Beading Arts

Chain and Bead Jewelry Geometric Connections: A New Angle on Creating Dimensional Earrings, Bracelets, and Necklaces ... by Scott David Plumlee The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making, 2nd Edition: 15 New Projects, New Gallery - More than 700 Large Color ... by Tammy Powley Beading All-Stars: 20 Jewelry Projects from Your Favorite Designers by Lark Crafts Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

I am still stuck on working with pleated shibori silk ribbon, and this month for my Bead Journal Project piece, I took a minimalist approach to the beads and maximized the ribbon!  I know, I know...it doesn't seem quite right to me either, but we can't always get our way, now can we?  I'm happy with how this piece came out, I learned something, and I'll be able to share that something in the future.  What could be wrong with that?  :-) Here is a link to part one of my two part series on making the shibori silk flowers and leaves . January February March April May June July Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. 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: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

The Artful Crafter Website Re-Launch Party We're so excited that we're throwing a BIG party with BIG prizes. Come see our new home! There Is No Can't Doing whatever you want in the whole wide world. Mixed Media Anniversary Quilt: Finished! Cherie finishes the quilt she made to celebrate her wedding anniversary. Resin Crafts Blog How to make paperweights in bangle molds with resin. Trials and triumphs.

Clint Henderson from Auntie's Beads recently contacted me about a jewelry pricing calculator that he is continuing to tweak, to attempt to make it the most useful tool you'll find anywhere for plugging in your materials and hourly rate, and ending up with a suggested retail or wholesale price.  It's super easy to use, and it even has a handy timer that you can use if you're not really sure how long it takes you to do a task! Give it a look, and see if it would help you to keep better records! Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2014 The current colors, as seen above Lenzing Color Trends Palettes within the palettes that you might like Best Fall Trends for Back to School By College Fashion Fall Fashion Trends for 2014 Huffington Post Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

You saw my heat-textured candy bag last week, and now here is the fruit of my labor! The center-piece is a stamping that I did with a washer from Alkeme ( ImpressArt ), the rivolis and their settings are from Fire Mountain Gems .  The fabulous buttons on each end are vintage plastic buttons that I picked up in New Jersey the last time I went to visit my cousin.  I also used some over-sized jump rings, links from a chain, and some seed beads (size 11/0s and 15/0s) to finish it off.  There is a metal cuff inside to provide support.  Here are a few of my process photos for you: Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. 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.

How to Repair Beaded Fringe Here's how to DIY bead fringe repair or find a pro. BTW, craft repair is a very nice niche especially as a supplement to selling items you make from scratch. Resin Crafts Blog Super easy coasters with resin and glitter! Craft Organizing Tips for organizing or not organizing depending on how things go! The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew shares the Reveal for the latest design challenge, Dark Bloom. A Bead A Day Are you wearing sparkle today? Would you give up your exercise time to make something sparkly?

I am extremely happy to say that metal mesh ribbon has become one of my favorite new materials to work with.  In the beginning, I had a hard time locating it, but now it seems to be easier to find.  Aria Design Studio Specialty Beads

Thanks to my recent obsession with all things textured, I ended up heat-shrinking a bag of Dove chocolates.  NO, the chocolates were not IN the bag, silly.  Of course I had already scarfed them all down, because that's another thing I'm obsessed with! What I did was to open up the bag completely, take it outside in case of fumes, and shrink it with my trusty heat gun.  If you don't have one, you might even be able to use a hair dryer if you can get it hot enough.  What happens is that these bags are layers of both metal and plastic.  The plastic shrinks and wrinkles, and takes the pretty bag colors with it. I'm thinking that this would be a great base layer for something steampunk, with gears and other metal bits.  And beads, of course!  What do you think? Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided...

Podcast Pilot The princess puts herself out there in her pilot podcast! Carmi's Art A closer look at my resin projects published in Tammy Powley's "The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making." Resin Crafts Blog Learn to make the Charming Charlie Keepsake Bracelet - Created for Scrapbooking.Com Magazine How to Add an Antique Finish to Decoupage Antiquing a decoupage project is very simple; but it's important to do steps in the proper order. A Bead A Day Lisa shares her love for tiny little jewelry making elements. It doesn't take much for her inner child to make an appearance! Beading Arts Buttons make a wonderful accent on a bead embroidered bracelet!

Designer Irina Miech presents 27 new jewelry projects that showcase the newest, and most fun, components now widely available.  In Finding Style , you will find how to use these new toys, and you'll definitely be inspired to move forward with them.  The projects are fairly basic, so if you are a beginner, this may be the book for you. There is a bike chain bracelet on page 40 that I really want to make, and I also love the way Irina uses leather bracelets with rivets to attach interesting buttons and other pieces.  There are five sections: Bezels and settings, Gears and jump rings, Metal buttons and rivets, Beach stones and metal stampings, and Filigree and chain. Each chapter begins with an overview of the materials, tools, and techniques needed.  You will find that many of these ideas will help your designs to go 3D, so if additional dimension, texture,  height, or just excitement is what you're looking for, look inside this book! Technorati Tags...

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I showed you the buttons that I received from The Bead & Button Company , UK?  Well, the beautiful beautiful buttons inspired me to make another bracelet, but this time, instead of a cuff with a metal blank in it to make it rigid, I wanted to make it soft, a complete wrap with a button closure. Here it is! There are layers of fabric, soft leather, lace, and pleated silk shibori ribbon, and of course, buttons and beads.  You can find all those lovely buttons and the seed beads at The Bead & Button Company , UK Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. 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.

Take a Free Private Class with Lia Griffith to Learn Unique Paper Rose Making Techniques A friend and I took a free private class from Lia Griffith and made some gorgeous paper roses. What fun! Resin Crafts Blog This is a fun how-to showing you how I remake a switch plate with Jewelry Clay! Books Clubs Inspires Artistic Creations "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot prompts artists from across the country to create! Beading Arts Cyndi has written up a little tutorial for her postcard-sized bead quilt!

Finding Style: How to Use Today’s Versatile Jewelry-Making Components by Irina Miech The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making, 2nd Edition: 15 New Projects, New Gallery - More than 700 Large Color ... by Tammy Powley The Visual Language of Wabanaki Art (American Heritage) by Jeanne Morningstar Kent Unique by Design: Contemporary Jewelry in the Donna Schneier Collection (Metropolitan Museum of Art) by Suzanne Ramljak Sea Glass Jewelry: Create Beautiful and Unique Designs from Beach-Found Treasures by Lindsay Furber and Mary Beth Beuke The Knotting & Braiding Bible: The Complete Guide to Creative Knotting Including Kumihimo, Macrame and Plaiting ... by Dorothy Wood Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

I didn't really ever plan to write up a tutorial on this piece, but since it was featured in Chapter two of Bored By Back Stitch (page 32), I've gotten too many requests to ignore. I know it's not technically a quilt, but that's what I'm going to call it since traditional quilts were the inspiration.  Please don't yell at me about it! 1. Cut a piece of fabric just slightly larger than your final desired measurement to account for shrinkage while beading.  Cut and iron a lightweight fusible interfacing to the back. 2. I started by measuring off the central square and stitching its outline in, of all things, BACK STITCH!  See, I don't hate back stitch...I just want variety. 3. Next I added back stitched lines off to each side of the central square.  These were filled first... 4. ...one by bead embroidered herringbone stitch, which was then topped off by another back stitch line. 5. ...and the other side by bead embroidered ...

Charlene Sevier Book Review: The Complete Photo Guide to Making Jewelry (2nd Edition) Origami-Inspired Calling Card Holder Suits Gift or Credit Cards This origami-inspired card holder had two large pockets on the inside and 2 "secret" pockets on the outside. It holds about 20 cards and fastens with an elastic ponytail holder. Resin Crafts What could be cooler than miniature people at the beach? Art Bead Scene Check out Ema's new favourite tool - her wood-forming block for making curved metal components! Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

I want to make a non-wearable piece, just a pretty bead and embroidery picture, and I'm having trouble deciding which fabric should be the background.  I started out with a whole bunch of fabrics and narrowed down over a few hours. The two contenders are both pieces of muslin that I free-style marbled years and years ago.  As you can see, the one above is subtle and doesn't interfere with the focal pieces. BUT, the other has more of the colors of the flowers in it, and seems to be a slightly better match, although it is a busier pattern.  Which would you choose? Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Cerulean Shoals - a metal mesh ribbon cuff I am very very excited about this new piece that I did for the Bead Journal Project this month!  I have been looking for other textiles that would give an organic look to my work like pleated shibori silk ribbon does, and I stumbled upon metal mesh ribbon.  Not that the two look alike, that's not what I mean.  I was looking for that organic quality that the silk has, and the metal mesh ribbon seemed to be a distinct possibility.  You can stretch it and bend it, pinch it and fold it, stick stuff inside it, and best of all...you can easily stitch through it.  So here is my first attempt, in all it's turquoise-y glory! There are step-by-step instructions for this piece in Chapter 3 of my e-book Bored By Back Stitch ! January February March April May June Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for persona...

Carmi's Art/Life World It is wonderful to see how a bit of fabric ribbon and a button can be featured into a new beaded cuff. Resin Crafts Blog There are inexpensive bamboo tiles that can easily be turned into wearable jewels with some simple resin application techniques. Mixed Media Artist Cyndi is head-over-heels in love with a new book on reclaiming and upcycling textiles! Crafty Cupcake "Recipe" Calls for Styrofoam and Glue Not only are they cute, these cupcakes are fun to make. They’re guaranteed to be sugar-free, gluten-free, calorie-free and cute as the dickens. Back to Amigurumi Crafty Princess is loving amigurumi again with this new project that was a tad challenging.

I received a wonderful package of buttons and beads from Bead & Button Company , UK.  They are a leading shopping site in Great Britain, located in North Lancashire. The soft colors of these buttons and the seed beads reminded me of a special piece of pleated silk shibori ribbon that I've been hording...time to break it out, I guess!  In a few weeks, I expect to have a project to show you.