SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Spring/Summer 2014 Launch: Part 2

In part 1 of our SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Spring/Summer 2014 launch blog we talked about the new enchanting and dreamy colors that are perfectly inspired for the season. In this part 2 of the blog series, we will look at all the drool-worthy new shapes and cuts of these dazzling crystal beads and pendants.

Cabochette Pendant

The Cabochette Pendant is reminiscent of a glimmering raindrop. The top of the pendant is facetted and its bottom is smooth, creating a multi-dimensional focal. This bead has stunning depth. Its unique shape means that it will look equally lovely paired with heavily faceted accent beads such as SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rounds and bicones or smooth beads like the perfectly unifrom and lustrous SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal faux pearls.  The Cabochette would be a glamorous accent in a draping necklace or on their own in a set of simple-chic earrings. Imagine combining the Cabochette Pendant in Jet with pieces from the new Rose Gold collection to create a romantic Art Deco piece.

Xillion Oval Pendant

If you are looking to make an elegant piece of jewelry that will become a treasured keepsake, look no further then the Xillion Oval Pendant. Its soft oval shape and radiating facets make it ideal for wedding, Mother's Day, and other "special moments" jewelry. The small 8mm size can easily be hung from a kidney ear wire and the 18mm pendant would look stunning hung from a sterling silver bail - both designs are quick and easy but look elegant and luxurious. Classic and timeless, the Xillion Oval Pendant can be easily combined with the existing Xillion line. We have 3 sizes in various colors and effects available on our website—including the new Crystal Rose Gold!

Heart Flatback

Rivoli 2-Hole Button

The Heart Flatback is soft and elegant and is sure to add a touch of femininity to your design. Collar embellishments are in fashion right now, and I’ve found myself day-dreaming about adding a few of these fetching flatbacks to my favorite collared shirt. The Rivoli 2-Hole Button is stunning in its modest design. The 2-holes make it easy to apply to clothing as a functional button, or as an alluring addition to an accessory. I love Megan's classy and cute Buttoned Up Bracelet—recreating it in Crystal Golden Shadow would be a must-have for Summer wear! 

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS have also launched three new BeCharmed Pavé bead styles—that's right, three! The BeCharmed Pavé is covered in small chatons and offers a classy sparkle to your style. For a bolder look, the BeCharmed Baguette Pavé is studded with rectangle baguette fancy stones. Last, but certainly not least, is the BeCharmed Square Pavé, which is the most contemporary looking with square stones tiled around the bead. I have to admit that these are my favorite styles from the launch! They’re perfect for creating that radiant show-stopping Pandora style bracelet. Personally, I am thinking of stacking a set of these beads on a drop link and making a striking pendant. Don’t let the 4.5mm hole hold you back from creating something one-of-a-kind!

BeCharmed Baguette Pave

BeCharmed Square Pave

BeCharmed Pave

Many of these styles are currently available on our website, and more are trickling in every day! Be sure to check back often, or sign up with our Out Of Stock Notifier on an item page and you will get an email notification as items are received.

Get the Look - Zoe Saldana's Oscar Earrings

Zoe Saldana's Gorgeous Neil Lane Earrings

I've admitted before that I never watch the Oscars.  I'm only interested in what everybody wore, and I can find all of that online after the event.  So maybe that's my excuse for why I'm writing a post about the Oscars this far after the occasion...

At any rate, I did do my annual web-crawl to check out all the lovely gowns and gorgeous jewelry, and I was entirely taken with Zoe Saldana's shoulder-duster earrings by Neil Lane.  Yes, please!  I love dangley earrings, and the diamonds and pearls were so classic!  So, as is post-Oscar tradition, I have made my own version of my favorite piece of jewelry.  In fact, I've done them in two colors.

Much Ado Earrings in Down the Aisle

Much Ado Earrings in After Party

These are my Much Ado Earrings in Down the Aisle (bridal-appropriate white and crystal) and After Party (out-on-the-town-appropriate gunmetal and black diamond).  I used SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal channel chain and lovely faux pear shaped pearls in my earrings.  I got a very similar look to Zoe's original earrings, and they're actually quite simple to make - bonus!

-Megan

ENDED: Giveaway #12 - Spectacular SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS!

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED. A WINNER WILL BE CONTACTED AND ANNOUNCED SOON.

 We could not think of a better way to wrap up The 12 Giveaways of Christmas than with a spectacular assortment of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal beads, pendants, rivolis, faux pearls and more! Included in this giveaway are over 80 (yes 80!!) different styles, shapes, and colors of these sparkling design building blocks. In this amazing giveaway you will find SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS buttons, bicones, round beads, margaritas, cube beads, rondelles, Keystone beads, hearts, Cosmic Rings, rivolis, faux pearls, BeCharmed Pearls for Pandora style bracelets, crystal snowflakes, briolette pendants, Victory pendant, Helios pendant, and many, many more shapes and styles. We have also included 2 finished necklaces by our Beadaholique designers - The Golden Goddess Necklace and the Barbed Wire Heart Necklace.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION!—They didn't arrive in time to make the photoshoot above, but we're also throwing in 1 whole foot of our new SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rhinestone cup chain in gold-plated 24PP crystal.  These new arrivals are very hot right now; look for fun project tutorials soon!

What would you make with all these wonderful SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS beads? 

Estimated prize retail value: over $250.00 

To enter, post a comment to this blog post NOW! Giveaway ends on Friday Dec. 21st at 7PM ET (4PM PT). Winner will be chosen at random.

Bonus sale: Our entire SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS inventory, including brand new channel and rhinestone cup chain plus new crystal sew-on buttons, is on sale today only, Wednesday, December 19th, at Beadaholique!

Remember, only comment once per giveaway and do not comment anonymously. You can comment on as many giveaways as you like, but you can only win 1 Beadaholique giveaway every 12 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. 

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED. A WINNER WILL BE CONTACTED AND ANNOUNCED SOON.

New - Shop Swarovski by Color at Beadaholique

My new favorite: heliotrope

A few weeks ago, I discovered a Swarovski effect that I had somehow missed called heliotrope.  It's a gorgeous blue, pink, purple color and I wanted to see what different components we carried at Beadaholique in this beautiful shade.  It made me realize that being able to shop for Swarovski by color would be really helpful, but little did I know that this option was already in the works for our site.

Esther, our wonderful Senior Merchandising and Inventory Operations Manager, was way ahead of me, hard at work on getting the page ready, and it is now live on Beadaholique.com and ready to make your shopping easier.

Part of the new shop by color page

When you click on the Shop Swarovski by Color page, you will see a lovely, organized listing of all of the colors and effects that we offer.  The neutrals and effects are first, going from clear/white to black and then browns.  Next come the fancy effects that really stand out, including my much loved heliotrope!  Then the colors are arranged in rainbow order in a very pretty red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, violet progression.  

It's super easy now to find exactly the kind of color you are looking for, and then see all of the different components that we have to offer in that shade.  Next time you're shopping for Swarovski, be sure to check it out!

-Megan

Spotlight Saturday: Beading Hoop Earrings, Lady By The Sea Earrings, & Swarovski Aqua AB 2X Bicones

Featured Video: How to Make a Pair of Earrings Using Beading Hoop Earrings 

This video was inspired by a customer's question about how to use beading hoop earrings. They look just like regular hoops but with a straight wire end instead of a bent tip. This makes it so you can VERY easily slide on your beads. Once you are happy with your assortment, all that is left is bending up the tip of the wire. Watch the video to see exactly how to do this.

Featured Project: Ladies By The Sea Earrings 

A pair of enchanting ladies lounge by the sea under magnifying glass tiles in these vintage style earrings accented with Indian Sapphire Swarovski Crystal beads. A perfect accessory for Summer. Click HERE for the free project instructions.  

Featured Product: Swarovski Crystal Bicone 3mm 'Aqua AB 2X' 

The color of these beads reminds me of the sun setting on the warm waters of Hawaii. They are so vibrant and fresh, perfect for adding that touch of sparkle to your beading projects.

- Julie 

Spotlight Saturday: How to Use DeCoRe Clay, Crystal Radiance Ring, and Swarovski Flatback Rhinestones

Featured Video: How to Use DeCoRe Epoxy Clay and Make a Ring

 Epoxy clay is one of our very favorite products to work with. It is self-hardening, and because it adheres to all surfaces, the design possibilities are endless!  

Featured Project: Crystal Radiance Ring

 This ring is Hollywood glamour at its best! You get all the elegance and sparkle of a luxury crystal pave ring but without the big price tag. This project costs just around $20 and you end up with enough clay leftover for future projects.  

Featured Product: Swarovski Hotfix Flatback Rhinestones ss20 - Metallic Light Gold

Swarovski Crystals are known for the way the light catches the facets and shines brightly. These flatback rhinestones are an easy way to add instant drama to your designs. The muted metallic light gold tone is versatile and pleasing to the eye.

See how to use how apply hotfix rhinestones with the Bejeweler Pro: 

Happy Beading Everyone,
Julie

Swarovski Demo Project in Tucson - The Urban Gauntlet Bracelet

When I was in Tucson for the big Gem and Mineral Show, I had the pleasure of teaching a jewelry making demonstration at the Swarovski Crystal Event. I have always enjoyed teaching and felt honored to be included in this event. The project I designed for the event was the Urban Gauntlet Bracelet which combined the elegance of Swarovski Crystals with the industrial strength of heavy gauge, textured antique silver chain.  

 


We had over 150 people watch the demo. We also gave out Beadaholique goody bags with notebooks, pens, and measuring tapes. I think everyone enjoyed the project and instruction, i know I sure did! 

This bracelet's band has the look of a complicated chain maille technique. I am a huge fan of chain maille, but for this project, I wanted the look of this age-old technique without the complex calculations and huge time investment. By taking a cut length of chain (comprised of open links) and attaching them together with separated chain links, I was able to achieve a chain maille look that could be created in very little time with little effort (and no math!). Here is an instructional video showing the technique: 

In case you were not able to make it to Tucson, we have put together a free beading project for the Urban Gauntlet Bracelet. You can find it by the following the link HERE. 

Enjoy!
Julie 

Did you go to Tucson and take some classes or watch some demos? We would love to hear your stories.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show: We Had A Blast!

Gemstones!

The Beadaholique crew just arrived back from Tucson and we had an absolute blast!  We were there almost a week yet still it did not feel like enough time. From morning until night we were busy talking, shopping, hugging friends, and meeting with suppliers. Our feet were tired by the end of each night but it was well worth it.

Julie and Esther digging through bead

Each  morning we started our day with a BIG breakfast so that we would be able to go for hours without stopping. Esther and I both agree that we ate more potatoes in the last week than probably in the last year, but they were so very tasty! After breakfast we would hit the shows and pour over the incalculable amount of beads, findings, and gems. At every turn there was something new and interesting, be it a $1.00 strand of fun shaped plastic beads or a $300 strand of gorgeous rubies. A lot of the vendors had worked their new supplies into inspiration projects, which was great to see and gave me lots of ideas for projects I want to do in the coming months.  We also saw lots of offbeat items like giant fossils and hand embroidered jackets. Repeatedly we would say "oh, that is weird.....but cool!" At times I think our giggles could be heard across the giant showrooms. 

Julie teaching at Swarovski Event

On Wednesday we had a full day spent with the good folks at Swarovski. I taught a demo showcasing a faux chain maille technique and how it could be worked into a crystal laden bracelet. We titled the piece "Urban Gauntlet Bracelet" and will have a video and instructions ready shortly. We also attended a private  presentation by Swarovski North America showcasing their new Spring/Summer 2013 launch. All I can say at this point is "wow" - the new colors, shapes, and effects are so pretty. I will have more details to share about this launch in the coming days.

Nunn Designs

Speaking of more details coming soon, we were in Tucson to shop and boy did we shop! We picked up a lot of the new designs debuted by TierraCast, Nunn Design, Ezel, Beadalon, DeCoRe, and more. But we also found some vendors who we had not seen before and picked up their lines as well (so excited!). A couple of my personal favorites are Lillypilly Designs' aluminum and copper sheets; some super cute lampwork beads; and one of our last-minute finds--gorgeous gemstone chains.  As soon as our orders arrive here we will get to work photographing the new items and putting them up on the Beadaholique site.

As we wandered through the shows and parties we were able to speak with some of our favorite designers and artists including Krystal Wick, Leslie Rogalski, Bob Burkett, Fernando DaSilva, Wyatt White, Katie Hacker, Becky Nunn, Andrew Thornton, Greg Ogden from Green Girl, and many others. If you are not familiar with their work, definitely check them out. Their creativity is inspiring.

Julie from Tierracast and Sarah sharing ideas

Speaking of dinner parties, I particularly enjoyed our dinners with Swarovski, Tierracast, and Interweave. It was fun to share ideas and talk about our plans for 2012 and beyond. I can honestly say that "bead" people are some of the nicest people out there. Everyone is passionate about what they do and really enjoy doing it.

We have many more photos from Tucson to share than the few featured here. I will try to put an album together soon :)

Happy Beading Everyone - Julie

Choosing A Color Scheme: Tips & Ideas

One of the most challenging aspects of creating a beautiful piece of jewelry is choosing a color scheme that "works."  Whether you are going for a bold look, subtle, romantic, autumn inspired, or modern, it can be difficult to choose colors that convey the feeling you are trying to express and that work well together. We have all seen beautifully handmade jewelry pieces that would have been spectacular if the colors had not been a little "off."

Golem Studios Ceramic Pendant

So how do you go about deciding on a color palette? The easiest way is to take whatever your focal bead is, and coordinate around it. For instance, if you are making a necklace around a gorgeous Golem Studios pendant, then look at what colors are present in the pendant itself and use those colors in your design. You can use red Toho seed beads, blue Czech glass beads, etc. Even if your focal is a solid color, use that solid color as your starting point and build around it. 

Swarovski Color Carousel

If you are a fan of Swarovski Crystal, there is a great tool at your disposal: the Swarovski Color Carousel.  Choose your main color, and this color wheel will automatically generate harmonious colors, contrasting colors, even the appropriate pearl color.  As an example, I chose Siam as my main color and was then told that Ruby, Burgundy, and Garnet are harmonious colors. Erinite and Emerald are contrasting colors to Siam, and the appropriate pearl is Crystal Burgundy. Even if you are not using Swarovski Elements, you can use this tool to generate beautiful color stories. 

Sample Color Palette

Other websites to check out include Kuler.adobe.com and Colourlovers.com. Both of these sites are free and offer thousands of color palettes for you to look through. The palettes have been sorted by theme, popularity, etc. so you can quickly narrow down your selections. There are so many choices in just these two sites alone, you will surely be inspired by a color scheme. 

  

© Design Seeds

A third website to check out is Design Seeds. This site takes a photograph, picks out all the colors from it, and gives you a handy color swatch palette to work off of. Seeing the colors in the photograph is really inspiring and gives you a better idea of how they will work together.  Once you have chosen your colors, you can then purchase beads to match. When picking out the beads, I like to have a separate browser window open with the color palette displayed so that I can easily see if the beads I am considering match my color scheme. 

Another great way of arriving at a color scheme is to take a piece of fabric, scarf, shirt, or dress where you really like the colors and use those colors for your jewelry design. An added bonus is that if it is a piece of clothing you are working off of, and you know you look good in it, then you know your jewelry colors will look good on you too. 

Finally, a tip I learned from a fellow crafter was to go to the paint store and pick up some paint chips. You can then use these to develop your color schemes. You might also find the free booklets offered at paint stores helpful too. These usually have "designer" schemes pre-arranged and you can pick out the one that appeals to you. 

Hopefully these ideas and tips were helpful! We would love to hear how you arrive at a color scheme! 

- Julie 

Giveaway #12: ENDED! The Ultimate Swarovski Giveaway!

This is the big one! You knew we had to do something grand to wrap up our 12 Giveaways of Christmas, and what is more spectacular then beautiful Swarovski Crystals? These precision cut crystal elements are of the highest quality and their brilliance and clarity is unmatched. Use these crystal beads, pendants, rivolis and crystal pearls to make timelessly elegant pieces of jewelry and treasured keepsakes.

There are over 40 different kinds of Swarovski crystal pieces here - ranging from the amazing crystal helix pendant (complete with sterling silver bail) to cosmic rings, rivolis, pearls, bicones, rounds, cubes, margaritas, navette, pear, baroque and snowflake pendants, wild hearts and more! You get everything you see in the photo, plus some extras, if you win this giveaway (except we're keeping the dishes)!

Estimated retail prize value: Over $250 worth of Swarovski Crystals Elements!

To enter, post a comment to this blog post NOW! Giveaway ends on Wednesday Dec. 21st 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. 

BTW: Bead Table Wednesday 10/19/11

Julie's Table

Crystal Clay! Have you tried this stuff? It is a two-part epoxy clay which is so easy to use and comes in 17 different colors. No firing, baking, or sealing is needed as the clay cures on its own in less then a day. I like that the Crystal Clay actually comes with a pair of gloves to use as this stuff tends to be pretty sticky. So far this week I have made compacts, rings, purse hangers, and more. I keep trying to think of new ways to use the clay - some free-form shapes, beads, and bails are coming to mind! 

E6000 - Our Favorite and Most Unusual Uses

If you have enjoyed trying out some of the free projects available here at Beadaholique, you will have probably noticed that we are big fans of E6000 adhesive. This industrial strength glue creates a permanent tight bond between materials which usually present adhering challenges - metals, plastic, glass, ceramics, rubber, etc. When we are looking for an extremely strong, waterproof bond, we know that E6000 will do the trick!

We often use E6000 to glue our Vintaj brass elements together, set our Swarovski rivoli stones, and attach our Aanraku bails to scrabble tiles, bottle caps, and resin creations.  However, just about everyone on staff here at Beadaholique has a tube of E6000 at home and has used it for some other, rather unusual, applications. 

My favorite E6000 story is from several years ago when I awoke one morning to find the side mirror of my car smashed off and dangling by some wires. I got a quote from the repair shop and they wanted $300 to repair it! Well, that seemed pretty steep to me, so I grabbed my E6000 and put a generous helping all around the part of the mirror that was supposed to join to the car body. I then pressed it in place and used packaging tape to hold it there. After 2 days, I removed the tape. My E6000 fix has still held to this day - almost 6 years later! My second favorite use was when I accidently broke the head off of the woman in King Kong's hand on my husbands very expensive and very large (over 2 feet high) King Kong vs. T-Rex statue. E6000 saved me and you can't even tell that she was ever headless!

Andrea had this to say about her E6000 experience: "One day at Beadaholique, an interesting thing arrived in the mail. It was a trinket from someone trying to solicit our business. As a promotion, this company had sent out miniature shopping carts. We all thought it was quite clever, the only problem was that our cart came broken. The bottom bracket which held the wheels had completely detached from the basket portion. Being a person who has a hard time throwing anything away, I began to think of ways to repair this fun little gimmicky toy. Getting ready to attempt wire wrapping the bracket back on, I suddenly had an idea: E6000! There was a little bit of skepticism floating around the office at first, but after I did the deed and set the cart aside to dry... You seriously cannot move the bracket now. Not a wiggle. E6000 has held up better than the original welding job!"

Esther, a fellow team member here at Beadaholique, has used E6000 to glue the Honda emblem back on her car, fix her garage door opener, and add decorative embellishments to book shelves. Fig reattached the rubber soles to his shoes and glued his apartment number back on the front door. I have also heard of people repairing picture frames, gluing drawer pulls and handles, and fixing all other types of assorted knobs, cases, and devices. 

Have you found and interesting and unusual use for E6000? We would love to hear it!

- Julie 

PART THREE: Announcing Swarovski Innovations Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 Release

Welcome to the final installment in our trio of blog posts dedicated to revealing to you the magnificent new Swarovski Innovations! We have already covered the mouth-watering new colors and effects, and introduced you to the innovative new articles ("article" is Swarovski's term for "item style").  Now we are about to take you on a tour of the last "facet" (if you will) of this brilliant collection. For our beading enjoyment, Swarovski has released a bevy of tried and true familiar favorites - beads and pendants - in all new sizes.

Let's begin with the pearl. Who doesn't love a Swarovski pearl? Other faux pearls simply pale in comparison. Now these perennial favorites are going to come in an all new, big and bold 16mm size. Not only that, these gorgeous giants boast a hole which is large enough (1.4mm) to accommodate your favorite silk ribbon, chain, or cord, for a visually striking design.

 Next we have one of my personal favorites- the square double hole bead. This bead has leant itself to many a unique design in its 14mm size. Say hello to the more diminutive version, the 8mm square double hole bead. Isn't she darling?

Another classic design that has been around for awhile is the 6010 briolette pendant. Shown here in the lovely new effect called crystal antique pink, this beautiful pendant is going to come in an impressive 21.5mm x 50mm size-- perfect for hanging on a chain from a handmade, wire wrapped bail.


 







As you may remember, the previous Swarovski Innovations release (Spring/Summer 2011) revealed a whimsical series of heart pendants designed by Manish Arora, collectively known as "Love Story of the Heart". Each of these heirloom quality designer pendants will soon be offered in new, miniature versions of their grand predecessors. And, of course, look for them in the new effect: crystal antique pink.

As we wrap up this tantalizing preview of all the new Swarovski goodies to come, I hope you are as oozing with eager anticipation as we are!  Keep on the lookout for new projects and how-to videos to help provide you with ideas and techniques to use with your new crystals.



Enjoy, & Happy Creating!

-Andrea

PART TWO: Announcing Swarovski Innovations Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 Release

Yesterday we revealed to you the stunning new colors released by Swarovski for their latest collection. Prepare to be wowed once again as we give you a sneak peak at the fabulous new shapes being offered by everybody's favorite manufacturers of fine Austrian crystal. Let's take a look at these brand new articles, a.k.a. shapes, shall we?

There are two gorgeous new styles of bead that are about to be offered through Beadaholique: the first being the new Oval Bead. This classic shape, with its even geometric faceting, lends itself to fine jewelry design and casual DIY beading projects alike.

The next bead shape featured in this release is a familiar one.  It is the more petite cousin of the beloved Wild Heart Pendant, in bead form.  I can just see it used in an overtly romantic design, aligning these new beauties with some round Swarovski beads and pearls, and topping the design off with a Wild Heart Pendant.




Swarovski has come up with three new stunning pendant styles-- each one as unique and exciting as the next:

First, we have the Helix Pendant.  This angular drop shape has facets which curve gently around the pendant, creating an intriguingly modern form, while still retaining a classic element.




Not to be outdone by the Helix, our next newbie - the Graphic Pendant - is true to its name.  Having an innovative, asymmetrical & unisex shape, the Graphic Pendant possesses multiple industrial-style facets for a bold, graphic effect.




Finally, in the pendant category, (and this is my favorite) we have the Rhombus Pendant. This ultra chic shape has a true vintage 1940's feel to it, yet is completely current at the same time.




There you have it! We hope everyone is as excited as we are about these new articles. Stay tuned for the third and final installment in our revelation of the new Swarovski collection!


-Andrea