Kate's Micro Macramé Necklace Colorway: Shelter

Brittany's latest project is here! Called In Place, this necklace uses micro macramé at the clasp and a really stunning ombré effect of strung beads. Made during the shelter-in-place for Covid in California, Britt needed something to keep her hands and mind busy. Now, Kate goes Live today with her own color palette, which we're calling Shelter.

Learn:
Skill Builders: Lark's Head Knot and Horizontal Half Hitch Knot
Britt's video tutorial and companion Handout

Shelter Ingredients

• Spirits Button- Brass
• Silver Lining- 0.4mm Chinese Knotting Cord
• 6mm Melons- Blue Turquoise Picasso
• 4mm- Opaque Yellow-Copper Picasso
• Little Shadows- Antique Brass
• Shadows Antique Brass
• Currents- Sea Green
• Circle of Bronze
• Old Cameroon
• 6-4517 Picasso Brown Tan Matte
• 6-2033 Matte Opaque Lt. Olive Luster
• 6-133FR Matte Transparent Topaz AB 6/0
• 8-4514- Picasso Seafoam Green 8/0
• 8-641- Dyed Rose Bronze Silver Lined Alabaster

Cascade Meets Float!

What's the buzz? WELL. Danielle Wickes created a mash-up of two beadshop projects with amazing results! Cascade Necklace + Silk Float Away Necklace = AMAZING!

During this pandemic our supply chains have been affected, and we wanted to offer some in-stock right-now alternatives so you can make a Cascade Meets Float, too. Below, find two alternate color palettes plus a general recipe. And, as always...happy beading!

Cascade Meets Float Recipe
2 spools Regular C-Lon (2 colors!)
1 spool Compassion Suede or 3mm Deerskin Lace
2 Strands of Padres (2 colors!)
2 Strands 8mm and/or 6mm Stone Rounds
1 Strand Star Cuts or Stone Shape(not round)
1 Strand Pavers or a few BIG beads (try Czech Flowers, look through Tribal and Vintage Finds)
1 Strand Little Shadows
1 Metal Focal Bead
2 10-15mm Connector Hoops
1 Pkg Daisy Spacers or other Heishi
1 Pkg 7mm Jump Rings
1 Pkg Clamshell End Tips

Buzzed 1 (Like bees)
Buzz buzz buzz! The honeybees are in the swing of things this spring! Inspired in part by a Kate's Favorite I recently made for myself in black and gold, this necklace quickly took shape. The Black Little Shadows are so amazing--I am head over heels for them! The faceted onyx rounds made me think of honeycombs, and the Double Baule bead is representative of bees' wings. 
2 spools Regular C-Lon- Aurum and Charcoal
1 Pkg 3mm Deerskin Lace- Black
2 Strands of Padres- Ink Black and Spicy Mustard
2 Strands 8mm and/or 6mm Stone Rounds- 8mm Faceted Onyx and 6mm Onyx
1 Strand Star Cuts or Stone Shape- Sardonyx
A few BIG beads- 3 Hibiscus 21s in Dandelion Picasso
1 Strand Little Shadows- Black
1 Metal Focal Bead- Double Baule Bead in Antique Silver
2 10-15mm Connector Hoops- Small Hammertone Rings in Rhodium Plate
1 Pkg Daisy Spacers or other Heishi- Daisy Spacers in Antique Silver
1 Pkg 7mm Jump Rings- Bright Silver
1 Pkg Clamshell End Tips- Bright Silver

Buzzed 2 (Like caffeine)
Buzz buzz buzz! Tea or coffee? That's what's getting me through these long quarantine days! In shades of milky browns, this necklace is one of those ones you could wear with anything. I used Czech Dogwoods, thinking of tea leaves, and only one shade of Padres since they're a mix...separate the colors so you end up with a dark strand and a light strand to string! Add your accents and you're golden!
2 spools Regular C-Lon- Sable and Sepia
1 Pkg 3mm Deerskin Lace- Chocolate
2 Strands of Padres Cinnamon Spice (separate the colors so you'll have one strand of lights, one of darks)
2 Strands 8mm and/or 6mm Stone Rounds- Matte Wood Opalite 6mm Rounds and Matte White African Opal 8mm Rounds
1 Strand Star Cut- Matte Wood Opalite
A few BIG beads- Dogwood Leaves in Amber Mercury
1 Strand Little Shadows- Bright Brass
1 Metal Focal Bead- Organic Flat Circle in Antique Gold
2 10-15mm Connector Hoops- Mini Hoops in Antique Gold
1 Pkg Daisy Spacers or other Heishi- Daisy Spacers in Antique Gold
1 Pkg 7mm Jump Rings- Bright Gold
1 Pkg Clamshell End Tips- Bright Gold

Kate's Creative Connections: Do KNOT Miss This Week!

Kate's got some tricks up her sleeve...are you ready for them? New knots to know, coming right up...

As each episode airs we'll update with photos, ingredients, and embed the videos right into this post.

Tuesday, 5.19.20: The Butterfly Knot
A great start to a wrap bracelet or a purse charm...beaded or plain...it's up to you! Learn this knot today with Kate.

Ingredients:
1.5mm Leather- Distressed Gray and Distressed Green (it looks purple...but it's just the lighting! That's the Distressed Gray)
Regular C-Lon- Gold
6/0 Miyuki Seed Beads- 6-2033 Matte Opaque Light Olive Luster
Jumbo Swivel- Antique Silver

Wednesday, 5.20.20: The Sun Knot
We are loving the look of this knot! It's a perfect addition to a wrap bracelet, very visually interesting and a lot of fun to tie.

Ingredients:
1.5mm Leather- Distressed Gray and Metallic Teal
.5mm Leather- Distressed Gray OR 0.4mm Chinese Knotting Cord-  Treebark (for silk wraps)
Shadows (Regular Size)- Brass
Circle of Bronze
9mm Oval Coil Jump Rings- Antique Copper
Jumbo Swivel- Antique Brass
GS Hypo Cement

Thursday, 5.21.20: The Six Strand Weave Knot
We can see this as a purse charm or a keychain! Father's Dat is coming up...this would be a great little handmade somethin' somethin' for dear old dad!

Ingredients:
Far Left
1mm Leather- Distressed Brown, Distressed Green, Distressed Gray*
Regular C-Lon- Gold
Jumbo Swivel- Antique Copper

Middle
1mm Leather- Distressed Brown, Distressed Denim, Distressed Gray*
.5mm Leather- Distressed Brown
Regular C-Lon- Gold
Jumbo Swivel- Antique Brass

Far Right
1.5mm Leather- Distressed Brown, Metallic Pyrite, Black
Palace Cap- Antique Copper

*it looks purple...but it's just the lighting! That's the Distressed Gray, we promise!

Kate added these items during the show:
ZAP Glue or E6000
Wrapped Link Chain- Antique Copper
22 or 24 Gauge Wire
Faceted Barrel Beads- Antique Copper
Queen Size Shadow- Copper
Little Shadows- Brass
Swivel Clasp ("regular" size)- Antique Copper

KCC: Kate's Favorite Things! CHARM BRACELETS!

This week we're keeping Kate's broadcasts short and sweet so she can get right into fulfillment and shipping for your orders! We are so thankful for the orders we get, and we're so thankful for your patience as our dynamic duo works so hard to get them out the door. To help out, this week we decided to plan a week based on some of Kate's absolute faves. Enjoy!!

Thursday, 5.14.19: Charm Bracelet Day!

Kate SO loves charm bracelets, she has even dubbed herself the Queen of them! Today we're focusing on this style of bracelet...and with good reason! Janice has created a new charm bracelet project!! But first, let's take a walk down memory lane...

A few years ago we did a blog post showcasing the charm collections of Kate and former beadshop employees Cara and Grace. Find that post here! It's a great peek at quite the collection.

Kate's now on her 6th charm bracelet. Collecting from a young age, charms have been picked up along the way and added over the years...big life moments, vacations, "just because," all commemorated in jewelry!

Drea and her family also have some charm bracelets to love. In fact, Drea's grandmother had quite the charm bracelet...so many charms that it was too heavy to be worn anymore, and so it was made into a necklace! Among others, she had a charm for each of her children with their name and birthdate, then one for each child's spouse, one for each grandchild, one for each grandchild's spouse, and one for each great-grandchild! Well over 40 charms...no wonder it was so heavy!
Drea's own collection started when she was a young girl, thanks to her mom, who of course has had one throughout her whole life, too. It's a shared family tradition passed down from one generation to the next, as we each add charms to our own chains to remember life's incredible moments. It's a tradition we all love here at beadshop!

Making your own charm bracelet is easy-peasy! Janice has a beaded version to share with us today, all in silvery shades with a bumblebee charm at the center.

When Janice created it, the world was in the beginning of the worldwide spread of COVID-19 and everyone started staying home to help stop transmission and save lives. “I had a very strong reaction to how much life was different 'Before' the outbreak; the old way of life and how busy we all were, how crowded life was…and then came 'After.' Suddenly there was quiet and birds were everywhere and the air was clean. I felt an internal need to express how I was feeling and it came out in this bracelet, which I treasure.”

During the live broadcast (see it below) Kate showed a copper colorway to make a different version of Janice's silver Before project. Find those ingredients here:

Cleo 3- Antique Copper
22G Wire- Antique Copper
Copper Chains- Rustico, Smooth Sailing, and Leafy or Teardrop Bauble
8mm English Cut- Green Aqua Mercury
5mm Rondelle- Metallic Mix
6mm Melons- Blue Turquoise Picasso
Smooth Drops- Luster Green Mix
Charms- Oasis, Little Bitty Drop, Hand of Hibiscus, Little Earth, Organic Bee, Hibiscus Drop
4mm Jump Rings- Antique Copper
2" Headpins- Antique Copper

KCC: Kate's Favorite Things! FRIDA EDITION

This week we're keeping Kate's broadcasts short and sweet so she can get right into fulfillment and shipping for your orders! We are so thankful for the orders we get, and we're so thankful for your patience as our dynamic duo works so hard to get them out the door. To help out, this week we decided to plan a week based on some of Kate's absolute faves. Enjoy!!

Wednesday, 5.13.19: Frida Kahlo Day!


If there ever was an inspiration in Kate's artistic life, Frida is it! You can find bits and pieces of Frida in so much of Kate's work, from her metalsmithing to beadshop projects and more!

The latest beadshop project would be these Crescent Fan Earrings, which Kate named....Frida!! The bright colors really lend themselves to this beautiful design first brought to us by Design Team member Danielle Wickes. We've just added this project to our Project Pages today! So if you want to create your own, just head right here to the Frida Earrings page!








On Kate's last birthday we even made a Frida Mix for a giveaway! We called it Frida's Fiesta. Want to recreate it? You can...here's what Kate used in creating this mix:
6-352
6-1425
6-408
8-149F
8-2040
8-4221
8-355
8-4238
8-1003
8-2005







Some of my favorite Frida-inspired pieces come from Kate's metalsmithing bench. Earrings, rings, even a bolo! All worth of Frida herself, and of course with Kate's signature flair.

Live on the air today (seen in the video below) Kate created a tassel based off this Free Tip Friday episode. The items she used in her tassel today are:
1 Pair Palace Caps- Antique Brass
1 Pkg UltraSuede- Bordeaux
2 Czech Glass Flower Beads- Hibiscus 21 Dandelion Picasso
5mm Jump Rings
8/0 Seed Beads - 8-355
2" Eye Pins- Antique Brass
Ear Wires or a Jumbo Swivel if you're making a purse charm
E6000

Kate's Creative Connections: Kate's Favorite Things!

This week we're keeping Kate's broadcasts short and sweet so she can get right into fulfillment and shipping for your orders! We are so thankful for the orders we get, and we're so thankful for your patience as our dynamic duo works so hard to get them out the door. To help out, this week we decided to plan a week based on some of Kate's absolute faves. Enjoy!!

Tuesday, 5.12.19: Green Girl Studios Day!

To mark this auspicious part of Kate's Faves Week we want to share our NEWEST Green Girl Studios pieces with you! We have 10 new beads, buttons, and components that we know you'll adore just as much as we do. That promised Alfie charm? It's HERE!! And so are nine other beautiful pieces that we are thrilled to bring you.

Don't forget to check out our Master Class with Cynthia, a deep dive into design and color theory with the mastermind of Green Girl Studios, Cynthia Thornton.












Some of these have been a part of our own personal collections for a while, too! That adorable tiny nest? Drea's had it for nearly 15 years, placed at the center of a favorite necklace she still wears every spring and summer. Just two years ago she also picked up the adorable Bunny Button...she's used it to clasp a knotted necklace of huge labradorite rounds she and Janice found at a gem show together, and using JP's famous knotting method to create the piece!


All of these new pieces will look great in Projects you can already find at beadshop.com...below, find some of our favorite Green Girl-inspired projects and our ideas for adding NEW Green Girl to them!

Boho Beauty- Timeless Treasures...we think Mr. Pickles, paired with the Heart and Star, would be sheer genius together!

Chatelaine- Stones of Wisdom ...try a Heart Cross Pendant here...wowza!

Warm Sunny Days- Leather & Beads...imagine this with the Safe Angel or Fluffy Tail pendants!

4 different Goddess Bracelets! Try a Butterfly Button in an homage to Psyche, she certainly deserves one!

Never Stop Growing - Mala ...how perfect would the Family Nest and Home Nest beads be in a set??

The Zen of Fishing - The Zen of Stringing, a no brainer! The Burkett Round Pendant is just begging to be Zen-ified!!

Kate's Creative Connections: Earring Week!

We actually kicked off earring week on Friday, 5.1.20, with an amazing knot...soon we'll see what Kate makes those knots into!! You'll also see new earrings coming up this week from Design Team member Danielle Wickes...this is going to be a great week!!

Friday 5.1.20: The Carrick Bend Knot
Kate uses:
2mm leather in Distressed Gray*, Distressed Mahogany, and Distressed Denim.
1mm leather in Distressed Gray* and Distressed Rose
Optional Buttons: Pirouette- Brass, Crossed Arrows- Gold
You'll also want to have: Flush Cutters, E6000, Clampers, and Knotting Tweezers

*The photo makes these look purple...it's just the lighting! Sorry...we promise, that's Distressed Gray.

Tuesday 5.5.20: Leather Knot Earrings
Kate takes her Distressed Rose knots and makes some truly fabulous earrings! WOAH.
Ingredients:
1mm leather - Distressed Rose
Earwires - Vintage Leverback in Gold
Headpins - 2" Satin Gold
Jump Rings - 4mm/21G Satin Gold
Tiny Tassels - Gold Caps in Dusty Rose, Turquoise, Periwinkle, Purple
Czech Faceted Drops - Scarlet Copper and Turquoise Bronze
Czech Saturns - Garnet Red and Green Turquoise Picasso
8/0 Miyuki Seed Beads - 8-4514 Picasso Seafoam Green

You'll also want to have: Flush Cutters, Round Nose Pliers, Chain Nose Pliers, Bent Nose Pliers

Wednesday 5.6.20: Earrings 101
Kate's Master Class in earring basics! Sweet and simple!!
Ingredients:
Earwires
Headpins and Eyepins
Daisy Spacers
Tierra Heishi
Sixth Sense
Coil Spacers
Oasis Cap
Petite Petal Cap
8mm Rondelles- Green Opal
8mm English Cuts- Green Aqua Mercury
6mm Melons- Sapphire & Bronze
6mm Fire Polish- Bronze Rose Illusion
4mm Fire Polish- Aqua Graphite Rainbow
Faceted Drops- Turquoise Bronze
Chain- Simplicity

You'll also want to have: Flush Cutters, Round Nose Pliers, Chain Nose Pliers, Bent Nose Pliers

Thursday 5.7.20: Boho Earrings
Danielle's updated our Boho Earrings with two absolute stunners! Kate creates one of her own, too! Find Danielle's samples on our Project Page, and Kate's ingredients below.
Ingredients:
Earwires
Hoop Components- Drop Hoops in Antique Copper
Wire- 26G in Antique Copper
4mm Stone Rounds- Dumortierite
Czech Drops- Luster Green Mix
Shadows- Little Shadows in Antique Brass
Chain- Teardrop Bauble

You'll also want to have: Flush Cutters, Round Nose Pliers, Chain Nose Pliers, Bent Nose Pliers

Friday 5.8.20: Stopper Knots
Kate went over two great stopper kits that are great to know about: The Button Stopper Knot and the Figure 8 Stopper Knot.

Ingredients:
Earwires
1.5mm Leather- Distressed Brown and Natural
Irish Waxed Linen- Walnut
0.5mm CKC- Treebark
Large Hole Pearls
Sixth Sense
Coil Spacers


You'll also want to have: Flush Cutters and Thread Snips