Beadalon Blog

For last week's Facebook Live, we hit the road again to visit with Studio 36 Bead Shop  in Pottstown, PA. Lisa is the shop owner and she has developed a beautiful and unique line of painted Lucite Flowers. If you haven't checked them out yet, I highly recommend it! She spent three years developing the painting technique and I for one am so glad she stuck with it. We used the flowers as components in a design made with the  Adjustable Bangle and Ring Findings Form  and the Katie Knotter Tool .  We also talked about different ways to make dangles, and shared tips and techniques for jewelry making. Lisa also gave me a tour of the shop at the end of the video, and I can't wait to go back. Watch the video to see how we made the bracelet, you can also find the full, written instructions  to make the bracelet form on the Findings Form web page. Materials: Adjustable Bangle and Ring Findings Form Katie Knotter Tool 14 Gauge German Style Wire We'll be on Fac...

It was a bangle bracelet extravaganza on this week's Facebook Live! We featured the Artistic Wire Artsy Wire , the AW Crimper, the 3D Bracelet Jig and Sizing Drums , Katie's Bracelet Knotter Tool , the Bracelet Bending Pliers , and the Artistic Wire Wire Straightener . The Artsy Wire is currently available in 14 gauge in 4 colors - Artsy Burgundy, Artsy Mauve, Artsy Olive and Artsy Turquoise. It has a wonderful mottled finish that is perfect for a vintage, shabby chic look. The best part is that there are 5 AW Crimp Connectors included in the package for the perfect Cold Connection! AND we developed a new Artistic Wire Crimp Tool perfectly calibrated to work with ALL of the AW Crimp Tubes. Woohoo! The first bracelet is one of my favorites (who am I kidding, they are all my favorites!) and couldn't be easier to make! Use the AW Straightener to straighten the wire, wrap it around the 3D Bracelet Jig 3 or more times, crimp the ends with an AW Crimp Tube, curve the ...

Sometimes we get so excited about a new product, we start talking about it before it's available. While that can be frustrating, it does make it even more exiting when it does come into stock! The Artistic Wire  Flat Pattern Wire is one such product. We debuted it back at the Tucson shows in January, and we finally have some of the SKUs in stock! This Flat Pattern Wire is currently available in 6 patterns in Tarnish Resistant Silver and 2 patterns in Tarnish Resistant Brass in 6 inch lengths. It's about a 21 gauge wire, and the process that it goes through to stamp the design into it means it has a nice, stiff feel to it that holds its shape really well once bent. Some of the tools that I find indispensable for working with this wire are the Triangle Needle File  (for smoothing out the ends),  Bracelet Bending Pliers  (for bending the flat piece into a bangle shape), the Round and Oval Sizing Drums  (for shaping) and the AW Wire Shears  (t...

This week's Facebook Live Video showcased one of our newest colors of Artistic Wire - Iron Color. Available in gauges from 14-28, this Wire has a special finish that gives it a funky, industrial look that I think is perfect for heading into the Fall. I wanted to make a fun, fast project, so I used the 3D Bracelet Jig with all of the additional sizes of pegs. Did you know that you can buy not only an additional set of 30 pegs in the size that comes with the Tool, but we also have pegs in 2 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm and 5 mm ? A few of our lovely viewers commented that they had the tool, but hadn't played around with it much. I can totally relate to that sentiment as a professional level hoarder of craft supplies! I hope that today's project inspires you to dust off that 3D Bracelet Jig and start winding some wire. The Cascade Bracelet, designed by Wyatt White, is the perfect jumping off point for all kinds of designs. That's one of the reasons that I love the 3D Bracelet ...

This week's Facebook Live Video was all about the (adorable) new Triangle Needle File . A file is a silent workhorse addition to your beading tool box, but one that you'll definitely get good use out of you do any kind of wire working. This file is the perfect size to both get into tight corners and smooth out any rough edges. To show how the Triangle Needle File works, Wyatt demonstrated how to make a twisted cuff bracelet with Flat Artistic Wire . Because it will shrink up when you twist it, to make about a 6 1/2" cuff (a good size for most women), start with a piece of Flat Artistic Wire about 7 3/8". Wyatt uses the Chuck from the Professional Deluxe Coiling Gizmo to do the twisting. And he likes to use the Snub Nose Pliers to grab a hold of the other end of the wire. Slowly crank the crank and watch the wire twist right up! Pro tip: Make sure that the ends are even so that when you make the bracelet, your ends will match. When you take the bracele...