Inspired Beaders: Ta Meu Bem

Today’s guest beader is Mika of Ta Meu Bem, who creates stunning beadwork jewelry designs - including some very exciting netted broad collars. She has a flair for using bold colors and one of a kind patterns that stand out from the crowd.

Inspirational Beading: When did you first get started with jewelry design?

Mika: I began designing jewelry when I was 8 years old. My mom bought me a bag of seed beads and a loom. I took to it very quickly, and soon the sounds of beads getting sucked up by the vacuum cleaner became commonplace in my home. I couldn't put it down. It would be years before I began doing stringing. I beaded on and off until about 15 years old when I found a Michael’s by my house with an excellent seed beads section. It was like no one else bought beads there except me, so I had a field day.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first piece? Where is it today?

Mika: My first piece was a loom woven bracelet. I remember it had triangles and was in a primary colors scheme. I have no idea what happened to it, seems so long ago now. I do however still have some earrings and bracelets I made about 15 years ago. These earrings are made from tiny matte Czech beads. I made a matching bracelet that’s disappeared, but the earrings remain. Back then my best friend Erin was the only person besides my mother who knew I beaded. She was, and still is a big supporter, and also a robber. “Let me borrow this you can make a new one” are words from her I’ll never forget.

Inspirational Beading: What kinds of beads and materials do you like to use the most?

Mika: I love and use only glass and gemstone beads, and I LOVE seed beads. I've recently become obsessed with vintage seed beads which I use a lot – French, Czech, African. They just don’t make some colors like they used to. If I had to delve into it, I love Czech seed beads the most. They’re the authority and continue to innovate. I actually enjoy using non-uniform seed beads as well. I've had several people chide me about it, but I think the misshapen beads add character to my pieces. I love to use this vintage silk thread that gives my necklaces this amazing lightness and drape. I’ll be sad when my stash runs out because I found it at an unbeatable price. Honorable mention to Toho because they make some of my favorite colors these days.

Inspirational Beading: Where do you look for your favorite inspiration?

Mika: The past! I am a vintage fiend. Traditional stitches - African, European, Colombian have been my biggest inspirations. The colors, the layers, the fact that a lot of them never use printed patterns leaves me in awe. Another inspiration for me is the ancient Egyptians. They loved netting (I do too), and the more pictures I find from museums and books continues to drive my work. Also, everything from the Embera tribe. They’re native Colombians and their use of color and the breadth of their pattern making will blow your mind. I’m also part of a great and supportive community on Instagram where I’m most socially active. The ideas that my clients on Instagram, especially regarding color have been my favorite projects. I can't forget that Inspirational Beading, Poé gyöngyei and NemVal are the first beading blogs I found, and definitely helped me discover what I like to do.

Inspirational Beading: What’s the most interesting or unique thing about your design process?

Mika: Color. Everything starts with color to me. I tried to write/draw patterns but I never follow them. I start with a color and work from there. I enjoy monochromatic color schemes the most, and the pieces always evolve as I go, even when I use a pattern. For the most part, although I invest in patterns and books, I rarely use them. I want to get all of this creativity that’s been laying latent in me out before I begin following more designs.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color to work with?

Mika: Favorite color? GREEN, green and more green. It’s easily accessible in a plethora of hues, both seed beads and gemstones. I really like Purple too, but it’s not easily accessible in regards to seed beads.

Inspirational Beading: What are some of your other favorite materials?

Mika: Vintage stampings, fringe material and Druzy are a big part of my work. I don’t want to spread myself too thin because there’s already too few hours in the day, but I really like chainmaille and I’ll be taking my first wire-wrapping class, and first class ever, at the end of the month.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting design in your shop right now? What makes it special?

Mika: Actually I’m really bad at updating my Storenvy and Etsy websites. Most of my pieces are sold through Instagram or in person at art walks and bazaars. The most exciting thing I have is coming soon! Also a large percentage of my projects are custom work, so they never make it to my websites. What makes my work special is that people always tell me it feels good to wear my jewelry, that they can feel it. You can always find me on Instagram, that’s where the magic is. It's my favorite website, and there are beaders from all walks of life there- Native, Ukrainian, Japanese, and more. We’re all there under one roof supporting each other in a way I never imagined. The community there is a big part of why I bead, they are a reflection of the passion I feel, and I’m so thankful for them.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Mika: Every person who thinks for a moment “I could never do that”. We are a sisterhood and brotherhood of beaders, it’s important never to forget that. I began doing hand woven pieces 9 months ago when I saw a girl wearing a beaded collar for the first time. I saw it and thought “I have to do that, I can’t do that. Of course I can do that!” I was lucky enough (in a way) to be unemployed at the time, so I was able to spend 5 hours or more online researching every day, and another 10-16 hours beading a day. Yes it was that serious, I literally would bead for hours on end. I wasn’t good, and I lacked direction so I worked slowly and made mistakes, many a mistake. This went on for months. I would not be swayed from my journey, and slowly but surely things began to change. I got better with the encouragement of others and my continued dedication to research. Anyone who wants to begin beading, feel free to contact me on any of my social media accounts, I’m here for us.

Inspirational Beading: Tell us a little more about you.

Mika: I’m Jamaican American and live in Southern California. I’ve been beading for 20+ years now. Ta Meu Bem (tah may-O bane) is my company that I began two years ago while living in Brazil. It is a Brazilian expression that people use when they are giving into someone, or when someone is looking particularly fierce fashion wise. My Brazilian friends are the ones who pushed me to begin selling my jewelry after goading me with comments like “did you get that from the fashion district?”, when I angrily would respond “I DID NOT” they would always say “Ta meu bem” as if to soothe me.

You can see more exciting jewelry designs by Mika by following Ta Meu Bem on Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Ta Meu Bem
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Faire Collection: Natural Fair Trade Jewelry

One of the greatest things about being a beader or jewelry designer, is the ability to make choices that influence the world around us. Whether we’re focusing on special materials, working with other artists, making jewelry with a statement, or simply donating our designs to charitable causes, there are so many ways that beaders make a difference.

The fair trade jewelry line formerly known as the Andean Collection is one of my favorite bead related causes. Founded by Amanda Judge, this amazing little company made big changes to the lives of women and their families in South America. Now they are taking their efforts global by creating job opportunities for over 200 beaders and jewelry makers in Vietnam, Swaziland, and Ecuador with the Faire Collection.

Faire Collection designs continue to amaze jewelry lovers with gorgeous natural materials like tagua, acai, and coconut. The incredibly trendy styles are bringing the message of the importance of fair trade products to boutiques around the world.

Today’s Wear It Twice collage features handmade jewelry and accessories from the new Faire Collection. In addition to necklaces, bracelets and earrings, Faire artisans also make hats and scarves with flair. There are some amazing colors available, including bright tropical hues and subtle natural tones. I went with the always stunning combination of bright blue and rich brown, with just a hint of mint. The Geo-Stack earrings are my personal favorite.

Summer Faire by mortira featuring sleeveless dresses

Also included: the Isabella Necklace, the chunky Classic Tagua Bracelet, Lola Hat with peacock feather, Rialto Earrings, and the Infinity Scarf. The natural shapes and patterns of the materials blend perfectly with the bright colors. If you haven't worked with natural beads like tagua before, they are a great way to add personality to jewelry.

If you’d like to learn more about the project and the talented designers and artisan partners, visit ShopFaire.com.

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Faire Collection
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Bead Color Ideas: Beach Glass

The found object and sea treasure appeal of beach glass is what made it a popular item for everything from knickknack bowls to jewelry, but those aren’t the only reasons why we love it. The warm glow of sand polished glass in soft colors is hard to resist for any magpie, which is why so many bead companies and artisans strive to recreate the look in a less rare - and sometimes more affordable - variety.

With the spirit of beach glass in mind, I started this month’s bead palettes with not one, but two accent beads. I couldn’t bear to decide between the two colors, each with their own summery appeal. And after all, a single seed bead color can do a lot with the right accents and patterns. Today’s trios include Indonesian glass in gorgeous tropical lime green, and beachy frosted teal. Together they look like a mermaid’s treasure - all they need is a great background.

I started with an obvious choice - the warm sandy color of transparent topaz really adds a beachy vibe. The slightly orange hue also contrasts perfectly with both the lime and teal, making for a very tasty trio. Grotto would look fabulous in a freeform piece, inspired by flotsam and jetsam on a hidden beach.

Next I wanted to really enhance the sourness of the lime rondelles, and turned to an old favorite that looks right at home with rustic bead shapes. Turquoise blue white-hearts glow even brighter than warm tropical waters, and add a lot of light to the palette. Aloha would look gorgeous in a multi-strand piece inspired by gently lapping waves.

Last but not least, I wanted to cool things down a bit with a much darker color. Black would have been much too easy, although the Java beads would look amazing on a stark neutral backdrop. Instead I went with the decidedly purple tones of cobalt iris. The shimmering finish is great for any aquatic inspired piece, and the violets and indigos play so nicely with the teal. Reef would be the perfect palette for a rope necklace or lariat with bead cluster focals.

Do you like the look and mood of beach glass in your designs? Do you prefer the handmade or traditional style?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Wear It Twice: Totally Random

Themes and palettes are all well and good, but sometimes it’s fun to just throw out all the rules. As I’m preparing all of the details for my submission to this year’s Ugly Necklace Contest, I’ve been craving some more eclectic and freeform designs. And now that heavy coat weather is over, it’s also a good time to experiment with layered outfits and wild styles. With this idea in mind, I went in search for some interesting, exciting, and eye catching pieces to pair with a great statement necklace.

Mix Not Match by mortira featuring chamak by priya kakkar bangles

I started with a chunky multi-strand bead and chain necklace. With a great mix of neutrals, it would be that much more fun to play with patterns and textures. For each outfit I combined pieces that had prints or patterns, with a few complementary colors to bring out the personality in the necklace. I also added lots of chunky bracelets, a few with some great examples of trade beads at work.

If you’re in the mood to let your beads run wild, here are a few tutorials for similar designs in necklaces and bracelets:

This Trail of Turquoise necklace project from FusionBeads.com is the perfect combination of chain and chunky beads. The soft colors work harmoniously with the metals - for extra fun, try adding some striped beads!

For a more traditional approach, combine floating beads and chain in a cascade necklace from HowDidYouMakeThis.com

Daggers and spikes add even more texture in the Gulf Stream Necklace project from Artbeads.com

Like the idea, but want it a little more demure? Pair a handful of bold beads for a smaller statement with a Multistrand Statement Necklace tutorial from HappyHourProjects.com

If you're not comfortable with freeform but want the look, start with a simple technique and add lots of bead varieties. The Vegan Wrap Bracelet from Beadaholique.com provides a great place to start.

Layering bracelets is a great way to add personality to any outfit. The simple seed bead Stratum Bracelet tutorial from AuntiesBeads.com projects lots of color in a totally stackable size.

Natural elements in jewelry look great when they're big and bold. The combination of links, leather, and big beads in Live In Art's Chunky Bracelet Tutorial really delivers.

And here are my favorite Polyvore collages features some of this month’s picks:

Sin título #939 by loveisforgirls featuring a multiple chain necklace

Untitled #1794 by julinka111 featuring a floral messenger bag

Casual Walk *No Backgrounds by synderella featuring Lynn Ban

What’s your favorite freeform technique?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Mood Board: Fiesta

Although I love all four seasons just as much as anyone, as far as I’m concerned the months of the year are best divided into two categories: those when you can wear shorts, and the rest. So now that Easter is behind us, I’m ready to put away the pretty pastels and bring on the heat!

For this month’s mood board, I’ve refined the look a bit, and reserved the bead picks for their own mosaic. I started with a sort of Cinco de Mayo theme in mind, and searched for exciting statement pieces, hot colors, and a hint of natural goodness. With so many multicolor and mixed media jewelry pieces to showcase, I chose a simple but still interesting dress for a background. The huge daisy print is definitely a great show-stopping complement to the full-texture jewelry.

Fiesta by mortira featuring a floral print dress

In a beaded design, this theme could be carried out not just with color, but with carefree abandon. Lots of unique elements, some freeform techniques, and a mix of materials would make the look. For this mood, I chose lots of multicolored beads and mixes, then added some bright pops of color and a few more of those natural elements. Honestly, it was a challenge not to just look for the most exciting bead mixes and those with a multicolored finish. This theme really calls for some big statement beads to bring everything together. These are my picks for perfect summer explosion designs:

1. Red Jasper Seed Bead Mix by Spirit Bear Beads
2. Murano Diamond Pendant from Artbeads.com
3. Ashanti Glass Disc Beads from Happy Mango Beads

4. Saffron Recycled Glass Rounds from Auntie's Beads
5. Czech Glass Ladybugs from FusionBeads.com
6. Paper Flower Lampwork Beads by Mermaid Glass

7. Rainbow Mix Seed Beads from Beadaholique
8. Chili Pepper Glass Beads from Strum and Sparkle
9. Multicolor Sari Silk Ribbon from Lima Beads

What kinds of beads are you in the mood for this month?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Friends
Collage Hosted by Polyvore.com
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Spring Jewelry Colors: Part Two

This week’s fashion color trios are inspired by Rebecca Minkoff’s sketch for the Pantone Spring 2014 lineup. I can’t decide which I like more - the amazing shade of Freesia yellow, or Rebecca’s perfectly subtle use of the colors on chic neutrals. The trio of Freesia, Celosia Orange, and velvety Hemlock would look amazing in statement jewelry as well as patterned beadwork. Just imagine a crocheted rope with these spring hues!

It was a bit of a challenge to find the right balance of colors for this collage, while still keeping the pieces that I really liked together. I definitely wanted to keep some of the black-and-white striped elements, as well as tunic style tops. The bold yellow leather statement necklace is a great piece for just about any palette - it would be just as suitable for fall outfits, too! Since the yellow is so intense, I also went heavy on the orange and left the hemlock in the background - just a touch here and there to keep things from looking like a fruit bowl.

Cultivated Experiences by mortira featuring a leather trousers

Here are some gorgeous jewelry tutorials to try featuring elements from this week’s collage:

Three Leather Necklace Tutorials by Cotton+Curls: These super simple leather and chain necklaces would look fantastic with some additional Swarovski crystal or Czech glass.

Leather Leaf Necklace Project by Missie Krissie: This project can go from a fall design to a spring sensation by including beads in cool tones like sky blue and hemlock green.

DIY Suede Fringe Necklace by Pop Champagne: A bit of sari silk included in this simple design would make for a gorgeous pop of color.

Enameled Flowers Spinner Ring by Beadaholique: This ring project would look beautiful in any color combination.

Neon Lace Necklace Tutorial by A Matter of Style: This project idea is great on its own, or as a base for an amazing embroidery project.

And my favorite Polyvore collages featuring some of this week’s picks:

Red Yellow Grey Contest 2 by angkclaxton featuring flat sandals

Senza titolo #140 by asphaltjungle featuring a high waisted leather skirt

Yay by butterflybush29 featuring a fringe infinity scarf

Do you like to use bright and vibrant colors in your designs? What shades are your favorite?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
Pantone and Rebecca Minkoff
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Bead Color Ideas: Job’s Tears

One of my favorite things about working with natural beads - apart from their sustainable qualities - is the way that they can blend into almost any style or color palette. Unless dyed, natural beads have wonderful neutral colors that go with anything, and they have a unique ability to work with modern, minimalist, and chic styles with the same ease as they do with other natural and organic elements.

This month I went on the hunt for the perfect bead colors to pair with Job’s tears. These pretty little beads are made from Lagrima de San Pedro seeds found in Ecuador, and look quite a bit like pussy willows, but without the fuzz. They are incredibly lightweight, making them perfect for fringe, which also allows them to make pretty music when they sway.

I particularly like the soft pastel gray of Job’s tears, which often appears to be hiding another color beneath. To accentuate this mysterious natural finish, I started with some equally soft and misty colors, with a hint of sweetness. Tropical Honey includes wisteria lined crystal seed beads, and some dark transparent topaz.

To see how these natural beads would stand up to a more modern design, I combined two stark opaque colors that could be either chic or tribal, depending on the design. Shiny jet black and pepper red provide a great backdrop for the gray in Dancing Shoes. This palette really flatters the Job’s tears, while playing down their texture a bit.

And finally, I couldn’t end without pairing beads from the rainforest with exciting tropical colors. The turquoise blue and opaque pale green seed beads are very lively, and allow the Job’s tears to remain cool, like a stretch of white sand. Perhaps we’ll call this palette Laughing Mermaid.

Do you like to combine natural beads with organic elements, or contrasting styles?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Inspired Beaders: Big Village

Handmade, exotic, and rare - there’s nothing quite like beads from Africa. The unique bead making process, sustainable and fair trade practices, and of course the gorgeous designs are impossible to resist. One company that embraces all of these things and shares the beauty of African beads with the world is Big Village. Based in Canada, Big Village distributes handmade beads from Ghana through their fair trade partnership, as well as African inspired jewelry, batik fabric designs, and more. Today our guest is co-owner of Big Village and bead lover, Karen Berry.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get into beading and jewelry design?

Karen: Growing up, I explored many crafts and hobbies but I have found that I enjoy working with beads and scrapbooking the most! In my early twenties, I bought my first beads and made simple hemp bracelets and necklaces for friends and family. It was a fun hobby and never thought that one day I might make a living from designing jewellery! I was educated and trained in Therapeutic Recreation and worked as a Recreation Manager in Long Term Care for close to 20 years. Through my experiences in Long Term Care and working with the elderly, I observed that those residents who kept busy with their hobbies and interests, were always happier and healthier than their sedentary counterparts. I have always believed it is important to keep your mind active and beading certainly does that! I became serious about beading and jewellery design about a year before I purchased Big Village; I was Big Village’s biggest customer!

Inspirational Beading: Was purchasing Big Village a huge leap? How has it differed from your original expectations?

Karen: I knew eventually one day I would own my own business but just wasn’t sure what it was going to be. I love working in Long Term Care but after almost 20 years of being in it, I needed a break. When the idea of purchasing Big Village first came up, it was perfect timing; like it was meant to be. I finished a one year maternity leave position with my former employer the month after I purchased Big Village. Knowing that my business partner and I were chosen out of 30 other candidates to carry Big Village forward, has given me the confidence to run a business and move it forward.

During the months leading up to the purchase of the business, I envisioned myself playing with beads and making pretty things all day long. Sadly, this is not the case. Most days are spent answering emails, updating our social media, taking product photos, ordering products from Ghana, making new partnerships, researching products extensively, maintaining a website and online store. I have gone from working in a busy long term care home to working most days alone in my home office. I never thought I would crave the constant interruptions and policy changes a traditional office job has. I can easily be distracted by laundry, dirty floors and bathrooms or a comfy couch. However, I get to take my kids to school every day, stay home with them when they are sick, play hooky with my husband sometimes and make my own hours. It’s a pretty awesome trade off and I love being home!

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite part about working with bead makers in Ghana?

Karen: I feel so grateful and privileged to have had the experiences I have had so far with Big Village and our bead partners in Ghana. I love knowing that we are helping make a positive and sustainable difference in the lives of not only our partners but their family, their employees, their employees’ families and the community in which they live. Knowing that our partners are succeeding, makes me unbelievably happy. And traveling to Ghana (and other African countries eventually), is pretty amazing too! Africa is one of those places that most of us dream of visiting and my dreams have come true. Doing business with Ghanaians has had its challenges but I am grateful for even the most difficult times we have had because I have learned so much about culture and the way people live and view business!

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color or bead style to work with?

Karen: I love using bright, bold colours that reflect the Ghanaian culture as well as the simplicity of mixing black and white with teal or bright blue beads. However, my favorite beads are the hand painted ones. When I work with them, I spend a lot of time appreciating each and every single one and all the work that goes into them. I love the designs the artists in Ghana paint on them and it still impresses me that each and every single bead is made by hand, from glass that was supposed to end up in a landfill.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite project for using Krobo beads?

Karen: I love making bracelets with the beads. They are fairly simple to make and very rewarding as they can be made fast! I love experimenting with different colours that I may not use in a necklace. My other favorite project is creating necklaces for our African inspired jewellery line. We use all sorts of African beads including our recycled glass ones but also Kazuri beads from Kenya, cow bone beads from Kenya, rolled paper beads from Uganda, Lost Wax beads from Ghana and most recently EarthButter Beads from South Africa. I love mixing all the different textures and sizes to create unique, one of a kind pieces.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Karen: Our mandate at Big Village is to empower and educate consumers to make conscious purchases. This also goes for crafters and beaders alike. We want to inspire people to make informed choices about not only the day to day purchases that they make but also about the craft supplies they buy. We spend a great deal of time working with school aged children and teaching them about fair trade, ethically made products and slavery.

I hope to inspire people to look at Africa in a different way. When we traveled to Ghana for the first time, I tried not to bring any judgements or stereotypes with me. After years of being told by the media that all of Africa is living in poverty, I happily experienced something completely different. There is joy and hope to be had and people work hard for their families. The people we met were so happy and full of optimism that I now have a different view of Ghana and Africa. I am not ignorant to the fact that poverty does exist but so do thriving, vibrant communities full of people wanting to create sustainability.

To learn more and to purchase some fabulous beads and fair trade products, visit the Big Village website. You can also get news and updates on the Big Village Facebook page, or find inspiration on their Pinterest boards.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and Big Village
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Tropical Toucan Necklace

Many beaders and artists keep a notebook on hand at all times, because you never know when an Idea is going to suddenly drop out of the sky. Not just a solution for those new beads you bought on a whim, or a fun color palette, but a fully formed image of a complete design that is so great, you have to drop everything to make it.

I recently had such an idea. It was completely random, appearing behind my eyelids in the middle of the night. I saw a necklace with a tribal style beaded rope in the colors of a toucan, and floral beadwork like an artistic doodle. It was a little art nouveau, with large leafy components and bright flowers. I couldn’t wait to get started.

I began with some very rough sketches of the necklace that I had imagined, but when I sat down to actually create it, I realized that some of the components would be impossible to make the way I wanted them. I modified things a bit to fit into my favorite techniques, and to work with the colors and bead quantities that I had, starting with the flowers. Yellow and blue druks would make excellent tropical flower bases, with petals in more blue, orange, and some fruity magenta.

I made several different types of beaded flowers, and some green discs that would fill in for the lime-shaped leaves that I wasn’t able to recreate. For the rope, I chose 8/o seed beads in turquoise blue, pumpkin orange, black, and white. Instead of an asymmetrical pattern, I took my inspiration straight from the colors of a toucan. Once everything was ready to assemble, I also added some lime and emerald green 15/o seed beads for extra leafy fringe.

Technically, this necklace didn’t turn out anything like the one I had originally pictured, but I like it much better. My favorite moment of triumph is the tiny flower bud, which I made to match the magenta flowers. Instead of using circular brick stitch, I started with a ladder base, and stitched the yellow druk in last.

I decided at the very last minute not to include the green Swarovski minis, because they seemed to clash a little with the other shapes, colors, and textures. So far, I haven’t been able to come up with any ideas for how to use them, so they’ve gone back to the stash until something appears in the night.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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Wish List: Natural Beads

Since finally making use of some coconut daggers, and using up the last of my coconut heishi on Khepri’s necklace, I find I’m craving organic and lightweight accent beads more and more. They have such wonderful textures that simply aren’t found in other beads, even those with a natural looking finish, like Czech glass Picasso. The earthiness is irresistible.

Today I went on a fantasy shopping trip, looking for unique and inspiring beads made from nuts, seeds, shell, wood, and bone. Here are my favorites:

Tagua Nut Sticks from Wanan Beads





Lime Wood Rings from Happy Mango Beads





Carved Bone Beads from World's Edge Beads





Pink Coconut Rondelles from yukidesigns





Red Tagua Claws from EcoBeads Tagua





Aquamarine Keshi Pearls from Artbeads.com





Sandstone Buri Nuts from Happy Mango Beads





Betel Nut Bicones from Beadaholique

What’s your favorite natural bead?

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