Craft Store Bead Mix

Here it is, the bright and cheerful bead mix that I found last weekend at Joann's!

So cute and happy! "The Bead" that I couldn't live without is the silky green/yellow one that looks like a piece of sugary candy!

This is probably not a combo I would have put together myself which is why I always take time to look through mixes. I don't want to miss out on a cool and unexpected grouping of beads that has a special vibe.

I hope you enjoyed these as much I have! Today I found the chain I needed to make some charm bracelets, YAY!! So...stay tuned! I hope to have at least one to show next Saturday!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!! If you have a great new spring/summer bracelet you have made for the season, please SHARE!

Featured Designer: Once Upon a Sugar Tree

This week's featured designer is Julia Forbes of the Etsy Shop, Once Upon a Sugar Tree!

HOW SWEET!

Julia's work focuses on beaded necklaces and pendants for little girls, teachers, grandmas, etc.

She is also leading a charitable effort by designing and selling "blue circle" diabetes necklaces which can be personalized with a name as well. $3 of each sale is going to "Life for a Child", an organization that helps children gain access to insulin and other supplies needed.

You can catch up with Julia through her shop's Facebook and Twitter sites as well.

These are so great, I love the style and unique images she uses. Thanks so much for allowing me to share your work here tonight Julia!

Pinks in the Mix!

These two different styles of pink beads from the Joann, Etc. mix I've been sharing all week look great together AND with all the other colors including yellow, green, blue and orange!

The larger rounds remind me of fingernail polish, very frosty and almost glittery!

In tomorrow's post I will be sharing this week's featured designer and on Saturday, stay tuned for the entire bead mix!! :)

The colors you haven't seen yet include bright yellow, several more orange tones, dark navy blue, a light cobalt AND a handful of silver/gray beads! I can't wait to show you the mix!

In the mean time, I'd love to hear your ideas for using all of these beads! Should they stay together as a mix or be used separately?

The Brightness Factor!

Bright orange complements all the other beads in my new bead mix!

As I mentioned in the last couple posts, I picked up a new bead mix at Joann, Etc. over the weekend and am enjoying sharing them with you one by one this week!!

I won't stretch it out too long...I plan to share a photo of the entire mix this weekend. :)

So cute, bright and warm weathery!

These aren't the beads I was planning to make into a charm bracelet, BUT once I get on a roll with charm bracelets, I think these would be so much fun all dangly and jingly! What do you think?

Blue Skies

There are four of these beads in the new bead mix I mentioned yesterday. Yay!

This color is amazing! When the light hits it, the color is SO BLUE!

I am imagining a summery bracelet with this gorgeous blue and some kind of puffy white beads to represent the most perfect clouds!

These would look great against white hemp cord too!

At the end of the week I'll share a photo of all the beads in this mix and throw it out to all of you for ideas. For now, I am enjoying the beauty of each individual bead.

Stay tuned!! :)

Silky Bead

I gotta tell you...this bead is the reason I bought a new bead mix over the weekend!!

I am always on the lookout for THE bead! You know THE bead...it's the one you can't do without! Not only that, there was something about this bead that made me buy 2 packages!! Oh my goodness!!

There were actually 3 of these in each package and even through the cellophane, I think it was the silkiness factor that sold me!

Now that I have opened one of the packages, I can't stop looking at it. Oh my gosh, you know what just occurred to me? This looks sort of like a cross between taffy, ribbon candy and an all day sucker! I would not be surprised if that had something to do with this purchase!! :)

I think I'll just look at these for a while! The cool part is I now have a fun bead mix to share with you all week! Have a great evening!

I almost forgot to mention I picked these up at Joann, Etc. (from jessejamesbeads.com).

Peace, Love & Bead Bloggers!

I think this day set a record of the fastest Sunday to fly by yet! Wow! It's time now to gear up for the week, let's go....!!

First, do we need a new bracelet or earrings to make tomorrow a better day? If yes, get your beads out!!

Second, have we read bead blogs this weekend? If not, you are in luck! Here are a slew of them to get you started!

This is how it usually begins for me and once I get through the list I start clicking on blogroll links!! I know I won't get to bed early, but that's okay, this is important for my well being!!

Have a GREAT new week!!

Barbe Saint John
Barbe's giving away the latest Industrial Chic booklet and some charms!

Art Bead Scene
Here's a fresh idea for spring - a garden gate clasp.

About.com Jewelry Making
What are your plans for your siver scraps now that silver is crazy expensive?

Beading Arts
As part of the Artbead challenge, "What's Old is New Again", Cyndi has constructed a flapper-style necklace from some very cool components!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
We all scream for Ice Cream! Melanie shows how she designed and made a new line of sweet pendants.

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
Cindy's made some new blush pink drops, come see what she's done with them!

Carmi's Art/Life World
This weeks blog features the poppies of Paris and the jewelery it inspires.

The Bead Dreamer
A lovely tree branch, soft pink flowers and wisps of silk inspired two necklace designs.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew takes a peak at Anne Choi's new BRONZE beads!

Resin Crafts!
This week Carmi has a short tutorial on using resin as a glaze.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Rio Grande is encouraging a wonderful way of helping the people of Japan and it is SO EASY! Read about it on Jean's blog!

Strands of Beads
Melissa is brooding about issues of originality this week.

This Week's Project: Sweet Jumping Dolphin

I was so surprised to receive a gift in the mail last week from my Dad. How adorable is this?!

The pendant is so darn cute and I LOVE the combination of ribbon and cording he used! Aww! I think, for me, what makes the dolphin so adorable is the eye which looks so much like a "googly-eye". As a crafter, I have a soft spot for "googly-eyes!"

AND, the fact it looks like he is jumping out of the water. That is usually when people get to see dolphins...when they are in their natural habitat just doing their happy dolphin thing!

If you have my book, A Bead in Time, you know my husband and I hugged dolphins during a caribbean vacation. They really are sweet looking because of their constant smile and almost dog-like nature.

When I called to thank my Dad for this sweet surprise, he said the pendant reminded him of our dolphin adventure. I LOVE IT!

Featured Designer: Melanie of Earthenwood Studio

I got so excited to share Melanie's ceramic ice cream cones because they are so sweet, happy and summery!

Melanie is so talented, I love that she provided a step by step look at how she took the idea of an ice cream cone to sketch, creating a "cookie cutter", texturizing and adding the ice cream swirls!

She tells a great story and I actually felt like I was there sharing the fun with her!

You can find these new pieces over in her Earthenwood etsy shop along with some fabulous crackle eggs and love letter designs! If you love Melanie's work like I do, make sure to also check out her Earthenwood Ceramics Etsy shop!

Happy weekend to you all, I hope we all come out of it with something crafty to show for it!!

Mother's Day Reminder

These "Florida" earrings are the last jewelry items I made for my Mom that I remembered to take a picture of.

This is just a reminder that Mother's Day is fast approaching!!

These were made the first week in January right before my parents headed off to Florida. Now they are going to be heading back to Ohio just in time for a Mother's Day celebration. That means I need to get busy!

Since my Mom likes to change out her bracelets and earrings the most, I find those the most fun to make for her.

So, what to make? Something springy of course!! I think green is definitely going to be a primary color. Now that things are actually greening up here, I can't get enough of it!!

Here's another reminder.... The Artbeads Mother's Day design contest begins today!! The grand prize is a $250 gift card!! Wow!

GOOD LUCK!! :)

Spring Charm Bracelet - Coming Soon!!

It looks like my future charm bracelet is really going to happen, yay! Spring would just not be the same without a new dangly bracelet!

I've just selected a variety of glass and crystal beads, some vintage, that I think will work well with this very cool "flea market find" bead that I came across several years ago. I have always wanted to use this, but never figured out how.

Now, I just need to find the charm bracelet chain I mentioned earlier in the week! Google here I come!!

Designing projects in my head and then making them happen exactly as imagined feels like a great accomplishment! I can't wait to work on this one!

GLITTERY Jewelry Craft Project!

I came across a GREAT crafty jewelry project today, yay!! I was so glad to hear back from Fusion Beads that I could share this with you!!

I found Fusion Beads through an advertisement and when I got over to their website, the first thing that caught my eye was this sparkly jewelry project involving GLITTER! :)

The project is titled, "Coloring Filigree with Glitter and Acrylic Paint Dabbers"! There was no way I was not going to click on that link especially when I saw they were using this really great bluish/turquoise glitter!

They have provided a list of materials needed, step by step instructions AND they have 3 different finished jewelry projects that you can download instructions and make yourself!

They are all so cute, but I think this springy flower necklace called, Floral Fever Necklace, is my favorite!!

The other projects are the Morning Frost Earrings and Star of the Party Bracelet.

Thanks a million to Fusion Beads for allowing me to share this with you today! HOW FUN! I just wish it was the weekend so I could get crafting!

Stop and See the Crystals!

Have you ever found yourself looking at something you have probably come across many times before, but finally SEE it "for the first time"?

This is not an unfamiliar concept, but always surprises me when it happens :)

This is one of those cases! LOOK at this swarovski pendant!!! It's 22"x15" and comes in every color! It is called the Baroque Pendant. If you click on that link it will take you directly to the Swarovski site where you can switch out all the colors and every one of them is great!

For those of you who are quite familiar with this pendant, I apologize for not having admired and appreciated this one before! I guess there really is a time for everything! :)

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!

Peace, Love & Bead Bloggers!

Shocking how fast time can fly sometimes!! I love taking time to catch up with fellow bead-bloggers on Sunday evenings! I hope you will join me! Have a great new week!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew debuts his new filigree bezels filled with vintage stamps coated in resin. Check them out!

The Bead Dreamer
A vintage belt buckle takes center stage in a bold necklace designed by Charlene

Strands of Beads
Melissa is back and is wondering if anyone else has trouble using materials that are "too special" in their projects?

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!

Jean is still taking part in the April A to Z blogging challenge: "L" is for "L"isa Niven Kelly, and her "L"ovley book Jean loved and previously reviewed

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie introduces a new egg themed design and wonders what the Earthenwood Design Team will hatch up in jewelry designs.

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
Cindy shares one of her free projects.

Beading Arts
The final chapter of Cyndi's e-book is now available! "Fibers, Fabrics, and Beads" challenges you to integrate all the fiber arts that you already love with your bead embroidery!

Art Bead Scene
The Art Bead Scene shows off this month's challenge. Come take a look!

About.com Jewelry Making
Pets and children are wonderful, but they can make jewelry making very challenging!

The Perfect Charm Bracelet

I found this bracelet chain a couple of years ago at the craft store and hesitated about buying it for a few minutes. However, I hadn't seen it before and sometimes if you don't buy a new product when you see it the first time, it might never be available there again.

Well, I have since given this one away and now that spring has arrived and I am ready to create charm bracelets I've decided this is the chain I would like to use.

So, the search begins!!

This is a product made by the Plaid company and it has some kind of finish on it that gives it a white silver, almost matte, appearance. The heart dangle was just like the icing on the cake!

I can't wait to get started on my bracelet, but first, I need to find these chains!! If you've seen them recently, please drop me a line! :) Have a great weekend!

"Painted" Bead

Today's bead reminded me of spin-art! Do you remember the little plastic "machine" that had a spinning disk that you clipped a piece of paper to? Once the spinner was turned on, you could begin adding drops of paint.

The fun part was squeezing the paint from high above the spinner and watching it get pulled into the centrifical force!

Even though the designs were all rather similar, it didn't really matter. It was more about the individual experience each time you placed a piece of paper on the spinner. What a fun game!! I am pretty sure I have one stored in a closet here somewhere, I might have to dig it out for the weekend.

Hope you're having a great week!!

Lucite Flowers for Spring!

Wow, talk about hitting the mother lode!! Check out these lucite flower

beads on the Gems and Knots website!! LOVE them!!

Spring always makes me want to make a crazy, dangly, charm-like bracelet with LOTS of crazy, jingly beads!!

Flowers are perfect AND I was just thinking how great LUCITE flowers would be. You would get the swishy sound without being too clunky when you come into contact with a hard surface!

People will still hear you coming, but in a nice way! :) Ooh, these are SO springy!!

$100 Prize - Enter by Friday 4/15!

I just received a reminder about the Mother's Day Gift Card Giveaway over at Artbeads.com!

The prize is a $100 Artbeads Gift Certificate! You can enter this giveaway just by leaving a comment on the Artbeads Blog for Beaders describing your favorite Mother’s Day themed product and what you would create with it. The winner will be selected at random and announced on their blog.

This star crystal is one of my faves that I think would be perfect in a piece of jewelry for Mother's Day! This is the 12mm Swarovski star in Tanzanite!! WOW! I'm thinking a tanzanite starred tiara inspired jewelry piece would be perfect for Moms!!!

If you can't get over there by Friday, do not despair!! They have an exciting design contest starting April 21st!! They are looking for inspiring designs of Mother’s Day themed jewelry and gifts. All you need to do to enter is upload a photo of your design. The winner will be chosen by a public vote that begins on Mother’s Day, May 8. The design with the most votes will win a $250 Artbeads.com Gift Certificate and have their design featured on the Artbeads.com website!

More info will be coming from Artbeads next week, so stay tuned!

Raindrops...

Wouldn't it be cool if these shiny raindrop beads actually came down out of the sky?

My experience this morning was fairly comical...I was waiting on the crosswalk light to change and I felt one drop, luckily I opened my umbrella and it was as if buckets of water were released!

Oh my goodness, it's the kind of rain you should really only observe from a comfy window seat indoors! :)

I had the funniest thought though as it seemed like forever until the light changed so I could run across and into my building....I thought it would be so cool if they were raindrop beads!

I would just open up my bag and catch enough of them to make cool jewelry for all my friends! So, it looks like my silver lining is also beaded!

Peace, Love & Bead Bloggers!

It's time to get visiting! Below are some great beading blogs to

check out if you have a minute.

This week you will find advice, sparkle, announcements and contests! WOW!!

Have a great week!! :)

Art Bead Scene
The Tax Man Cometh! Get some advice from the Art Bead Scene.

Beading Arts
Cyndi has a copy of the wonderful new book "Endless Sparkle" that she is just dying to give away!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has a new bezel to show off on a brooch.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew shares his new signature tags and announces his plans for a new jewelry line.

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
Let's revisit some flakey advice from Cindy.

About.com Jewelry Making
April is Autism Awareness month, so consider making jewelry as a way to bring some attention to this disorder.

Resin CrafSnap out of it, Jean!There's beading to be done!

Jean is involved in an "A to Z" blogging challenge and at the same time comes up with a great idea for the letter "D" -- Katie Hacker's design contest! Come and see what it is all about!

The Bead Dreamer
Got a small pendant that needs a little punch? Charlene shares five ways to give a small pendant more pizazz.

This Week's Project: Arts & Crafts Jewelry Moment

I had just come out of my craft room with a handful of beads and findings to play with a little while ago and decided to sit down at my desk that had paper crafting supplies all over it.

I thought I better try to organize everything before starting to bead and this project is the result of that moment.

Instead of cleaning up and organizing the space, I started punching holes in this faux patent leather bracelet blank and adding scrapbooking brads!

I LOVE IT and can't wait to wear it tomorrow. It actually looked great

with my jammies, but I think it will look even better with real clothes. :)

What do you think?

The blue flower is on top of the bracelet blank and the pink one is attached to the brad underneath to add some dimension.

Sparkly Spring Designs!

Happy Friday! I hope you don't mind, but I feel a wonderful sigh of relief coming on...ahhhh!

To me, Friday nights mean FUN! I can spend extra time snuggling my doggie, checking out blogs or reading emails to my heart's content without worrying about the lack of sleep I'm sure to feel in the morning!

Earlier today a coworker was telling me her Friday night simple pleasure of being able to play a few games of solitaire without the pressure of bedtime or chores to prepare for the next work day. These are "life is good" moments when time seems to be suspended. Ahhh!

As I settled in this evening, I decided to do some blog jumping to see where I might land in hopes of discovering something new and exciting! I just had to share the blog and Learning Center projects from our friends over at Artbeads.com.

So Sparkly and Springy! You know, I don't think there is a season that doesn't call for Swarovski, but there is just something about the crisp sparkle in these pictures that seems so fresh!

Mother's Day and bunny rabbit projects certainly do remind me that spring is really here!!

Enjoy!

Foot Bead!

After mentioning the foot bead in yesterday's post, I thought I ought to dig that picture up and post it again. You guys are going to LOVE it!

I was so shocked to find this cute little foot bead in a bead mix!! The details around the toes are too much!

The fun of finding these kind of beads in a perfectly conservative batch of beads is GREAT!

I'd love to hear your experiences of finding some interesting and unique beads! :)

Interesting or Odd Bead?

Okay, does this look like some sort of odd or interesting ear of corn bead? :)

I love buying bead mixes put together by local bead shops. They are usually full of interesting or odd beads like this one!

Wouldn't that be a cool job? Digging through miscellaneous beads to come up with the misfits or interesting ones?

I've seen eyeballs, aliens, evil eyes, feet, etc!! It would even be more fun to see the reaction on the person's face who buys them!! :)

I hope you are having a great week!

Exciting New Design Contest!!

This is shaping up to be a pretty exciting week here on A Bead A Day!

I learned today that our friend Katie Hacker of bead books, blogs and television fame, announced a design contest on her blog today!!

You might remember that Katie partnered with the Beadalon company and last year unveiled a new product called the "Katiedid" beading components. She also took over as the new host of the PBS television series, "Beads, Baubles and Jewels" last year! HOW EXCITING!

Here are the details from Katie about her new design contest:

"During the month of April, I'm partnering with Beadalon to launch the first-ever Katiedids Design Contest. Showcase your creativity using any Katiedids Creative Components! Submit a picture of each of your designs separately to KatiedidsStudio@yahoo.com between April 4 and midnight May 1 for your chance to win one of these prize packages:

Grand Prize:

Your design will be displayed in Beadalon's booth at the Bead &Button Show 2011, Beads, Baubles and Jewels DVD set of series 1300, Signed copy of Katie's Beading Secrets, Katiedids Pendant Collection (4 styles), Variety pack of Beadalon 19 stringing wire, "Buy the Dozen" Artistic Wire pack

2 Honorable Mentions:

Signed copy of Katie's Beading Secrets, 3 Katiedids 35mm Pendants, "Buy the Dozen" Artistic Wire pack

Winners will be announced on my blog and Beadalon's blog on June 1. To share the creative ideas, pictures of all entries will be posted on my Facebook fan page after congratulations are announced."

Complete rules can be found on the Beadalon site! If you scroll through Katie's blog, you will find lots of tips for using the Katiedids components as well as lots of behind the scenes action from the TV show!!

Good luck!!

Swarovski Sparkles on PHONE!!

How cool is this?? For those of you iPhone and iPad users out there, have you heard the news about the new, free app from Swarovski Elements?!!

WOW! How fun!! Here's the information I received via email today that opened my eyes!

A few weeks ago, Swarovski Elements launched the official free Create Your Style iPhone and iPad app that gives Swarovski fans a way to make their own creations using the sparkling elements.

The Create Your Style app is your direct connection to inspiring ideas, sparkling designs and the latest crystal innovations. With this app users can browse latest design projects like special holiday creations, get instant information about every Swarovski Element within that design project and learn step-by-step directions on how to bead and create.

Perfect for any DIY enthusiast, this app takes the creator from step one to a dazzling final product they’ll love to share.

The free app is available to download at iTunes now: http://bit.ly/hCjL4I

Here is some more information on the Create Your Style Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/eUjeRF

ENJOY!! If anyone out there has already downloaded the app, I'd love to hear about it!! :)

Peace, Love & Bead Bloggers!

There are some great tips, exciting news and fun designs being shared by our bead-blogger friends this week!!

Sundays are perfect for taking a quick trip through blogs to see what else is happening in the beading world!

I know how easy it is for me to get caught up in my own little happy world, but I can't tell you how much the internet has changed my life for the better.

I have been fortunate enough to meet so many people from all over the world who are willing to open their own little happy worlds to the rest of us to share! THANK YOU ALL!! :)

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi will be launching a brand new blog featuring resin crafts!

Art Bead Scene
ABS Editor, Cindy Gimbrone has a new look in her winter studio/office. Come take a look!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Despite the high price of silver, Andrew creates a treasure trove of decorative headpins out of fine silver and metal clay.

About.com Jewelry Making
Next month in the US is tax time. If you have a jewelry business, Tammy has some tax tips for you.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean is stunned and proud when the great art glass bead maker Cathy Lybarger honors her with her own "Jean Mask " bead ! Wow!

The Bead Dreamer
Charlene's feeling froggy and designs a necklace in green and brown tones

Beading Arts
Do you like copper and turquoise together? Then you're going to love this new tutorial that Cyndi wrote up for you!

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
Cindy shares her "DO" for the week.

Crafty Saturday Project

My paper crafting class today was so GREAT, I didn't want to stop crafting!! So, I grabbed my mod-podge and attached a piece of decorative paper to this mother of pearl pendant. So cute!!

Butterflies and spring seem to go hand in hand!

As you can see, it is still wet! While I am waiting for the pendant to dry, I'm gathering up the other pieces and parts that I will need to assemble a springy necklace.

I just happen to have some great spring green Soft Flex wire, so I think that is going to be a must!

I have a couple strands of mother-of-pearl chips and for a little bit of sparkle, I'm going to dig through my bead bins to find a variety of swarovski crystals to include!! Yay!! If only I could stop time, I'd be in good shape!! :)

I hope you are all having a crafty weekend!! (Would you believe the drive-in movie theater opens next weekend?!! CAN'T WAIT!!)

Featured Designer: Elegance and Sparkles

I hope you will all join me in breathing a collective sigh of relief now that we have made it to Friday night...ahhhhhhhh! It feels so good knowing there's a bit of free time ahead!

I'm taking a paper crafting class tomorrow, I wish you all could come with me! We're making a mini-album that only requires a pair of scissors and a glue stick, but looks very complex!

If you are in central Ohio, send me an email and I'll forward the details...there are a few openings left! I'm looking forward to some happy crafting time with women who like to laugh and enjoy each other's company!

And now, THIS WEEK'S FEATURED DESIGNER!

Elegance & Sparkles drew me in to her Etsy site based on just the name alone! How great is that!! :) I was in awe and admiring her swarovski earrings and LOVE that she did these in many colors! These are the kind of earrings that go with everything and sparkle constantly!

This designer's profile reads: "I started making jewelry about 15 years ago when I saw a netted decoration and figured that I could make one like it. I taught myself to replicate it and the jewelry making bug bit. I started off by following patterns in books and magazines and soon that was not enough. I wanted to design my own jewelry. My inspiration is usually found in the beads themselves, it may be one, or how they interact together."

Talk about beads interacting together, this white necklace is amazing!! I know how much work is involved in adding all of these great beads to a base of seed beads. The result is an eye catching work of art!! WOW! Here is the description posted on Etsy:

"I made this dramatic looking necklace with lots of assorted white and clear glass beads on a white aurora borealis seed bead base. This is a necklace for times you want a bold yet elegant piece that commands attention. Being mostly clear and white, it goes with nearly all colours in your wardrobe. It has a dangle focal pendant attached.It fastens with a sterling silver toggle clasp."

Being an eclectic sort of person, I was then drawn to her wire woven bracelet for its wonderful metally elegance!

Many thanks to Elegance & Sparkles for allowing me to share her work here with you tonight! It just made Friday even BETTER!