Beading Arts

Celtic Knots for Beaded Jewellery Suzen Millodot is the author of this gorgeous book. She has created jewelry from real three-dimensional Celtic knots, embellished with beads and pendants. Suzen demonstrates techniques such as button and braid knots, plaits and Turk’s Head knots and shows how to use them to make eighteen different projects, including necklaces, bracelets, rings, brooches and earrings. Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

The Art of Jewelry: Wood I made this necklace all the way back in February, specifically for Terry Taylor’s new book on wood jewelry, published by Lark. It features vintage rulers and yardsticks, and little wood-related images and definitions from a vintage dictionary. When I received my contributor’s copy of this book, I was mesmerized…I never would have imagined all the different styles of wearables that can be achieved with wood. Carved wood, turned, inlaid, found objects, just on and on. The book is gorgeous, and I am extremely proud to have a project included in it! Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

  Artist: Leah Hitchcock-Ybarra Business name: Michon Location: Berkeley, CA Website & Blogs: Michon Designs Michon Design blog LeahMichon on myspace 365 Pendants Michon on Etsy How do you describe your work, Leah? My work is very freeform and has often been described as “organic”. I love pearls and flowing designs that have a natural looking assymetry. I would say my signature style is freeform pendants made from silver and pearls, but I also like to experiment with different materials and techniques. Besides pearls, I use a variety of semiprecious stones in my work, and I have a line of resin pendants with found objects embedded in them, as well as a line of picture pendants that incorporate images from my husband, Chris Ybarra’s, acrylic paintings. I chose Michon as my business name because it’s my middle name, and I’ve always liked it. I think I had named my business before I was even sure I wanted to have a jewelry business. What is your creative process like

The pin shown below, Elegant Sparkles , is really easy to make, especially if you start with a pre-formed pin with drop loops. It’s certainly possible to fabricate your own pin, or to twist one up with sterling silver wire, but if time is limied and you’d like to make some fast a easy gifts for the holidays, starting with a pre-made pin form is NOT cheating. Really. It isn’t. I got my pin form from Rings & Things . Besides that, I used a couple of Bali silver beads, vintage rhinestone ball beads, and several different sizes of vintage crystals with an aurora borealis finish. You will also need silver-colored beading wire, size #1 and #2 silver crimps, and a couple of tools: wire cutters, flat nose pliers, and a ruler. That’s about it! 1. Cut 2 pieces of wire to 2 inches long each. Cut 2 pieces to 3 inches long each. Cut 1 piece to 4 inches long. 2. Attach each piece of wire to a drop loop using a #2 crimp. Fold the wire in half (or into unequal “halves” if you prefer), feed it

My Name is Penny Mae Purdie and I live in Mackay, Queensland….Australia. At present I have one website,  Penny Purdie . My eldest son is working on another site for me, he is at Griffith University studying this very subject in Brisbane. Family and friends ask is there anything I haven’t tried when it comes to being creative with your hands. I have done alot of different things but the ones that have really clicked with me are Jewellery Making and Silk Painting. It started with Sewing then came Fabric Painting, Folk Art Painting, Decoupage, Paper Tole, Mosaic, Silk Painting (which is so stunning with its colours and feel), Glass and Ceramic Painting, then the greatest Jewellery. Never thought I would be a teacher though, after learning with my Silk Painting Teacher for more than a year she announced she was leaving town and wanted to know if I would take over the classes. My answer was no, that I could not see myself ever teaching, I just wasn’t confident enough. Then our kid

The Art of Bead Embroidery I received my copy of The Art of Bead Embroidery , co-written by Heidi Kummli and Sherry Serafini, and I just immediately fell right into it. Honestly, I did not learn as much from this book as I have from several other embroidery books, but it was highly inspiring. I was intrigued by how much variation in looks can be achieved by the use of only a few different stitches. I was also inspired to think about adding fringe to some of my pieces…ok, well, probably not. I love the way Heidi and Sherry’s pieces look with all the fringe, but I am just not a fringe type of girl. I add fringe to almost nothing, and it’s pretty likely to stay that way. But boy, is it ever pretty! Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Often times, the jewelry pieces that I admire most are the ones that use the artist’s own handmade beads. Nothing else will ever be exactly like that piece. If you want to make true one-of-a-kinds, you should probably think about learning to make your own beads and findings. We’ll just cover the beads today. Here’s a list of links to sites that cover lampworking, clay, paper, wire, and much more! Lampworking ~ the allure of the flame Schermobeads An excellently photographed introduction to the steps involved in making lampworked beads. Frequently Asked Questions All kinds of information about hot glass. Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins Beads that are multicolored, grooved, feathered or foiled, and decorated with spots, dots, eyes, and stripes: no matter which of these designs in glass you choose, the results will be beautiful. Detailed instructions and magnificent photos, along with scores of valuable tips and tricks, guide you through an awesome array of techniques, making th

Here are a couple of wonderful online places to gather with other jewelry artists! You will find like-minded, similarly obsessed people to hang out with, trade tips, share sources, and swap stories. You have to register to participate at each one, but it is well worth it! It’s great to have lots and lots of bead and jewelry lovers to schmooze with! Jewelry Making at About.Com Friendly and knowledgeable, Tammy Powley guides this lively forum. Bead Art Forum Very personable and talented group. Lots of off-topic community building discussions. Bead and Button Forum Well organized forum with lots of talented and helpful members. Wet Canvas Wearable Art Forum Wonderful community with on-going projects, daily show and tell, and “wear” it’s at threads. Beadwork at About.com Nice community with some serious beaders! All About Beads Forum A friendly forum with lots of lively discussions. Creative Wire Jewelry Forum Learn how to give your designs that “extra something” here. Bead Collect

Artist: Amy E. Fraser Business Name: Exalted Beauty Website and blog: Amy E. Fraser Exalted Beauty How do you describe your work, Amy? I would describe the Exalted Beauty Medallions as exuberant, fun and funky, boldly beautiful with a charismatic personality, just like the Exalted Beauties who wear them!The name of my business was inspired by the beautiful women in my painting series entitled EXALTED BEAUTY. Each Exalted Beauty Medallion is an Amy E. Fraser One-Of-A-Kind Original sculpture. The medallions range in a wide variety of styles and techniques. They are hand painted with acrylic glazes or made with colored polymer clays that have been specially mixed with my *secret* formula, creating gorgeous luminescent color. Some medallions also contain added materials such as Swarovski crystals, glass, metal and seed beads, as well as archival prints (of my own work) and resin. Each Exalted Beauty Medallion collection has its own unique theme and style. The primary goal of

Champagne Bubbles Exactly how many strands and dangles you’ll put into your necklace will depend upon what type of beads you choose. Since my Lucite beads are from a vintage necklace, I can’t give you an exact count. But what I’d recommend is that you find a strand with graduated sizes, and use that as your base. To the base beads, add some sparkling facetted rounds or even Swarovski crystals if you’ve got the budget for them. I bought some clear facetted Czech glass rounds in 6mm and 3mm sizes. Here are the rest of the basics: 1. Cut as many stands of gold-colored beading wire as you desire. I used three. Crimp them to a soldered or split ring on one end, and hide the crimps under a gold crimp-cover . 2. Space the base beads out along the wires with a size #1 crimp on each side. Once you've got your beads spread out in a pleasing fashion, flatten each crimp with chain nose pliers to hold the beads in place. 3. Cut short strands of beading wire, from 3 to 4 inches

WhimBeads My favorite on-line sources… WhimBeads Delicas and other Japanese seed beads in all sizes, fancy shapes Empyrean Beads Many antique and vintage seed beads Kawahara Seed beads with dichroic coating ~ fantastic! FusionBeads Great selection of Japanese seed beads with quantity discounts. …and my favorite catalogs Rings and Things A huge selection of larger seed beads and mixtures Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

I have enjoyed writing Beading Arts since 2005! If you're a new visitor, welcome! Come travel with me through a bead and jewelry wonderland, where no item is considered too strange to use in making something! Especially if that item has a hole in it. My constant cry as a young child was, “Please Mommy! Don’t throw that out. I can make something out of that!” No surprise that years later, it became the cry of my daughter as well (pictured above). It’s wonderful having a kindred spirit to share with. I hope that you each have someone in your life to share your passions with, and I hope that you’ll come and share them with me as well. If you enjoy Beading Arts, please feel free to also visit my other websites and blogs: Mazel Tov! Jewelry Treasures Wildest Dreams Designs Why Not Art Mixed Media Artist Real Food Fast!