Do you have today off? If so, you might want to think about a little maintenance work:
Virginia, over at Art Bead Scene, has a great little tutorial on how easy it is to clean the tarnish off your silver! It involves baking soda and aluminum foil, which might sound like hocus-pocus, but I can attest to the fact that it works!
Here is an extremely clever idea to dress up a photo that you might want to give as a gift! Instead of a frame, this holder can be used to swap out pictures quickly and easily. You could make up a bunch of these really quickly too! Great gift idea, thanks to Ben Franklin Crafts! Even though they’re suggesting it for Mother’s or Father’s Day, I think it’s a great idea for any holiday.
Thank you to Tammy Powley over at About.com’s Jewelry Making site! Tammy has compiled links to 8 different beginner projects, at least 5 of which would be fun for Christmas and other winter holidays. One of the projects is a simple ornament cover…once you try one of these and see how they work, the more complicated ones will not seem quite so daunting!
beads, beading, handmade-beaded, jewelry, wearable-art, mixed-media, ornaments, tutorials
Here’s a really quick and easy pin that you can make in a snap…
My tutorial is on Jewelry & Beading.
HobbyCraft has directions for a beautifully simple beaded ornament that you can make for your own tree or to give as a gift.
You can whip up this clever snowflake very quickly, and even though it’s designed to be a pendant, it would also make a nice ornament for your tree, window, wreath, etc! Thanks to Bead Jewelry Making!
This is beautiful! Just think of all the ways you could dress up a basket using this method. Note that the trim is the pre-beaded variety, so it won’t take as long to make this as you might think!
You’ll find the list of materials and instructions for this gift idea at PattieWack.com
Kate Ferrant-Richbourg provides the directions for these clever cuff bracelets. You can make them as many tiers wide as you want, which makes this an extremely versatile gift idea. If you’ve never done wirework before, you can still probably master these bracelets. You might want to check my archives for online help with basic wirework before you start though.
beads, beading, handmade-beaded-jewelry, bracelet, tutorial, mixed-media, wearable-art, wirework
This tree looks a bit like the old German feather trees that you see occasionally in antique shops! Don’t wait until the last minute to make this one, because it’s going to take a bit of effort and time to wire all the parts together. Is is worth it? I think so 
Donna Dickt came up with this beautiful heirloom project. Thanks Donna!
I call this piece Champagne Bubbles for its fun, festive bounce and style. You can find my instructions to make it, and I think you’ll be thrilled to see how super-simple and fast it is. Mostly you just need to make sure that you’ve got enough small sized crimps on hand before you start
handmade-beaded-jewelry, beads, beading, recycled-jewelry, wearable-art, mixed-media
These are so cute! You don’t have to stop beading with just the handle…it would be wonderful to bead up some of the fabric before you glued it to the box too. Or think about having beads dangling from around the top. All kinds of possibilities here. Thanks toDena Fishbein, show host at DIY Network for such a fun and fast project! You could make one of these for every woman on your holiday list…
beads, beading, mixed-media, handmade-purses, tutorials, wearable-art
Artist: Olivia Competente
Business name: Jewels By Olivia
Location: San Francisco
Website:
Jewels By Olivia
Olivia, how do you describe your work?
I have always loved sparkle and color. I started out with beads and they have always been my first love. What I do now is and extension of my bead work. I love the art nouveau movement and Egyptian adornments.
What is your creative process like?
Sometimes I render a piece, but mostly I like looking at what I have and what will fit with it. I work very organically - it cannot be forced, it will work itself out and be or not. Then I show the design to my mom and she has a great eye and gets me to finish a piece.
What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
When I was 9ish I lusted after a pair of earrings at Macy’s and my mom wouldn’t buy them for me. Instead she took me to the oldest bead shop in San Francisco and bought me beads and started my life long passion for jewelry. Then in 2001, the industry I worked in got hit bad by 9-11 so my mom told me to go back to jewelry and I started my formal training on metal fabrication. I am now a PMC certified artisan, teach enameling, fused glass and bead work at the Sharon Art Studio in San Francisco.
Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
My original Cress kiln.
What inspires you to create?
The light as it plays across the ocean or trees of Golden gate park, new colors in beads.
What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
The fact that great work is giving life to an idea, and collaborating with my mom.
What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Practice, practice , practice, and have fun in the end.
What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Cooking for my family and my pets (4 cats and 2 dogs).
What are some of your other favorite things?
I love a good hamburger, read fairy tales, and right now I love a blue-based red color!
Other profiles of mixed media artists:
Wendy Van Camp
Leah Hitchcock-Ybarra
artist-profile, beads, beading, handmade-jewelry, PMC, creativity, designing
Filigree Drops by Jamie Hogsett
It Takes Two Earrings Challenge
For this challenge, combine two - and only two - different techniques from the ten techniques below to create an original pair of earrings.
The Rules
You must be a Beading Daily member to participate. (Your email address will be used to verify that you are a member.) It’s free to sign up if you’re not already a member. Only one submission per person. Deadline: November 2, 2007. Winners will be announced November 30, 2007.
To enter, please send an email to: beadingdaily@interweave.com and include:
a high-resolution photo (JPG, 300 dpi) of your finished project
your name
your email address
your phone number (this will be only used to notify you if you win)
project name
the two techniques you used
in the subject line, please include: “earring challenge”
Prizes
The editors will select their three favorite entries.
First Place: A $50 gift certificate from Interweave Press.
Second Place: An autographed copy of Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher, plus a $10 gift certificate from Interweave Press.
Third Place: An autographed copy of Create Jewelry: Crystals by Marlene Blessing and Jamie Hogsett
The winning projects and their designers will showcased on Beading Daily.
Other posts about earrings:
Inspiration Galore!
handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, mixed-media, earrings, call-for-entries
I rarely add to my list, because I wanted to keep this list for just the best of the best. However, Bead & Button has forced me to add them. When they redesigned their website recently, they made a lot of areas more accessible and better organized. On their techniques page, you’ll find links to pdf downloads on most of the major stitches and important beginning techniques. Here’s the direct link to the new page, and here’s the link to my full list of online bests!
handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, mixed-media
Technique Tuesday!
Making a necklace like Moonstone Rainbow is very similar to the instructions previously given for making Blue Bells. I strung moonstone chips onto 28 gauge wire and crocheted a chain that ended up being folded into thirds. Most of the technique is outlined in the tutorial for Blue Bells, and I suggest reading it now if you haven’t already!
Copyright 2007 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, mixed-media
Come on a journey through a bead and jewelry wonderland, where no item is considered too strange to use in making something...especially if that item has a hole in it! All types of beads are welcomed and cherished here, and no techniques are off-limits. You'll be amazed and inspired by the beadwork that is being done today!
Bead Arts Author(s)
