Beading Arts

Ceramic Bead Jewelry: 30 Fired & Inspired Projects by Jennifer Heynen What makes Jennifer’s beautiful (and colorful!!) book really unique is that she spends time covering both the making of ceramic beads AND the construction of finished jewelry that features them! I love this book. I don’t do any ceramic work at all - just a little bit with polymer clay - but Jennifer has got me convinced that I can. And that I want to! Her pieces are so vibrant and fun, and her writing style is so friendly and inviting that I’m really tempted to try. If you’ve ever had the urge to try your hand at ceramics, or if you’re a ceramicist who’d like to try your hand at jewelry making, this is the book for you!

Tubular peyote stitch is really easy to do. You can find basic directions at many of the links listed on my Online Basics post . Try Beadwork at About.com to start. The first place I ever personally saw the twisted peyote spiral was in Carol Wilcox Well’s The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving , in a bracelet designed by Suzanne Golden. Since then, I’ve seen many variations on this simple idea, including a recent article in Beadwork Magazine (Jun/Jul 2008). If you want a true step-by-step tutorial complete with illustrations, I would recommend one of these two sources. However, if you’ve already got familiarity with peyote stitch, and odd-count tubular peyote in particular, you won’t have any problem figuring this out on your own with my simple instructions below! Twisted tubular peyote stitch is also very similar to Cellini stitch, which is simply an even count variation.   Materials and Tools At least three sizes of seed beads in different colors Beading thread Beadi...

Polymer Clay Beads by Grant Diffendaffer This is the book that polymer clay artists have been waiting for! Not for the faint of heart, and definitely not for beginners, Grant takes you on a whirlwind tour of what’s next. The book is gorgeous, and all techniques are well-documented, but it still took me only moments before I realized that I was way out of my league! Which is fine…lots of gorgeous inspiration is not a bad thing, even if I can’t hope to make any of them (at least not yet!). Truly, this book picks up where the others leave off. Grant explains mica-shift and how to achieve it, lathe-turned beads, recursive molded beads, hollow-form beads, and mandrel-formed beads. Seeing what beautiful, beautiful objects he makes, I almost want to play with clay. Beginners, drool over this book. Intermediates and advanceds, buy it now!

Materials & Tools: Large donut of desired color (40 - 60 mm is a good size range) Brass mesh necklace, 18 inches ( Fire Mountain Gems and Beads ) 11/0 Delica seed beads Beading thread Beading needle Basic directions for square stitch can be found at many online sites. 1 Using a mixture of bead colors, square stitch a small band that is long enough to wrap through the donut hole and around the mesh wire necklace, with just enough slack to keep it from rubbing or binding. 2 Continue following the square stitch thread path to attach the ends to each other. 3 Enjoy different color combinations! Copyright 2008 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

My inspiration picture My friend Dee recently asked me about cigar box purses, so I thought I’d dig this one out! Starry Night started out as an old cardboard cigar box. I considered several different techniques for creating beaded pictures on it before I settled on my old favorite method, but with a new twist: the beads are embroidered directly on the box, using wire and a couching technique. Materials and tools: Black gesso Black acrylic paint Foam paint brushes Awl or nail 24 gauge silver-colored wire Wire cutters Chain nosed pliers Lightweight paper (like tracing paper) and pen (optional) Beads in appropriate colors and sizes for your design 18 gauge silver wire Interfacing or quilt batting to line the box Fabric for the lining Glue 1 Coat the entire box, inside and out with black gesso. Let it dry. Apply two thin coats of black acrylic paint. Let it dry overnight. 2 If you want to have a pattern for your work, cut a piece of very lightweight paper to the size of each side you pl...

Wire Wrapping by Linda Chandler and Christine Ritchey Pages and pages of wirey goodness! This book will lead you step by step through the skills you need to tackle advanced beginner and intermediate wire projects. It’s wonderfully organized so that each new skill builds upon the previous ones, making this book similar to actually taking a course in wirework. Small confession…I am by no means a skilled wireworker myself, but these beautiful bracelets, rings, and pendants make me want to break out my pliers and start my own collection of bangles :-) The fabulous writing team of Linda Chandler and Christine Ritchey have two other wire books already, a few years older, but still very worthwhile and still in print. Getting Started Making Wire Jewelry and More is their beginner book. Beautifully photographed step by steps take you through all the basics. If you haven’t done much with wire, this is a great first book. The most advanced of all their books is Woven Wire Jewelry . This book is ...

Elaine Luther An extraordinary list of everything you need to know PMC and Art Clay Silver An online manual for success with the new precious metal clays. Making metal beads Register with the ArtJewelry site and receive a free download of Nanz Aalund’s tutorial. Getting started with BronzClay A wonderful video by Tonya Davidson. CoolTools videos A series of videos on many aspects of metal clay work. Metal clay lenses at Squidoo The very best informational and instructional lenses you’ll find anywhere. The Art of Metal Clay by Sherri Haab Artist and instructor Sherri Haab demonstrates metal clay’s remarkable versatility, showing how it can be textured, molded, carved, and sculpted to create gorgeous beads. Metal Clay Magic by Nana Mizushima Packed with color photos showing each step of working with metal clay. Covers more than just beads, but has lots of techniques that can be used in making beads. Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , neckla...

So last week we made the beads, this week we’ll make the bezel and bail…they’re really easy too! I promise. I used single-needle RAW (right angle weave) for the base rows, and then eased my way into peyote stitch to cinch the bezel around the stone. Here’s how: 1. Stitch a flat strip of RAW, just a scant 1/8 to 1/4 inch shorter than the stone’s perimeter, using 11/0 seed beads. This little bit of stretch will keep the stone snug. 2. Turn your strip and add 3 or 4 more rows of RAW, enough to cover the edge of your stone and extend past just a bit. Stitch the ends together to make a loop. 3. Switch to peyote stitch. Still using 11/0 seed beads, add one row of peyote stitch on one of the bezel edges. Slip it on the stone and pull the thread snug. Remove from the stone again. 4. Add one row of peyote stitch using 15/0 seed beads. Slip it on the stone and pull the thread snug. Work the thread to the other bezel edge and repeat the two peyote rows on the other side. 5. Work the thread to the...

  1000 Jewelry Inspirations by Sandra Salamony [Wicked big disclaimer: I've got 7 pieces in this book, so of course I think it's really good!] OK, that being said, it is really good! Page after glorious page of beautiful designs. Some so simple that you say, “Yes, of course! That’s all it needs.” Others are complex enough to make your jaw drop. I will be leafing back through this book over and over and over… One of my pieces even (sort of) made it onto the cover! There it is - a teeny piece of it anyway - in the lower righthand corner. Here’s what it looks like on the inside: So you know, this is purely an inspiration book. Although there are a few pages in the back of instructions on some basic techniques, it cannot be called a project book at all. There are no explanations or even materials lists for any of the pieces shown. But as an inspiration book, I think it hits its mark…I know I’m inspired by looking through it!

Clayfulmingles The Spirited Bead Beautiful polymer beads by Karen Lewis, aka Klew Clayfulmingles Mia Rox’s polymer cane beads Beyond Beads Gallery Porcelain beauties by Jean Christen CF Originals Spectacular critters and more by Christi Friesen Columbine Beads Raku beads and pendants by Linda A Hendrix Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

These beads are extremely simple to make, so they’re a great place to start in learning to weave beaded beads. Start with a 24 inch single strand of Nymo 0 on your needle, and two different colors of seed beads, preferably Delicas or some other cylinder-style of seed beads. I used a dark galvanized amethyst and bright gold to match a Tigerskin Jasper cabochon. In 2-drop peyote, you stitch the same as in regular peyote, except that you pass your thread through 2 beads each time. Check my post on the basics online for instructions if you need to. Here’s the pattern for these little beads: 1. String on 12 beads, alternating colors, two of each color at a time. Start with 2 gold and end with 2 purple. This will be the 1st and 2nd row after you complete the next step. Leave a 5-6 inch of thread. 2. Weave the following rows in single colors, following this pattern: 3rd row - gold 4th row - purple 5th row - gold 6th row - purple 7th row - purple 8th row - gold 9th row -...

Hands of the Hills Glorious Hilltribe silver and Khmer gold Nina Designs Bali, Indian, Thai, and Hilltribe silver Beads of Bali Wholesale Bali silver, direct from the producers Rishashay Huge selection of exquisite silverwork Anne Choi American artist with an international background, Anne creates silver beads like no others! Green Girl Studios Silver and pewter fairy-tale beads. Wonderful! Tarak High Karat Gold Wholesale only ~ beads, chains, and findings Vintaj Wholesale only ~ brass Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

The loop The loop can be made from quite a number of different jewelry parts. I’ve used earrings, pendants with holes in the middle, toggle rings, charms with holes, and a plain loop of seed beads. The most important thing is to make or choose a loop that is large enough to accommodate whatever dangling bits and decorative beads you wish to use. The strands must be able to fit through the loop at the same time, at least up to a point. Comfort Consider what beads will rest against the back of your neck. Try to make that section, maybe 5 to 6 inches, from smaller rounder beads for comfort’s sake! Dangles Again, there are many choices for what to add to the ends of your lariat. Just make sure that they are going to fit through the loop. For a little extra movement, I like to have these dangling bits attached via head pins or bails of some type so that they swing freely. Miscellaneous tips Use the finest diameter beading wire that will still be strong enough for your beads, and chose a b...

 Apple (2001) Artist: Amy Clarke Moore Location: Lakewood, Colorado Website & Blog: Amy Clarke Moore Six Swans Flying blog   Hannah in Helen’s Hands (in progress) Amy, how do you describe your work? I describe my work as bead embroidery. In greater detail, it is bead embroidery using size 15 Japanese seed beads. What is your creative process like? New pieces percolate constantly in the back of my mind. They pop up unexpectedly and I try to jot them down while they are fresh. I keep notebooks and sketchbooks handy for that reason—but I also rely on my camera to help me capture ideas (since I start with a photograph that I’ve taken). Some ideas are harder to capture in a photograph than others. Light of Mine (2003) What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry? I grew up in a nurturing environment where creativity was encouraged. My mom—a watercolor artist—rather than sitting us down in front of a...

Beadalicious: 25 Fresh, Unforgettable Jewelry Projects for Beads Old and New by Sonya Nimri This beading book is in a category all of its own: I don’t know quite how to categorize it other than FUN FUN FUN!! Lighthearted and bold, frivolous and functional, all of Sonya’s pieces will evoke memories of why you started making jewelry in the first place. The projects can be tailored to use the types of beads that you like and that you may already have collected. She also places a great emphasis on recycling old jewelry pieces, which I think is just grand since that’s something I love to do myself. This book is not so much about technique as about inspiration, and that includes recipes that Sonya thinks relate to each of the projects! Fun :-) Here’s a pair of earrings that I made, following Sonya’s directions…well, mostly following them. I’m not too good at sticking to the directions, so these have my own spin. Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , n...

Here are the items I used to make Breezy. You can vary the ingredients to your heart’s content! Materials: 3 pieces of teal green cord, 60″ each 3 pieces of teal green cord, 12″ each 6 turquoise ovals, 12×18mm 9 turquoise rondelles, 13mm 12 turquoise rondelles, 7mm 9 turquoise rounds, 4mm Bronze 8/0 seed beads Antiqued copper bail tube with loop Antiqued copper 3-holed end bar and clasp set with chain Tools: Scissors Tweezers Tape measure Fray check GS Hypo-tube cement 1. Use fray check on all the ends of your cord pieces. Fold the 3 long strands in half and attach each one to one side of the clasp set, using a lark’s head knot. 2. Knot the beads in place, criss-crossing strands occasionally. Use two strands to attach each large rondelle, lacing strands through the hole from the opposite sides. Add the tube bail in the middle and continue knotting up the other side. 3. Knot the loose ends by pairs around the loops in the other half of the clasp set. 4...

And I Ran Beaded Cuff Artist: Morwyn Dow Business name: AnotherCountry BeadWorks Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Website & Blog: AnotherCountry Etsy shop AnotherCountry blog Bead Journal Project for May: Beltane Morwyn, how do you describe your beadwork? I refer to my work as beaded art, wearable and/or superfluous. I’m a folk and I make art, so what I do is folk art. From Another Country. AnotherCountry: I gave this name to my studio when I started doing bead art in earnest. It’s the home I have made for myself in a world where I have never felt at home. All of us have experienced a sense of alienation, of not belonging, at some point in our lives. I have felt this always. I have loved being on the move, to the point of being an addict to change, always searching for that home outside of myself. I love being here in the Southwest, but as always I never feel a sense of belonging to the physical place where I am. When I am deep in the creation of an art piece, whet...

Simple Soldered Jewelry & Accessories by Lisa Bluhm With a very few simple tools (many of which you probably already have in the workshop), you can make these delightful necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and pendants that Lisa Bluhm demonstrates. The same techniques are used over and over, so once you’ve mastered them, you’re all set to make all the projects that Lisa suggests…and there are a lot of them! The strengths of the book as a wonderful introduction for beginners may be a problem for those who already know the basics of soldering. This book is a beginner’s guide, so don’t expect advanced techniques. It is beautifully photographed, as are all Lark publications, and the step-by-step instructions are flawless. Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Vintage Hearts Over the years, I have managed to acquire a couple of really ugly expansion bracelets as a part of some vintage jewelry grab-bags I purchased. They were not signed pieces, and the elastic was worn out. Honestly, I wouldn't have worn them (and probably couldn't have sold them) even if I were to restring them on new elastic. Because, as I said...they were UGLY! So they sat and they sat, collecting dust for a long time, since I just never got around to putting them away. But one day, as I was playing around with some multicolored baroque-style glass pearls, I noticed that the cut glass hearts of one bracelet seemed to pick up some of the colors of the pearls when they were mixed together. That was it! I decided to make a collar-style necklace out of them. As you can see from the pictures above, I did not stop at just one. While I wouldn't necessarily suggest taking apart a bracelet that is signed or otherwise valuable, this is a great way to recycle ...

Beautiful beads from Via Murano De Roma Venetian Glass Imported Venetian glass beads Venetian Bead Shop Imported Venetian and Murano glass beads Gems 2 Behold Wholesalers of Venetian and Murano glass beads Via Murano Imported Venetian glass beads Glass of Venice Wide selection of beads and gifts Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading