Beadalon Blog

Have you seen the new Beadalon website lately?   We've done another complete redesign making it an even bigger resource for all of your Beadalon and beading needs.   The new design workshop pages have hundreds of project instructions, design ideas, tips& techniques and how-to's.   My favorite part is the BeadMaster animated instructions that are available for many of the designs.   You can also find the newest series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels clips from Design Team member Katie Hacker.  We're always adding new products, and you can see them all on-line , too.   Did you know that Beadalon has a dealer direct program that supports local bead stores? As part of our effort to get the word out about where people can purchase Beadalon products, we're excited to announce our new Dealer Locator .   Beaders around the world can type in their US zip code or search by country to find out what stores carry Beadalon. Going on a trip? Definitely check it out before you go.

Crimp beads   are round and look like tiny seed beads. Crimp tubes are cylindrical. Deciding to use crimp beads versus tubes is primarily a matter of personal preference. Most people tend to use crimp beads when it’s important to have a smaller overall look, like when holding beads in place on an illusion design. Crimp tubes can make better surface contact with the beading wire, so use them when you need extra strength, like when attaching a clasp. The best quality crimp beads and tubes are seamless, which prevents them from breaking open when squeezed with a crimping tool. Crimp beads and tubes both come in several different sizes that are sold separately or in a variety pack . Choose the size based on the size of wire you’re using. Keep in mind that you’ll often have to pass the wire through a crimp twice. Choose a crimp that will be mostly filled by the wire because this helps prevent breakage. If you’re having trouble with crimps breaking, you may need to use a larger size of wire

Beadalon is a proud corporate sponsor of the popular television show, Beads, Baubles & Jewels . I just returned from taping 13 Beading Lessons segments for the 11th series, which will air on public television stations  this fall. Each episode of the show features guest artists who share how-to projects, beading techniques and artistic inspiration.  This season, Beads, Baubles & Jewels features "Style Meets Technique," with lots of creative ideas for combining traditional beading techniques with fashion-forward looks. In addition to covering basic beading techniques like wire-wrapping head pins and knotting gemstones, I'll show you how to make trendy charm holders and upscale your fun acrylic jewelry designs.  You can access my Beading Lessons segments from series 100-1000 anytime for free in the Beadalon Design Workshop . Topics include everything from preventing wire breakage to design ideas to new product information and more!  -Katie Hacker for Beadalon

The Design Workshop has been updated with over 100 new, free beading patterns to inspire you! In addition to necklaces, bracelets and earrings, you'll also find clever ideas for beaded badge clips, cell phone straps, purse charms, anklets, and more. The projects include complete materials lists and instructions so you can replicate the designs at home and Zoomify images so you can really see the patterns up close. The Design Workshop also features a Tips & Techniques section, where you can learn about everything from using a Jump Ring Maker to attaching a Scrimp™ finding. Plus, don't miss our ever-popular 5 Rules for Defeating Abrasion! Have you ever made a design from the Design Workshop? We'd love to hear about your favorites. Please leave us a note in the comments.

Beadalon recently sponsored a segment for Lifetime TV’s daily dose of inspiration for the busy modern woman The Balancing Act . Coordinating producer Meredith Dobro and her crew were kind enough to send us some sneak peek photos from the shoot on location in Southern Florida.   It was absolutely gorgeous!   Host and lifestyle guru Kathy Peterson and I chatted about jewelry making and Beadalon products.   I showed how to make a fun and easy bracelet we’ll post on the website when the show airs.   We discussed DIY jewelry making trends and talked about the history, quality and provenance of the Beadalon brand, an industry leader since 1976.   Look for more information in the coming months leading up to the show air date in early July! Cheers,  Margot Beadalon Design Team Member

Just can't get enough of us? Show your Beadalon love and stay up-to-date on all the latest news by becoming our fan on Facebook or visiting us on Bead-Spac e . Our Facebook page includes photo albums, event updates, new product releases, and other info to inspire and educate our fans. To receive our FB updates, just click "Become a Fan" under the profile picture.   In case you don't know about it already, Bead-Space is a social networking site for beaders and bead enthusiasts. Bead-Space includes a gallery, blogs, forums, a bead store directory, and more. Check it out!  

Here's a free Sunburst Necklace pattern that will take you from easy stringing to painless stitching. Click the necklace pattern link for a sample of the fully animated Bead Master instructions and experience the future of beading! Bead Master   is a revolutionary technology for learning how to bead. It makes difficult designs a lot easier to understand because you can see the thread pathways inside the beads. The animated on-screen instructions have play, pause, rewind and fast-forward controls, m aking Bead Master a powerful   and easy-to-use instructional tool for beaders.  The Sunburst Necklace pattern is just an appetizer so you can see how the Bead Master system wor ks. The full, copyright-free Bead Master collection is available as an instructional DVD or in 22 individual kits with instructional CD-roms. You can reproduce the Bead Master Collection designs for sale or teach them as beading classes.

In less than a month, we're heading  to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the country's largest consumer bead show, the   Bead & Button Show ! Over 13,000 people visited the show last year and many took at least  one of the 580 workshops available during the week long extravaganza. At the  show, you can find almost any bead imaginable, and learn almost any beading  technique. This year, we're extending the Beadalon sponsored workshops  to include " Beadalon Presents: Designing with the Newest and Most Innovative  Products " by Product Manager,  Wyatt White. Design team member Katie Hacker will feature CRYSTALLIZED™ and  Beadalon Presents: Crystal Scallop Bracelet   and CRYSTALLIZED™ and Beadalon Presents: Black Diamond Chain . All workshops will showcase the revolutionary Beadmaster flash  animation. Materials and products are included in the class fee. Visit  us at booth #618-620 to view demonstrations and learn about the newest  Beadalon products. Our goal is to educ

Love is in the Air Brides are busy planning for their spring and summer weddings and many of them are asking for custom designs or are making their own jewelry this season. Delicate designs in pearls and crystals are always in style, with illusion designs and simply strung pieces at the forefront. Beadalon's new SilveRose™ beading wire is a perfect complement to all skin tones and blends the lines between silver and gold for brides who don't want to choose. Check out other bridal ideas in the Design Workshop: Lacy Bridal Set , Pearl Cascade , Triton's Net and more. Naturally Stylish Shell, coconut and other beads with an organic feel are hot in jewelry making this season. It's easy to integrate them into stylish jewelry with the addition of some simple stringing materials and findings. Texture is a big part of the story, so don't be afraid to mix metal and fiber in new and creative ways. Beadalon wire in Satin Colors provides a lovely matte contrast to lustrous