Bead&Button April 2019

We’re excited to start a new chapter with Bead&Button by welcoming our new Assistant Editor, Katie M. Salatto (image, right). We’re proud to have her on our team and look forward to the contributions and fresh ideas she will bring to the magazine. You can learn more about her and the entire staff at FacetJewelry.com/BeadAndButton. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see your original design published in Bead&Button? I can tell you first hand, it’s very exciting! I had my first design published in 2011, and I still remember the elation of being accepted. It’s very easy to submit your original designs, and because we publish your website information along with the article, it can be a great way to elevate traffic to your website or Etsy…

WHAT’S HAPPENING Celebrate Earth Day with Swarovski When you think of Swarovski, you might conjure images of glistening crystals. What you may not know is that Swarovski has a passion for sparkling, clean water, too. In 2000, the king of crystals established Swarovski Waterschool, reaching half-a-million young people worldwide with online resources, field trips, and hands-on educational workshops. Last year, Swarovski partnered with UCLA to create a documentary entitled “Waterschool.” The film, which launched on Netflix last summer, follows six girls living along the Amazon, Nile, Mississippi, Danube, Ganges, and Yangtze rivers as they learn about water, community, and sustainability. It’s the perfect background movie to have on the TV as you bezel with your crystals on Earth Day. Learn more about the family-run Austrian crystal manufacturer at swarovskigroup.com. Since we are sharing B&B memories…

GILDED GOODIES The new Opulence collection from Tierra-Cast is sure to bring a luxurious feel to your work. Inspired by the grandeur of the Byzantine Empire, these gilded components are lead-free and available in two colorways: antique silver and antique gold. Choose from magnetic clasps, teardrop beads, charms, post and clip earrings, and a cross pendant, which consists of more than 120 individual design elements. Ask your local bead store if they carry the TierraCast Opulence collection, and have fun adding a medieval spirit to your work. BEADS & FINDINGS FRESH BEADS The new Samos par Puca beads feature two holes and add a smooth appearance to your work. These 5 x 7 mm beads are currently available in more than 40 colors and finishes and feature a flat bottom with rounded top. Be…

If you’re a bead lover who is a member of a bead society, you’re lucky. Bead societies, whether formal or informal, large or small, give members an opportunity to come together with others who have the same passion to learn from and be inspired by one another. IN THE BEGINNING The oldest U.S. bead society, The Bead Society of Los Angeles, was established in 1975. At the time of its founding, a wealth of trade beads were coming into the Los Angeles area. A group of 15 bead enthusiasts decided they wanted to share their research and display their collections. Membership was open to all, and the group soon attracted knowledgeable members. In 1985, they hosted the First International Bead Conference to mark their tenth anniversary. Today they are simply called The…

Susan Calhoun • DIAMONDS AND TEARDROPS Winner • “Malachite Teardrop” • Malachite cabochon set in a peyote bezel surrounded by bead embroidery, with seed beads and Swarovski pearls and bicones. Rhonda Chase • DIAMONDS AND TEARDROPS Winner • “The Loveliest Teardrop” • This pendant, with an Art-Nouveau flavor, uses a druzy teardrop as the focal and incorporates several metals, accent gemstones, and crystals. Frances Lediaev • DIAMONDS AND TEARDROPS Winner • “Purple Rhapsody” • Made from a chrysanthemum teardrop bead, repurposed vintage earrings and brooch, green and gold wire, a copper frog, green flowers, and Czech rondelles. Susan Cologne • SPARKLING SILVER Reader’s Choice Winner • “Fantasia in Silver” • A rhinestone pavé lily brooch is the centerpiece made from silver bullion thread, silver-lined crystal seed beads, and Swarovski crystal rondelles. View them all on >> FacetJewelry.com…

We invite you to participate in our monthly Facet Design Challenge! Create and share an original design that fits the monthly theme. If your piece is chosen as a winner, it may be featured here in the magazine as well as on our website, FacetJewelry.com. March 2019: MAKE YOUR OWN BEADS Polymer, metal clay, peyote, or pearl. Bejeweled, bedazzled, smooth, or textured. For the month of March, we want you to play around with patterns, textures, colors, shapes, and sizes with your beads. Design a focal bead or custom centerpiece for your next jewelry endeavor, and show us how you used it! At the end of the month, we’ll have a slideshow featuring your unique creation. April 2019: FLORAL AND FANCY April showers bring May flowers is the saying, but why wait until May?…