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So, I have to admit it: I can't get enough of Downton Abbey. I'd seen a couple of blurbs about it, so when it popped up on my Netflix recommendations, I thought, why not? I was hooked after watching the first episode. Set at the turn of the last century in an English country manor, I found myself...
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Growing up, two of my best friends were Chinese girls who had spent several years living in India before coming to the United States. Through them, I learned so much about Chinese culture (and cooking - yum!) that I fell in love with everything about China. I've read many books about Chinese history...
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Beautiful, artistic freeform peyote stitch! It seems that when it comes to freeform peyote stitch , there are two main schools of thought. The first is that this beadweaving technique is a fabulous, artistic and creative use of peyote stitch on a whole new artistic level. The other school of thought...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Jan 8, 2012
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Filed under: Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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These are some of my favorite beaded earrings from the earring making challenge I did in January of 2011. I can hardly believe that it's almost 2012! This year just flew by, which is, of course, what I say every year at this time. Over the years, I've noticed that making beaded earrings is not...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Dec 11, 2011
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Filed under: Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Brick Stitch, Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Bracelet Making, Earring Making, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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In case you haven't seen the latest innovative bead to come out of the Czech Republic, let me introduce you. Dear Reader, please meet the new Twin seed bead from Preciosa Ornela. These lovely little seed beads are slightly longer and wider than a regular seed bead, and for good reason: they have...
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From Jennifer: Studying geology in college is definitely an advantage when it comes time for me to choose and buy my gemstone cabochons for beading. I learned how to identify and classify dozens of different types of rocks, gemstones and minerals, all of which comes in handy when I'm browsing at...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Dec 4, 2011
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Filed under: Gemstones, Crystals, Bead Making, How To Bead, Native American beadwork, Bead-weaving, Lapidary, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist Magazine, Beads, Jewelry Making, Cabachon
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These easy wire wrapped beads make great spacers with more antique trade beads or more organic gemstone beads. Being sort of a newcomer to wire work and wire jewelry-making, I have always admired those folks who can take a piece of wire and bend it (like magic!) to transform it into a bead or jewelry...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 27, 2011
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Filed under: Gemstones, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Bead Crafts, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Don't get me wrong - I love technology. I love being able to subscribe to my favorite beading magazine and have my issues delivered to my iPad, and I love being able to download movies, music and books without having to wait for the mailman to deliver them. But when it comes to certain things, I...
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Beading Supplies We Love
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 21, 2011
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Filed under: Crystals, Beading Tools, Bead-weaving, Seed Bead Patterns, Gemstones, Stringing, How to Bead, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads
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If you've ever seen the awesome and inspiring bead embroidery of artists like Sherry Serafini, you might have been inspired to try your hand at this particular beading technique. Unlike other types of off-loom beadweaving, bead embroidery is the stitching of seed beads to a fabric or felt-like backing...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 10, 2011
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Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Native American beadwork, Bead-weaving, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beadweaving, Beads, Jewelry Making
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Necklace making is something that has always come easy for me. Even now, I find that my sketchbooks are full of more necklace designs than anything else, and I'm always finding inspiration for new designs everywhere. My process for designing and making a beaded necklace depends on where I get my...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 8, 2011
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Filed under: Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Crystals, Bead Crochet, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Beaded Jewelry, Cabochon
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When I first started learning how to bead and was learning basic jewelry-making, I loved earring making. I didn't realize it at the time, but making earrings a great way to learn new beadweaving stitches and jewelry-making techniques. Handmade earring projects are (usually) small and not terribly...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 3, 2011
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Filed under: Gemstones, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Brick Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Earring Making, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Beaded Jewelry
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My finished piece of bead embroidery for Beading For a Cure. A couple of years ago, I sat in my favorite coffee shop one morning looking for something to blog about. Betcey Ventrella of Beyond Beadery suggested that I check out the amazing projects that were about to go up for auction to benefit Beading...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Oct 19, 2011
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Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads
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I admit it - in addition to being a math geek, I'm also a history geek, particularly when it comes to the history of self-adornment and fashion. For me, knowing the history of a particular custom or fashion makes creating my own beaded necklaces that much more meaningful. For some reason, I've...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Oct 16, 2011
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Filed under: Gemstones, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Brick Stitch, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Beading Daily
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My Tallulah's Pearls necklace reflects the classic look of fine freshwater pearls. For hundreds of years, the only people who wore pearls were royalty and nobles, and later, the fabulously wealthy who could afford them. Today, the good news is that you don't have to spend a small fortune to get...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Oct 13, 2011
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Filed under: Gemstones, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Pearl
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Well, wow! I can't believe that it's been nearly a month since we finished the first Beading Daily Bead Along! It took me way longer to finish my piece than I thought it would, but here it is, and I love it. Here it is! My Net Full of Gems! If you look closely, you'll see where I substituted...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Oct 10, 2011
Filed under:
Filed under: Gemstones, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily