Beadalon Blog

I love combining pearls with the ancient art of chainmaille. I set the pearls inside Katiedids TM 19.5mm Stick pieces. Aren't they fabulous? I took a headpin, threaded it through one end of the Stick, added three Swarvoski® rose colored pearls to the headpin, then threaded the headpin through the other end of the Stick. I coiled the headpin to make it look like a link in a chain so that it would seamlessly fit with the chainmaille weaves. On the earrings, I used the Byzantine weave found in my "Basics Of Chain Maille" book, and for the choker I used the Half Persian 3-in-1 weave from my "Advanced Chain Maille" book. Also on the choker I added six Swarvoski® pearls to head pins and made a simple loop on each then added these pearls to the first link in the chainmaille. Have fun! -Lauren Andersen Beadalon Design Team Member http://www.TheChainMailleLady.com

Join us at the Bead & Button Show for the Bead Marketplace, June 10-12 at the Frontier Airlines Convention Center in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin! There are over 500 classes and it's the biggest consumer bead show in the world. We'll host daily jewelry making demonstrations in our booth, along with guest appearances from many members of our Beadalon Design Team. Learn more about the Show and download a $2 discount coupon here . We're also sponsoring four workshops by Katie Hacker: Modern Patina Fri. June 10 • 8:30am-11:30am  Day-to-Night Necklace and Earrings Fri. June 10 • 1:00pm-4:00pm Twisted and Coiled Necklace and Earrings Sat. June 11 • 8:00am-11:00am Very Violet Necklace and Earrings Sat. June 11 • Noon-3:00pm

Dale "Cougar" Armstrong is an artist and well-known wire-working expert with numerous television appearances, DVDs and publications to her credit. Her journey into wirework was inspired by her love for rocks and minerals. A dedicated instructor, she loves sharing her ideas with people who are eager to learn her techniques. Dale has developed and mastered a wide variety of techniques using mainly square, half-hard wire; allowing her to create heirloom quality, wire jewelry designs resembling jewelry that is 'cast', but without using any type of solder or glue. She says, "Although I have a background in fine arts and metal-smithing, a combination of rocks, wire and students wins my heart!" Look for Dale soon on JTV's Jewel School and earn more about her in the Design Workshop at http://www.beadalon.com/armstrong.asp

Some of your favorite beading magazines will soon be featuring a new ad with my necklace design, Spatial Spheres. This is excerpted with permission from my book, Modern Expressions . http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Expressions-Fashionable-Easy---Find/dp/1440306729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289937132&sr=8-1 Spatial Spheres Necklace Materials • Two 24 mm white round acrylic round beads • One 18 mm white acrylic round beads • Two 24 mm turquoise round acrylic round beads • One 18 mm turqoise round acrylic beads • Twenty 15 x 7 mm Montana Swarovski Elements Modular beads - article 5150 • Twenty-two 5 mm sparkle silver plated crimp covers - 349B-020 • Two 7 mm sparkle silver plated crimp covers - 349B-026 • Twenty-one 4 mm silver plated crimp covers - 349B-030 • Forty #3 hematite crimp tubes - 305X-133 • Two #4 silver plated crimp tubes - JFCT4S-1.5G • One 30 ft spool of Beadalon 49 Strand .024" white stringing wire - JW12B-30 • 3 1/2 inches (9 long links)...

Julianna Hudgins is a well-known International Spokesperson, TV personality, Author and Jewelry designer. Julianna is the "Fire Behind the Wire" and she is proud of the role she's played in bringing the Artistic Wire brand to life within the Craft & Hobby Industry. Julianna has made numerous appearances on national televsion and loves helping people connect with their creative spirit through crafts. She says, " I love color and start most of my jewelry projects by falling in love with a bead, gemstone or pendant that catches my eye." Catch Julianna live on JTV's Jewel School May 22nd, 9-12CST or take her workshop at the CHA Summer Conference & Tradeshow. Learn more about Julianna and look for her designs coming soon to the Design Workshop at http://www.beadalon.com/hudgins.asp

Beads, Baubles & Jewels Series 1400 is now airing on selected public television stations nationwide. Beadalon has been a proud corporate sponsor of the show since it started seven years ago. The theme for the season is "Assembling the Elements," so we're focusing on projects that feature special findings, beads, stringing materials and other components. We're bringing all of the elements together to create dynamic jewelry deisgns. It's my second season as host and we have a lot of exciting guests, including Beadalon Design Team members Lauren Andersen and Leslie Rogalski! You can see a season overview, download project sheets for each show and find local viewing times at BeadsBaublesandJewels.com . For videos from past seasons, visit the Design Workshop at Beadalon.com -Katie Hacker Beadalon Design Team Member www.KatieHacker.com

  A few weeks back, I got to spend three fun filled days bead-geeking out at BeadFest Wire in Philadelphia, meeting all kinds of beaders and wire-workers, seeing old friends and making new ones. We also hazed welcomed new Beadalon Design Team member, Leslie Rogalski, as the booth demonstrator on Sunday.   We had so much fun with Leslie! She has a funky and totally unique style that brings a whole new perspective to the Beadalon team. She and I got our inspiration on and challenged each other to design with the new Beadalon Katiedids™ Creative Components. My favorite new product find at the show was SilverSilk knittedwire made with Artistic Wire ™ . I love how it fits perfectly into the channels of the Katiedids components! Check out the collaboration that Leslie and I worked on together. I did the inside, while she added the rubber O-Ring and the wire wrapped bail. It was such a pleasure and inspiration to work with Leslie!   We're currently runni...

I never know when I will have bonus time on my hands to bead. Bonus time is unplanned free time such as waiting to pick up your kids, or waiting for a late friend at a cafe, or even being a passenger in a lengthy car ride. Not wanting to waste that time, I keep a bag of beading materials with me at all times. I actually have two different kinds of bonus beading kits: a large one for predictably long periods of time, such as plane or train rides, and a small one for car rides or to keep in my every day purse. One of my travel bead kits is a clear cosmetics case that zips closed and has dimension, so I can fit everything I need for small, relatively easy to manage projects. My list is personal to me, but here are my must-have-with-me-everywhere items: A generous handful of small baggies with my favorite colors of size 11 and 10 Delicas Size 11 and 8 regular/round seed beads in black, copper and silver. Assorted findings: ear wires, headpins, jump rings i...