Inspiring Links: August 2011

I hope all of you beaders are having a fantastic and creative weekend! Here are a few things that have caught my eye lately. Perhaps they can inspire you, too!

In warm weather, lightweight jewelry can make all the difference. Karla Schaffer at Auntie’s Beads has an easy, breezy necklace and earrings set with crystals and chain that won’t weigh you down in the heat.

Right on the heels of leather wrap bracelets, the friendship bracelet is making a stylish comeback. The trendsetters at Polyvore show us a few fun examples of these colorful and stackable bracelets.

Last month I participated in the Cherished Collections Blog Tour with readers of Elegant Musings. One of my favorite collections from the tour is by Sarah of Vintage Bobbin, who shared an amazing assortment of costume jewelry, along with tips on finding, collecting and caring for vintage jewelry.

Papernstitch shows us 5 good reasons to use surveys for improving online business.

Do you have a lucky number? How about a favorite date? Perhaps you could wear it on your fingers so you never forget! Check out these very interesting stackable numeric rings on Honestly…WTF.

80’s meets 70’s and is still going strong with the fantastic neon and neutral color blocking trend. Glitterguide shows us how to wear it, but perhaps you can find some color inspiration for beading as well!

We've probably all seen examples of how hardware makes for great found object jewelry. But what about beadwork with washers as a base? Tamara at Vanishing Pearl shows us how to bead around washers, and create a stunning collage bracelet with them!

The Sartorialist captures two fun trends together in Milan. Neon and neutrals work perfectly with this pink maxi skirt.

Beading Daily has some of the best collections of fun and easy beading projects. They recently launched a new, free eBook with 6 adorable earrings designs that use seed beads and other favorite materials.

This simple flow-chart cartoon by Happy Mango Beads shows us just how things go in the making of Czech glass beads.

A trendy new jewelry site called Bauble Bar is offering up all the best designer jewelry at below retail prices. While it may not be the place for your handmade jewelry, it could provide some excellent inspiration and insights into current jewelry trends.

A Conversation on Cool is my new favorite blog. As a Tumblr, it’s pretty straightforward - just really fantastic photographs that make you think, “Cool…”.

Beth Terry’s plastic free life is an inspiration to many environmentally conscious people. Recently, she shared a recipe for making your own liquid soap for use around the house, using absolutely no plastics or petroleum products.

Do you like frilly, pretty things? If you do, you’ll love this handmade apron giveaway on The Drapes of Wrath. Contest closes on Friday, August 12h.

If you’re crafty all around the house, and not just at the beading tray, you might just love this DIY net bag project from Honestly…WTF. In just a few minutes, you can turn a plain net bag into a fantastic purse!

Irene at Heirloom Attire shares how she turned an old serving tray into the perfect jewelry display. All it needed was a little paint and some magnets!

A new tutorial video from JewelrySupply.com shows us how to do the beautiful Egyptian coil technique. My metal-free philosophy has never been tested quite so much!

So, what’s your favorite inspiration of late?

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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