Category: Tips & Techniques

Inspiration Projects, Project of the Week, Tips & Techniques

Project of the Week – Finishing Beadwork using French Wire

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Do you have difficulties finishing off beadwork and trying to attach it to a clasp? Have you tried French Wire? As a seed beader, I sometimes find it challenging to finish off a bracelet in a fine, less ‘rustic’, way. I don’t like stitching a clasp directly to my beadwork; if the thread breaks or I want to change the clasp, I need to cut and restitch the beadwork – something I don’t want to do! Typically I add loops of beads to the beadwork edge and attach the clasp using jump rings. Unfortunately, the finished look can be a …

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

Transformation Necklace

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by Anne Marie Desaulniers Inspiration came in a flash for this one, and the results totally transformed a fairly simple bead. Brushed Silver Beads have been a constant at BeadFX for quite a while, but I never considered working with them. However, the possibilities are endless, when you consider embellishing them. That’s what this project is all about. It is going to be light on instructions, but heavy on imagination and creativity. I will tell you how to make one bead, then it will be your task to decide on the length of your necklace. Mine ended up as 39” …

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

Link Bead Necklace

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Had some inquiries about the Link Bead necklace that I tossed a picture of up on Facebook.     The pattern for a bracelet is here: http://blog.johnbead.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Link-bead-LR-copy.pdf The pattern for the bracelet calls for 3 x 24 beads, and says it is 8.5 inches, but figure a part of that is the clasp – so say the bead portion is 7 inches, if you wanted to do a 21 inch necklace – then you would need about 225 beads. A tube is about 40 beads. The necklace is an ombre effect, shading from white to clear to cream to antiqued …

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

Swarovski Launch – Just one more

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Theses are the videos that I couldn’t get to upload last night. Some of them are as long as 30 seconds! The video shows the sparkle much better. We could make some assumptions that the appeal of Swarovski comes from movement – that static pictures alone do not do it justice. Hope you get some inspiration from these!  

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

A Sneak Peek at the New Swarovski Update – Part 3

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Ok – here we go with part 3 of impressions and tidbits from the Swarovski launch. Next up is the “Metallic Cap Pendant.” This is a pear-shaped drop bead, with a light chrome effect on a large portion of the pendant, over about 1/3 of the top, giving it the appearance of having a metallic bead cap custom fitted. The coating is just on one side, so it looks a bit more ethereal from the back. Still cool, however. Currently – just in Lt Chrome, nothing in gold. Now here’s a thing that has some cool potential. The pointed chaton, …

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

A Sneak Peek at the New Swarovski Update – Part 2

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continued … A new shape in the fancy rhinestones. This is the Imperial cut – which is based on the (fairly) famous Asscher diamond cut. Famous to folks who go around remembering the names of diamond cuts, that is. Here you can see that Swarovski is inspired to create cuts to represent all the famous traditional – and some of the new – diamond cuts. While you aren’t likely to get yourself Swarovski stones for a wedding ring – there is no reason why you can’t have a really nice cocktail ring without breaking the bank. Maybe cocktail ring needs …

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

A Sneak Peek at the New Swarovski Update – Fall/Winter 2018/2020 – Part 1

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We got our sneak peak at the new Swarovski products that are coming up. This will be the Winter 2019 collection – because they are always a year ahead. This gives the designers time to get stuff made and out there and be on trend.   I apologize for the photography – I shot this on my phone in a darkened conference room. Some are photos of the powerpoint slides, so the perspective is a little skewed. The actual Swarovski images will come along soon enough – along with the actual products, which aren’t even here yet – so this …

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

Test Results – Firing the new Lab Created Gems

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At the beginning of August – we added some Lab Created Gems for use in Metal Clay. A couple of the gals here who work with metal clay extensively wanted to double check that the stones would handle the heat without significant colour change. To test them, they were placed into a kiln and fired, without being embedded in metal clay. For the first firing, the gems were placed into a cold kiln. Ramp rate (speed of temperature increase) was set to full (as fast as the kiln will go), the temperature was set to 1650 degrees Fahrenheit (the hottest …

Inspiration Projects, Tips & Techniques

#stretchybraceletobsession

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We’ve had so many requests for these instructions – that I’m posting them here again! How about Stretchy Bracelets! Those of you following us on instagram and facebook may have observed that I have something of a #braceletobsession. I’ve been making bracelets on elastic, and wearing them stacked. Ive been finding this a good way to justify my even older obsession with stone beads! You can use them by themselves, add an accent bead in metal or even lampwork, or add a tassel or charm dangle. Make a bunch ? they are fun and relaxing to make and wear! Making …