Crafty Bead Love

Ooh, the minute I saw this strand of acrylic beads my hand went out to grab them! Isn't that funny? Sometimes you hem and haw, not sure what you like or what will go with what...

Other times, you just know!

These acrylic beads appear to be metal beads, but they are light as a feather. The crafter in me could see so many possibilities.

Using paint colors, the possibilities are truly endless. When you look at the detail in the design of the inner bead, I think this is such a fun craft project. Tiny brush, lots of colors...ahh, come on weekend!!

I would LOVE to hear your crafty ideas. By the way, these came from what the Cousin Ambassadors now lovingly call the "picking wall" of beads. :) More on that next week.

1 Hour Design

I've been looking forward to telling you all more about my trip to Cousin Corp headquarters down in sunny Florida.

I thought you would get a kick out of one of our well spent hours. 

All of the bead and project designers + the Creative Circle Ambassadors were given beading tools, mat, bead board and an hour to pick from the "bead wall" and create a project.

HOW FUN! I do love a good reality competition show. At Cousin, however, it was all in good fun and a great way to get to know each other. AND, I am pretty sure we went over an hour since we were also eating lunch in between. 

I did have a simple strategy while picking beads...something easy to connect. I chose these great components that just needed some jump rings to connect. 

Then I couldn't help myself but to select the package of my initial, the letter "L". All of the dangles shown were on the package and then some I didn't use. My 10 year old self has a tendency to come out when in serious create mode.

Us 10 year olds love putting our initial on things. :) Wish you all could have been there too. On that note, I'll be making an announcement soon for next year's shout out for new Ambassadors...stay tuned!

Florida is GOOD!

A simple, but true statement!

Or, how about...Florida IS good!

:) I am now in vacation mode for a couple days while visiting my parents who happen to be down here for the winter, yay!

Guess what we are doing?

Yep, making jewelry! Ankle bracelets and earrings...how fun!

Just to provide you with evidence that I am really here, or maybe this is my "pinch me" moment...Above is the view from my room for the past couple days...ahhh...

As I have been mentioning I actually made jewelry in advance of the trip.

This sunshine/sunset necklace has now become one of my faves.

Beachy!

 Hello  from the sunshine state!

As promised, here's my beachy Cousin Corporation necklace. It was so fun to wear tonight...at the beach, yay!

This was also fun to make using the metal beads I painted and modpodged. This color palette includes colors I saw in real life today...peachy pre-sunset, blue sky and sandy beach.

When I saw the water for the first time today I experienced a heaviness leaving my body. It was  great!! I forgot about the stress relieving power of the ocean..ahhhh...

Palm tree and HQ pics will come tomorrow.

Making My Way to Beading HQ

Thanks to the continually generous Cousin Corporation, their Jewelry Making Ambassadors, all from cold winter climates, are heading down to Florida this week to Cousin headquarters....YAY!

Oh, and that includes little ole me! :)

I am so grateful because I am SO cold! I waited for a snowy white-out to pass before venturing into rush hour traffic this morning and all the while had palm trees and sunshine on my mind. Luckily they are within my reach!

I have been working on a few projects lately so I have new jewelry to wear while I'm there. I'll be sharing throughout the week and if all my technology links up as intended, I'll try to send you all a palm tree. Well, at least post a picture of one or two. :)

I shouldn't mention it before asking, but I am hopeful I will be able to get a pic of bead heaven a.k.a. their bead warehouse and/or showroom. :)

For now, here's a happy Floridian memory wire bracelet that includes one of those little metal pieces I painted for the occasion. :)

Happy Warm Sunny Earrings

As I've been working on jewelry projects lately, I've been tempted to use some kind of cording or fibers in every single project?

I wonder why that is? Because it's winter and I'm cold?

Because it's winter and using hemp cord makes me think of summer?

I'm not sure! Here are a pair of earrings that seem very warm and sunny. I didn't have much of a plan when making them, so I was happy when they turned out "happy". :)

Anyone else out there hooked on fibers at the moment? What's your theory?

Jingly-jangly!

Jingly jangly is what comes to mind when I look at this ankle bracelet!

I can't wait to wear it in the sunshine state this week, yay!

I couldn't stop adding things...Actually, I think I stopped just in time, however, I think it was because I used all the jump rings in my package at the time.

Wishing you all a jingly-jangly week! :)

Get Inspired!

Ready for the weekend?

I know, silly question! :)

Here's some creative inspiration to get things started.

We are kicking things off with Andrew's fab peyote stitch bracelet with a Green Girl Studio button closure.

SO adorable!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Featuring the Pantone color of the year, Andrew creates a peyote stitch bracelet with a NEW button from Green Girl Studios.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean writes all about her cool bead partner for the 7th BSBP hostessed by Lori Anderson!

About.com Jewelry Making
A little bit of red can go a long way in any jewelry design.

Resin Crafts!
An experiment with quilled paper has resulted in several stunning resin filled bezels.

Art Bead Scene
Guest blogger Kaushambi tells a fine tale through a whimsical selection of art beads, perfect for this month's challenge!

Beading Arts
Cyndi has finished up her second e-book, "Some Assembly Required"! Yay! Finishing a big project is always a relief.

Carmi's Art/Life World
A love for Downton Abbey has resulted in this statement necklace!

Heart Earrings by Tammy Powley

I am a huge fan of Tammy Powley who writes the jewelry making articles over on About.com.

She is a great cheerleader and mentor for others in the bead/jewelry industry as well as jewelry making hobbyists. She's kind of like the all knowing/all seeing Oz...

Tammy never hesitates to share information even when it took bumps in the road for her to figure out first. She's a open book. Speaking of books, she has written more than I can count, so if you're looking for jewelry making books, make sure to search on Tammy Powley at Amazon. :)

Okay, back to these earrings! Tammy created these fun dangly earrings around a filligree heart component. To me they feel like they could be worn in a very formal setting or with jeans and a great blouse. That's the sign of a classic piece of jewelry. Love these, oh, by the way...Happy Valentine's Day!

As always, thanks for sharing Tammy!! Instructions for making these earrings can be found here on About.com.

"Judge Not" - also applicable to beads!

I REALLY work on judgmentalness...really! However, I find that it seeps in here and there when I least expect it. It bums me out because I believe I am meant to be an accepting, loving and kind non-judgmental person!

So, it's confession time... The purpose of A Bead A Day blog has always been primarily to appreciate individual beads because sometimes they get lost in the shuffle.

I received some Trinkette products from Cousin Corp a while back and initially put them aside to play with some of the other items that I wasn't familiar with. I realize now that I was looking at them as a whole rather than individual works of art.

These pieces together make a GREAT Valentine's Day project! AND, each of them individually has "heart" and beauty.


The charms are adorable and would melt even the coldest (judgmental) heart!

The white ceramic trinkettes with the tiny little red flowers are wonderful.

They are so dainty and remind me of fabric my mom used when I was little to make little girl outfits. Aww.

Thanks for listening as I unburden myself just a bit. :) To live IS to learn!

Time to Share Valentine's Day Projects!

Okay everyone...it's almost here...

For those special occasion jewelry designers, we've got a good one coming up later this week!

Valentine's Day!

I'd love to see your special designs this year.

Just add a link in the comments for this post and I'll pick them up and share on the Valentine's Day post.

Here are a few of my past favorites to get the ball rolling. :)

Doggie for the Wrist

If you've been wondering how to fashion your furry friends into a bracelet project so you can carry them "with you", here's an option.

This bracelet was inspired by the two furry ones pictured below.

I enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to structure the body and add limbs, etc.

I wanted to make something that wasn't too kid-like, but could still be worn in a professional setting. I enjoyed getting a few double takes. It usually went like this, oh your bracelet is pretty. (double take) Oh! Is that a dog? :)

I can see this done in lots of colors and variations based on ears, fur color, etc.

Aw, look at my sweet boys... :)

The one still with us is on the right.

Sparkly Apps?

Now that the novelty of adding interesting apps to my smart phone has worn off over the last year or two, we have a new Kindle Fire, so the excitement is back!

I'd love to hear your suggestions on any bead, beading, jewelry making or crafty apps!

First things first, I'm getting ready to download the Kindle Fire version of my book :) YAY!

I was so excited when it became available on the Kindle Fire, but didn't have one at the time.

It seems to me there is a swarovski app and a few others out there, but I haven't had a chance to research it yet.

Now, second things second (?)... has anyone beadazzled their Kindle?

I haven't had a chance to figure out if there is actually space available to set a few crystals.

As Popeye said, "I yam what I yam"...

Ready to Create?

Ahhh, the weekend has arrived and just in time!

Let the creativity flow!

Here are some inspirational tidbits to get you started!

If you have bits and pieces of trims and embellishments, Carmi's resin project might be for you!

She has discovered a creative way for using leftover craftiness.

Resin Crafts!
Do not miss this post showing you how to embed vintage trims in resin!

About.com Jewelry Making
Fernando Dasilva is this month's jewelry designer interviewee.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean is so thrilled that Nina Designs is offering great new videos on how to make lovely and versatile jewelry. See her blog for an example she really liked! 

Art Bead Scene
Take a peek at some gorgeous eye candy - a beautiful and inspiring treasury curated by Erin for this month's challenge.

Beading Arts
Cyndi has new polymer clay projects to share, including resin and beads! 

Featured Designer: Olena Designs

How cool are these bracelets?! VERY cool!

I have a great story to share, yay! I ran into a co-worker last week who mentioned she bought a piece of jewelry on Etsy.

Considering her own creative talents, especially when it comes to jewelry or card making, I was intrigued! What would Mary be buying on Etsy that she couldn't just make for herself? She knows her own style and always makes fabulous crystal encrusted earrings and bracelets.

When we had a chance to get together, I had a jaw dropping moment. She showed me the bracelet above and, in true Mary form, it closely matched what she had on which ALSO seemed to match her iphone cover...some people just have that knack, while others of us are destined to float around in eclectia (new word?)

SO, I had to know more about the designer who grabbed this sparkly person's eye with this gorgeous piece of perfectionism. It was Olena from Toronto, Canada, who very kindly agreed to allow me to feature her here tonight.

Here's an excerpt from Olena's profile. By the way, the other bracelet shown here is one that Mary had a positive reaction to while we were scrolling through all of Olena's fabulous pieces on her Etsy site, Olena's Designs.

Very inspiring, thank you Olena!

"Growing up in Ukraine, my family did not have the means for supporting such a hobby so instead I spent my time knitting, sewing and crocheting. After all these years I am finally able to do something that I have a great passion for, challenging myself with new designs, materials and techniques. I spent several years researching and have always pushed myself to improve with every piece I make. I strive to use the highest quality materials and make accessories not only for every day wear, but also for those special occasions. I think every person should have that unique piece that gives them that WOW factor. ;) "

I agree with you 100% Olena, thanks again for allowing us to admire your talents!

How Much is Too Much?

Have you ever made a piece of jewelry and wondered, hmm, did I go one step too far?

How do you know for sure?

I recently had that experience with these earrings... They were sweet and simple without the sparkly disco ball.

But, WITH the sparkly disco ball, they just make me giggle.

Giggle = happy feeling, so there you go.

That's how I discovered the answer to the question...

Not too much, but just right. :) Thoughts?

Sharing the Creativity!

Hopefully everyone had a fun and creative weekend!

My last hurrah before preparing for the coming work week is checking out what our blogger friends have been up to this week.

I hope you will join me!

We're starting off with these sweet valentine heart earrings by About.com's Tammy Powley. I love how she has stamped the metal heart blanks and combined them with a pastel. NICE!

Enjoy!

About.com Jewelry Making

It is about time to get some hearts going, the kind you incorporate into Valentine's Day jewelry.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew has been playing with polymer clay! He made a mountain of beads and samples to show how the polymer beads can be used in jewelry.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Just in time for Valentine's Day, or ANY day, Kim Miles, Vegan Ambassador, is reopening her Etsy shop with a lovely new name and perspective! See Jean's blog for the details.

Beading Arts
Cyndi's readers have been weighing in, sharing their best pieces of advice with each other!

Art Bead Scene
Take a tour through the gorgeous jewellery, inspired by our monthly challenge piece 'Black Peacocks with Japanese Persimmons'.

WOW...Winter Inspires!

I'm so glad someone kindly pointed out to me that while we're in the middle of winter, there are some people who are not just wishing for sunshine, but are enjoying the season.

In fact, there are plenty of creative people out there who are greatly inspired by the elements during this time of year!

So far, here are a few of the designs posted by fellow jewelry makers.

I'll keep checking out the post from earlier in the week to continue sharing the pieces with you.

Kokopelli Designs

Kristin
Snow on branches
Snowflake enameled pendant

Nicole, the Beadwright

Fireweed Jewelry & Gifts

Yay, thank you all so much, I am truly inspired by YOU! :)