Katiedids™ on the cover of BeadStyle

Woo hoo! I'm so thrilled that my project made the cover of the BeadStyle July issue, which hits newsstands on June 1. The colors were inspired by the view from my window: grass and wheat under a blue sky. The pendant is from my new Katiedids™ Creative Components collection. Ask for them at your favorite bead store or place an order on my SHOP page.

I'm honored to be a part of this edition that the editors are calling their "All-Star" issue. It's the first time BeadStyle has commissioned specific projects from designers. Several of us belong to a bead blogging group, so you've seen their links here before. Be sure to check out this issue to see everyone's beautiful and inspiring contributions!

The All-Star issue includes creations by:
· Rupa Balachandar - inspired by India
· Jess DiMeo and Leah Hanoud - inspired by Cape Cod
· Monica Han - inspired by Asia
· Linda Arline Hartung - inspired by California
· Catherine Hodge - inspired by Michigan
· Irina Miech - inspired by Milwaukee
· Judy Payne - inspired by Iowa
· Heather Powers - inspired by San Antonio
· Tammy Powley - inspired by South Florida
· Kim St. Jean - inspired by South Carolina
· Brenda Schweder - inspired by Milwaukee
· Jean Yates - inspired by New York

Love Gunmetal?

I just received some samples of Beadalon's new Kink Free Ti wire and I've been playing around with circles and other effects that exploit its super flexibility. I guess I'm into the cascading, layered look lately!

What I want to know is, how do you feel about gunmetal? I'm loving all of the copper, gunmetal and other alternatives to straightforward silver and gold that are cropping up. How do you rate it? Leave a comment sharing your thoughts and you'll be entered in a giveaway for a fun chain goodie package!

Katiedids™ with Beadweaving

Oh, such a busy week! The Bead & Button Show is coming soon and I am STILL working on my kits.

In the name of procrastination, I thought I'd share these earrings. I made these herringbone tubes a while ago as part of an experiment for another project. They've been sitting around on my desk awaiting their true purpose ever since. (Sound familiar?)

Today, I cut the tubes to size, glued the threads, and placed the tubes inside my Katiedids™ 19.5mm rectangular components. Then, I threaded eye pins through the rectangles and made large loops to attach these sparkly heliotrope crystal crosses. The earring findings are round hinge-backs from Beadalon's new catalog 30.

P.S. Are you my fan on Facebook? I'd love it if you'd join my group for updates and discussion of our favorite beading techniques, new product info and more!

New Video! All About Bead Frames

As you probably already know, I love bead frames! Watch this video for some of my favorite examples and get new ideas for using them in your jewelry designs. For more information about the bead frames shown here, check out Katie's Finds in the June/July issue of Beadwork magazine.

Linky Love

Modern Expressions Fernando creates a necklaced inspired by Frida Kahlo.

The Impatient Crafter Take a sneak peek at Margot's new book: Bead Chic!

The Savvy Crafter Candie turns old brooches into pendants. Check 'em out.

Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi uses some amazing digital images to create a new resin filled bezel necklace.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie starts production for the Bead & Button Show and has studio pictures to prove it!

Humblebeads Heather shares some sketches of possible designs.

A Bead A Day Creating jewelry for special vacations can help you look forward to upcoming trips and keep the memories fresh afterward.

Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene has a new look and some new opportunities to get involved. Come see!

Beading Arts Rubber glass? Rubber glass?!? What the heck is rubber glass?

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva Check out the new beads on Cindy's site - Turquoise Sky!

Strands of Beads Melissa shows off new designs using cool skull beads and charms from Rings & Things.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew hosts another Thursday Giveaway! This time, the prize comes courtesy of Natural Touch Beads! Find out how you can win some awesome resin jewelry components!

Snap out of it, Jean!There's beading to be done! Jean reviews Kate McKinnon's inspiring new book, Sculptural Metal Clay Jewelry, with DVD included!

Beading Daily Q&A

Today's Beading Daily post is an interview between Jean Campbell and yours truly and features the above video from the new series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels. See the full post here: Meet the New Host of Beads, Baubles & Jewels.

I loved the Q&A because Jean writes just like she talks and she is an insightful person with a fun sense of humor. A few of Jean's questions didn't make it into the post because of space constraints, so you guys are getting a sneak peek!

Q: Do you get nervous and faint like I do when I'm in front of a camera?
A: You fainted? I didn't know that! The first time I went the studio, I had to hide out in the bathroom and give myself a pep talk to keep from throwing up before taping. I still get nervous, but not like that. My heart pounds a little bit when they countdown to each take. I just take a deep breath and try to remember to smile.

Q: I don't know that many people who have appeared in People magazine. And no one that's appeared in People Style Watch...until your necklace showed up recently in an ad! What did that feel like?
A: So exciting! I would love for one of my jewelry designs to appear in the editorial pages someday, but the ad was pretty darn great. I ran out to purchase a copy the very day that it appeared on the newsstand.

Q: Tell us about your latest book, Katie's Beading Secrets. What's in it? And come on...tell us your favorite secret.
A: Katie's Beading Secrets is full of projects that beaders can make in an evening and wear the next day. Each design includes a variation to show how the same pattern looks very different when you use different beads, along with other tips for building or varying the design. One of my favorite secrets is overcoming designer's block by imagining a piece of jewelry that my sister or a friend would like to wear.

Get Crafty This Month

The June issue of Crafts 'n Things is hitting newsstands and mailboxes now! Dive inside for a variety of fun, crafty ideas including my Jitterbug Necklace shown here. It features a whimsical, wire-wrapped crystal bug at the center of braided beading wire from the Beadalon Metallic Colors Variety Pack.

Other projects in this garden-themed issue include vintage style jewelry, sumptuous floral arrangements, chic pillows, creative clay pots, knit and crochet accessories, gourmet and spa gift sets and much more! Whether you need a quick gift, budget-friendly spruce-ups, or ideas for repurposing flea market finds, you’ll find oodles of inspiration in this issue.

Gray for Day, Silver for Night

Here's a peek at my necklace that appears in a Beadalon-sponsored Michael's ad in this month's People Style Watch. I took my inspiration from the layered chain looks that are everywhere in fashion and focused on a gray and silver palette that could turn a simple daytime outfit into a dressy evening ensemble.

To create the design, I started with the connected hematite rings as the foundation of the necklace. From there, it was all about building texture and layers from the center toward the ends. I'd usually be tempted to scale it back, but in this case, more is more! I kept adding lengths of chain, beaded strands and beaded eye pins until the design looked really dense and drapey.

Click here for the complete instructions.