Rings and Things Product Review

The Art Bead Scene was invited to participate in Rings & Things blog partner program. They send a packet of items to review or use in a project, I share my thoughts and results with you.



This round features Disk & Loop Bracelets. I'm not much a "gluer" so I wasn't exactly sure what I could do with these bracelets when they first arrived. I found myself loving the warm antiqued texture of the brass disks and decided instead of covering up, I'd use them as an integral element of the design.

With a little wire-wrapping I added my teal branch disk beads in between the brass disks, skipping every other one. After the the disks were added I made dangles of copper pearls, amber disks and crystals on brass headpins and attached them to the alternate loops.

I love the fit of the bracelet too. Rings and Things offers the disk and loop bracelets in a variety of styles and sizes. This bracelet is 8.2" long and just perfect for someone with a larger wrist, which is always a challenge when working with pre-made bracelet forms.

(A detail of my wire-wrapping.)

To see more projects using the Disk & Loop Bracelets visit the Rings & Things blog. And stop by my blog today for a free project using the Disk & Loop Bracelets.

Featured Designer of the Week - Lorelei Eurto

Each Monday we feature the Designer of the Week. One of our editors pick their favorite from the Monthly Challenge entries.

This week I picked Lorelei Eurto's shell bracelet. I love how the colors reflect the ocean and the forest in the painting. It's such a lovely design inspired by the painting but a little masterpiece in it's own way too. To see more of Lorelei's work visit her blog.

Want to see your work featured on the Art Bead Scene? Our theme for the month of April is "The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli. The deadline to enter for the monthly prize is April 30th! Create something that combines the theme with art beads and then send in your submission for the April Challenge.

Sundays with Cindy

Today is the inaugural post of Sundays with Cindy where ABS Editor, Cindy Gimbrone will highlight the news from the bead blogging world and throw in a free jewelry project here and there. So sit back and enjoy your Sunday with Cindy!

This Sunday, I've got a large cup of hot coffee and have curled up on the couch to enjoy the Beady News, new designs, book reviews, projects and more. So let's dive right in!

Jean and Barbe spent this week reading. Click on over to read about an inspiring jewelry design book and a business e-book:

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
If it has Margot Potter's name on the cover, you know it will be a superfun and interesting book! Beyond the Bead, Margot's latest, is just that!

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Barbe reviews Dr. Weiman's 101 More Jewelry Selling Techniques Ebook

Speaking of e-books and downloadable projects, Linda has posted one in this week's highlight...

BeadStyle Mag
Linda's jewelry does the Lindy Hop far better than she does...check out her inspiration!

Barbe and Tammy were on the same business wavelength this week because Tammy has tips on how to brand your business....

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has some tips for branding yourself and your jewelry product while also putting together some awesome packaging.

Carmi shows us how to make a brooch, Melanie shares how she used glueable findings and Melissa shows us her celadon creation...

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi features a mini canvas pendant on a felted background.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Using gluable bracelet blanks from Rings and Things, Melanie shares ideas for how to use them in two very different ways

Strands of Beads
Melissa shows off a celadon-themed necklace she made for Ornament Thursday


Cyndi, Andrew and Art Bead Scene found inspiration in a variety of places this week...

Jewelry & Beading
Thanks to some inspiration from beadmaker Melanie Brooks, Cyndi has an article in Belle Armoire Jewelry!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
A sleepless night for Andrew produced seven new necklace designs.

Art Bead Scene
Feeling out of step with the trends? Here's some inspiration for the fall 2009 season!

Ahhhh...now that we've poured over the Beady News, it's time to stretch out on the couch and enjoy the rest of the day!

Do you have some Beady News? Leave and comment and share! There's always time for another cup of coffee and Beady News!

Studio Saturday Winner

Sorry dear readers for missing this week's Studio Saturday post. We are only human here at the ABS! Our winner this week is FrankandRox, please send your address to the Art Bead Scene to receive a Bling Link from Cindy Gimbrone Beads!

This week for my post, I am throwing in a bonus free project since not much is going on in the Humblebeads Studio beside some serious production work.

A Song for Spring Earrings

Supplies:

2 Humblebeads Disk Beads

2 lucite flowers

6 stone rondelles

2 Copper earwires

2 copper headpins

2 copper eyepins

6 copper bead caps

6 copper seed beads

2 copper 5mm spacers

Directions:

1. String a seed bead, lucite flower, copper spacer, humblebeads disk and a seed bead onto a headpin. Trim headpin and use round nose pliers to form a loop.

2. On the eye pin string a seed bead, stone and a bead cap. Repeat the stone and bead cap two more times. Trim eyepin and use round nose pliers to form a loop.

3. Attach dangle to the bottom of the eyepin and the earwire to the top of the eye pin.

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To win a set of Humblebeads Disk Beads please leave a comment about this weeks' question. We will draw a random winner next Saturday.

What would you like to see on the Art Bead Scene?

Share an idea for a post you'd love to read about here on the ABS. Perhaps a topic we haven't covered or one you'd like us to write more about.

I heart tools! BeadGlo Box

I am a sucker for a new tool and this looks really neat to me. I don't do a lot with seed beads but if I did I could see this being helpful. I just like the idea of a portable bead station with a light. Wouldn't it be great in the car? Here are the details of the BeadGlo Box...

The BeadGlo is the perfect accessory for all your beading projects. Easily sort and lay out beads and crystals on an illuminated surface with custom-designed trays. Features a 5”x9” illuminated slanted surface, 9V (AC) power adapter, (optional battery operation), convenient carrying bag, 8000 hour fluorescent bulb, two removable design trays (Necklace Tray& Multi Tray) with covers and two design rulers.

I found it online, but I am sure it will show up in beads stores soon. Check out all of the different trays you can get for it.

Happy Beading!

This post was written by Jennifer Heynen of Jangles.

Monthly Challenge Prizes

Our first set of prizes include three hand sculpted silver charms from Hint. They offer the symbols of spring and Aphrodite's shell. Add in some stones in the pale shades of teal, pink and blue from our inspiration painting, The Birth of Venus.

The winner of this month's challenge will also receive two goddess buttons from Creative Impressions in Clay. I could see someone playing up the Greek/Roman classical theme from the painting with scrolled metal work and ancient-looking glass beads.

You can go in so many different directions this month. I'm looking forward to seeing your inspired creations! One entry from the challenge will be randomly drawn to receive all 5 prizes, challenge details can be found here.

Monthly Challenge - Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli, c. 1482–1486

The inspiration for this month's challenge is "The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli. Let the beauty of the Italian Renaissance inspire your creations this month.

Your entry this month can be influenced by the colors, pattern or whatever you choose to focus on for your creation. Just remember to include at least one art bead in your design.

The Prizes:

A winner will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on May 1st.

Our sponsors this month our Creative Impressions in Clay and Hint, please visit us tomorrow to see the prizes!

Featured Designer of the Week!

From all the entries during the month, an editor is going to pick their favorite design to be featured every Monday here on the ABS. We want to give our participants more time in the spotlight! Our Featured Designer will be this Monday, so get those entries in soon.

How to enter the Monthly Challenge:

1. Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.

***Beads by themselves and beads simply strung on a chain or cord will not be accepted.***

2. Upload your photo to our flickr group. Detailed instructions can be found here and click here for a tutorial for sending your picture to the group. If you can't upload to Flickr, send your entry and information to Heather.

Please add the tag or title APRABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is April 30st. Photos are approved by our moderators, if a photo hasn't followed the guidelines it will not be approved. You may upload 2 photos a day.

What is an Art Bead?

An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.

*** A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.

p.s. If you have a blog, post your entry and a link to the ABS challenge to spread the beady goodness.