A Bead A Day
If you find yourself in need of a quick holiday gift, don’t overlook memory wire! With this simple design, you can make one for all your friends.

About.com Jewelry Making
Thinking of making some beaded ornament covers? Then you’ll need to know the size bulb to use too.

Art Bead Scene
It’s the first day of Art Bead Scene’s annual Twelve Days of Free Projects!

Barbe Saint John – New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Barbe gets all steamy over the new Steampunk Style book!

Carmi’s Art/Life World
Carmi wonders if anyone else is working on Spring.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Inspired by Grandma’s necklace, Cindy creates an edgey look with CZ’s.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie shows a sneak peek of a pair of earrings she made for the upcoming book Steampunk Style by Jean Campbell.

Jean Campbell
Jean shares 3 easy tips for making holiday gift production a little less stressful.

Katie’s Beading Blog
Katie’s making tons of earrings this season. Here are a few fun ideas for your own last-minute gifts!

Lorelei’s Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei is saying Thank you and Merry Christmas by giving away a gift certificate to artbeads.com!

Snap out of it, Jean! There’s beading to be done!
When you check out this ornament kit which is available for you to make, it will REALLY put you in the spirit!

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Paper Cone Angel
Make this pretty paper cone angel to decorate your table or tree. The angel is easy to customize and personalize using your favorite festive rubber stamps!

Goofy Reindeer Ornament
Need a little silly on your tree? This easy ornament from Tammy Powley will lighten the mood on your tree this year.

Curly Branch Paper Tree
These are a recycler’s dream and can be made from a used pencil or colored pencil and a sheet of any paper or curling ribbon in any color – try used gift wrap or ribbon to make a wonderfully stylized forest.

Little Tree Cross Stitch
Stitch a tiny, tiny tree using this pattern by Connie G. Barwick and add it to a card or gift tag. Or, add more pizazz and decorate the tiny tree with sequins and beads.

Christmas Tree Pillow
This easy to knit pillow has a simple Christmas tree motif on one side, and plain red and green stripes on the other, so you can use it all winter long without feeling too mired in Christmas decorations.

Puzzle Piece Ornaments
Create your own unique ornaments for your Christmas tree or other holiday decorating needs by recycling old jigsaw puzzle pieces. You can use the ideas and directions I provide on these project sheets to create a variety of ornaments. Use my projects as inspiration to create your own designs.

Christmas Scrubby Soaps
This project from David Fisher is a simple variation of my Animal Melt and Pour Scrubbies project – except with Christmas themed nylon scrubbies.

Sparkling Holiday Pin
This elegant sparkles pin from the Jewelry&Beading blog is really easy to make, especially if you start with a pre-formed pin with drop loops.

Recycled Christmas Needle Book
From the Craftside blog, create this needle book out of scraps from recycled wool felted sweaters. This is the perfect gift for the stitcher in your life.

Painted Christmas Cards
Imagine receiving not just your average Hallmark card, but one hand painted by a dear friend. Spend a cozy night painting a few cards with the instructions and technique guides from Marion Boddy-Evans.

Want to Join Make it Merry to show off your holiday crafts? We will showcase your crafts and recipes of all holiday traditions. Learn more.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

I love to mix up textures and styles. This piece is centered around a carnelian pendant and is a double strand of turquoise, carnelian, citrine and inspirational charms that say Dream, Believe, Hope, and Love. Someone once described my pieces as a mixture of elegance and earthiness, a kind of hard and soft, which I believe helps to carry the piece from day to evening wear.This Butterfly Beauty is a combination of a carved Mother of Pearl Butterfly floating amidst a double strand of Abalone, Mother of Pearl, and Silver. When worn, the butterfly can float a bit to the side giving it a different look. The descriptions of each piece come with a story which includes the meanings of the stones and their healing attributes. These definitions are also included in my book CHAKRA POWER! How to Fire Up Your Energy Centers to Live a Fuller Life which offers an bonus section called Abalone to Zircon; The Meanings of the Stones You Wear.Adding a touch of whimsy is nice, too. With this piece, the woven strands of rose quartz look like cotton candy, while the embossed turquoise ceramic pieces look like hard candies. The rose quartz and turquoise pendant transform the piece into something more serious, like going out to a nice restaurant after a day at the amusement park. Rose quartz is calming and soothing and opens the heart, while the turquoise does the same for the throat area.Harriette Knight, Master Healer & PsychicAuthor of “CHAKRA POWER! How to Fire Up Your Energy Centers to Live a Fuller Life” and EASY ART FROM THE HEART, A Rhyming Guidebook for Parents and Teachers with 100+ Art Projects for Kids Ages 2 and UpFor Life Changing Healing Sessions, Healing Jewelry, & WorkshopsHarriette KnightCharity Clarity JewelryHealing Jewelry

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About.com Jewelry Making
Give a beaded jewelry gift that gives twice.

Art Bead Scene
Be Inspired! Think about creating jewelry that tells a story.

Carmi’s Art/Life World
Carmi is selling jewelery in a show for the first time and is trying not to “jinx” her favorites!

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
Meet the newest addition to the Through the Looking Glass Nugget Charm Family – Alice Blue!

Jean Campbell
Jean discusses how Steampunk jewelry design fits into a larger “Poetic Couture”

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Alice writes:

The desire to make jewelry came quite by accident. My mother wanted to visit a church member who lived a distance away on a country road. She was hesitant to make the drive so I offered to take her. While there the lady showed us the jewelry she had just created and I was fascinated by the colors and textures of the beads, and the design process itself. I was hooked. Since then I’ve taken a few classes and pored over inspiring books and websites, and soon perfected my own style of jewelry.

My pieces are mostly simple and clean-lined, though I do like to make something asymmetrical or more elaborate every once in a while. I use primarily gemstones and natural beads, Swarovski Crystals, artisan lampwork beads, sterling silver, and antiqued brass.

Crystal Clear is made with Swarovski Crystal Cubes and Sterling Silver. It can be worn to an elegant dinner party or with jeans. Either way, it makes a statement.

Handmade Lampwork beads are the star in this Summer In Tuscany bracelet, along with Citrine and dyed Magnesite. Vintaj Brass components pull it all together.

A conversation starter, Natural Elements is a chunky piece created with Jasper stones and Swarovski Glass Pearls.

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I have to be honest with you here.  There’s a part of me that wishes like crazy that I could be as snarky as the folks on either Craftastrophe or Regretsy.  Some of the handmade work that they feature is truly amazingly horrible.  But I just can’t do it.  Every time I go to start, I can hear my mother’s voice in my head saying, “Cynthia, if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, don’t say anything.”  Nope, I don’t have one of those moms who said “come sit by me.”  My mom is nice, and she wants me to be nice.

So the closest I can come to being really really snarky is to tell you that I think Regretsy is a riot.  I think you should go visit it.  I don’t think you should ever ever ever make anything that will get you featured there.  But if you do get your stuff featured there, it often seems to sell!!

Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled blog posts.

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A Bead A Day
Stop by A Bead A Day for a wonderful week of cubic zirconia sparkle sponsored by Artbeads.com. Ideas are always welcome!

About.com Jewelry Making
It’s is so easy to get into the holiday spirit when you have the perfect lampwork beads to get you there. Just think of all the jewelry possibilities.

Art Bead Scene
Are you a Twilight Fan? If yes, then check out the Twilight inspired jewelry on the Art Bead Scene!

Carmi’s Art/Life World
Carmi uses embossing powder to make a bird pendant…a fun idea!

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
It’s Double Dippin’ Week – a week full of ideas for the Double Dips. Try a necklace and become “Entwined.”

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie gives her review of Enchanted Adornments, and gives a reminder to enter the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge for your chance to win a copy of it and some other great beads, including new Earthenwood beads!

Snap out of it, Jean! There’s beading to be done!
Ah, Etsy! So many of our problems solved by visiting Etsy for gifts for our dearest friends at this time of year. Take a look at this premade pendant, which also comes in a kit so you can teach yourself if you prefer. It’s all jump rings and it’s all beautiful. The Alchemist’s Star!

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With her mother a sculptor, her father a writer, and her grandmother a painter, it would seem natural for Laura Gibson to pursue a career in the arts. The fact is that Laura began her professional life as a sales and marketing specialist with IBM. A casual visit to the internationally renowned Tucson Gem Show resulted in Laura finding her true passion, designing hand crafted jewelry with rare and exotic gemstones.

Sterling Silver, Quartz, Pink Tourmaline, Pink Topaz and Freshwater Pearl Necklace

Working from her design studio in Tucson, Arizona, the demand created for her colorful jewelry soon led to the official launch of Laura Gibson in 1996. Today, Laura Gibson creations are carried by galleries and fine jewelers across the country. In 2008, she launched an online store, to reach her valued customers directly. Each piece bears her special “LG” signature clasp as a guarantee of authenticity.

Sterling Silver, Blue Chalcedony, Apatite, Peridot, Citrine and Freshwater Pearl Earrings on Post

18K Gold and Black Diamond Chain Necklace – 3.2 carats

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Artbeads teamed up with Nintendo DS to create a fantastic virtual learning game for jewelry lovers! Style Lab! Jean shows it off in a youtube clip! FUN for the HOLIDAYS!

Strands of Beads
Melissa discusses the virtue of buttons in jewelry-making.

About.com Jewelry Making
What do you do with a weird piece of chain made from wood? How about making a fabulous necklace out of it.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene gives you the scoop on findings worth finding – check it out!

Barbe Saint John
I’ve been a bad blogger!

Carmi’s Art/Life World
Carmi makes a brooch with a cameo and other odds and ends.

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
Cindy has a new shop on Etsy – the bleeding heart. Check it out!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie shows the piece she made for the new book Chain Style, and talks about her struggles with letting go of her published jewelry pieces.

Lorelei’s Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei’s annual craft fair adventure is over and she share’s some photos of the Aftermath.

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Websites & Blogs:
Jean Hutter
Jean Hutter Beads blog
Totally Twisted etsy shop
Totally Twisted 1000 markets shop

Jean, how do you describe your work?
My work is constantly evolving and changing. I would describe it as eclectic – a little of this and a little of that.  I enjoy beadweaving, bead embroidery, stringing and wire work.  I started with wire hence the name Totally Twisted. I don’t work with wire as much any more but I think the name still fits me. I see my work evolving to include more natural and found objects – I would also like to start using fabric in my jewelry.

What is your creative process like?
Well I usually work on one thing at a time and I like to know what I may be working on next. I have a list of things I would like to try or make and I sometimes pick from the list, other times I just jump in and see what develops from random beading – kind of like doodling with beads.  I hardly every draw out an idea or a design – just pick up the beads and go with it.  I do have some idea of what I want the finished piece to be – not that I always achieve success – I have had a necklace turn into a bracelet and vice versa.

I work on an old computer desk and I like to have lots of room to spread things out so I can mix and match. I usually work in small blocks of time – I am not a marathon beader – my eyes and back can’t take that anymore.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I am a fine artist and I paint large abstracts on canvas. I have been doing artsy things for as long as I can remember. I started looking at making jewelry about 4 years ago as a “nice little hobby”, something to do in between painting. I took some classes at my local bead store, bought a lot of books and magazines, learned beadweaving stitches, etc. My “nice little hobby” has turned into a big obsession and a room filled with all kinds and colors of beads.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Since the majority of my work right now is beadweaving I would have to say Fireline.

What inspires you to create?
It would be hard to pinpoint what drives my need to create. Whether it be beading or painting I would describe it as a need. I love to look at nature – the colors and texture. I love fabric – colors and patterns.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
This is an interesting question as I often find myself in a creative slump. I constantly question my direction and I have had periods that I find it very difficult to bead or to paint.  The major thing that keeps me going is I know it will pass – I know my best work is to come.  I sometimes think these slumps are actually the start of a growth period or a chance to learn something new – so I just keep plugging along. Eventually I get over it and make something that I think is pretty darn good and I am happy again.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Enjoy the journey. Study, take classes, ask questions, look at other people’s work but above all keep working.  Do not compare your work to others – you are unique and your work should reflect that and above all else have fun!

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Gee I wish I could say marketing – I am good at creating, marketing not so much.  This is something I need to focus on.  I am married and have 3 cats. We have a house at the Jersey Shore and in the summer a lake house in PA.  I enjoy reading, cooking and just chilling out. Funny thing is I never get away from the art – if I am not physically doing something I am creating in my head.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.

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