The Best of Beading in 2010

Let’s take a look back at some of the fantastic things that happened in the beading world, and here on Inspirational Beading, during the last year of the decade!

Blogging Fun

I started quite a few new segments for this blog, including a new set of interviews based on our favorite beads. My favorite by far is the Wear It Twice series, which allows me to play around with clothes. It’s like dressing up Barbie, but with way more selection, and it all starts with one great necklace!

This is my favorite collage of 2010, and I hope to top it many times next year!

Fringe Benefits by Mortira featuring a drop waist tunic

New Bead Styles

In February, Miyuki launched the prototypes for their new Tila shaped seed beads. These two-hole 5mm glass squares are a delightful addition to the seed bead family. I’m ashamed to admit that trying out Tila seed beads is on my list of 2011 resolutions. If you’ve already got some in your stash, try out this awesome Square Stitch Tila Bead Bracelet by Caravan Beads.

Marathon Beading

Beading challenges kept me pretty busy this year. At first I thought that making a ring a day was tough, then I lost my mind completely and thought it would be fun to blog a necklace a day. I’ve had to completely rework my storage system to make room for all of the new designs that appeared in so little time. But it was fun!

Jewelry Wars

Etsy accidentally rocked the jewelry boat with an ill-advised look at the environmental impact of red coral, hosted by an artist who isn’t exactly a friend to handmade. The beads were flying as many different shock waves of debate and disaster followed. One of the better side effects? Lots of artists in business are now enjoying discounted pro-seller rates at ArtFire.

Fantastic Blogs

I adore every comment and compliment that readers share on Inspirational Beading. Without fantastic readers and bead lovers, who would I write for? Starting in May of 2010, I picked some of the best blogs from each month’s comments. Here’s the short list of blogs in the spotlight. It's interesting to see how much a blog can change over the course of one year!

KSK Designs, bstudio, Artful Living on the Bluff,
My Everything Corner, Little Bear’s Mom, My Bead Journey

Therapy with Bite

Assuming you don’t mind the occasional dose of snark, one sure way to get your creativity back on track is to visit Regretsy. It’s been a great year of horrible, odd, and outrageous art! The jewelry category is full of eye-popping designs.

No matter what the disaster of the day is, chances are it will make you appreciate your skills, or take yourself a little less seriously. Either way, it’s great place to unwind when you’ve had a bad day at the beading bench. (Warning! Regretsy posts often feature nudity and profanity.)

Tutorials

I started sharing basic bead weaving tutorials last year, but I’ve done the best ones in 2010. Here are the top five most popular stitches this year:

1. Double Spiral Rope
2. Double St. Petersburg Chain
3. Peyote Bezelled Rivoli
4. Spiral Peyote and Cellini Spiral
5. Flat Right Angle Weave

So that’s a quick recap of some of my most memorable moments in beading. I hope to have many more in 2011, and I can always use a little help with planning. So I’m taking requests!

What kinds of beading techniques would you most like to see for next year’s tutorials?

Happy beading, and happy new year!

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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