Beading Arts

  About.com Jewelry Making Vintage style is mixed with modern alternatives in this new necklace tutorial. Art Bead Scene The Art Bead Scene offers up a few business tips.   Barbe Saint John - Saints & Sinners Barbe reviews Jen Cushman's "Explore Create Resinate" Book.   Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi has some eye candy featuring scarves and a big bauble.   Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva The week, Cindy's tangled up in a re-do of her studio.   Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie uses an unusual find of vintage leather postcards to craft a leather cuff bracelet   Resin Crafts! Carmi turns a feathered butterfly in a pendant with resin.   Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! In this A to Z blogging challenge entry, Jean is surprised by "W" for a Wonderful thing which happens to her! The Bead Dreamer Vintage inspired jewelry components and a vintage pin from her grandmother com...

Artist: Sarah Reed Faery Scents Jewelry Sarah writes: My creative process always starts with the beads. I could get lost looking at beads and making my own. The only time I start with a sketch or planned design is when I am using my loom. I then I just go with what strikes me. As for me I am 33 years-old and was found to be disabled almost 2 years ago by my physician. I suffer from a rare liver disease that is called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. I have a 2 year old son named Nero. My husband's name is Nakoa. I began making jewelry as an escape from my woes and as a way to help my family make ends meet since I can no longer work. I started by making jewelry as gifts for my mom and mom-in-law. I have sold a few items on etsy but have a growing facebook page for my work. The first piece, Arrows (shown above), was inspired by Native American designs and symbols. My great uncle was a shaman and my husband is Native American. My mother would read Native American le...

  Beading Across America: Jewelry Inspiration from Coast to Coast by Sherry Serafini, Paulette Baron and Amy Katz Sherry Serafini's Sensational Bead Embroidery: 25 Inspiring Jewelry Projects (Beadweaving Master Class) by Sherry Serafini Glass Bead Jewelry Projects by Nelli Rees Creative Beaded Jewelry by Sigal Buzaglo Wire Art Jewelry Workshop: Step-by-Step Techniques and Projects by Sharilyn Miller Jewelry Upcycled!: Techniques and Projects for Reusing Metal, Plastic, Glass, Fiber, and Found Objects by Sherri Haab and Michelle Haab Creative Wire Jewelry by Ariella Nachshon 500 Silver Jewelry Designs: The Powerful Allure of a Precious Metal (500 Series) by Marthe Le Van and Talya Baharal 30-Minute Rings: 60 Quick & Creative Projects for Jewelers by Marthe Le Van Inpsiritu Jewelry: Earrings, Bracelets and Necklaces for the Mind, Body and Spirit by Marie French Jewelry from Found Objects by Heather Skowood Practical Jewellery-Making Techniques (...

Mike and I took our second working vacation to Tzanchaj Atitlan, Guatemala last month.  You won't find Tzanchaj actually on the map at this link; it is located about 5 miles southwest of Santiago Atitlan, and is just a tiny little village right next to Panabaj, the scene of total devastation during the 2005 mudslides caused by Hurricane Stan.  Our first trip was in 2007 when our son decided to stay there for two years to work in an orphanage rather than come home and finish college.  Now he is married and has a three year old daughter, and has been back working there since February 2010.  You can read my travel log, if you are interested, on Mixed Media Artist . We did take an hour or so to go shopping in Santiago Atitlan.  Here are some fabrics that I purchased.  Since I left my clothes at the orphanage when we departed, our suitcase was no heavier than before!    Hand Embroidery   Lightweight scarves   Heavier shawls Han...

Ok, it's not a surprise anymore, but it's still very exciting!  Have you visited Cherry Tree Beads yet?  Bill and BeBe Edwards , the owners, sent me so many wonderful beads to share with you that we have decided to give them away in smaller packages over the next month.  Or more!  So here we go... *** FREE STUFF ALERT *** Here's what's in package #2 (shown above): Three strands of Chinese crystal tumbles Would you like to win them?  Just leave me a comment below and you'll automatically be entered to win.  If you tweet or post on Facebook or other social spots about the contest, you can leave a second comment and be entered twice! Please make sure that your link will lead me to an email address, or else I won't be able to contact you.  No contact, no win, and I simply have to go on to the next person.  Deadline: May 2, 2011.   Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace ...

  A Bead A Day Do you like glitter AND jewelry making?! You are going to love this project that Lisa found over at FusionBeads.com! About.com Jewelry Making What are your plans for your silver scraps now that silver is crazy expensive? Art Bead Scene Here's a fresh idea for spring - a garden gate clasp.   Barbe Saint John Barbe's giving away the latest Industrial Chic booklet and some charms!   Carmi's Art/Life World This weeks blog features the poppies of Paris and the jewelery it inspires.   Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva Cindy's made some new blush pink drops, come see what she's done with them!   Earthenwood Studio Chronicles We all scream for Ice Cream! Melanie shows how she designed and made a new line of sweet pendants.   Resin Crafts! This week Carmi has a short tutorial on using resin as a glaze.   Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Rio Grande is encouraging a wonde...

Shaiha , author of Shaiha's ramblings is the lucky winner of the first package of beads from Cherry Tree Beads !  Stay tuned...there will be a new package for giveaway on...MONDAY!

Today is the day!  All of the button swappers in Michelle Mach's swap party are showing off our projects today!  I'm very excited to show you the buttons I received from my fabulous partner, Lody Steward , and share with you one of the pieces that I've made...so far.  The picture above has all the buttons EXCEPT for the one that I used first :-) Ta-daaaaa!  Here it is: It is a large pierced shank button in a bronze color that I decided to turn into a charm holder pendant.  I'm going to write up the instructions and share them with you in a couple of weeks...it's an easy project, and lots of fun.  Here's the finished necklace: And here is a bracelet that Lody made, using a little antique steel-cut button that I sent to her as part of her new stash.  Isn't this cool?  I love using buttons as part of a clasp: Here's a list of all the button swap partiers...hope more of you will join in next time!  Michelle reminded us to tell you ...

  Mandy , who writes Beads for Brains , is the winner of the book Stitch Workshop: Peyote Stitch .  Congratulations, Mandy!

  Beading Across America is a new Kalmbach publication, with the usual high standards for photography and illustration.  What is unusual is that there is really no controlling theme to the book other than the personal style of the artists who were invited to participate.  How I wish there were 50 projects!  There are 30, and they are at all different skill levels and use all different types of techniques, so everyone is sure to find something new to challenge them.  Some of my favorite artists are represented here: Carol Wilcox Wells, NanC Meinhardt, Margie Deeb, and Beverly Ash Gilbert to name but a few.  And I came across some artists who are sure to become new favorites of mine...people whose work I didn't know before, but which has captivated me.  Suzanne Golden is one, the creator of a fabulous black and white tubular peyote bracelet that I am lusting after.  And then there is Darcy Horn, who created a freeform peyote bracelet, very diffe...

      I recently received copies of two Penland books that I need to bring to your attention: The Penland Book of Jewelry and The Penland Book of Glass .  Bead artists need to broaden our view of artwork, and feasting on one or both of these books is a good start.  The Penland series is not designed to take you step by step through the basic skills and techniques of a new craft: rather, they are inspirational looks at the creative process behind the most gorgeous ground-breaking pieces being made today. The Penland School of Crafts is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, and has long been renowned as a top-shelf place to learn.  The Penland Book of Jewelry contains the work of 10 contemporary jewelers who have taught at the school, giving an in depth look at the inspirations, history, and techniques of each artist.  The beautiful photographs of work included illustrate both the range and the depth of their technical exp...

Do you like the Flapper look of the Roaring Twenties, or the extravagant long strands popularized by Coco Chanel?  When I found the long knotted strand of glass beads shown above, I knew that I needed to re-knot it and add some fun!  And there it sat for quite sometime... The opportunity to give these glass beads new life came with a challenge by Artbeads.com to combine some of their very cool Kabela Design brass components with something old that I already owned.  Perfect!  I ordered some raw brass items that I thought would be fun to use with the beautiful glass beads, and I was very pleased with the style and quality of the items I received.   Materials and Tools Long strand of vintage glass beads FF Black silk beading thread Hypo-tube cement 4 clamshell tips 3 Antique Brass Filigree Beads 2 Antique Brass Diamond Deco Links 22 Gauge Bronze Wire Antique Brass Large Butterfly Pendant 5.5mm Antique Brass-Plated 21 Gauge Open Jump Rings Br...