Beadalon Blog

Margot's latest title, New Dimensions in Bead & Wire Jewelry , explores the possibilities for using wire as a dimensional design feature as well as a structural one through combinations of both hard, soft wire and beads. In addition to basic wire-working techniques, you'll find a thorough introduction to the various types of Beadalon wire   that Margot uses throughout the book. Projects are organized into five chapters, each with a different focus on the type of wire used. Two chapters focus on hard-wire projects, two on soft wire, and a final chapter combines the two wire types together. Troubleshooting tips are sprinkled throughout the book and three variations per chapter give you great additional inspiration! Ask for New Dimensions in Bead & Wire Jewelry at your local bead shop or visit Amazon.com. 

Everyone loved this colorful Artistic Wire & German-Style Wire bracelet at the CHA Show last month. Here are instructions for making your own! Materials:  •  24 ga Artistic Wire® (3 colors), 7.5 ft. each color •  20 ga round Beadalon German Style Wire in gold or silver 1.75 ft. •  4 mm bicone crystal beads in coordinating colors (6 in one color & 4 each in the other two colors) - 14 beads •  Toggle in either gold or silver •  Flush cutter •  Round nose pliers •  Flat nose pliers •  Chain nose pliers •  Nylon jaw pliers •  Ruler •  Beading Awl •  1.5 mm (US #000) metal knitting needle  and/or a coiling tool with a 1.6 mm mandrel Instructions:   Create a whimsical bracelet with colorful Artistic Wire and this unique technique. Skills: Must know how to make a wrapped loop.   1.  Straighten and flush cut a 30" length of 24 ga wire in one of the colors of Artistic W...

I would like to share with you a few of the tips that I teach my students. Shh.... don't tell anybody. It will be our secret! 1.     "Choke up on those pliers." Don't be afraid of your pliers! Put your hands as close the tips of the pliers as is comfortable. The closer you are to your ring, the more leverage you have over the ring. 2.     Use shorter-tipped pliers. The shorter the tip, the more leverage you will have to control the jump ring instead of the jump ring controlling you! 3.     If you are going to pre-open and pre-close your jump rings, use either two pair of flat nose pliers or one pair flat nose pliers and one pair bent nose pliers. The flat nose and bent nose pliers allow you to grasp more of the jump ring and therefore easily open and close the jump rings. 4.     If you want to make smaller tighter weaves, you will want at lea...

I like to give Beadalon's education director, Wyatt White  a hard time about the huge mess he makes anytime he's demonstrating new products at shows. But, the truth is, sometimes a mess can work to your advantage! At CHA last month, I picked up a piece of chain he'd been working on and it inspired me to create this matching wire-wrapped pendant. Collaborating on a project is a great way to infuse new color palettes, techniques and other ideas into your work. I can't guarantee that you'll find anything as gorgeous as Wyatt's chain in any old pile of leftovers, but I do recommend trading with a friend. Round robins, Internet swaps and bead soup nights are all easy ways to get your own creative collaborations going! In case you're wondering about our design: Wyatt used 16-gauge Artistic Wire  to make silver S-hooks. He also made twisted jump rings from 16-gauge gold and 18-gauge silver. He connected double S-hooks between jump rings. For the ...

Join us this weekend, August 19-21  at  Bead Fest Philadelphia!  This is the 1oth anniversary of the largest bead and jewelry show on the East Coast! We love Bead Fest because it's right in our backyard. We'll have demonstrations of our newest products and a first-time-ever blowout clearance sale on discontinued items. See you there! Follow this link to download a $2 off admission coupon :  http://www.beadfest.com/beadfest/philadelphia.cfm Watch for pictures from the show on our Facebook page.  Are you a fan?

I've talked before about how much preparation happens before taping TV shows, right? Getting ready for my appearance on JTV's Jewel School was no exception. Even with all I did at home before flying to Knoxville, I ended up spending a whole day there working on new loom pieces. Luckily, there was a marathon of all the Indiana Jones movies on TV, so I set up on my big comfy hotel bed and beaded happily away. It was too hot out to do much sightseeing anyway. (But next visit, Dollywood!) Yes, I'm totally warped. 3 looms at once. Using the Spin-n-Bead™ is great--I never would make something like this without one, since stringing beads one by one for each strand braided here would take forever. Showed these loomwork cuffs on Facebook already.  That Beadalon Beading Loom   is really easy to use.  Definitely fast--and addicting! Margot and Kim, the Jewel School hosts, getting ready at their desk i...

We've been adding projects to our Design Workshop at Beadalon.com . Stop by and check out the latest additions! Here's a fun wire wrapping project from one of our newest Design Team Members: http://www.beadalon.com/summerfun.asp Techniques:  Involved components, basic coiling Skill Level:   Beginner/All Don't be bored on a rainy day! The focus of this design is on the fun-to-make link. Use your favorite colors, get caught up in making coils and create a bracelet or necklace! 1.  For each link, on the smallest crank rod, coil a 3-inch length of Artistic Wire. Carefully remove the coil and set it aside. 2.  Straighten, measure and cut 1 piece of 21 gauge square silver-plated wire, 3 1/2 inches long. Use needle chain-nose pliers to form a small loop at one end. 3.  Slide the 3-inch long Artistic Wire coil onto the square wire, until the end fits against the loop. 4.   Use needle chain-nose pliers to form another small loop at the ...