Bead&Button June 2019

Be sure to visit FacetJewelry.com for projects, videos, blogs, galleries, design challenges, and special content just for Bead&Button subscribers! Want to learn more about Adrienne Gaskell? Check out her five-part series on Facet chronicling a Big Kumihimo Adventure that she took in 2016! Our new columnist, Renée Newman, is the author of several books on gems! Visit Facet for a roundup of her titles and an interview with Renée herself. JUNE What do moonstone, alexandrite, and pearls have in common? They have all been designated as birthstones for the month of June! Search for “birthstone” on Facet for articles about the properties (and mystical lore) of these stones, and the birthstones for the other eleven months of the year as well. Visit Bead&Button online at FacetJewelry.com…

Hi, Beaders! It’s Sara, from the Bead&Button Show, here to tell you a little bit about the upcoming 2019 event. The Show is right around the corner, and every year at this time I get giddy about what’s to come: thousands of beaders and jewelry-makers uniting to share the joy of creating and make inspiring jewelry that will last a lifetime. My absolute favorite part of the Bead&Button Show is witnessing beaders, metalsmiths, and glass artists bring their visions to life in the many project- and technique-based classes throughout the week. This June 2–9 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we will look closer at fresh jewelry designs, new techniques, and stunning ideas you can use to make personal keepsakes. This issue spotlights some of the Show’s many instructors, and will give you a feel for…

Society Spotlight WHAT ARE THEY UP TO IN ALASKA? Is your bead society as active as Alaska’s? According to the president of the Alaska Beading Society, Estelita Chiles, “Our society jumped on the carrier bead bandwagon and designed Alaska-inspired bracelets.” Taking cues from the state flower, the forget-me-not, and the northern lights, members collaborated on writing instructions and making colorful kits. To top off their efforts, they taught a forget-me-not bracelet workshop at the Anchorage Museum last October. “The class was a success! Members had so much fun that they are contemplating a future workshop.” The Alaska Beading Society’s monthly meetings feature: hands-on demonstrations, bead swaps, trunk shows, guest lectures and workshops, monthly show-and-tell, and an annual charity auction, to name a few activities. Thanks for the inspiration, Alaska! EVENTS MINNESOTA STATE BUTTON SOCIETY SHOW May…

PRODUCTS Purchase the following beads and findings at your favorite local or online bead shop, unless stated otherwise. BEADS Shelly Shell 2-hole Czech beads will have you feeling beachy keen. They measure 8 mm and come in 12 natural and fanciful colors. Ginko 2-hole beads by Matubo are inspired by the natural curves of the ginkgo leaf. They are 7.5 mm and fit together perfectly side by side. Check out Beadsmith’s Paisley Duo bead patterns. Black-and-white designs in seven pattern options will inspire your imagination. Enjoy the ups and downs of Chevron Duo beads by Beadsmith. These 2-hole zig-zags measure 10 x 4 mm and can be used similarly to the AVA bead, with a slightly less dramatic V-shape. Relish in the ethereal shimmer of Bon Beads celestial glass bead collection. Also experience the substantial look of…

As in fashion, trends in beading come and go. Has anyone made an amulet pouch lately, or a pair of duster earrings? (I’ve just been informed that duster earrings are back, and flooding Pinterest!) Like life these days, things move quickly. And while we love our seed and cylinder beads, we embrace (at least some of us) the new beads and patterns as well. As the song goes: “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold.” Let me tell you some of the highlights of the last 25 years as I recall them. Waves of innovation With the beading basics under our belts, we could move on. The Dutch beader, Gineke Root, published Beaded Jewelry Techniques in 1996. I recall my excitement at the idea of a…

Janice Ferrari • THE TROPICS Reader’s Choice Winner • “Tropical Sea Glass” • Bead embroidery bracelet, featuring sea glass, seed beads, rondelles, a nautilus seashell bead, various gemstones, and metal embellishments. Daryl Adams • THE TROPICS Winner • “Caribbean Queen” • This design features a blue-green Shattuckite heart pendant, a faceted Swiss blue topaz, and both sterling silver and .999 fine silver. Michelle Smith • THE TROPICS Winner • “Dreaming of Coral Seas” • This necklace evokes a dream of a magical time in a tropical destination. It’s made from 8, 11, and 15 seed beads. Talone Higgins • THE TROPICS Winner • “One In One Thousand: Life On The Great Barrier Reef” • This embroidered pendant pays homage to the plight of sea turtles. The design includes a peyote-with-a-twist rope, a peyote bail, and fringe. READY FOR…