Hello again!

Hello beady friends! My sincere apologies for not delighting you with more consistent posts. I have been spending a lot of time designing patterns and creating tutorials so that other can learn how to make pretty things too!
Whether you are a beginning beader or more advanced, you should be able to find a tutorial or pattern to tickle your creative bone in my etsy shop. There are a bunch of funky peyote stitch bracelet patterns too, if you're into that sort of thing.

One tutorial that is not available in my etsy shop but in my jewelrylessons.com teacher page is "Peyote Stitch - Finishing Touches".
That is a free tutorial (you just have to sign up for an account on the website, it's free), that will help you with many of the things beginner beaders struggle with. It shows (with words AND clear, close up pictures) how to weave in new thread, knot, decrease rows, increase rows, add a clasp, and add a loop. Really all the things you need to know to finish a peyote stitch project. Check it out!

Tutorials now available!

I've delved into the world of tutorials and am happy to announce that I will be offering instructions on making some of my creations.
Tutorials will be available via www.jewelrylessons.com.
Right now I have a free tutorial for peyote stitch, as well as tutorials for my beaded ornament cover, and beaded bangle bracelet, with more on the way. Have a look!


Unique You Tutorials

Red Carpet Creations

The talented members of the Etsy Bead Weavers have done it again! This month's theme "Hollywood Red Carpet Creations" has produced some jaw dropping results. I never cease to be wowed.

Get a closer look at each entry individually by clicking on the links below. Be sure to visit the Etsy Bead Weaver's Blog to vote for your favorite!

1. Diamonds and Gold II - beaglebeads

2. Buried Treasure OOAK - GoodQuillHunting

3. how to be a rock star beadwoven cuff - thebeadedlily

4. Amethyst Netted Necklace - glimmerstone

5. Black Tie - beadsandblooms

6. Queen Of Sheba Necklace - HannahRachel

7. Golden Brooch with Pearls - enchantedbeads

8. Bollywood Glamour - SmadarsTreasure

9. Sophia Loren's Green Garnet encrusted choker - crownrosegems

10. Ms. Monroe - Evandra

11. The Prince and the Showgirl - ThesePreciousThings

12. Josephine Baker Burlesque Wrist Cuff - gypsyeyesjewelry

13. Suprastellar Red Carpet necklace - CieloDesign

14. Angelina Jolie Bracelet - triz

15. To Liz.. - beadsbyvezsuzsi

16.Scarlett's bracelet - carmenesque

17. The Red Carpet Bracelet for a Mom - alatvian

18. Night of Stars - jodihorgan

19. Vera Similitude Walks the Red Carpet - HauteIceBeadwork

20. Gladiator - jmackgems

21. Cascade - njema

Good luck to all the participants!

Etsy Beadweavers Challenge - Temptation

The entries for the challenge are in! They are amazing as always. The amount of talent, patience, and time that went into creating these beauties is astounding!

You can click on the item in the text list below the mosaic which links to the Etsy Shop listing of each entrant where you will see more detail of each piece!

Please go to the Etsy Bead Weaver's website to vote for your favorite!

l. Sunset Necklace - HannahRachel

2. Black Desire necklace - FleurDeIrk

3. Carmen's temptation pendant - 6Carmen6

4. Dulce de Leche - nemeton

5. Green with Envy - BeadazzledofOregon

6. Temptation in Turquoise - beadsandblooms

7. Temptation - MadeByOlga

8. Temptation in the Garden - glimmerstone

9. The Seductress - RachelesOriginals

10. Forbidden Fruit - EPOriginals

11. Temptation Burlesque Collar - gypsyeyesjewelry

12. Tempted by Temptation - dreambeadweaver

13. Sweet Beaded Temptaton - BeadFabulous

14. Green Gold Temptation - binkaminka

15. Mist on the Moors - beaglebeads

16. Serpent's Temptation necklace - CieloDesign

17. i want to believe cuff - thebeadedlily

18. Chocolate Temptation cuff - randomcreative

19. Mirage in the Desert Necklace - Charmingthings

20. The Spider and the Fly - daynamiles

21. Chocolate Cherry Cordials - ThesePreciousThings

22. Caught in The Web of Temptation - cigarboxbeads

23. Aztec Summer - beadworkbyamanda

24. Temptation By the Sea - myfairladyvt4

25. Hamadryad's Heart Fringed Choker - SalamanderHouse

26. TEMPTATION Necklace - enchantedbeads

27. Eye candy temptation - PFordCustomJewelry

28. A case for Temptation - LiciaBeads

29. PUSHING LUCK - caraway

30. Temptation Cuff - SpringColors

31. Luscious Cherry Chocolate Necklace - FrancescasFancy

32. Bead Store Temptation - beadwoman3

33. Temptation Dance - SmadarsTreasure

34. Sunrise Temptation - njema

35. Moonlit Seductress - ErtheFae

Voting begins on Monday, March 9th and ends midnight March 15th. Show your appreciation for the efforts of these amazing artists and take on the difficult task of voting for your favorite.

Many thanks to Ann of Francesca's Fancy who prepared the mosaic!

Voting has commenced!

Voting for the Etsy Bead Weavers September challenge, Complimentary Contradictions, has begun. What a wonderful display of talent this month! Part of the charm of these challenges is seeing the different ways each artist interprets the theme. Luckily I was able to finish "Circle Gets the Square" just in the nick of time.

Take a look over the entries and please do vote for your favorite!
Voting ends September 15th, so take this opportunity to VOTE NOW.

Complimentary Contradictions

I had been hoping to get my latest done before midnight on September 5th so I could enter it into the Etsy Bead Weavers challenge "Complimentary Contradictions". You can vote for the challenge on our blog from September 9th through 15th. Don't worry, I'll be reminding you again when voting opens!
I actually finished at 10pm, thinking I had plenty of time to take some pics and get it listed. HA! What was I thinking? I DID get the necklace listed before midnight (11:54 EST to be exact), but I struggled with the photo taking. I even tried again yesterday to get some better photos...different light, going outside, but I can't seem to get the camera to see what *I* see.
Nonetheless, it's finished, it's listed, and it's officially entered in the challenge. I call it "Circle Gets the Square".
I used a bunch of different types of beads for this one. Swarovski glass pearls, delica seed beads, toho seed beads, czech firepolished beads, and swarovski crystals squares and one circle for the clasp. I put a lot of energy into making my hands do what I saw in my head, and I'm quite pleased with the result.

Beading against breast cancer

Fellow bead weaver Kerrie Slade is using her superpowers for good! Kerrie designed this pretty ribbon in collaboration with Beading Daily for the Power of Beading Contest & Charity Fundraiser.

You may purchase the pattern HERE. All funds raised from the sale of the instructions until the end of September 2008 will be donated to The Wellness Community and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
And if you have a "power of beading" story of how beading has helped you through a hard time, be sure to visit the Beading Daily website and enter to win a ribbon beaded by Kerrie herself.

In more beading for breast cancer news, so far, 25 members of the the Etsy Bead Weavers have agreed to get an early start on Jeanette Shanigan's Bead-it-Forward Quilt. Since 2007, beaders have been invited to bead squares to donate to the quilt. Jeanette then stitches the squares together, and the finished quilt is then auctioned off at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee, WI. Proceeds are donated to the Medical College of Wisconsin Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Jeanette, together with other beaders, has raised $10,000 total in the past 2 years. Check out the beautiful finished 2007 Butterfly and 2008 Beaded Rose quilts. This years theme is "Hearts".

The Etsy Bead Weavers have set an October deadline for themselves, but Jeanette is accepting donations up until March 15, 2009. If you are a beader interested in being a part of this wonderful project, please see the official rules/form HERE.

First place winner!!

My bridal necklace "Wedding Bells" won first place in the bead-patterns.com wedding themed beading contest! A BIG thanks to everyone who voted!

To celebrate, I'll be hosting a giveaway of some sort in September. I haven't decided WHAT to give away just yet. Feel free to vote for what YOU would want to win in the poll on the left, and stay tuned for details.

Winner of EBW "Art Deco" challenge announced

Congratulations to GemsbyJules, who won the "Art Deco" challenge with her beautiful bracelet Search Light!

The runners up are:

Lost Treasures - Art Deco- beadwoven set - BeadCatcher

Art Deco Collar - HighDesertBeadscapes

Latte at Hotel Mercedes - Hand Beaded Cuff - ThreeFatesDesign

Purple Graces - triz17. A Salute To Art Deco - wMarlaine

Moss Agate Going Green Doily Bracelet - myfairladyvt4

Deco Lotus pin or pendant - beadmummy

Art Deco Cuff - Savoy Studio

A Trip to The Nile - Collar EBWC - SmadarsTreasure

Thanks to everyone who voted, and congratulations everyone for a job well done!

The next challenge is 'Complementary Contradictions' and entries are due in Sept. 5th, voting begins Sept. 7th.

I have yet to begin beading for it, but I do have an idea in my head. Lets see if it takes flight (and if I can get it finished before the deadline)!

All We are Saying, is Give Peace a Chance

Peace signs aren't just for hippies anymore!

In case you were wondering, the peace sign originates from the Semaphore flag positions, "N" & "D", standing for nuclear dissarmorment.

I actually started this bracelet last weekend and ran out of the gray beads. Not making sure you have enough beads to finish your project before you begin, I should add that to the "B.A.D.D." symptoms. The delica gray beads are actually metallic matte, rhodium plated. Having started the project just going into my beads and saying "oh this is a nice color" and grabbing my precious vial, I didn't realize that they were so expensive. I almost crapped a brick when I saw artbeads.com had them priced at $15 something for 8g. But alas, they have cheap priority shipping (and free shipping too, which usually takes 5-7 days for me)

If this bracelet was not too big for me, I'm damn sure I'd be keeping it. It's 7-1/2", a pretty standard size. I've got tiny wrists...which may sound nice to some people but it's not so nice when bracelets and watches fall off your hand!

It measures almost 1-1/2" across, and is woven in 2-drop peyote stitch. In addition to the metallic matte rhodium plated beads, I used a combination of silver lined, and ceylon finish delicas. They really stand out in the gray background. The clasp is a sterling silver slide clasp, with a nice "click" to it, locks in nice. It's surprisingly light, and extremely comfortble. I'm pretty sure whoever end up with this one is going to be a happy camper!