Polymer Clay & Beading

One more Katiedids™ Creative Components idea this week, and then I promise to slow down the blog posts again...

I couldn't resist sharing these earrings with you! I used Fimo Soft to fill the channels of the donut-shaped Katiedids component and threw them in the oven to see what would happen. (I baked the head pins and eye pins in place.)

They came out looking just like you see them here, and then I added some Humblebeads polymer clay disk beads, TierraCast bead caps and spacers, and Crystallized™ - Swarovski Elements indicolite bicones and clear channels as shown. The big kidney ear wires are from Beadalon.

Try 'Em with Tinsel

My pal Margot the Impatient Crafter whipped up some cute, retro earrings for ILoveToCreate using my new Katiedids™ components and some tiny, twinkly tinsel. Click on this link to check 'em out!

Katiedids(tm) Components On Website

Hooray! My new Katiedids™ Creative Components are now available in two collections on my website. To celebrate the launch, people who place orders by April 30th will receive a free little gift with their purchases.

I've been experimenting with the new components...the necklace shown here has coils of Artistic Wire inside the short sticks and crystals inside the donut. See more pix in my Facebook photo album.

I can't wait to see what you make with them! Send me your pix and I might share them here or in my FB album.

Announcing Book Giveaway Winner(s)!

This conversation about trends has been really interesting and I've loved hearing your ideas! There were so many great comments that I decided to give away three books. I used an online randomizer to choose the winners. If you're one of the following readers, please email your mailing address to me at katie@katiehacker.com.

Commenter #11: Laura said, "I love to collect steampunk elements (LOVE the look!), but I need the skills to effectively implement the ideas I have swimming in my brain. I think this trend has a solid hold right now, and I admire artists who have the eye for it." Congrats! Jean Campbell's book, Steampunk Style Jewelry, is coming your way.

Commenter #35, Jo said..."Found object jewelry just seems to be growing and growing." Jo gets a copy of Brenda Schweder's book, Junk to Jewelry.

Commenter #27, Bright Circle said, "Scrabble tile jewelry (at least the plain, letter style) is on its way out. Wire is still on its way up, and mixed media starting to hit it big." She gets a copy of Cathy Jakicic's book, Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry.

Thanks again for commenting, everybody! Keep 'em coming!

Linky Love

Just received the latest Rings 'n Things catalog supplement and was thrilled to see Cindy Morris' version of my scallop choker (original above) from Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed. Cindy took the basic idea but made it her own, which is what it's all about. It's so fun to riff with other jewelry makers, including my beadblogging pals:

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew teams up with Cathy Collison of Glass Garden Beads for this week's Thursday Giveaway. You could win a set of three hip bottle-cap beads!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's Beading to be done! Join the fun and become a fan of the lovely jewelry design magazine, Australian Beading Magazine!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Dig out your button collection, because wonderful Keepsake jewelry can be made from it, and Lorelei shows some examples!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie mixes shell pearls from Rings and Things with metallic hardware motifs to create a softer industrial look.

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva Cindy's personal history finds its way into her work.

Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi is photographing the jeweled decolletage on paintings in Paris again!

Beading Arts Cyndi has just finished up a floral necklace that features fabric!

Barbe Saint John - New Treasures from Forgotten Artifacts Putting out the call for Steampunk art!

Art Bead Scene Art beads don't have to be round, they can be toggles too!

About.com Jewelry Making Where do you create your jewelry and other crafts? Show, tell, and look at some great craft spaced created by other designers.

A Bead A Day Give (inexpensive) beads a chance! Oh, the variety you can find at the craft store!

Your Favorite Beading Trends

I've been getting a lot of questions about trends lately, so I thought I'd put the same questions to you, dear readers. What trends do you see as growing or diminishing in popularity? Which ones are your favorites?

Leave a comment and be entered in a chance to win Jean Campbell's excellent (and timely!) new book, Steampunk Style Jewelry.


Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Wire is a hot category right now. Will it continue to grow as more people get hooked on wire and introduced to working with metals?
  
  
• Filigree and Steampunk are both still popular looks and are supported by the romantic/vintage trends in fashion jewelry.
  
  
• Hand-beaded elements are popular in fashion jewelry, ie. beaded bails, seed bead rings, etc.
  
  
• Altered Scrabble tiles, Ranger's alcohol inks and resin bezels feed the Mixed Media trend.

I'll collect comments for one week, then a name will be randomly selected. Check back here to see if you've won.

Eggstra Special Project

Wishing you a rejuvenating Easter, Passover or other Springtime celebration!

This is an economical project that you can use as a decoration year after year. (You may remember these from my post last year.) It's also another one of those beady things that's easy to do in front of a movie, as long as it doesn't have subtitles!

If you want to try your hand at making some beaded eggs, I recommend starting with:

• a blank Styrofoam egg
• pre-strung seed beads
  
• thick craft adhesive such as The Ultimate glue or Gorilla Glue
  
• hard beading needle or thin sewing needle
• popsicle stick

Use a popsicle stick to smear glue over one end of the egg and press the end of a seed bead strand into the glue. Shape the beaded strand into a coil. Don't worry if the beads don't completely cover the end of the egg. You can fill it in with single beads later.

Wind the beaded strand around the egg, adding more glue sections as you go along. When you reach the end of the strand, just add the beginning of the next strand. If the knotted thread ends show, you can trim them off after the glue dries and glue a single seed bead there to fill the spot. Alternatively, you can use a needle to press the knotted end into the Styrofoam.

Continue smearing glue and wrapping the beaded strands around the egg until you reach the other end of the egg. Coil the end of the strand as tightly as possible and then cut off any extra thread. If necessary, go back and glue a few beads inside the coils on the top and bottom of the egg.

New Look for Spring

If you aren't subscribing to my blog in a reader, then you've probably noticed the new banner at the top of the page. More changes are coming soon...new links, more videos, more beading tips, etc. Spring is always a good time to shake it up a little!

I've made a few changes to my website's shopping page, too, so stop by and take a look. Highlights include Beads, Baubles & Jewels series 1000 on DVD with free shipping and a new collection of "just for fun" beading books (while they last)!

As always, thanks for reading!