Beadalon Blog

  It brings me such joy to host my beady friends on Facebook Live, and even more so when they bring such a fun and simple project for us to make! Tory from GoodyBeads  used materials from some of my favorite companies - Swarovski, TierraCast, Leathercord USA, and of course, Beadalon - to make this holiday themed bracelet and earrings set. The bracelet is super simple, and while the earrings take a bit of finagling to get the loops to line up, the result is well worth it! Materials: Bracelet: 8-9 inches - 5mm Braided Metallic White Round Leather 2x  Silver Plated Bali Style Deep Bead Caps Swarovski 10mm Rouge Pearl 8mm Rouge Pearls 6mm Rouge Pearls    5mm Rouge Pearls   TierraCast Antique Silver Christmas Tree Charm Silver Round Memory Wire  - bracelet size   Earrings: Swarovski 6mm Margarita Crystal Beads in Fern Green 8mm Margaritas   10mm Margaritas   12mm Margaritas   TierraCast 2 inch 21 Gauge head pins   Small silver seed bead for the top of the crystals Swarovski 4mm Rouge Pearls

  Once again, I got to welcome my beady friend, Emily Scott, to the Beadalon Facebook Live. She is an accomplished beader and wire worker, and it was a treat for me to learn a new technique (to me) - the "Pinch and Twist". I love this technique because it's deceptively simple, but also because it is a perfect way to use a "bead soup" mix. The Jesse James Beads bead mixes are absolutely PERFECT for this technique, and I used the Red Queen Mix that my friend Sarah James put together for me. It's also a perfect technique to showcase the MultiColor Artistic Wire! Materials: 22 Gauge MultiColor Artistic Wire Bead Soup or JJB Bead Mix 2 large hole beads Sari Ribbon Instructions: STEP 1 Working from the spool, string up a whole bunch of bead soup - about 36 inches of beads. STEP 2 Leave yourself about an 8 inch tail, then move a  bead into place. Fold the wire around the bead, then pinch the wire together and twist the bead until it is captured in the wire twist.

  I love taking an old technique from making friendship bracelets as a kid and updating it for my jewelry making as a grown up! This finger woven braided bracelet looks similar to the Artistic Wire Square Braid, but you can make it in any color or gauge you'd like! I recommend starting with a thinner gauge as the wire work hardens rather quickly as you are braiding it. The 22 Gauge MultiColor Wires change colors as the braid goes on for a truly unique look.  Tools: Nylon Jaw Pliers Bracelet Bending Pliers Acrylic Tying Station Tacky Mat Bead Fix Gel Materials: 22 Gauge MultiColor Wire Upper Clasp 2 Jump Rings 4mm TierraCast Cord Ends Instructions: STEP 1 Place the Tacky Mat on your work surface and secure the top of the Acrylic Tying Station to the Tacky Mat. STEP 2 Cut 5x 24 inches of MultiColor Wire. Use the Nylon Jaw Pliers to straighten all of the wires. Fold them in half all together so the loops are all at the same place, and twist the top all together. STEP 3 Remove the top

 DIY Mask Holder Necklace Materials: 19 Strand .018 Beadalon Bead Stringing Wire Size 2 Crimp Tubes Lobster Clasp  (make sure the opening will fit over the elastic ear loops in your mask!) Assorted Beads (Beads shown are from Jesse James Beads ) Tools: Standard Crimper Tool Nipper Tool   Instructions: STEP 1 Pull about 28 inches out from the spool, and use the spool clip to hold it in place. Do not cut the wire from the spool.   STEP 2 Snip the very end of the beading wire if it’s a new spool. String up a design of beads about 24 inches. Make sure you start and end with a small bead with a small hole.   STEP 3 Thread on one crimp tube and one lobster claw clasp. Thread the beading wire down through the crimp tube use the crimping pliers to crimp the crimp tube in place. Trim the end of the wire about an inch and thread it back through the beads to hide it.   STEP 4 Slide the beads down to the crimped part of the necklace. Leave an extra 3 inches of wire and snip it from the spool.   ST

  Rose gold is one of those finishes that just puts a smile on my face. I love how it bridges the gap between silver and gold - and goes with pretty much anything! I'm delighted that Beadalon has so many options in Rose Gold - including some new findings and wire gauges! Check out the  Facebook Live Video  I did going over (almost) all of Beadalon and Artistic Wire's Rose Gold product offerings. Here are some of my favorites: 7 Strand SilverRose in .015 and . 018 Rose Gold Artistic Wire  - 16-24 Gauge Flat Rose Gold Artistic Wire  - 21 Gauge 3mm and 5mm Rose Gold German Style Wire  - 20 Gauge in Round, Square, and 1/2 Round Rose Gold Memory Wire  - both Regular and Heavy Duty ColorCraft Wire  - 16-28 Gauge Findings Variety Pack  - 73 Jump Rings, 8 Spring Rings, 8 Lobster Clasps, 23 Tags Instant Pendants  - Ball End and Cone Ends Head Pins  and Ball Head Pins To make the project in the top photo, all you need to do is make a variety of wrapped loop dangles using the Flat Headp

Starting as underwater volcanoes which then surfaced over thousands and thousands of years, Costa Rica has evolved into one of the largest, lush ecosystems in the world. Imagine yourself rappelling down a waterfall, relaxing in hot springs, hiking along the rolling fog of the cloud forest or exploring the pink sandy beaches of the Guanacaste coastline. Theses adventures paired with rich tropical flora and fauna and soft sunsets over crystal blue water were the incredible inspiration for these pieces – and our version of paradise.    Our design inspiration includes Rose Peach, Light Turquoise and Peridot color Swarovski Crystals weaved with WildFire Thread to create a tropical feel fashion accessory.  Materials Swarovski® Pearls 2mm rose peach Swarovski  5000 4mm round peridot Swarovski 5328 3mm bicone crystal AB Swarovski 4127 30X 22mm Faceted Oval Fancy Stone light turquoise Swarovski Button 1811 light turquoise Jesse James Beads TOHO Seed Beads  Size 11 - Forest Floor Bead Mix Size 1