Beading Table Wednesday: February 5, 2014

Megan's Table

CzechMates!  I've been going nuts with these new 2-hole beads and I'm having so much fun!  It's a great challenge to try to come up with different ways to use these new shapes.  I particularly love the triangle beads - they give a lot of texture to the pieces that I've used them in.  What will you create with the CzechMates system?





Karlin's Table

My table is full of dark, muted colors this week. I'm incorporating  gun metal spike beads and jet hematite chatons mixed in with some antiqued silver chain. I'm combining all of these components to make a necklace that has an edgy, glam rock look with a touch of feminine flair. Let's see what I come up with!

Beading Table Wednesday: 08/07/13

Kat's Table

This week I am working on some medieval inspired projects.  When I am working, it helps me to be inspired by how I can use something unexpected in an unexpected way.  Have you ever found a bead or a focal piece that you really want to use but have no idea how to implement it into a project?  I found this great Lion and Snake focal piece medallion, but the only problem is that it has no holes.  So I can't string it, and I can't put a jump ring in it unless I punch a hole.  Despite that, I think I have found a way to creatively make it a center piece in my new creation.  Be sure to check back in our free beading projects to see what it becomes. Challenge yourself this week. Make the unexpected!

Karlin's Table

My table is very colorful this week, full of Czech seed beads in a bright Rainbow Opaque assorted mix. These beads are so colorful and fun! I'll be incorporating them to make a few pieces inspired by one of my favorite Disney Pixar movies - can you guess which one? Can't wait till it's all done and I can share.




Megan's Table

It's soutache time again!  Have you tried soutache bead embroidery yet?  If you've done any hand sewing or traditional embroidery, you might be surprised at how similar it is.  As a long time stitcher, I was shocked how much less intimidating this technique was once I got started.  The hardest part is planning it out!  I'm trying something a little different with this piece which uses SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS pearls and will have chain dangles.

Beading Table Wednesday: 07/10/13

This week Megan has been kind enough to teach the newbies, Kat and Karlin, how to do some basic bead weaving and peyote using Miyuki Seed Beads.  Check out what they have been working on!


Kat

I love this color combo.  This is a great example of what peyote looks like when you alternate every row to be a different color.  I find this is the easiest when you are starting out; it's very easy to keep track of where you are.  Megan showed me how to properly start and tie off the thread as I continue weaving.  Megan's such a great teacher! The possibilities for color combinations are endless.

Karlin 

This was so much fun! It was my first time bead weaving and I really enjoyed the process. It was so relaxing. I used some of my favorite colors (light pink, black and cream) in a striped pattern. This will eventually be a peyote stitch bracelet & I can't wait to see the finished product. I loved learning this new technique and I can't wait to bead weave some more.

Beading Table Wednesday: 06/12/13

Megan's Table

Can you believe I have HOLIDAY stuff on my table this week?  I have the beginnings of a few Halloween and Christmas projects in the works, as crazy as that sounds.  We like to keep ahead of the curve, and the further out we can get started, the more fun holiday themed projects we'll have time to make.  When do you start your holiday jewelry projects?

Julie's Table

Beads, beads, and more beads! I have been playing around with some different bead mixes, trying to see which ones compliment each other, and I just arrived at this pretty assortment of sea green, olivine, turquoise, silver lined crystal, and various shades of blue. Next step, making a project out of them!

Beading Table Wednesday: 06/05/2013

Megan's Table

This week, I've got an update on two of my in-progress projects that I've shared before.  I'm wrapping up my soutache pendant - it just needs to get it's beaded edge!  I'm so happy with how it's turned out, even though it took a couple of tries to get what I wanted.  I'm also making (slow) progress on my Beadle Point iPhone case, which is so cute I think it will be worth the effort when it's all done!

Julie's Table

We just recently received in our stock of Katiedids and they will be live on the website soon! In preparation of them going up on the site, I have made 3 projects with them. The first two use 4mm SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS round beads and then the other one shows how easy it is to fill the bezel with Crystal Clay and chatons.

Beading Table Wednesday: 05/30/13

Megan's Table

Beadle Point!  We just got these great new beadable iPhone cases in, and I've been working on stitching one up.  It's certainly cute, but it sure does take time!  How do you feel about using 15/0 seed beads in projects?  Zen or tedium?  I have to admit, it's totally zen to me!





Julie's Table

Bangle bracelets are all the rage right now and we have been having fun coming up with a lot of different styles. Megan created the bangle with the bead woven core and I made all the other ones pictured here. For all of these designs we used Nunn Design bangle bracelets and then decorated them with items such as rhinestone cup chain, Miyuki 11/0 delica beads, and Vintaj Patina paint.

Beading Table Wednesday: 05/22/2013

Megan's Table

As a life-long crafty type person, I get a thrill when I learn an entirely new way to create something and it just "clicks".  It's especially gratifying when I didn't expect the technique to come so easily.  I had been avoiding jumping into the soutache bead embroidery pool, thinking that it looked awfully tricky, but I've finally started playing with it, and I'm hooked!  It's a little bit more like traditional embroidery than it is like beading, but I've done a lot of traditional embroidery, so that might be why it's so appealing to me!  Julie's taped an entire series of instructional videos, so be on the look out for them soon.

Julie's Table

On my table today is the prep work for a video that I will be taping soon.  I have recorded a number of instructional videos covering how to use resin in jewelry and two fairly common questions are "what if the object is not a bezel?" and "what if the backside is not flat?" I am hoping this new video will answer those two questions as I teach how to cover a stamping blank in resin and how to fill a Nunn Design button with resin.

Beading Table Wednesday: 05/15/13

Megan's Table

Shrink plastic!  I remember the first time I saw jewelry made out of shrink plastic.  It just about blew my mind.  We just got some new shrink plastic in house (coming soon to the website!) and I've been having a blast playing around with it and seeing what I can come up with.  Here's my favorite application so far: shiny hot pink heart dangles!  What is your favorite thing to do with shrink plastic?



Julie's Table

Soutache! If you have been looking at the different beading magazines currently for sale, you will have no doubt seen soutache. This fun technique of stitching cords together, wrapping them around beads, and creating fantastic swirls is quite addictive. I took this photo not on my beading table but on our video table. I am currently making a 5 part video series on the basics of soutache.

Beading Table Wednesday: 05/08/2013

Megan's Table

I've been working on this color blocked loom piece this week.  I'm using the new Ricks Beading Loom, which results in a finished piece with only TWO warp threads.  If you've done loom weaving before, you'll understand why that's so exciting.  I'm going to finish this bracelet with our new Miyuki slide ends, and I can't wait to see the finished product!

Beading Table Wednesday: 05/01/2013

Megan's Table

If you're thinking that my table looks like a mess this week, then you're absolutely right!  I tend to create projects in groups, making a whole bunch of pieces, and then writing them all up.  Right now, I'm in the "writing them all up" phase of the process, which means all of the left over bits are still scattered all over my table.  Next up: clean up time!

 

Julie's Table 

It has been awhile since I have just "played" with Vintaj pieces (even though they are one of my favorites!). The 3 main filigree pieces used in this design had been sitting on my desk for nearly a month; I knew I wanted to do something with them but I was not sure what. It took combining rhinestone cup chain with the filigree for me to have that "AH HA!" moment. This piece was so much fun to make and I am really pleased how the draped chains ended up looking. 

Beading Table Wednesday: 04/17/13

Megan's Table

I love rhinestones, and I especially love rhinestone cupchain.  I'm ridiculously excited about the new rhinestone cupchain that we just got in.  I just had to go digging through the warehouse to find it, unwrapped those spools, and cut myself some pieces to play with.  Patience isn't exactly my strong suit...  So, here's what I'm working on: a new glass button cocktail ring much like the Quite an Affair Ring and some really, really pretty earrings using Nunn Design bezel earrings.

Julie's Table

The necklace on my table this week combines vintage looking SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS baroque pearls with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS round mini beads. I like how the pearls have a great irregular shape to them whereas the mini beads are perfectly uniform. I might just have to wear this necklace to my brother's wedding next week!

Beading Table Wednesday: 04/10/2013

Julie's Table

There is a lot of sparkle on my table today! April's birthstone is diamond so I am trying to incorporate a lot of crystal into my designs this week. The design with the biggest "wow" factor has to be the Pandora style sterling silver bracelet loaded with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS BeCharmed beads.

 Megan's Table

I love our new Beadelle bracelet components and links, and especially this gunmetal plated and black diamond link.  I'm working on a wrap bracelet with pretty purple waxed cotton cord and some gunmetal plated stardust accent beads.  I love the way the purple cord looks with the gray color of the metal!

Beading Table Wednesday: 04/03/2013

Megan's Table

My table may not look like much today, but that's because my fun new project is just getting started.  I've got my sights set on a Russian Leaf earring using the diagonal style peyote stitch of the same name.  Any excuse I can find for using more of our gorgeous new colors of Delicas is okay with me!

Julie's Table

Wubbers!  We're expanding our selection of Wubbers pliers, and today I'm working on a video overview of the product line.  I've been gathering all of my information and also all of the tools!  What do you think?  What does this pile of pliers make you want to create?

Beading Table Wednesday: 03/06/2013

Megan's Table

Vintage buttons!!  I was so excited when I saw the boxes full of vintage buttons that the team found in Tucson.  I've been playing with some simple glue on jewelry findings like rings, clip on earrings, and earring posts.  I've already made a bunch of pieces and I haven't made a dent in the pile of buttons.  This is definitely one of my new favorite products!

 Julie's Table
 A couple months ago I made the Aquarius Bracelet and Aquarius Earrings using vintage lucite rivoli links and pendants. With Emerald being the color of the year, and this design being so quick and easy, I decided to make an Emerald set. The projects will be titled the Taurus Bracelet and Taurus Earrings - look for them to be up on the website next week!

Beading Table Wednesday: 02/27/2013

Megan's Table

I love crystals.  I would gladly add them to almost any piece of jewelry that I make.  This week, I've been playing with the two types of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal chain that we carry at Beadaholique: rhinestone cup chain and channel chain.  To give a more subtle sparkle, I glued rhinestone cup chain onto the sides of a bezel around a sweet little cameo.  And I'm thrilled with how quick and easy it is to make gorgeous earrings with the channel chain.  What's your favorite way to add some sparkle to your jewelry?

Julie's Table

I really hope that this pile of half completed projects looks familiar to other beaders out there! I know I am a messy beader but this is pretty bad. My only excuse is that I am going out of town for a few days and was trying to hurry up and finish some projects before I left. Megan, I promise to put away all these supplies when I return :) 

Beading Table Wednesday: 02/13/13

Megan's Table

Mixed media is maybe one of the techniques that I use least - but that isn't because I don't enjoy it.  I'm just a little less familiar with this area of design, so it's not one of my default directions to go in.  But this week, I've jumped head-first into some fun mixed media projects, and I'm having a blast!  I've been working with collage art, Diamond Glaze, glass cabochons and buttons, and Crystal Clay.  Have you tried using these products in your mixed media projects?  What's your favorite?

Julie's Table

Glitter! I must admit that I love to play with glitter and had a blast doing some experiments this week on how it would react in resin. I am known around Beadaholique as the “resin expert” and people come to me with questions about it all the time. I created a bunch of gem shaped resin pieces using a resin mold and then sprinkled glitter on the surface of some while others I mixed it into the resin before pouring. I tried all different shapes and cuts of glitter to see how they would react in the resin - some sank, some floated, all looked really cool! 

Beading Table Wednesday: 02/06/2013

Megan's Table

I spent my morning today revisiting an old project and (finally) getting a video taped on how to do it.  Yay for finishing long overdue projects!  This is my Evening Star Necklace, and it will be up on our Free Beading Projects page soon, now that the video on embellishing the beaded bezel has been taped.  Have you done beaded bezels around Swarovski rivolis?  I haven't worked with these types of projects too much yet, but I had a blast experimenting with them for this project!

Beading Table Wednesday: 01/23/13

Megan's Table

We've been playing with seed bead weaving quite a bit around here lately, which is one of my favorite things!  On my table this week are a couple of experiments that stitch a second layer of netting stitch onto a first layer of netting stitch - it's not as crazy as it sounds once you get going!  I love the lacy effect, and how different it looks when stitched with different beads.

 Julie's Table

This week I have been playing around with making my own beads using Crystal Clay, bead caps, grommets, and Sparkle Dust mica powder. They are so fun to make and I love how the Crystal Clay dries on its own and does not need to be baked or fired. Here is a tutorial I just finished showing how to make the beads used in the earrings pictured.

Beading Table Wednesday: 10/24/2012

Julie's Table

Every year I hand make ornaments for my family. I am thrilled that this year I also get to make ornaments for Beadholique and share their designs with our wonderful beading community. On my table today is an ornament I just finished that uses Crystal Clay, chatons, Crystal Splash, and metal filigree pieces. It was so much fun to make and tomorrow I will be taping a how-to video tutorial on it!

Megan's Table 

Christmas is in the air and on our beading tables this week at Beadaholique!  We get quite a head start, so these aren't the first holiday projects that we've started for the season, but we're having a blast getting in the spirit nice and early!  I'm working on such a fun project - a bracelet woven out of Miyuki Delica seed beads with little Christmas trees across it.  When I'm done, I'm going to go back and decorate the trees!  I can't wait :)

Beading Table Wednesday: October 10, 2012

Julie's Table

I am about to start a project I have been wanting to do since July! This past summer I created a beaded kumihimo bracelet with long magatamas for the 4th of July called The Wreath of Independence Bracelet. Instantly people were telling me I had to make one for Christmas because it would look just like a holiday wreath. Well, the holidays are almost here so now I get to make my bracelet - yay!!! Also on my table are two completed projects - a Deco-inspired bead woven bracelet and a simple pendant necklace with a Clay River porcelain focal piece.


Megan's Table

I've been experimenting with our new 2-hole Czech glass square beads, which come in some seriously gorgeous colors and finishes!  Two hole beads always through a wrench the cogs of my creative thinking, so I usually end up experimenting quite a bit before I figure out what I want to do with them.  So far, I'm liking what I've done here, combined with tri-cut seed beads, but I'm looking forward to finding my finished design!