The Vintaj "Global Village" Inspiration Projects

We are so excited to be beading partners this month with Vintaj for their Global Village design theme. As we mentioned in our last post about our partnership, the designers at Vintaj have created some beautiful pieces inspired by the Global Village theme.  Today we thought we should share more about these projects.  We hope they will inspire you to create your own Global Village pieces!

Global Village Necklace Designed by Jess Italia Lincoln

Global Village Necklace

By combining hard and soft elements, this colorful necklace embodies the "Global Village" theme. The hard gemstones and Vintaj metal components are softened by use of the the silk fabric fairy ribbon and custom mixed patina colors on the filigree brass beads. The color changing mood beads bring this necklace together for a bright, yet antiqued, worldly design.

Goa Tassel Necklace Designed by Betsy Kaage

Goa Tassel Necklace

This long tassel necklace uses a fun technique of wire wrapping three Vintaj Scrolling Abacus stamping pendants to create the foundation for this chain tassel. A beautiful mirage color changing ocean pearl pattern mood bead elevates this funky brass design.

Persian Henna Necklace Designed by Betsy Kaage

Persian Henna Necklace

For this statement necklace, Betsy created her own custom blank using patinas, archival ink and rubber stamps. I love the way she combines several Vintaj pendants in focal piece of this design. There is a ton of visual interest, from the custom stamping to the color mixed gemstones, and even in the cross hatch design of the jump rings.

Global Occasion Necklace Designed by Jess Italia Lincoln

Global Spear Earrings

Global Occasion Necklace

By using various colors of patina in the recesses of these Global Spear pendants, Jess brought out the depth of these natural brass stamped drops. I think the addition of the yellow honey jade beads lighten up this design and help balance out the large brass findings. For the complete look, Jess created the Global Spear Earrings.

Ancient Bukhara Necklace Designed by Jess Italia Lincoln

Ancient Bukhara Necklace

If you look closely you will see that Jess has used our Vintage Lucite Art Deco beads in this design. A combination of Marble + Agate + Clay patina was applied to these patterned Lucite beads to create an Antique White finish with a smokey gray background. Simply brush it on and wipe off with a paper towel. Jess also uses gemstones and Vintaj filigree to complete this necklace.

Indian Boho Bracelet Designed by Jess Italia Lincoln

Indian Boho Bracelet

Get your bracelet bending pliers ready to create this cuff-like bracelet. By using several bent components attached with jump rings, Jess gives this bracelet structure. The faceted nugget gemstone dangles provide that extra pop of color and shine.

Turkish Baubles Bracelet Designed by Jess Italia Lincoln

Turkish Baubles Bracelet

This charm bracelet highlights a great technique to try on your chain. Jess used a combination of Marble + Agate + Clay patina and applied it to the Rounded Oval Chain to create an Antique White finish. Simply brush on, allow to dry for a minute and use the Vintaj metal reliefing block to remove color from areas to achieve an aged look. This chain becomes the perfect backdrop for the colorful brass, turquoise and ivory beads.

Guilded Gypsy Bracelet Designed by Jess Italia Lincoln

Guilded Gypsy Bracelet

The Guilded Gypsy bracelet shows off the unique coin shaped wood beads. When the brass filigree pieces are layered and bent like this it gives the appearance of an ornate bezel setting for these beads. This is a great way to incorporate a bead where you want it to look like a cabochon.

Arabian Adornment Earrings Designed by Jess Italia Lincoln

Arabian Adornment Earrings

I love the way Jess uses the CzechMates 2-hole lentil beads in these gorgeous chandelier earrings. They add that pop of gold that brings out the brightness of the brass stampings that have been buffed with the Vintaj relief block. They may be small by the lentils are essential to this design. Again, Jess uses the color changing mood beads to tie it all together.


I hope you have enjoyed our trip around the world with these Vintaj designs!  You can see more designs like these ones in our Vintaj Inspiration photo gallery.

Let Vintaj know who's in your "village" - your circle of creative support and inspiration. Stop by their giveaway post to let them know and you could win a gorgeous stash of globally themed goodies from Vintaj and Beadaholique. The deadline to enter is Friday, Monday May 5, 2014 at midnight CT.

-Kat

Quick Tip Tuesday: Inspiration Board

Never underestimate the power of sticking things onto a board. I've collected so many images over the years and have truly learned the benefits of keeping inspiration in your line of sight. Not too sure on the science of it but I believe there must be something about an inspiration board that speaks to our creative subconscious. For me, I use it as a way to organize my ideas and materials, especially if I want to tell a story through my work. You can see in the picture here how easy it can be. This is my third week working at beadaholique and I just had to get a little board started. It's a bit minimal at the moment but still illustrates how you can marry random (or not so random) inspirational images with your beading materials and get a little story going. So no need to hesitate, get yourself a reliable board and start sticking things to it!

-Marie

Cuckoo for Quick Links

Sometimes I find a new product that I love and I get a little obsessed.  Beadalon Quick Links are one such product.  I found them, and their super handy little connectors, when I started designing here at Beadaholique, and was so excited by the endless creative possibilities they presented.  Since then, I've been using them constantly!

Quick Links come in both silver plated and gold plated varieties, and in a large selection of shapes and sizes.  You can link them together, wire wrap them, weave beads onto them - just let your creativity run free and you'll find endless ways to put them to use!  And just as their name implies, they are really quick to work with.

In this video, How to Use Beadalon Quick Links and Connectors, you'll get a quick overview of these handy little products and how they go together.

To give you an idea of how fast and easy it can be to create with Quick Links, here are a couple of projects that I whipped up using the links and connectors.  It was amazing how quick they were to make.  Check out the Mod Circles Bracelet and Two of Hearts Earrings projects for step by step instructions and see for yourself how simple they are.

Mod Circles Bracelet

Two of Hearts Earrings

Crystal Comet Earrings

Quick Links can also be used as a foundation for other types of jewelry making, such as in these gorgeous Crystal Comet Earrings that Julie made.  In this project, she wire wrapped the Quick Links together and wire wrapped some fabulous Swarovski Crystal beads onto them.  You can find the instructions for them on our free projects page as well.


Quick Links are such a fun and versatile tool.  I'm constantly thinking of new ways to use them!  What would you like to make with them?

-Megan

Beadaholique is on Pinterest!

If you have not explored Pinterest before, then I must start this blog off with an apology. I am sorry that I am about to introduce you to something that can lead to obsession, can steal hours from your day, and will bring you fits of happiness (not to mention some serious giggles too).  

Some Pinterest Boards!

Pinterest is a world unto itself, yet its function is to bring all the content in the cyber world together.  Pinterest is an online bulletin board where you can organize and "pin" all the pretty, unusual, unique, crazy, awe-inspiring, and creative things you see online onto boards you have created to keep them neat and tidy.  You can also check out boards created by other people and "repin" items that they like, thus adding them to your board. Once you get the hang of it, you will love how you finally have a central location to organize all those things you love.  

We are excited to announce that now you can follow Beadaholique on Pinterest and see what items we are adding to our boards - they include cool new products, free projects, tutorials, color schemes we like, fashion inspirations, and cool stuff we find on the internet and just have to share!  Here are the boards we currently have:  

Tutorials: We have created an entire board for our tutorials! 

Neat New Stuff: We are constantly getting new products in at Beadaholique. We love them all but some products really stand out as something truly amazing. So when one of these products comes in or causes a stir in the receiving department, we are pinning them to this board.  


 


St. Patrick's Day and Easter Boards: Holiday inspiration at its best! We will try and make a new board for each holiday. In addition to beads, supplies, and projects, we are also pinning things like drool-worthy green key lime cupcakes and smores made out of peeps.  



 


 Julie's Favorites: These are all the favorite pins of designer Julie Bean. You will notice a lot of Steampunk, vintage inspired jewelry, bead weaving, and even "geek" items in here.  




 



Megan's Favorites: Here you will see all the favorites of designer Megan Patton. Think romance, pink, rock and roll, geek chic, and glam when looking at her board.




 


Esther's Favorites: Esther Lee, our Senior Merchandising and Inventory Operations Manager, also known as the gal who wears many hats, works crazy hard, and who is sweet as can be, has her favorites pinned to this board. She too loves Steampunk and has a fondness for chain maille, robots, and geekery.  


 

Sarah's Favorites: President and Co-Founder of Beadaholique, Sarah Diamond has pinned her favorite items here. Sarah's pins are lovely and classic, many imbued with vintage elegance. From her pins, you can tell she likes items which are unique and highly detailed or tell stories like the vintage record charms she insisted that we buy in Tucson, or the hand-painted Golem pendants she has selected.  


 


Wedding Ideas: If you are getting married or make wedding jewelry, this would be a board to check out. We have inspiring jewelry making supplies as well as great DIY projects and ideas we have seen throughout the web.




 


Steampunk: Steampunk is a retelling of history as if everything was powered by steam - so think cogs, gears, clock works, trains, and more. It has definite undertones of the Victorian era and the colors are muted and subdued, adding to its esthetic appeal.  




 

Color Inspirations: Check out this board if you are starting a new project and not sure of your color scheme. There are a wealth of ideas in here. Choose your favorite and then pick your beads to match!

Fashion Inspirations: Fashion and jewelry design go hand in hand. We have collected some of what we consider to be the most inspiring fashions here on this board.  


Other Boards to check out: Vintage Jewelry, Art Inspirations, Vintage Prints, and of course, Kittens! 

Join us on Pinterest to see all the additional pins that we add daily. As we think of them, we will also be adding new boards full of new pins and new inspirations. We would love to hear about your Pinterest experiences--we sure are having fun! 

- Julie

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: Hawaii

Looking for something to spark your creativity? Look no further then America's 50th state: Hawaii. 

Hawaii is a favorite spot of mine for recharging the proverbial battery and gaining inspiration.  In fact, I make more life-altering decisions while sitting on sandy beaches in Hawaii then any other place on earth. Why is this?  It's because Hawaii forces you to stop whatever you are doing and realize you are part of a bigger entity.  It helps to balance the spirit and reminds you of what is important in life.  If that is not inspiring, I do not know what is. 
 

Visually, Hawaii abounds with inspiration, from its lush hillsides filled with plumeria flowers, hibiscus, orchids, and birds of paradise to its clear blue green waters. Black sand and white sand, porous lava rocks, and flaming volcanos offer textures for the imagination to build upon. Still looking for more elements to work from? Think of the coconuts, pineapples, pearls, coral, surf boards, hula girls, tiki statues, and even little tropical drink umbrellas. 

If you want a more classical design inspired by Hawaii, look to its rich cultural history. There is evidence of human habitation on the archipelago dating back to 300 BC.  After those early inhabitants, there were waves of immigrants from Tahiti and Bora Bora.  Then, in 1778, the arrival of James Cook marked Hawaii's first contact with Europeans. 

There are amazing line drawing motifs and symbols originally found as petroglyphs on cave walls and later repeated on parchment which depict ancient stories of these peoples, their arrival, and the consequences. You can find symbols too which represent such concepts as enlightenment, power, growth, fertility, and divination.  At the very heart of the Hawaiian culture is their inter-connectivity with the earth and how their gods and beliefs are inseparable from the land. Work these designs into your art and tell a story through your creation. 

Here is a selection of some beads you can work into your jewelry which help capture the spirit of Polynesian Hawaii:

To help access your inner Hawaii while creating, play some music by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, affectionately known as IZ. His mesmerizing voice and traditional Hawaiian songs will instantly make you feel like you are in the islands. 

- Julie 

Inspiration Monday: Lanvin

When looking for a new source of inspiration, the fashion industry boasts a limitless array of ideas. You can build off the overall esthetic of a particular designer (such as one who only uses block shapes, one who only uses shades of grey in their designs, etc.) to create something uniquely yours. Another idea is to take a single garment such as a dress and use its shape, color palette, and even the period in which it was designed as a source of inspiration. One of my favorite designers who is a constant source of inspiration for me is Jeanne Lanvin. 

Lanvin, the oldest fashion house still in existence,  has been a major influence on the styles we have been wearing for well over 100 years. The House of Lanvin's unique cuts, innovative designs, attention to detail, and creative use of color has helped to distinguish it as one of the leaders in the fashion world. For decades, other artists and designers have been inspired by the genius that is Lanvin. 

Starting out with a millinery shop in 1889 along rue du Faubourg St.-Honore in Paris, Jeanne Lanvin quickly expanded to create a couture children's collection. With the success from the children's line,  she soon debuted a women's collection, for which she would gain the greatest fame. By the late 1920's there were also departments for decorative design, wedding, resort wear, menswear, lingerie, and, most famously, perfume. Since Jeanne Lanvin passed in 1946, many designers have been at the helm of Lanvin, continuing the legacy.

For many, Jeanne Lanvin's designs from the 1920's and 1930's are the most inspiring and impactful. Personally, I could not agree more. Pictures really do say a thousand words. Enjoy being inspired! 

Here is an example of a Lanvin dress designed in 1922 and a selection of beads I put together using it as my inspiration:

There were so many choices but I felt these beads represented not just the colors but the feel of the dress best: 

        

- Julie

P.S. Curious how to pronounce "Lanvin"? Find out HERE

Inspiration Monday: Paris

Paris is called the city of light for good reason; its famously  beautiful boulevards and monuments are illuminated by electric bulbs strewn upon the trees that stand alongside the likes of the Champs-Elysees and the Tour Eiffel.  However, for me, the light of the city comes most from the sense of inspiration, education, and enlightenment it gives me. 

I traveled to Paris for the first time when I was 18 and instantly fell in love with the city, her people, and the abundance of art. If I could describe my perfect day, it would be spent strolling along a sidewalk within Marche Vanves (a fantastic Paris flea market) on a warm Sunday morning. I would then take the Metro over to the fabric markets at the base of Sacre Coeur, followed by an evening at a little cafe with a glass of wine, some dinner with a scrumptious sauce, and chocolate mousse for dessert. Everything about Paris inspires me: the architecture, food, markets, sounds, scents, and of course the art. I simply can not get enough of this amazing city and it influences many of the jewelry pieces I create. 

 


Just by looking around Paris you will see examples of Neoclassicism, Rococo, and Baroque design.  Doorways, balconies, and even the Metro signs are fantastic examples of Art Nouveau's flowing and organic style.  Lamp posts, park benches and doorknobs scream their Art Deco roots.  Paris also hosts some of the world's most amazing museums, containing a wealth of inspiration.

Thankfully, with all the resources of the modern era, even those of us not living in Paris can be inspired by it.  A simple Google Images search for Paris will pull up spectacular pictures.  For even more fun, type an address in Paris into Google Maps and click on "street view."  Then enjoy a virtual stroll down the street.   I will admit that I have done this on more then one occasion when needing a burst of inspiration.




 Once you feel fully immersed in what "Paris" means to you, you can translate that to your jewelry.  To me, when I close my eyes and think of Paris, the images of faded sepia-toned love letters, brass Eiffel towers, black and gold fleur de lis', and crystal chandeliers comes to mind. For you it might be the blue and yellow French Provencal fabric patterns, toile, and big bouquets of messy wildflowers. It can be anything you want it to be and that is what makes Paris so special. 

Below are a few of our free jewelry designs that were inspired by the beauty of Paris.  You can easily make these yourself, or use them as springboards for your own designs.

- Julie