows always seem to want to twist in on themselves, and if you're trying to work from a charted peyote stitch pattern, that can be frustrating...
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Every now and then I like to take some time to revisit the basics of beading. After years of making wrapped loops and head-pin dangles, it can be easy to stop paying attention to how I am actually executing the basic techniques and just let autopilot take over. So when my coworker, Kate , asked if I...
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So before I go making all kinds of jokes about cutting you off, cutting it out, and cutting to the point, I just want to say this: the beading tools that you use for cutting your favorite beading thread can be serious business! Depending on what type of beading thread you prefer to use, there are many...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Sep 5, 2012
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Filed under: Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Kumihimo, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Beading Daily
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I purchased this necklace several years ago at a department store. At the time, it was a double-strand necklace, but I really only wanted to wear it long. So I detached a few things here and there, joined it back together, and, voila! One long necklace. Now that a few years have passed, I of course wish...
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Lillypilly now offers a large selection of fine gauge copper sheets, perfect for mixed media jewelry making projects! The fine gauge copper sheets are available with both patina and embossed patterns on them. It's easy to stitch through the copper sheets using wire or traditional quilting threads...
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Beading Supplies We Love
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 31, 2012
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Filed under: Beading Tools, Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Stringing, How to Bead, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Bead Crafts, mixed media jewelry, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Necklace Making, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Bracelet Making, Beaded Jewelry
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These very cool 36 gauge copper sheets from Lilly Pilly Designs open up a whole new world of design possibilities! Chain stitch using wire makes a great decorative element when working with rustic style jewelry designs. I don't know about anyone else, but lately, I'm really getting into make...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 31, 2012
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Filed under: Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Brick Stitch, Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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I was so in love with this neon green Regaliz Greek leather from Antelope Beads that I wanted to make a cheerful yet modern beaded cuff bracelet with it. I adapted a technique I learned from both Sig Wynne-Evans and Gail Crossman Moore to create the little drop bead bubbles. Enjoy! Materials: 8"...
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One of the things I love about hitting the bead shows like Bead Fest Philadelphia is all the great ideas I get for new beading and jewelry making projects! I knew there was something cool in the Antelope Beads booth at Bead Fest when I walked past it, saw rolls and rolls of brightly colored leather and...
Posted to
Beading Supplies We Love
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 28, 2012
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Filed under: Crystals, Beading Tools, How to Bead, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, mixed media jewelry, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Bracelet Making, Beaded Jewelry
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With so many recent styles pointing back toward yesteryears, it's no surprise that gold has hit it big as a primary metal in contemporary jewelry designs. I used to think of it as the metal of my mother's generation, but I've recently caught the fever and want everything I wear to be gold...
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On my recent trip to Bead Fest Philadelphia, I made a trip across the river to southern New Jersey, where I got to meet up with the fabulous Amy Blevins and see her gorgeous bead shop, Bead & Glass Boutique . When I travel, I like to seek out small, independent bead shops and do a little shopping...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 27, 2012
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Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Polymer Clay Beads, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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I can still remember what inspired me to create my first original beaded jewelry design . I was flipping through a book about antique jewelry, and one of the photographs caught my attention. It was an antique seed pearl necklace made up of three components that were linked together with strands of faceted...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 27, 2012
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Earring Making, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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If you think it takes a long time to walk through the show floor of a huge bead show like Bead Fest Philadelphia, try doing it where you know just about everyone behind the tables in the booths! Bead Fest Philadelphia was a great time for me to catch up with people that I haven't seen since the Tucson...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 23, 2012
Filed under:
Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Peyote stitch, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Kumihimo, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily