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THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED.
Congratulations to Jen from Wisconsin, our winner for this giveaway!
It's time for another giveaway! You can win the lovely Nunn Design Spring 2014 Collection which has been generously supplied by Becky Nunn herself. This collection is full of fantastic new clasps, charms, stampings, and bezels. The long rectangular bezel link is especially interesting as are all the new charms that can be mixed and matched into your designs. The designers at Beadaholique can't wait to start playing with all of these new components and here is your chance to win them.
The collection is valued at approx. $75.00
To enter, please leave a comment on this blog post letting us know your favorite piece from Nunn Design's Spring Collection.
Giveaway ends Monday July 7th at 4pm PT. At that time, we will choose
one random winner from those who left comments on this blog post. Please
do not comment anonymously and do not use your Facebook, Twitter
account, or Google Plus account when commenting. Please do not comment
more than once per giveaway post. Please adhere to all Beadaholique rules and conditions for this giveaway.
We are very pleased to share the US winner of our "Summer Brights" contest, Aurelio Castaño. Aurelio's Caribbean Sunset bracelet uses seed beads woven into an intricate bangle bracelet in bold summertime colors.
We asked Aurelio to tell us a little bit more about himself and his work so that we could share it with our readers.
Tell us about yourself:
My name is Aurelio Castaño, I was born in Colombia, South America. I moved to the US in 1994. My life literally revolves around beads and Mechas, my shih-tzu. Even though I have silversmith formal training, it is my bead work that is so fortunate to count with so many fans around the world.
How did you get interested in beading/jewelry making?
My Art/Jewelry work started in metal more than a decade ago, but I craved the bright colors of my Latino heritage. Beads gave me that palette and allowed me to create even more sculptural, wearable designs.
What are your favorite materials to use in jewelry making?
I don’t have favorite materials per say, I use whatever catches my attention, I am a big fan of thinking outside the box.
Who or what inspires your creative process?
I find great inspiration in the form, color and texture that 'Nature' offers. That is who and what inspires me. Is there somewhere people can see/purchase your work?
Another beading contest has come to an end and we have three winners to announce!
Caribbean Sunset by Aurelio Castaño
Aurelio Castaño was voted the #1 entry for the United States for his
bracelet, "Caribbean Sunset." His design uses seed beads woven into an intricate bangle bracelet in bold summertime colors.
Summer Elements by Katherine Vargas Zárate
Katherine Vargas Zárate was voted the #1 international entry for her "Summer Elements" necklace. This
piece features bright and colorful wire wrapping with Czech crystal accents.
Aurelio and Katherine have each won a $100 Beadaholique gift certificate.
Artist profiles on Aurelio and Katherine will be posted here on our
blog soon, so be sure to check back and find out more about these talented designers.
Inka Owl Summertime by Ulrike Günther
Our Editor's Pick, and the winner of a $50 Beadaholique gift certificate,
is Ulrike Günther for her entry "Inka Owl Summertime Bracelet." We love her color choices and the pretty beadwork.
Congratulations to all of our winners! Our next contest will be
announced in the July issue of The Beading Wire, and we cannot wait to
see all of your beautiful creations.
We have reached our final blog post for June's Brand of the Month, the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System, and I'd like to finish off this series with a focus on our favorite projects!
As you look through the many different shapes, colors and finishes of these versatile beads, you can't help but feel inspired to create your own special, personal designs. This post is all about all the different styles of earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces you can make with these cool beads and by looking through our Projects Page, you are sure to find a little inspiration.
Featured Project: This week's featured project is Kat's Kavala Cuff which uses CzechMates 2-Hole Brick beads in Black and Matte Metallic Flax creating a nice, bright contrast when combined with the Metallic Iris Violet seed beads. By stringing the beads onto bright silver colored bracelet memory wire, you can easily use these brick beads in a geometric, yet simplistic way.
Featured Video: How to Bead Weave a Strip of Two-Hole Brick Beads
This week's video shows how to bead weave the CzechMates 2-Hole Brick beads featured above in the Kavala Cuff. Megan uses a combination of ladder and peyote stitches, which offers an alternative bead weaving option for these versatile beads.
Designer Picks: Here are our picks for favorite project.
My favorite CzechMates project is the Coco Bracelet Set. This simple little pair of bracelets is classic and wearable, and I love the way they almost remind me of a strand of pearls. I'd love to do a whole long necklace of linked lentil beads that wraps around like that to see how it would look.
Karlin:
I think my favorite CzechMates project has to be my Midnight Blooms ring, mostly because it adds a mixed media touch and uses these 2-hole beads in an unexpected, more textured way. I love working with Crystal Clay and my favorite color/shape combination of these 2-hole beads has to be the opaque Jet Black Triangle beads. What can I say? I love triangles! And of course, black.
We hope you've enjoyed exploring the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System with us. Leave a comment and let us know which projects are your favorite!
The 10 finalists for our beading contest "Summer Brights" are in and it's up to
you to decide the winners! See each entry and cast your votes on our Facebook page.
Simply "like" your favorite entry—or entries—to cast your vote. The
entry with the most likes from the United States and the entry with the
most likes from abroad will each win a $100 Beadaholique gift
certificate!
Entries are numbered in alphabetical order. Voting ends Wednesday, June 18th, at 4PM PT.
Hair Clip "Summer Brights" - Oksana Bykova
"Caribbean Sunset" - Aurelio Castaño
"My Summer Garden" - Sara Dellachà
"Inka Owl Summertime Bracelet" - Ulrike Günther
"Circus Wrap Bracelet" - Tracey Laird-Bray
"Monarch Butterfly" - Karen Parker
"Beach Ball Bracelet" - Cherie Plaideau
"Electric Bright Colorful Pendant Necklace" - Melissa Polomsky
"Ocean Breeze Necklace" - Vanessa Suen
"Summer Elements Necklace" - Katherine Vargas Zárate
We received a great response to our contest this time around,
thanks for sharing! The next contest will be announced in the July
issue of The Beading Wire, so be sure to stay tuned.
As we continue exploring our pick for June's Brand of the Month, the CzechMates Two-Hole Beading System, I'd like to focus on the many cool and unique finishes these versatile 2-hole beads have to offer. Let's take a look through these interesting finishes that add styles. Here is a brief introduction of each finish offered by the CzechMates Two Hole Beading System. Take a look and find your favorite! Transparent/Translucent: The glass of the bead is see-through. It might be tinted with a color, but it is still see-through. Picasso: This is a fun effect that sometimes resembles natural gemstones. Opaque: Solid color, light is not able to penetrate through the bead. Matte: As the name implies, these beads are not shiny. Some people also refer to matte as frost. Luster: Transparent pearly sheen. AB or Aurora Borealis:
A multi-color rainbow affect has been applied to part or all of the
beads surface. Some people refer to this finish as Rainbow. Iris: Very similar to AB but the colors used in this finish are found very close to the bead's main color on a color wheel. Metallic: The beads appear to have a "metal" like quality to them, usually very shiny. Featured Project: Metallic Rays Bangle This
week's featured project is Megan's Metallic Rays bangle which combines
two metallic colors of 2-Hole triangle beads, one being Matte Metallic Flax, which features a bright metallic coating.
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Featured Video: How to Bead Weave a Flower using CzechMates 2-Hole Dagger Beads In this video tutorial, see how to bead weave a pretty flower using the CzechMates 2-hole dagger beads in Coral Pink. The opaque finish on these beads looks lovely against the sleek look of the silver plated chain.
Designer Picks: Here are our picks for favorite finish. Julie
My favorite finish has to be Picasso. I just love the paint
splattered mottled look of this finish and it doesn't hurt that it is
usually paired with some of my favorite colors like green, turquoise,
and brown. To me, beads with this finish have an old world look, one
that is interesting to look at and captures the imagination.
Megan Sometimes I can have pretty basic tastes. One of my favorite bead finishes in general is an oldie but a goodie: opaque. While I do love the pretty metallics, lusters, and matte finishes, there is something classic about a shiny opaque color in glass. I love these Blue Turquoise Super Duos. The color is so pretty in it's simple way.
Kat I love anything neon but what is really cool about these Dark Neon beads is that they have a matte finish on them. The great thing about this finish is that by using the matte beads along with a bead with an opaque finish, for example, you give the eye a resting place in the design. Using different finishes in the same design is a wonderful way to add dynamics. Karlin I really like the unique look of these Dark Green Metallic Suede beads. They're dark in color, but quite distinct because of their textured, almost sparkly appearance. I would probably pair them with something brighter, and allow them to add a nice contrast. We hope you enjoyed exploring the many unique finishes offered by the CzechMates beading system. Stayed tuned for next week's blog post on our favorite projects!
We are very pleased to share the US winner of our "Green" contest, Christine Wentzel. Christine's lampwork and Czech glass beads woven bracelet, "Emerald City" uses a gold tone expansion band with onto the band using stainless steel wire. It is a beautifully ornate piece!
We asked Christine to tell us a little bit more about herself and her work so that we could share it with our readers.
Tell us about yourself:
I am married to a great guy for 28 years who doesn’t complain when sliding on runaway beads and when bling creations take precedence over everything else. I reside in the beautiful commonwealth of Virginia where the ocean is just a few clicks to my right and the mountains a few more to my left. I am blessed to work from home as a writer for A WORD for Women, the creator/owner of BLING! by christine, and a dabbler in many crafty tasks.
How did you get interested in beading/jewelry making?
Because of a life-long struggle with rheumatoid arthritis, I was given the challenge to stop a 9-5 career and see what a life-time of playing with arts and crafts could net me from home. I no longer could afford to buy jewelry on a whim so decided to make my own. Thanks to the ease of Internet and boutique shopping it’s been an almost-painless transition from hobbying to selling. What are your favorite materials to use in jewelry making?
I enjoy beads—gemstones, crystals, glass, wood/seed, acrylics and hand-made. In the case of this contest winner, Emerald City, I was intrigued by the expansion band, but wanted it to be more than a simple cha-cha style. After many, many, many hours of trial and error this version became the foundation for my original line of bling over 15 years ago. It’s remained a unique design.
Who or what inspires your creative process?
For me the material usually inspires the design. Sometimes a specific jewelry need inspires the design as well as commissioned projects. Custom orders are my all-time favorite design challenges. Handing over the finished “baby” is nerve-wracking and exhilarating.
Is there somewhere people can see/purchase your work?
My beading table is not terribly exciting this week but it highlights
the start of a project I have wanted to do for awhile. I want to make an
elaborate pair of bead woven earrings and I have started with the
little triangular shape shown here. After making the shape, I decided
that I really did not like the color scheme so I plan to rework it in
black, gold, and silver.
Kat
This week my table filled with gold. I love using these gold beads to bring out the gold tones of our new Toho twisted bugle beads in Transparent Rainbow Topaz. Generally topaz can be a bit yellow but by offsetting it with the bright gold it actually brings out more of the rainbow effect by comparison. I am also making my own wire wrapped cone ends for my design using the Artistic Wire Conetastic.
Karlin
I've been having fun playing around with our new selection of cultured sea glass beads! I especially love the shape of these cultured sea glass long drop beads - so much so, that after making my By The Sea earrings using the Royal Blue color, I am now making a necklace using the Dark Green Turquoise beads. Their saturated colors can brighten up your look.
The Brand of the Month for June is the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System and we're excited to continue exploring these fun, versatile beads. Last week we began talking about the various
shapes these 2-hole beads are available in and this week will be all
about color.
The CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System presents exciting possibilities
in bead weaving because of their
interesting shapes and 2-Hole design, but color also plays a big role
in the designs we create using these beads. These 2-Hole Czech glass beads come in a wide range of colors that will help your projects stand out and aid in creating bright, beautiful designs.
Megan's Moroccan Princess necklace combines Pink Topaz/Milky Alexandrite and Opaque Green Luster to create a color palette that is both harmonious and unique.
In this video, learn how to make Megan's Coco Bracelet Set, which combines 2-Hole Lentil beads in two complementary colors, Milky Pink and Opaque Champagne, to give her design a vintage inspired look.
Here are the Designer Picks for favorite color from the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System line.
Julie:
Being a vintage girl at heart, I love CzechMates Turquoise color. It reminds me of antique milk glass with its opaque green hue that seems to radiate light. The milky quality of this color is hard to describe with words, for while it is a solid, there is something alluringly translucent about it.
Megan:
I absolutely love the colors in the Dark Neon Mix. These darker, saturated colors are so pretty, and they look lovely together. I love using color mixes when I bead, sometimes they force me to use new color combinations and branch out a little. This particular mix would add so much to a design and make it instantly feel fun and fresh.
Kat:
I am really drawn to the Colbalt/Vega color. In the 2-hole triangle shape, there is a beautiful variation in color that happens depending on what side of the bead you are looking at. It can be really easy to utilize a color like this, and because it already has so much interest, you can complement it with a white or crystal as to not take away from the Colbalt/Vega jewel tone.
Karlin:
From
the variety of pretty colors that the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System
has to offer, I think my top favorite has to be
Hematite. I've always been a fan of the way Hematite has a sleek, shiny
darkness to it without being completely black. It can add just the right
amount of edge to your jewelry.
We
hope that by showcasing the variety of colors offered by these 2-Hole
beads, you will be inspired to experiment and create wonderful new
designs.
Which color from the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System is your favorite? Please share with us in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!
Hey friends, you might have noticed that I have been absent from the Beadaholique team for a couple months. I am very excited to share that my leave was for an excellent reason - I had a baby! This is my first kiddo and I must say that I am completely smitten with him. His name is Finnegan Hobbes Bean and just like his momma, he is a red head. He is also a very big boy, he weighed almost 9 1/2 pounds at birth and although he is just 2 months old, he is already in (and almost out of) 6 month clothing.
It's great to be back at Beadaholique and I have a completely new perspective now that I am a mom. It's hard to juggle work, daycare, and mom duties but I am happier then I have ever been. I have also realized that I need to keep up with my personal passions, like beading, to keep my sense of self and have an outlet all my own.
This week I am working on a peyote bracelet highlighting the new Miyuki Luminous Delicas. My favorite new color is this beautiful Sun Glow orange. I really wanted to do a simple striped pattern so I chose to use the opaque white pearl beads to complement the sun glow delicas. Perhaps it's because I am in the mood for the beach but this bracelet is beginning to remind me of a resort beach blanket. Ah...dreaming of St. Barts.
Karlin's Table
I am really loving these new brass bangle bracelets! They are so fun to use and versatile; simply add on your favorite embellishments and you'll have your very own boutique-inspired piece. I've decided to add some of our new Opaque Czech glass cup chain to my bracelets and I think the sparkly Czech glass rhinestones in Opaque Red and Opaque Yellow pop against the brass beautifully. What do you think?
As we welcome in the month of June, the designers here at Beadaholique would like to feature a brand that's perfect for creating colorful, summer-inspired beaded jewelry. The new and exciting 'Brand of the Month' pick for June is the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System.
We will be highlighting and exploring all the ways these two-hole beads add stability, shape and definition to your bead work.The CzechMates Two-Hole Beading System combines the beauty of Czech
beads with the design advantages of 2-hole beads. And although designing with these two-hole beads may seem a bit intimidating at first, they allow you to create 3-dimensional designs that might be challenging to
achieve otherwise. We hope that by showcasing the variety of shapes and styles offered by these 2-Hole beads, you will be inspired to experiment and create wonderful new designs using Lentil, Brick, Square, Dagger, Triangle and
SuperDuo beads.
Megan's bangle bracelet features pale jade brick beads and crystal cup chain and has a definite vintage vibe. This is a wonderful example of adding a strip of bead work to a bangle and allowing the uniform look of these 2-Hole beads to shine.
In this video, you will learn how to bead weave CzechMates 2-Hole Brick Beads into a strip using a combination of ladder and peyote stitches. This video will assist you in replicating Megan's Laura Bangle, featured above.
For this week's picks, we'd like to focus on our favorite shape from the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System line. Here are our Designer Picks:
Megan:
I love the possibilities in bead weaving that all the new shapes present. One of my favorites (because it's so versatile) is the Brick Bead. It pairs and mixes pretty easily with other shapes of beads and adds a lot of visual interest. My favorite way to use these beads is stitched together in a strip - and they actually do look just like bricks that way!
Kat:
I really like using the CzechMates 2-Hole Lentil beads. They are like little tiny connector beads and they work great when you use a color like Apollo Gold that has a double sided effect to each bead. These are great beads to have at your finger tips while you are designing because you can use a lot or just a few as a supplement to your work.
Karlin:
From the variety of interesting shapes that the CzechMates 2-Hole Beading System has to offer, I would say my favorite is the Czech Two-Hole triangle beads. I am a big fan of the triangle shape in general, and think that the pointy tip allows you to make jewelry with an interesting, 3D effect.
Check back in throughout the month of June as we showcase the CzechMates 2-hole beading system!
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