Table of contents for June 2017 in Bead&Button

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much time and effort goes into beadwork. Depending upon the complexity of the piece, the size of the beads, whether or not you’re starting from an existing design or are creating from square one, a beaded creation can take hours, days, or even weeks to complete. No one knows this better, of course, than our BeadDreams competitors, who will have their amazing works on display at the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee this June. I know not everyone can come for the Show and for some it is an eternal “bucket list” item, but if you are planning to join us, I know you’ll have a blast. With classes, exhibits, a fabulous marketplace, a lively party, and much more, it is a cornerstone…

Dragons, Crystals, & Chainmaille By Jane Danley Cruz Explore the world of medieval style jewelry designed for any skill level. Jane uses a wide variety of techniques including stitching, stringing, wirework, kumihimo, and chainmaille, and utilizes many products like leather, chain, cord, beads, and stones to create more than 30 one-of-a-kind projects. The book is divided into sections that include brooches and accessories, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, with plenty of photos and detailed instructions to guide you through each project. Jane’s book is sure to spark your imagination and take you on a journey with medieval inspired jewelry. Kalmbach Books ISBN: 978-1-62700-400-8 EISBN: 978-1-62700-401-5 JewelryandBeadingStore.com Beautiful Beadweaving By Isabella Lam Isabella Lam’s debut book is filled with 25 elegant projects that feature bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, and offer something for…

Spring waltz A beautiful palette of soft purples, greens, and yellows is the perfect way to express the emergence of the spring flora. This flourishing necklace started with a netted base to which I attached a bevy of both stitched and glass flowers and a profusion of gemstone chips and beads. Albina Polyanskaya Kharkiv, Ukraine beads.com.ua Crazy component statement necklace The lively focal piece of this necklace is actually seven separate components connected together. I used a wide range of bead types, including daggers, pyramids, tiles, SuperDuos, rivolis, dentelles, Luna Soft cabs, fire-polished beads, druks, pearls, seed beads, and cylinder beads. A unifying color palette of fuchsia, silver, and turquoise pulls the design together. Melissa Grakowsky Shippee Mansfield Center, Connecticut store.mgsdesigns.net Petal pearl paradise About two years ago, I became…

QQ: What is the difference between using a disk and a marudai? A Most kumihimo braids can be made either using a foam disk or a Japanese style marudai. There are, however, some major differences between these two pieces of equipment. COST For students just learning kumihimo the disk is usually the best introduction since the investment is a few dollars compared to $125 or more for a marudai and the related equipment, like tama and counterweights. LEARNING Most people can master a disk simply by reading the instructions, using one of the many free online courses or by taking a short class at a local store. The marudai, on the other hand, will require a more comprehensive course of study. There are several DVDs for purchase but not much…

DIFFICULTY tubular peyote / CRAW / square stitch BEZEL How to pick up the crescent beads: With the tips of the crescent pointing toward you on your bead mat, pick up the crescent through the left hole (LH) or the right hole (RH). 1) On comfortable length of thread, work a cubic right-angle weave unit using 12 color A 110 seed beads, and leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Continue to work CRAW units to form a tube of 17 units. End and add thread throughout the beadwork as needed. 2) Using As, connect the ends of the CRAW tube to form a ring with a total of 18 CRAW units, making sure the tube is not twisted. 3) Sew through the beadwork to exit an inside-edge A with the…

DIFFICULTY bead weaving BRACELET How to pick up the Ava beads: Sew through the hole on the point of the bead (PH), the hole on a tip entering from the outside edge (TO), or the hole on a tip entering from the inside edge (TI), per the instructions. 1) Attach a 5 mm jump ring to the loop of a toggle ring. 2) On 2 yd. (1.8 m) of thread, pick up the jump ring with the attached clasp, four 150 seed beads, an 110 seed bead, an Ava bead (PH), an 110, and four 150s, and tie the working thread and tail together with a square knot, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Continue through the jump ring, first four 150s, 110, and Ava (PH) (figure 1, a–b). 3)…

FOR MORE BEADING TIPS VISIT FacetJewelry.com I cull (and count out if needed) all beads being used, especially making sure that both holes are open in two-hole beads and that broken beads, or those with sharp edges, are discarded. – Joanie Jenniges Be organized. Keep supplies in order and put daily, monthy, and yearly tasks on a schedule. – Dana Rudolph Use tight thread tension so your 3-D projects are done right the first time. – Graziella Malara I cut one long piece of thread and start working from the middle. When the first half ends, I move the needle to the other half, and continue my work. – Margherita Fusco Maintain meticulous storage of beads and tools in order of size, color, and typology. – Debora Hodoyer I store…

Every February, beaders, jewelry-makers, and stonelovers of all stripes descend upon Tucson, Arizona, for the Tucson Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Showcase, a citywide festival of rocks, minerals, and much, much more. Actually an assortment of more than 40 shows in dozens of locations, this is the place to go early every year to see new products and learn about upcoming trends. Which of these trends will you incorporate into your beading this year? Gemstones Rough-cut stones have been gaining in popularity for the past few years and this year the trend continues. Singleand double-terminated quartz points, both un-drilled and drilled, were especially prominent. Many gemstones were electroplated, usually in gold, for extra panache. Druzies also continue to be popular, both in beads and in cabochon-style cuts. And while natural cuts…

We invite you to participate in our monthly design challenge! Create or 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 the Facet website. MAY, 2017: HEROES AND VILLAINS In the midst of the battle between good and evil, we still need to look fabulous. Spin a stunning web of wire, or fashion cuffs befitting an Amazon princess. Bead all in black, or channel positive energy from a crystal. Have fun and support your favorite franchise with your jewelry designs during May! JUNE, 2017: UPCYCLED Make something beautiful out of something discarded. Reinvent a broken piece of vintage jewelry, or turn a piece of scrap metal into a fabulous brooch.…

the term “ceramic” refers to the entire family of items made from clay or clay-like substances that are then fired in a kiln, and includes porcelain and raku, two types of pottery you’ll encounter frequently in the bead world. Clay and other ceramics have been used to make beads for thousands of years, beginning with faience, a non-clay ceramic used in Mesopotamia approximately 5000 years ago. Ceramics are durable, can range in style from earthy to refined and sophisticated, and work well in all sorts of jewelry. TERMINOLOGY Earthenware is the most porous and most common type of clay available. It contains iron oxide, so it usually appears brown, red, gray, or greenish in its raw state. When fired, it can be red, tan, brown, or black. The surface of…

DIFFICULTY right-angle weave SINGLE-ROW BRACELET 1) On a comfortable length of thread, pick up a 3 x 4 mm rondelle, an 110 seed bead, an O-bead, a SuperUno bead, an O-bead, and an 110 twice. Sew through the beads again to form a ring, leaving an 8-in. (20 cm) tail, and continue through the first rondelle (figure 1). 2) Pick up a 150 seed bead, a 3 mm pearl, and a 150, cross the opening diagonally, and sew through the opposite rondelle, going in the same direction (figure 2, a–b). Pick up a 150, and sew back through the pearl (b–c). Pick up a 150, and sew through the rondelle your thread exited at the start of this step (c–d). Continue through the next six beads to exit the opposite…

“When I was maybe two-and-a-half years old, we lived in the Monterey Bay [California] area, and we used to go to the beach. My Mom says that I would draw pictures of people in the sand. And one day, an older lady came to watch. She said she was a retired art teacher and that kids my age don’t perceive details like ears and noses. She told my Mom: ‘I think you have an artist in the family’.” Clasmeyer loves to share stories about the pivotal times in his life which led to him becoming an artist. As a child, he was always fascinated with miniatures. He made a tiny miniature golf course where the club was a toothpick and the ball was a BB from his BB gun. Another…

DIFFICULTY herringbone stitch / bead weaving END COMPONENTS 1) On 1½ yd. (1.4 m) of thread, pick up 12 color A 150 seed beads, and tie the beads into a ring with a square knot, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Sew through the first A. 2) Pick up two 110 seed beads, and sew through the next three As in the ring (figure 1, a–b). Repeat this stitch three times to complete the round, and step up through the first 110 added (b–c). 3) Working in herringbone stitch, pick up two 110s, and sew down through the adjacent 110 in the same stack (c–d). Pick up an A, and sew up through the following 110 in the next stack (d–e). Repeat these stitches three times to complete the round,…

DIFFICULTY peyote stitch PEYOTE BAND 1) On a comfortable length of thread, attach a stop bead, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Starting at the upper-right corner of the pattern, pick up 110 cylinder beads for rows 1 and 2: one A, one C, 18 Ds, one C, and one A. 2) Following the pattern or the Word chart (get it at FacetJewelry.com/resourceguide), work in flat even-count peyote stitch using the appropriate color cylinders. End and add thread as needed while you stitch, and end the working thread and tail when you complete the band. CLASP Add a new 1-ft. (30 cm) thread to one end of the beadwork, and exit the third up-bead from the edge that ends with an up-bead (figure 1, point a). Pick up a 4…

BUTTONS GALORE If you love buttons, be sure to head to Appleton, Wisconsin, this August for the National Button Society’s annual conference. Running August 6–12 at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, this year’s gathering will include membership meetings, button competitions, and a marketplace featuring literally millions of buttons, including rare antiques, artisan buttons, and much more. Learn more at nationalbuttonsociety.org. Rise Up for the Fallen A traveling exhibit of international bead work is currently on tour at locations throughout North America. “Walk With Our Sisters” is a Commemorative Art Installation for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women of Canada and the USA. The artwork showcases intricatelydetailed moccasin tops, which are intentionally not sewn into shoes to symbolize the unfinished lives of murdered and missing women. More than 200 individuals from…

Q I absolutely detest ending and adding thread while working on a project so I tend to use really long threads. Problem is, they get tangled and knotted easily. Do you have any advice? A Most beaders share your lack of enthusiasm for adding new thread. But, pulling an extra long thread through beads requires more time than it does to add new thread. At the same time, as thread passes through the beads it may be slightly abraded and therefore weakened. So, how do I add thread? I use the following methods for Fireline, Nymo, and most threads. First, when I have about three to four inches of thread left on the needle, I stop to add more thread. I leave the existing thread on the needle so that…

Soli Rojas KALEIDOSCOPE metals winner • “Fabiola” • Stamped silver ring with fire opal cabochon. Sarah Toussaint KALEIDOSCOPE stitching winner • “Rainbow Kaleidocycle Bangle” • Miyuki Delica cylinder beads form 40 peyote stitch triangles that are joined together to form a bangle with changing patterns. Robin Gower SOLSTICE beading winner • “Northern Dawn” • Bead embroidery featuring a labradorite cabochon, seed beads, pearls, and crystals. Susan Cologne SOLSTICE reader’s choice winner • “Under the Solstice Moon” • Cellini spiral neckpiece made of seed beads in multiple sizes with a wirework setting cradling a rabbit focal bead.…

DIFFICULTY bead weaving FRONT BEZEL 1) On 7 ft. (2.1 m) of thread, pick up a repeating pattern of two color A SuperDuos and one 110 seed bead 15 times. Tie a square knot to form a ring, and sew through the open hole of the first A (figure 1, a–b). 2) Pick up an 80 seed bead, and sew through the open hole of the next two As (b–c). Repeat this stitch 14 times to complete the round, and sew through the first 80 added (c–d). 3) Pick up an A and three 110s, sew through the open hole of the same A, and continue through the next 80 (d–e). Repeat this stitch 14 times to complete the round, and sew through the first SuperDuo and two 110s added…

DIFFICULTY right-angle weave BASE 1) On a comfortable length of conditioned thread, pick up four 60 Baroque seed beads. Tie a square knot, and sew through the first three beads again to form a ring (figure 1, a–b). 2) Working in right-angle weave (RAW), pick up three 60s, and sew through the 60 your thread exited at the start of this step. Continue through the first two 60s just added (b–c). Continue working in RAW to add two more stitches using a tight tension, but sew through only one bead instead of two for the last stitch (c–d). 3) To add more rows, pick up three 60s, and sew through the 60 your thread is exiting in the previous row. Sew through the three 60s just added and next edge…

DIFFICULTY peyote stitch NAUTILUS EARRING 1) On a comfortable length of thread, leave an 18-in. (46 cm) tail, and pick up one color A 150 seed bead, 15 color B 150 seed beads, and five As (figure 1, a–b). These 21 beads will shift to form rows 1 and 2 as the next row is added. End and add thread as needed. 2) Work in flat odd-count peyote stitch as follows: Row 3: Work 10 peyote stitches using two As and eight Bs (b–c). Row 4: Work seven peyote stitches using one B per stitch (figure 2, a–b). Tendril 2: Pick up six As, skip the last three As, and sew back through the next A (b–c). Work one peyote stitch using an A (c–d). NOTE The first “tendril” is…

DIFFICULTY bead weaving PENDANT How to pick up the two-hole cabochons: With the dome facing up and the holes running vertically, pick up the cabochon through the left hole. How to pick up the Arcos beads: Sew through the center and end holes, entering from the inside edge (IE) or the outside edge (OE). 1) On 7 ft. (2.1 m) of thread, pick up a repeating pattern of two MiniDuos and an 110 seed bead six times, and sew through the beads again, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Continue through the first two MiniDuos and the open hole of the second MiniDuo (figure 1, a–b). End the tail thread. 2) Pick up a MiniDuo, and sew through the open hole of the next MiniDuo (b–c). Pick up an 80…

complex and treacherous like the myriad folds on the surface of the 14-pound baroque pearl, so too are the tales surrounding the famed Pearl of Allah, otherwise known as the Pearl of Lao Tzu. Though at the center of numerous legends, the true history behind the Pearl remains elusive. THE RECOUNTED HISTORY The first story of its origins takes place in 1934 off the coast of Palawan, an island in the Philippines, where a young diver is said to have died after he got caught in the cockles of a great tridacna gigas clam. After divers recovered the clam and its victim, the chief of the native tribe called the pearl “The Pearl of Allah” because the odd shape of the gem looked like a turbaned Muhammad. According to the…