Lac and Kashmiri Bead Giveaway

As beaders, when we think of insects in relation to our work, we might consider the many wonderful color and pattern inspirations that they provide, from butterfly wings to honey comb. Dig a little deeper, and it turns out that bugs and insects are actually a pretty important part of the bead and jewelry making world.

We’ve already seen how the natural clay from termite mounds creates the perfect kiln material for African bead artists, and silk makes a great material for both fiber beads and thread. But did you know that there are beads made directly by the power of insects as well?

Materials and products made from lac - the secretion of tiny tree-dwelling insects - have been around for hundreds of years. It is used in the production of varnish and shellac, as well as unique beads and jewelry. The natural resin secreted by the insects that feed on sap is harvested, crushed, sifted, and heated to create an ideal bead making material. The resulting beads have a wonderfully natural appeal. Lac jewelry has been an important part of Indian customs for generations, with a long tradition of craftsmanship and style.

If you’d like to give lac beads a try, our friends at Maruti Beads would like to share some of their beautiful bead designs with you! They have graciously offered a selection of lac and Kashmiri beads, as well as their own custom maruti beads to one lucky Inspirational Beading reader! Similar in style to lac beads, Kashmiri are made from synthetic polymer clay, and embellished with a variety of materials such as rhinestones and silver. You may also know them as Bollywood beads - each bead design is handmade in India, and has a fantastic, exotic look. Some are very similar in design to the popular pave beads, and would work well in trendy pave projects.

How to Enter

For your chance to win a package of 60 assorted kashmiri and lac beads, visit MarutiBeads.com and choose your favorite bead style. Then leave a comment on this post, and let us know which one you liked best. Is it the Kashmiri with studs and hearts? The gold and blue lac hexagon? Anything goes!

Important: Comments must be posted here on Inspirational Beading to qualify, but no log-in is required. If you do not have a Blogger profile with email contact enabled, please make sure to include an email address, shop, or website link, so I can contact you if you win!

One reader will be drawn at random on Tuesday, October 30th. This giveaway is open to international readers.

Good luck!

I would like to thank Maruti Beads for sharing this fantastic bead giveaway. Inspirational Beading does not receive a commission for featuring these products.

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading and MarutiBeads.com
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