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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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What I'm about to tell you is something that I've never before declared publicly. You may be shocked. You may be appalled. You may even urge me to seek counseling. But it needs to be said, so here it goes: I designed this necklace using just vintage glass stones and vintage glass pearls. No crystals...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Apr 26, 2013
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Filed under: Gemstones, Pearls, Crystals, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Gemstone Jewelry
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Of all the jewelry-making supplies out there, my favorite (next to seed beads, of course) has to be wire. I wasn't always a fan of wire wrapping techniques, but once I saw just how versatile it is, I started reading up on my wire wrapping tutorials wherever I could. Wire and beads can be used to...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Apr 12, 2013
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Filed under: Gemstones, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Seed Bead Patterns, Mixed Media Jewelry, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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I recently rekindled my love of the glass druk when I started designing my Hoarder of Beauty necklace using a handful of Czech glass gumdrop beads. As I was designing the individual components that went into the finished design, someone suggested that I use bicones. I knew I didn't have enough bicones...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Apr 1, 2013
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Filed under: Gemstones, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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Although lately I've been incorporating more and more glass beads into my bead-weaving projects, when I first started learning how to bead, I used lots and lots of gemstone beads in my designs. There's something about the look of gemstones in bead-weaving designs that still appeals to me. Maybe...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Mar 25, 2013
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Filed under: Gemstones, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Beading Tools, Lapidary, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist Magazine, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Warning: Long Story Alert. Last winter, my husband and I took a parenting class with our son's preschool teacher. One evening during class, I started noticing the patterns on the beautiful purple shirt worn by the teacher, and of course, my beady brain got to thinking about how I could re-create...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Feb 25, 2013
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Filed under: Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, 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
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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...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Feb 22, 2013
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Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Brick Stitch, Glass Beads, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Mixed Media Jewelry, Necklace Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Beaded Jewelry
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Are you ready to put your wire wrapping skills to the test? This fantastic Gypsy Wire Bangle by Janice Berkebile is just the thing for you! It takes a little bit of practice to get your wire coils perfectly even, but it's worth it if the result is a striking bracelet like this one. If you don't...
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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,...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Dec 12, 2012
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Filed under: Chain Maille, Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Peyote stitch, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Brick Stitch, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Steampunk Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Jewelry Stringing Magazine, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Beaded Jewelry
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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...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
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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Anyone who knows me also knows that I'm addicted to cabochons. I don't know why I'm fascinated by them, but I am. The idea that you can take a jewelry making component without any holes, like a cabochon, and turn it into a piece of jewelry using bead-weaving and wire wrapping is still amazing...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 20, 2012
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Filed under: Chain Maille, Gemstones, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, How To Bead, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Step by Step Wire Jewelry Magazine, Bead Crafts, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily, Beaded Jewelry
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I've been doing a lot of wire jewelry making projects lately, thanks in no small part to my ever-improving wire jewelry making skills. I've discovered that just knowing how to make simple loops, wrapped loops, and jump rings can translate into a whole wire jewelry project! So after seeing some...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Jul 23, 2012
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Filed under: Chain Maille, Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Step by Step Wire Jewelry Magazine, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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I really do have the best friends in the world. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a huge box, full of antique jewelry that had belonged to her late stepfather's first wife. Before I go into detail about the jewelry, I want to tell you a little bit about her stepfather. Joe was what...
Posted to
Beading Instructions
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Jun 5, 2012
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Filed under: Wire Jewelry, Crystals, Pearls, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How to Bead, Gemstones, Glass Beads, Jewelry Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Earring Making
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Yes, I'm one of those people who sees a seed bead pattern in a magazine and just has to make it right away. No, there's no waiting around to place a bead order or head up to my local bead shop to see if they have the exact beads that are called for in the pattern. When I gotta bead, I gotta bead...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 29, 2012
Filed under:
Filed under: Gemstones, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Beading Daily