Bead & Button Scoop

This year when I was hunting at the Bead & Button show I noticed some trends I thought I'd share with you.

First up - faux sea glass!  Now, we know these are simply etched glass beads that achieve that sand-washed look, but I'm not snob.  I love the faux as much as the real stuff and with several booths featuring these beads I'm not alone.  You'll find they are the perfect fit for your summer inspired creations.  You can find these online at Znet Shows Inc.

Love this trend - Hill Tribe Silver designs in warm copper and with a price that will warm your heart!  The Bead Goes On offered a great collection of classic Hill Tribe designs and beautiful floral pieces.  I had to go back for a round two before the show was over.

I was super excited when my booth helpers brought these large hole pearls to my attention.  They are perfect for wire bangles and using with cord.  So wish I would have picked up a few handfuls of these.   I will have to get back to you on the resource - why didn't they put a business card in my bag! 

Now this booth had me mesmerized! Gemstones everywhere, but not just any gemstones - these were heat-treated to give them an AB finish.  I had never seen anything like them and have to thank fellow ABS editor Erin Prais-Hintz for dragging me back to this booth.  It scared me, I could have spent a small fortunate on these stones with the magical finish. Leslie D'Souza from Beads Direct Online creates these beautiful finishes in his studio.  He and his wife are lovely vendors and I highly recommend shopping with them both online or at a show.

Fibers where everywhere - sari silk, hand-spun yarns, ribbons and linen were all flying out of the booths.  I stocked up on a sampler of colorful waxed linen from Royalwood Ltd.   Another big trend I spotted over and over were colorful leather cords in all sizes.

And my big splurge of the show was stocking up on Swellegant paint.  I won't go into all the details, but basically it's a paint with metal mixed with a binder.  As the metal dries you paint on the patina.  After you have you patina, there is a collection of dyes to use to add more color choices.  My wheels are spinning.  You can paint anything from clay, to plastic to metal to create these awesome patinas.  I will send you over to B'Sue Boutiques, one of our awesome sponsors this month, to get the skinny on this new paint.  I picked up lots of inexpensive pewter pieces to patina and will give an update later this month.

What did you find at Bead & Button that you'd like to share with our readers?  Any trends that caught your attention?

2012 Summer Jewelry Trends

I sent this out to my newsletter list yesterday but thought you might enjoy reading it too.

With the renewal of spring comes a new surge of creativity!  If you are looking ahead to summer shows, gifts for Mother's Days, graduations or just a jump on summer's hottest trends, I have the scoop for you!

1. Mother's Day Gift Ideas - nests are the perfect focals for jewelry for mom.  Mix them with wire nests, tiny bird charms and brass branches.  Nests Charms & Pendants

2. Give mom flowers that won't fade! My dogwood blossom beads were molded from a antique spoon that belongs to my grandmother.  It's filled with sentiment.  Dogwood Pendants

3. Butterflies are the perfect symbol for grads as they begin their metamorphosis into adulthood.  Butterflies Pendants and Kits

4. Owls are another awesome gift for those graduating. Whether it's from kindergarten, middle school or high school, owls are as popular as ever!  Pair them up tiny charms and chain for simple designs that will be a hit.  Owl Beads, Charms & Pendants

5. Summer trends start with the sea, be it a shell, starfish or coral - designers are taking their cues from the deep.  Sea Inspired Beads

6. Bracelets piled on high are still a hot trend for the season.  Add a charm to bangles or on the end of a memory wire bracelet.  Check out my tutorial here and charms here.

7. Feathers, Southwestern and tribal influences with a strong lean towards geometric designs are as hot as the summer sun.  Add jewelry with this geo tribal flare to jeans and a patterned top for a simple nod to this trend. Feather charms & Pendants.

8. Bright pops of color and color blocking are paired with crisp whites for a fresh spring and summer look.  Or try pairing them with neutrals like grays, tans or nudes for a sophisticated take on this youthful trend.  Hibiscus Pendants.

9. Textures and fibers are everywhere in jewelry this season.  Add it in as an accent or use it as the workhorse of a design and hang your favorite pendant from a soft, dyed silk ribbon.  Sari Silk Ribbons.

Bonus:

Place a $50 order from my Etsy shop and receive a free egg bead! No code or note needed.  All qualifying orders from now until Friday 3/31, will automatically have the egg added to their order.  Humblebeads on Etsy

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Cuff Bracelets

Cuff bracelets will be everywhere this summer.  Give them the art bead treatment to turn them from a trend into a treasure. 

Try a curved connector beads by Captured Moments. 

Or look for beads with two holes like this fun set by Gaea. 

Chinook Jewelry has a collection of beautiful curved ceramic connectors in her Architectural Collection. 

More Skye Jewels offers vintage images on wood, Marie will drill them any way you'd like.  You could do two holes or create a double strand beaded cuff with 4 holes on this component.

Let the clasp become the focal by using a cuff style toggle like these ones by Higher Chakra.

Or look for resin and metal pendants with 4 holes like this one by Gardanne Beads.

Lorelei Eurto curved a copper and resin pendant into a cuff focal bead for her bracelet. 

Jean A. Wells combines a ceramic connector with leather and large chunky ceramic beads.

Staci Louise has layered a ceramic pendant on top of a leather cuff.  I love how the wire mimics the line work of the the quilting.

I created a bracelet using one of my 3-hole spacer beads with 3 Vintaj bangles to create a cuff. 

I could also see a cuff made from memory wire that wraps around the wrist several times with metal seed beads and an art bead charm at the end of the loops.

Kick off summer and whip up a cuff bracelet design of your own using beads from your favorite artists.