The competition is open to professional and amateur beaders from the U.S. and around the world. All work entered in the competition must be original.
Deadline: April 6, 2009
Bead Dreams contest information
Finalists will be on display at the Bead&Button Show, June 3-7, 2009 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
To enter the Bead Arts Awards – Fill in the online form

Art Bead Scene
Several of the editors at Art Bead Scene have been collaborating on exciting challenges with other artists. Check out what happens when three sets of art beads artists are given to three different artists.
  
Bead Arts
Cyndi explores how to use wire crochet to give new life to some moonstone nuggets.
 
Katie’s Beading Blog
Have you heard about the public television show Beads, Baubles & Jewels? Now you can watch Katie’s segments on your computer anytime.
 
Naughty Secretary Club
Look for a bracelet by Jen in a new series of Holiday Ads by Michaels. Can’t wait until then? Check out the Naughty Secretary Club …read more

Now that is hot stuff! Lampwork and fused glass artists will want to check out the Second Annual Fall Tucson Best Bead Show this September running from the 7th to the 9th. Admission is free (refreshing to hear) and they have tons of classes from lampwork to bead crochet.

I’ve started to see various references to Earth Day in my local area, lots of exhibits, talks, nature tours, and craft shows. Yes, that’s right. April 22nd is the official day the Earth is celebrated, and it is also a prime time to hock your beady wares because there are lots of festivals going on. Check places like your local county botanical center, downtown associations, community centers. Chances are you still might have time to sign up. If you are into selling gemstone jewelry, this might be the perfect venue for you.

I’ve finally gotten a few paper clay jewelry experiments finished, and I think the results are promising. I’m not 100% happy with the results yet. I think I still have that learning curve thing going on; therefore, my finished pieces are a little rougher than I’d like them to be - nothing at this point do I feel is polished looking enough to sell or even give as a gift.
Pictured is an example of what I’m talking about, my Painted Paper Clay Pendant project. This is what I came up with after playing around with rubber stamps and using one to …read more

Open workshops are one of the best ways of learning when it comes to crafting jewelry. Most of us are pretty much self-taught for the most part. However, sometimes you get stuck and it would be great to have someone more knowledgeable step in and help you out.
The BeadBabe Store in Sacramento, CA (916-344-2323 or 800-270-4181) has an open workshop planned for Jan. 6, 2007.
If you aren’t close enough to head over there, consider checking in with your local bead shop or rock club to find out if they also offer open workshops or might at your suggestion.

I love making tree ornaments. Every year when we put up our tree and decorate it, I enjoy seeing all the ornaments I’ve made over the years. I also make ornaments as gifts, giving them out to editors, teachers, people who have helped me in my writing and jewelry career. Last year, I made the pictured shell and bead oranments.
I was thinking of making more shell ornaments this year, just using different shells, and I had planned to head out to the local shell shop (the other shells I found on the beach) and pick up some fancier shells. Unfortunately, …read more

When I first began seriously making jewelry, I was uneasy about sharing my (what I thought at the time) wealth of information. Just finding beads back then was a major hassel because there weren’t all these bead vendors around that you find now. Even Bead and Button magazine didn’t have ads back then, so it was hard to locate vendors. I found my first load of gemstone beads at a rock show, but those only happened a few times a year. So I had to make a ton of phone calls before I found a guy who had strands of …read more

 Reviews are always tough for me because, well, I’m usually pretty easy – I like everything that has to do with jewelry making and beading. But, this book, Bella Beaded Jewelry, I had mixed feelings about. See my whole review here and you decided: Book of Italian Design Techniques.

After receiving my zillionth email about making money selling jewelry, it occurred to me how sad this is. Now, trust me. I know that many jewelry designers have the same experience I did. They start making jewlery for fun, and then people start asking them to buy it. Next thing you know, you are in business.
However, after that, what happens? Well, for me, much of the “fun” turned into “how do I make money doing this?”
Again, nothing necessarily wrong with that, but what too often gets lost is your original impetus for making jewelry in the first place. 
I’ll give you an analogy of sorts: …read more