Swing Dance Earrings by Marcia DeCoster

If you're a Marcia DeCoster fan, then you're going to love this free project posted by Lark Crafts from her newest book, Marcia DeCoster's Beads in Motion, called "Swing Dance Earrings."

Swing Dance Earrings by Marcia DeCoster
Photo by Lark Crafts

I love long jewelry that moves and this is the focus of Marcia's new book. This pair of sparkly earrings has a cascade of chains that slide freely within the band connecting them to the ring above, so you can make them asymmetrical if you want. And, although Marcia's color combinations are always lovely, you can, of course, switch it up with another color.

Want to know how? Click HERE to get the instructions.

By the way, Marcia's book is now available from the Houston Bead Society library. 

Now go bead something.

DIY Necklace Holder

Check out this lovely DIY Necklace Holder by Visibly Moved.

DIY Necklace Holder and Photo
by Visibly Moved

Doesn't it look a like piece of art?

If you live or have a place by the sea or a lake or know someone who does, have them pick up a piece of driftwood for you to create this necklace holder. Add some mismatched knobs and Voila! a piece of functional art of your very own.

Click HERE to get the instructions.

Now go bead something.

4 in 1 Diamond Chain Maille Pendant

I've heard that diamonds are a girl's best friend; but, not everyone can afford diamonds.

No matter, you can now create your own "diamond" in a mere evening using a few tools and some jump rings.

Photo and project by
beadalon.com

I think the the two tone silver/black color gives it an edgy look, though you can change it up since there is a myriad of colors of jump rings now available.

And, although it's classified as an "intermediate" project, I think anyone can create it as long as you know how to properly open and close a jump ring and can use pliers. There are lots of videos on opening/closing jump rings that you can watch if you don't know how, but click HERE to get a quick tutorial on how to do so.

Christmas will be here before we know it and I think this pendant would make a great gift. So, click HERE to get all the how tos.

No go bead something.

Fool's Gold Necklace by Kathryn Designs

I dare you to guess what the focal beads in this necklace are made of! Glass? Nope. Copper? Brass? Wrong again.

(No Time for) Fool's Gold Necklace
by Kathryn Designs

In fact, if you guessed any type of metal or glass you are wrong.

Can you  believe these faceted beads are made of... polymer clay? Fooled me too.

A small brick of polymer clay can be found on sale almost every week at any of your local craft stores for around $1.00 and think of all the beads you could create for less than the price of a cup of coffee.

Anyway, Kathryn at Kathryn Designs has a graphic tutorial on how to create these beads. You probably should have a beginner's knowledge of working with polymer clay. But, no worries if you don't - there is plenty of information on the web and YouTube videos to help you out.

Click HERE to find out how to create your own Fool's Gold Beads.

Now go bead something.

Swirly Bracelet

You are not going to believe this! But, check out this bracelet.

Swirly Paperclip Bracelet by Strange Ducks
for instructables.com

I was going to make you guess what it was made of, but the picture gives it away. Yep - it's made out of the common paperclip!

I really like the somewhat irregular, organic look of the spirals and the use of 3 jump rings to connect them all just gives it a little more oomph.

You do have to straighten out the paperclips (as best you can), so a little hand strength is needed. I would recommend using these nylon jaw pliers. I use them in some of my wirework and they work great. They can even straighten out a thin gauge coil of wire!

So, go rummage around in your desk drawer for some paperclips to create swirls and then put them together in a bracelet.

Click HERE to the the instructions.

Now go bead something.

StencilGirl Marrakech Express - Bead Embroidery

Marrakech Express Bead Embroider
photo and project by Janet Joehlin for
StencilGirl Talk

I am a stencil fiend, I admit it. I use them a lot - lately, a lot in my glass work. But, who knew to use stencils to create patterns for bead embroidery - Janet Joehlin - that's who! Janet is part of the Design Team for StencilGirl Talk. StencilGirl makes a huge variety of stencil in a huge number of motifs and I love them! 

Anyway, Janet used the Marrakech Mixed Stencil L 177 to create these lovely motifs that she later bead embroidered.

Janet has a detailed step by step at the StencilGirl Talk blog with close up photos. If you have never bead embroidered before, this is a really great tutorial to learn how - all the while creating some really lovely motifs you can use for jewelry, fiber arts or even mixed media.

Click HERE to get her easy, detailed instructions and look for Marrakech Express. 

Now go bead something.

Leather Wrap Bracelets

So, this project has no beads - but, still cute - no? And, of course, you can always add beads to it by simply sewingthem  through the fabric.

All you need is some fabric scraps, a strip of leather (suede would work too), a sewing machine and Voila! a hip and cute bracelet.

Click HERE to get the instructions.

Now go bead something.

Photo and Project by gen X quilters

Pricing Your Jewelry

Some of us make art for fun, some to sell and still others for fun and to sell. Having said that, and with show season about to come in to full swing, one of the most asked questions out there is "How do I price my art?"

I've struggled with that question too sometimes and recently, I found this post by Jewelry Making Journal that explains the pricing process in a fairly simple, easy to understand way.

Click HERE to find out how they do it.

Now go bead something.

DIY Jewelry Organizer

I love organizing and nothing makes me happier than to find a project that helps you organize (in this case your jewelry) for next to nothing.

The Pinning Mama created this cute jewelry organizer using a frame (and how many times do we find those on sale?), some chicken wire (screen would do too) and a few other materials you can find at your local hardware store.

Jewelry Organizer
Project and Picture by The Pinning Mama

And, of course, you can choose any size frame depending on the area where you are going to hang it. Personally, I installed a white pegboard in my closet to hang all of my stuff, but this sure would look pretty just hanging around in a room.

Click HERE to get the instructions.

Now go bead something.

August 2013 Meeting

When:   Saturday, August 17, 2013
Where:  Bayou Manor - 4141 S. Braeswood (in first floor auditorium)
Time:    10:00 am to 12:30 pm

Program: Bead Dangles for the Charity Auction Bracelet with Tish Reed
Program follows immediately after the general meeting and ends at 12:30.

Dangles are not only quick to make, but fun! And, if you can make a simple loop, you can make a dangle. So, for the August program, Tish Reed is bringing her now, somewhat smaller bead soup, some sterling silver head pins along with a couple of round nose pliers to create dangles for a bracelet to be auctioned off at this year's show. She will even bring her brand, spanking new One Step Looper and Wubbers Loop Making Pliers to demonstrate how well and how quickly these tools work. 

You need to bring:

• Bead soup or beads (if you have them)
• Sterling silver eye/head pins (if you have them)
• Round nose or Rosary pliers
• Wire Cutters
• Beading surface

Tish’s personal goal is 100 dangles for the time it takes to do the program - let's help her achieve that goal and help support Houston Bead Society's chosen charities (to be announced at the meeting).

If you can't stay for the program, Tish will also accept dangle donations - just bring them to the meeting.

Now go bead something ... like a dangle.

Triple Strand Necklace with Embroidered Brooch/Pendant

Triple Strand Necklace with Embroidered
Brooch/Pendant and Gold Chain
Designed by Sheri Serafini for
Fire Mountain Gems & Beads

Check out this awesome bead embroidered necklace by one of my favorite bead artists, Sheri Serafini.

It's called the Triple Strand Necklace with Embroidered Brooch/Pendant and Gold Chain and she designed it for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads.

It's a lovely mixture of gold chain and a lovely bead embroidered pendant that also doubles as a brooch.

You don't need a lot of materials - just your favorite cabochon, a few seed beads and chain to create this beauty. Best of all, the instructions include lots of step by step close up photos and a video! It's the perfect project to try if you've never done bead embroidery and just sophisticated enough for the more experienced beader.

Click HERE to get the instructions.

Pink Stone Necklace

Talk about timely, I had just started putting away all the haul from the last jewelry show that I attended and noticed that I had bought a goodly amount of some gorgeous, slab-like stones. Don't know why I bought them, other than I saw them, loved them and had to have them. Never happens to any of you, right?

Right!

Anyway, I decided to put them away until I found just the right project and Voila! - here it is.

Pink Stone Necklace
Photo and Design by Henry happened

A gorgeously simple, but very sophisticated Pink Stone Necklace by Henry happened that you can wear when you are dressed up in a little black dress or dressed down in a white shirt and jeans. Okay, so  my stones aren't pink, but I will have no problem substituting them with my black or green slab stones. And, although her version is almost choker length, I can make it any length that I want and I would really love to see it in a lariat style.

Click HERE for the instructions.

Now go bead something.

Tip of the Month - Make Consistent Loops on Eye and Head Pins

I am loving my new One Step Loopers by Beadsmith, but if you don't have a pair here is any easy and cheap way to ensure you make consistently size loops on eye and head pins.

If you add an extra 8mm bead to the top of a stack of beads (or any other size bead depending on the size of the dangle or charm you are making), trim the headpin/eyepin to the top of that bead, then remove the bead and make your loop - your loops will always be the same size!

Thanks for the tip Fire Mountain Gems!

Now go bead something.

Bead Soutache Workshop with Amee K. Sweet-McNamara

Have you registered for the Amee K. Sweet-McNamara Bead Soutache workshop sponsored by Houston Bead Society? September 7 and 8 will be here before you know it and this will be Amee's only visit to Texas, so you will not want to miss it.

Have a weekend of fun while learning to create these lovely pieces that Amee designed especially for Houston Bead Society.
 



Anu's Arabesque Earrings
Saturday, September 07, 2013

Anu's Blossom Pendant
Sunday, September 08, 2013

Workshops are $140.00 each day if you are a member or $190 if you are not and includes lunch, drinks and snacks. There is also a mandatory kit fee to be paid to Amee.

For more information and to register, click HERE to go to the workshop link on the Houston Bead Society website.
 

Now go bead something.

Personalized Bracelets with Polymer Clay

I love to enamel, work with metal and fuse glass - basically anything having to do with fire. But, I also have another love that I don't get too much time to work with - polymer clay. Why do I love it? Because it is such an inexpensive, user friendly material with endless possibilities. Polymer clay can be deceptively simple or highly complex - all with relatively ease of use.

Photo and Personalized Bracelets with Polymer Clay
by Adrianne Surian for CraftsUnleashed

Which leads me to this awesomely cute Personalized Bracelet with Polymer Clay created by Adrianne Surian for CraftsUnleashed.

Is it me, or does this look like real kiln fired clay? And, this is not the only version Adrianne demonstrates - nope, you can even personalize it with a name.

Can you guess what she used to make the impressions on this version? The color should be a hint, but you'll have to go to her website to find the answer.

Most, if not, all of the major brands of polymer clay are also inexpensive and non-toxic which makes it a perfect media to work with kids. As a  matter of fact, when I taught 2nd grade, my kids created the four stages of a butterfly (eggs, larva, pupa, adult) using polymer clay and they loved it. The projects were pretty spectacular too. A little more trouble than, say, drawing the stages (I had to take their pieces home and fire them there), but the results and their happy little faces were all so worth it.

So get your hands on some polymer clay and click HERE to get all the how tos

Houston also has a polymer clay guild - the Houston Polymer Clay Guild - that makes some pretty spectacular work. Check them out by clicking HERE.

Now go bead something.

Bead It Forward Bead Quilt Squares

Wowza! Bead and Button states that a total of 1,313 squares were received for the 2013 Bead It Forward project. And, that number includes the over 60 squares that HBS members and friends created. So, if you participated - give yourself a hand - and thanks to all who did.

Numerous volunteers made these squares into a variety of auction-able items that included quilts and new this year - ornaments that were sold at the show. All proceeds went to benefit the Medical College of Wisconsin for breast cancer research.

Side 1 of a Bead Square available for
purchase from Bead & Button

Side 2 of a Bead Square available for
purchase from Bead & Button

The good news is that Bead & Button held back a few ornaments to sell to people who didn't have the opportunity to attend the show. So, this is your lucky opportunity to purchase a two-sided beaded square and benefit breast cancer research for only - $5.00! That's right - for the mere price of a cup of brand name coffee, you can help in the battle against this deadly disease.

To purchase a square, visit Bead & Button's Etsy shop by clicking HERE.

NOW go buy a square.

Studded Leather Bracelets

It is no secret - leather is so hot you can see it everywhere - from the runways to Hollywood stars it appears that everyone is loving this trend right now.

So, check out these Studded Leather bracelets created by the blogger at Lotts and Lots.

Studded Leather Bracelets
Design and Photo by Lotts and Lots

Luscious colored leather studded with chains, beads and fabric - so what's not to love? An easy closure using flat cord ends and clasp completes the look. Make them wild, mild, boho, chic or biker - but, go make some.

Click HERE to make yourself an armload.

Now go bead something.

Epoxy Clay Flower Earrings

Check out this cute pair of Epoxy Clay Flower Earrings created by sewwoodsy.com.

Photo and Project by sewwoodsy.com

These earrings are the perfect introduction to working with epoxy clay with very little investment of either time or money. Although, the actual project takes about 48 hours to create because the epoxy clay has to cure, they really aren't all that complicated to make. And most, if not all, of the supplies can be found at your local crafts store.

The designer used the Martha Stewart brand of epoxy clay, but it is made by several different manufacturers, so use what you can find.

Of course, if you already work in polymer clay, these should be a piece of cake for you; but, just in case you don't, lots of clear, step by step photos accompany the directions. So, click HERE to learn how to create them yourself.

Now go bead something.