Bead Soup Party Registration - August 1st!

Lori Anderson of "Pretty Things" has announced that registration for the next Bead Soup Party starts tomorrow, August 1st!

If you are thinking about taking part, don't hesitate to get signed up because registration takes place between August 1st - 3rd only and beads ship out from each member by August 17th!

Wow, Lori runs a tight ship which is part of why this party is so successful! In fact, this is such a succesful program that Lori has been asked by Kalmbach publishing to write a book about it! Yay! The Bead Soup Blog Party book is due out in October of 2012!! It's always wonderful to see people's hard work pay off, congrats Lori!

Now, here are the 3 important tidbits of information you need to know about joining the party:

1. you must have a blog, 2. you do NOT need to make your own beads, 3. the party is open to international beaders!

You can get the whole scoop on the Bead Soup Party blog. Make sure to do that now so you don't miss the boat! :)

You can learn more about Lori in this very nice story or by visiting her blog or jewelry website!

Peace, Love and Bead Blogger Saturday!

I hope you are all having a great weekend! Make sure you do something creative! You don't want to have any crafting regrets!

The Bead Dreamer

We don't always get it right the first time. Charlene shares a rework that results in two necklaces created from one!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
A special guest stops by the Earthenwood booth at Rust Belt Market: Cari Cucksey of HGTV's Cash & Cari

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew shares his plans for the future of his online Shop.

Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Come see what's on Cindy's bookshelf this week.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Are you ready to sign up for Lori Anderson's next fabulously fun and creative Bead Soup party? Jean has the scoop on what to do to sign up! Jean participated before and LOVED it. Once you have had "soup" with Lori, you just HAVE to have more! It's irrestible. See Jean's blog for the details!

Art Bead Scene
Did you know ABS has a designer of the week? Join us in a challenge and you could be featured on ABS!

Resin Crafts!
Resin Crafts show you what can be done with the mold of a grandfather clock.

Beads & Books
Does your mood influence your jewelry designs? Share your thoughts!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy shares her favorite summer necklace design.

Beading Arts
The Bead Journal Project is just whizzing by this year, and Cyndi is finally caught up!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi's post features her favorite find from the CHA show in Chicago this month.

Featured Designer: Kate Gardenghi of Expressive Accessories

Happy Friday everyone! It's time to get some creativity going!

This week's featured designer is also known as the Tropical Blonde! Too cute! Now, talk about creativity! When I saw the clay beads on her Etsy site, they made me smile and made my eyes open a little wider! That is always a good sign...:)

It wasn't easy for me to pick just a couple of photos to share with you tonight, so if you have a minute make sure you pop over to her Etsy shop or blog for more!

In her profile, Kate shares that she is a stay at home mom who loves to work with different mediums to create unique jewelry. She also loves to work with polymer clay as well as crystals and manufactured beads.

A true artist and beader! Every time I look at that blue pendant above it makes me happy.

I'm so glad Kate allowed me to share her work here tonight! Enjoy!

$500 Grand Prize-Soft Flex Gift Certificate!

I just saw this on Facebook and decided to hold off on tonight's post to tell you about it! I am feeling tempted myself to submit an entry!

Softflex is giving away a Grand Prize of a $500 Gift Certificate

Runner up will receive a $250 gift certificate

...AND $100 for honorable mention!

Here is some of the info from the Softflex website:

"We are very excited about this year's challenge. We want you to use both our beading wire and our craft wire together in a design. We can't wait to see how you might mix these two top of the line products to create something really special and unique. You know that we love color! So don't be shy. Choose a full color pallette from either product and BE COLORFUL!

How can you do this? Perhaps you will create your own wire beads with craft wire and string them up on flexible beading wire along with beads from your local bead store or you might string a design on flexible beading wire and create your own craft wire findings such as clasps or ear wires - the options are limitless. Flex your creativity!"

• GRAND PRIZE: $500 Gift Certificate
• Runner Up: $250 Gift Certificate
• Honorable Mention: $100 Gift Certificate
• TOP 10 WINNERS: Free 30ft spool of their choice

Isn't that amazing!! I suggest you pop over to their website for all the contest details. Everyone's beading friend and Soft Flex Rep, Sara Hardin, has created some very cool pieces to inspire your designs!

"Smooth" Faceted Leaves

Since I still have Fire Mountain Gems on my mind after yesterday's post, I thought it would be fun to share a couple other favorites from their catalog!

I originally ordered these beads while working on my book with the expectation that they were a little smaller and a little more clear than they are colorful.

When they came and they were extra large and deeper in color than I imagined, I set them aside on my beading table.

One day I thought I might as well try them in my design to see how they looked since I hadn't found any other beads to replace them.

Once I was about half way done with the project, I liked it more than I imagined I would and it ended up in the book afterall!

Sometimes when you are having creative inspiration, it's good to give yourself a little credit for some intuition and see how perfectly things turn out down the road.

Now That's a Catalog!!

I have to admit when I got the mail this evening, I was happy to see the Fire Mountain Gems Catalog live and in person.

When I lifted it out of the box, I will also admit that I had a good chuckle because it must weigh at least 5 pounds!

My first thought was, Wow-not only is this a great resource, but it could also be used as an exercise weight!

I know they have struggled with making the decision about continuing to print the full catalog all at once, but I believe their customers have spoken and said they want it!

I thought it would be good timing to mention Fire Mountain Gems here because I have received a few questions about the colorful rubber tubing that was used in the Dandelion Bracelet and the Button Necklace in my book, A Bead in Time.

I am not aware of other companies who carry the assorted colors so here is a link to the tubing in their online catalog that I used.

If you are interested in the hard copy catalog, here is a link to request one.

Project Update & Interesting Craft Store Tidbit

I am heading back to the drawing board to figure out how to get some crystals to adhere to this adorable rubbery watch I mentioned in yesterday's post.

I like it quite a bit as is. Bright white and smooth...BUT, as soon as I held a crystal on it while using the hotfix tool, the entire vibe changed...VAVAVOOM. There is just something special about the swarovski sparkle!

It seemed so much happier and made me smile! Imagine what will happen once I figure out how to adhere all these onto it.

My guess is that I will not want to take it off!

There are a couple of great suggestions in the comments yesterday, so I have an idea of what to try next.

If you have ever been successful at something like this, let me know!!

Now, wait till you hear what happened at Joann Etc. tonight. I wasn't going to stop in, but I had crystals on the brain and the car seemed to know where to go!

I had just stopped to pick up my new cell phone and realized as I was walking into Joann's that I had forgotten my coupons at home!! Bummer! Then an inspired thought occurred to me...what if Joann's used a mobile app to share coupons..!

That thought never occurred to me before, so I checked and sure enough I was able to get 40% off my crystals! Yay!! Isn't that cool!?

New Slap Watch & Bead Mix Winner

I was shocked to find something called a slap watch today!!

I knew immediately I had to have it and I also knew I needed to embellish it with crystals!!

I am a huge fan of slap bracelets but had never seen watches made with a wristband that has a collapsible band that you literally slap yourself with to get it to bend around your wrist.

I LOVE it and think it was such a smart idea!

It is made from a rubbery material so I am not sure if hotfix

swarovski crystals will adhere to it, but I'm definitely anxious to give them a try!

I tried using some with a sticker-back that are made for paper crafting and they fell right off. I promise to keep you posted! As always, give me a shout if you have ideas to share!!

And now, as promised, the winner of the recently mentioned craft store bead mix is: Debra from Abracadebra Designs!

Yay, I'm so excited to ship it off to her and see what she comes up with to make with it!

Peace, Love and Bead Blogger Saturday!

Have you noticed people celebrating Christmas in July this weekend?! While flipping TV channels this morning, QVC was aglow in holiday lights!

Then during a call to my Mom I discovered she was right in the middle of a holiday golf cart parade up at Lake Erie where everyone had decorated for the winter holidays! Sounds like fun to me!

Tammy Powley at About.Com Jewelry Making is talking about getting started on holiday ornaments!!

Considering Ohio is experiencing a serious heat wave, thoughts of cold air and snow have not entered my mind at all!

I have to admit it was fun to shift gears for a minute, but don't get the idea I'm ready for winter, just ready for a slight break in the heat!! :)

If you have a minute, I hope you'll join me in hopping through some of the links below to see what everyone is up to!

About.com Jewelry Making
Save time and your sanity this holiday season by making some easy metal ornaments now.

Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Studio Saturday lingers into Monday as Cindy finishes up her metal project.

Art Bead Scene

How do jewelry projects flow through your studio? Come to ABS and see how they flow through Cindy's studio.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew announces that he'll be helping teach three workshops with his sister at ArtFest in the spring of 2012!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi makes a fabric brooch with Clover's latest great tool!

Beading Arts
Cyndi has a fabulous squared-cross turquoise pendant to give away!

Beads & Books
Michelle shares 3 tips for making more time for your art.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be to be done!
Book Giveaway of the FABULOUS book, chains,chains,chains! You can see Jean's review and sign up! Come to her blog and leave a comment for your chance at this remarkable new book!

Resin Crafts!
There is a new open back bezel tutorial on Resin Crafts Blog!

The Bead Dreamer
Make or collect beautiful handmade jewelry? Store it just a beautifully with these jewelry storage ideas.

Featured Designer: Syndee Holt

Happy Friday everyone! It's always a great day when I get to share a wonderful designer with you and today is extra special!

I had the pleasure of meeting the multi-talented Syndee Holt in Cleveland a few weeks ago while we were both on deck to tape a segment for the PBS show Beads, Baubles and Jewels! We got to hang out, admire each other's work and even have dinner together.

I learned so much from Syndee who is a freelance writer for quite a few magazines including, Belle Armoire, Polymer Cafe, Step by Step Wire, Step by Step Beads and Somerset Gallery. Syndee is also the author of, "Polymer clay for the first time".

Most importantly, I learned I want to be just like her when I grow up! She allows all her talents and interests to shine brightly whether it's creating with polymer clay, jewelry making, writing or photography.

As a representative, designer and blogger for the Polyform company, Syndee creates gorgeous pieces using Sculpey clay that are used for advertising and demonstrating those products! Wow, pretty amazing considering these are sidelines in addition to a full time job! Such an impressive role model!

Syndee, you are amazing! I'm so glad we had a chance to spend time together. It was a lot of fun getting to know you!

Bead Mix Giveaway!

Since we have the featured designer of the week coming up tomorrow, I wanted to share the rest of this week's bead mix with you tonight!

Aren't these great? They complement all the other beads and have so much character.

I've included a close-up of the bicones that look like they have a tie-dyed design pasted on them!

How cool is this? It makes me ponder the focal bead a little bit more. Is it possible there is some type of veneer finish on these beads that has been glued on?

Hmm...I'd love to get your thoughts on that! AND, I'd love to find out if you would be interested in creating a piece of jewelry with this bead mix.

Let me know if you would like to play with these beads and share your finished product on A Bead a Day! I'll select a random winner on Sunday! :)

Take a look at the posts from the last couple of days to see the rest of the beads in this mix and comment on this post for a chance to win.

Orangy-Pink = Padparadscha!

What's the official name for orangy-pink? I'm thinking it could be "padparadscha". How about you?

Okay, I just googled it and discovered, "Pink-orange sapphires are also called padparadscha. Pure chromium is the distinct impurity of rubies."

Interesting! I am wondering who came up with the spelling of this word because it is also INTERESTING!

I like how this bead mix is coming together. The orangy-pinks mixed with yesterday's bubbly pink and the puffy gold pillow beads. Nice!

There are a couple left for tomorrow, so please stay tuned! This bead mix is also going to be a giveaway! :)

Amazing Pink Beads & Designer Shout-Out

From a distance these amazingly pink sparkly beads seem to be covered in glitter or crystals. SURPRISINGLY, upon much closer observation, I have discovered they are covered in rounded clear glass flat-back beads.

I never would have guessed that they are rounded clear beads! They seem so crystally!

I love optical illusions and think this one definitely qualifies. I still can't figure out why it looks so glittery from a distance! I guess there are some things we just don't NEED to know! :)

And now, a special note to all of you bead designers out there...

BEAD DESIGNER SHOUT-OUT!!

To all of the wonderful bead designers who use glass, resin, polymer clay, etc. to create unique works of art that jewelry designers can use in their work, I am looking for a number of people to showcase here on A Bead A Day for the remainder of the summer!

Jewelry designers are always looking for new and unique pieces and I'd like to help them find you and your work.

If you would like to be featured here, just send me an email at abeadaday@sbcgobal.net.

Thanks so much!

Work of Art in a Bead Mix

This is an amazing giant bead! I am hesitant to call it "just" a bead when it resembles more of a work of art!

It is very lightweight, so I'm not sure if it is resin or some other kind of material. It doesn't appear to be glass.

This is the focal gem from the bead mix I found at Joann's over the weekend. I posted some crazy gold puffy pillow beads yesterday and wait till you see the sparklies that are coming tomorrow!

As I post these, I'd love to hear your ideas about them individually and when they've all been posted, I will be doing a bead mix giveaway based on the final comments!! :)

Stay tuned!

Project Update and New Bead Mix!

I just spent the last hour or so adhering 60 more swarovski crystallized elements to this cute lazy-susan desk organizer!

It doesn't seem like there are 60 more on there, but I like it and think it will look very sparkly under the bright lights of my work environment.

I took your advice and added 30 more of the light topaz crystals and 30 in a bright jonquil! LOVE IT!!

Let me know what you think! I saw some iron on designs and wondered if it was possible to use those by using the hotfix tool on each crystal, one at a time. Any idea?

By the way, I picked up a new bead mix when I bought the new flatbacks.

Check out these crazy glitzy gold pillowy beads. They make me think of royalty for some reason. More on the bead mix tomorrow! :)

Have a wonderful new week!

Peace, Love and Bead Blogger Saturday!

I don't think I will ever get used to how quickly time flies on the weekend! If it was going to happen, I think it would have by now! :)

Since it IS the weekend, it's time for a treat! Take a look at all the cool things happening with our blogger pals! I love this photo of the loot Jean Yates received for the "Mostly Metal" challenge!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean is excited to show what she received (not her finished design however!) from Michelle Mach for the "Mostly Metal" challenge which

Michelle is hosting!

The Bead Dreamer
Use a finding in a different way. Try Charlene's chandelier earrings made from bead caps. A tutorial with photos shows you how.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew reveals the mystery component for the July Reader's Challenge!

Resin Crafts!
Resin Crafts Blog received a very pretty samples kit...and turned it into a unique wearable.

Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Cindy reviews Hot Connections by Jennifer Chin.

About.com Jewelry Making
Don't blow off Christmas in July. Instead, use this time to make some awesome beaded ornaments.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has found a few new ways to use Apoxie Sculpt!

Beading Arts
Cyndi shares the instructions for making a freeform peyote stitch necklace. Now the piece just needs a name!

Art Bead Scene
Come take a look at ABS Editor Cindy Gimbrone is up to in her studio this week!

Beads, Baubles & Jewels TV now on DVD

Hey there, I just came across this information on Kristal Wick's facebook page...

Last season's PBS shows have now been placed on DVD which is available for sale. Nice!

There are 13 episodes and over 6 hours of how-to segments included!! How fun!

Here's a direct link to the BB&J website since I just realized you can also download a free beading e-book on that site, what a "bargain"! :)

I hope you all have fun and creative plans for the weekend! Catch you tomorrow!

Fancy Swarovski Crystal Hot-fix Flat Backs

Did you know there are fancy Swarovski crystal elements that are hot-fix flat backs??? I didn't know that until tonight!

I am preparing to stock up on some flat backs to finish the desk accessory project I've mentioned that last couple of days and I stumbled upon quite a few fancy crystals on Artbeads.com!

Who knew?! I'm also enjoying that such small things have these long, descriptive names!

Pictured here are the 2028 Xilion Rose Hotfix and the 2493 Square Chessboard Hotfix!

How FUN! I'm very hopeful I will find some cool bracelet blanks or maybe even some wooden bangles would be interesting to hotfix at the craft store tomorrow!

I've been googling for the last 15 minutes or so and haven't found too many hotfix projects that involve jewelry. Interesting! Why do you think that is?

Cool Sparkly Project

Just a quick post tonight to let you know I appreciate everyone's comments on yesterday's post!

I will be adding more blingy swarovski flat backs to my little desk organizer on Friday. I can't wait! It was a lot of fun and very easy.

I was looking at the jewel tool site again tonight just to see what other types of projects they recommend and found this one which I thought would be fun to share tonight.

It is a simple bracelet blank that wraps around the wrist and has a snap closure. HOW FUN!! I'm not sure where you can get those blanks, so I'll check the craft store.

Does anyone out there have any idea where to find those? THANKS, as always!!

Bring on More Bling!

Okay guys, here's how the jewel tool experiment is going!!

Since I only had two packages of crystals, this is not exactly "encrusted" with sparkle.

I wasn't sure I wanted to completely bling it out for work....until I took it in and put it on my desk today.

It just seemed to be asking for more!

So, here's the question now, do I add more light topaz crystals OR incorporate other colors?

Help! I need some opinions because I have no crystal loving friends anywhere else to ask!

I asked my husband and he said he loved it. Aww, that's sweet, but... :)

Please let me know what you think! I'll be heading to the craft store on Friday.

THANKS EVERYONE!

Experimenting with Heat & Crystals!

After pricing Swarovski encrusted desk accessories recently, I decided I might try the swarovski hot-fix tool and flat backs to sparkle up something for my new workspace.

I didn't do my research first as to where to actually find a hot-fix tool, so on a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, I picked up something called the Creative Jewel Tool.

The package reads: The Creative Jewel Tool is great for adhering adhesive backed embellishments to fabric, wood, leather, paper, ceramics and much more. The tool comes with 3 points, tweezers, stand and instructions.

I'm getting ready to take it out of the package now and will keep you posted on my success!

I found a cute lazy-susan pen and pad holder in a brown pleather-like material to work with.

Fingers are crossed, please wish me luck. Here is an example of the flatbacks I bought, in light topaz.

I didn't go too flashy to start with, so we'll see how things go. :)

I'd LOVE to hear from any of you who have tried this!!

This Week's Project: New Spin on a Bracelet Project

I made this hemp cord bracelet a couple weeks ago as I was preparing for the Beads, Baubles and Jewels show. It was created as a variation of the project I was presenting from my book, the Florida Palms bracelet.

The original piece is made in all green hemp cord that is a bit heavier gauge, the loops are longer and pointier and the crystals/beads sewn on are in the green family.

I thought it would be fun to try making the same piece using two different colors of a dantier gauge cord. Basically, the bracelet is just a pattern of square knot, loop, square knot, loop, etc. With the cord being softer, it also made sense to make small loops and allow them to remain rounded.

The The final step was sewing on a topaz mix of ebeads and swarovski crystals. I think it turned out fun and kind of sweet!

I love how things like this work out! I might not have attempted to create variations on the Florida Palms bracelet if it weren't for this TV opportunity.

I had so much fun creating, it was definitely a bonus. Here is the photo of the other, all-white variation on the Florida Palms bracelet. I have been wearing this one every day since the taping, it is so fun and summery!

I happen to have a GIANT spool of white hemp cord that is very frayable. Once I had this one done, the idea crossed my mind to snip the loops and use a doggie brush to fray the strands for a shabby chic look. :)

By the way, I wanted to mention if you have never seen or don't get the PBS show Beads, Baubles and Jewels in your area, there are quite a few episodes on You Tube.

Peace, Love and Bead Blogger Saturday!

I have some great links to share with you tonight! These bead-bloggers have LOTS going on these days...Design challenges, new beads, giveaways, how-to's and book reviews!

Take a peek if you have a chance!

Beads & Books
Michelle is hosting a Mostly Metal Design Challenge with 3 different kits of materials: Filigree Fun, Gunmetal Love, and Antique Brass Romantic. Come join the fun!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew introduces some NEW vintage beads to his online Shop!

The Bead Dreamer
Join Charlene in a jewelry challenge to celebrate summer and long days. Click to find out how to participate.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Second chance to sign up for Beaducation DVD giveaway, time lengthened due to last week's holiday! Come on over and see what's up on jean's blog!

Resin Crafts!
Carmi shows you how to make a piece of crochet look like filigree!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie shares some new designs made with her new Fable Pebbles made by members of the Earthenwood Design Team

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
Come take a peek at what Cindy's got on her bookshelf!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi creates a peace bird brooch with artbeads.com components.

Beading Arts

Cyndi has a fabulous copy of 30-Minute Rings to give away, Come and enter to win!

Art Bead Scene
Take the June monthly challenge blog tour.

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has a new book review posted that will appeal to those who love little beads.

Featured Designer: The Chainmaille Lady, Lauren Andersen

I met the fabulous Chainmaille Lady, Lauren Andersen, last week! What a wonderful experience! Lauren was in Cleveland to tape a couple of segments for the PBS show "Beads, Baubles & Jewels" the same day I was there.

I had a great time getting to know her and seeing her gorgeous work in person, including this amazing piece that I remembered from the fall cover of "Step by Step Wire Jewelry"!!

Wow, isn't that bracelet amazing!?

I have to admit I was having a Wayne's World moment and had to fight the urge to bow down with a few verses of "I'm not worthy"!! :)

Lauren is a Beadalon designer, Swarovski Ambassador and jewelry making book author. You can find her at all the big shows conducting demonstrations of chainmaille designs. She also sells a variety of chainmaille items on her artfire site.

Take a look at this red bracelet, oh my gosh, this looks so complicated, but seeing how it was done in person made me feel a little less intimidated by it!

Lauren was so much fun to hang out and laugh with! I'm so glad to have had this experience! You can catch up with all her comings and goings on her facebook page.

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Bead Obsessed?

Would you call a person bead obsessed if they buy clearance beads for no good reason except for the fact they are cute and they are less than a dollar?

OR, would you call them smart and frugal? :)

I know you are all my friends and will make me feel good by calling this person (a.k.a. me) very smart for picking up some great bargains!

And for that, I thank you!

This is the last 97 cent strand of beads I purchased last weekend during a sale I didn't know was going on until I walked in the door of Joann Etc.

These are by Blue Moon beads and are SO cute! These larger white beads with the bright and cheerful flower design are probably too big to make a bracelet out of unless you just use one for the focal.

They would make great beads for a necklace and almost seem like they would work great in a red, white and blue piece. Even though we just passed the 4th of July, it would still be fun to make!

Look Closely During Clearance Sales!

Wow, I am guessing that Joann, Etc. was running their clearance sale recently in order to make room for more new products.

It is definitely worthwhile to pay close attention during clearance sales...look what I found!

...A Jill MacKay Sterling Plated Bead Frame for $.50!

That's amazing! Jill's collection is so classy, I'm glad her work is now readily available.

I love the fact that she includes a how-to booklet with these findings.

That is definitely something she didn't have to do, but says a lot about her desire to help others find joy in beading, especially beginners!

If you are looking for some of her pieces and don't have a local craft store, you can find them on her website!

97¢ Craft Store Find & Swarovski Crystal Winner

Well, it's confession time... I didn't just buy the swarovski components at Joann Etc. over the weekend. Yes, they were very smart about where they placed their clearance rack of beads. They were just inside the front door so you couldn't get in the main store aisles without passing it by.

When I see a price like that, it gets my attention! The reason I bought this strand of beads is because they are brown, not black and while the package reads "plastic", they are very rubbery to the touch. I thought that was very uniquely cool, so in the basket they went!

And now, as promised, I wanted to let you know the winner of this month's swarovski bead giveaway...Shirley of Beads & Bread. Yay!

Thank you ALL for taking the time to leave a comment!

Swarovski Elements Connectors

These swarovski elements connectors in Black Diamond were 50% off at Joann, Etc. this weekend, yay!

I had just gone in to LOOK around and did not realize there would be good sales going on!!

This is always a plus, so in order to justify this purchase, I thought they would be perfect for gifts of earrings this week for some work friends!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I wanted them to be somewhat similar, but also unique for each person.

FUN stuff...I'm so glad I know how to make earrings! :)

This Week's Project: "So Glad I know how to make earrings!"

I am so glad I know how to make earrings!!! It's a fun creative outlet, you can whip them up in a very short time and, they make nice little gifts!

I'll be posting more about the specific beads this week, but earrings were the purpose of a recent purchase of these swarovski components in black diamond.

So, here is what actually happened...There was a 50% off sale of swarovski components and I really wanted them! My justification was to use them as gifts! Hey, makes sense to me and if there is a pair left over that I get to keep, well that's the icing on the cake! :)

I wanted to make something fairly conservative for work and wanted all 3 pairs to use some of the same pieces, but also wanted them to be different.

I am feeling partial to the ones with rubber tubing, so I think I will duplicate those for myself as well! That's the beauty of 50% off! Yay!

Peace, Love and Bead Blogger Saturday!

Wow, there are LOTS of exciting things happening with our bead blogger friends below! We are talking a first ever reader's challenge (picture left), DVD Reviews, molds & resins, holiday jewelry and MORE! :) Enjoy!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Exciting news! Andrew launches his FIRST ever Reader's Challenge! The Design Kit for July features summery shades of green and lots of art beads!

The Bead Dreamer
Charlene features a young jewelry artisan and snags a pretty sweet pair of earrings in the process.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews a GREAT Beaducation DVD on soldered rings and bezels and also announces a giveaway from Beaducation of a DVD of the winner's choice just for liking Beaducation's blog! What's not to like?

Resin Crafts!
This week there is a special piece featuring a mold and a resin pour!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
The Earthenwood Design team is serving up lots of sweet jewelry treats!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi works on a little bit of an antler for a surprising result!

Beading Arts
Are you clear on your goals for your bead and jewelry blog? Cyndi has rounded up some articles that are sure to help!

Art Bead Scene
Here are some random bead related links for you to enjoy!

About.com Jewelry Making
Get some red, white, and blue jewelry inspiration and ideas from these free jewelry tutorials.

Bead Trends Mag Shout-Out!

To all my ultra-talented designer friends out in blogger-land, I wanted to make sure you all saw this call for submissions on the Bead Trends facebook page today!

If you have been thinking of submitting a design, now is the time! They are looking for a wide variety of pieces for their January 2012 issue!!

The details are below and if you need encouragement or even a gentle nudge, let me know so I can help you out with that! :) You guys amaze me with your creativity!!

Bead Trends January 2012 Call

Bead Trends is currently looking for designs with the following themes for our January 2012 issue:

• Birthstone (Garnet)

• Anything Goes - The beaded possibilities are endless and not just limited to jewelry. What about pillows, table runners, picture frames, lamps, clothing, candle collars, wine glass charms, and home decor. This category can contain jewelry and a whole lot more!

• Quick & Easy – Featuring beautiful designs that can be created in less than an hour and are perfect for designers of all levels.

• Fashion Favorites – Features designs from a variety of styles and mediums that can be a personal favorite or necessary staple in any wardrobe.

• Earrings
  
• Inspired By -Jewelry is a beautiful form of art and art is so often inspired by the world around us. We want to see your designs inspired by nature, people, seasons, colors, and more. Tell us the story of what inspired you!
• All Mixed Up - Mixed media jewelry is hot! We love mixed metals, fabrics, leather, and found objects! We want to showcase your designs.
• The Winter Blues! - Who says "the winter blues" have to be a bad thing! We love blue and want to see all your gorgeous creations featuring any shade of blue.
  
• New Year's Eve-What is the perfect design to wear to ring in the new year?
  
• Bling! - Everyone loves a little bling once in a while. Send us your beautiful sparkling creations!!

If you would like to submit your work to this publication, please e-mail a photograph, the name or title of your piece, and contact information to:beadsubmit@northridgepublishing.com.

If submitting multiple pieces, please send a separate e-mail and photograph for each design.

Deadline for the January 2011 issue is 11:59 p.m. MDT, July 25th, 2011. All ideas should be your original work and not previously published.