Thursday, May 19, 2011

Toggle Necklace & Monthly Kit Club Update

It's hard to believe we're already into the second year of Katie's Jewelry Personal Shopper, the subscription kit club that I design each month for Paper Wishes. It has been a fun, creative challenge to come up with interesting kits every month!

My friend Cindy is a member and she told me that she uses her subscription as a creative kickstart. It's her reminder to sit down and make something. I love that!

One of my favorite design tricks is placing the clasp in the front. This toggle necklace is super simple but it features shades of amethyst, violet opal and AB crystal SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, so it packs a sparkly punch.

Check out the past kits, see inside this month's kit, and learn more about Katie's Jewelry Personal Shopper - I guarantee you'll see some fun ideas and get those creative juices flowing!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Free Jewelry Pattern: Fairytale Collection

What a nice surprise to open the newest beading magazine to hit my mailbox and see a Beadalon ad featuring my Fairytale Collection! (Click the link for complete instructions.) The beaded flower technique is one that people email me about a lot, so it was on my mind when I made this necklace. The muted colors in this design really appeal to me: pale aqua and freshwater pearls go together like coffee and chocolate (yum!), in my opinion.

Click the Fairytale Collection link for complete instructions. I hope things are starting to bloom in your neighborhood!

Monday, May 09, 2011

Beads, Baubles & Jewels New Episodes


The new 1400 series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels is starting to air on public television stations nationwide. Our theme for the season is "Assembling the Elements" and we have great guests, projects and techniques to share. It's my second season as host! We're already planning the next one, so it's especially fun to see everyone's enthusiasm about the series right now. Here are some important links: