More Bracelets!

So, our babysitter comes over the other day and announces that she and her girlfriends are going shopping for bracelets to wear in a wedding this weekend. Hold the phone! I sweep her into my studio and we whip up these quick, wire-wrapped bracelet bangles using SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS in the wedding colors...peridot, fuchsia and Montana blue.

I love this technique because it's so simple and it can go so many different ways. The wire-wrapped bracelets can be a colorful and funky, like these, or classic with a monochromatic metallic palette. She and I agreed that the silver Artistic Wire makes the crystals pop on the hematite-color bangles.

Maybe it's because I have wire and crystals on the brain (I'm proofreading my forthcoming book: Live Wire Jewelry) but we made all five of these in less than half an hour! I love custom wedding jewelry because it makes such a nice memento, too.

My Favorite Bracelets

This bracelet is dear to my heart for the simple reason that these are my first ever lampworked beads! I took a class several years ago and can totally see how people get addicted to that three dimensional form of color play. (You'll notice I stuck to my go-to palette.)

The beads aren't anywhere near perfect but I wear them with pride. I worked hard for those little babies! I strung them onto uber flexible Beadalon 49 with little black spacers in-between, added a clasp and called it good.

Read more about favorite bracelets in the new eMag from Interweave Press: Everyday Bracelets

CHA or Bust!

I'm off to the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Summer Conference & Trade Show. It's held annually in Rosemont, Illinois, and is the big summer event for the craft industry. I'm helping Julianna Hudgins with her workshop on Monday evening and will teach a workshop of my own on Tuesday evening. I'll also be demonstrating a variety of techniques using Artistic Wire in the Beadalon booth. If you're attending the show, please stop by!

Here are a few crafty TV shows to get you in the mood. Get that DVR ready...

• Beads, Baubles & Jewels, of course
  
• It's Sew Easy
  
• Hands on Crafts for Kids with Kathie Stull and Candie Cooper
• Crafting at the Spotted Canary with Joy Macdonnell
• Knitting Daily with Eunny Jang, Shay Pendray and Kristin Omdahl
• Quilting Arts with Pokey Bolton
• Around the House with Matt & Shari
• Bake Decorate Celebrate! with Nancy Siler and Beth Madland
• Scrapbook Memories now Scrapbook Soup with Julie McGuffee and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Beads, Baubles & Jewels Update

We just finished filming the next series (1500) for Beads, Baubles & Jewels. These shows will start airing nationwide in the fall. You can't believe how much work goes into each episode! But I have to say, I absolutely love it. It's a great opportunity to share ideas from some amazingly talented people and it has been really fun to hear your feedback here and on our Facebook page.

We have a super line-up for this series, with new faces and regular guests, too. Top 10 Instructor in the nation Sherry Serafini stops by with two techniques and a quick chat and Mark Nelson returns with some metalsmithing ideas that I can't wait to try. I'll be sharing more about our guests and their projects as the airing date draws closer.

Here's a screen shot of Kristal Wick and me on the set. Doesn't Kristal just glow? And, I love the background panels that regular guest Mary Hettmansperger created for our redesign.

We had a great group of guests everyday - I wish I'd taken photos of everyone! Here's a fun pic of Linda Hartung, Kristal Wick, Candie Cooper, Dale Nicholson, Leslie Rogalski and me. (The pink flamingo was bestowed upon me by my daughter when I left for the filming. She calls it a pink emu and said it should be my mascot.)

Cheers to you! Thanks for watching the show. You can find Beads, Baubles & Jewels on your local public television station by entering your zip code here:
http://beadsbaublesandjewels.com/getlistings.php

Series 1400 is currently airing and series 1500 will start in the fall. Projects, links to resources and videos are all available for free at BeadsBaublesandJewels.com.