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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 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...
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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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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...
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Daily Blogs
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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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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...
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We all know that beading is great for relieving stress, but I got to thinking the other day about how beading can "cure" so many other unpleasant things. Now, I'm no medical expert, but I've noticed that my seed bead patterns can cure just about anything that ails me. Feeling blue?...
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Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Apr 22, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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One of the themed sections in our Fall '13 issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine is going to be Collar and Bib Necklaces: This structure-driven design trend has been one of the smash hits of jewelry fashion as of late, and I am itching to try my hand at making one. I'm a little intimidated, however...
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I've been beading for almost ten years now--ever since I joined the staff of Jewelry Stringing . And over those ten years, I've made lots of beading mistakes. Thing is, those mistakes turn into lessons. Hard-earned lessions sometimes, yes, but lessons nonetheless. When learning to bead, it's...
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I always feel a tad guilty when I make jewelry from a kit. After making jewelry for so many years and seeing firsthand how much work goes into the planning and design stages of each piece, I feel like I am cheating when I use a kit to skip over those steps. On the other hand, I feel like there is something...
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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
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Apr 12, 2013
Filed under:
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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Sometimes, the simplest designs are the most powerful. Wire jewelry made with clean lines and bold colors can make just as big a statement as a piece of wire jewelry made with intricate bends and wraps. In fact, it can actually be more difficult to create a simple piece of beautiful wire jewelry -- when...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Apr 10, 2013
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Filed under: Chain Maille, Crystals, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Step by Step Wire Jewelry Magazine, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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When it comes to favoring a particular type of bracelet design, honestly, I'm all over the board. It just depends on my mood and my outfit. Is your style casual and easy-going? Or do you love the sophistication of more classic pieces? Perhaps bold statement jewelry or whimsical accessories show off...
Posted to
Inside Jewelry Stringing Magazine
by
Dblair
on
Mar 31, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Pearls, Bead Making, Glass Beads, Bracelet Making, Wire Jewelry, Chain Maille, Mixed Media Jewelry, Bead-weaving, Crystals, How to Bead, Beaded Jewelry Design, Wire Wrapping, Beads, Beaded Jewelry
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Enter the Bead Star contest by March 28th and take advantage of reduced entry fees! (The final deadline is May 24th.) All early bird entries (submitted on or before March 28, 2013) are $15 for the first entry and $5 for each additional entry. All regular entries (submitted after March 28, 2013, but on...
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One of my favorite sources of inspiration for making beaded jewelry is antique and vintage jewelry. So when my good friend gifted me with a huge box of very special antique beaded jewelry, I decided to repurpose some of the jewelry for new jewelry-making projects. The original vintage pearl earrings...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Mar 11, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Pearls, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Brick Stitch, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Earring Making, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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Bead artist, blogger, and really good cook Cyndi Lavin There are many reasons why I love bead embroidery , but the Zen-like qualities of the process are probably why I return to it over and over again. On the surface, bead embroidery really is very simple -- just a couple of easy bead stitching techniques...
Posted to
Daily Blogs
by
Jennifer VanBenschoten
on
Mar 8, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Bead Embroidery, Peyote stitch, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, Stringing, Brick Stitch, Wire Jewelry, How To Bead, Seed Bead Patterns, Bead-weaving, Mixed Media Jewelry, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily
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After you read our blog, do you skip on over to the Inside Jewelry Stringing blog ? If you're not already doing so, I highly recommend you check out what our sister magazine is up to. The Jewelry Stringing editors blog three days a week, so you're bound to learn a new technique or hear about...