How to Make a Rosary

In honor of Easter, we're posting our Traditional Rosary instructions!  This is a classic Catholic prayer bead pattern that has been popular for hundreds of years.  Every Easter, Catholic beaders make literally millions of rosaries, which are then used in religious services and in prayer throughout the year.  From a beading perspective, a wire wrapped rosary is ideal for practicing your wire wrapping skills.  If you're not Catholic, you can give one as a treasured gift to a friend, or to a child at First Communion.  (As an alternative pattern, you can wire wrap 108 beads for a Buddhist prayer mala.)  You can find this Traditional Rosary pattern, as well as lots of other free downloadable projects, on our web site http://www.beadworldinc.com/

Materials needed:


53 beads for “Hail Mary” (A Bead)
6 beads for “Our Father” (B Bead)
1 crucifix
1 three loop connector or Rosary center
14 short lengths of chain (approx. ½ inch long)
24 gauge wire for wrapping, cut into 59 3 inch pieces
4 jump rings, 5mm 19 gauge


Traditional Rosary Instructions:
1. Using the 24 gauge wire, make a long wire wrapped strand following this pattern: chain, 10 of the A beads, chain, one B bead, chain, 10 of the A beads, chain, one B bead, chain, 10 of the A beads, chain, one B bead, chain, 10 of the A beads, chain, one B bead, chain, 10 of the A beads, chain. Each bead is its own wire wrapped unit, so you’re looking at 118 wire wrapped loops altogether in this project! It’s great wire wrapping practice!
2. Using jump rings, connect each end of the strand to the three loop connector.

3. Using the 24 gauge wire, make a short wire wrapped strand following this pattern: chain, one B bead, chain, 3 of the A beads, chain, one B bead, chain.

4. Using jump rings, connect one end of the short strand to the bottom loop of the three loop connector. Connect the other end to the crucifix.

Spring Dragonfly Earrings

Spring has sprung, the weather is beautiful and I am wearing a tank top!  This time of the year, I am always so grateful to live in the glorious Valley of the Sun.  While most of my friends are still shoveling snow out of their driveways, I'm watching hummingbirds hover over my blossoming honeysuckle.  This cute (and easy!) pair of earrings really reflect my sassy, springy mood.  Our dragonfly is made out of Swarovski crystal in sapphire, but you can use any color you prefer. 

Dragonfly Earrings:
Required Skills: Wire Wrapping
You will need:

• 2 4mm Swarovski Crystal bicones
• 6 5mm Swarovski Crystal bicones
• 2 5mm Swarovski Crystal rounds
• 2 TierraCast silver plated dragonfly wings
• 6 sterling silver daisy spacers
• 2 3 inch sterling silver headpins
• 2 sterling silver ear wires

Instructions:
• Stack beads onto a headpin in the following order: 4mm bicone crystal, daisy spacer, 5mm bicone crystal, daisy, 5mm bicone crystal, daisy, 5mm bicone crystal, wings, 5mm round crystal.

• Make a wire wrapped loop above the beads and wrap it closed.

• Bend the headpin gently to create a curve.

• Open the ring at the bottom of the ear wire and string the wire wrapped loop. Close the ring.

• Repeat all steps for the other earring.

Vintaj Fabulousness

Three really cool chicks.  I mean, the kind of chicks you'd just want to snatch up, carry around in your pocket and keep forever.  Those are the kind of women that are behind Vintaj natural brass beading components.  Sisters Wendy and Jeanne, along with their dear friend Jess, started the Vintaj company to bring innovative, vintage inspired beading items into the marketplace.  These hip mamas wanted to work for themselves, so they could have a flexible work environment and keep their focus on their children.  Plus, they figured that we would want all of this gorgeous stuff to play with.  They were right!

An instant favorite of beaders everywhere, Vintaj items have been repeatedly featured in every major beading magazine.  What's not to love?  Unlimited creative options, gorgeous hand rubbed patinas, pieces that work together in a variety of ways, "alternative" setting techniques (yes, a dragofly wing is a perfectly reasonable prong!) -- all created using an eco-friendly, lead free process that's healthy for both the earth and your children.  (Yes, they are going to put that in their mouth!) 

At Bead World, we are unabashed lovers of the entire Vintaj line, and we carry a lot of it in our stores.  Just look at the gorgeous things you can make with their unique pieces!  (Yes, I gush.)  We "borrowed" these great design ideas from the official Vintaj Co. website -- there are a million more where these came from.  Check out their blog, too.  It's always full of great ideas.  I want to hear all about how much you guys love this stuff.  Send me pics of your projects, and I'll add them to the blog!

Leaf Chains Hit the Big Time!

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you might remember a post I wrote back on February 19th about my love for leaf chains.  (Click here to take a peek at that blog.)  It's easy to use, cost effective and very stylish.  Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels that way.  Alert reader (and good friend) Lyn Gottlieb recently brought a hot jewelry line to my attention after noticing their heavy use of our own favorite chain! 

Buddha Soul jewelry has been featured in InStyle Magazine, and is a favorite of starlets of every variety.  Sarah Jessica Parker even wore it on the cover of InStyle!  New mom and supermodel Gisele Bundchen has been photographed wearing several Buddha Soul pieces.  Kelly Ripa, Eve Longoria and Beyonce Knowles are also big fans.  Their amber serenity necklace is shown above right.

It's terribly fun to make jewelry on par with a "Stylist to the Stars," don't you think?  (Bead World's leaf chain sample is show at left.)  Check it out, and see if you think our earrings compare!  I'd love to hear what y'all have done with this gorgeous chain!

Marketing with Technology

I am a crafter, not a tech person.  (Anyone who knows me well knows that I am NOT being modest here.)  That being said, in the interst of promoting our stores, communicating with our clients and sharing fun beading ideas, I've learned to embrace technology.  It has been a surprise to me how much the computer can help me in my various artsy pursuits.  Even more shocking has been my enjoyment of the process!  Three scant years ago, the Bead World web site was a one page blip with a couple of photos, and map and basic contact information.  The range of media we now use to spread our message is, in my opinion, pretty impressive.  More important, though, is that anyone could use the same systems to promote their own projects.  Everything we use is inexpensive, widely available and user friendly.  Here's a rundown of our growth:

• http://www.beadworldinc.com/ We completely redesigned the site in 2007, adding interactive maps, class schedules for all of our stores, detailed information about our inventory and lots of gorgeous photos.  We added even more in 2009, including free downloadable projects.  The addition of our web goddess, Brittany, to the executive team really made the continuing expansion of the web site a joy.
• Beading Your World  Bead World's monthly e-magaine was launched in 2007.  It features informative articles about gemstones, new materials, techniches, classes, events and a letter from our executive team.  We include a fun coupon inside every e-magaine, too!  As an e-magazine, it is emailed out to every client who has opted in by signing up on our web site.  We use http://www.constantcontact.com/ for this service, and I would recommend them to anyone.  Their program is inexpensive, easy to use and very professional.
• Email Coupon Program  Launched in early 2008, we piggy-backed this fun coupon program onto our e-magazine program, sending out emailed coupons to everyone on our opt-in list.  This has been a hugely successful program.  After all, who doesn't love getting discounts and advanced notice of sales?!
• http://www.facebook.com/ Did you know you can be a Fan of Bead World on Facebook?  In 2009, we built our company its own Facebook page.  We update our status to show info about sales, new products and beading trends.  We also have great discussions going on about dream materials, new store locations, busting "beader's block" and more.  It's a wonderful opportunity to interact directly with the people who love Bead World and want to help us make it even better!  Facebook is a no-brainer: it's easy, it's free and almost everyone you know is already using it!
• http://www.twitter.com/  Yep, we tweet, too!  We use Twitter to let our clients know when a new blog entry has been posted, when great coupons are in their email in box and all kinds of great updates. 
• Beading the Bead World Way  You're already reading our blog, so you clearly know all about it!  Launched in February, 2010, this is our newest foray into digital communication.  If you can't get enough of beading, or of Bead World, we'll keep you inspired with fabulous ideas!  We currently publish two posts per week.
• Desktop Publishing with Microsoft & Adobe:  We've really utilized our desktop publishing programs, using them to design and create class instruction hand-outs, jewelry kit packaging, our employee manual and lots of marketing materials for the stores.  More recently, we have published (in-house, of course) a series of six instructional books.  Doubtless, more are on the way.  Next on the horizon: publishing those books as ebooks on http://www.amazon.com/ so that everyone can enjoy learning to bead the Bead World way!

I know that, for a lot of crafters, jumping onto the computer can be a bit of a departure.  But there is no better way to share your message!  Customers and fans are not going to wander into your craft room -- you have to go find them.  Get out there and try it.  I promise, you'll love it!

Turquoise is the Color of the Year

Turquoise is the official color of the year.  Pantone, the company that gets to decide such things, has declared it to be true. (And unlike last year's official color, "mimosa", turquoise is actually a color that people like to wear.)  "Turquoise is universally appealing," says Jane Schoenborn, the design director of Lily Pulitzer.  "It puts everyone in the same state of mind -- on vacation."

All spring, watery colors have been flying out of our stores.  Blues, teals and turquoises of every imaginable shade and material have been selling like mad: handmade lampwork glass, gemsontes, seed beads... you name it!  And the biggest winner of them all has been actual, honest-to-goodness turquoise!  (photo above left from http://www.marieclaire.com/  credit: Fabio Chizzola)

Here in Arizona, turquoise sometimes gets a bad rap.  It's everywhere here, and we tend to take it for granted.  It's a bit too cliche, a bit overdone.  We forget, though, that turquoise can be downright gorgeous.  Ranging in color from pale baby blue through rich blue-green and all the way to a bright green, there is a flattering turquoise for every skin tone.  Textures can vary from smooth to rugged, leaving the design possibilities wide open.  Turquoise jewelry is being shown by every major designer this season -- Stephen Dweck, Isaac Manevitz for Ben-Amun, even good ol' Tiffany & Co. has gotten in on the act.  Some designers have put out traditional southwestern looks, but more are showing modern, clean lined turquoise options.  (The gold filled and turquoise pendant shown above right is a great example of a contemporary turquoise option.)

The next time you are poking around your favorite bead store, pick up a strand or two of turquoise and carry it around with you.  Look at it with all the interesteing metals and finishes, like Vintaj brass, red bronze or Thai silver.  (The piece at left uses turquoise with red bronze.)  Pair it with unexpected gemstones or crystals.  I love a really blue turquoise with serpentine or peridot; the combination looks so fresh.  Be experimental, and try using turquoise in ways that are surprising.  You may just find your new favorite piece!  Happy creating!

Post Script:
Shannon Bass (long-time friend of yours truly and fan of Bead World) sent us this picture of her own recent turquoise creation, featuring black Swarovski crystal accents and sterling silver spacer beads!  Beautiful work, Shan!  Thanks for sharing!

Fire is Fun!

This weekend, we had a "Train the Trainer" class at Bead World.  What was I thinking, giving a group of crazy jewelry instructors torches and letting them loose in my store?!  Remarkably, though there was much teasing and trash talk, no one was burned.  We learned important things like 1) Don't touch hot stuff!  and 2) Things stay hot longer than you think!  Really, though, all of the staffers did amazingly well.  They qualified to teach three classes each, significantly raising the number of torch classes we can offer.  I'm so excited!

"Introduction to the Torch" is our basic, beginner torch safety class.  It could really be called "Turn the torch on.  Turn the torch off.  Don't set yourself on fire."  This is the class that lets you experiment a bit with the feel of a torch in your hand, and helps you gain confidence.  We ball wire, which is how you make headpins.  We make a groovy wire wrapped interchangeable bail, too.  If you think you might like playing with fire, this is the first step to doing it safely.

"Fusing Fine Silver" is our first fusing class.  (You must have taken our "Intro to the Torch" or a similar course to take this class.)  We use the torch to close fine silver jump rings and build a stylish chain bracelet.  Then, we texture and work harden the chain using a hammer and steel bench block.  Gorgeous!

"Advanced Fusing Fine Silver" takes fused chain building to another level with the introduction of shaped links.  (Pre-requisite: "Fusing Fine Silver")  Learn the basics of chain customization, try several traditional link shapes and open your mind to a whole new world of posibilities.

Come try a class and see how fun fire can be!

PMC -- What the Heck Is It?

As the first bead store in the Phoenix area to teach Precious Metal Clay classes, we hear a lot of questions about this remarkable material.  "How do you work with it?"  "What can you so with it?"  "What the heck is it?"  Precious Metal Clay (or PMC, as it is more commonly called) is a mixture of .999 silver ground up into a very fine dust, water and and organic binder. It has a texture similar to polymer clay and can be molded, shaped, rolled out, stamped and cut with cookie cutters. When fired in a kiln, all that's left is the solid fused .999 silver.  What this means to a crafter is the ability to make custom silver charms, pendants, findings and more without having to learn silversmithing skills.  Many items that are time consuming and difficult to create using traditional methods are a snap with PMC.  It's so fun designing unique silver elements that it becomes an addiction!

PMC comes in a variety of formulas. They vary in firing time, firing temperature, workability and finished strength. Choosing the right PMC formula for a given project is very important, so we strongly recommend taking a beginner's class to help you get started.  If you live in the Valley of the Sun, I know some great bead shops that teach PMC classes!  Bead World markets PMC in several ways. Of course, we teach PMC classes and sell PMC products, tools and supplies. We rent kiln time and workshop time to clients who have not yet invested in their own full home studio. We also sell several beautiful books on PMC.  If you don't live in the Phoenix area, PMC and PMC supplies are available through many bead stores throughout the country and in online stores.

If the idea of creating custom silver pieces is appealing to you, check out PMC and all you can create with it.  You'll be so glad you did!

Think Outside of the Box!

This fun little bracelet was created by Frongelyn Booker at our Phoenix store.  It highlights a number of non-traditional elements in a very sophisticated, cohesive way.  The large double-drilled pietersite sets the rich, organic color pallet for the piece.  Small faceted garnet rondelles bring in some light and sparkle.  The metals used in this bracelet, Vintaj antiqued brass and copper, are a perfect compliment to the gemstones.
Frongelyn did two particularly interesting things with this piece.  First, she used a single strand toggle with a two stranded bracelet.  Contrary to popular, this is a completely reasonable thing to do!  You just need to be certain that the last few beads on the toggle bar end can fit through the toggle ring opening.  Secondly, she used small copper jump rings as a spacer!  This bracelet looks great, and shows that you can do amazing things when you think outside of the box!