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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...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 17, 2013
Filed under:
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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I recently made a necklace for the Fall issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine using 24-gauge gunmetal wire. As I was sifting through my box of wires deciding which to use for this project, I realized it might be useful to discuss wires...especially the wires I couldn't bead without. If you're a...
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I got bit by the crafting bug early on. As a child, I watched my mother creating with crochet, knitting, and needlepoint, and some of those designs included beads. Some of those projects were among my first exposure to beading and bead crafts in general -- learning how to add beads to each new craft...
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One of the many things that I love about my job is when I get to see new beading products before they're available to the general public. My friend Sunyoung Park of Ezel Findings made my day last week when she sent me their latest innovative beading and jewelry-making product, the Beading Pal. The...
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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...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 13, 2013
Filed under:
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...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 10, 2013
Filed under:
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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Wearing my Battle of the Beadsmith piece at last year's Bead Fest Philadelphia with friends. In the last few years, I've seen more and more emerging bead artists who are pushing the envelope with their beautifully over-the-top beaded necklaces. That's part of the beauty of necklace making...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 8, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Necklace Making, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Every so often, it's fun to follow along with someone else's tutorial and not have to invent my own. Such was the case when I received this fun tutorial from Ornamentea in my inbox last week--I knew I had to make these earrings! Not one who typically seeks instant gratification, for some reason...
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From Jennifer: Spring is in full swing here in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York, and that means it's time to freshen up my jewelry-making projects with some new gemstones! Whether you love to use gemstones as beads for jewelry stringing projects, or you're like me and prefer to use...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 6, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Gemstones, Pearls, Bead Making, Stringing, How To Bead, Lapidary, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist Magazine, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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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...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 3, 2013
Filed under:
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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I received a note from a beader on Facebook this week asking, "...what are you up to these days?" Boy...other than working a full-time job, fostering a loving relationship, preparing for yet another move (we bought a house!), dealing with an emptying nest as my son graduates high school and...
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Have you ever thought about submitting your original beaded jewelry designs for publication in Beadwork magazine? There are many well-known bead artists who got their start in the beading world by doing just that . Do you want to get the inside scoop on getting your designs published from an industry...
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"If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then is an empty desk a sign?" ~Albert Einstein When I've run out of storage bags for my UFOs, it's time to start finishing my beading projects. I think Einstein was on to something when he said that. When it comes to seed...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
May 1, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Earring Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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While warmer weather means it's time to bear your arms and break out the bracelet collection, earrings are a fun accessory during any season! In case you're in the mood to whip up a new pair or two, I've gathered a few varied designs from the Interweave pattern collection. Download complete...
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After my last couple of experiments with chain maille, I was feeling brave, so I decided to attempt my most difficult chain maille project yet: a Japanese chain maille ball, otherwise known as a dodecahedron. Pretty little dodecahedron balls, all in a row! I first saw this style of chain maille when...