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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...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Nov 2, 2012
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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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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...
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Oct 26, 2012
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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
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Last weekend, I started a new necklace making project using a huge crystal stone and an antique Chinese carving I bought from the FamilyonBikes Etsy shop. Designing the focal point of the necklace was structurally challenging, but I had a clear vision in my mind of how I wanted it to look. Making the...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Sep 21, 2012
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Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Wire Jewelry, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Mixed Media Jewelry, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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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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Daily Blogs
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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't think of another bead-weaving stitch that is as versatile as herringbone stitch . Maybe I'm biased - herringbone stitch is, after all, my go-to beading stitch when I want to make a beaded rope for a pendant, a beaded bezel for a cabochon or a crystal stone, or make a fancy beaded collar...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 17, 2012
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Herringbone Stitch, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Bracelet Making, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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I've really been getting into working with easy wire wrapping projects lately, and these two blank metal cuff bracelets from this month's A Grain of Sand Bead Hoard Curiosities Club just spoke to me as soon as I saw them. They wanted me to wrap them with wire and beads to make a couple of fun...
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Beading Instructions
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 8, 2012
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Filed under: Wire Jewelry, Seed Bead Patterns, Beading Tools, Pearls, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How to Bead, Gemstones, Bead Crafts, Wire Wrapping, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads
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If you love seed bead patterns, 2011 was a very good year. Beadwork magazine's Designers of the Year included beading legends Carol Wilcox Wells, Sherry Serafini, Cynthia Rutledge, and Kelly Wiese. Beading pattern designers everywhere were pushing the envelope with their innovative seed bead patterns...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Jul 30, 2012
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Beading Daily
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An important part of learning how to bead is learning which jewelry making findings will be most useful to you when it comes to making beaded jewelry that will last. I am always amazed at how the selection of jewelry findings at my local craft store has grown exponentially over the years, and I'm...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Jun 13, 2012
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Filed under: Pearls, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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I'm sure I've told the story before, about how the first time I attempted a piece of bead embroidery I wound up chucking it in a drawer for two years before I had the courage to pick it up and try it again. Well, it's been a very long time since my first attempts at bead embroidery, and I...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 22, 2012
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Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Mixed Media Jewelry, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Learning how to swim is like learning a new jewelry making skill. You dip your toes in the water, then your foot, then you wade in until you're knee-deep. By the time the water is up to your shoulders, you realize you might just be in over your head! And while my own wire jewelry making skills have...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Apr 29, 2012
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Earring Making, Step by Step Wire Jewelry Magazine, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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What's not to love about beaded bracelets? I've had a longtime love affair with beaded bracelets. Never met a beaded bracelet I didn't like. They're fun to make, fun to wear, and everyone likes a bracelet or two (try pairing up a couple of different bracelets sometime when you feel adventurous...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Jan 12, 2012
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Filed under: Peyote stitch, Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Bracelet Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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I promised this free beading project a couple of weeks ago, and it's finally ready! The Renaissance Diamond Chain Collar is here! I had the idea for this collar floating around in my head for quite a while, and I wasn't quite sure how I was going to stitch it up. Then when I wrote up my tutorial...
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Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite season. I love the warm days and the cool nights, the smell of freshly made apple cider and the amazing colors that we see on the mountains here in upstate New York. And, of course, I can remember when I first started beading how thrilled I was when I discovered...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 14, 2011
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Filed under: Pearls, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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I can't remember a time when I didn't enjoy using beads and making jewelry. I always say that it's my mother's fault - she was a fabulous knit, crochet and needlepoint designer, and whenever she ordered her supplies she would include a bag of beads or buttons for my sister and me. I found...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 14, 2011
Filed under:
Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Bracelet Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making
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My Victorian Infinity Necklace was inspired by an antique seed pearl necklace. I can remember how much I loved trying on my mother's and my grandmother's jewelry when I was a little girl. (I think most little girls love to do that, right?) But my fascination with vintage and antique jewelry continued...
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Daily Blogs
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Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Aug 2, 2011
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Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Native American beadwork, Bead-weaving, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily