Dance of the Damselfly

We all love a good Monthly Mix, don't we? Well, we especially love Alley Mori's mix! Created while she was visiting the Beadshop offices in February 2019, Alley's Kaleidoscope Mix was inspired by a gorgeous Stev'nn Hall piece of art that has been making the rounds in our private FB Group as an inspirational photo.

Alley put Kaleidoscope to work in this latest wrap bracelet masterpiece...adding O Beads, SuperDuos and CzechMates Tiles to round out the mix, this wrap is just heavenly. See more photos and her ingredients list below! We've added some "or" options to the list, since Alley used a button from her own stash and also because some of these items are very popular and are often sold out! Check out these substitutions on Kate's FTF, which we'll embed below after the Live Broadcast airs.

Ingredients:
1 Small to Medium Silver Button, we suggest  Little Fish Pond Button OR Humble Lotus Button
1 Spool Eggplant Micro C-Lon
1 Spool Grape OR Amethyst Micro C-Lon
1 Spool Teal Micro C-Lon
1 Pkg 1.5mm Metallic Maroon Leather
1 Pkg 1.5mm Metallic Purple Leather
1 Pkg 1.5mm Metalic Teal Leather
1 Tube Kaleidoscope Monthly Mix
1 Tube SuperDuos- Pastel Bordeaux OR Halo Magenta
1 Pkg O Beads- Crystal French Rose
1 Pkg O Beads- Crystal Magenta
1 Pkg O Beads- Crystal Cerulean Blue
1 Strand CzechMates Tiles- Pearl Coat Teal
(Are we out? Take a peek at our other Blue-Green CzechMates Tiles or try these colors: Gold Marble Rosaline, Metallic Flax or Matte Metallic Copper)
1 Dragonfly Pebble Bead OR Bali Dancer Slider
2 Jardin Round Rings- Antique Silver
1 Pkg Transitions Beads- Antique Pewter

**FYI, Alley paired her Leathers and Micro C-Lons as follows:
Metallic Maroon with Eggplant
Metallic Purple with Grape or Amethyst
Metallic Teal with Teal

Additional Learning:
How to Ladder
How to Macramé
Alley's Splice, four on Page 13 of these Episode Notes
FTF 4.5.19


Check out how Alley does her "splice" here...this joining of the leather at the middle of a wrap enables her to use lark's head knots at both ends...isn't that clever? Kate shows this more in-depth on the FTF episode linked above and embedded below. Check out these photos from Alley and Kate's broadcast to take a closer look at how this comes together! Note how Alley's splice can be covered by a variety of large-holed beads...in her sample she uses the Dragonfly Pebble Bead, on Kate's it's the Bali Dancer Slider...but you could also use Czech Rollers, Transitions, Evolve, River Shannon, a variety of Sliders...you do you! You can also see, above, how Alley attaches all three of her laddered sections of her Alley Bracelet (AKA Kate's Favorite on Steroids) by tying one strand in a lark's head knot through the button shank and then attaching the other two leathers to that knot itself rather than to the shank, chichis so smart!

Finally, here's the video! Enjoy...

Alley Mori's Maya Mix Necklace

This weekend, as we feature Stones and Tribal together, seemed like the perfect time to showcase Alley's beautiful necklace, based off Janice's Trail's End bracelet design. This piece is truly a work of art, and also a two-for! It can be worn as a necklace or wrapped around your wrist as a bracelet. As usual, Alley's eye for color, design, technique, and her sheer ingenuity are on display. Supplementing our February 2019 Monthly Mix, Maya, are a selection of beautiful semiprecious stones and tribal beads, including heishi, shadows, and more of the Natural Padres found in the mix. Scroll down for the full list of ingredients and techniques used, and please enjoy!

Ingredients List

1 Pkg Sable 1.5mm Indian Leather

1 Spool Gold Fine C-Lon
1 Vintage Finds Pinwheel- Blue Serpentine
1 Strand Popcorn Padres- Natural

1 Strand Matte African Turquoise- 6mm
1 Strand Matte African Turquoise- Large Hole
1 Strand Tribal Heishi- Brass 
1 Strand Shadows- Antique Brass (Bright Brass also works!)
1 Large-hole Serpentine bead (Alley bought hers from one of our Trunk Shows, but any large hole bead will work, it hides the end of the macramé loop) 

1 Tube Maya, February 2018 Monthly Mix, or purchase separately once sold out:

• 8-4481 Duracoat Opaque Eucalyptus
• 8-409- Opaque Chocolate 8/0
• 8-1233 Matte Opaque Mustard
• 8-4202- Duracoat Galvanized Gold 8/0
• 8/0 Metal Seed Beads - Gilding Matte Gold Plate
• 6-135S- Silver Lined Dark Topaz 6/0
• Popcorn Padres Natural

Techniques Used

How to Macrame

Learning the Wall Knot

Alley's closure consists of a loop of leather to secure around her Pinwheel stone. That leather loop is wall-knotted and strung with Padre beads and ended with a large-holed Matte African Turquoise bead and knotted. The tails of the leather are decorated with Padres, 6/0s, and Shadows. For the strung section, Alley starts at the Pinwheel with several strands of Fine C-Lon going through the holes of the Pinwheel and knotted behind. Note the single Shadow bead embellishment at the center...how pretty! Her strands are strung with the Maya mix, 6mm African Turquoise, Shadows, and Heishi. See how she tapers her strands at the end, combining two strands into one, before ending them in a macrame loop attached to her leather knot. Before attaching here, a large-holed Matte African Turquoise and her large-holed Serpentine bead are strung over her macrame loop to hide the end of it. 

Meet "The Archer," Round Leather Braid Bracelet... perfect for the guys!

Here you go! Check out the ingredients list for the round leather braid bracelet, called The Archer.

Kate is demonstrating the technique on Free Tip Friday on 12/14, and after the broadcast the video will be linked on this page.

What you'll need:

1 yard, 3mm Grey Deerskin leather

1 yard, 3mm Black Deerskin leather

1 spool, .5mm black Indian leather

1 Crossed Arrows button Antique Silver

1 spool Smokey Gray Surfer Cord 1.5mm

Black Regular C-Lon

6mm Jump Rings Antique Silver

Zap Glue

Old School Thread Clippers

Clampers

Deep Dish Design Tray or

Mini Macramé Board

Free Tip Friday: Learning the Wall Knot with Leather Cord

Thanks so much for joining me today for this fun and fast project! Decorative knots are so stunning in wrap bracelets and this one looks great AND is easy to learn... a WIN all around.

I used 1.5mm Sable Leather Cord, Lt. Turquoise Picasso Roller beads and the Flower of Life Button in Antique Gold.

Download the handout with the written steps here. Enjoy!

Free Tip Friday: Tassel and Leather Lariat Necklace

Hey Gang!

We had such fun in #FTF today... I am really enamored of the resulting necklace, thanks to the inspiration of customer Susanne from Finland.

This lariat is a "mash up" of two projects... the simple tassel that I created on Free Tip Friday on 11.6.17 and Janice's Boho Beauty Leather Choker Necklace.

As promised, here is a list of the products I used in the Tassel Lariat:
Distressed Violet 1.5mm Leather
Distressed Violet 1.0mm Leather
Pinwheel- Purple Serpentine
Russet Sands
Circle of Bronze
.05mm Chinese Knotting Cord Deep Plum , Grey, Light Iris.
C-Lon Fine Grape, Orchid.

Check out the rebroadcasts below for all the learning you need to start creating! Enjoy!

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. 

Favorite Jewelry Supplies of Beadshop Staff

Every member of the beadshop crew is addicted to beads, and as you can imagine, if you were to also work at beadshop, with so many beautiful beading ingredients to pick from, you might start creating a long list of favorites. Each staff member has specific tastes and is eager to share personal picks at the beadshop Staff Picks page. 

5-Wrap-Tahoe-Pumpkin-Seafoam by Janice Parsons

First, there's Janice Parsons, the owner, and her list of favorites. Her color preferences tend to lean towards greens and earth tones, as is evident by one of her favorite wrap designs, 5 Wrap Tahoe - Pumpkin & Seafoam. This is a great beginning project and is loaded with Blue Gray Padres and brass beads on Distressed Pumpkin Colored Leather.

Ghana Circa 1850 Bodom Beads

Bodom beads (Ghana circa 1850) are on Kate's favorite picks page. Her love of metal shows through on her list with the addition of lots of metal findings and components alongside beautiful Shadows Antique Brass and other crystal and bead selections. 

Mr. Bumble Silver 12 x 16mm Plated Pewter Charm

Linnea admits to catching the gardening bug, and these adorable Mr. Bumble Silver Plated Pewter Charms are a one of the influences she receives from nature that you'll see on her favorites page. 

I Heart You

The webmaster at beadshop, Karen, loves simple and fast projects so she can enjoy her jewelry right away, and the Prairie Leather Wrap is one of her go-to projects, which means using lots of cute sliding components such as I Heart You Sliders. 

Let It Be

Grace is often behind the camera at beadshop, taking photos for the web shop and also filming the Facebook Live Shows that have become so popular. As a very visual person, Grace loves color. Some of the bead strands on her favorite picks page are these Let It Bee beads, which are made with thermo-sensitive liquid crystal that continually changes color based on the temperature around it.

3mm Picasso Green Turquoise Czech Fire Polish Glass Beads

Cara is a full-time beadshop associate, and her favorites page is loaded with cute silver findings, a rainbow of Stringing Materials, and lots of sparkly glass beads, such as these Picasso Green Turquoise Czech Fire Polish Glass Beads.

So if you feel overwhelmed by all the products you can pick from at beadshop, wander over to the Staff Picks page and get the inside bead scoop from those in the know. 

Beader Showcase Take Two!

Project by Brittany Ketcham-Roney ~ Sample by Debi Moore 

Not just once but now twice, talented beader Debi Moore has made it into the beadshop's Beader Showcase with one of her special jewelry pieces! This wrap bracelet is based off of Brittany Ketcham-Roney's In the Garden project. 

The overall look of Debi's bracelet includes a collection of earth tones for a neutral affect, making it a very versatile pieces. She used C-Lon in the color Golden Olive, along with 24Kt gold plate metal size 8/0 and size 6/0 seed beads and natural 1.5mm Indian leather. 

If you would like to join Debi Moore and many other talented jewelry designers who have shared their talents with beadshop, review the guidelines provided at the top of the Beader Showcase page. 

We would love to see your beautiful bead creations!

Metal Bracelet Sliders on Sale

Desert Lavender

Project by: Janice Parsons Sample by: Janice Parsons

If you have been dreaming about making a Prairie Bracelet or two or three, now is the time to load up on the metal slider components that make these jewelry pieces so much fun and so easy to make. The sliders are on sale! Plus, there are new finishes available, including gold, antique copper, and antique brass.

Metal Sliders

5mm leather is used for the Prairie Bracelet project, and these sliders slip easily onto the leather and can be arranged any way you choose. Our sliders come in a variety of shapes - such as feathers, hearts, stars, round, and square - and are free of lead, nickel, and cadmium. They are also hypoallergenic, which is so important for anyone with sensitive skin. 

The Prairie Bracelet continues to be one of the most popular beadshop projects. You can find a helpful list of ingredients, which links directly to the products you need, fourteen different sample projects, and a free project instructions download on the beadshop's Prairie Bracelet page. 

Leather Tips and Tricks for Jewelry Making

Strap leather and leather cording are very popular materials used in many of beadshop's projects. Leather is a versatile medium that is long lasting and comes in lots of colors as well as thicknesses. For those just starting out with using leather or for those who want to expand their current knowledge-base about using leather in their jewelry designs, you can now find a comprehensive collection of Tips and Tricks available on the beadshop 
web site.

This how-to collection is visually appealing and very clear, showing you all kinds of information that will help you select the right components and beads for your projects. For example, a leather diameter and bead key illustrates which type and size of beads to use for different diameters of leather, from 1mm all the way up to 2mm. 

Finishing off the ends of a piece that uses leather is another trick explained, with over a half dozen options provided. This includes hook suggestions as well.

Strap leather, which is flat versus round like leather cord, is also explained and includes descriptions of various ways to adorn the leather with metal slider components as well ideas for finishing off the ends and adding clasps. 

The beadshop Leather Tips and Tricks page is one you will want to bookmark on your Web browser. You can also learn more about using leather by watching the previously recorded Tricks to Leather Facebook Show.