Easy Heart Charm Bracelet by Michelle McCarthy

Here's a new twist on a bracelet clasp....a heart charm!  I have made this fun and easy waxed linen bracelet with buttons, 12mm round beads and toggles, but never a charm.  I think it's a cute option from the others.  I love the way it dangles down instead of lining up with the gemstone beads.  Here's what you need to make your own version:

You need 30" of 3 ply waxed linen, 8" of 1mm leather, a closed metal ring, gemstone strand and a heart charm.  I handmade my heart charm out of ceramic clay, but choose colors and shapes that you love!

Here's the finished design:

Start your overhand knotting at the closed metal ring by folding the waxed linen in half and pushing the knot tight up to the ring.  You can put both strands through the gemstone bead or 1 strand and leave 1 strand behind the bead.  Make another overhand knot and push it tight up to the bead.  Continue this pattern for 6 1/2" and then attach the charm by making another knot through the wire loop.  I made 4 extra knots before I attached the charm so the charm would not be too tight up against the last gemstone.  Fold the leather piece in half and attach it to the closed metal ring with another overhand knot.  Measure how big you need the leather loop to be so the charm freely can pass through it.  Close the leather loop with another overhand knot.  I used GS Hypo Cement glue to secure the leather knots.

Have fun making a charm clasp bracelet of your own!

Perfect Pairings :: WinterbirdStudio + Round Rabbit + MiaOnlyBeads



I just love it when the right beads are lurking in my studio! I suspect that was the case with these lovely ceramic beads that evoke the starry night sky in Miss Asia's studio space. The addition of the tiny gold lined glass seed beads knotted across the rest of the strands perfectly evokes the effect of a glittering landscape of stars like our challenge painting for January. A clever detail that raises the bar on this pretty design that looks so effortless.

Featured Designer: Winterbird Studio

Featured Bead Artists :: Round Rabbit + MiaOnlyBeads

We are now using Pinterest! 
You can find more details in this post about the exciting new changes,
including a board devoted to art beads inspired by the monthly challenge!
(Ooh! Look! More pretty beads to lust after!)

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest description so that I have someplace to attribute the picture! 

And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline January 28th  to get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the
Monthly Challenge Recap post for January 30th.

TIP: If you upload your photo to pin it rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. 

Jewelry Monthly Challenge Entries

Beads Monthly Challenge Entries

Fun Connectors for Bracelet Making

                                     Bracelet Bar Stained in a dark brown

Lately I have been hungry for the color brown.  Maybe it is because winter has come to our area so late that the brownness of all the trees in the newly fallen snow just looks so pretty and rustic.
The bracelet bar pictured above is one of the  pieces I have made. You can see more pieces in my Etsy shop.  For today's post I thought I would try out some connectors that  have been calling my name for some time with this rustic bracelet bar.

They are called Short Cuts and that is just what they are.  I bought them some time ago at Michaels but have only tired out the thin bracelet connector above.  For today I am going to make a bracelet with the one with all the chains.( on the left in the picture above.) I will use it as a base and add on some pieces from my stash to personalize it a bit.

Supplies:
1. Multi chain connector from Micheals--Blue Moon Beads.  You can also purchase these online as I am doing now that the Lake Effect Snow Machine has me locked in away from the Big Box Stores like Michaels. Search Blue Moon Beads and they will pop up.
 2. a 6 inch piece of teal colored chain from Miss Ficklemedia--open link is best-- it is about 1 or so  inches too long.  Easy to shorten since the links are not soldered shut.

3.  several small ceramic charms and jump rings to fit--about 5mm

4. Art bead bracelet bar  this one is from my Etsy Shop

5. 2 Large 11mm jump rings to match the ones on the connector or you could connect the lobster claw clasps directly to your bracelet bar. I am using jump rings so that they move easily on the ceramic stringing holes.

Tools
2 pairs of chain nose pliers to open and close the jump rings.

Bracelet Assembly
1.  Use your chain nose pliers to open a chain link on each end of your chain and attach the chain to the jump rings that the other chains are attached to.  I suggest putting your chain piece in about the middle.
2.  Use your chain nose pliers to open the smaller jump rings to attach the small charms to different pieces of chain.  I suggest a total of 3 but you could use more.

3.  try on your bracelet and see how it fits.  It should fit a 6-8 inch wrist. If it is too big you could shorten all the chains by removing links.

  or as a wrap bracelet with a laser transfer poly clay bracelet

                                   leather bracelet wrap  art bead bar by Mary Harding

I hope this look at these Short Cut Chains and Wrap Connectors  have given you some  ideas for making some fun bracelets of your own using art beads.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Mary

Amuse the Muse - Rose Quartz and Serenity - with Rebecca of Songbead

Hi guys! I'm still pretty under the weather so it's another short and sweet from me today. It's proving tricky to track down art beads with a combination of these colours, but I've managed to find a few lovelies to share with you today! Don't forget to leave links in the comments below if you come across any art beads with Pantone's 2016 colours - Rose Quartz and Serenity - we'd love to see!

Phoenix Dreams Studio

Tempting Little Charms

Both colours in this charming wee pastel set from Bo Hulley Beads.

And now for the BeadBlogger Links. Have a great week!

Free Border Pattern
Is it a border or a bookmark - you decide. This free chart has a myriad of uses and can be stitched in any color.

Apply Those Crystals
Add more bling to your garments or fabric jewelry components with this super cool tool.

Illustrate Your One Little Word
Do you have a word for 2016? Why not use it in a piece of art? You can do this with any word you like and whatever supplies you have.

Taylor Knit Shawl
Here is a little knitting progress as the Crafty Princess continues to learn how to knit. 

Art Bead Scene
Check out our beautiful new challenge for January - the first of 2016!

Yes, Another Jewelry Challenge
Terry Jeanette of Tappingflamingo shows her entry in the Dry Gulch Beads and Jewelry Challenge, January 2016

Repair It with Bondic Plastic Welding Pen 
Eileen repairs a small cast iron sculpture with Bondic. No waiting time required when you repair it with Bondic. Apply, cures in a few seconds, add finishing touches. Your repair is immediately ready for use.

Beading Arts
We've all been there...Cyndi is drowning in STUFF!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's Beading to Be Done!
Jean reviews a beautiful follow up to an earlier book on bead embroidery: Bead Embroidery Stitch Samples Motifs. If you like to embroider, don't miss this!

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer; currently living in the capital city of Edinburgh. You can read more about her and her work at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com. She also has a supplies shop at thecuriousbeadshop.etsy.com.

Inside the Studio: Humblebeads

Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive, we offer a prize each week to encourage you to use that keyboard and tell us what you think. The following week a winner is chosen at random from all eligible entries. And here are the results from last week!

This week's winner is Kathy Lindemer. Congratulations! You have won a $25 gift certificate to Tesori Trovatti! Please contact Erin to claim your prize!

Hello! I'm a little late today but that's because I was busy finishing up these beauties and wanted to share them with you for today's Inside the Studio. 

One of my goals for 2016 is to relaunch my illustration career. I love beads, writing books and making jewelry but my first love is drawing and painting. In case you don't know I went to art school and then fell into beads while I getting my BFA. You can find my artwork at heatherpowersart.com, if you are curious. 

So anywho, I'm been painting and drawing every day this week as part of my daily creative process. I just wake up a little earlier and pull out my supplies and inspirations. I discovered the zebra pansy on Pinterest this week and had to paint it. (pictured above) I couldn't help but notice the colors were the same as our inspiration painting this month and decided the next step was to make beads inspired by my art. 

I started with mixing a color palette in polymer clay inspired by the one I shared yesterday. Love the fresh mix of yellow and navy thrown in the serenity and rose quartz.

Some of the beads are my standard graphic designs and then the you can see where I made disk beads inspired by the flower petals of the zebra pansy.

And of course pendants that capture that graphic design of the petals. Love the 50's design vibe that these pendants are sporting.

 Yep, seriously loving these colors right now.

And finally back to these disk beads with the petal design in navy and white. So those are it, the first new Humblebeads of 2016, inspired by my art and art history.

You can find the new beads in my Humblebeads Etsy shop if one is calling your name.

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So let's start the weekend right and do a $25 Humblebeads.com giveaway! Leave a comment below to enter in the random drawing.

My question this week - what's the most unusual place you've found inspiration for your jewelry?

January Monthly Challenge Palette

This month's color palette can be seen as an icy winter night or a burst of fresh spring shades - it just depends in which direction you decide to take! Do you spy rose quartz and serenity blue? Those Pantone Colors of the Year have potential! And isn't art amazing, a painting created over 100 years ago happens to be right on trend for colors in the year 2016. Just goes to show that great design and color are timeless. 

Here is an example that captures all the inspiration colors for this month. 

Blooms and Birds Set by Humblebeads.

Love the close up of the painting! The brush strokes are so full of energy. And this little snippet shows how you could narrow in a smaller section of the painting to pull your colors from rather than the entire palette. 

Have fun creating this month! We are giving away over $150 worth of art beads for this challenge. Make it your goal for 2016 to participate in each monthly challenge. Here are the challenge details if you are just joining us. 

January Monthly Challenge Sponsors + Prizes

Our Wonderful sponsors for the January Challenge.
We will have 3 Lucky Winners this Month!

Humblebeads

Heather Powers of Humblebeads creates Handcrafted Art Beads Inspired by Nature and Art History. She is also the founder of Art Bead Scene, The Bead Cruise and Inspired by Nature Retreats. Heather is always creating new and wonderful designs and jewelry.

Humblebeads is located in New Haven, Michigan.

Heather is donating a $50 gift certificate.

Visit Heather on Facebook, Blog, Instagram, Etsy and Website.

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Art Incendi

Johana Nunez of Art Incendi creates wonderful torch fired enamel jewelry components. Inspired by the beautiful island landscapes, flowers and animals of Puerto Rico. 
Johana makes one of a kind art. Her love of color makes for great jewelry designs!

Art Incendi is located in Aibonito, Puerto Rico.

Johana is donating $50 in Jewelry Components.

Visit Johana on Etsy, and Facebook.

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Donna Perlinplim

Kathrin Kneidl of Donna Perlinplim creates clay beads and components. 

Every item conveys a mood or a story. 

Great additions to your bead stash and jewelry designs!!

Donna Perlinplim is located in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Kathrin is donating a $50 gift certificate.

Visit Kathrin on Etsy1, Etsy 2 and Etsy 3.

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Submit photos of your wonderful Jewelry creations using one or more Art Beads here.

Submit photos of your wonderful Bead creations here.

Landscape with Stars by Henri-Edmond Cross has many different elements that can be used for inspiration: landscapes, stars, impressionism, celestial elements, blues and yellows.

We can't wait to see where your creativity takes you with the art for this month's challenge! 

**IMPORTANT** Please remember to put JAN ABS in the title or tag of your submission(s).  Pinterest doesn't keep Pins in the order they are posted.

Provide us with the artist of the Art Beads used and we always love to know all the materials you used. 

***Art Beads MUST be used in your entry.***