When I saw this gorgeous glass Kalera bead available from Artbeads, I jumped to it and made a necklace immediately so that I could wear it for Valentines Day!  Artbeads generously provided most of the beads so that I could make and share this project with you.

Materials & Tools

Black, White, and Pink Kalera Bead

GOOD N PLENTY Fire Designs Hand Blown Furnace Glass Beads

Czech Glass Druk Beads Rosaline/AB 8mm

Vermeil 14mm Twisted Heart Toggle Clasp

SoftFlex beading wire in gold

Paddle-style head pin

Pink and black seed beads (I used size 6/0 and size 8/0)

2 gold colored crimp beads

Chain nose pliers

Round nose pliers

Wire cutters

File

Step by step instructions

As regards FTC disclosure guidelines: I have received beads and a toggle free of charge from Artbeads.com in order to create a project free of charge for you. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

Some of you might remember how much I enjoyed my trip to Murano when I visited Italy. One of the highlights of our entire Italy trip was visiting one of the glass factories there. Even before that, I had a fondness for the beautiful glass beads that are the unmistakable legacy of the glass industry there.

Murano Glass Gifts Co. carries some of the finest glass jewelry, beads, and hand-crafted gifts in the world. Its selection boasts a wide range of brilliantly colored and intricately designed glass pieces, including Murano glass vases, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and …read more

Artbeads offered me my choice of some of their gorgeous Valentine’s Day selection of beads, and I couldn’t resist this bunch:

That gorgeous bead at the bottom, the glass Kalera bead, is decorated on both sides!
By adding some SoftFlex beading wire, a few seed beads, crimps, and a head pin, I turned these into a necklace that I’m going to wear for Valentine’s.  Tomorrow, I’ll share the step by steps with you.
Beads and findings shown above:
Black, White, and Pink Kalera Bead
GOOD N PLENTY Fire Designs Hand Blown Furnace Glass Beads
Czech Glass Druk Beads Rosaline/AB 8mm
Vermeil 14mm Twisted Heart Toggle Clasp
As regards …read more

Think twice!  But do it if it’s really your dream.
Too Precious, an award winner by Kaytee
More than two years ago, Kaytee of Simplexities had some very wise advice to share.  At the time, she gave me permission to repost her list on another blog, which has since gone defunct.  (See, not only jewelry businesses, but also jewelry blogs are a tough business!)   The advice is timeless, so here it is for those who are thinking about launching your own jewelry business this year:
1. LOTS of people have “just started making jewelry” and are pretty good at it and after a …read more

Sheryl Stephens sent me her list of the top 10 jewelry and beading bloggers that she enjoys reading in answer to my Question of the Month. The last one listed is her own
Send me your list (please include the urls) and I’ll be delighted to post the people that you love to read. Make sure you include your own site!
Kate McKinnon – www.katemckinnon.wordpress.com
Marcia DeCoster – www.maddesignsbeads.blogspot.com
Beverly Ash Gilbert – www.beverlygilbert.blogspot.com
A Bead A Day – www.abeadaday.blogspot.com
Kerrie Slade – www.kerrieslade.blogspot.com
Lorelei’s Blog – www.lorelei1141.blogspot.com
Cynthia Thornton/Green Girl Studios – www.cynthiathornton.blogspot.com
Melanie Brooks/Earthenwood Studios – www.earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com
The Beadiful Life – www.beadfx.blogspot.com
The Babbling Beader …read more

Jasmin Malik Chua, at Ecouterre, has interviewed the eco-fashion giants to see what might be the newest and biggest eco-trends for the coming year.  Several statements by these “movers and shakers” centered around a wish that the sustainability issue would become less superficial and more of a way of life.  Worrying about your suppliers’ sources, adopting green practices, and reducing waste shouldn’t be used just to stamp the word “GREEN” onto our products.

Other buzzwords besides “organic” and “sustainable” that I saw in the interviews which might relate to us as jewelry designers were “pre-owned”, “vegan clothing and accessories”, and “convertible …read more

Barbe Saint John – New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts:
Are you a follower? Barbe has a giveway for her blog readers.

Carmi’s Art/Life World
Carmi did “knot” stress out making this new necklace!
Cindy Gimbrone aka the Lampwork Diva
With the help of Vintaj brass, Cindy whips up a set of tethered butterfly earrings with her bronze floral charms.
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie reveals the delicious ingredients she received for the Bead Soup Party.
Lorelei’s Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei’s blog has a new look. And she heads to cooking school!
Snap out of it, Jean! There’s beading to be done!
Kim Miles! Who makes prettier Valentine’s day, or “just for …read more

Darren Rowse over at Problogger posed the question a few weeks ago, who are the bloggers that you consider to be Bloggers to Watch?  Darren’s world focusses on, of course, blogging itself, so while most of the suggestions he got are folks who blog about blogging, I started thinking that most of us probably prefer reading about beads, beading, jewelry making…

So, do you want to share your list of  Bloggers to Watch?  If so, put together your top ten (please include their urls), plus an additional  link to your own site too, and send it to me to share with …read more

“And just think…..all I ever wanted was a box of 64 colors!!”
So says extraordinary bead artist Cassandra Graham. You’ll need to set aside some serious time to take in all of Cassandra’s gorgeous pieces on her website, Wilde Jewels. Amazing pieces live there, like this delicious piece called Empress, voted Best in Show at the Lebanon Festival of the Arts, 2005.

Cassandra considers herself a lucky woman, having managed to make her living as an artist.  She started as a painter, and later decided to try beads and jewelry during a sabattical from painting.  Visit her site and see all …read more

I’ve totally fallen in love with Jennifer Stumpf’s pretty etched metal pendants.  She sells them through her etsy shop called It’s in the Metal, where she also features finished jewelry.   Here’s one of my favorite little pieces:

A wonderful combination of copper and sterling silver, they are etched, stamped, patinaed, drilled, and signed on the reverse.   If you’ve seen the Fall 2009 issue of Stringing magazine, you’ll recognize this particular pendant.  There are others that I love as well.

Images: Jennifer Stumpf