Beading Arts

Unfortunately, it's not always possible to go somewhere to take a class. There's so much to be said for classes...being able to see the technique demonstrated, being able to ask questions, mixing and mingling and meeting new people. It's all good. But it just doesn't work out for everyone. Fortunately, there is the internet! There are two main categories of posts on this very blog that will lead you to lots of techniques, tips, tutorials, and fun new projects to try. There are also lots of new sources that I'll be adding to these categories pretty regularly. There will be some overlap on these lists. Sorry, but it's unavoidable :-) The Basics - Getting Started - online instruction to help take the place of basic classes Tutorials & Techniques - all kinds of beading and jewelry how-tos There are other class and tutorial resources all over the internet, and I've included quite a few of them below.  some are free and some are not. If you...

I wanted to show you one of the pieces that I made for a Christmas gift this year.  I would like to have been able to post it sooner, but you know... I made it using the same basic instructions that I wrote up for a previous crystal bracelet , except that I changed the color and the density of beading.  You will find the instructions at the link above...just gather up any assortment of beads that you like together and get stringing! Copyright 2011 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. Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

You've been treated to Marcy's bead embroidery work before here on Beading Arts!  Well, this time she wrote to me to share a wonderful bead embroidery necklace that she has finished.  Marcy has more work posted on her blog, Queen Marcy Originals . I was happy to learn that Marcy has joined the Bead Journal Project this year, so I'm looking forward to seeing her work each month. And get this: she's only been doing bead embroidery for about two years! About the necklace, Marcy wrote: The inspiration was my love of turquoise and copper together. I have taken a couple of beading classes from Sherry Serafini because I wanted to learn bead embroidery and now I am totally hooked. My beadwork is entirely free-hand, I do not make or use any pattern, I just let the piece "speak to me" and go-with-the-flow as far as which color or what beads to use. I set the large cochibons first and then do peyote around them to bezel, then spread out from there with va...

  Earthenwood Studio Chronicles The start of the new year is also the beginning of a new series of blog posts about experimenting with materials for Melanie with her new series: Response Saturdays. Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Tammy Powley has a new book out and Jean has the info on it! It looks like it will be a MUST for everyone's jewelry design library!   The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton This week's installment of Thursday Giveaway includes some luscious, turquoise-colored stone beads from Auntie's Beads! Find out how you can win them!   A Bead A Day Do you ever use Swarovski Prisms in your jewelry pieces? Stop by A Bead A Day to share your experiences!   About.com Jewelry Making Get all your jewelry supplies and other crafting goodies organized with these great tips.   Art Bead Scene The Art Bead Scene reviews the monthly challenge winners for 2010.   Beads & Books Would you l...

  Are you interested in learning chain maille (or chain mail as the author of this book prefers)?  Classic Chain Mail Jewelry by Sue Ripsch may be just what you've been waiting for.  Beautifully clear color photos and step by step directions will guide you through each chain style and through each gorgeous project.  Because really, what's a technique without a project to show it off? You really won't believe you eyes when you see how many different looks you can get from a pile of jump rings and a pair of pliers.  Thank you to Sue for the over 30 classically elegant projects, including bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.  I feel that this book, published by Kalmbach, is the perfect introduction to chain maille for those who long to give it a try.  Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

The Orientation to Beads and Jewelry Findings is being offered online at the Land of Odds . This course was developed by instructor Warren Feld because he noticed that beginner beaders didn't always make the best choices when it came to quality. Personally, I learned the hard way a long time ago that if I was going to put 40 hours or more into a bead embroidered necklace, I wasn't going to skimp on the cabochons, beads, and metal findings! Warren writes: Over the years, I’ve found that people who bead and make jewelry have not necessarily learned how to make the best choices, when it comes to decide what beads, clasps, other findings, and stringing materials to include, and what Not to include, in a piece. People do not understand quality issues. They are often uninformed about workable materials and strategies to make their pieces more durable, more drape-able, and better able to move with the person as the jewelry is worn. At The Center for Beadwork & Jewelry Art...

A Bead Store: 2011 Winter Contest Deadline: 02/07/11 Stringing Magazine: Poetry and Prose Deadline: 02/11/11 Beadwork VII: The Beaded Earth Deadline: 02/25/11       Rings&Things, Your Designs Rock! Deadline: 02/28/11       Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Jewelry and beading classes are offered all throughout the extravaganza in early February in Tucson. Here is some general information on Tucson: Show guide: an overview Besides Tucson, there are many beading shows throughout the rest of the year that also offer classes. Why should you take a class this year? Why not just learn everything online (preferably for free)? Well, there are actually lots of good reasons to go the hands-on route, and here are just a few of my best tips: you won't waste as much in materials, you'll learn the techniques properly and efficiently, you'll have a chance to have your technique corrected if need be, and you'll figure out which tools and materials you must have as opposed to just want to have! The Innovative Beads Expo Shows and classes in the northeast only. Click on Beading Classes Bead&Button Show Milwaukee, WI. Click on Classes Best Bead Shows (Crystal Myths) Tucson, AZ. Click on Bead Shows. Bead show c...

There's really no mystery! If you'd like to share a piece you've made, all you have to do is shoot me an email to cyndi @mazeltovjewelry.com (remove the spaces). Please put beading arts image to share in the subject line. We love to read about things like what inspired you to make the piece and any challenges that you faced, so tell us a bit about yourself and the image that you're sending. Please size your image to 72 dpi resolution, and make it no wider than 600px. I'll gladly share your website and/or blog link along with your image and description. If you'd like to consider sharing an in depth artist profile with us (see Artist Profiles for past examples), just put beading arts artist profile in the subject line. I'll send you the questions that I ask profiled artists to consider...I think you'll be able to tell from those questions whether or not you'll want to do a full profile. If it seems to be too much, you could simply send ...

If you'd like to try easing your way into bead embroidery, here's an idea for you.  Some of the flat round bead weaving patterns that you can stitch with seed beads (like flat round peyote or square stitch) can be stitched down to a foundation fabric as you progress to make a wonderfully patterned "bezel" for a central bead or cabochon.  Materials and Tools Beads: 11/0s, 15/0s, flat ovals Beading thread Ultra-suede Fabric glue Toggle set Beading needles, sizes 11 and 13 Scissors 1. Stitch down flat oval beads and add stitched down rows of seed beads around it.  I used a Cellini peyote stitch pattern to create the spiraling effect.  You can surround your central bead with any pattern of stitched down flat round bead weaving that you want. (You'll find bead-by-bead instructions for this specific pattern in Chapter 4 of my e-book.) 2. Make five beaded pieces, and cut each out with a 1/8 inch seam.  Cut out backs to match. 3. Tack the front...

  Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva Cindy re-reads her KISS post before planning for 2011. Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie reviews a wonderful book about making chain.   Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean gives a shout out for a fab class she took at Beaducation online, which as you will see, will revv up your urge to bead and have FUN!--Happy New Year!   The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Two publications from Interweave Press have hit the stands and Andrew suggests you check them out!   Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene reviews the different options for accepting payment.   Beads & Books Michelle shares the 10 most memorable blog posts she read in 2010.   Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Like all good goal-setting fanatics, I look forward to each new year with a palpitating heart: will this be the year that I finally get it right?   Probably not, but I keep trying!  I've mentioned before that I set and re-set goals on January 1, May 1, and September 1, but obviously January 1 is my favorite :-) I like to start by re-visiting the major goals from last year.  There were four big ones that I started off with, and I'm happy to say that all of them were addressed in one form or another: 1. Take another class this year in something… anything.  Took an online class with Sharon Boggon 2. Get a light tent or light box and learn to make my photography better.  DH made me a tent and I've been working on getting clearer brighter pictures 3. Work on a book proposal.  Decided to self-publish my book as an e-book , one chapter at a time 4. Schedule a better balance between making and writing.  I think I'm doing much better at this, ...

You can hardly even surf the net anymore without running into comments, information, and articles about social networking. Well, the well-known sites like Twitter and Facebook are not all there is to social networking. It starts with many of the things that you've probably been doing all along...like getting to know people through participating in forums, and interacting with others on blogs. Dee Gordon wrote a piece about how important these social interactions are for the success of your own business. You can read her article on Home Jewelry Business Success Tips . Here are some additional social networks helpful for jewelers: Orchid Jewelry Forum Ning Networks Flickr During the first week or so of the new year, I'm going to post a list of many many more social network sites that you might want to check out.  No one expects you to follow all of them...you'd have no time left for making stuff!  But it might be worth your marketing time to check out some ...

My last bead embroidered bracelet for the year!  It's been a lot of fun making these each month for my contribution to the  Bead Journal Project , but I'm happy to be finished!  Next month I'm starting my 4th year with the project, and this year it's going to be beaded buttons or cabochons...I haven't exactly decided which yet, but either will use the same round button forms as a base. If you'd like to see any of my other bracelets for the year, all previous pieces can be found at these links: January February March April May June July August September October November Here are the instructions for how I made these bracelets. Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

So maybe you won one of the beautiful glass pendants that Beading Arts was lucky enough to receive from Auntie's Beads for that purpose, or maybe you bought one of your own.  You know that if enough time goes by, you'll think of exactly the right design to make with it, so you don't want to "waste" it on another project, but darn it all...you want to wear it RIGHT NOW! I know just how you feel!  And I'm going to show you how to have your cake and eat it too.  Here's a design that you can make immediately, for very little money, and none of the materials will be committed.  You can pull the thing apart in a heartbeat and either start over, or better yet, make the design of your dreams that will be permanent! It all starts with a piece of satin cord.  Get one that's long enough to tie behind your neck, in a bow if you are worried about safety.  Tie a lark's head knot around the pendant hole.  Slip both cords through a large-holed bead, an...

Beads & Books Michelle shares a handmade polymer clay ornament by Diva Designs and her favorite chocolate candy recipe. (You'll need to keep up your strength if you're going to bead over the holidays!) Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi starts to work with resin cubes she made earlier in the year.   Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva Cindy shares the key to her designs.   Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie gets in the Christmas spirit with a holiday song to inspire three fun projects.   Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Come on over and get the shopping list for the next Blog Reader Challenge!   Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean makes some holiday themed jewelry for Rings & Things! The time flew by as she made these pretty creations!   The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Sue Kennedy of SueBeads offers up a really beautiful assortment of goodies in this week's Thursday Giveaway! Find out ho...

  The Big Book of Beading Patterns: For Peyote Stitch, Square Stitch, Brick Stitch, and Loomwork Designs by Editors of Bead&Button magazine Mastering the Art of Beading: Essential Tools and Techniques Every Jewelry Maker Must Know by Genevieve A. Sterbenz Wirework w/DVD: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Wire Wrapping by Dale Armstrong Chained: Create Gorgeous Chain Mail Jewelry One Ring at a Time by Rebeca Mojica Weave, Wrap, Coil: Creating Artisan Wire Jewelry by Jodi Bombardier The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making: More than 700 Large Format Color Photos by Tammy Powley Technorati Tags: handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading