200 Beading Tips, Techniques & Trade Secrets

The only thing more exciting about a title like 200 Beading Tips, Techniques, and Trade Secrets, is the contents of Jean Power's little beading encyclopedia. Everything you ever wanted to know about beading is packed into this beautiful guide to creating unique jewelry from beads. There’s a little something for everyone, with full color instructions for wirework, stringing and knotting techniques, as well as easy bead weaving techniques for on and off the loom.

Beginners and expert beaders alike will enjoy the sections on materials, tools, and bead types. Design tips, like mixing colors and choosing size and texture will help you create stunning jewelry with confidence. There’s even a handy fold-out to help you measure beads and wire, so you always have the right materials for the job.

Jean Power’s book is an excellent guide for newbies who want to learn a variety of beading techniques, and can also help experienced beaders try something new. The book is packed full of unique designs, including some of the author’s most stunning beadwork, and there are plenty of example projects to help inspire you to use the techniques that you’ve learned.

200 Beading Tips(also published as Compendium of Beading Techniques) finishes with a beading glossary, and an alphabetical index, so you can jump right to the section that you need to complete your latest project, or master a new technique. A helpful resource guide also offers recommendations for bead shops, magazines, and beading societies, so you can make the most of your hobby.

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
Jean Power and St. Martin's Griffin
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Bead Wish List: New Arrivals

With another 12 months of beading time and ideas ahead of us, it’s time to take a look at what’s new and fresh at our favorite bead shops. Whether it’s a totally new product, or a new addition to lines that we already love, it’s always exciting to have access to new supplies that might help shape our future ideas into fabulous designs. Maybe you can find some beads to add to your must-try lists for 2012!

Silver and Coral Pave Bead by Beadelle
From Artbeads.com

The popular jewelry design style is now available in beads for quick design boosts!





Glass Pearl Rondelles in Fuchsia
From Auntie's Beads

The shimmer of pearls and the consistency of glass in a versatile rondelle shape.





Opaque Matte Dark Red Rainbow Tilas
From Fusionbeads.com

Tilas aren’t exactly the most versatile of seed beads, but luscious new colors open up lots of possibilities!





Sono Wood Chain Strands
From Happy Mango Beads

These necklace chains are handmade in Indonesia - imagine the design possibilities!





Shell Pearl Strands
From Lima Beads

Imitation pearl beads made from genuine shell and mother of pearl. The beautiful Twilight coating is shown here.





Crystal Red Magma Emerald Cut Fancy Cabochon by Swarovski Elements
From Fire Mountain Gems

Nobody does focals quite like CRYSTALLIZED by Swarovski. These gorgeous cabs are perfect for bold and elegant designs.





White Wood Heishi Beads
From Rings & Things

These lightweight natural beads come in a variety of gorgeous dyed colors, like lime green.





Wildly Bohemian Seed Bead Kits
From Artbeads.com

Oodles of coordinated seed beads in one pack! Love Affair is perfect for Valenetine’s Day projects.

Do you have your eye on a new bead style, or beading tool this year?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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A Bracelet a Week: Happy New Year

I can barely believe it, but week 52 of the Bracelet a Week challenge has arrived, and everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow. Bracelet number fifty-two is complete, and there are only hours left until the end of the year. Thank you so much for joining me and encouraging me during this challenge!

For the final bracelet, I wanted to do something colorful and celebratory. I’ve made a habit during these challenges to use rainbow themes for final designs, and I didn’t see any reason not to do it again this time.

Because this challenge is ending at the start of the New Year, I was inspired to create something that might resemble stars and fireworks. I started with a selection of Swarovski bicones in bright birthstone hues. The variety of colors and their characteristic sparkle would easily provide that flashy effect that I wanted.

Although I had a little more time for beading this week compared to Christmas, I still had a pretty tight deadline. I know from the Necklace a Day challenge that one of the easiest ways to make a design go faster is to use larger beads. So, I paired my crystals with 6/o silver lined crystal seed beads, and whipped up a simple but sparkly herringbone cuff.

I added one crystal every two rows in random places, trying not to repeat the same pattern of colors as I went. Once the bracelet started coming together, I realized that it looks a little like white fruit cake – even more appropriate for this time of year, and certainly a fun treat for celebrations.

The overall concept for this cuff – using almost entirely 6/o silver lined crystal seed beads – came about when I was contemplating my design challenge for 2012. I’ll be ready to reveal it in January, as soon as the New Beads challenge is wrapped up. November’s necklace is a little delayed, but coming along nicely, and December’s beads are in the mail. Within a few weeks, I’ll have one more goal to check off the list.

Farewell to 2011! What are your crafty resolutions for the New Year?

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
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Inspired by Geodes

One of my favorite inspiration blogs, Glitter Guide, recently suggested using geodes to add sparkle around your home. Although they have been known to make great paperweights and end table decorations - not to mention jewelry components - I wondered if there were even more ways to incorporate these gorgeous crystal formations into decor. Perhaps there would even be something for someone who has sworn off rocks and gems!

I wasn't surprised by the number of stunning photographs that I found on Pinterest with a quick search for geodes, but I was delighted with the variety. Here are just a few of my favorites...

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
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A Bracelet a Week: Unexpected

Have you ever wished that you could make time stop, so that you could get a little more work done? That’s a little how I felt over the week of Christmas, as so many different deadlines and obligations closed in. Not only is it the busiest work week of the year, but I was spending most of my free time rushing to finish a handmade Christmas gift. So I needed a bracelet project that I could finish in one sitting, and check one more task off the list.

One of the quickest stitches to work is St. Petersburg chain, so I decided to take this opportunity to use a few more of my new 8/0 seed beads, and whip up a quick wrist wrap. Instead of making a complicated pattern or palette, I chose simple black and turquoise. Even though the design and colors look fairly ordinary, they seem to make a big impact together.

As I was stitching the first row, and looking forward to the end of the project, a little light bulb came on. What if the button were completely different from the rest of the bracelet? It would certainly be new and interesting, but I also hoped that it might lend a bit of mod-podge flair. Plus adding a contrasting button would give the bracelet an unexpected and welcome focal.

It was a little tough choosing colors for the button. I definitely wanted red or green - but not both. I finally decided on white lined peridot with a brown horn druk base, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I look forward to testing out more combinations of contrasting button colors in the New Year!

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
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