Beading Arts

Blue Moon Sometimes when you finish a jewelry project, you end up with a few leftover beads. Even if the colors work well together, you may not have enough to complete another large project. Or maybe the beads are different shapes and sizes. Here is a fun and quick asymmetrical little toggle necklace that's a great way to use up some of those leftover beads. This article was published in the July 2000 issue of Lapidary Journal , and is available on-line at this link, courtesy of LJ. Step by step instructions Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Artist: Jamee Jones Business name: Jonara Blu Maui Location: Makawao, Hawaii Websites & Blog: http://www.jonarablumaui.com http://jonarablu.etsy.com http://www.jonarablumaui.blogspot.com/ How do you describe your work, Jamee? Fresh and Funky with an island twist. I also create romantic, feminine beach bride jewelry that has a beachy-organic appeal. Originally my sister Kimberlee Aihara partnered with me before she became a wedding photographer here on Maui and so Jonara is a mix of our last names: Jones and Aihara. Add the Blu to represent the blue ocean that surrounds us and we’ve got ourselves a cute little name for our jewelry business! What is your creative process like? I think creating is quite emotional for me..I really have to be in the mood to design my most favorite pieces that I’m extremely proud of. At times like that it’s usually late at night when I’m way over tired and I become inspired by color and the music on one of my playlists. I find putti

Vintage Redux by Brenda Schweder Mom’s bizarro bracelets…That “what-was-I-thinking?” necklace… Aunt Bertha’s big glunky brooches. Vintage Redux shows readers everywhere how to take a drawer full of jewelry duds and turn them into dreams. More than 30 projects, from traditional to totally over-the-top, offer readers a wide range of possibilities. Each project is presented in step-by-step instructions and photos so it’s easy to create all-new pieces. Revisit the past and make it better than ever before with Vintage Redux . After enjoying Brenda’s book Junk to Jewelry , I was anxious to get a hold of her newest venture. Well, I wasn’t disappointed. Vintage Redux starts with the simplest restringing and ends with sophisticated remakes that use power equipment (don’t get worked up…it’s just your drill or dremel!). It’s very unlikely that you will be able to exactly match and copy these projects, so don’t get the book if you like to have step-by-step detailed instructions. But definitely t

Materials: Flat rectangle bead, 25 mm in rose [Note – all rose-colored resin beads were purchased from Rings & Things ] Round bead, 10 mm in rose Lumiere acrylic paints by Jacquard, citrine and halo pink gold StazOn solvent ink pad in jet black 8 triangular pink beads, size 8/0 or 6/0 18 gauge color-coated wire, purple Tools: Piece of scrap wire Sea sponge Heat gun Stamp Wire cutters Chain nose pliers Round nose plier 1. Slide a flat rectangle and a round resin bead onto a piece of scrap wire, and suspend it so that you can paint all sides. Using a small sea sponge, dab the beads with acrylic paints, drying between each color. Use a heat gun to speed up the process if desired. Don’t cover all of the natural bead color. 2. Stamp the surface of the flat bead using a solvent ink. Heat set the design well. Flip the bead over and stamp the other side too. Heat set. 3. Cut a 4 inch piece of 18 gauge color-coated wire and make a wrapped loop at one end. Slide a triangular bead, you

Artist: Puakea Soares-Mercado Business Names: Jewelry by Reshell and Stone & Bone Location: Hilo, Hawaii Websites: http://www.jewelrybyreshell.etsy.com http://www.stoneandbone.etsy.com http://www.creativecaldron.etsy.com Blogs: http://www.blacklightningstudiogallery.blogspot.com http://www.jewelrybyreshell.blogspot.com http://www.stoneandbone.blogspot.com http://www.galleriaoffineart.blogspot.com How do you describe your work? I have two shops that I passionately divide my time designing for. My first shop on Etsy.com is Jewelry by Reshell . I’d say it’s my more modern contemporary urban styled boutique. with a flare for old classic styles and trends, with a touch of my own modern twist. My second shop is called Stone & Bone , which is a tribally styled native inspired collection, incorporating bits and pieces of traditional materials as well as spiritual symbolisms, and giving it an abstract, yet metaphoric modern twist to my ancestral lineage. I