Beading Arts

What Is Failure? Cherie contemplates hope and failure with her latest print. Bat Out o' Hell Halloween Treat Basket Make cute Halloween treat baskets using Eileen's Bat Out o' Hell basket template and design. The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Check out what Andrew and other participants of the Inspired by Reading Book Club made in response to "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman. Art Bead Scene October Monthly Challenge Recap of Entries. Facebook Me! Keep up on all the latest updates and more at the Crafty Princess Diaries' Facebook page. Like it, and make sure to click on the drop down notifications menu when you do.

Congratulations to Heather , who owns Enchanting Accents !  She is the winner of the $30 gift card from The Best Beads !!

How to Make Jewellery Charms from Polymer Clay: 50 Exquisite Step-by-Step Projects for All Skill Levels by Jessica Sharpe How to Make Fingerprint Jewelry - Quick-Start Guide (Silver Fingerprint & Keepsake Jewelry Book 1) by Maggie Bergman Bead Crochet Basics: 22 Jewelry Projects by Candice Sexton Textured Bead Embroidery: Learn to Make Inspired Pins, Pendants, Earrings, and More by Linda Landy Micro Macramé Basics & Beyond: Knotted Jewelry with Beads by Raquel Cruz Seed Bead Chic: 25 Elegant Projects Inspired by Fine Jewelry (Lark Jewelry & Beading Bead Inspirations) by Amy Katz Timeless Wire Weaving: The Complete Course by Lisa Barth Unexpected Findings: 50+ Clever Jewelry Designs Featuring Everyday Components by Michelle Mach Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: The Next Steps in Painting with Fire by Barbara Lewis Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media ,beading

I have not completed my Bead Journal Project piece for October, but at least I've gotten a good start.  I'm not going to show you what it's going to become...you'll just have to wait till November, and hopefully I'll have been able to complete it by then. Shown above is a small section, featuring metal mesh ribbon from   Fire Mountain Gems, Czech glass daggers from  The Best Beads , and the embroidered form of St Petersburg chain stitch from Bored By Back Stitch . Here are the rest of my  Bead Journal Project  pieces so far: January February March April May June July August September

Carmi's Art/Life World A pocket watch becomes a pendant with Pebeo paints, a rub on and resin. John 3:16 and Art Cherie uses the Bible verse from John 3:16 as inspiration for art. Episode 7: Addicted to Amigurumi Enjoy some amigurumi goodness in this seventh video podcast from the Crafty Princess Diaries. Postcard Art Inspired by Desiderata Is anyone not inspired by Max Ehrmann's Desiderata? Eileen signed up for a postcard art Desiderata theme swap and couldn't stop at just one. Art Bead Scene Color Palettes featuring the Art Beads of Margit Boehmer. Bright, Beautiful and not to be missed! A Bead A Day Is it possible to live a sparkly dream? Lisa says, YES! She's sharing some exciting Swarovski news this week. Jewelry artists tackle the same materials and come up with creative results Andrew hosts design challenges on his blog. Check out the different approaches each participant took in the reveal for the Royal Feather kit!

Unexpected Findings By Michelle Mach Interweave/F+W; $22.99 I can guarantee that many of your favorite designers contributed to this fun volume by Michelle Mach.   Unexpected Findings , published by Interweave , features more than 50 projects that all rely on one or more of the great new findings available today. The first section outlines just what these findings are.  Since many different names are used for some of them, the photos in this section are very helpful.  "Oh, so that's what that's called!"  Following immediately is information on other materials and tools that you will need, insuring that this is a book even beginners will enjoy. The projects are quite varied, in technique, materials, and style, as you would expect from such a wonderful cast of designers.  One of my favorites is how Michelle turns filigree ring bands into a sweet pair of earrings (p 42), shown above, and how Erin Siegel makes very clever use of both ribbon ends and cor

My friend Ekaterina, from The Best Beads , is giving one of my lucky readers a $30 gift card to her shop!!  Although you can use the winnings for any beads you wish, she would especially like you to notice the great variety of Wheel Beads that she carries.  Ekaterina writes: "These are 6mm Wheel Beads from Matubo Beads (Super Duo manufacturer). I have the whole color range of these beads (19 colors). They can be used as an O-bead."   So if you've been interested in trying out O-beads, or any other wonderful Czech glass beads, now's your chance! GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!  Would you like to win this $30 gift card? Here's what you need to do... please read this carefully . Leave me a comment here telling me what you like about Czech glass beads and include your email address. If I don't see your email address, I won't be able to contact you. No contact, no win, and I simply have to go on to the next person. You are welcome to spell it out if you

My favorite bracelet so far... Last week was Part one of this wrap bracelet tutorial . So, did you try making any of these?  Have you made some in the past that you'd like to show off?  Just drop me a line, and I'd love to share your work with everyone! 6. Following Pam's lead from last week, I made this one with waxed linen and Nymo thread, but with no embroidery floss. 7. Stone chips can be used instead of regular beads or crystals.  I used a plasticized cord and Nymo thread to make the amethyst bracelet, satin cord and Nymo for the turquoise one. 8. It occurred to me that a boot lace would make an awesome (and inexpensive) stand-in for leather cording.  4mm magnesite beads (from Auntie's Beads ) are strung on with black Nymo thread. 9. When you get to the end, tie an overhand knot right up against the last bead, and another knot far enough away to accomodate the button.  Glue or Fray Check the ends, and trim when dry. Copyright 2014

Carmi's Art/Life World Fun saying in resin filled bottle caps will make you smile today. Taking a Fall Drive Cherie uses the colors of fall as inspiration for some new pictures. A Bead A Day Think it's okay to go crazy with sparkle? Lisa does too! Stop by A Bead A Day to see her latest find! Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene Editors take the October Monthly Challenge using Milton Avery's painting Autumn as inspiration. Homemade Halloween Cupcake Topper Make these darling Halloween cupcake toppers to delight the kids. Just grab the free printable and have fun.

I'm a big fan of Jamie Cloud Eakin 's books, and this one is no exception.   Bead Play with Fringe is obviously a labor of love, in which Jamie sets out to demystify all the different forms that fringe can take, and why some styles work better with some pieces than others do.  It's a brilliant book, beginning with the supplies you will need, and working through fringe styles that are increasingly challenging. In the supplies section, Jamie explains bead sizes and which beads will make the best fringe.  She also covers the needles you'll need and the best threads to use. And then the fringe starts!  "Fringe Basics" is a nice overview of all the various styles covered in Jamie's book.  She starts with a basic single strand fringe style, and helps you work your way through all sorts of kinky, branched, looped, twisted, and spiraled fringes.  Jamie also gives instruction on how to vary the ends of your fringe, including the standard turn-bead, a picot

Some of Robbie's wonderful small quilts! The wonderful Robbie from Robbie's Paw Prints invited me to take part in the World Wide Blog Hop!  I invite you to start off your adventure by visiting her emporium of fiber arts and lighthearted chat! But here's what Robbie told me I have to do...answer these questions, and introduce you to some more bloggers that you might not know.  Then they will do the same in a week or so!  Here we go... 1. What am I working on? A new necklace that uses some of the techniques I developed for Bored By Back Stitch : bead embroidered forms of St Petersburg chain stitch, metal mesh ribbon, and maybe some shibori silk ribbon too. 2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? I am constantly exploring how to integrate new stitches and materials into mixed media bead embroidery. 3. Why do I write/create what I do? Because there's a fire burning in my bones if I don't. 4. How does my writing/creating process work? I w

Bracelet made and modeled by my friend Pam Heutmaker These little wrap bracelets have become so popular recently, that I finally decided I better learn how to make them!  You might remember that one of my favorite designs from Stylish Jewelry Made Simple was the wrap bracelet (my review and a picture at the link).  You can find a very clear explanation, with pictures, of the wrapping pattern at Art Beads , so I'll just continue here with my own tips. There are a bunch of different ways to make them, using a cord and a binding thread.  Here are some of the possibilities: Core - satin cord, waxed linen cord, leather or faux leather cord, craft cord Binding thread - Nymo, fireline, carded silk thread, embroidery floss Besides those materials, you'll need beads, of course, a button for the closure, fray check or hypo-tube cement, scissors, a beading needle, and possibly a sewing needle. You'll have to experiment with length to see what works best for your siz

If you play with beads for awhile, and you work on putting your own spin on the projects that you do, rather than always following the suggested colorways of the designer, then you know how much changing the color can change the feel of a piece. My other love besides making wearables is, predictably, making quilts, collages, and other mixed media pieces.  They often, but not always, have beads on them.  I got excited recently when Martingale sent me a review copy of Deanne Moore's new book Fabric Play .  She includes 14 graphic designs that will change quite dramatically as you change the fabrics.  You can transform any of these patterns from traditional to ultra-modern depending upon your own choices.  Each project is photographed in two completely different styles to help you get going.  And there are coloring diagrams to help you create your own! If you've not quilted before, this book presents designs that are possible for all skill levels.  Every Martingale

I have made a fair number of art quilts, many featuring beads, but most of mine are not geometric.  So when I saw Remarkable Rectangles , written by Robert DeCarli and published by Martingale , I thought maybe it was time to try a few.  What I found inside this book are 17 strip-pieced quilts that I swore could not be made from nothing but rectangles.  And yet, they are!  Once you know the secret of weaving these blocks, it all becomes quite simple. So I thought I'd share this book with you.  Even though it doesn't feature beads, can't you see some of these blocks, or even full-sized quilts covered in them?  Each pattern gives you precise fabric requirements and all the cutting instructions, as well as the how-tos you'll need to finish a quilt.  This might be a bit much for someone who has never made a quilt before, but I believe that even a determined beginner can make these! Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , b

Sorry for the delay!  Here is the tutorial for my Bead Journal Project piece that I shared last week! Since I made the flowers some time ago, the first task was to choose the background fabric , which I did with the input of several online readers and friends. The next step was to make the little herringbone leaves to go with the calendulas, which I showed you two weeks ago. Then it was just a matter of cutting the fabric to size (postcard, 6x4), stitching everything down, and adding some stems.  The pansy has a stem of rolled silk ribbon, and the calendula stems are double strand embroidery floss. I edged the piece with blanket stitch and mounted it on a piece of mat board.  Done! And now it occurs to me that I never showed you how to make the flowers.  Sheesh.  Ok, in a couple of weeks... And here it finally is: a tutorial on making the shibori silk flowers and leaves ! Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold,

Cute Paris Curtains Cherie makes curtains for her kitchen. Felted Ornaments This quick video tutorial shows how to make some simple hand-sewn felt ornaments. Art Bead Scene Check out September's challenge entries! Quick Craft Projects Sure to Impress Anne asked for quick craft projects that look like they took a lot of effort. We can all use a few quick craft projects like that, can’t we?