Using the cute little beaded flowers that I showed you a couple weeks agao, plus a few more styles, I fashioned a floral necklace that I named for my mother: RuthAnn’s Garden. RuthAnn has an absolutely magic touch with flowers of all types, and her garden is always a riot of colors from the earliest spring to the lastest fall.
The focal flower on the top of the piece is styled after a hibiscus, modified slightly (but only slightly!) from the excellent instructions given by Kerrie Slade in the April 2009 issue of Bead&Button Magazine.
For my general instructions on bead embroidery, …read more

Make Art Monday!
I’ve started a new handmade beaded necklace, inspired by one of my favorite women, The Lady of Shalott.  She was immortalized in a poem by Tennyson (the 1842 version), loosely based upon the Arthurian legend of Elaine of Astolat.  I’ll be sharing more images of it with you as it progresses.

Image: Cyndi Lavin

If you missed out the last two years, you simply must consider joining in on the fun for this next go! The Bead Journal Project is accepting registrations now, until December 15, to start in January 2010. Go register now, if you’re interested in bead embroidery and while you’re there, check out the gallery full of journal pages from 2007 and 2008.

Technique Tuesday!

An easy way to create a quick pendant necklace is to find a gorgeous fused glass cabochon or bead (these beads are from Jeanne Kent at New Terra Artifacts) and add some simple bead embroidery around it. But who can stop with just one?

I added seed bead bails done in square stitch to the backs of these beads, and they are all set to hang on a rubber or cord necklace, alone or as a set!
Step by step instructions
Materials & Tools
6 inch square piece of ultrasuede or non-woven synthetic material
Nymo O, black
3 fused glass top-drilled beads, 25×15 mm
Seed …read more

I’m finished, I’m finished, I’m finished!!!  And I wasn’t late in finishing, just in posting about it 
Bead Journal Project for 2008 – 2009 is officially finished!  We’ll be starting up again for our third year in January 2010. I’ll make sure I post about it when I have more news…it would be fabulous to have more folks join in!
Each month, I chose a fragment of scripture from one of the Psalms and used a heart shape to create a little 4 x 4 inch beaded piece that illustrates the feeling of that verse for me.   Here is my …read more

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
This wonderful bead embroidered pendent was made by Marcie Abney for the Art Bead Scene’s summer challenge!
http://labellajoya.blogspot.com/
Marcie writes:
I think my favorite thing that I have created this summer is this bead embroidered pendant that I call Sea Scallops. It was created in response to the Art Bead Scene Challenge, and it also ended up being featured on the blog as the design of the week! The center was created using a glass and clay cabochon from Kristie Roeder at Artisan Clay and the scallops on the edge …read more

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
Check out this amazing owl made by InaRae!
http://bcreativeu.blogspot.com/
InaRae writes:
My favorite so far. I’ve nearly finished a similar but much brighter project, a Phoenix.

Last year, the Question of the Month that got the most enthusiastic response was this one: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?  So, anybody want to play show and tell again?  Wire work, seed beads, lampwork, fused glass, polymer clay, metal or metal clay…we love it all here, and we get enthusiastic about seeing all of it!  So come on, don’t be shy.
I’d love to share some of your summertime work here on Jewelry and Beading! Just send me an email with an image of your favorite summertime creation so far and anything you want to …read more

Fire Mountain Gems has been sending out their brand new Jewelry Maker’s Comprehensive Catalog for 2009 to 2010 over the past couple of weeks.  Long  before I got my copy, I was getting emails and wall posts on Facebook from friends who had seen my piece from a year ago in the new catalog!
Andromeda’s Pearls (shown below) was the gold medal winner in the pearls category for 2008.  And there it is on page 454, less than half way through this bohemoth of a catalog!  You can also see it on the Fire Mountain Gems website or on my own …read more

I’m a day late, but not a dollar short, on reporting about my July BJP piece! It was done in plenty of time, but I just couldn’t seem to get around to photographing it…lazy girl!
Each month, I’m choosing a fragment of scripture from one of the Psalms and using a heart shape to create a little 4 x 4 inch beaded piece that illustrates the feeling of that verse for me. Here is my piece for July, which is the second piece in the Summer group (June, July, August).  By this time next month, the entire project should be …read more