Fit For a Queen Bracelet

I just noticed that my Fit For a Queen Bracelet instructions are for sale in the Beading Daily shop. This bracelet originally appeared in my book, Hip to Bead, but now you can download the instructions for this project in pdf form for $4.

One of the things I love about this bracelet is that it's a great way to show off an exquisite focal bead (this one's by Nancy Tobey) and you can pull the colors out of the focal to create the seed bead strands.

Wire-Wrapped Dragonfly

My daughter spied this bug in my newly organized studio this morning, just as I was wondering what to blog about today. Thanks, kiddo!

He's a fun, buggy little guy that you can use to decorate a gift package or hang in the window as a summery ornament.

To get started, cut a long piece of craft wire and thread the first round bead onto the center. Then, pass both wire ends through two more round beads to make the tail. String dark blue seed beads onto one wire end and twist it to make a wing and repeat for the other side. Add more aqua seed beads for the second set of wings. Pass the wire ends through an aqua bead and make another set of wings. Pass the ends through a coin bead for the head, twist them together, add a small bead to each wire end and make spirals on the antennae.

Create Your Style Inspiration Book Giveaway

Create Your Style with CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements has just released its new Inspiration Book: Fire & Ice. Creativity at the Crossroads, which takes a magical journey to Africa and Scandinavia. An international group of artists contributed sparkling jewelry, accessories, home décor and paper craft projects to this impressive collection of inspired ideas.
I am thrilled that my Wildflower Frame was chosen as part of the Scandinavian collection and I want you to help me celebrate! Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of the Inspiration Book. Include your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll collect names for one week and then hold a random drawing. (This giveaway is limited to US and Canadian postal addresses, please.)

Linky Love

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew shares a new necklace design. Check it out!

Strands of Beads Melissa shows off her work in progress - an eerie lock and key design.

Snap out of it,Jean! There's beading to be done! Pink, gold,and cream! Jean creates a lovely necklace and earring set featuring a beautiful Russian hand painted focal from Artbeads.com.

Jewelry & Beading Auntie's Beads provided wonderful copper beads and findings so Cyndi could create this necklace!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles A new shipment of copper blanks has Melanie plotting for some metal playtime!

Carmi's Art/Life World A vintage comic book becomes the inspiration for a necklace.

Barbe Saint John Barbe reviews an Ancient Modern Polymer Clay book.

Art Bead Scene Kandinsky inspires this month's challenge. The ABS editors suggest a selection of their handmade art beads for a Kandinsky inspired jewelry piece.

About.com Jewelry Making Summer time is affecting Tammy's jewelry designs. How about yours? Check out her summer jewelry plans so far.

Quick & Easy Jewelry

Here's a quick necklace I made this week on the fly. It was inspired by the make it take it that Candie Cooper did in the Plaid booth at the Winter CHA Show. (Click Candie's name and zoom in on the picture of Cathie Fillian for a close-up of the original, red version.)

I used two 10mm jump rings to connect a Fresh resin pendant from Plaid and a wire-wrapped head pin with two CRYSTALLIZED beads to a length of velour tubing from Beadalon. Attach a quick clasp and - voilá - you're out the door!

Win a Free Copy of Exposed

You have until Thursday to leave a comment over on the Beadalon blog for a chance to win a free copy of Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed...what are you waiting for?

Read what people are saying about Exposed here:
BeadStyle blog
Amazon reviews

More Recent Acquisitions

I know I'm not alone with my pile of UFO's (un finished objects), so I thought I'd share some of my recent acquisitions and jewelry making intentions...maybe you'll see them in finished form one of these days!

This lovely bronze pendant from Artbeads has been sitting on my desk, waiting for inspiration to strike. The quote from Ayn Rand says, "the guiding star is within." I'm thinking of a mulitple strand garnet concoction, but we shall see what happens when I finally sit down with the bead box. Sometimes you have to let these things percolate for a while. Look what my beadbloggin pal Barbe Saint John made with hers!

Look at these gorgeous little morsels from Diane Sweeney at Grover Art Glass! My dad spotted them at B&B and I couldn't resist scooping one up for myself. I think I'll just wear it and enjoy it for a while, but it may eventually make its way into a how-to project.
It's no secret that I adore these polymer clay beads from Heather at Humblebeads. The colors are delicious and they work their way into many of my designs. I recently made a pair of necklaces using these disks with chain and interesting pendants. Will share soon! Check out Heather's blog for her latest creations and pix of her B&B Show shopping.

I love this magnetic clasp from Jill MacKay's line. Flat multiple strand clasps are great for the type of woven cuff bracelets that I often teach in workshops. This one has the leaf on both sides so there's no "wrong" side. I'm thinking about using it for a workshop project proposal for 2010. (Yes, show organizers plan that far ahead!)

Bead & Button Show

Here are a few pix from the show...more coming soon!

The show kicks off with a shopping preview. I walked the entire floor, made a few impulse purchases, and then went back for more shopping the next day.

One of the best parts of these shows is catching up with friends who you only get to see a few times a year. Here I am with Jamie Hogsett and Kristal Wick, two of my fellow Create Your Style with CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements Ambassadors.

Meredith Roddy and I took this pic of ourselves in the Beadalon booth. Meredith is working on a gorgeous Russian spiral necklace that I want to learn how to make!

This is a picture frame I created for the new design book from Create Your Style with CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements. It's a big honor to be included - more on that later...

No show overview would be complete without a peek into my shopping bag. I guess I was hungry for sweets because all of these beads look good enough to eat! Ceramic cupcakes and donuts from JP Imported, all other beads & pendants from Beadtrust.com.
Here's a pic of the new items from Green Girl Studios, courtesy of Andrew Thornton, who has lots of pix from the show on his blog. I scooped up a few of these and some of my old fave Green Girl components, including a gorgeous bee pendant.

Klista is a loyal blog reader and this was her second year taking my class at the Bead & Button Show. It's so nice to meet you guys in person and I love having familiar faces in class.

This is my favorite picture from the show! My sweet father traveled with me, toted all of my stuff, and was my right-hand man. Thanks, Dad, you're the best!