Lavender and Lemon Anklet

If you follow me on pinterest then you can probably guess that my favorite color is purple, and my favorite color combination is purple and yellow. This week's hero is my favorite bead in our shop and it was so exciting to use them in my jewelry creation this week.

I created this really fun dangly anklet on Julie's request. It is so striking and as much fun to wear as it was to make. This is a very simple project that uses just ladder stitch and fringe and works up very quickly. If you do not use seed beads often in your jewelry, the ladder stitch for this anklet is started by stringing 4 size 11/0 purple seed beads onto your thread and passing back through the first two beads in the same direction they were strung.

When pulled tight this will start your ladder with the two 2-bead stacks next to each other.  Continue the ladder by simply picking up 2 beads at a time and passing back through the previous two beads in the ladder. Every third row you can add a leg of fringe.

Here I strung 1-yellow, 9-purple, 1-yellow, 1-purple, the 6mm hero, and 1 purple. Skip the last purple seed bead and thread back up through the fringe leg and the ladder stack above it to attach the fringe and then continue with your ladder for another 3 rows. I shortened every third leg of the fringe a bit by adding 5-purple instead of 9 after the first yellow. You can make the fringe any length you like of course.

Add a spring ring on one end and a lobster clasp on the other by picking up 7-purple and the ring/clasp and passing back through the last ladder stack. Pass back through once or twice to make it secure. You will want to get a lot of wear out of this one!

You can get the materials for this anklet and your other jewelry projects for 20% off in our four day weekend sale using coupon code BEARTHDAY so go get some beads!

White is the New Green

Outside my window this mid April morning, the ground is white again and the trees are still bare. The idea that our Kentucky back yard would have already seen daffodils come and go seems a world away. I believe that leaf beads must have been made for Minnesotan beaders. An escape after a long winter to create with something green despite mother nature.

Snow in April is very new and exciting to me, but since I know I am in the minority of people enjoying this weather, this week's hero celebrates the spring that many of you are already experiencing and a few of you are waiting for.

 Leafy fringe is a great way to whip up a quick simple pair of earrings with minimal materials.

What does your spring look like (outside your window and inside your imagination)?

Bead Hero of the Week

It snowed here in Minneapolis last night and is supposed to continue through today and tonight until we have 3 - 8 inches (apparently snow fall is difficult to predict). It is beautiful and white, and as someone who has never lived anywhere that snow stayed piled high on the ground for the duration of winter, let alone snow in April, I am loving it. The natives however seem to tire of it and are looking forward to a few green leaves. For them I chose our bead hero this week.

These lovely green leaf beads are a staple for many spring jewelry and art projects. I have not passed through a spring where I have not used these somewhere in a bead project and this spring is to be no different, even with the snow on the ground and not a leaf in sight (except in the aisles at the home improvement store I work for).

 How about you, what beads does spring compel you to use in your projects?

 Let us know in the comments below and check back with us on Friday for a leafy project that will give Minnesotans hope for spring. 

Hero of the Week

This week our hero is a repeat shape but in a fresh new color for spring.

A fresh new color calls for a fresh new design to inspire your spring jewelry making and complete your 2013 spring wardrobe.

Check back Friday for inspiration in using super duos in your beading.
We need inspiration too! Tell us in the comments what your favorite bead (or bead you love but need a bit of inspiration on what to do with it) from our shop and we will feature it in a future week and you will be our hero!

Hero of the Week

Our bead hero this week is one that I have been drooling over since I saw it and I am having so much fun creating a great piece of jewelry with it this week. 

This very light green transparent seed bead color is aptly named citrus spritz and it does look as though clear glass has been spritzed with this lovely color.

 One of my favorite things about weaving seed beads is using different colors of thread, especially with transparent beads, to create different colors and effects and these are a perfect candidate for that kind of play. You can enhance the color, change the color, or simply let the color be itself simply from the color of thread you use with them.

This is definitely one versatile bead to add to your stash that could be used alone (as I will show you Friday), or added in small amounts to break up heavier colors, or strung with shiny glass and crystal beads to frame their sparkle.

How would you play with this fun color?

Stained Glass For Your Wrist

A simple black frame to contain the gorgeous primary round glass beads.

Hero of the Week

Primary colors swirl through this week's heroic gorgeous glass beads.

You can imagine that as a seed bead weaver, this shape is not one I commonly use. I have seen this shape used in some beautiful jewelry though. If you have a design idea for this dime shape that you will share with the group, tell us about it in the comments and I will show you what I did come up with on Friday.

Until then have fun and bead on!

Hero of the Week

This week our hero is another two hole bead. These metallic hematite flat beads are another that I can imagine so many possible designs with, but I have narrowed it down to a necklace for you, to be revealed on Friday.

Join us on Friday for inspiration using these 15x5mm two hole beads and share your ideas with us!


If there is a bead from our shop that you would like to nominate to be a future Hero of the Week please let us know!

Super Duos Pose a Challenge

If you haven't tried playing with this week's hero then you are saving yourself a lot of play time. These wonderful beads lend themselves to so many possibilities that I had a hard time focusing on just one design. 

The circle and triangle are just two shapes that these beads so naturally lend themselves. You can imagine how much I just wanted to keep making samples and forget about showing you a finished jewelry set.
Luckily you can just play and make fun shapes and still end up with cute earrings...

...or go bigger and add a necklace for a whole set!

I did not have time this week, but definitely want to try alternating duo colors in this triangle shape to see the cool effects. I would love to see what you come up with using these shapes or any others you end up with in your adventures with twin hole seed beads.

Share your thoughts below and feel free to send us pictures of your Super Duos creations! If you like, we will share them here on our blog.

Hero of the Week

Julie picked out one of the coolest shaped drop beads we have found. This week's hero is the aqua and fushia duck bill drop bead.

The colors on these are so fun and pretty and the flattened ends really show off the color mix well. This Friday's project will be a bit of a surprise for us all as I have not made it yet. I am thinking of an earring design but of course things can always change - especially my mind ;). If you are playing along with me and contemplating your own design there are flower beads in our shop that match these cool drops.

Share your thoughts on this week's hero and tune in Friday to see the finished project!

Cubes Squared

This week we bring you a wonderful necklace inspired by the Hero of the Week.

 

 Cube beads make great frames for the square stitched squares on this necklace. The only component that I made separately is the peyote tube toggle. Once that was made I strung the necklace and passed back through the beads weaving the squares on the way back.

 

The squares are so versatile. You can make a necklace just like this or weave the squares separately to string later. The extra large holes in the cube beads would even allow you to run an eye pin through the top row so you could link it too chain. Have fun with it. :)

You can conveniently find all of the materials to create this in  our shop. Here is a full list of what you will need:
     - 3mm Dark Olive Green Cube Beads
     - size 11/0 Frosted Rainbow Oxblood Seed Beads
     - size 8/0 Matte Brown Seed Beads
     - Black c-lon Beading Thread
     - Short Beading Needles

We would love to read your feedback in the comments below and if you have questions, we are always happy to answer!

Hero of the Week

This weeks hero was inspired by my younger sister. As I was listing the first items in our newly opened shop she sent me a message that said, 'I don't bead but I want those dark olive matte toho cube beads'. It made me think about how I have drooled over so much of our inventory as we have been going through this process and how just the finish and color of these tiny glass wonders excite even non beaders.

To be honest, I have used cube beads in my work just a couple of times so this was an exciting inspiration for me and I love the geometric necklace design I came up with. You can find these 3mm cubes in our shop now and you can check back here on Friday to see the project that these gorgeous green cubes inspired.

Do you use cubes in your work? Tell us about it in the comments. :)

Easy Red Square Stitch Earrings

The wonderful, tiny, full of possibility seed bead is  this week's hero. Opaque cherry red seed bead to be exact, that I created a fun pair of earrings that will match the Blooming Heart necklace we featured last week or stand out beautifully on their own.

My favorite stitch to use with my favorite type of bead is square stitch, and curb chain can work into square stitch seamlessly giving you a great way to combine metal into glass seed beadwork.  Again, if you would like to make these earrings there is a kit available in our shop.

The kit includes the beads and metal components. You will need beading thread, needle, a wire cutter, round nose pliers, and a knowledge of square stitch to help you complete the project. I like long earrings but you can shorten these to suit you by simply weaving fewer rows.

If you would like to learn square stitch to complete this project or have any questions about the assembly please don't hesitate to contact me below or through Etsy.

Let us know what you think and have a fun, bead filled week!

Hero of the Week

My absolute most all time favorite type of bead ever is the seed bead. Preferably size 11/0 and usually in bright opaque colors. That is why this week's Unstrung Hero is the size 11/0 opaque cherry red seed bead!

The sad part about my love of seed beads is that projects using seed beads often take many hours to complete and, like many of you I'm sure, I work a full time job and am a mom and operate two Etsy shops. That is a lot of time already consumed out of my days and I do enjoy sleeping at night, leaving little time to actually make all of the big ideas floating around in my head. I still really want to use these gorgeous drops of color (it's like weaving paint splatters) so I really enjoy small instant gratification seed bead projects. Check back in on Friday to see how I turn this weeks tiny hero into a great pair of earrings that you can make in just a couple hours.

What is your all time most absolute favorite bead ever?

A Blooming Heart

 Earlier this week we introduced to you our hero of the week and promised to bring you a design to use or inspire your own. Here is the finished necklace that turns this Unstrung Hero into a winning accessory for Valentine's Day and beyond.

This is a very simple piece to create with just a few components to assemble and connect that garners a compliment fetching necklace that will work with multiple outfits.

If you want to create this design you can see how it is constructed above. All of the materials are available in our shop but we have also simplified it even more for you by creating a kit with all of the components you need to make this fun piece. You just need to provide a few tools and love of  jewelry making and the kit provides the rest.

 Let us know what you think in the comments below. If you would like to share your finished work with this heart pendant or the kit just leave us a link to a photo in the comments and we will share it in a future blog post!

Hero of the Week

This weeks featured unstrung hero is this super adorable antique brass heart pendant. I love the little bird sketch and the shape of the open half of the heart, and with Valentine's Day quickly approaching it seemed the perfect pick for our feature bead this week.  I could already envision the necklace I would create with this sweet pendant when I ordered it for our shop.

You will love the fun it will add to your design too! Don't know what to create with it? Check back in with us on Friday and I will show you how to transform this awesome piece into a great necklace for you to make and wear or gift to someone you love this Valentine's Day. Prefer to use it in your own design? You can find it along with more beads and components to accompany it in our shop, and check back on Friday for a bit of inspiration!

We Are Listing!

Hello all of you beadweavers and jewelry makers! We are beginning to list in our Etsy shop starting now. We will offer many types of beads and findings including a few vintage and recycled pieces that you will love creating with. Of course we are always open to your suggestions as well. If there is a bead color or size or component you want to see, let us know. We want to know what you like to use in your jewelry.
We will also share great ideas with you here!

Leave your suggestions in the comments below then head over to our shop to check out what we have listed so far!