Giveaway #9: ENDED! Inspiring Ice Resin

If you are looking for a new direction in which to take your art, or if you have been wanting to try resin but are unsure where to start, this is the giveaway for you! You will find a wealth of inspiration and instruction in the book Explore, Create, Resinate by Jen Cushman. To help start you on your resin making path, we have also included an Ice Resin kit and some beautiful bezel settings to play with.

Included in this giveaway:

Explore, Create, Resinate book by Jen Cushman

Ice Resin 8oz kit complete with resin, mixing cups, and stir sticks

1 round brass bezel ring setting

1 round silver toned bezel ring setting

1 Ice Resin bronze bezel setting

Estimated retail prize value: over $65.00

To enter, post a comment to this blog post NOW! Giveaway ends on Friday Dec. 16th at 4pm PDT. Winner will be chosen at random.

Remember, only one comment per person per giveaway and please do not comment anonymously if you want to win! You can comment on as many giveaways as you like, but you can only win 1 Beadaholique giveaway every 2 months. Visit Beadaholique's official 12 Giveaways of Christmas page for even more details. For a complete list of terms and conditions, please click here.

Inspiration Monday: Great Blogs

There are so many creative blogs out there--some amazing and some not so great (sorry but it's true). When you come across a really good blog, you know it right away. Instantly you say to yourself "YES!!" this is what I have been looking for, this is what I need, I can't wait to read more. Everyone's taste is different, but here are my favorite blogs, that I think you will really enjoy: 

Miss Fickle Media

This is one of the most engaging blogs I have ever come across. So much so, that I find myself hitting that "older posts" button time and again to see what else she has to say. Shannon Levart, the woman behind Miss Fickle Media, gives her blog followers several gifts: inspiration, advice, hope, and laughter. I particularly like the wisdom and recommendations she gives to other jewelry designers about how to market and sell their wares. She even goes over how to price your jewelry and approach stores, something we all struggle with. To me, this blog is not a passive reading experience but an engaging tutorial on life. 

Ice Queen Zine

The Ice Queen Zine (which is what I consider to be a blog) lives within the main Ice Resin website by Susan Lenart Kazmer. I look to this site when wanting to see fantastic array of creative talents brought together under one roof, all using resin and mixed media techniques. The photos are amazing and I never fail to have a new "ah ha!" moment, seeing something that is clever and that I would never have thought to do. Since this "blog" is part of the main Ice Resin site, you also have easy access to lots of resin tips and techniques.  

Elsa Mora's Blog

This is actually not just one blog but many. Elsa Mora is a painter, paper cut artist, jewelry designer, doll maker, and so much more! The main blog will link to all her other ones and within their depths, inspiration abounds. Her work is inspiring in itself but her thought provoking writing and sense of balance in life is what keeps me coming back to this blog. If you get a chance, make sure to review all her blogs and enjoy the journey they will take you on. 

Etsy Blog

You probably already know about Etsy, but did you know they also have a really engaging blog? It features highlighted sellers and their shops, craft news, informative stories from around the world, events, current trends, design inspirations, and more. There is a huge amount of content on the Etsy blog which is constantly being updated with lots of feedback given. This is a blog where you can spend hours reading - so get your jewelry done first and then read at night ;)

Other notable blogs: Pretty Things, Andrew Thornton, Stephanie Lee's Semiprecious Salvage, Vintaj, Nunn Designs. 

I hope you enjoy these selections. What are your favorites? 

- Julie 

Inspiration Monday: Julie's Favorite Jewelry Design Books

One of the benefits to being a designer here at Beadaholique is that a lot of books cross my work table and I am always so excited to open them up and see what treasures lay inside. To me, a good book not only has wonderful photos of projects which feed the imagination but it also teaches techniques in a clear understandable way. Most especially, a good book needs to bring something "new" to the proverbial table. 

The 4 books listed below are my personal drool-worthy favorites. I hope you enjoy!

 
Semiprecious Salvage by Stephanie Lee

Why I love: so, so, so many techniques featured in this book in clear step by step photos and accompanying text. Most importantly to me, the techniques are very unusual. I think we have all gone to the book store and flipped through at least 10 books which all show how to do the same thing which you already probably knew how to do. Not so with Semiprecious Salvage, it talks about creating your own bezels, using etching solution, creating with found objects, casting, and so much more.  The author does use a large number of tools (some of them more advanced) but her ideas are still fantastic and many of the projects you can still do without a trip to Home Depot. For someone looking to tackle a new aspect of jewelry making, this is the book. 

 


Enchanted Adornments by Cynthia Thornton

Why I love: This book is candy for the eye and music for the soul. It is so lush to look at, like a field journal by an enchanted fairy. There are fanciful drawings and sweet stories mixed in with some great techniques. A number of the projects in this book involve polymer clay, resin, precious metal clay, and other mixed media supplies. The back of the book proclaims: "transform your ideas into art jewelry" and that is exactly what this book shows you how to do.

 
French Inspired Jewelry by Kaari Meng

Why I love: If you are not into found objects, mixed media, or resins and clays but adore "beads, buttons, and baubles" then this book is a must! The photos in it are amazing and the color palettes are absolutely scrumptious. The way the images have been compiled with vintage graphics and ribbons in the background further feeds the imagination. Some really wonderful and easy to understand beading techniques are highlighted making this an excellent book for both the beginner beader and the more advanced. 

Explore, Create, Resinate by Jen Cushman

Why I love: If you have been following some of my projects and videos, you know that I am a big fan of resin. This book covers all aspects of using resin, from basic pouring into bezels to applying to paper and using molds. There are also tons of amazing photos with inspiring projects. I feel like this book encourages one to think outside the box and really let the imagination flow, which is what jewelry designing is all about. There are also quick tips spread throughout the book which are extremely helpful in making your resin projects come out right. 

Happy Reading!

Julie