Last Call - ABS July Challenge Ends Tonight!

Do you hear the Siren's song? It's the last call for your mermaid inspired projects. We have over $100 in free beads to give away tomorrow! Enter your photo at our flickr group or email it to me along with your information.

Bracelet designed by Rickie Voges

Earrings by Jean Yates

Necklace created by Jennifer Dangerfield

Alternate uses for Art Beads

Always on the look out for new ways to use Art Beads, I happened upon Heritage Glass Inc. Not only do they carry these drawer pulls, there are utensils, wine bottle stoppers, hand held magnifying glasses, and charms - all great ways to use and display all your lovely and precious Art Beads.

Click on image above for ordering information

Rather than having your beads lie in wait for their turn out of your jewelry box, put them out for the world to see each and every day!

Send us a link to your alternate uses for Art Beads.

- Elaine

As the Bead Turns, 7/29/07

Bringing you all the dirt and drama from the beading blog world...

Jennifer of the Naughty Secretary Club searches world wide for the bits that go into her revamped vintage jewelry. This past week she ventured to the Brimfield, Mass flea market. Read her blog and get the full report as well as a few online jewelry shopping suggestions she discovered on her trip!

Mother’s bracelets are true classics! Jean Yates was commissioned (by her husband Jim’s pal, Rob) to create a very pretty one for his wife, due in October. See what they created together by phone, and find out if the mother-to-be liked it or not!

Margot of The Impatient Blogger whines about her “stupid thumb” and shares “fabulicious” photos and trend spotting thoughts from this year’s Summer CHA Show. Yipee!

Robin Atkins has started a year-long Bead Journal Project. Here is Cyndi of Bead Arts
contribution for the month of July!

At Jewelry and Beading, Tammy suggests that you start planting your jewelry beads in July, so you can bead weave a cool beaded tree for the holidays.

Cindy Gimbrone of the Lampwork Diva blog joined her lampwork glass spirals with Melanie of Earthenwood Studio's porcelain shell charms. Both artists then teamed with Jean Yates to work on a Collaboration Exploration, where all three designed a piece of jewelry using both sets of bead elements. Click on each of their blogs to see the results!

Spotlight on Jewelry Tales

Everyone has a story to tell and jewelry designer Cynthia Newcomer Daniel has created a blog that combines her love of writing with her incredible jewelry designs. This has to be the most clever blog I've ran across.

She combines her skills with wire to feature an amazing collection of art beads. Be sure to check out the jewelry in her older posts.

Thanks to Beverly Herman for sharing the link with us.

Art Bead Scene Poll

We want to get to know you better! Take this quick poll to let us know who is reading the ABS. Please choose the one that best describes you:


Now you need a treat don't you? Have fun looking at all the entries to this month's ABS challenge.

The Color Purple

This has nothing to do with Opra or Whoopie, unless of course they LOVE purple too! My favorite color is purple. If they make it I will find it. Here's what I found in beading related items in the color Purple.

Artistic purple or Artsy Fartsy items to wear! You need to be comfortable and fashionable while you bead. So let's get dressed so we can go shopping!
Start singing, "Purple Rain, Purple Rain......ooow."

Barclay Studio, Purple Art to Wear!Steel Pony, Purple Art to Wear!

MaxEquations, Purple Art to Wear!
Feeling the Purple Love...My Favorite Clogs to stand on your feet all day, Dansko.

I love Turtle Ridge Bags! Especially the Purple Leather.
Purple pliers to go!
Keeping time in Purple.
Beading with my friends Peri&Winkle.
Purpley Charm.
Writing with the Color Purple.


Some of the most beautiful Hand-Dyed Ribbon I have seen.
::
Purple related shopping:
Purple Haze Lavendar :: The Purple Store :: ColorPurple.com :: Grandma Purple :: Purple Panache

Purple Profile

You are a purple person if:

You are imaginative, sensitive,
artistic and sophisticated.

You have noble ideals and a keen
appreciation of the cultural.

You are alert, demanding, foresighted,
confident, resourceful, spontaneous
and highly independent.

You take delight in the beautiful,
the gracious, the sensitive, but
maintain an attitude of
critical appraisal.

In love you seek to attain a magical
quality and refuse to settle
for anything less.

You refuse to be "swept-off your
feet" unless genuineness and
integrity can be absolutely
ascertained.

You are active in the support of
things you believe in, and are
concerned with the pursuit of
truth and other human values.

You take chances and believe
that you must do so to make
the most of what life has to offer.

Purple is an exclusive color,
mystical in quality, blending
the two extremes of the spectrum,
red and blue. Traditionally, purple
represents splendor, dignity,
royalty, rank, and wealth.

Purple is a unique color, and it
is a truly unique individual
who holds it dear.

I HEART Jewelry Tools - software

Are you planning out your next necklace? Want to play around with a color scheme without actually purchasing the beads yet? How can you do that? Eni Oken's FREE Color Schemes Software! Developed in collaboration with Greg Patton, it's a great way to experiment and plan your next jewelry design!

Free Project - Art Bead Earrings

Tassel Earrings

by Heather Powers

Here is a super simple earring project to show off your collection of smaller art beads from your favorite artists.

Supplies:
2 small art beads
2 6mm accent beads
2 earring wires
4 silver 6mm flat spacers
silver seed beads size 11
seed beads size 8
4 crimp beads
flexible beading wire .015
wire cutters
flat nose pliers

Step 1: Cut 6 inches of beading wire. Loop through the earring wire.
Thread a silver seed bead unto both wires.

Step 2: Thread onto both wires, 6mm accent bead, 6mm silver spacer, art bead, 6mm silver spacer.

Step 3: One on wire, thread a pattern of 1 size 8/0 seed bead, 1 silver seed, 1 size 8/0 seed bead until your desired length. Thread crimp bead, make sure all the beads are tightly pressed unto the beading wire, with no gaps, flatten crimp bead. Make sure the crimp bead is completely flattened, as this is what holds the beads unto the wire. Trim beading wire if it is showing. Repeat step for the other wire, varying the length if desired.

Supply tips:
Size 8/0 seed beads are larger seed beads, you can find a nice selection at Charlene's Beads.

Art beads suppliers - use any earring size art beads.

Art Formed From Earth, Transformed by Fire

Our very own Melanie Brooks Lukacs was recently published in the August 2007 issue of Simply beads - Yeah!!! Way to go Melanie. Though she appears several places in the magazine - this blog focuses on her incredible article about Ceramic Beads.

Melanie began the journey of writing this article quite a while ago and the time and care put into the article shows as she explains how porcelain, stoneware and earthenware clays are used to make fired beads and pendants. There are many, many examples in the magazine but I wanted to show you some right here that coincide with our monthly challenge theme of Mermaid's Grotto.

Porcelain examples:

Stoneware examples:

Earthenware examples:

Make sure you check out this issue of Simply Beads to see Melanie's other submissions!

- Elaine

As the Bead Turns, 7/22

On the Bead Arts blog, Cyndi shares one way to wear resin beads to give jewelry a great summer look!

If you have been bitten by the bead bug and you think you've got what it takes to sell your wares, Margot Potter's May 2007 post may interest you. In it, she shares her thoughts on turning your passion for beading into a viable business. This is part of her infotaining series: Adventures In Jewelry Making with the BQOTU™ (day).

Tammy at Jewelry and Beading has been a busy beader reader. She shares some of her latest jewelry book reviews.

Uh oh. Katie Hacker has a new obsession: shells! Check out her latest creation, a lustrous shell bracelet, on her blog.

Jean Yates displays her latest Party Dress Bracelet (once again, the first ones seen in Belle Armoire Magazine's Salon), another never before displayed delight! This one is a sultry number called "Oil Slick"!

And whether you are a bead maker, jewelry designer, or artist/entrepreneur of another kind, Lori Greenberg has some great tips on her Bead Nerd blog about starting a website.

Findings Worth Finding: Jangles Magnetic Clasps!

Magnetic clasps are an easy closing alternative to the traditional spring ring clasp. A plain magnetic clasp is nice and a colorful one is even better! Here's a new ceramic magnetic clasp from Jennifer of Jangles. A brightly colored magnetic clasp to complement your jewelry design. In addition to her wonderful clasps, Jennifer has designed brightly colored ceramic hoops too!

Simply Beads - August part 2

Previously I introduced you to the August issue of Simply Beads highlighting Melanie Brooks Lukacs' article about ceramic beads and pendants. Here is another article by Melanie in that same issue - her fabulous "Beachcomber Bracelet" on page 28.

To make this bracelet Melanie used wire mesh tubing to encase glass beads. I have never used mesh tubing, but really like the way it jazzes up the look of the bracelet between the beach charms. It got me remembering my charm bracelet from when I was a kid (looonnngggg time ago!) and wondered if I could now instead make a Mood Bracelet. I could clip on what ever art beads I wanted to set my mood for the day. My own wrists are something I see about 1 million times a day - could I help set my state of mind just by glancing at the bracelet so often??????

In place of jump rings, imagine using cute little lobster claws to hook and unhook the charms from this same basic bracelet. You could:

Have a Rock'n Day at the Pool with Your Friends:


Transport yourself to a Starry Sky Full of Romance:

Do the Cha Cha in the Streets, wearing fancy shoes and a bright pink rose behind your ear!

Grab the love of your life and go have a Popsicle in the Park:

Put on that new summer frock and head out for a Day at the Art Museum:

Take a Trip Back in Time:


Join a Drum Circle to set your body in motion.

Send us a link showing your favorite Mood Altering Art Beads!

- Elaine