One Knot, Many Jewelry Making Possibilities

Poetry in Spiced Chocolate
Project by Janice Parsons ~ Sample by Beckie Ten Eyck

The square knot is one of the most common macrame knots. Even if you have never attempted macrame before, more than likely you are familiar with this knot because it is often used for other purposes than making macrame jewelry. However, if you haven't mastered the square knot, it might be time to give it a try because it will open up so many jewelry making opportunities for you. 

Beadshop has simplified how-to instructions for How to Macrame, and it focuses on the basic square knot. Once you have acquired this macrame technique, you are ready to use it on some beautiful beaded jewelry designs. Here are just a few of the free projects on Beadshop.com that incorporate the square knot.

Make some amazing Poetry jewelry pieces, which are primarily made up of macrame square knots, but also include beads, charms, and a button toggle. You can choose an eclectic approach, where the beads used are a mix of your favorites, or go with the classic take on this design, where only pearls are used in the finished piece. Poetry in Spiced Chocolate (pictured above) is an example of eclectic, and Poetry in Blush (pictured below) is classic, with loads of lovely pearl beads. 

Poetry in Blush
Project and Sample by Janice Parsons

Born Yesterday is a necklace design that uses stations of square knots between gemstone beads. Life Partners has Mahogany Obsidian 8mm and Poppy Jasper Rice Beads. The beads are strung on C-Lon, and square knots are formed in between the beads.

Life Partners
Project and Sample by Janice Parsons

As with any new technique, mastering the square knot may take some practice before you are ready to take on a large jewelry project. However, once you get the basics down, you will find it useful and fairly easy to do. 

FB LIVE Across Cultures Necklace Ingredients list. PLUS Free Tip Friday 7.28.17

Hey all!
We updated this post to include the info from Free Tip Friday on 7.28.17. You all loved the necklace so much, that Kate added more learning for this project during the broadcast.  The additional ingredients that she used are listed below with the original list. The Free Tip Friday broadcast will be embedded below as soon as it is available.

Thanks for watching our FB LIVE broadcast on Across Cultures from 7/19/17.

As promised, here is the ingredients list for Kate's Across Cultures, the Necklace version. You can also find more about this project on the FB LIVE page on our website, as well as the episode notes posting 7/24/17.

Across Cultures Ingredients List

• 6-1233 Matte Opaque Mustard 6/0
• 6-4501- Picasso Transparent Saffron 6/0
• Little Shadows- Antique Brass
• Russet Sands
• 4mm- Opaque Yellow-Copper Picasso
• Slice of Life 4 - Brass
• Slice of Life 6 - Brass
• Perfect Pi- Serpentine Earthtones
• I Ching Coins
• Tide's Out- Kelp
• Distressed Gray- 1.5 Indian or
• Brown- 1.0mm Cotton Cord
• Chocolate- 10 Yard 4 Ply Irish Waxed Linen

Additional 6/0 colors from Free Tip Friday

• 6-412FR Turquoise Green AB Matte 6/0
• 6-1240 Matte Opaque Grey 6/0
• 6-1236- Matte Terracotta 6/0

Watch the entire FB LIVE episode below.

Watch the Free Tip Friday Episode below.

New Poetry Projects and Kits!

Firefly Summer Poetry Kit 
Project variation by Kate Richbourg ~ Sample by Grace Noland

Summer kit season is here at Beadshop, and that includes two wonderful new poetry project kits. The Firefly Summer Poetry Kit is hot with bright brass and rainbow colors plus gold-tone findings, charms, and beads. 

Laguna Summer Poetry Kit 
Project variation by Kate Richbourg ~ Sample by Kate Richbourg

Or, you can cool it down with the silver-tone beads and findings as well as Turquoise Czech glass beads that make up the Laguna Summer Poetry Kit. Both new summer kits are available for a limited time, so make sure you don't miss out. By purchasing a kit instead of individually buying each item used for a jewelry piece, you save time as well as money. Normally, all the supplies in both kits would retail for over $40, but each limited edition kit is $28. 

Along with kits, as usual, Beadshop has a page in our Poetry projects area in case you want to use some of your personal stash and just supplement by purchasing what you are missing. Ingredients for each Poetry design are linked and make it easy to add to your cart quickly. Plus, there is a free downloadable how-to handout.

Because of its length - around 27+ inches - the Poetry design can be worn a number of different ways. You can wrap it multiple times around your wrist and wear it as a bracelet, or wear it as a necklace. While it can take a few hours to make, the main technique used is a square knot, which is a common macarme knot, so all level of jewelry makers will be able to find success with this project. 

Time for Tahoe Bracelets

Summer Tahoe- Ocean Breeze
Project by Janice Parsons ~ Sample by Emily Miller 

The Tahoe bracelet project is an old favorite from Beadshop and the most popular selling project as well, so this easy-to-make bracelet project was overdue for a summer makeover. Thanks to Emily and Jen, the original Tahoe designed by Janice has three new looks. You can either use the list of ingredients and how-to information provided for each design provided on Beadshop's Tahoe project page. 

Everything you need to make this bright jewelry piece just screams summertime: The 1.5mm and 1mm leather pieces are a pretty blue color called Seafoam, and an accent of yellow in the form of opaque matte mustard 6/0 seed beads add even more color to this bracelet. The cute copper heart charm shows how much you will love making and then wearing this bracelet. 

Summer Tahoe- Beachfront
Project by Janice Parsons ~ Sample by Emily Miller

Beachfront is another Summer Tahoe design that includes some blue. This time these turquoise colored 6/0 seed beads are also matte and metallic. Silver colored beads, findings, and leather in a metallic pearl complete the bracelet.

Summer Tahoe- Wine Country
Project by Janice Parsons ~ Sample by Jen Tello

If you prefer gold over silver, then Wine Country will be more to your taste. The findings, some of the beads, and clasp are gold-tone. Even the leather is a golden color, called Metallic Champagne. The seed beads, which are an easy to handle size 6/0, are Matte Terracotta. 

During a Beadshop Live Facebook show, Kate and Emily walk you through making a Tahoe bracelet, so you can follow along with them. Additionally, there are detailed episode notes in case you want to skip ahead a little. Tahoe is a simple bracelet to make for anyone who has some beading experience, and for new beaders, you can just slow it down a little as you watch Kate and Emily show you how and learn from their tips along with way. 

Free Tip Friday! Meet Creamsicle... A Perfect Summer Project!

Hey Gang!
Free Tip Friday was a blast today. Thanks to all who joined in and created such a fun community spirit by posting so many fun comments and sharing the video.

This broadcast featured our NEW monthly Seed Bead Mix, Strawberry Lemonade. As some of you may know, I don't prepare too far in advance for these #FTFs for a couple of reasons... one is TIME (never enough hours in the day, right?) But another is spontaneity... I love the rush of creativity that happens when working on a quick deadline. That's really when my designer brain kicks into gear and the ideas start to flow.

This project really was a group effort. Each member of the beadshop.com staff had some input on this one as I sat at the bead table and began the project. Even the name, Creamsicle, was suggested by viewer Kimberly C during the broadcast.  I love the process of collaboration, and this project is definitely the better for it.

Here are the ingredients:

1 Tube Strawberry Lemonade Seed Bead Mix

1 Strand Little Shadows Bright Brass

1 Package Tierra Heishi Bright Gold

1 Spool Popsicle Orange Regular C-Lon 

1 Spool Coral .4mm Chinese Knotting Cord

1 10 Yd Spool Natural Irish Wax Linen

1 Spool Natural 1.0mm Indian Leather

1 Button Dragonfly Pale Pink

For more learning on this project, check out the project handouts for the Odyssey project.

Here are some highlights from the broadcast...

I used almost all the beads in the tube for this 6-strand project.

I added a few silk wrapped accents on the leather strand.

We discussed the possibility of adding Soft Flex to the mix.

And, of course I added a strand of my favorite Little Shadows beads to the design!

Watch the entire broadcast here:

As discussed in the broadcast, I silk-wrapped the button on one side:

And made a macrame loop for the opposite side:

Let me know if you make one of your own... I'd love to see what you make! -Kate

Free Tip Friday! The Many Moods of Thread...

Thanks so much for tuning in to our latest #FreeTipFriday. As promised here are some notes and photos that you might find helpful from the broadcast.

It was fun chatting about our C-Lon, Skinny Thread Collection and Chinese Knotting Cord 

(also known as CKC).

We started off by chatting about Kate & Grace's pieces that both feature our Called Pi piece from Vintage Finds. It's a great centerpiece for both of these designs.

Kate also shared one of her favorite design inspirations... The world of designer Tony Duquette. 

Then Kate explored the "Many Moods of Thread." She created a number of color pallets and discussed how changing up the thread in a piece can really influence the overall look.

She shared some of her favorites. The colors of Regular C-Lon she used were: (Top row from left) Navy, Indigo, Charcoal, Gunmetal, Nickel. (Bottom Row from left) Neon Yellow, Chartreuse, Lemongrass, Antique Gold Golden Olive, Lt. Magenta, Cerise, Chinese Coral, Orchid, Fluorescent Hot Pink.

She also shared a future project that she is working on using Regular C-Lon, a variety of her favorite beads and the Jewel Loom. 

You can see how the different thread colors influence the design.

There are so many threads to choose from. You can find them all in on our website in the Stringing Materials section.

Watch the whole broadcast here and let us know how you like to incorporate thread into your designs.

Button? Who's Got the Button? Beadshop Does!

Czech Glass Buttons

Amazing Czech glass buttons are just some of the new additions you'll find recently added to the Just In area of the Beadshop site. The Czech Republic has a rich history when it comes to artisan glass jewelry components such as beads and buttons, and this new line of glass buttons illustrate why this is still the case today. 

Nature is the overall theme of this collection. Some buttons include pretty golden dragonflies, such as this 18mm aqua colored button with an Aurora Borealis finish. It would make a beautiful finishing touch to an In the Garden wrap bracelet. 

Dragonfly- Aqua AB 18mm Czech Glass Button

This 18mm pink and purple button with a daisy pattern on the front is another special piece. Like the other buttons, it has a metal shank, and of course, keep in mind that these buttons are glass, not resin or plastic, so extra care should be considering when handling them and incorporating them into jewelry designs. 

Daisy- Purple/Pink 18mm Czech Glass Button

Art Nouveau clearly is the influence for this pretty matte-finish glass button. This would look wonderful with vintage pearls.

Tiffany Flower- Matte Amethyst 18mm Czech Glass Button

You never know what you will find in the Just In Beadshop section because Janice and her staff are constantly on the hunt for unique beading supplies. Design inspiration for a jewelry piece can often emerge from one component, and these buttons are so special they might be a good place to start when you want to create a one-of-a-kind necklace or bracelet.