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Thread

Thread is one option for stringing material.  Popular types include braided thread, nylon thread, pearl cotton, quilting thread, and silk thread.  Thread will often need to be conditioned with a wax or conditioner before use to protect it from fraying and knotting.

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    While there is definitely something magical about the look of crystals, my personal style means that I prefer to have crystals play a supporting role, instead of the lead, in most of my beading projects. The good news is that even when crystals take a
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  • Beadwork, August/September 2013
    Great beading ideas abound in Beadwork’s Aug/Sept 2013 issue. Learn how to stitch herringbone beaded beads, bead a chevron collar, bezel a gemstone donut, embellish focal beads, and more. Plus, discover 4 ways to make jewelry with Superduo 2-hole beads.
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  • It's Beading Contest Season!
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  • Summer Trend: Chain Handpieces
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  • Free Cabochon Beading Projects
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  • What’s Your Favorite Odd-Count Peyote Turnaround?
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    Yesterday we put the finishing touches on the Summer 2013 issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine and sent the files off to the printer. Yay! I think you all are going to like this issue. But don't just take it from me. Enjoy the exclusive preview below
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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
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    "I think I may have startled a co-worker with my celebratory Snoopy dance!" "It is my birthday this week, and you just gave me the best present I could ask for!" "You have just made my week, how exciting!" "This is very
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  • Easy Ways to Add Color to Metals
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  • Beading Cures
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  • Tips for Designing Collar Necklaces?
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  • 5 Jewelry Making Mistakes to Avoid
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  • Fresh, New Wire Wrapping Projects Just For You!
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  • Earring Making: Almost Instant Gratification
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  • Can Bead-weaving Save the World?
    So, there I was, in December of 2001: fresh out of college, armed with a degree in environmental science, and ready to save the world. But things don't always work out the way we plan. After a few years working in non-profit community development
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  • Earring Making Makeover: A Pair of Beaded Pearl Earrings
    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
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    Have you ever been stumped when trying to figure out which kind of glue to use in your jewelry projects? Here, I've shared a few tips from jewelry designer, Molly Schaller, which originally appeared in the 2011 edition of Handcrafted Jewelry magazine
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  • Pantone Fall 2013 Fashion Color Report
    A few weeks ago we took a look at Pantone's Color of the Year . Now let's dive into their full Fall 2013 Fashion Color Report ! As usual, the new color report has me itching to try out some new color palettes! "With the changing season, the
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  • Why Bother With Bead Embroidery? Guest Blog By Cyndi Lavin
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  • My 4 favorite blogs from Inside Jewelry Stringing Magazine
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  • The Perfect Beaded Wedding Accessories
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  • It's a Secret: Make This Faux Chain Maille Bracelet by Jane Dickerson
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  • What to do with those Dapping Projects

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  • Our Favorite Oscars Jewelry
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  • Name That Beadwork: Win a Kit of Seed Beads and Brass Findings
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  • Start Designing Your Own Beaded Jewelry, Part 3: Putting It All Together
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  • Enter Our Beading Contest Now!
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  • Start Designing Your Own Beaded Jewelry, Part 1: Herringbone Bezel for a Bead
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  • Caring for Your Silver Jewelry
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  • Only One More Week to Submit Your Designs!
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  • Are You Captivated By Cabochons?
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  • Book Review: Suzanne Golden Presents - Interviews with 36 Artists Who Innovate with Beads
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  • Are You a Bead Star?
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  • Love Those Vintage Pearls!
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  • Curious About Dapping?
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  • Trend Watch: Statement Earrings
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  • Try This Free Riveting Bracelet Making Project
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  • Do You Rizo?
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  • Beadlepoint, Beadlepoint, Beadlepoint
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  • Bead Hoard Curiosities Club for February 2013
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  • Discover a Cool Tool for Making Color Palettes!
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  • Make This Easy Crystal Chakra Pendant
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  • Win a Free Mirrix Loom!
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  • Who's Afraid of a Teeny Tiny Microtorch?
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  • Make These Easy Romantic Earrings
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  • Stitch Pro: Tucson!
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  • DIY: Upcycle Your Mardi Gras Beads
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  • Spool Beaded Beads
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  • Jewelry Stringing, Spring 2013
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  • How to Make a Brick Stitch Ruffle
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  • Four Fast and Fun Wire Earring Making Projects
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  • What do Skiing and Jewelry Have in Common?
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  • Valentine's Day Charms & Materials
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  • Our Favorite Free Gemstone Beading Projects
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  • Just Announced: Jewelry Stringing's Fall Submissions Guidelines!
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  • Glass Beads to Look Out For in Tucson
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  • Less Than 24 Hours Left to Save On My Favorite Beading Resources
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  • Fuzzy, Fun, Felted Beads!
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  • Can’t Get Enough Organization Tips?
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  • Need Something To Do This Weekend?
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  • Last Day: Make Your Voice Heard!
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  • Sign Up for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party This Weekend!
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  • Steampunk Style Beading with Cynthia Newcomer Daniels
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  • Amazing "New" Beading Tool!
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  • How to Prepare for the Tucson Bead Shows
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  • Another Necklace Making Makeover: Tiny Shell Beads Transform a Cabochon
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  • Free Wire Wrapping Project: Gypsy Wire Bangle
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  • Inaugural Fashion
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  • Tell Us What You Think!
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  • Boring Bead Crochet?
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  • Stitch Pro: Breaking Bad...Beads
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  • Improve Your Jewelry Photography With a Live Webinar
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  • Win Big Prizes in Our Best Beading Contest Ever!
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  • Vintage Jewelry Making Components From the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club
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  • Have You Tried Peyote Stitch with Twin Beads Yet?
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  • Make These Easy Mixed Metal Earrings
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  • Easy Steps to Metal Jewelry Making with Guest Blogger Gwen Fuller Youngblood
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  • Make These Wintry Stamped Earrings
    Even if you've never stamped on metal before, you can make these shimmery earrings in just a few easy steps. Here's what you'll need: Circle pendants or blanks (I used 20.5mm antique silver-plated blanks from FusionBeads.com ) Star or snowflake
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  • 2013 Pantone Color of the Year: Emerald
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  • Are You a Beader?
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  • Get the Look: Stunning Statement Jewelry
    Sometimes I like to wear small simple jewelry that barely kisses my wrists, neck, and ears. But when I want to get glammed up, I turn to bold statement baubles and jewels. Jewelry is the best way to turn that drab dress into a head-turner; and when I
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  • Learn Kumihimo As Easy As 1-2-3
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  • Top Beading Teachers Share Their Favorite Beading Tools!
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  • Free Resources for Your Beady Resolutions
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  • Spring Trend: Raw Gemstone Jewelry
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  • 3 Easy Ideas for Mixed Media and Bead Embroidery
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  • Learn How to Add New Beading Thread with a Slipknot from Melanie Potter
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  • Use Your Seed Bead Patterns to Get Out Of Your Beading Rut
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  • Beadwork, February/March 2013
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  • Name That Beaded Bracelet and Win a Kit of Beads from The Creative Fringe
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  • More Reasons to Love Herringbone Stitch with Guest Blogger Melissa Grakowsky
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  • Free Wire Jewelry Projects That You'll Love to Make!
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  • The Business of Jewelry: Alternatives to Etsy
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  • Free Beaded Bead Project by Carol Huber Cypher
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  • The Great Necklace Making Makeover: Updating Vintage Jewelry
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  • Stitch Pro: Stitch a Beaded Snowflake
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  • Get Published in Beadwork Magazine!
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  • Why I Love My Vintaj Big Kick Machine
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  • Happy Holidays from Jewelry Stringing!
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  • How to Date Your Vintage Crystal Beads with Guest Blogger Suzanne Branca
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  • Favorite Tutorials of 2012
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  • Only A Few More Days To Submit Your Jewelry Designs!
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  • Bead-weaving With Wire
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  • New Year's Resolutions: Beading in 2013
    Edgy Kumihimo Bracelet by Sue Charette-Hood ( Beadwork , October/November 2012) It's almost that time of year again: time to pull out the old tennis shoes and hit the gym, get rid of all the junk food from the past couple of weeks, and vow to cut
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  • Help Fund The Beaded Body Project on Kickstarter
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  • Big Savings on 12-12-12!
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  • Peyote Stitch and Spike Beads: Made For Each Other
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  • Featured Bead Artist: Beki Haley
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  • Learning How to Bead Isn't Just for Beginners!
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  • Socially Conscious Gift Guide
    If you don't have time to give handmade gifts to everyone on your list this year, why not give something that will help those in need? Consider shopping at one of these sites instead of the big box stores and you'll be making a difference in someone's
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  • Hollywood's Best Movie Jewelry
    When it comes to making a character really pop on the silver screen, having the right costume jewelry can be just as important as the clothes that the actor is wearing. There are far too many examples of stunning movie jewelry to discuss in one post,
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  • Free Embossed Leather Earring Project
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  • How to Oxidize Metal with a Hard-Boiled Egg
    Lately I've been playing around with combining wire and seed beads in my jewelry designs and found this quick, affordable, and nontoxic way to color sterling silver wire and findings. I used to mix up batches of liver of sulfur to oxidize, but that's
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  • Decorate Yourself For the Holidays
    We spend a lot of time decorating our house for the holidays: lights go up around the front door and all around the big back porch, and we collect evergreen boughs from the woods that are tied together with big, red ribbons. I tend to get a little carried
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  • Jewelry Stringing, Winter 2013
    With 28 necklaces, 22 bracelets, and 30 earrings, the Winter '13 issue is packed full of brand new jewelry designs. For the first time, we have the pleasure of announcing the winners of our annual Bead Star competition in Jewelry Stringing magazine. In this edition, you will get step-by-step instructions
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  • Designing with Birthstones
    Like many of you, my daughter has a December birthday. I'd like to create a special piece of jewelry incorporating her birthstone so I've gathered a few tips from some very helpful web sites with information on birthstones and gemstones. This
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  • How Has Jewelry Making Changed Your Life?
    It's funny how learning one jewelry making skill can lead to so many others. When I first got serious about learning how to bead, I was mostly doing stringing and making earrings using head pins and eye pins. Then after my mother gave me a beautiful
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  • Reader Photo Gallery Giveaway, Week 3: Show Us Your Best Crystal Beading Projects!
    Ootheca cuff by Rachel Nelson-Smith It's December 1, and that means it's time to start thinking about all those glittery crystal bead jewelry pieces that we're going to wear for the holidays! True, I don't usually wear a lot of beaded
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  • The Gift of the Season--Jewelry Kits!
    The Winter '13 issue of Jewelry Stringing hits newsstands in a few days--just in time for the holidays! Giving DIY kits seems to be the trend of this holiday season, so I have decided to choose a design from our upcoming issue and compile my own jewelry
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  • Make This Resin Clay Heart Necklace!
    Earlier this year, I started playing with two-part epoxy clay and made some fabulous rings and pendants set with tiny crystal stones. In June, I took at class at York Beads with my bead buddy Betcey Ventrella from Beyond Beadery and got some more inspiration
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  • Stitch Pro: Coloring Braided Beading Threads like FireLine
    Seasoned beaders consider their thread like Yo-Yo Ma might his bow, Serena Williams' her racket, or heck, a 14-year-old girl considers her texting keyboard. (You probably know that I'm referring to my own daughter, who is a texting pro...she clocked
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  • Stringing Soon Available on iPad!
    This week is an exciting one in the Jewelry Stringing office. We're putting the final touches on our iPad version of the Winter 2013 issue--the first to be available the iPad. It will be available in the Apple Newsstand December 7. We already have
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  • How to Choose Gemstone Cabochons for Jewelry Making
    Lexi Erickson is a contributing author to Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. From Jennifer: I love buying gemstones, particularly gemstone cabochons. When I look at a beautiful gemstone cabochon, I feel as though the wonderful natural colors and patterns
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  • Look What You Can Do With Brick Stitch!
    Brick stitch , as I've said before, will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first bead-weaving stitch that I felt I had truly mastered, and for a very long time, I used it for all of my beaded amulet bags and most of my beaded jewelry
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  • Tips for Accessorizing Your Party Attire
    Soon enough the holiday parties will be in full swing. For inspiration, I've paired a collection of party dresses with select projects from the winter issue of Jewelry Stringing , which is due to hit newsstands on December 11th. You still have time
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  • Save More Throughout The Weekend
    Have you checked out the Bargains and Blowouts Sale in the Beading Daily Shop ? If not, there's no better time than now! In fact, throughout the weekend you can save an additional 15% off already marked down flow prices when you use coupon code EXTRA15
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  • Submissions Deadlines Coming Up!
    The holidays are a busy time for everyone, which is why we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that submissions deadlines for 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings and the Summer '13 issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine are right around
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  • The Beading Stitches of Native American Beadwork
    Being a history geek, I love to know the whole story behind how things came to be, including many of my favorite bead-weaving stitches. Many of these stitches developed independently all over the world throughout the history of the human race, but chances
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  • Art Deco Pearl Earrings: Inspired by Downton Abbey
    There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to in the New Year, but at the top of my list is the return of Downton Abbey (here in the U.S. it's on PBS). I'd almost be willing to bypass the rest of the holidays altogether for the first day
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  • My Top Picks for Beaded Jewelry Design Resources
    If I had to choose one thing that I love about creating my own beaded jewelry designs, it would be the unlimited possibilities that are presented to me every time I sit down with my sketchbook and my beads. Really, I can't think of another jewelry
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  • Bead Hoard Curiosities Club for November 2012
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  • Sign Up Now for Lori Anderson's Memories and Thanks Blog Hop
    Lori Anderson, the creator of the original Bead Soup Blog Party, is hosting a blog hop in January 2013 called the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop. Meant to honor someone we cherish -- a mother, a sister, a brother, a friend -- this blog hop is all about
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  • Free Necklace Project: Inspired by Sundance
    I have been enamored with this lemon topaz ring with its ornate etched motif ever since my Summer catalog arrived from Sundance months ago. Over the weekend, I crafted a simple pendant using the embossed metal technique shown in one of my past blogs here
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  • My Favorite Entries in the Beadwork Magazine 15th Anniversary Beaded Bead Contest
    I was expecting to see great things in the Beadwork magazine 15th Anniversary Beaded Bead contest, but, wow, the creativity of the entries really blew me away! I've always been fascinated with beaded beads, and I was really eager to see how folks
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  • Crafty Subscription Boxes
    Have you heard of wine of the month clubs? Frankly, I never saw the appeal; but in the last year a handful of companies have launched a new take on monthly subscription boxes that I can get on board with. Companies like For The Makers , Whimseybox , and
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  • A Free eBook Fit For a Queen, All About Pearls!
    Who among us can resist the lure of beautiful handmade pearl jewelry ? The legacy of pearls throughout history is as fascinating as it is mysterious: pearls were once a luxury enjoyed only by kings and queens, retrieved from the depths of the oceans and
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  • Chain Maille Supplies from Blue Buddha Boutique
    Back in March, I made my first-ever chain maille project from a free set of project instructions here on Beading Daily . I was a little nervous when I set out to try it, since wire work has never been my strength in jewelry-making, and I was more than
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  • 5 Basic Beading Terms
    Have you ever been in a class, reading a pattern, or beading with friends and stopped to wonder the difference between "pass through" and "pass BACK through"? Do you often hear references to "tension" and wonder if this refers
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  • How to Make a Slide Knot
    I find myself often using slide knots--those knots you can form on leather that slide up and down on the leather, allowing you to shorten or lengthen your piece as desired. It's an easy knot to form and works especially well with simple necklaces
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  • It's Time to Think About Your Holiday Bead Crafts!
    Holidays are always made better with the addition of one of my favorite things -- beads! What better way to celebrate the winter holidays than sharing the love with a few beautiful and joyful bead crafts? Every year, holiday time gives me a reason to
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  • Name That Beadwork: Win a Wildly Bohemian Blackberry Bush Kit of Beads!
    It's that time again! Time to look at what one of our wonderful editors over at Beadwork magazine has done with the Bead Challenge , come up with a name for that piece, and enter for a chance to win one of the bead kits used to make it! This time
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  • Coral Multistrand Necklace How-To
    I've been saving back several hanks of coral-colored Czech seed beads in various sizes for a rainy day. Today it didn't rain, but it was a quiet day at the office and I decided to give the bead spinner a go and put together this chunky necklace
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  • What Makes the Perfect Gift?
    Beautiful, easy Snow Tunes resin earrings by Danielle Fox. A few twists of wire and crystals are all you need to create these Sparkling Snowflakes earrings by Chloe Chatenever! It's that time of year again, where I start to think about making jewelry
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  • Fun With Fringe (Free Project!)
    Inspired by the fringe trend that has found traction in the fashion world lately, I made this pair of super simple, super stylish fringe earrings. I was so pleased with how they turned out that I decided to share them with you! I chose gray beading thread
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  • Bead-weaving Stitches in Action: Choosing the Right Stitch For Your Beading Project
    Looking at a few of my favorite bead-weaving stitches , the first thing that I notice is that the beads are lined up in pretty much the same way: rows stacked on top of each other, nice and neat, with a few variations in the alignment of the seed beads
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  • Stitch Pro: A Traveling Healing Bracelet Stops at my House
    As you've read in a previous post by Mallory Leonard, Sig Wynne Evans has developed a wonderful round robin of healing with her Traveling Bracelets Project. Mallory's blog inspired Sig to design another bracelet that would begin with an Interweaver
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  • Make 12 Holiday Jewelry Designs
    A little bit ago, I posted a blog about how much fun the Jewelry Stringing staff had while working on a collection of holiday-jewelry projects. I'm proud to announce that the Create Christmas Jewelry: 12 Holiday Designs eBook is now available here
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  • Five Reasons to Love Seed Bead Patterns
    Why do we love seed bead patterns so much? I recently posted something on the Beading Daily Facebook page about NaSeBeMo (National Seed Beading Month) , and I was thrilled to see that there are as many people out there who are obsessed with working with
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  • Free Quick-and-Easy Necklace Project
    I've been so excited about the themes for the Summer 2013 issue of Jewelry Stringing , one of which is "Modern Cowgirl," that when I came across a sheet of western-themed clip art in our stash, I just had to whip up a fun cowgirl necklace
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  • Four Beading How-Tos You Need to Know
    Little did I know when I first sat down to learn how to bead how many skills I would learn in the coming years! It makes you realize that there's a lot more to making beautiful beaded jewelry than just sitting down and stringing some beads on wire
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  • Put Your Stamp On It
    The lull between Halloween and Thanksgiving is a great time to think about handcrafted gifts that you might want to make in preparation for the holidays this year. Growing up, we would dip candles every year to give as seasonal gifts to our friends and
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  • What's Your Favorite Type of Clasp for Bracelet Making Projects?
    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
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  • NaSeBeMo 2012 - Join Me For Some Seed Beading Every Day!
    Some of you might remember that last year, my friend and bead artist Dulcey Heller had pondered what would happen if there were a National Seed Beading Month, similar to National Novel Writing Month. I loved the idea, so I declared November to be NaSeBeMo
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  • From One New Beader to Another
    Although I've made strung jewelry for years, I'm pretty green when it comes to beadweaving. I've quickly fallen in love with the craft, but also hit some frustrating walls I've had to climb along the way. I have the luxury of endless learning
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  • Master Peyote Stitch with Melinda Barta
    What is it about peyote stitch that keeps us beaders coming back for more? I struggled with peyote stitch when I was learning how to bead -- there was just something about the thread path that I couldn't keep straight in my mind. But once I found
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  • When Wire Won't Behave
    The more I learn about making wire jewelry, the more it brings out my inner science geek. I mean, really, how many people get excited when they start hearing about the molecular structure and malleability of wire when they sit down to make a wire jewelry
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  • Fun with the Easy Ear Wire Maker!
    One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is being able to try out new tools and materials that I might not otherwise try. I had a blast a few weeks ago trying my hand at embossing metal blanks using the Vintaj die-cutting and embossing machine ( see
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  • Summer 2013 Contributor Guidelines Posted!
    We just finished putting the finishing touches on our Summer 2013 Jewelry Stringing submissions guidelines, and we can't wait to see this issue come together! Read through the guidelines and submissions instructions here . (Note: We have made some
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  • Free Blooming Heart Mixed Media Jewelry-Making Project from Nunn Designs
    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
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  • Beadwork, December 2012/January 2013
    Cozy up to the December 2012/January 2013 issue of Beadwork magazine and enjoy 16 amazing beaded jewelry designs. This issue highlights your favorite shaped beads—peanuts beads, spikes, Super Duos, and more. Plus, get a sneak preview of the 2013 Tucson bead shows.
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  • How to Build a Portable Bead Studio
    Bead Fest Texas kicks off tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! There's just something so comforting about being around "my people"-you know, people who fully understand and accept you for being obsessed with beads. People who can
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  • How to Get Published in Jewelry Stringing Magazine
    Five years ago, Beading Daily published a question-and-answer blog about how to get published in Jewelry Stringing magazine. I still get many of the same questions, so I decided it would be helpful to revisit the answers, which have changed slightly over
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  • Beading In the Lap of Luxury
    Long gone are the days when I would bead sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor, scooping my seed beads out of plastic containers and trays. These days, I've got myself a pretty sweet place for beading, and I've armed myself with quite an arsenal
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  • How to Bead For Halloween!
    Halloween is arguably my favorite holiday for the fun factor: watching my son get dressed up in his costume, carving pumpkins, and, of course, my favorite fall foods like roasted pumpkin seeds and apple cider donuts. But even if you don't dress up
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  • How to Sell Your Jewelry at a Craft Show
    With the holiday season quickly approaching , some of you may be considering selling your handmade jewelry at a craft show for the first time. A friend recently invited me to join her in selling our handmade jewelry at a small, local craft show. It's
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  • Behind the Scenes: Spring 2013 Submissions Meeting
    The submissions for the Spring 2013 issue of Jewelry Stringing have been rolling in for weeks, and yesterday we finally had a chance to lay them all out and start making our selections. We always try to seize opportunities to give you all a peek of what
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  • Whip Up A Herringbone Stitch Rope With Some Texture!
    I don't know about anyone else, but I'm totally head over heels for these new striped seed beads from York Beads . Perry Bookstein, the owner of York, has done a pretty good job keeping me supplied with them, and I'm finding all kinds of uses
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  • Beading the Odds: Beads of Courage (Part II)
    In yesterday's post , I spoke of Beads of Courage , a remarkable program in many hospitals that enables children battling serious illness to use beads to track and celebrate their medical journeys. When I was learning about Beads of Courage, I had
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  • Beading the Odds: Beads of Courage (Part I)
    Jean Baruch is a medical professional with a heart for children. During her early years as a nurse, Jean discovered some gaps in the specialized care aimed at children battling serious illness. She returned to school at the University of Arizona's
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  • How to Find Free Technique Help
    One of the main goals of Jewelry Stringing magazine is to teach our readers how to make their own jewelry. We do this by providing thorough step-by-step instructions with every featured design in the magazine. We also have a Technique Focus column in
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  • Easy Ways to Get Started Using Metals in Your Jewelry Making Projects
    I've always gravitated towards using metals in my bead-weaving and jewelry making projects. Metallic glass seed beads and metal seed beads are favorite beading supplies of mine, and now I've discovered how easy (and how much fun!) it is to use
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  • 5 Secrets for Great Bead Embroidery
    When I started doing bead embroidery, I was totally clueless. All I had to go on were the amazing pictures of bead embroidery jewelry by people like Sherry Serafini and Heidi Kummli. There really weren't any good, well-written instructions with tips
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  • The Shifting Feather Trend
    Here in the Jewelry Stringing office, we've just begun poring over some of the submissions we've received for the spring 2013 issue. One of the themed sections for this issue is "Coachella Chic," named after the annual music festival
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  • Jewelry for Book Lovers
    As any of my friends will tell you, I am a book lover through and through (although they might say that the phrase "crazed book fanatic" is more apt...). I simply can't pass a bookstore without going in, and hardly ever leave without making
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  • It's Right-angle Weave to the Rescue With Our New Free eBook!
    Do you love working with right-angle weave ? This superhero of bead-weaving stitches can do just about anything with any kind of beads that you have handy. When I want to bead just for beading's sake, I'll grab two or three colors of seed beads
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  • Add Some Sparkle and Texture To Your Polymer Clay Beads!
    A big thank-you to Iris Weiss of Polyform Products for sharing this free polymer clay bead making tutorial with us, and thank you to Suzanne Anderson of Yikes Studio for creating this tutorial! If you've made some of the big hole polymer clay beads
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  • Stitch Pro: Circular Square Stitch
    Learn circular square stitch
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  • Fa La La Lots of Earrings!
    The Jewelry Stringing and Beadwork office is always abuzz with activity. It feels like we always have a million things going on at once. Right now, though, our biggest push is to finalize our newest eBook, Create Christmas Jewelry: 12 Holiday Designs
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  • Polymer Clay Bead Making Techniques: Learn How to Make a Skinner Blend
    Learning how to make a Skinner blend opens up a whole new realm of possibilities when it comes to bead making with polymer clay. A big thank-you to Iris Weiss of Polyform Products for sharing this free polymer clay bead making tutorial with us. How to
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  • 3 Easy Ideas for Making Large Hole Polymer Clay Beads
    I've found a new appreciation for polymer clay bead making these last few months, and I'm lucky that the lovely folks over at Polyform Products have agreed to supply me with a steady stream of free polymer clay bead making projects! This free
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  • Bead Chic with Beaded Beads
    There is something so appealing about a beaded bead: It can sparkle with simple elegance or it can demand attention the moment you enter a room. The beaded bead can change your entire look with one color or with a multihued pattern. It's one of the
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  • What's Your Necklace Making Style?
    Necklace making is such a personal expression of your style, and it's one of the reasons why I love making my own beaded jewelry. I definitely have my own sense of style when it comes to fashion, and so do you! You may not realize it, but your choices
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  • Editors Share Their Ergonomic Beading Tips
    I'll be the first to admit that posture isn't exactly my strong suit when sitting in front of my computer screen for 8 hours or working on a beading project in my spare bedroom at home. So I've asked the editors of some of your favorite bead
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  • 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings 2013
    Our last issue of 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings hit newsstands three months ago--and we are already gearing up for the next one! Once again, the issue will be built around 16 different color categories (below). We have 101 brand new projects
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  • Express Yourself With Bead Crochet
    Toni Rexroat is the editor of Crochet Me A note from Jennifer: Today's guest blogger is our own Toni Rexroat from Crochet Me . Toni loves how bead crochet edgings allow us to express ourselves, and they're certainly one one of my favorite projects
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  • Tribal-Inspired Fashion
    From beaded bags to full-size headdresses, the tribal-inspired trend dominated fashion blogs and retail catalogs last summer and has continued into fall. Just one fashionable beaded bracelet can be the perfect accent to that earth-toned outfit for an
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  • Behind the Scenes: Jewelry Stringing Project Editor
    When I tell people that I'm Project Editor for Jewelry Stringing and Beadwork magazines, the question I get is "So, what do you do ?" So I thought I'd show you a little behind-the-scenes look into what it's like working for jewelry
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  • Make a Wire God's Eye Pendant In Under an Hour!
    I get some great inspirations for my beading and wire jewelry making projects from the things my son does in preschool. Just the other day, we made weavings using popsicle sticks and yarn -- do you remember making those as a kid? You glue the popsicle
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  • Meet a Chain Maille Genius
    While I'm relatively new to the art of chain maille, I've been making my own lampwork glass beads for the last nine years. So when I was at Bead Fest Philadelphia last month with Jewelry Making Daily 's Tammy Jones, I was a little confused
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  • Support Breast Cancer Awareness with Free Facebook Cover Art
    October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and to help raise awareness, we're offering a free Facebook cover image that you can download and use for the entire month of October! We want to invite you to use this cover design for your own social
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  • Bejeweled Halloween Ideas
    With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to spook up a few appropriately-themed jewelry components, tutorials, and just-plain-fun eye candy! I love the clever use of chain in this spider web bracelet and necklace set. Find the
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  • Reader Photo Gallery Giveaway, Week 2: Show Us Your Best Beaded Beads!
    This year, we've been treated to a whole series of great beaded bead projects in each issue of Beadwork magazine as part of their 15th Anniversary Celebration , so I thought it would be fun for the second week of our Reader Photo Gallery Giveaway
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  • CraftOptics Telescopes for Beading
    As someone who has suffered from migraines and eye strain, I'm always looking for beading tools to make my beading time easier on my eyes. Someone once suggested to me that I try a pair of drugstore magnifiers or reading glasses, but because I'm
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  • There's An App For That!
    Want to keep up with the latest blogs and videos from BeadingDaily.com while you are on the go? There's an app for that! I'm sure you all have been hearing about the iPhone 5 craze that is sweeping the globe. Perhaps some of you even camped out
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  • Master the Art of Bead-weaving With Our New Free eBook
    There's no doubt that if you're reading this, you're someone who knows that there's a special kind of magic in bead-weaving . I don't know how else to explain the feeling I get after sitting down with just a pile of beads, a needle
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  • Psyched for Spikes!
    Lately, I’ve been seeing some very inspiring beadwork made with spike beads—so inspiring, in fact, that I finally ordered some for myself. Beware: Designs incorporating these hot new beads are anything but subtle! Today, I share with you a
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  • Favorite FREE Beading Projects
    Did you know you can find free beading projects at BeadingDaily.com? Many of the beading projects were originally featured in Jewelry Stringing magazine. I was looking through the free projects the other day and discovered that many were favorites from
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  • Learning How to Bead: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
    One of the best gifts I ever gave to myself was when I signed up for my first series of lessons to learn how to bead. It was supposed to be a little reward to myself for finishing up my Bachelor's degree after ten years of working my way through college
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  • Favorite Picks and Projects from Handcrafted Jewelry 2012
    Before I discovered beads, I would make jewelry out of anything I could get my hands on. When we were kids, my sister and I made earrings out of thick watercolor paper, strung bracelets with buttons and thread, and spent hours on tiny needlepoint pendants
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  • Musings on the Beader's Stash
    While perusing some of the forums on Beading Daily, I noticed that "the stash" seems to be a popular topic. A reader posed the questions, “Do you buy beads more often than you use them up?” and “When you create, do you use
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  • Embellished Leather Cuff
    A few weeks ago, the editorial teams from Beadwork and Jewelry Stringing magazines got together to consolidate our office stash of beading materials. As you can imagine, we have A TON of fun materials to play with around here, but for a long time they
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  • The Hardest Part of Necklace Making
    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
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  • Healing Power of Beads: The Traveling Bracelets Project
    Sig's Indian Paisley Bracelet: Traveling Bracelet #1 There are many ways to respond to cancer diagnosis. Long-time beader Sig Wynne-Evans bravely accepted news of her uterine cancer earlier this year, underwent surgery in May, and missed three weeks
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  • Bead Hoard Curiosities Club for September
    I can hardly believe that it's already September! But here we are, autumn is coming here in the mountains, and I'm starting to stockpile beads and supplies for my beading and jewelry making projects to get me through the long, cold Adirondack
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  • Inside an Editor's Toolbox: 5 Must-Have Tools
    When I first began my job as an editor for Beadwork and Jewelry Stringing magazines, I had no prior jewelry-making experience. I had no beads, no findings, no wire--nothing. My new coworkers helped me remedy that situation very quickly. The first thing
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  • Meet the Cinderella of Bead-weaving Stitches: Chevron Stitch
    Chevron stitch is one of those bead-weaving stitches that doesn't get enough attention, I think. It's an incredibly useful bead-weaving stitch that can be used to create simple beaded necklaces and bracelets as well as larger, more intricate,
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  • Use Basic Wire Jewelry Skills to Make a Fabulous Floral Collar!
    A couple of months ago, Jewelry Making Daily 's Tammy Jones wrote about a very cool stick pearl bracelet she made using wire and a metal cuff bracelet. When I saw her tutorial for her wire jewelry making project, I was inspired to finally use one
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  • New Tutorial: Using a Die-Cutting Machine to Emboss Metal
    Awhile back, I had the good fortune of learning how to emboss on metal from an expert in the field, Jess Italia Lincoln, who is the director of advertising and education at Vintaj Natural Brass Company. Jess held a workshop wherein we created a miniature
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  • Reader Photo Gallery Giveaway, Week 1: Show Us Your Best Bead Embroidery!
    One of the things I love about the Beading Daily online community is the Reader Photo Gallery . It's so inspiring for me to look in there every day and see all of the beautiful beaded jewelry made by the members of the Beading Daily community! You
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  • Handcrafted Jewelry, 2012
    Handcrafted Jewelry is back...and this year it's bigger than ever!
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  • DIY Jewelry Techniques: The Hollywood Look For Less
    AP Photo by Richard Drew, via CBS News Elizabeth Taylor was famous for much more than her extravagant jewelry collection, but her dazzling diamonds and gemstones didn't exactly go unnoticed, either. The Hollywood star's collection of more than
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  • The Business of Selling Beaded Jewelry: Is Your Online Shop Ready for the Holidays?
    Okay, I have to 'fess up: I'm one of those people who rolls her eyes when she sees the Christmas and holiday displays being put up in the drugstore or the departments stores before Halloween. And I really despise the hustle and bustle and the
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  • Beading Supplies I Love: Thread Catchers, Bead Mats, and Crafting Totes from Judi Patuti
    I love my little "corner office" where I have my desk, my computer, and my beading area set up. What I don't love is that because we have a large dog who gets into things, I have to constantly remember to empty my garbage can of thread scraps
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  • Stitch Pro: Taming the RAW Monster
    First off, let me say how pleased I am to be writing to you from the ether again, this time on Beadwork 's very own page! Editor Melinda Barta has let me loose as my "Stitch Pro" alter-ego, my column in Beadwork magazine. It's here that
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  • Spring Fashion Preview
    Here in the Jewelry Stringing office, we've been planning our Spring 2013 issue for quite some time now. In fact, a few weeks ago we released our Contributor Guidelines with all the info you need to know in order to submit your own jewelry designs
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  • Getting Started with Flat Peyote Stitch
    Learning how to do peyote stitch was something of a challenge for me. After successfully teaching myself to do other bead-weaving stitches like right-angle weave, brick stitch, herringbone stitch, and netting, I made one peyote stitch amulet bag, and
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  • Beading Supplies I Love: Kumihimo Beading Supplies from Tapestry Beads
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  • Name That Beadwork: Win a Kit of Beads from Red Panda Beads!
    My experiences with a group of traveling Tibetan Buddhist monks inspired me to create this peyote stitch prayer box necklace. Some of you may remember a blog I wrote earlier this year about the time I got to spend praying and meditating with a group of
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  • New Beading Tools for Flat Peyote Stitch from Deb Moffett-Hall
    Flat peyote stitch is a great bead-weaving stitch to know, but starting a new piece in flat peyote can be tricky, especially for a beginner. Those first three rows always seem to want to twist in on themselves, and if you're trying to work from a
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  • 5 Bead Making Projects for Everyone - Even You!
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  • Enter a Beading Contest!
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  • The Joy of Glass Beads!
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  • Geometric Beadweaving
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  • Cutting You Off: Beading Tools for Cutting Your Beading Thread
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  • Easy Long-and-Short Necklace
    I purchased this necklace several years ago at a department store. At the time, it was a double-strand necklace, but I really only wanted to wear it long. So I detached a few things here and there, joined it back together, and, voila! One long necklace
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  • All About Agates!
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  • Thrift Store Jewelry Display
    Yesterday I stumbled upon this idea from Martha Stewart for cute and easy jewelry storage using mismatched teacups and saucers: I set out to create my own version of this adorable display (on a budget, of course), and was pleased to discover that my local
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  • Jewelry Making Components and Supplies from Lillypilly Designs
    Lillypilly now offers a large selection of fine gauge copper sheets, perfect for mixed media jewelry making projects! The fine gauge copper sheets are available with both patina and embossed patterns on them. It's easy to stitch through the copper
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  • Like Wire Wrapping? Try Wire Embroidery!
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  • Make a Leather Glitter Bracelet!
    For some time now I have been lusting after those suede boots with glittery backs. Have you seen them? Not wanting to pay $200 or more for a trendy item like this, I searched the Web for cheaper options and luckily found lots of fun blogs with DIY instructions
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  • Welcome to Inside Beadwork Magazine
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  • Free Beading Project: Leather Bubble Bead Cuff Bracelet
    I was so in love with this neon green Regaliz Greek leather from Antelope Beads that I wanted to make a cheerful yet modern beaded cuff bracelet with it. I adapted a technique I learned from both Sig Wynne-Evans and Gail Crossman Moore to create the little
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  • Where Will Kumihmo Take You? Everywhere!
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  • Beadwork, October/November 2012
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  • Leather Supplies and New Metal Pendants from Antelope Beads
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  • Fashion Trend: Gold Fever
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  • Beading Shops I Love: Bead & Glass Boutique of Pitman, New Jersey
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  • Beadwork Magazine: The Best in Beaded Jewelry Design
    I can still remember what inspired me to create my first original beaded jewelry design . I was flipping through a book about antique jewelry, and one of the photographs caught my attention. It was an antique seed pearl necklace made up of three components
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  • 10 Things You Didn't Know About: Kate Wilson
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  • Is That Just a Wire?
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  • Scenes From Bead Fest Philadelphia, Day 2
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  • Wild Beading Supplies for Bead Embroidery
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  • Win Great Prizes in Soft Flex Company's Contest
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  • A New Angle on Right-Angle Weave
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  • Beading Supplies for Beaders On the Go!
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  • Bead Fest Philadelphia, Day 1
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  • Use Wire to Bezel a Cabochon
    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
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  • Accessorize for Fall
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  • "Pin"spiration
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  • 6 Free Favorite Herringbone Stitch Beading Projects!
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  • New Beading Supplies You'll Want Now!
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  • Three Great Beading Tools for Learning How to Bead
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  • 4 T-Shirts, 2 Necklaces
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  • Lovely, Lacy, Bead Crochet Jewelry
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  • Spring 2013 Jewelry Stringing Guidelines Posted!
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  • Making Great Steampunk Jewelry: A Brief History of Chain
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  • August Vintage Bead Treasures from the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club
    I have to say, since I've been receiving my monthly shipments of vintage beads and jewelry making components from A Grain of Sand's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club , I really look forward to seeing what's in each month's box. I love the challenge
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  • Statement Jewelry: Bring on the Bling
    Lately I've noticed a growing number of jewelry designers are incorporating brightly colored crystals and other gemstones into their pieces. And this bling isn't just for playing dress-up: saturated pastels, electric neons, and lollipop-like hues
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  • Free Beading Project: Easy Wire Wrapped Cuff Bracelet
    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
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  • Runway-Worthy Beaded Wedding Jewelry
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  • How to Use a Color Wheel for Your Beading Projects
    Coloring in this color wheel on my own was a great way to learn more about color theory for bead-weaving. Choosing colors can be the hardest part of any beading project. For a long time, I just chose colors on a whim. If they worked together, I always
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  • Common Lengths of Necklaces for Necklace Making Projects
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  • Matching Your Favorite Necklace Lengths to Your Favorite Necklines
    After my last blog about ways to adjust your beaded necklaces to get the perfect fit, a couple of my co-workers here at Beading Daily asked me how I match up my necklaces with the different necklines of shirts. What a great idea for a blog!, I thought
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  • Tutorial: Epoxy Clay Ring
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  • Sneak Peak of Fall Jewelry Stringing!
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  • Jewelry Stringing, Fall 2012
    In addition to 28 beaded necklaces, 20 bracelets, and 26 pairs of earrings, the Fall 2012 issue of Jewelry Stringing features a special shopping guide, which includes 100+ of our favorite new beads, findings, and tools. The projects in this issue are broken up into five exciting, themed galleries: Earthly
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  • Treat Yourself to a Little Crystal Bead Luxury and Celebrate Beading Daily's 5th Anniversary!
    That's right! Beading Daily is five this month! Five years of beading blogs, beading projects, beading techniques, making new beading friends, and gorgeous beaded art. We've had the likes of Michelle Mach, Jean Campbell, Leslie Rogalski, and the
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  • Glass Beads I Love: New Czech Gumdrop Beads from York Beads
    Are you ready for a sweet glass bead treat? York Beads in New York City has a new shape of Czech pressed glass bead ready for us -- the gumdrop! I got a sneak peek of these little lovelies last week, and now York Beads is ready to show them to the world
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  • Gold, Silver, and Bronze Beading Supplies
    I've got Olympics on the brain. Right now, I'm watching "The Fab Five" win the women's all-around gymnastics competition. Michael Phelps just became the most decorated Olympian ever with 19 metals. This is good stuff. In honor of
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  • Beading Books I Love: Jill Wiseman's Beautiful Beaded Ropes
    So, when it comes to beaded ropes, you think you've seen it all, right? Think again. I've just seen a preview of Lark's latest book in their Beadweaving Master Class series, Jill Wiseman's Beautiful Beaded Ropes. With this book, Jill has
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  • My Favorite Materials for Mixed Media Beadwork
    One of my long-standing obsessions is using found objects in my beaded necklace and beaded bracelet designs. When I inherited a portion of my mother's old jewelry after she passed away in 2008, I started thinking about ways I could use them in new
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  • Favorite Bead Stitches, 2012
    Beadwork Presents: Favorite Bead Stitches 2012 is back by popular demand . . . now with 34 more favorite Beadwork projects and 6 all-new quick-and-easy designs! This special issue is packed with 144 pages of stunning projects and clear instructions, carefully selected and conveniently grouped into 5
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  • Incorporating Sentimentality into your Jewelry
    I've had an idea for a particular necklace since I came back from Bead Fest Santa Fe last March. I had picked up these ceramic buttons and pendant from Antelope Beads 's booth with the intention of creating a sentimental piece of jewelry for myself
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  • My Favorite Seed Bead Patterns of 2011
    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
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  • Update Your Jewelry Using New Fashion Trends
    Original necklace from LOFT Blue and gray ribbons Coral and pale yellow ribbons Pearls Perfected by Linda Larsen Handcrafted Jewelry 2012 While I tend to go for classic styles that can be worn for years, I like to have at least one trendy jewelry piece
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  • Getting Started with Chain Maille: 5 Things You Need to Know
    Chain maille is such a fascinating technique for jewelry-making, but I have to admit, I approached it with more than a little trepidation. Once I got started, though, the rhythm of opening, linking, and closing all those jump rings created the same soothing
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  • The Battle of the Beadsmith: How Not to Enter a Jewelry Competition
    Well, the first round of voting in The Battle of the Beadsmith competition ended last week, and the winners have been announced. Much to the surprise of many, my piece, Mother of Dragons, didn't make it into the second round. But, get this: it lost
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  • Learning to Use a Bead Spinner
    I know bead spinners are nothing new, yet today was my first time trying one. I've spent hours on various projects stringing one seed bead at a time. This is the tool, I've heard, that would have spared me those hours. Project Editor Kate Wilson
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  • How Do You Like Your Herringbone?
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  • 5 Tips for Making Beautiful Wire and Bead Chains
    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
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  • Favorites in Floral Fashion
    This week, we've been doing a lot of planning for the Spring 2013 issue of Jewelry Stringing . And one of the hot trends we're seeing for spring happens to be floral prints. Here, I've put together a little collection of my favorite floral
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  • Pretty in Punk
    Confession: In high school I went through a brief punk phase. Wide-leg pants, black-and-red plaid, suspenders hanging down around my knees--the whole shebang. I have since given up the safety pins and thick black eyeliner, but I still haven't been
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  • Making Necklaces That Flatter: Why Necklace Length Matters
    When I'm working on a necklace making project for myself, I have to pay attention to the length of the finished necklace. I recently realized that I have quite a long neck for someone who is so short, so when I wear very long necklaces (like lariats
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  • Jewelry Trends for 2013
    The other day, I met with the other jewelry editors and designers here at Interweave in Loveland, Colorado. Believe it or not, we're already planning our Spring 2013 issue of Jewelry Stringing . In anticipation of that issue, we got together to discuss
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  • Beads I Love: Vintage Treasures from the July Bead Hoard Curiosities Club
    July's shipment from A Grain of Sand's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club held some fabulous finds! I couldn't take pictures of everything in the shipment (or we'd be here for a very long time), but I wanted to share a few of my favorites. (And
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  • Free Beading Project: Wire and Bead Chain Using Vintage Metal Beads
    I loved these curved metal beads from the July 2012 shipment of A Grain of Sand's Bead Hoard Curiosities Club. They reminded me of stringing macaroni onto yarn with my mother and sister when I was kid! But their lovely gold finish and their unusual
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  • Who's Afraid of Shaped Beadwork? Not Me!
    Beaded broad collars started popping up everywhere about the time that I started learning how to do bead-weaving, but I waited a few years until I really felt comfortable with the stitches before I started experimenting with shaping my beadwork. I was
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  • Battle of the Beadsmith: What I'm Learning from the Battle
    If you haven't seen it yet, there is some serious beady eye candy over at the Battle of the Beadsmith group on Facebook. Eighty beaders from around the world were selected to compete, and the finished beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and accessories
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  • Wedding Jewelry Trends for Summer
    Don't you just love summer weddings? One of my office mates has been busily planning her nuptials, which will take place later this month. Getting a glimpse of just some of the things that will make her day special has inspired me to see which accessories
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  • 5 Essential Jewelry Making Techniques from Tammy Jones
    Not too long ago, Tammy Jones wrote a great blog over on Jewelry Making Daily about five essential jewelry making techniques for jewelry artists . And it got me thinking -- while my primary interest for jewelry making still remains with my beloved seed
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  • The Battle Has Begun: Battle of the Beadsmith!
    You might remember about a month ago, I had set out to work on my entry for the sure-to-be-fabulous Battle of the Beadsmith, hosted on Facebook by Steven Weiss. The idea was this: Steven would pair up eighty of the world's best (and willing) beaders
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  • 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings 2012
    The third annual edition of 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings is finally here, and this year we have freshened it up with a brand-new look--cover to cover! With 144 pages of brand-new projects, step-by-step instructions, and pro tips, we think this issue is the best yet!
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  • Letting Your Materials Speak for Themselves
    One of the greatest skills that a jewelry designer can develop is restraint. With the overwhelming array of amazing beads, findings, and components that are readily available, I have found that the most difficult part of designing a new piece is choosing
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  • Four Favorite Bead Crochet Projects!
    I'm not sure who it was that first thought it might be a good idea to string some beads on yarn before crocheting with it, but whoever it was probably knew that they had stumbled onto something good. Bead crochet ropes are perfect for showing off
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  • Make Neon-Dipped Beads!
    I'm a big fan of the dipped furniture/housewares trend. You know, when just the bottom of a chair or a bowl is dipped in paint. Here are some examples of what I mean: Table seen at homelife.com.au . Bowls from Wind & Willow Home. Chair from Folklore
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  • Three Ways To Incorporate Native American Beadwork Traditions Into Your Beadwork
    There's no doubt that for many of us, beading is a spiritual practice. For the Native Americans of North America, beads and jewelry were a particularly important part of their spiritual beliefs, and with the introduction of seed beads and smaller
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  • Got a Couple of Hours? Make a Bead Embroidery Ring with This Kit!
    Are you looking for a great bead embroidery project that doesn't take days to do? I've found one for you! During my last shopping spree in the Etsy shop of Lisa Peters Art , I snagged one of her new Mini Flower bead embroidery ring kits. I'd
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  • Beading Books I Love: Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry from Lark Books
    What do Jean Campbell, Marcia DeCoster, Jean Power, Rachel Nelson-Smith, Sherry Serafini, Nancy Cain, Diane Fitzgerald, Leslie Frazier, Margie Deeb, Kelly Angeley, Laura McCabe, Lisa Kan, Leslie Rogalski, and Melanie Potter, all have in common? In addition
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  • Seasonal Color Trends: Transition Jewelry Into Fall
    One thing I like to do every season is start planning my craft and jewelry projects for the upcoming season. I know it's only July, but I wanted to create some pieces I could wear this summer and then transition into fall. After reviewing some of
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  • Can't Get Enough Beaded Beads?
    If you're a regular subscriber to Beadwork magazine, you'll know that this year marks fifteen years of creative, beady goodness in the pages of my favorite beading magazine! And to celebrate, the editors at Beadwork magazine have come up with
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  • Bead Storage Shopping!
    When I get ready to start on a new project, I like to lay out all of my supplies so that I can see what I have to work with, and assess potentially interesting material combinations as I brainstorm. The only problem with this method is that by the end
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  • Gotta Bead Right Now? Try Right-angle Weave!
    The versatility of right-angle weave never ceases to amaze me. I can think of at least a dozen ways to embellish a single strip of this fabulous bead-weaving stitch . You can shape it without making complicated increases and decreases and just changing
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  • Bracelet Making: Three Special Bracelets in My Jewelry Collection
    I don't wear bracelets too often, even though I have bags of them in my collection of handmade beaded jewelry. Most of the time when I'm designing a new piece of beaded jewelry, I usually come up with necklace making designs, not bracelet making
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  • One Bead, Three Bead-weaving Stitches
    After my recent sojourn to Manhattan and my bead-buying binge at York Beads, I came home with an entire hank of Czech farfalle beads. The Czech farfalle beads were the original "peanut" shaped beads made in the Czech Republic with a technique
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  • Czech Glass Beads: My New Stash of Glass Beads - Spike Beads and Mushroom Beads
    I really picked out quite a nice haul during last week's trip to York Beads in Manhattan, and I'm so excited to share this first part of my new glass bead stash with you! I've loved Czech glass beads since way before I started bead-weaving
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  • Basic Metal Embossing How-To
    I've been dying to try my hand at metal embossing since coming across some You Tube videos by Sandy Griffiths. She makes it look so effortless, so I thought I'd give it a try on a small scale! Turns out it's super-fun and super-easy! You'll
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  • Summer Trend: Geometric Jewelry
    After all the fun I had searching for neon jewelry to feature in my last Summer Trend blog post , I couldn't wait to write another one! This time: geometric jewelry. It seems like bold shapes, bright colors, and clean lines are popping up everywhere
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  • My Top Five Picks for Great Earring Making Resources!
    Beaded necklaces are usually my first choice when designing beaded jewelry, but in the winter, I find myself hunting for some great beaded earrings to wear with my favorite cozy sweaters and turtleneck shirts. I find myself designing beaded earrings more
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  • Stars and Stripes Roundup
    I love celebrating the land of the free and the home of the brave! Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays for the patriotic spirit, the food, and the fireworks. Bonus: wearing red, white and blue--a chic color combo if you ask me! So I rounded
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  • It's Easier Than Ever to Get Started with Steampunk Jewelry
    Steampunk jewelry is one trend that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon! This wonderfully creative jewelry making style combines the best of the romantic Victorian era and the development of mechanized industry with just a touch of science
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  • SuperDuos vs. Twin Seed Beads: Which Do You Prefer?
    Twin seed beads: the original two-holed seed bead. New SuperDuo two-holed seed beads. After hoarding several colors of Twin seed beads over the last year, I nabbed my first sample of the new Czech SuperDuos during my visit to York Beads in Manhattan last
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  • New Beading Daily Bead-A-Long: Four Weeks of Beaded Bracelets!
    It's been a while since we've had a Bead-A-Long here on Beading Daily , so I thought it would be fun to cook up a whole month's worth of beaded bracelets for your summer beading pleasure! Beaded bracelets are the perfect summertime beading
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  • Five Common Jewelry Findings You Can Make Yourself
    When I'm out there selling my finished beaded jewelry, one of the points I like to talk about with my customers is how every piece I make is one-of-a-kind, usually right down to the findings that I use to assemble it. You might think that making your
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  • More Behind-the-Scenes Photos
    In a recent blog , Assistant Editor Chloe Chatenever shared a glimpse of how we shoot step-by-step photos for Handcrafted Jewelry at Interweave's in-house photo studio. Several days later, I attended a photo shoot with our associate art director and
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  • Polyvore Challenge and Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry Blog Celebration Weekend
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  • Name That Beadwork: Win a Kit of Chain and Bezels
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  • Win a Bracelet Kit from TierraCast!
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  • Want to Learn How to Weave Beads on a Loom? Mirrix Looms Can Show You How!
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  • When Is a Gemstone Not a Gemstone?
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  • Anklet Inspiration, Part Deux
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  • Seed-Bead Braids
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  • Don't Go Around in Circles with Circular, Flat Peyote Stitch
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  • How to Do Circular Flat Peyote Stitch
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  • Beadwork, August/September 2012
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  • Bead Hoard Curiosities Club for June
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  • Which Jewelry Findings Are Essential for Learning How to Bead?
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  • Love These Crystal Beads!
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  • Pantone Spring Color Bead Swap
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  • Want to Get Started with Wire? My Top Five Picks for Easy Wire Books!
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  • Chain Roundup!
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  • Let Them Eat Paint: Guest Blog from Artist Susan Tompkins
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  • Behind the Scenes: Handcrafted Jewelry Photo Shoot
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  • Copyright 101 for Beaders: Know Your Rights
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  • The Poetry of Jewelry Making: Your Best Wire Wrapping Haiku Poems!
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  • Have You Tried Crystal Clay?
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  • Editors Do Get to Have Fun!
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  • The Great Jewelry Making Makeover!
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  • Make Your Own Pendants Using the Sun
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  • Summer Trend: Neon Jewelry
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  • Polymer Clay Bead Making: Expert Advice from Lisa Pavelka
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  • Bead Substitutions in Seed Bead Patterns: What Works, What Doesn't
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  • 10 Things You Didn't Know About: Danielle Fox
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  • The Great Thread Debate: Beading Threads for Bead-weaving
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  • 10 Things You Didn't Know About: Debbie Blair
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  • What's Your Official State Gemstone?
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  • It's the Battle of the Beadsmith!
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  • Work Table Wednesday: Vintage Treasures from A Grain of Sand
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  • 10 Things You Didn't Know About: Chloe Chatenever
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  • Readers Share: Amazing Bead Embroidery!
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  • Help Choose Our Next Bead Star!
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  • Free Summer Anklet Project
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  • Beaded Jewelry Design: What's Holding You Back?
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  • Have You Voted Yet? Times a Tickin'!
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  • What's Better Than One Free Peyote Stitch Pattern? Seven Free Peyote Stitch Patterns!
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  • Favorite Beading Supplies
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  • Jewelry Business: Running a Business with Family with Guest Blogger Allison Korleski
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  • Going 'Round in Triangles With the Fabulous Jean Power
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  • Cast Your Votes for Bead Star 2012!
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  • Anyone Can Make Polymer Clay Beads...Right?
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  • Mixed Media Jewelry: It's Easier Than It Sounds
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  • Name That Beadwork: Win a Kit of Beads and Findings from Artbeads!
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  • Bead Hoard Curiosities Club for May
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  • Resources for Newbies
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  • Wire Wrapping Tools for Survival
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  • The Perfect Gift for Mom
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  • Free Jewelry Designs for Mother's Day
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  • Use a Little, Use a Lot: Just Use Some Crystal Beads In Your Next Beading Project!
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  • Beads Get Spiritual: All About Buddhist Prayer Beads
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  • Happy Anniversary and a Giveaway!
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  • Great New Stringing Book!
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  • How Is a Seed Bead Pattern Like a Buddhist Sand Mandala?
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  • The Picture Perfect Beading Challenge is Ready!
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  • Jump Start Your Wire Jewelry Skills!
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  • Final Hours to Enter Bead Star 2012!
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  • Free eBook: Learn How to Create Your Own Beaded Jewelry Designs
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  • Watch Beads, Baubles & Jewels Online!
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  • Ideas for Making a Keepsake Necklace
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  • Amazing Ammonites!
    When I was a five-year-old in kindergarten, the teacher went around the room and asked what each of us wanted to be when we grew up. When she came to me, I stood up and proudly said, "I want to be a paleontologist!" What my teacher didn't
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  • Is Anyone Up for a Color Challenge?
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  • Earth Day Projects
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  • How Safe Are Your Beading Tools...Really?
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  • Avant Garde Jewelry
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  • Beadwork, June/July 2012
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  • I Have a Beading Blog: What Do I Write About?
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  • Making Mistakes: How to Correct Five Common Mistakes in Your Beadwork
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  • Social Market for a Mirrix is Back!
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  • Bead Table Wednesday: Beading Outside of My Box
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  • Basic Materials for Seed Beading
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  • Favorite Tips for Using and Caring for Your Pearls
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  • Make a Cabochon Bezel with Right-Angle Weave
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  • Inspired By Cabochons!
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  • Bead Hoard Treasure for April from A Grain of Sand
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  • Handmade Earring Cards
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  • Why Should You Use Right-Angle Weave?
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  • Adventures in Enameling
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  • Do You Kumihimo?
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  • Channel Beads from Nunn Design
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  • Bead Table Wednesday: Enchanted Evenings by Laura Zeiner
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  • Free How-to Videos for Basic Techniques
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  • Start With: A Simple Strip of Peyote Stitch
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  • Crochet Some Jewelry!
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  • Sneak Peek: Handcrafted Jewelry 2012
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  • Beaded Beads for Beadwork Magazine's 15th Anniversary!
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  • Jewelry Inspired by The Hunger Games
    Any Hunger Games fans out there? The throngs of tweens that are flocking to theaters right now aren't the only ones who are excited about this pop-culture phenomenon--jewelry makers all over are creating designs inspired by this story (and they are
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  • Readers Share: Beautiful Beaded Wedding Jewelry
    When my husband and I were planning our wedding, I remember not feeling nervous or jittery at all -- until some very helpful soul said to me, "You know, everyone is going to be watching YOU." I panicked for about thirty seconds before I realized
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  • Shell Pearls from Lima Beads
    Part of my bead stash is one, large drawer that is filled to the brim with strands and small bags of freshwater pearls. Yes, I'm a Pearl Junkie. Stick pearls, baroque pearls, coin pearls, button pearls, potato pearls -- you name it, I have a strand
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  • Share Your Inspiration Boards
    Do you have an inspiration board? Not Pinterest, but somewhere where you physically display items that inspire you? Here's a sneak peek at the bulletin board in my home office/studio where I've posted magazine and catalog pages, postcards, and
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  • Herringbone Stitch: It's Not Just for Beads!
    My first misguided attempts at making a herringbone stitch amulet bag were just plain ugly. But ever since then, I've been enthralled by the lovely pattern and texture of herringbone stitch when it's used in beadwork. Herringbone stitch as defined
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  • Name That Beadwork: Win a Kit of Kabela Metal Findings!
    I don't often work with metal beads and components, so this month's challenge kit from Beadwork magazine was a REAL challenge for me! Give us your best name for this beaded rope necklace! Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win this month's
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  • Lampwork Glass I Love: Evolving Creations Lampwork by Beau and Shani Barrett
    While I was visiting the Best Bead Show in Tucson this year, I happened to see a small booth set up near the entrance to the show, full of some of the most mesmerizing lampwork glass beads that I have ever seen! The young woman behind the counter was
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  • New Bead-Alongs Are Ready!
    It's been a long time coming, and everyone has been very, very patient, and I'm so excited that we now have three new Bead-Alongs ready for the month of April here on Beading Daily ! Bead-Alongs can be fun whether you're beading by yourself
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  • Unique Earring Displays
    It should come as no surprise that I am running out of room to display my ever-growing earring collection. Working on a jewelry magazine has inspired me to make so many pairs that, once again, I am in need of some new storage. I sat down the other day
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  • All Buttoned Up: Use Some Buttons in Your Necklace Making Projects
    My first foray into jewelry-making came when I was five years old. My sister and I would dig through my mother's stash of buttons, selecting the brightly colored plastic and sparkling cut glass buttons to use for necklace making . We strung our button
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  • Enter Your Jewelry Designs in Bead Star 2012!
    You know you're a star...now it's time to make sure the rest of the beading world knows it, too! Beginning on April 1st, 2012, you will be able to enter your jewelry designs in our Bead Star 2012 competition. Read through the official rules for
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  • Bead Soup: How to Make It, How to Use It
    I've always joked with my friends that if this whole beading thing doesn't work out, I'm going to pursue my other passion and open a gourmet vegetarian restaurant. At home, if I'm not playing with my beads, I'm in the kitchen cooking
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  • It's Official: I'm a Bead Hoarder!
    Okay, so I've actually known that I'm a bead hoarder for a really long time now, but my status as bead hoarder has been made official by Suzanne Branca, owner of A Grain of Sand , when she made me a member of her new Bead Hoard Curiosities Club
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  • Beads for March Madness
    Basketball fans, show your spirit! These fun new enameled beads from Detroit-based Collegiate Bead Company feature the school colors from colleges and universities across the country, including your favorite in the Final Four. I'll be honest: I personally
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  • Take Those Seed Bead Patterns and Make Them Your Own!
    Have you ever looked at a seed bead pattern in the pages of a magazine and wondered how you could make it your own? Of course, it's always fun shopping for new beads when you want to make a particular beading project, but that's not always possible
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  • Jewelry Stringing Submissions: Behind the Scenes
    Hard to believe, but while the rest of the world celebrated the first day of spring last week, here at Jewelry Stringing we were busy making selections for our fall issue. As you can see here, every surface was filled with beautiful jewelry. Tabletops
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  • The Gemstones of Spring!
    It's almost spring, when a young beader's thoughts turn lightly to those of...new gemstone beads, of course! Spring is a time of renewal and fresh starts, so take a look through your bead stash and see if you have any of my top picks for the gemstones
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  • Starstruck at Bead Fest Santa Fe
    My first trip to Bead Fest Santa Fe was truly a whirlwind experience. Fellow editor Debbie Blair and I packed as much as we could into our brief time there (check out Debbie's visual re-cap of our trip in her recent blog post ). Between getting to
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  • What Does That Say? Understanding the Lingo of Seed Bead Patterns
    When my sister and I were kids, we assisted my mom when it came time to type up the directions to her knit and crochet projects. We quickly grew accustomed to the abbreviations and terms used in her patterns. How grateful was I when I started working
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  • New Vintaj Patina Ink Kits
    I've always been more of a "natural" girl when it comes to my metal beads, particularly the gorgeous African brass beads that I've discovered in my favorite bead shops the last few years. But the other day as I was shopping online at
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  • Mad Men Inspired Jewelry!
    The wait is over! Season 5 of Mad Men premieres this Sunday. Are you a fan, too? Over the summer, my husband and I caught up on the series, so we're greatly anticipating the return of Don, Betty, Joan, Roger, and the rest of the crew. I admit: I'm
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  • Readers Share: A Bounty of Brick Stitch Projects!
    I've got a soft spot for brick stitch. It was the first beading stitch that I taught myself that I actually understood, and for a while, I made all of my amulet bags with brick stitch instead of peyote! Even after I learned how to love peyote stitch
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  • Snapshots from Bead Fest Santa Fe
    My second trip to Bead Fest Santa Fe over the weekend was just as I had expected it to be. It's always nice to catch up with some of the vendors and bead artists that I deal with in my day-to-day job here at Jewelry Stringing . And who can resist
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  • Things to Bead Around: Large Cabone Rings
    These cabone rings can be found in any craft supply store with the yarn notions and make fabulous focal beads when covered with your favorite beading stitch! I'm a craft store junky. If I have to run into my local bead crafts store to pick up just
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  • Go Behind the Scenes of Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry with Erin Siegel
    Want to open up a whole new world of possibilities in your jewelry making projects? Learning how to use materials like ribbon, cord and leather in your jewelry projects isn't as hard as you might think it is, and it looks oh, so cool! But if you've
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  • Free Travel Friendly Jewelry Project
    No crimping pliers, no wire cutters...no problem ! I ran into a dilemma last week as I was preparing for a weekend trip: I wanted to bring a jewelry project with me to help pass the time during my flight, but knew I wouldn't be able to get any pliers
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  • Free eBook: How to Make Money Selling Your Handmade Beaded Jewelry
    Have you ever imagined what it would be like to earn money doing something you love, like making beaded jewelry? A home based jewelry business is a great way to bring in extra income, and you don't even need to own a gallery or a shop to sell your
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  • Beading With a Buddy for National Craft Month!
    What could be better than beading? Beading with a buddy, of course! I don't have too many opportunities to bead with my friends, but since it's National Craft Month and we're all about Passing On Our Passion this month, I set up a "date"
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  • More Prizes in the Pass On Your Passion Giveaway!
    Yes, that's right: we've decided to add two more prize packages to our Pass On Your Passion Giveaway for National Craft Month! We'll select, at random, two more winners who leave a comment on the original Pass On Your Passion blog and tell
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  • Free Santa Fe Themed Necklace Pattern!
    THIS WEEK STARTS BEAD FEST SANTA FE 2012 . HERE WE COME! Actually, I personally will not be headed to Santa Fe this year. My coworkers Debbie Blair and Chloe Chatenever have been elected to represent the magazine, though I have fond memories of what is
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  • Which Wire Cutters Are Best For Me?
    From Jennifer: A couple of summers ago, I realized that I needed to upgrade my wire jewelry making tools. I had just embarked on a series of projects using beadweaving and wire jewelry making, and as I worked, I realized that my wire cutters, in particular
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  • Celebrate National Craft Month with Mirrix Looms!
    Our friends Claudia and Elena over at Mirrix Looms have a wonderful challenge for anyone who loves to use their beading loom during National Craft Month! Between March 1 and March 31, make as many loom beaded bracelets as you can using your Mirrix beading
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  • Easy Jewelry Projects for Kids
    My daughter is only 3, but how she loves wearing mommy's jewelry! We have a lot of fun crafting together and although she's a little too young to do much more than string a bunch of large-hole beads onto yarn, the day will come when she's
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  • Free Bracelet Making Project: Make a Simple Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet
    I don't often wear bracelets, but I love a good bracelet making project. One of my favorite techniques for bracelet making is bead embroidery using lots of different types of beads and cabochons in all sizes! I used to be of the opinion that bigger
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  • Bead Embroidered Cabochons: Finishing Techniques for Bead Embroidered Cabochons
    Once you have bezeled your cabochon using peyote stitch, you can continue to work bead embroidery around it. Or, if you want a quick and easy focal piece for a beaded necklace or bracelet that combines bead embroidery and beadweaving techniques, you can
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  • Haute Hardware
    The latest handmade jewelry craze? Hardware jewelry! Nuts and washers abound in the latest posts on DIY craft blogs and online creative communities. Eager to get my hands on some hardware to play with, I headed to my local home improvement store last
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  • My First Adventures in Chain Maille!
    Every once in a while, I am assigned a topic to write about here on Beading Daily that pushes the limits of what I know about jewelry-making. This time, it happened to be chain maille. I've never done anything with chain maille, and I was a little
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  • Make a Cool Leather Clasp!
    I think I've mentioned what a big fan I am of the Sundance Catalog . It's a great source for design inspiration. For instance, lately I've noticed that the catalog has featured a lot of designs with leather cord or lace formed into a clasp
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  • National Craft Month Challenge: Making a Color Palette of Beads
    As part of the Fusion Beads National Craft Month Challenge, yesterday's task was to create a color palette. (Or two or three, from what I saw over in the Forums!) I haven't always loved the challenges of working with color when making a new seed
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  • National Craft Month: Pass On Your Passion and Win Some Goodies from Interweave!
    As crafters, why do we love to do what we do? I've met a lot of beaders during the last ten years, and I've even created some new beaders through my beading classes, and they all have one thing in common: they are utterly passionate about beads
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  • Mix It Up a Little with Mixed Media Jewelry Making Techniques
    From Jennifer: When I was in high school, I loved to experiment with making jewelry out of anything I could get my hands on. Paper, clay, buttons, wire, you name it! Before I settled on beads, I thought that I'd be making art jewelry out of all kinds
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  • Free Beading Project: Knotted Freshwater Pearl and Lucite Bead Necklace
    Among the treasures I brought back with me from the Tucson gem and mineral shows were these gorgeous vintage Lucite beads from The Beadin' Path . I love the colors and textures of the vintage Lucite beads, and the deep, rich red and gold swirls of
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  • Pearls We Love: Large Holed Freshwater Pearls
    Yes, you read that right! While I was in Tucson, I started hearing about these wonderful large holed pearls, but never had the chance to find some for myself. Once I got home, I was browsing online at A Grain of Sand and discovered that among their "New
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  • How to Bezel a Cabochon with Peyote Stitch for Bead Embroidery
    I have trust issues with the cabochons I use in my bead embroidery. The first time I tried to use cabochons in my bead embroidery, I just glued them to the bead embroidery backing and started stitching around them. To my surprise and dismay, those cabochons
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  • Make Your Own Pandora-Style Beads!
    Ok, so this may require that you dabble in a medium you have never thought about before, but if you're willing to try your hand at a little polymer clay to make your own large-hole beads, it looks like Sculpey--one of the authorities in polymer clay
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  • Five Secrets for Better Bead Embroidered Cabochons
    Hello, my name is Jennifer VanBenschoten, and I am a cabochon addict. I admitted that fact years ago, although I'm not sure how much it's helped me. My cabochon collection seems to be growing exponentially every year with no end in sight. As long
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  • Work Hard, Play Hard
    "Work hard, play hard" is a phrase that all of us here at Jewelry Stringing try to live by. There is always plenty of work to go around, but we still make time to have a little fun. Even during crunch times, when our to-do lists get lengthy
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  • Beadwork, April/May 2012
    Find 20 inspiring jewelry designs in the April/May 2012 issue of Beadwork. Project techniques range from easy bead crochet and netting to intermediate peyote and right-angle weave. Plus, see Bead #2 in our 15 th Anniversary Beaded Bead contest series and learn 4 ways to create picots.
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  • Captured Crystal Cubes Earrings
    For National Craft Month, I thought I would participate in the Fusion Beads 30 Day National Craft Month Challenge. The Day 1 challenge was, of course, to make a pair of earrings! And I just happened to have a pair of these lovely 14mm Swarovski crystal
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  • What Can You Learn From Our Best Wire Jewelry Making Blogs?
    It never fails to amaze me when I take a look at all the fabulous jewelry making resources available here on Beading Daily and over on Jewelry Making Daily . If you've done some jewelry making, you'll know that there are loads of great free projects
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  • National Craft Month: Fusion Beads 30 Day Challenge
    Today starts National Craft Month! I can't think of a better time to celebrate doing what we love best: beading and jewelry making! This morning, I opened my email to discover an invitation from Fusion Beads to participate in their 30 Day National
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  • Bead Table Wednesday: Downton Abbey-Inspired Beading
    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
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  • Oscars Style Tip: Take a Bow
    Did you watch the Academy Awards this year? Who did you think was best dressed? I vote for Michelle Williams, the My Week with Marilyn actress. I loved her statement-making tomato-red Louis Vuitton dress and the pretty diamond bow pin she wore at her
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  • Why Do You Love Beading?
    Once upon a time, I worked in the field of non-profit community development, grant writing and geographic information systems. I enjoyed the work, but most days I would come home feeling very stressed out and, well, fried. To counteract the stress I felt
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  • Things to Bead Around: Sticks from Lake Champlain
    Do you feel the need to branch out a bit in your beading? Well, all puns aside, my newest beading project obsession is beading around sticks! The beach on Lake Champlain, looking towards Vermont. Photo by Sharon Schenckel. I'm lucky enough that I
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  • Joining the Wrap Bracelet Craze
    If you're like me, you've seen them everywhere --on the arms of celebrities, gracing the pages of Etsy and clothing catalogs--and it looks as though wrap bracelets continue to be one of the hottest trends in jewelry. Last summer, I had the privilege
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  • Chevron Chain Tutorial
    On today's Beading Daily blog, I talked about how I set out to stitch up some Chevron chain but actually wound up doing a version of right-angle weave known as triangle weave. I thought I'd offer a quick Chevron chain tutorial here for you today
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  • Right-Angle Weave: Triangular Right-Angular Weave
    Back in December, I decided to participate in former Beading Daily online editor Michelle Mach's winter snowflake challenge. Michelle offered kits for sale in her online shop that contained some beautiful handmade porcelain components as well as an
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  • Stuff Beaders Say
    "Only four thousand dollars for these crystals? What a deal!" Beads in the refrigerator - again! You might have seen some of these "Stuff People Say" short videos on YouTube and other places around the web, and now, Beadwork magazine
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  • Secrets to Savvy Supplies Shopping
    More and more beaders are choosing to buy their materials online. And since the worldwide web has become a veritable buffet of delectable beads and findings that are sold online, who could blame them? While online shopping will never replace a trip to
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  • Gemstones for 2012: The Year of the Dragon!
    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
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  • Tucson Beading Challenge: Lisa Kan Botanicals Handmade Lampwork Bead
    So there we were, me and Jewelry Making Daily's Tammy Jones at The Best Bead Show in Tucson, Arizona. We happened to stop by and see talented bead artist and lampwork artist Lisa Kan . Tammy's eye went to a tray of beautiful little glass flower
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  • Bead Table Wednesday: Scatterbrained Beads
    I think this winter is finally starting to get to me. We've had lousy conditions for doing any of the fun things that I love to do in the winter up here: it hasn't been cold enough for any serious ice fishing, and there's definitely not enough
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  • Free Polymer Clay Beading Project: Mashed Up Hearts
    Although I've tried my hand at bead making using polymer clay, I've never considered myself to be particularly good at it. Especially after seeing a friend of mine who created an entire Lord of the Rings chess set out of polymer clay -- I just
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  • Mashed Up Hearts Polymer Clay Project: Raku Variation
    If you loved the Mashed Up Hearts project over on our Beading Daily blog, here's a cool variation made to resemble ceramic Raku! Read on to find out how you can win a free kit including a package of Premo! Sculpey clay and the glitters used to create
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  • Beading Business: Three More Tips for Running Your Online Jewelry Shop, Part 2
    Yesterday, I wrote about five tips for setting up your online jewelry business. Once you have your online shop set up and filled with inventory, it's time to manage that inventory effectively so that you get the most out of your online jewelry business
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  • Margie Deeb's Spring 2012 Color Report is Here!
    Winters in my part of the world are long. And cold. When we can get outside and do fun things like ice fishing, skiing or snow shoeing, it's not so bad. But this winter, there's not enough snow to do much of anything, and I'm starting to long
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  • How Color Determines the Mood
    When designing a necklace around a particular focal bead or pendant, how do you decide what color of beads to use? First, you may want to decide what kind of a statement you are trying to make. Choosing one color scheme over another can dramatically alter
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  • Beading Business: Tips for Setting Up and Running Your Online Jewelry Shop, Part 1
    Taking a look at the recent threads in the Beading Daily forums, I see the same question over and over: I just set up my online jewelry shop, but no one is ordering anything from me! What am I doing wrong? It's easy to look at successful sellers on
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  • Fall Colors Are Here Already!
    Yesterday marked the end of another New York Fashion Week. For most people who follow the semi-annual event, Fashion Week is about catwalks, models, and the latest styles from the industry's leading designers. For me, it's about color. Twice a
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  • Bead Crafts: More Than Just Beaded Jewelry!
    Bead crafts have been around for hundreds of years. The first bead crafts were probably related to adorning clothing with thousands of tiny beads, but artists soon discovered that they could use beads to craft other items such as baskets, jars, and ornaments
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  • Fast, Fun & FREE Necklace Project!
    Don't you love these beads?! In my last post , I shared some of my treasures from the Tucson bead shows. One of those treasures was this strand of floral polymer clay beads from Cherry Tree Beads. When I first saw them, I imagined a Wilma Flintstone
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  • Your First Seed Bead Stash: Buying Seed Beads When You're Learning How to Bead
    When I started learning how to bead with seed beads a long, long time ago, I ordered most of my seed beads from a paper catalog. Yes! A paper catalog! I could look through the pages of this catalog and see all the colors of seed beads that were offered
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  • Give Me a Ring
    With Valentine's Day upon us, some of you may be thinking "bling." Well, you don't need Valentine's Day as an excuse to treat yourself or a loved one to a piece of jewelry that you can craft in a matter of minutes! Over the weekend
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  • I Gotta Have That Beading Tool!
    I came home from the Tucson gem, mineral and bead shows with more than just a new stash of beads. I came home with loads of new ideas! One thing is for certain as I look at my new goodies - I need some new beading tools ! I can't wait to start working
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  • Tucson Bead Shows 2012, Day Two!
    My second (and last!) day in Tucson, I had originally planned to hit The Best Bead Show, To Bead True Blue and maybe sneak over to one of the gem and mineral shows, since my son was asking for geodes and green-and-purple rocks.Little did I know what I
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  • Simply Charming
    A part of my job that I really love is that I get to be creative almost every day. I am lucky enough to work with people who know the value of getting your hands dirty every now and then, and we all dedicate ourselves to making time to share our hobbies
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  • Earring-a-Day Challenge Recap: How Many Pairs of Earrings Did You Make?
    Making earrings has never been something I feel I'm particularly good at, so back in 2011, I decided to begin each year with a beading challenge to myself: make a pair of beaded earrings every day for an entire month. It seemed a bit daunting at first
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  • Tucson Treasures: The Year of the Dragon
    Anyone who knows me knows that I've always had a thing for dragons. When the movie How to Train Your Dragon came out, it instantly made it onto my list of favorite movies. Without giving too much away, I loved the way it was all about challenging
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  • Tucson Bead Shows 2012, Day One!
    I was so excited to head to Tucson, Arizona this year for my first-ever experience at the gem, mineral and bead shows! Because it takes me nearly seventeen hours (that's right - seventeen hours!) to get to Tucson from my home in upstate New York,
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  • The Heartbreak of Tucson: Ancient Roman Glass
    As many of you know, this was my first year attending the Tucson shows, and I was so excited! I had heard stories about the amazing bead, gem and mineral shows, and saved my pennies so that I could bring home a healthy supply of beads and treasures for
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  • Buffer That Bead! Protect Your Stringing Material When Using Lampwork Glass Beads
    Nothing gives your beaded necklaces and bracelets a bit of character like a handmade lampwork glass bead . These lovely little bits of glass art come straight from the human imagination, and I love the way they can infuse a beaded necklace design with
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  • Treasures from Tucson!
    The Tucson bead shows are always a blast. A nd this year was no exception. I attended the To Bead True Blue show, the Best Bead show, and the Whole Bead show--a mere sampling of the dozens of bead, gem, and fossil shows that occur every year at this time
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  • Jewelry Stringing, Spring 2012
    Celebrate the coming of spring with Jewelry Stringing Magazine's special color issue! Check out our collection of beaded necklaces, bracelets, and earrings in the seasons hottest hues, then read through our "Spring Into Color" feature for tips on how to incorporate the colors of Pantone's
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  • Not-So-Transparent
    One of the fun things about working on Jewelry Stringing is seeing the variety of materials jewelry designers are using these days. Inspired to create a polymer-clay piece for our mixed-media themed summer issue, I decided to try out Ranger Ink's
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  • Beadwork Origins: Native American Beadwork
    Some of the first beadwork I can remember seeing as a child was Native American beadwork in the collections of our local natural history museum. I was totally captivated by the bright colors of the beads and the intricate patterns that were formed on
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  • Sites for Sore Eyes
    Everyone has their own creative process. Whether you are making a necklace or writing a novel, you probably have your quirky habits that help to put you in the right mindset to create. Maybe taking a run around the block or fixing your favorite snack
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  • Making That Crazy Flat Odd-Count Peyote Stitch Turn
    Each beading stitch has its own intricacies and tricks, and flat odd-count peyote stitch is no different. When mastering this popular beading stitch, you have to learn how to make that tricky little turn at the end of every other row. For some beaders
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  • Baby Loves Those Beaded Necklaces
    Welcome to our new Jewelry Stringing blog. We're excited to start an ongoing conversation with our jewelry-making buddies: you! On our end, you'll be hearing from me, Danielle Fox, editorial director of the bead group at Interweave; Debbie Blair
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  • Name That Beadwork: Win a Kit of Vintage Beads!
    Welcome to the new Beading Challenge blog here on Beading Daily! This is where you'll be able to come up with a name for my Challenge pieces in Beadwork magazine - and win a free beading kit! Come up with a name for this beaded necklace, and you could
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  • The Science Behind the Magic: Jewelry Making with Electroforming
    Denise Peck is the editor of Step By Step Wire Jewelry magazine. A few summers ago while browsing at Bead Fest Philadelphia, I came across an artist who made gorgeous lampwork glass acorn pendants with copper electroformed caps. I bought one of her pendants
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  • Find Your Steampunk Style with Jean Campbell
    Jean Campbell is the founding editor of Beading Daily. From Jennifer: Steampunk is one jewelry-making trend that is not going away anytime soon! And for good reason, too - it's all too easy to get wrapped up in the romantic, funky findings and materials
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  • Finding the Zen in Polymer Clay Beads
    "Know the rules well so you can break them effectively." - HRH the Dalai Lama I have to believe that when the Dalai Lama said this, he was talking about bead making and jewelry making, too. Isn't that what creativity is about? You can't
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  • Work Table Wednesday: Purple Mandala Bead Embroidered Collar
    This week, I'm stitching away on a bead embroidered collar that I want to wear during my trip to the Tucson shows next week! This week, I'm frantically stitching away on a bead embroidered collar in hopes that I will have it finished in time for
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  • The Business of Jewelry: Choosing an Online Marketplace for Selling Your Handmade Beaded Jewelry
    It's important to find the right online marketplace for your jewelry business. If you're ready to expand your jewelry business and start selling your handmade beaded jewelry online, you're in luck: there are more options for selling your jewelry
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  • How to Bead Your Own Jewelry Designs
    The first set of beaded rings came out exactly as I had envisioned them! The second set of beaded rings were destined for my UFO drawer. Oh, well! I have a friend who, as part of her New Year's resolutions, wants to become a beader who "does
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  • New Year's Resolution: Buy More Crystals, Wear More Crystals!
    I've always had an affinity for natural rock crystals. A couple of weeks ago, I sat down and took stock of my beading goals for 2012 with a few New Year's beading resolutions . But then once I started looking over my sketchbooks and designs, I
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  • Work Table Wednesday: Incomplete Beaded Earrings
    This Wednesday, I am frantically trying to get caught up on my Earring-a-Day challenge. Yes, fellow beaders, I got behind over the weekend on my earring making challenge, but at least I have a good reason: we took some time to celebrate my son's fourth
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  • Your First Wire Jewelry Making Project!
    Wire spirals are easy to make and are one of the oldest symbols known to humans. I can still remember my first wire jewelry-making project. I had bought a kit that included a complete set of tools (which I still have and love dearly!), a book about making
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  • Beads I Love: Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads
    As a recovering lampwork glass addict (I still have the torch, the kiln and all the glass in my garage workshop!) I have a soft spot for fabulous handmade lampwork glass beads. At a bead show, my first instinct is to check out which glass bead artists
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  • Beading Book Review: Beading the Creative Spirit by Rev. Wendy Ellsworth
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  • Work Table Wednesday: Bead Embroidered Collar
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  • Beadwork, February/March 2012
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  • Freeform Peyote Stitch: Feels So Wrong, But It's So Right!
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  • Pearls Never Go Out of Style!
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  • Keeping a Sketchbook for Your Beaded Jewelry Designs
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  • Challenge Yourself for the New Year with Variations on Tubular Herringbone Stitch
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  • Learning How to Bead: How to Set Up Your Beading Area
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  • Embellish a Pair of Jeans with Beads!
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  • Beading New Year's Resolutions
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  • Make Bracelets Your Thing in 2012
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  • Explore the Elements of Jewelry Design
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  • Free Beading Project: Crystal Bead Chain
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  • Beaded Chain Jewelry by the Light of the Moon
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  • Beading Business: How to Choose the Right Digital Camera for You
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  • Fashion Colorworks Beading Contest from Zoya Gutina and My Lovely Beads
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  • What's Your Favorite Bead for Jewelry-Making?
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  • Favorite Bead Shops: City Beads
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  • Enhance Your Creativity with Gemstone Beads!
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  • Favorite Bead Shops: York Beads
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  • Chinese Crystal Beads
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  • It's Almost 2012 - Are You Ready for an Earring Making Challenge?
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  • Where to Find Free Beading Patterns on the Internet: About.com Beadwork
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  • Shopping for Beads in New York City!
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  • How to Bead Left Handed
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  • Favorite Bead Shops: Beads on Fifth
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  • Seed Beads We Love: New Twin Two-Holed Seed Beads
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  • Bead Shopping in New York City, Day One: Inspiration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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  • Get Your Sparkle On: Tips for Bead-weaving with Crystals
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  • Gemstone Cabochons: How to Find Hundreds of Interesting (and Affordable) Gemstone Cabochons
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  • Free Beading Patterns: Where to Find Free Beading Patterns on Beading Daily
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  • Beading Business: Expert Advice from Diane Fitzgerald
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  • National Seed Beading Month - How Did You Do?
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  • The Business of Beadwork: Pricing Your Beadwork for Sale
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  • Deck the Halls With...Seed Beads!
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  • Creative Jewelry, 2011
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  • Think You Can't Make Wire Wrapped Beads? Think Again!
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  • Hot Photo Tip of the Day: Crop Your Photos to Get Maximum Detail
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  • Question of the Week: Why Are You Thankful for Your Beads?
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  • Ahead of the Curve: Shaping Your Beadwork for Necklace Making
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  • Great Holiday Gift Ideas for Beaders
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  • Giving Thanks for My Beads!
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  • Beads, 2011
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  • Mixed-Media Jewelry-Making with Resin: Five Things NOT to Do With Resin
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  • Copyright Law, Ethics and Your Beadwork
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  • Bead and String Reference Chart Poster by The Beaded Phoenix
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  • How Do I Cover a Bead with Peyote Stitch?
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  • Bead-weaving as Mindful Meditation - Can Bead-weaving Reduce Stress?
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  • Create Stunning Holiday Jewelry with Expert Advice from Margie Deeb!
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  • The Challenges of Bracelet Making: How to Make Great Beaded Bracelets That Fit!
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  • Six Super Blog Posts from Beading Daily!
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  • Do You Love Bead Embroidery? Here Are Five Free Patterns for Bead Embroidery!
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  • Beading Looms: Mirrix Beading Looms Product Review
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  • Necklace Making: Five Ideas for Designing Beaded Necklaces
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  • Bead Embroidery Supplies: How to Use Brass Bead Embroidery Blanks
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  • The Busy Beader: How to Organize Multiple Beading and Jewelry-Making Projects
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  • The Business of Beadwork: To Sell or Not to Sell?
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  • The Business of Beadwork: Know Your Market
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  • Free Beading Project: Colorful Wire Wrapped and Crystal Earrings!
    This bright and cheerful wire-wrapping, wire-coiling teardrop earring project was designed by Lindsay Burke for Fusion Beads. With the upcoming holiday season, these would look great for all those office parties and family get-togethers on your busy calendar
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  • Project Accessory Bead Along, Week 2: Inspired by Swarovski
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  • Four Fun Ideas for Earring Making!
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  • Mastering Right-Angle Weave with Marcia DeCoster
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  • Beading Supplies I Love: Ceramic Bead Dishes
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  • National Seed Beading Month - Let's Do Some Seed Beading Every Day!
    Dulcey Heller , a Beadwork magazine contributor and beader extraordinaire, mentioned that today begins National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it's known to those who love to write. The concept is that you have the entire month of It would take
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  • What's In a Name? Maybe a Free Beading Kit!
    The piece: a twisted herringbone rope accented with two lush tassels of fringe and a crystal flower centerpiece. Come up with the best name for this piece of beadwork, and you win the beading kit pictured below courtesy of Red Panda Beads! Sometimes I
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  • A Beaded Necklace For Halloween!
    I don't usually go for Halloween jewelry, but these handmade ceramic components from Lisa Peters Art were just too good to pass up! It's no secret that I'm totally addicted to the beautiful handmade ceramic beads and components from Lisa Peters
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  • Successful Etsy Sellers Share Their Beadwork Photography Tips
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  • Project Accessory: Bead Fearlessly!
    Dangles from an old crystal chandelier make the perfect accent for a braided necklace and belt! You might not believe this, but she's using match sticks to create a necklace! Some of us around here at Interweave were so excited by the new Project
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  • Beads Plus Fibers Equals Fun!
    My little Mirrix bead and tapestry loom is a far cry from the huge floor loom my mom had when I was a kid, but it makes weaving so much fun! My mom had a floor loom for weaving fibers when I was a kid, and the thing was a monster. I can remember on more
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  • What Can You Learn From Beadwork Magazine's Designers of the Year?
    Beadwork magazine chooses some pretty amazing beadweaving artists to feature as their Designers of the Year. These artists teach internationally and are known for both their gorgeous beaded jewelry designs and their innovative uses of traditional off
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  • Choosing the Perfect Name For Your Beadwork
    Naming my beadwork is probably the hardest part of the whole process for me. A good name can mean so much when you are trying to convey an idea or a concept through a piece of beadwork or beaded jewelry. To me, choosing a good name for a piece of beadwork
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  • Anyone Can Make Silver Jewelry - Really!
    Tammy Jones is the online editor of Jewelry Making Daily . From Jennifer: The closest I ever came to making silver jewelry was the time I decided to take a class in making sterling silver beads, but had to back out at the last minute because I couldn't
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  • How Do I Master Beadweaving Stitches?
    When my friend came over to bead the other day, she asked me a very good question : How do I get to be fluent in a lot of different beadweaving stitches? She asked me a great question. It's nice to be comfortable enough with all of the major beadweaving
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  • My Color Journey with Margie Deeb
    This was the very first time I had to create a color wheel by myself! Margie gave me easy exercises to do that helped me become more comfortable using light, pastel colors. Then the fun came when I got to put together my own color palettes based on my
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  • Beading Challenges: Are You Ready For a Challenge?
    Look at all the goodies in this beading challenge kit from The Hole Bead Shop ! I was lucky to snag one! I can still remember my first beading challenge. I was still a relatively new beader, and I had only recently mastered peyote stitch. The owners of
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  • Four Free Steampunk Jewelry Making Projects!
    What is steampunk? Steampunk is a style that can be characterized as romantic yet edgy; industrial but artistic. Steampunk is the combination of your favorite science fiction book and your favorite romance novel with equal parts metal and lace. Steampunk
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  • Discovering the Treasure in Failure with Guest Artist Margie Deeb
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  • Beading For a Cure
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  • How to Mark Your Place in a Peyote Stitch Pattern Plus a New eMag!
    Last time I was talking to you about peyote-stitch patterns, we were talking about the best way to learn how to read a peyote-stitch pattern. Reading a peyote-stitch pattern can be made so much easier if you have a firm understanding of the basic mechanics
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  • Seed Bead Storage: Bead Tubes or Bead Boxes?
    A couple of my favorite seed bead storage solutions for tubes of seed beads. Back when I was still a baby beader, I ordered my seed beads from a paper catalog. (Wow. Imagine that!) The seed beads arrived in a small box, neatly packaged in plastic tubes
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  • Free Project: Fabric Beads Make Fun Embellishments!
    From Jennifer: I love making my own beads out of just about anything. Earlier this summer, I started making fabric flowers that I turned into focal beads, and of course, embellished to within an inch of their lives with other beads. Cate Prato, our wonderfully
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  • Modern Beaded Necklaces from Ancient Designs
    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
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  • LOVELY LEAVES
    Beautiful blooming spring to fabulous fall foilage. Lovely Leaves are always on our minds. Loopy Leaf Slide Cascading Leaves Leaf Link Bracelet and Earrings by Dottie Hoeschen by Cheron Gelber by Jane Dickerson Tatted Leaves Bracelet Tree Of Life Turquoise
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  • Beads Fit for a Queen: The Mystique of Freshwater Pearl Beads
    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
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  • Beading Kits: Love 'Em or Leave 'Em?
    The packaging for one of the very first beading kits I ever bought, circa 2000. I can still remember the first beading kit I ever bought. It was for a pair of fringed brick-stitch earrings that looked like shooting stars. The beaded earrings were big
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  • AHH-INSPIRING AUTUMN
    We know you are gonna fall (and fall hard) for these awesomely autumn projects! Topaz Riches Ruby Starburst Choker Red Tube Necklace and Bracelet by Linda Gettings by Barbara Grainger by Nancie M. Wiseman Perfect Red Swinging Starlets Autumn Drops by
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  • PUT A BIRD ON IT!
    Who's crazy about feathery friends? That would be us AND we bet you'll be jumping on the trendy bandwagon soon enough. Sakura Nesting Eye of the Peacock Lariat by Kelley Angeley by Michelle Mach by Kerrie Slade Three Little Birds Chirp-Chirp Who
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  • PEYOTE-LICIOUS
    Pump, pump, pump it up! Pump up your peyote stitch! Nola Bracelet Peyote Sunburst Bracelet Squared by Nancy Zellers by Jennifer VanBenschoten by Diane Hertzler Patchwork Paradise Pearly Mosaic Peekaboo Bangle by Marilyn T. Aronson by Lisa Kan by Nancy
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  • What Drives You to Create?
    From Jennifer: I'm always fascinated by the process behind making art. The need to make art is so mysterious and so human that I want to find out from other artists what's behind their call to create. Helen Driggs, the managing editor of Lapidary
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  • The First Beading Daily Bead Along: Wrap Up and a Giveaway!
    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
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  • THOSE are Beading Supplies?
    Yep, we beaders are definitely a creative and thrifty bunch. When it comes to our beading supplies, there are lots of items that we "borrow" from other crafts that work just as well when it comes to our beloved beads! Recently, I discovered
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  • Do You Want to See Your Original Design in Beadwork Magazine?
    My Victorian Infinity Necklace was the first original beading project I ever had published in Beadwork magazine! Did you know that Beadwork magazine is celebrating fifteen years of fabulous beading and beaded jewelry designs? I can hardly believe it!
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  • Free Beading Project: Storyteller Beaded Necklace
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  • Do Your Beads Tell a Story?
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  • What Do You Do With Your Leftover Beads?
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  • 10,000 Fans on Facebook and a Big Giveaway!
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  • How to Read a Peyote Stitch Pattern
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  • Jewelry Stringing, Winter 2011
    Looking for a special gift for someone special? Look no further . In Stringing Winter 2011, you'll find an expanded shopping guide with 16 of our favorite jewelry-making staples this season. Whether you are attending elegant holiday parties or wanting to turn heads on New Year's Eve, you'll
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  • Discover the Magic of Handmade Beads with a Free eBook!
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  • Beadwork, December 2011/ January 2012
    Celebrate the 15th Anniversary with the December/January issue of Beadwork magazine!
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  • Stringing Fall 2011
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  • 101 Bracelets, Necklaces, and Earrings 2011
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  • GLAMOROUS
    Go on, glam it up! Hit this fall season with super stylish (and stunning) jewelry designs! Little Black Dress Earrings Gold Glamour Netted Jewel Earrings by Marcia DeCoster by Kristy Abner by Amy Haftkowcz Baroque Earrings Glamour Girl Necklace Nice Rock
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  • No Clasp? No Problem!
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  • Stringing, Summer 2011
    Get great ideas for hot jewelry designs in Stringing Summer 2011! Packed with 70 beaded bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, this issue is brimming with inspiration. NEW THIS ISSUE is our thematic organization of projects. You'll want to check out Toggled Treasures (projects that use a toggle clasp
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  • Use Mixed Media Techniques to Make Your Handmade Jewelry Stand Out
    Let's face it: selling beadwork and beaded jewelry can be a tough business. Go to any craft show and look at just how many vendors are selling jewelry. You'll find that there are more and more jewelry vendors selling all kinds of handmade jewelry
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  • Embellish Your Viking Knit Chain with Beadwork!
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  • Stringing, Spring 2011
    We're sure you'll be inspired by the 31 beaded necklaces featured in this project-rich magazine. All come with thorough step-by-step instructions so it's easy to recreate the best looks yourself. Short on time but high on creativity? Check out our feature about the best jewelry-making shortcuts
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  • Beading Instructions: Double St. Petersburg Chain Tutorial
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  • The Secret for Perfect-Fit Peyote Stitch Bezels? Brick Stitch!
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  • Don't Be Intimidated by Color: Easy Steps to Harnessing the Power of Color
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  • 5 Tips for Getting Started with Wire
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  • Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party
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  • Editor's Picks: Top 5 Resources to Teach Yourself How to Do Beadwork
    I've always been one of those "do it yourself" kind of people, particularly when it comes to crafting. I think it must run in my family because my grandmother, who never used any kind of books or patterns for her crochet, made beautiful
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  • A Special Connection with Crochet Traditions Magazine
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  • Practice Your Basic Beading Skills With These Great Beading Projects
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  • Beading Thread I Love - Colored Fireline from Sparkle Spot Bead Shop
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  • Finding the Time to Bead: 5 Tips for Time Management
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  • Alternative (and Affordable!) Gemstones for Your Jewelry-Making Projects!
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  • Question of the Week: What is Your Must-Have Beading Tool?
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  • Get Caught Up in Beaded Netting
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  • Handcut Gemstone Cabochons from Sheila Hoag of Tradewinds Studios
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  • 5 Tips for Learning a New Beading Stitch
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  • It's the Perfect Time to Learn About Wire!
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  • Question of the Week: Advice for Beaders
    I discovered beading while my husband and I were living in a tiny apartment in Lake Placid, N.Y. I was still a college student, finishing up my degree in environmental science, and working as an intern in a small not-for-profit community development organization
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  • Free Beading Project: Renaissance Diamond Chain Collar
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  • Bead Pick from Jewelry Making Daily's Tammy Jones: Glinter Silver Beads
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  • Handcrafted Jewelry, 2011
    Need a little spice in your life? Look no further. Mixed media (and Handcrafted Jewelry 2011) is all you’ve been waiting for and more. Discover 22 brand-new jewelry designs using simple techniques and fabulous materials!
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  • Bead Along with Beading Daily: Getting Started with Beaded Netting
    So by now, I hope that you have all figured out what colors and materials you are going to use for making Linda Richmond's Net Full of Gems necklace for our first Bead Along! I've decided to use some white Howlite chips and some gunmetal lined
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  • Creative Jewelry, 2010
    Whip up a whole new jewelry collection in minutes with 135 fast and easy designs in the new edition of the best-selling special issue Creative Jewelry 2010. Creative Jewelry 2010 is packed with 148 pages of amazing designs in wire-wrapping, stringing, and more from the trusted experts at Stringing and
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  • Making Color Palettes for Your Focal Beads
    One of the challenges of working with handmade focal beads and cabochons is picking out which beads will go with it to create a harmonious color palette. There needs to be a balance between the main colors in the focal bead or cabochon and the accent
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  • Get Creative with Chain in Your Beading Projects
    I'm probably not the first person to mix chain and bead embroidery, but I certainly love it! I think the first time I saw chain and bead embroidery mixed together, it was in some of Diane Hyde's amazing Bead Punk pieces . I was totally inspired
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  • A Look at the Bead Fair in Hamburg, Germany with Guest Blogger Kerrie Slade
    A note from Jennifer: Kerrie Slade is a frequent contributor to Beadwork magazine, and is a member of our panel of artists and experts for our Question of the Week feature here on Beading Daily. Kerrie lives in Mansfield, England and recently had the
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  • Question of the Week: What's Your Favorite Type of Jewelry to Make?
    When I first started beading, all I made was amulet bags. This was back in 1999, and everywhere you looked beadweavers were creating beautiful, over-the-top beadwoven amulet bags. Sometimes I would make a pair of earrings to match a particular bag, but
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  • There's a New Guide in Town!
    Those of you who remember me from my days as the Guide to Beadwork on About.com will be happy to know that there is a new Guide for the site, and she's already been busy blogging and designing free patterns! Chris Franchetti Michaels , the author
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  • Get the Best of Both Worlds With an eMag
    Watch and learn exciting new jewelry-making techniques with Handcrafted Jewelry Studio eMag Living in a rural part of New York, I love how I can download a video or a digital magazine and start learning a new jewelry making technique almost instantly
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  • A Bouquet of French Beaded Flowers for a Wedding
    When I got married, I had to make sure that beads were a part of our special day! When my husband and I were planning our wedding back in 2003, I wanted beads to play a big part in our special day. I had planned on making the jewelry for my bridesmaids
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  • Beading Projects That Will Take Your Breath Away
    I love the days when I get the newest issue of Beadwork magazine. Those are the days when I treat myself to a cup of tea or hot chocolate, something yummy to eat, and I let myself take a couple of hours to kick back and read that magazine from cover to
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  • Bead Along with Beading Daily!
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  • The Peyote Stitch Patterns of Carol Dean Sharpe: Inspiration is Everywhere
    A note from Jennifer: There are two kinds of beading pattern designers in this world: those who can create gorgeous flat peyote patterns and those who can't. Carol Dean Sharpe, owner of Sand Fibers , is definitely one of those who can. Carole's
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  • Throw a Jewelry Making Party with Danielle Fox and Debbie Blair!
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  • Question of the Week: How Do You "Recharge" Your Creativity?
    As much as we all love beads and are constantly inspired by them, sometimes it helps to take a little creative break and step away from the beads (and the computer!) for a while. I practice yoga every morning before breakfast, and my morning stretches
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  • Learn Herringbone Stitch with Melinda Barta
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  • Bead Crochet - How Do You Start Your Bead Crochet Ropes?
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  • Look What You Can Do With Beaded Leaves!
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  • Question of the Week: What First Attracted You to Beads and Beadwork?
    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
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  • Free Beading Pattern - Diamond Chain Bracelet
    I can't remember where I first learned this diamond chain stitch, but I love it! It's so easy and so versatile that you can work it up with pretty much any beads you happen to have around. It's fast, too - it only took me about an hour to
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  • 5 Tips for Buying Beads at a Bead Show
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  • Tips for Traveling With Your Beads
    My well-loved soft tacklebox is perfect for carrying lots of beads to shows and classes. It's summer, and that means that lots of people are hitting the road for a vacation. I'll be packing up my beads and heading to a couple of beading classes
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  • Tips for Etching on Copper from Lexi Erickson
    I'll be the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about working with metal when it comes to jewelry making, but making metal jewelry has always intrigued me. I can remember when I was in college watching with envy as my friends who were art
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  • 5 Tips for Better Beading Classes
    There's nothing more uplifting for me than to spend an afternoon or a day in a beading class, surrounded by like-minded people who are there to have fun, learn something new, and take home a fabulous piece of beaded jewelry. And if you're heading
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  • Question of the Week: What Does Your Beading Space Look Like?
    Last week, I shared some pictures and a little story about how my husband and I have begun our transformation of our basement back into a beading studio and office for me after our problems with flooding this spring. And I have to admit, now that we've
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  • Pliers and Needles and Threads, Oh, My!
    I have just as many drawers full of stringing wire, beading pliers, findings, and beading thread as I do drawers full of beads! Some days, it seems like every beading project that I make requires its own set of beading tools and jewelry-making supplies
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  • Beadwork Projects Inspired by Vintage Jewelry Pieces
    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
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  • Unique Uses for Wire Dangles in Your Beadweaving Projects
    My "Hypnotize Me" bead embroidered pendant uses wire wrapped dangles as fringe. How easy is this? Take a couple of beads and string them on a head pin. Make a wrapped loop, and you've got one of the most versatile components for jewelry
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  • Best of Step by Step Beads, 2010
    Now you can create all of the most popular projects from Step by Step Beads magazine in the new ultimate collector's edition Best of Step by Step Beads -available for the first time! Packed with tons of easy-to-follow illustrations and colorful photos, Best of Step by Step Beads shows new beaders
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  • Taming My Bead Stash
    When our basement flooded, my beads sought refuge on top of the radiator! My beads are in need of a really good re-organization, and I'm sure that you'll agree after you read this! For years, I've been accumulating beads and findings and fibers
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  • Tips for Perfect Crimps
    I've seen some pretty bad crimping jobs since I started making beaded jewelry. My own first crimps were pretty darn bad, too. I used the wrong kind of crimp, and I never used a crimping pliers. (I didn't even know what a pair of crimping pliers
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  • Tammy Jones' Top Picks for Gorgeous Resin Earring Projects
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  • What Are Your Favorite Colors for Beading Projects?
    Once upon a time, I was totally baffled by color when it came to selecting beads for my beading projects. I would choose colors for a project based on what I liked from my bead stash - sometimes it would work, and sometimes it would be a total disaster
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  • Free Beading Project: Pearl Embellished Peyote Stitch Beaded Bead
    I love making peyote-stitch beaded beads. Not only are they simple and fast, but it's also so easy to think up ways to embellish them! These freshwater pearl-embellished beaded beads were inspired by the Lisa Peters Art focal bead that I had in my
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  • What's Better Than Six Beaded Earring Projects? Six FREE Beaded Earring Projects!
    Beaded earrings don't have to match a bracelet or a necklace. In fact, when I wear earrings I prefer them to be statements all by themselves. Beaded earrings are like little miniature works of beadwoven art. And once you get started, they really are
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  • Designer's Workpads Beading Mats Soon to Be Discontinued
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  • The (Not So) Humble Peyote Stitch Beaded Bead
    How easy is this? Make a small piece of peyote stitch beadwork. Make sure the ends mesh with each other and then zip it up. You have just created what might be the most versatile piece of beadwork known to humankind: the peyote stitch beaded bead. You
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  • The String Me Along Beading Mat and Project Organizer
    Among some of my most important beading supplies are my many beading mats. Having a good work surface can make all the difference when you're working on a complex beading project, so I usually have three or four different types of beading mats in
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  • Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Wire Jewelry...
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  • Question of the Week: What's Your Favorite Source of Inspiration?
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  • Free Beading Project: Banded Flat Herringbone Bracelet
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  • All Tied Up in Knots: 3 Tips for Tying Ornamental Knots
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  • What's Not to Love About Lucite Beads?
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  • Handmade Ceramic Beads and Cabochons to Heat Up Your Summer Jewelry-Making Designs
    A few years ago, I saw some of my beady friends on Facebook creating the most marvelous beaded pendants and cuff bracelets with handmade ceramic cabochons. Up until then, I had only ever used gemstones for my bead embroidered pieces, and these handmade
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  • Flat Herringbone Stitch with a Traditional Start
    Pretty much every single flat herringbone stitch project that I've seen has a ladder stitch start to it, so I was eager to learn this method for starting flat herringbone stitch. Instead of beginning with a ladder, your herringbone stitch will begin
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  • Bead Emergency!
    Wild optimism made me think that one strand of keishi pearls would be enough to complete an embellished spiral rope necklace. I fell in love with these silvery-green keishi pearls the moment I saw them on the Lima Beads website . I'm a sucker for
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  • Enjoying My Summer, One Bead at a Time!
    Summers here in the Adirondack Mountains can be hot. Maybe it's just because we're all so used to spending four or five months dealing with sub-zero temperatures, but as soon as the mercury rises, all I can think about is sitting in the pool and
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  • Question of the Week: What's Your Favorite New Beading Product?
    It seems like every time I turn around, there's a new bead, beading supply or beading tool available at shows and online. I thought I'd ask our panel of experts and artists what their favorite new beading product was. Carol Dean Sharpe: I am completely
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  • Free Project Friday: Jazzy Herringbone Bracelet
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  • 5 Tips for Clearing the Clutter from Your Beading Studio
    I don't necessarily like clutter, even though clutter is sometimes a necessary part of my creative process. Keeping clutter under control can be a challenge for someone like me who lives in a small house. (It's hard enough keeping my son's
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  • Make a Personal Jewelry Statement with Bracelets
    One of two bracelets I made the summer that my mom passed away. Bracelets are a great way to make a very personal statement with your own handmade jewelry! Summer of 2008 was hard for my family. I was adjusting to being a new mom. I was venturing out
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  • Ask the Expert: Seed Bead Finishes Part 2 with Guest Blogger Beki Haley
    Welcome back! In yesterday's post, we talked about metallic and galvanized seed beads. Today, we'll discuss the new hybrid seed beads from Toho, dyed seed beads, and ways to prolong the life of your metallic and coated seed beads. Permanent galvanized
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  • Amazing Beaded Earrings and a Creative Challenge
    A sampling of the earrings I made during my self-imposed creative challenge: create a pair of earrings every day for an entire month! I don't often wear earrings. Part of that comes from a habit I got into after my son was born - it's just not
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  • Ask the Expert: Seed Bead Finishes Part 1 with Guest Blogger Beki Haley
    14k yellow gold metallic seed beads 24k white gold metallic seed beads Metallic bronze seed beads We are incredibly lucky to be beaders at this time in the history of the seed bead. We are constantly being offered new shapes, sizes, colors, and finishes
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  • New Feature on Beading Daily: Question of the Week
    Welcome to a new feature on Beading Daily : the Question of the Week! I've assembled a panel of some very talented and well-known bead artists, and every week they'll be answering a question about beads, beadwork or anything related to jewelry
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  • Five Tips for Better Peyote Stitch Bezels
    I had an idea once for a piece of beaded jewelry. It was based on a piece that I had seen in an online auction catalog from one of the big auction houses, and it was a gorgeous diamond and enamel necklace from the early part of the twentieth century.
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  • Spice Up Your Summer with Free Gemstone Beading Projects!
    Human beings have prized gemstones for hundreds of years. In addition to their natural beauty, gemstones have also been coveted for their perceived mystic powers. Gemstones are believed to help heal, bring good luck and fortune, and enhance the abilities
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  • Jean Campbell Answers Your Questions About Being a Beadwork Magazine Designer of the Year
    If you're a regular subscriber to Beadwork magazine, then you're probably familiar with the Designers of the Year. Every year, Beadwork chooses four top beadwork designers and features brand new projects by each of them for an entire year. Some
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  • Easy Ways to Make Your Own Clasps with Wire
    The recent price increase for sterling silver really hit me the last time I put together an order for sterling silver clasps and findings. It made me nervous to think that I was going to eventually have to pass on that price increase to my customers,
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  • Interesting Bead Trivia and a Resource for the Rest of Us
    One of the reasons why I love beads and beadweaving and bead stitching and bead stringing (I'll quit while I'm ahead) is the long history behind beads and beadweaving. Beads are endlessly fascinating, and the stories behind the beads themselves
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  • Help for Getting Out of a Bead Weaving Rut
    With all of the different bead weaving stitches, techniques and beads out there you might think that one would never get bored with bead weaving. But yes, even those of us who love and make our living with bead weaving get bored once in a while. You find
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  • Beading Threads - Why (I Hope) Nymo Beading Thread Will Never Go Away
    In the beginning, there were seed beads. And the seed beads were good. As a matter of fact, the seed beads were great. And they were numerous - so many colors and finishes and sizes of seed beads to choose from! A new beader (me) quickly fell to the spell
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  • BeadBacking for Bead Embroidery
    Nicole's BeadBacking in an assortment of colors If you love to do bead embroidery, I've just discovered a bead backing that beats out everything else I've ever used: Nicole's BeadBacking. This bead embroidery medium was developed by bead
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  • Easy European 4-in-1 Chain Maille Technique
    Perhaps it's my inner ADD child, or maybe it's just part of being a creative person, but I get sidetracked very easily. For example, I was tech editing Lynn Davy's project for the October/November 2011 issue of Beadwork magazine last week
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  • Making Waves with Herringbone Stitch, Part 2: Elegant Undulations
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  • How to Design Asymmetrical Earrings
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  • Use Peyote Stitch and Herringbone Stitch to Make a Triangle-Shaped Cabochon Bezel
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  • Professional Finishing Techniques for Pearl Knotting
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  • Beadwork, October/November 2011
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  • Free Resin Jewelry Making Video
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  • How to Use a Screw Punch
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  • Our Top 3 Beading Library Essentials
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  • Beadwork, August/September 2011
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  • Shhh, Don’t tell . . . Jewelry-Making Secrets from Kristal and Marlene’s DVD
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  • Indulge Yourself with Favorite Bead Stitches
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  • Six Steps to Perfect Wrapped Loops
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  • Super Beadwork, June/July 2011
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  • Get a Jumpstart on Bead Studio Spring Cleaning
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  • Beaded Cake Boss
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  • Kristal Wick's Bon Voyage Giveaway!
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  • More Waves With Sharilyn Miller’s Wire Art Jewelry Workshop
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  • New Free eBook: 4 Free Native American Beadwork Patterns Plus Bonus guide!
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  • Lucky Beading Giveaway Winners Announced
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  • 3 Easy Ways to Hang a Pendant
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  • BEADY BLESSINGS!!!
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  • Go from Macaroni to Marvelous Jewelry with a Beadwork Back Issue Sale
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  • Beady Giveaway!
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  • Finding Inspiration From Your Favorite Jewelry Designers
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  • Denise Peck's Red Carpet Jewelry
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  • Match Pantone's Spring Colors to Your Bead Stash
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  • Bead Bowl 2011: Top 5 Tips for Entering Jewelry Contests
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  • 5 Steps for Planning Your Next Jewelry-Making Staycation
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  • How To Bead A Peyote-Stitch Ruffle in 5 Easy Steps
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  • 5 Steps to Jewelry Making On The Go
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  • 4 Easy Knots to Pair with Bead Stringing Designs
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  • Celebrating 2011 with Enough-ness
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  • The Best of Stringing, 2009
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  • 5 Days Left in 2010: 5 Minute Jewerly Making
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  • Terrifically Taken with Totally Twisted Designs
    With tomorrow being the big Ho, Ho, Ho, I know many of you are wiped out from the malls and wrapping gifts for tomorrow’s big hoopla and social activities. I have a big holiday party and need some new jewelry (need or want? It’s a relative
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  • Dear Santa P.S.
    Kristal Wick is the editor of Beading Daily Dear Santa, I also want this! Pretty Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeze... ArtBeads is giving away a FREE iPad! http://www.artbeads.com/ipad-giveaway.html?cmp=smfb-ipad2-1217f Come bead with me! Creatively,
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    Kristal Wick is the editor of Beading Daily If you are in the Plantation FL area on December 17, stop by Amy's Beads at 220 S University Drive at 7 pm for the launch party of Susan J. Lewis' two new DVDs, Exploring Metal Clay Basics and Exploring
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  • Start Wireweaving, One Careful Step at a Time
    Learn the basics to get started wireweaving
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    Kristal Wick is the editor of Beading Daily I've been lucky enough to make the annual trek to Tucson's winter gem and mineral mania for many years now-first as a vendor selling my fabric beads before I was "discovered" in my booth by
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  • Try This Easy Chain Mail Technique
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  • Fast Gift Idea: Easy End Cone Earrings
    Oh no! It’s (insert impending occasion: Mother’s Day, graduation, my BF’s birthday) and I still haven’t made a gift yet! That thought used to send panic through my veins, but not any more. I can whip up some earrings pretty instantly now, but I have a secret ingredient which makes
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  • Flower Jewelry from Beading Daily Members
    Florals are sprouting up on every runway this spring, according to all the fashionistas. From dainty, flowery prints to bold blossoms, flower power is back in style on dresses, tops, and accessories. So what do you make to be in vogue this Spring? Beading Daily members are clearly inspired by garden
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  • Give Pearls a Try: 8 Popular Shapes for Modern Style
    I was just doing a little spring cleaning and ran across my mom’s jewelry box. It’s filled with what you might expect in a box circa 1958: elegant enamel and crystal brooches, Bakelite bracelets, bold glass cabochon earrings, and a few single-strand pearl necklaces. The pearl necklaces made
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  • 9 Perfect Jewelry Designs for Mom
    Make it for Mother Mother is a verb as well as a noun, just like the word bead. Anyone can mother another person (or pet), even guys. Mothering is layered with many activities: caregiver, friend, doctor, financial adviser, banker, chauffeur, maid, event
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  • Free Wire-Hoop Earring Project: Easier than Ever!
    Hard-wired history– We’re lucky to be jewelry artists today. Anything we want is so readily available. I wonder what artisans had to endure B.C. (before computers!) to get their materials, let alone get materials ready-to-use. Take wire, for
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  • How to Find Just the Beads You Need
    Shopping for beads– There’s a big retail chain store headquartered near my home. A couple years ago I went into this store with a long list of things I needed for my office. I had no idea where to begin shopping, but apparently the store was
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  • Earth Day Inspiration: the Jewelry of Kate McKinnon
    Art from nature– Mother Nature is a master architect. From microscopic cells to monumental canyons, from stones to feathers, Her work is astonishing. Her children are architects, too; think of birds’ nests and honeycombs. Mother Nature is
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  • Treat Yourself to a Bead Retreat
    Making a getaway– Your sister doesn’t know what a jump ring is. Your mom thinks you’ll ruin your eyes sewing such tiny beads. And your neighbors whisper about you, wondering why your kitchen light burns into the wee hours. "What
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  • Indulge in 5 Creative Gifts for Yourself
    To-do for you– Like many of you out there, my to-do list is very long and complicated. So much so, actually, that I’ll admit I have a second to-do list that prioritizes the first to-do list. And like Pavlov’s dog, when I cross something
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  • Try Something New: Combine Beads and Art Quilting
    Many of us on Beading Daily have a creative history that includes fabric and fiber arts. Here to tempt us to bring fabric and beadwork together is Pokey Bolton, Editorial Director for Quilting Arts, with some enticing examples of beaded art fabrics. Please
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  • 10 Tips for Fusing with a Micro-Torch
    Get started in a hot jewelry-making trend! So many of today’s stylish jewelry designs seem to include more metal, wire, and chain, so chances are you’ll be tempted to learn to use a torch. Do you have a bit of anxiety about using a flame?
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  • Learn to Master Thin Wire
    Don't sweat the small stuff- I know many people who can’t imagine working in the scale we do as jewelry makers. You know, the type of person who’s more comfortable with tongs than tweezers. They couldn’t imagine twisting a tiny wire