Vintaj Arte Metal

Just when we thought Vintaj couldn't get any better, they've launched a new line - Arte Metal!  Designed to coordinate with gunmetal and blackened silver, Arte Metal features a rich, black patina.  We are so excited to offer a selection of Arte Metal stamping blanks, ribbon slides and pendants.  Let us know what you think!

Marcasite Butterfly, Vintaj Arte Metal, $2.65 at Bead World

Compass Ribbon Slide, Vintaj Arte Metal, $3.45 at Bead World

Waterlily Ribbon Slide, Vintaj Arte Metal, $3.45 at Bead World

Fran's Vintaj Bumblebee Earrings

Fran’s Vintaj Bumblebee Earrings

You Will Need:

• ½ inch length of Vintaj brass chain (2 pieces)


• 1 inch length of Vintaj brass chain (2 pieces)


• Vintaj bumblebee charm (2)


• Vintaj ear wires (2)


• 8mm Swarovski crystal cube (3)


• 2 inch, 24 gauge Vintaj headpins (8)


• 4mm Swarovski crystal bicones (8) shown in greige


• 6mm Swarovski crystal bicone (2) shown in indicolite


• Size 11 seed beads OR 2mm Swarovski crystals (4)

Instructions:

1. Carefully open the loop at the bottom of one ear wire. String on the bumblebee charm, the last link of a ½ piece of chain and the last link of a one inch piece of chain. Carefully close the loop.

2. Thread one 6mm bicone onto a head pin. Form a wire wrapped loop above the crystal, making sure to attach the loop to the bottom link of the ½ inch piece of chain before wrapping the loop closed. Cut off any extra wire.

3. Thread another 6mm bicone onto a second head pin. seed bead, crystal bicone, seed bead. Form a wire wrapped loop above the crystal, making sure to attach the loop to the bottom link of the longer one inch piece of chain before wrapping the loop closed. Cut off any extra wire.

4. Thread the following onto another head pin: seed bead, 4mm crystal bicone, seed bead. Form a wire wrapped loop above the beads, making sure to attach the loop to the link in the middle of the one inch chain before wrapping the loop closed. Cut off any extra wire.

5. Thread one 4mm bicone onto a headpin and wire wrap it to a link in the one inch chain in between the ear wire and the wire wrap from step 4. Then thread one 4mm bicone onto a headpin and wire wrap it to a link in the one inch chain in between the wire wrap from step 4 and the 6mm crystal dangling from the bottom of the chain. Your earring should now look like the picture.

6. Repeat all steps for the second earring.

Click Here for more FREE Downloadable Projects!

Bird Charms Take Flight!

Wow, kids!  Bird charms are so darn popular lately!  And it's no wonder, with all the super adorable bird charms available right now.  We've added quite a few fabulous feathered friends to our sterling silver charm boxes this week.  From swallows to hummingbirds all the way to the wise old owl, our range of bird charms is now top notch. Here is a quick preview of some of our newest...

Peace Dove, $6.00 at Bead World

Asian Bird Cage charm, $10.95 at Bead World

Disc with Bird Cut-Out, $10.95 at Bead World

Bird on a Perch, $7.20 at Bead World

Owl Pendant, $14.25 at Bead World

Hummingbird, $7.80 at Bead World

Breanne's Dangly Earrings

Breanne’s Dangly Earrings

These funky earrings reflect Breanne's hip, young aesthetic perfectly.  She's always mixing it up, combining materials in new ways and pushing to learn new techniques.  In this design, she kept it simple, but used traditional Bali spacers in a completely unexpected way.  Anyone can make these earrings, but it took an innovator to design them.






You Will Need:

• 10 sterling silver jump rings, 6mm 19 gauge
• 10 square Bali sterling silver spacer beads
• 2 long kidney-style ear wires

Instructions:

1. Carefully open one jump ring. String on one square spacer bead, and then close the ring. Make sure the ring is all the way closed!
2. Open a second jump ring. String on one square spacer bead and the closed jump ring from step 1. Carefully close the jump ring. You now have a chain of two jump rings.

3. Open a third jump ring. String on one square spacer bead and the closed jump ring on the end of your chain. Close the jump ring. Continue in this manner until you have a chain of five closed jump rings.

4. Thread your chain onto the kidney ear wire, allowing it to settle into the drop area at the bottom of the ear wire.

5. Repeat all steps for the other earring.

New Swarovski Colors!

Swarovski has done it again! Their Spring/Summer 2010 Launch included two brilliant new crystal colors and a fantastic new crystal pearl shade to compliment their wide range of beautiful materials. "Fern Green" is a bright, sassy shade of green, reminiscent of fresh grass and summertime. It really fills a gap in the Swarovski line up, as a true Kelly green.

"Provence Lavender" is a crystal that is pale but not wimpy. This new addition to the purple range could easily have been called "Light Tanzanite," as the colors fit nicely together.

"Lavender Pearl" is exactly what it sounds like -- a match to our new Provence Lavender crystal in pearl form. The super cute earrings at left pair the new pearls with Vintaj natural brass findings.  We can't wait to see the amazing pieces you guys create utilize these gorgeous new shades!

Swarovski and Cane Glass Bracelet designed by Judy Corning

With spring and lovely weather filling our thoughts, it's the perfect time to make a fun new bracelet!  If you can string, crimp and wire wrap (the trifecta of basic beading skills) you can make this colorful bracelet!

Swarovski and Cane Glass Bracelet, designed by Judy Corning
You Will Need:
5mm square Bali sterling silver spacers (12)
10mm sterling silver round beads (4)
12mm Swarovski crystal cube (1)
8mm Swarovski crystal cube (3)
6mm Swarovski crystal cube (2)
Cane glass beads in mixed colors, approx. 10mm (5)
3mm sterling silver round beads (4)
5mm Swarovski crystal bicones (12)
6mm Swarovski crystal bicones (4)
Sterling silver toggle clasp
SoftFlex beading wire in medium (12 inches)
2x2mm crimp beads (2)
2 inch 24 gauge sterling silver headpin (2)



Instructions:
1. String beads onto SoftFlex in the following order: 5mm bicone, Bali square, 6mm crystal cube, Bali square, 5mm bicone, cane glass, 5mm bicone, 10mm silver bead, 6mm bicone, Bali square, 8mm crystal cube, Bali square, 5mm bicone, cane glass, 5mm bicone, 10mm silver bead, 6mm bicone, Bali square, 12mm crystal cube, Bali square, 5mm bicone, 6mm bicone, 10mm silver bead, 5mm bicone, cane glass, 5mm bicone, Bali square, 8mm crystal cube, Bali square, 6mm bicone, 10mm silver bead, 5mm bicone, cane glass, 5mm bicone, Bali Square, 6mm crystal cube, Bali square, 5mm bicone.

2. Crimp one side of the SoftFlex to the toggle ring, and crimp the other side of the SoftFlex to the toggle bar. Be sure to check the fit and remove any slack in the wire before crimping. Cut off any extra wire.

3. Thread the following beading onto one head pin: 3mm silver bead, Bali square, 8mm crystal cube, Bali square, 3mm bead. Form a wire wrapped loop above the beads, making sure to attach the loop to the base of the toggle ring before wrapping the loop closed. Cut off any extra wire.

4. Thread the following onto the second head pin: 3mm silver bead, cane glass, 3mm silver bead. Form a wire wrapped loop above the beads, making sure to attach the loop to the base of the toggle ring before wrapping the loop closed. The two dangles will be right next to one another. Cut off any extra wire.

For more great project ideas, Check Out Our FREE Downloadable Projects!

Karen Sugarman, "A Delectable Confection"

Karen Sugarman is a long time client and good friend of the Bead World family.  A gifted interior designer as well as jeweler, she peppers her blog entries with references to film, literature, fine cuisine, home decor and, of course, jewelry.  I thought I'd share a bit of her latest entry, so you can share in the fun.  For more, visit Karen Sugarman Designs.

"A Delectable Confection"

The first time I heard these words was from my DH not long after we were married. It was to me (and still is), the cutest term of endearment I had ever heard. My hubby has an adorable sense of humor and this little phrase has been passed back and forth for many years.

Pastel colors have long been a favorite of mine when designing interiors. There is a serene and comforting quality to the whisper of the diffused colors. Dramatic and dark rooms are always sophisticated, but much like a “diva friend”, they can be exhausting and numbing after too much drama. (Princess and the Pea bedroom, Karen Sugarman Interiors)

With all these beautiful Easter/Spring colors in my head, I just completed a new bracelet design called Marie’s Folly. It is a magnificent combination of pastel tourmaline briolettes flanked by gorgeously organic aquamarine/beryl pastel slices. Pastel tourmaline is actually in short supply as it is found in Afghanistan in remote and very dangerous regions.  (Marie's Folly Bracelet, Karen Sugarman)

Knowing that Marie Antoinette had a great fondness for all things pastel, I feel certain that she would have approved of this “delectable confection”.

New Chain Maille Book!

Bead World has a new book!  Advanced Chain Maille is the newest instructional book to be published by the team at Bead World.  Written by Brittany Egidi, our resident chain maille goddess, this is the third installment in our ongoing chain maille series.  (Brittany's previous books include Beginning Chain Maille and Intermediate Chain Maille.)  In this new book, Brittany tackles challenging traditional patterns as well as chains with captured crystals and Czech glass cheerios.  (A helm bracelet, one of the included patterns, is shown above left.)  Advanced Chain Maille is perfect for the experienced chain maille artist who is looking for fun new ideas and wants to take their skills to the next level. 

Advanced Chain Maille includes:

• Helm (Parallel) Chain
• Japanese Diamond Earrings
• Captive Inverted Round (with 4mm round beads)
• Cheerio Byzantine Variation
• Elfweave

2010 Spring/Summer Jewelry Trends

Hot off the fashion presses, we have news about the Spring/Summer 2010 Jewelry Trends!  It's going to be a fun one, folks!  The powers that be are a little schizophrenic this year, showing super bright tropical colors in half of the runway shows and sleek neutrals in the others.  What's a girl to do?  I say pick your favorites from the colors at left and roll with it!  (Coral and turquoise, by the way, look gorgeous on everyone.)

Jewelry this spring and summer is all about BIG, bold shapes.  We're seeing the return of the big earring (yea!) and keeping last season's statement necklaces and stacked, chunky bracelets as well.  Choose ONE large piece per outfit, please.  Any more than that may just overwhelm you.  Actress Kate Hudson works this look perfectly here, with shoulder dusting chain earrings and no necklace at all.  No matchy-matchy if you want to look up to date this season!

Rock star looks are holding strong, too.  Returning with a vengence is, my all-time favorite, silver chain!  Layered, messy, knotted, mixed with other metals... any way you can pile that silver chain in there will work this season.  Other rock and roll elements are looking fresh this year as well: leather, studs, crystal.  Just keep it a little bit rough, and you're good to go.

One hot new trend that I KNOW you will all love is funky ethnic inspired pieces.  Mix together some wood, rough cut gemstones and African trade beads.   Maybe throw in some fabric elements or leather.  Keep the overall design big and a little bit random.  Voila!  Your own personal masterpiece!

Have fun, guys.  Use up all of your left over beads and bits of chain in super fun, messy masterpieces.  And send me pictures!  Lots and lots of pictures!  I'll post them and give you guys credit.

Happy creating!