Beadalon Blog

We're back at the To Bead True Blue show at the Reid Park Doubletree in Tucson, Arizona this week. It's a great place to see what's new and check in with your favorite artists. We'll have daily demonstrations of new products, including Artistic Wire Mesh. If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by! If you aren't in the neighborhood, mark your calendar for next year's show – this is an event you don't want to miss again! Here's where you can find the Beadalon Design Team throughout the week: Lauren Andersen : Tucson Electric Park Dale 'Cougar' Armstrong : Tucson Electric Park Fernando Dasilva : To Bead True Blue and Create Your Style in Tucson Katie Hacker : To Bead True Blue and Create Your Style in Tucson Margot Potter : Create Your Style in Tucson Leslie Rogalski: To Bead True Blue and Create Your Style in Tucson Wyatt White: To Bead True Blue Check Beadalon's Facebook page for photos from the shows!

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Winter Conference and Tradeshow is the place to be to see what's new in the craft and creative industries. Beadalon has a booth in the exhibit hall and will present two workshops during the event: Gratitude Journal with Jewels, Sat. Jan 28, 7-9pm Julianna Hudgins Artistic Wire Mesh & Katiedids, Sun. Jan 29, 6:30-8:30 Katie Hacker Katie Hacker will also moderate an exciting panel discussion on beading trends for 2012. It's Sunday, Jan. 29, 3-5pm. Don't miss it!

So many people have contacted me lately with the desire to learn peyote stitch. Perhaps it is the release of the new emag Fabulous Peyote Stitch with Crystal Accents .   Who can resist adding crystals to a stitch so wildly popular? Everyone wants to learn! Peyote stitch is sometimes called the gourd stitch. It is considered a Native American technique but is found in many other cultures around the world. Why is it called "peyote?" Wiki says the gourd stitch was traditionally used to decorate ceremonial objects in rituals involving peyote mushrooms, sacred rituals. That's all I know about it except it has to be THE most popular bead stitch of all time. In case you are really new to bead stitching, there's also tubular, circular, and multi-drop versions of peyote and about every other stitch. So think how many things you can create even if you only know one stitch, such as peyote. It's rather exciting. Also, using Delica or Toho cylinder beads gives pey...

I’m obsessed. I can’t get enough of these wrap bracelets. They are super easy to make and popping up everywhere. I started making them with Leather Cord, moved to rubber tubing and then wondered how Beadalon Beading Wire would work. Turns out, using .024 or .030 Silver Plated or Gold Plated Beading Wire for the base and .012 or .013 Silver Plated or Gold Plated Beading Wire for the wraps gives a gorgeous result! There are many variations to these bracelets, but here are some basic instructions. Wire Wrap Bracelet Designed by Meredith Roddy Materials: JW12GP-10FT 49STRD WIRE .024" GOLDPL 10' JW09GP-15FT 19STRD WIRE .012" GOLDPL 15' 349A-026 CRIMPCOVER 7MM SPARKL NFGP 14P JFCT4G-1.5G CRIMP TUBE 2.5MM GOLDPLT 1.5G JFC1G-1.5G CRIMP BEAD 2.0MM GOLDPLT 1.5G Gold spacer beads 6mm tubes Gold spacer beads 3mm tube Swarovski Elements 6mm cubes  1.  Measure your wrist and determine how many times you want the bracelet to wrap around your wrist.  Add 2-3 inches t...

Have you seen our latest ad in your favorite beading magazine? Here's a link to the free instructions for Leslie Rogalski's Black Rose Necklace using Artistic Wire Mesh : http://www.beadalon.com/BlackRose.asp You can also watch a fun, informative video about Artistic Wire Mesh from Julianna Hudgins on YouTube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFsI3ETT_DI

Wrappers are basically frames with notches around the edges. You can use them to wire-wrap and secure beads, stones or other findings within. Anything you make will become three-dimensional with lots of texture to it. Above a simple charm bracelet using flat oval tiger-eye and howlite briolettes (dyed turquoise color). I used hematite 22-gauge Artistic Wire® to wrap the stones within those marquee shape Wrappers. It's my lucky charm bracelet. Watch those eyes! Above, a way more complex piece made with several Wrappers filled with DeCoRe clay. I mixed small portions of the epoxy clay and kept it in place holding between my fingers and pressing one side down onto the back of a SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal mesh. On the opposite side, I set small pointed Swarovski® stones. The "ghost" touch was done gluing a piece of black Artistic Wire mesh on top of DeCoRe® clay as well. Gunmetal chains work as the foundation of the piece, and then circ...

I'm thrilled to present my new book, Live Wire Jewelry , available later this month from North Light books. It's chockfull of ideas for stylish, wire-wrapped jewelry using Artistic Wire and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.  The idea for this Istanbul Necklace grew out of some of the projects I made for Live Wire Jewelry . The instructions are free in the Beadalon Design Workshop and will give you a little taste of what you'll find in Live Wire Jewelry . Bon apetit! Katie Hacker Beadalon Design Team Member www.KatieHacker.com

Tune in Sunday and Monday 10am-noon for my appearance on  on JTV's Jewel School ! We're ringing in the New Year in style with unique collections of Beadalon products along with lots of eye candy in my artistic signature look. See you there! Lauren Andersen Beadalon Design Team Member www.thechainmaillelady.com