Twice each year, Crystallized Swarovski Elements comes out with new colors and shapes innovations. The Fall/Winter 2010-2011 selection has just been released for your viewing pleasure. If you sign up with Fire Mountain Gems for their newsletter, you’ll know as soon as these are ready for ordering!  Visit this link to see more details about the new collection, and to find links to previous seasons.

Here’s what FMG has to say about the new colors and shapes:
* Cyclamen Opal – a color-play of amethyst purple and baby pink shades with an underlying opalescence
* Greige – a smoky, subtle color …read more

Brand new this season, Fire Mountain Gems has decided to break down their huge annual contest into six smaller materials-based contests!  The first up is Crystallized Swarovski Elements.
Deadline: September 21, 2009
Information and entry details

Let your brilliance shine with over-the-top designs incorporating Swarovski Crystal.  The grand prize is a $1000 gift certificate to FMG, and there are also lots of category prizes that will be given out.
As one of the largest and long-standing suppliers of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, Fire Mountain Gems offers a brilliant selection of colors, cuts and color and design inspiration to create your winning piece.
I have a …read more

Technique Tuesday!
I mentioned yesterday that all the Swarovski Crystal Beads for this project were donated by ArtBeads.com so that I could create and share this project with you.  Thanks so much, guys!

Materials & Tools:
2 lengths of gold SoftFlex beading wire, 24 inches each
4 – 5 inches of chain
Gold hook
18 bicones, 6mm
6 cubes, 8mm
20 mm square ring
14 mm triangle ring
14 mm square ring
14 mm round ring
Star charm
Moon charm
11/0 Delica seed beads, color-lined mixed green/blue
Nymo beading thread, black
8 jump rings, 9 mm
3 jump rings, 7 mm
11 jump rings, 4 mm
11 head pins
28 crimps, size #1
2 crimps, size #3
Flat nose pliers
Round nose pliers,
Wire …read more

Make Art Monday!
I picked out and received some Swarovski Crystal Beads recently from ArtBeads.com. They generously provided the crystal components and beads so that I could create a project to share with you. It was hard to make a choice, but I fell instantly in love with a new-to-me color called Bermuda Blue. I think that the ring components have only become available in this color pretty recently. Bermuda Blue has a metallic coating on one side that gives each bead and component an extra flash.
Tomorrow I’ll be sharing the step by step with you.  In the meantime, gather up …read more