The Beading Buds, Beading Blog - Your Guide to Successful Beading

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2010-04-28T19:50:00.001-04:00

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Four leaf clover bead weaving ring design

2010-02-23T21:04:00.003-05:00

It's just a couple of days before March rolls around, but it will be here before you know it so I would like to show you an easy four leaf clover bead weaving ring design that will put you in the St. Patrick's day spirit.

Here are the materials you'll need to create the ring:

5mm 5301 swarovski crystal beads - 6 (emerald)
5mm 5301 swarovski crystal beads - 6 (blue zircone)
6mm bugle beads, silver, (use toho or miyuki) - 8
3mm round beads, silver - 1
2mm round beads, silver - 70~80
Monofilament string (clear beading thread) .25mm - 40 inches
Flush cutter

What I discovered when I created this design is that you can use bugle beads as a base for the ring to create many interesting shapes on top of the base. The bugle bead base does a very good job of holding together the shape of the beads on top of it.

For this ring, I used the bugle beads to create a triangle shaped base with groups of three swarovski beads on top of each triangle to create a clover shape.

What I also did was vary the green color of the beads slightly which makes the clover image come through better than if you used
just one color.

One thing I highly recommend when you get bugle beads for this design is that you use Japanese bugle beads (toho or miyuki) because the size of the holes in those beads is larger. That helps the string pass through more easily.

I used 2mm round beads to create the ring band using a simple criss cross technique.

You will notice after you create the band on your first pass through that the band doesn't have a very nice shape.

If you want to create a prettier round shape for the band all you need to do is go back through the band a second time with your beading string.

I hope you enjoy creating this design to show off your beautiful beadwork for St. Patrick's day!

Beading Video Part 1:

Beading Video Part 2:

Beading Video Part 3:

This video was created by Eri Attebery of JewelryMakingProfessor.com. Eri offers a variety of jewelry making and beading videos on her website including a free online video course for beginners that shows how to make beaded jewelry.

Create a beaded necklace with a pendant

2010-01-06T20:08:00.015-05:00

More videos from kameronkay.

You will need the following:

Pendant
Beads
Sterling silver spacer beads
Onyx coloured swarowski crystal beads
Tiger tail/soft flex wire
Lobster clasp
2 crimp beads
Flat nosed pliers
Scissors

First thing you need to do is choose your pendant and beads. Then cut your wire to the desired length. It should be about 2 inches longer than you want your necklace to be. This necklace should be approximately 17 inches long.

Take one of the crimp beads and put it on the end of the wire. Then put the lobster clasp on the wire, and thread the wire back through the crimp bead. Squeeze it tightly with your pliers to secure.

String three of your beads, then a silver spacer, a crystal, another silver spacer and then another three beads. Continue doing that pattern until you get to the halfway point of your necklace. Then put your pendant on and continue until both sides of the necklace are done. Put the other clasp on using the crimp bead and the same technique as before. Before squeezing the crimp bead closed make sure that there is enough wire exposed so that the necklace isn't too stiff.

Christmas Themed Bead Necklace Charms, Ornaments or Earrings

2009-11-05T14:53:00.004-05:00

The holiday season is fast approaching and I was asked for a simple
yet beautiful beading project perfect for the holidays.

The angel pendent can be used used as an ornament, necklace charm or a
pair of earrings.

You will need the following:

Round nosed pliers

Wire cutters

Headpins

A large triangle or tearshaped bead or finding for the skirt

A pair of wings or a bow shaped finding for the wings

A round bead (preferably swarowski crystal) for the head

A bead cap or spacer bead for the halo

To make the Angel

Take the headpin and string on the skirt, then the wings, then the
head and then the halo. Taking the round nosed pliers create a loop
at the top and then wrap the wire around the base of the loop. Use
your cutters to trim off the excess wire. You can then attach an
earring wire and make it into an earring, string it onto a necklace to
make a charm or loop a string to the top to make it a christmas tree
ornament.

Happy Holidays!

Memory Wire Bracelet Jewelry Instruction

2009-09-10T19:48:00.005-04:00

How to make a memory wire bracelet.

You will need the following:

Memory wire (bracelet size)

Beads (preferably round beads similar in size to each other, we recommend 8mm beads)

Wire cutters

Round nose pliers

To make your bracelet:

This is one of the easiest projects to make and perfect for the beginner beader.

Decide how many strands you want your bracelet to be. If you decide you want the bracelet to be two stands, cut off two loops of the memory wire, however, add about two inches of wire to your measurement before cutting.

Using a beading board, lay out your design. Measure your wire along the beading board and then lay out your design making it two inches shorter than the length of your wire.

Using your round nose pliers make a loop using one inch of the wire at one of the ends of the memory wire. The video will show how to do this in greater detail.

String your beads onto the wire using the end of the wire that does not have a loop on it. Once you have strung all the beads onto your wire, using the remaining wire make another loop at the end of the wire using your round nose pliers.

Charm Bracelet

2009-07-30T22:19:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I received a call from a bridesmaid wanting to book a jewelry making bachelorette party. She told me that the bride wanted the current top bracelet trend because the bride was very stylish. I told her I would get back to her and went to do my research. From what I’ve seen, the top bracelet trend for fall 2009 is a charm bracelet. From charms, to glass beads, to pearls and crystals, this trend can be adapted for any occasion. The next day I happened to be at an art/jewelry show. Sure enough, there were charm bracelets everywhere. I felt so inspired that I went home and made one. I met with the bridesmaid to show her my sample and she was thrilled and said that was the perfect project for the bachelorette party. If you would like to make one too, this is how to do it.

To make a charm bracelet you need the following:

A length of sterling chain about the side of your wrist minus the size of your clasp

6 mm split rings (anywhere from 5-9, one for every bead/charm)

5-9 charms or beads

1 sterling silver toggle clasp

Bent nosed tweezers

Needle nosed pliers

Using the pliers, open one end of the chain, thread one end of the clasp and close the chain loop. Do the same for the other side.

Fold your bracelet in half so that you see where the centre point is. Lay your bracelet down and put your centre charm or bead below the centre link. Then design the rest of your bracelet, make sure you space the charms evenly. If the spacing is not even and you are left with an extra chain loop, arrange the charms so that the extra loop is next to the clasp, not between the charms.

Using the tweezers, gently open the ring and slide the chain through (the video shows how to do this). Continue doing this until all of the split rings have been attached.

Then attach the charms to the split rings. Open up the split ring the same way you did earlier, slide the charm on, and close. Continue doing so until they have all been done. If you are using beads, thread the bead onto a headpin with the head at the bottom, using the pliers create a bend on the other end of the wire, thread on the split ring and then wrap the wire around the base of the bead.

I hope you enjoy your new bracelet as much as I am enjoying mine.

Pearl Chain and Ribbon Necklace

2009-06-20T08:16:00.006-04:00

You will need the following:

16mm glass pearls

Large chain

Organza ribbon (2 meters)

10mm jump rings

Long eyepins

Chain nose pliers

Flatnose pliers

Round nose pliers

Cutter pliers

Using the flat nose and chain nose pliers, separate the links in the chain from each other. You will need approximately eight separated links. Then, take one of the glass pearls and thread onto the eye pin, measure and cut off the excess wire on the side with no loop and then create a loop using the needle nose pliers. Make sure the loops on either side of the glass pearl are the same size. Continue doing this for the remaining glass pearls.

Now it is time to start assembling your necklace. Take a jump ring, open it up and thread one of the loops on the pearl onto the jump ring. Next thread one of the chain links onto the jump ring and close the jump ring. Now put a jump ring onto the loop on the other side of the glass pearl, add a link and close the jump ring. Continue doing this until the necklace is the length that you require.

At this point you can either add a chunky toggle clasp or the organza ribbon. I prefer using the organza ribbon because necklaces with ribbon on them are one of the top trends for fall 2009. Trim the edges of the organza ribbon into a v shape so the ribbon does not fray. Take the piece of ribbon and fold it in half (the ribbon should be the desired length when folded), then thread the ribbon onto the link at the end of the necklace using a larks head knot. Do the same on the other side. When you wear the necklace tie the ends into a bow. The bow gives it a beautiful feminine touch and contrasts the chain link, you can also adjust the length of the necklace when wearing it, based on how big of a bow you tie.

2009 Spring Bead Jewelry Designer Trends

2009-05-08T23:21:00.001-04:00

I recently gave a presentation on designing jewelry. The audience really enjoyed it so I thought that I would do a posting on it for all those novice jewelry designers out there.

When I design a piece of jewelry, the first thing I do is research the colour trends for the upcoming season. That way I know that the piece I make will match the clothing that is currently being sold in the stores. Each season, Pantone surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week to collect feedback on prominent collection colours, colour inspiration and colour philosophy. I check their results and then I start creating jewelery.

According to Patone, the Spring/Summer 2009 fashion palette includes pops of vibrant colour which represent the optimism of new life that comes with the spring season. This is combined with sophisticated neutrals and a spectrum of fresh greens.

Pantone lists their top 10 spring '09 fashion colours as:

Palace Blue, Lavender, Super Lemon, Dark Citron, Vibrant Green, Lucite Green, Salmon Rose, Fuchsia Red, Rose Dust and Slate Gray Blue .

I also research the fashion themes of each season by checking out the fashion shows on TV or online and reading the fashion blogs. The themes for spring 2009 are floral (i.e., using beads with flowers in them or using flower clasps), romantic (i.e., using pastel shades such as pinks and purples), and ethnic (i.e., using beads with bold prints on them in bright colours in ethnic tribal inspired prints). I also noticed a lot of chain being used on accessories, so I try to put chain in many of my designs.

Lastly, I use the principals of design when designing jewelry so that the finished piece looks stunning. The principals of design are repetition (doing some kind of a pattern), balance (using similar sized beads throughout the piece, making sure one side of the necklace balances the other), contrast (using colours that contrast each other to make the piece stand out), texture (using similar textures so that the piece flows) and colour. All of these elements help to define the final product.

Bead Cell Phone Charm

2009-04-19T17:49:00.003-04:00

I recently saw a cellphone charm that I absolutely loved, so I decided to recreate it for myself. This is a a quick and easy jewellery making project that only takes a few minutes and looks amazing when completed.

This is how I made it.

For this project you will need the following:

1) 2" head pin.
2) 2 glass beads.
3) 1 5mm swarowski crystal.
4) 4 silver spacers.
5) cell phone charm holder (these can be purchased at most craft stores or bead supply stores).

You will also need a pair of needle nosed pliers.

First take the 2" head pin. Holding the head pin, thread the first spacer. Next, thread one of the glass beads, then thread another spacer. Thread the swarowski crystal and then another spacer. Finally, thread the remaining glass bead and the last spacer. Using the needle nose pliers create a loop at the top of the head pin. Slightly open up the loop that you just created and insert the end of the cell phone charm holder. Close the loop at the top of the head pin using the needle nose pliers.

Good luck.

Below is the pic that inspired my cell phone charm.

Environmentally Conscious Bead Parties

2009-03-15T17:14:00.006-04:00

We will be adding a “green” party package to Beading Buds. This package is an environmentally conscious alternative because we use beads made from recycled glass, reusable beading boards and encourage parents to use the jewelry the kids make as the loot bag, therefore eliminating all the plastic and other by-products that are usually in loot bags and other party favors.

While researching for beads made from recycled glass, I came across a company in Africa that explained how these glass beads are made. I found it fascinating and encouraging that beads are being made out of old glass.

This is how the beads are made. Recycled glass is crushed by hand. Dyes and colours are not added so the glass that is being crushed has to be the colour that you want the beads to be. Once you crush the glass, the mixture is called a "fritt". The fritt consists of mainly crushed glass, but some larger pieces can be left as they melt down during the baking process. Before the fritt is poured into the moulds, the moulds are coated with a fine mixture of kaolin clay and water to prevent sticking. The moulds are placed into a special machine that heats up and when the right temperature has been reached the bead making artisan takes out the moulds. He uses two awls, one to hold down the mould and the other to shape the bead, he also uses one of the awls to make the hole for the bead. This has to be done quickly before the glass cools. When the beads are completed every single bead has a slightly different shape and size to it because each bead is made by hand. Below are some pictures showing the different colours of the beads and what the beads look like.

Baby Name Bead Bracelet

2009-02-06T21:53:00.003-05:00

I recently had a baby girl and since I am a jewellery designer and a first time mom, I just had to make my daughter her first piece of jewellery…so I made a baby name bracelet.

The following materials are needed to make the baby name bracelet. Flat nose pliers, tiger tail wire, a sterling silver lobster clasp, (6) 6mm swarowski crystals, sterling silver letter beads, (6) 4 mm sterling silver beads, (2) 6mm silver beads,(14) sterling silver spacers, (2) sterling silver crimp beads.

To make the baby name bracelet, put the crimp bead on one end of the tiger tail, loop through one end of the lobster clasp and thread back through the crimp bead, squeeze the bead using the flat nose pliers. Thread 3 of the swarowski crystals, 3 of the 4 mm silver beads, 1 of the 6mm silver beads and 7 of the sterling silver findings onto the tiger tail. I suggest the following pattern, sterling silver spacer, sterling silver 4 mm silver bead, sterling silver spacer, crystal, sterling silver spacer, 4 mm sterling silver bead etc. Thread the 6mm sterling silver bead and the sterling silver letter beads to spell out your baby’s name. String the remaining crystals, sterling silver beads and spacers repeating the same pattern as you did on the first side. Attach the other part of the lobster clasp to the tiger tail using the crimp bead and flat nose plier the same way you attached the first part of the clasp when you started the bracelet. Trim the tiger tail at each end using a pair of scissors or cutting pliers.

HINT, if your baby’s name has more than 6 letters, omit the 6mm sterling silver beads.

How to make a one bead wire ring using gold or silver wire

2009-01-08T20:49:00.003-05:00

First you measure your 24 gauge gold or silver wire. The beading wire should be 14 inches, a normal ring is 10 inches and then the four extra inches are for the extra wrapping to make the ring thicker and sturdier.

Put the bead that you are using for your ring at the halfway point of the wire. Fold the wire right against each side of the bead to hold the bead in place. Start the ring as a size 8 using a ring sizer tube. Wrap wire around 2 times each side to give you four bands. Keep your bottom wire on the bottom and your top wire on the top. Then wrap each of the two wires around the bead at the front until you end up with a short piece of wire on each end. Then slide the ring of the ring sizer tube.

Wrap the short piece of wire along each end of the ring. Make it look clean by squeezing it with the end of the flat nosed plier. Use a nylon jaw pliers to straighten out the wires so they lie flat. When done trim off the ends with a cutter. It is better if you end your jewelry piece at the top of the band. Then hammer it slightly to make it sturdier.

Mount Sinai Bead Party Fundraiser

2008-12-10T22:53:00.011-05:00

We recently did a fundraiser to raise money for Mount Sinai Hospital
in Toronto.

A group of 8 year old girls contacted us telling us that they had
started a beading club to make bracelets to sell at Mount Sinai
Hospital and all proceeds raised would be given to the hospital.
The girls wanted to know if we could teach them how to make bracelets.

We thought it was a great idea and a great cause, so we had a beading
party with them where we taught them how to string beads using
.45 mm tiger tail wire and we finished off the bracelets with silver plated
toggle clasps using the crimping technique.

Below are some photos we took showing the bracelets that we made.
We had a great time with the girls and wish them much success in
selling their bracelets for this great cause.

Check out some additional pictures at our Mount Sinai beading party gallery.

How to make a wire-wrapped bracelet

2008-11-03T21:20:00.005-05:00

Video reference: Aunties Beads

This video shows how to make a wire-wrapped bracelet. This is the type of beading project that we do at our adult bead parties. It is absolutely stunning when completed.

The tools that you need are a round-nosed plier, chain-nosed plier and the nibbler tool. This bracelet looks best if you use large beads and 6mm spacer beads. The amount that you will need depends on the size of the wrist that you are making this bracelet for. You will also need 7mm closed jump rings, a sterling silver 22mm gage wire and an s clasp.

First thing you do is take the wire and make a loop using the round-nosed pliers, slip on a jump ring, and then start wrapping the wire at the base of the loop three or four times.

Next string onto the wire your spacer bead, large bead, and another spacer bead. At the end of the three beads make a loop, put in the jump ring and wrap the wire around three or four times. Keep doing this until you have the desired length of your bracelet. Remember, depending on the size of your clasp you may want to make your bracelet a little bit shorter because the clasp adds length.

To add the clasp, make a loop at the end of your bracelet, put one end of the s clasp in and firmly close it with your chain -nosed pliers. Make a loop at the other end of your bracelet. This loop will slip on the other end of the s clasp to close your bracelet while you are wearing it.

Watch the video to see a more detailed step-by-step tutorial of how to make this bracelet.

Happy beading!

Developmental Benefits of Beading for Children

2008-09-21T11:35:00.000-04:00

by Kimberly Voaden, OT Reg. (Ont.)

As an Occupational Therapist with over 5 years experience working with children of all ages, I can endorse beading as an excellent leisure activity, promoting childrens' development in the following areas:

Fine Motor Skills:

Grasping: Various sizes of beads promote different grasps. Larger beads often promote the "3-jaw chuck" grasp, similar to holding a large pencil or marker. Smaller beads encourage children to use their pincer grasp, thus strengthening the small muscles of their hands.

In-hand manipulation skills: Many components of making a beaded craft increase strength and coordination in the small hand and finger muscles. For example, picking a bead up from the beading tray, and then manipulating it in one's hand until it is pinched between your thumb and finger, involves translation, shift and rotation movements of the bead within the hand.

Visual Perceptual Skills:

Visual discrimination, Scanning, visual memory: The child must be able to remember the beading pattern to determine the bead they want to use. Once they know what bead they want, visual discrimination assists them in selecting the bead that fits their mental image of the desired bead. Finally, the child must scan across many different beads before finding the desired bead.

Visual Motor Skills:

Hand-eye coordination: Threading beads onto a string involves bilateral coordination of the child's hands, and requires their eyes and hands to work together.

Cognitive Skills:

Planning: What style of necklace does the child want to make? What pattern will they choose? Where are all the needed to complete this beading activity? By answering these questions, the child develops his/her planning and problem-solving skills.

Math skills: How long will my necklace, bracelet, or keychain need to be? How many beads do I need to complete this project? How can I create and maintain this beading pattern? Encouraging children to think through these functional math problems is a motivating way to improve academic skills in this area.

Important tools/pliers for the beginning jewelry designer

2008-09-02T22:02:00.003-04:00

Chain nose pliers are very useful in many different aspects of beading. Such as opening and closing jump rings to wire wrapping.

Flat nose pliers have broad jaws which are useful for flattening wire and putting sharp angles in wire work. They can also be used to flatten crimp beads.

Side cutters are required for cutting wire and other beading material. The sharp tips/ends allow for access to even the smallest of bead work and snip away any unwanted bits.

Round nose pliers are great for looping or wire wrapping due to their rounded ends. The tips/ends are a smaller width which allows for smaller loops. As you work your way down the round nose pliers you can make bigger loops as the rounded width expands.

Bent nose pliers are useful for finalizing any loops or wire work due to their angled tips/end which allows access to hard to reach places in your bead work.

How to Use a Bead Board in the Creation and Maintenance of your Jewelry Project

2008-07-27T22:16:00.004-04:00

Beading Boards are an essential tool in any jewelry making project. They help organize, store and plan your beading piece.

Grooves along the edges (and sometimes interior) allow for placement and organization of your jewelry design. There are also small compartments that are used to store beads. Be sure to store your clasps and other beading accessories within these compartments for future use.

Numbered references along the board are used to measure the length(s) of your piece in inches.

Once you're satisfied with your design, place bead stoppers at both ends (if using the stringing technique) to prevent beads from falling off.

Online Beading Guide

2008-07-09T17:41:00.002-04:00

For all your beading inquires please check out our new Online Beading Guide at www.beadingbuds.com/beading_guide.html. You'll find lots of useful beading related items and topics necessary in the start and finish of a beading project. We plan on adding much more to this guide so please check back regularly to view all of these useful beading updates.

We also plan on adding a beading directory of only the best and most relevant beading and jewellery making sites. Feel free to contact us if you'd like to have your link added.

Basic Wire Work Jewellery Making Technique

2008-06-21T00:25:00.002-04:00

1. Cut a four inch piece of wire (size depends on your preference).
2. Grip the wire at the end. The wire should not extend beyond the pliers. It is sometimes helpful to mark your pliers about one eigth of an inch from the tip to remember where to begin your loop.
3. Hold the stem of the wire with your fingers and roll the wire toward your fingertips, keeping pressure on the stem to hold the shape of the angle.
4. If you are unable to turn your wrist any further, release the wire, keeping them in the loop, rotate backwards and turn a bit more until the loop meets the stem.
5. You have completed the first loop.
6. Place a bead on the wire.
7. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4.
8. By attaching several more of these links you can create a beautiful bracelet, necklace, or earring link. Remember when opening or closing a loop twist it, do not spread the circle open.

How to Use Crimp Beads

2008-06-08T02:04:00.005-04:00

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Crimp-Beads

How to use crimp beads with jewelry pliers, when making your own beaded jewelry.

Steps

1. Gather your supplies. When you are ready to attach a clasp (or any end-piece you are using in your design, such as a jump ring, or extender chain),first thread the end of your wire through a crimp bead.
2. Loop the wire through the clasp or extender chain, and then fed back through the crimp bead, forming a loop. It is a good idea to leave a tail of wire at least a couple of inches longer than you think you need so you will have some wire to work with.
3. Slide the crimp bead up close to the end of the clasp or end-piece. Check the crimp bead and make sure it is not too close to the clasp or end-piece. You want to have a small loop around the clasp or end-piece, but not so small that it holds the clasp so tightly that it cannot move freely.
4. You have two choices to close your crimp. If you have a crimping tool or crimping pliers, follow this next step (5). If not, follow the next step for chain nose pliers, below (step 7).
5. You are now ready to squeeze the crimp bead shut. Place the crimp bead in the back channel of the crimping pliers, closest to the handle. Squeeze the pliers closed, gently but firmly. This will both flatten and place a dent in the crimp bead.
6. Place the dented crimp bead on it's side in the front channel of the crimping pliers, closest to the end. Basically, position the crimp bead so that it looks like the Letter C. You are positioning the bead upright like this so that when you close the pliers and squeeze, the bead will be folded closed right on the dent (bringing each end of the letter C together). Squeeze gently but firmly and make sure your crimp bead has tightly closed around the wire. If necessary, use pliers to make it close tighter. Tug gently to make sure the wire doesn't pull free. Continue with Step 8.
7. Using Chain Nose Pliers (flat nose). Using regular flat or needle nose pliers works to close crimp beads, too. There is only one step to closing the crimp. Simply grasp the crimp bead with the flat section of the pliers. Squeeze gently but tightly to smash the crimp bead flat. Check to make sure the crimp bead is tightly holding the wire so it won't pull free.
8. String your beads. Thread your first bead onto the wire. Thread both pieces of flexible wire through the bead hole if possible. Use your flush cutters to cut the cord off as close as possible to the bead. Thread the rest of your beads according to your design until you reach the other end.
9. When you are ready to attach your final clasp to the end of your piece, thread the crimp bead and clasp just like before, but now you will want to tighten all of your beads by pulling on the tail end of the loose wire. This will snug all your beads up together, leaving no gaps in your design. If you need more leverage to pull the wire tight, use your pliers; one to hold the clasp and the other to grasp and pull the wire. Crimp your final bead, and you're finished!

Tips

* Sometimes, you just don't get a perfect crimp. It either didn't fold over nicely or the wire pulls loose. If this happens, cut the crimp bead off the end, and just start over again with a fresh new crimp bead. This is another good reason to leave yourself a little extra wire to play with on the end of your design.

From Crimp Beads to Wire Wrapping Techniques: Stay Tuned For An Online Collective Of Beading Insight

2008-05-30T15:51:00.006-04:00

There are quite a few beading and jewelry making sites that cover an enormous amount of related topics. From crimp beads to wire wrapping techniques you’ll find an overwhelming selection of sites.

Over the next few weeks we plan on posting YouTube tutorials that explain different beading techniques and the process involved in completing a jewelry making project from start to finish.

One particularly useful site is http://jewelrymaking.about.com/. It is maintained by Tammy Powley who is an author of several books such as ‘Making Designer Bead and Wire Jewelry’ and ‘Jewelry and Beading Designs for Dummies’.

For all you beading novices you might find her section entitled ‘Beginners Corner’ useful http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/beginnerscorner/
Beginners_Corner.htm. You’ll come across helpful beginner hints on topics such as crimp bead size vs. size of beading wire to the foundations of bead stringing.

Please stay tuned and let us know if you can suggest some other sites that amateur jewelry artists might find useful.

Swarovski Vs. 'Regular' Glass Beads

2008-05-23T22:25:00.005-04:00

When creating your first beading/jewelry project, the option and choice, that might come to mind is Swarovski Crystals or Glass Beads.

Swaroski Crystals have an elegance and majesty of fine European design http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarovski. You purchase a refined feel of beauty known across the globe. Its trademark and reputation are world class and recognizable.

On the other hand, you can select a glass bead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_beadmaking that is defined by its unique appearance and personal appeal.

It really comes down to personal preference and/or budget.
If you desire the authentic look and feel of a known and recognizable brand. Swarovski is the way to go.

However, if your taste is more towards a unique flavour catered to your own tastes, glass beads may be your choice.

One of the great things about beading is the fun and excitement of selecting your own beads. You’ll come across an infinite amount of choices which will inevitably come down to one thing … what your overall feel of the piece should be.

Beading Party Galleries

2008-05-18T00:32:00.004-04:00

Please take a look at our growing gallery of beading party pictures at http://www.beadingbuds.com/beading_parties_gallery.html. We're looking at complimenting these parties with an options to "make your own" beading party. More details will follow over the next few weeks.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T15:30:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day Everyone,

Mother's day is always a great time to make something unique and special for Mom. Whether it's a fancy necklace or a simple key chain you'll find that Mom will always appreciate that extra something you personally made with love and affection.

Let us know if you've made something special this year. We'd love to show off your beading Mother's Day gift.

Basic Beading - YouTube Video

2008-05-05T22:00:00.005-04:00

Take a look at the below YouTube clip. It's a great tutorial for those just starting the beading journey and is something that we suggest our novice beaders look over before attending one of our www.beadingbuds.com beading parties/classes.