Editor's Choice - Top Sponsor Picks

We love our sponsors and want to thank them for offering such great prizes to our readers each month. Today is the last day to enter the September Monthly Challenge. Get those photos in today!

Ornamentea strives to offer unique finds for creative jewelry designers. Their product line favors the vintage-inspired, mixed media and the unusual! Above are my top picks from their shop: crepe cord, Czech glass, Elaine Ray bead caps - they look like acorn tops, don't they? An Elaine Ray tree pendant, check out the Fall issue of Stringing to see a necklace I created with Elaine's pendant. And look at that awesome bias cut silk dupioni ribbon. I love silk dupioni and have a huge stash. I tear my own ribbons from my fabric, but this ribbon is beyond awesome and I must have some!

Tari of Creative Impressions in Clay creates buttons that range from tie-dye to goddesses, to alpaca to ice cream cones, coin replicas to tiny branches. You are guaranteed to find something you love! Buttons make great clasps, but don't forget since you are ordering directly from the artist Tari can create her designs in numerous configurations. She can make any design into a pendant with a hole at the top or a loop. Branch toggle buttons - surely you have a fall design in mind that calls for a tiny branch clasp! I also love Tari's leaf designs. I'm smitten!

Trimmings- The Way of the Ribbon

Looking for something new and unique to use in your beading projects? Why not check out the local ribbon and trimmings store? On my recent trip to London, I stumbled upon a cute little Trimmings shop called V.V. Rouleaux, where I was drowning in a sea of color and inspiration. Rows upon rows of ribbon, cording, lace, leather, suede, embroidered ribbon, and felt. Downstairs I found fabrics, and trimmings for curtains with poms poms, and cotton cording, plaid ribbons, silk, organza.

Mixed media jewelry is popular right now, and there is no better way to add a bit of softness to your designs than with ribbon. You can use cord end caps, like these....

These silver Crimp ends can be found at Lilys Offering

Or use wire to attached the ribbons to jumprings like this....

The possibilities are endless!

Featured Designer of The Week-The Color of Dreams

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 The Color of Dreams Entry.

Patricia's necklace captures the same movement that Kandinsky's paintings. Even though it was made with polymer clay, it looks as though paint was thrown onto the pendant. It's really beautiful.


To see more of Patricia's work you can visit her Etsy Shop.
Want to see your work here next week? Enter our monthly challenge today!

Written by
Jennifer Heynen
Jangles

Sundays with Cindy

Good morning, Beady Readers! Wondering what's going on in the bead and jewelry world? Take a peek at our links and see.....

A Bead A Day
If you are "mousing" all day and still want to wear a bracelet, memory wire rubber tubing is a simple and comfortable option.

About.com Jewelrymaking
Tammy is already thinking about and making Halloween jewelry so she can wear it next month. What about you?

Art Bead Scene
Keep misplacing your ruler? Get one for free!


Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
29 Days of Giving starts with a Japanese book giveaway.

Beading Arts
So, what to do with all those left over seed beads...?

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi discovers Free Trade Kazuri beads from Kenya.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy imagines a movie and writes a script.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie congratulates Jean Cambell and shares the beautiful piece she made for Beadwork Magazine using an Earthenwood face stone

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Check out the beads and goodies Lorelei bought on her recent trip to London, England

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews Big and Bold, a really pretty book of jewelry designs culled from BeadStyle Magazine

Strands of BeadsMelissa shows off her new "Twilight" choker made with Swarovski crystal from Artbeads.com

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
The pace is picking up for Andrew and his BIG SALE. Check out where he'll be next and celebrate his birthday with a special 15% off promotional code!

Studio Saturday with Jangles

Welcome to Studio Saturday! 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 free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Last weeks winner is Michelle Mach Congratulations! You have won one of Cindy's Stile Floreal Tulip charms Send Cindy an e-mail and she will get it right out to you.

Hello, Hello,

Another Studio Saturday with Jangles, where has the time gone? I have lots going on in the studio this week. I started out the week thinking it was going to be spent getting ready for my upcoming Holiday projects. They start in a couple of weeks and I was trying to get on top of things, you know actually have enough stock for sales and web orders.

Things all changed mid week. I got a call from a woman who is the director of the Norcross Art Fair, in Norcross Georgia. (It's a suburb of Atlanta.) She had an opening in the show and wanted me to take the spot. I have been tossing around the ideas of doing an art fair again. I used to do them when I started out making tiles, but that was 13 years ago. It's been a long time since I have done one, but they are fun. I told her yes, the only catch is the show is in a week and a half. I quickly changed gears in the studio and got to work.


My first order of business was cleaning. My studio doesn't quite look the same as the picture above. Here is my work table. Yikes! So I cleaned and ordered supplies, gathered all my half finished projects and started sorting out beads for jewelry.

The director really likes my new work in my Jangles Emporium shop, so I am starting on bags and wall hangings this weekend. I have a list a mile long but I am having loads of fun getting ready. I have been blogging about it every day on my blog and will continue to do so until show time. If you want to read more you can find it here.
So this leads me to my question of the week... Will you try anything(we're talking beads here) ? I am always up for something new to get me out of my grove. It makes me think differently and grow in my work. If you have tried something new, how has it helped you?

Leave me a comment and you could win one of my new Christmas Tree beads. They are so new that I haven't debuted them yet, you'll be the first person to get your hands on one.

If your wondering about my Holiday projects that I talked about earlier, here's the scoop.... Starting in a few weeks I will be sending out a free project every week for ten weeks. Sign up for my newsletter here(bottom of the page) to make sure you receive them.

Happy Saturday,
Jennifer Heynen
Jangles

Things to Do, Beads to See!

The Forest Etched Pendant from Jennifer Stumpf

Need some beady inspiration to fill your weekend? Check out these events, blogs and publications.

Portland BeadFest - Classes and Bead Expo

Ornamentea - 10 year anniversary celebration
The first 100 customers in the store today get a free strand of beads, stop by to see the trunk show featuring my beads! Check out their website for the $1 Bead Freak T-shirt offer.

Margie Deeb's Fall 2009 Color Report is out, visit her blog for color inspiration, tips and to purchase the latest report.

Andrew Thornton is having a huge sale of beads, components, jewelry and more. What a great chance to pick up one of his original designs!

Etsy Metal street team blog is filled with tips, tutorials and inspiration for jewelers.

Bead Art Originals - Item of the Week sale: beaders and bead artists offer a weekly special from their Etsy shops.

Objects and Elements - Design team blog for the Objects and Elements product line, otherwise known as mixed-media-jewelry-heaven!

Worth the trip to the book store: The Jeweler's Studio Handbook.

Holiday Shows - Inventory

It's that time of year again, arts & crafts shows pop up all over world as shoppers seek out unique holiday gifts directly from artists and craftspeople. So let's talk inventory today.

1. Your jewelry will fit in three categories:

*Show-stoppers - those amazing, over-the-top pieces that are higher priced. These bring shoppers into your booth. Display them prominently.

*Necklace and bracelets that are mid-priced, for me those items are in the $45-$75 range.

*Impulse buys - items are usually $25 and under. Here you'll find your earrings and very simple pendants. This is always the bulk of my inventory.

2. The more impulse items you have, the better. While people may stop to see the amazing $300 necklace, they are more likely to pick up something from the other two categories. I make lots matching earrings for my necklaces and bracelets. When someone buys an item, I always point out the matching earrings.

3. Make twice as much as you'd like to sell. So if you want to make a $1000 for a day, you have to have to least $2000 in inventory.

4. Not everything has to be one-of-a-kind and you don't have to put everything on the table at once. Find a balance, too much inventory makes it harder to shop. I make 3 or 4 pairs of the same earring design and in 2-3 different colors. I replace them as they sell.

5. Gifts - think beyond jewelry. People are looking for teachers' gifts, hostess gifts, secret Santa presents, etc. and jewelry may be too personally for these occasions. Bookmarks, ornaments and ceiling-fan pulls are just a few beaded gifts you could create for your holiday shows.

Findings Worth Finding - Painted Filigree

I'm loving the faux patina look of these painted filigree findings from PalomaAntigua. Here I've paired up a few of my favorites with Branch beads from my Humblebeads Etsy shop. Yesterday was the first day of fall and I'm ready for an autumn inspired jewelry-making session!

Click on the photos to go directly to the listings.

Mixed Media and Art Beads

There's more than one way to use an art bead! Jennifer Heynen of Jangles has created a new line of components she is calling Embellishments that she is using for mixed media designs. She's been so inspired, she's opened up a whole new Etsy shop called Jangles Emporium where you can find bags, wall hanging and more featuring her art beads.

Check out Jennifer's mixed media project in the latest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors!

Have you used art beads in a non-jewelry way? I'd love to hear about it. Leave a link to your project, if you have one. It may end up being featured here on the ABS.

Featured Designer of the Week - Andrew Thornton

September ABS
Originally uploaded by ardenttie

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 Andrew Thornton's Kandinsky inspired neckace. Andrew created shrink film plastic links with images from the painting, they are modern and understated. The necklace is perfectly complimented by ceramic art beads and a shibuichi toggle. I love that Andrew was able to feature art beads from three different artists into his design. To see more of Andrew's work please visit his blog.

Want to see your work here next week? Enter our monthly challenge today!

Sundays with Cindy

Good morning, Beady Readers! Wondering what's going on in the bead and jewelry world? Take a peek at our links and see.....

A Bead A Day
Bead-wiring vs. bead-weaving...which do you prefer?

About.com Jewelrymaking
Loving some filigree, check out these new filigree jewelry projects.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene shows off her top art bead picks for this month's Kandinsky Challenge.

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Barbe goes crazy over Mixed Metals book

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmis creates a necklace using canvas and leather.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy makes more Through the Looking Glass Nuggets Charms that match perfectly with Frost Links.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie shares her uncertainty about a new dragonfly pendant design.

Jewelry & Beading
Cyndi has finished another CopprClay necklace and wants to share the instructions!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Bead cones can be used in more way than one and Lorelei shows an example!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean comes across her "Digg it" necklace--far out! She's like an archaeologist!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Art Bead Scene's September prompt is Kandinsky's Improvisation No. 23. Andrew shares the piece he created in response to the painting. Check it out!

Studio Saturday: Cindy's Intuition

Welcome to Studio Saturday! 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 free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Last weeks winner is Pattie of The Joy of Nesting! Congratulations! You have won one of one of Lynn's resin pewter Faux-tiques! Send Lynn an email and she will get it right out to you.

Welcome to the studio of Cindy Gimbrone and Studio Saturday!

I've been thinking alot about design lately. I'm seemingly all over the place what with the new bronze Art Nouveau style pieces, Stile Floreal



and then I seemingly create something completely different with my Twilight Inspired Necklaces.



I've always been eclectic in my style and approaches. In high school, I was voted most versatile. So when you go to my site, you'll see eclectic, but what explains how I create and design those pieces? What is my design style and philosophy?

I don't sketch out designs often, I never sketch a necklace before I create one. I need to have materials laid out on the table to pick and choose. My process doesn't feel haphazard to me, but to someone else, it may. So I'd like to be able to describe it better. I decided to do a little research.

Design as defined in Wikipedia is "art with a clearly defined purpose" and "implies a conscious effort to create something that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing."

Ok, I can see that - when I'm designing beads or jewelry, my goal is to make something that functions as adornment and is aesthetically pleasing. But it doesn't really describe how I don't regularly draw designs and pre-plan.

I read further in the Wikipedia entry and found this:

Mark Getlein suggests the principles of design are "almost instinctive", "built-in", "natural", and part of "our sense of 'rightness'."

That's it!

When I'm designing jewelry, I act on my intuition and what feels right.

I'm an intuitive designer.

So, dear readers, today's question is What kind of designer are you? Intuitive or more methodical? Do you sketch out designs or do you go with what feels right?

Please leave a comment and win one of my Stile Floreal Tulip charms!



I look forward to reading what you have to say!

Plan Your Escape

Need a break? Ready to get together with bead-obsessed friends to indulge in endless hours of creativity? Want to learn a few new techniques to add to your bag of tricks? Here is a list of possible places to run away for a weekend or a week!

Bead Fest - September 24-27, Portland, OR

Bead Cruise - January 17-24, sailing from Port Canaveral, FL to the Eastern Carri bean

Adorn Me! 2010 - March 2-7, Houston, TX

Want something closer to home? Check with your nearest Bead Society for upcoming classes and events.

A Free and Helpful Tool

I came across this link the other day and now I am sharing it with everyone I know. This is a site to print out paper rulers. I don't know about you but I probably have ten rulers in my studio and still can never find one. This link takes you to printable ones. I printed some out and taped them to my tables. Ha! My problem is solved. I have one at my computer desk because when I am listing my Etsy items, I never have a ruler to measure the size of things. I also have one on my design table for when I making jewelry. I even put one on my craft table just because. The link has all different sizes and lengths. Check it out!

Jennifer Heynen
Jangles

Tips on buying Lampworked Glass Art Beads

I really enjoy using art beads in my jewelry designs. If you are familiar with my work, you’ll know that I use a wide range of different mediums: ceramics, polymer clay, pewter, silver, and lots of lamp work glass. Also, I tend to spread the love when it comes to buying lampworked glass. I buy glass beads from many different artisans. I don’t believe that all lampworked glass beads are the same. It’s not the saying, when you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. No, not true.

So what are we supposed to look for when buying glass beads? I wanted to share some quick tips on how I pick out beads.

Initially, color is the driving force, for my bead buying addiction. If it’s a pretty color, and unique, I’ve gotta have it. Not all lampworkers use the same types or colors of glass.
Next, I pay attention to the size of the beads. Keep a handy bead size chart near your computer when purchasing beads online. Heather recently mentioned a good one that you can get from Rings N Things.

photo credit- Lori Anderson

Sometimes it’s hard to see the really important details of the beads from the photos that you are seeing online. It’s nice, but sometimes not always common, to see several pictures of the same beads, at different angles. Pay close attention to the holes. You want to buy beads that have smooth edges around the hole of the bead. Any jagged edges can eventually cut through your beading wire or cording over time.

Check the bead holes to see if the powdery bead release has been adequately cleaned out. If you are buying beads in person and not online, bead release should not sift out of the bead when it’s tapped. When shopping online, you should be able to see the bead release if there are pictures of the bead holes.

Stay away from beads with lots of air bubbles, as they can lead to future cracking in the glass bead. Check to make sure the beads holes are nice and centered. Beads that are annealed correctly will help in the overall strength of the beads. The annealing process happens in a kiln. The bead comes out of the flame and into the kiln to regulate the cooling temperature of the bead. The temperature needs to cool slowly so that stress points and cracking does not occur later. Although it’s impossible to know by a photograph if proper annealing has taken place, you can also read through the descriptions or ask the artist if the beads have been kiln annealed. Don’t be afraid to ask the artist lots of questions about their beads.

I also make sure to read through the seller’s feedback before buying. You can see feedback on Ebay or Etsy sellers easily, and it’s a good way to see how happy buyers have been in the past. Great places to find quality lampworkers is in beading magazines, on Etsy, or beading books.
You can read more about the process of making glass beads all over the web, but I found these tips to be helpful in understanding the process.

Written by Lorelei Eurto

Shop: http://www.lorelei1141.etsy.com/

Blog: http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com/

Use the Muse III

Scarlett Lanson is hosting another round of the Use the Muse design contest.

You purchase this amazing kit that features a surprise "muse" bead that must be incorporated into the design. The muse is kept a secret until the big reveal day. You know we love a good creative challenge and this one not only offers inspiration but a some great beady prizes.

Visit her blog for the details and check out the winners from the last challenge.

Featured Designer of the Week - Labellajoya!

Fractured SEPABS
Originally uploaded by abney_m

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 Marcie of Labellajoya's Fractured bracelet. What caught my eye was Marcie's unique clasp using two clay connectors from Artisan Clay. Such a clever design solution. The clay art beads are a great match to the graphic pattern of seed bead work in steel blue and butter cream. To see more of Marcie's work please visit her blog.

Want to see your work here next week? Enter our monthly challenge today!

Sunday with Cindy

Good morning, Beady Readers! Wondering what's going on in the bead and jewelry world? Take a peek at our links and see.....


A Bead A Day
Design ideas wanted!! If you have an extra minute, please stop by to see if you can help Lisa out with a suggestion for her co-worker's designer Italian pendant.

About.com Jewelrymaking
Copper is hot right now! Find out about a new book review just posted concerning copper.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene's September Challenge is Kandinsky's Improvisation No. 23.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi uses chessboard crystals to create a floor for her ballerina necklace.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy's obsession with bronze metal clay continues. She shows off her new Art Nouveau floral charms.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie shares a sparkly crystal and brass pendant that she unearthed while cleaning her studio

Jean Campbell
Jean reviews the new Crystallized Swarovski Elements #5328 bicone.

Jewelry & Beading
Cyndi has finished another CopprClay necklace and wants to share the instructions!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei is having fun using lots of Lynn Davis components in her designs this week!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean comes across her "Digg it" necklace--far out! She's like an archaeologist!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Matcha green tea from Matcha Source defeats the doldrums and inspires Andrew to create a new bracelet!

Studio Saturday and Time in the Studio for Labor Day Week Bead-a-Thon

Welcome to Studio Saturday! 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 free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Last week's winner is Alice! Congratulations! You have won a set of three Gnome-Land beads from the studio of Heather Powers at Humblebeads . Send Heather an email with your address and she will send them right out to you. Adorable, aren't they?

Now to the Studio of Lynn Davis to see what's going on there this week.

Hi, thanks for dropping by the studio. It's a little cleaner than usual. The reason: I've been off work from the day job for the four days of the Labor Day week, and the majority of the time has been spent in the studio.


It's a rare treat for me to have this many days available to spend in creativity mode, so I tried to make the most of them, all day, morning and night, too. And I tried to get as much prepared in advance as possible so I'd have lots of things to work with as I did my marathon sessions. What a luxury!


Lately I've been having fun combining the cast pewter with resin cabochons. I love the old-time look of antique jewelry and try to replicate the feeling, while still having a somewhat modern twist to them. See the words "SWEET BABY" inside the focal picture?


I also enjoy word games, allusions and rhymes. Adding words to the resin pieces has been fun, like doing a jewelry crossword puzzle. These earrings are a word play, you know the word association game, someone says a word and you say the first word that comes to mind. That's what is behind these earrings - DOOR - KEY ... KEY - LOCK. Word puzzles and brain teasers that make you smile. They're called DOOR POST earrings, for tongue-in-cheek reasons.


On some of the pewter I've been adding a coppery-bronze patina. Other pieces are darkened like old silver, while some I've left with the bright silver-grey pewter tone.

Post a reply to this question, and if your post is chosen next week you may win one of my new resin pewter Faux-tiques!

:: What's your favorite metal tone for your jewelry when making up your Art Beads - copper, brass, bronze or silver, bright or dark - and why? How do you choose what metal tone to use with various beads or design ideas? What do each color of metal settings or wire signify for your particular design? ::

Posted by Lynn Davis, who is going back now to continue the self-declared Labor Day Week Beading Marathon!

Headpin Mania!

Okay, so I finally picked up a little micro torch from the local hardware store. I've wanted one forever, but always as one of those 'some day' things. After reading Candie Cooper's Metalwork 101 for Beadmakers, I knew I had to break down and get one. They are so easy to make. like really guys, SO EASY! Beth Hemmila was kind enough to put together a video showing us the ropes. I know what you'll be doing this weekend!

Hint Jewelry: How to make headpins with a micro torch.

Editor's Choice - Kandinsky

Here are some of my top picks for this month's challenge from our Art Bead Scene editor's shops.

Black and Brights Toggle by Jangles

Make Art Tag Charm by Lynn Davis

Cosmic Button by Creative Impressions in Clay

Surreal Rhythms in Blue by Cindy Gimbrone

Copper Branch Lentil Bead by Humblebeads

Take whatever part of the painting that catches your eye and translate that into beads. Maybe it's a few of the colors. Or it might be Kandinsky's bold black line that captures your imagination, try recreating that vibrancy in wire. You might see the "trees" in his painting. That is one of the things our brain does when we look at abstract art, we try to define it by shapes that are familiar. There are no right or wrong ways to interpret the painting into jewelry. Just have fun while you do it!