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Readers often ask me where I got the stainless steel beading cups that I use to hold each of the bead types I’m using for a particular project. Since these are my go-to tool for keeping my seed beads and other materials separate and accessible while I work, there’s always at least one or two on my bead tray each week. The trouble is, I can’t say for sure where to get the exact cups that I use,

One of the best things about most flat beadwork stitches is their ability to transform with just a few simple tweaks. Start with a ring, and you get a gorgeous rope. Drop or add a bead in the right place, and you’ve got some intriguing shapes and structures crafted with beads. This variation on diagonal peyote stitch uses two-hole SuperDuo beads for a honey-comb like pattern that is perfect for

Another giveaway has come to a close, and this one might be our best ever! This month we had two stunning prize packs designed by Beads and Babble, including a huge assortment of beads and tools valued at over $150. That’s a lot of inspiration! Our winners are Maya and Holli – congratulations to you, and thank you so much to everyone who entered! I asked you to tell us what your favorite picks

The first design in my new challenge series was a quick project that I couldn’t wait to start. When I decided to start a new series inspired by my favorite nerdy themes, the very first inspiration that came to mind was my favorite Doctor Who companion, Donna Noble. Donna was one of the toughest and funniest of all the ladies to travel with the Doctor. She was my favorite right from the start,

This week I got started on my new abstract/ugly necklace design, using nothing but culled seed beads. I’ve always got an old tealight cup on my bead tray to collect beads that are a little wonky, and after so many years of beading, I’ve collected a lot of them. They’re the perfect material for an ugly necklace, and my plan is to stitch a great big swatch of them with right angle weave. This will

Working with glass is one of the best things about beading. The versatility of shape, color, and transparency allows us to create with some of the most beautiful materials available – from tiny seed beads to gorgeous cabochons. To showcase the beauty of glass and all that it can do, I invited glass painting artist Lyuba of zmeyssHandMade to share some of her favorite inspirations. Her Etsy shop,

Back in January I snapped a photo of my collection of culled and wonky seed beads, in the hopes that it would take on some kind of transformation later. I knew of course that it would get bigger, but I wondered if the ratio of jet black to colorful beads would change much over time. It’s a little hard to tell just from a photo, but the amount of beads has increased by at least 50%. The color

Five years ago this month I was beading non-stop for my Necklace a Day challenge, attempting to create and post 30 necklaces in 30 days. Although it was exhausting, I loved doing that challenge. I learned a lot about the materials and techniques that I was using, and discovered a lot of new designs thanks to the pressure of coming up with quick projects. Some of my favorite designs were created

Every beader knows that there’s no such thing as too many beads. The more you’ve got, the more choices you have when designing amazing jewelry. Great tools are also a must, whether they help you visualize your next design, or provide a professional finish to your pieces. I am very pleased to present an amazing beading kit giveaway that is sure to inspire some amazing designs! You might already

I’m still keeping a few secrets in my workspace right now, but I can’t wait for the reveals! I’m just about finished with the new tutorial project with a tasty holiday theme – it’s going to be so much fun. All I have to do is weave in all the threads and it’ll be ready. I think I might save this one for closer to December, and I’ve got a few other project ideas lined up that I think you’ll love.

Although fall is going to last for several more weeks, it certainly feels like winter with the combination of dropping temperatures and an abundance of red and green in every store window. As soon as the heat goes on, thoughts of egg nog and holly berries are sure to follow. This puts me in the mood for woodland themed designs, warm scents like pine and amber, and of course a nice blanket of

One of my favorite ways to get the look and lightness of netting without a lot of pattern planning is with chevron chain. This versatile stitch can be easily altered with different bead counts to get a variety of beautiful nets, and is a great stitch for collars. In Ancient Worlds Modern Beads, two-hole beads are used to stack two separate chevron chains to get an elegant and slinky collar

Exciting things are happening in my workspace right now! I’ve just finished the new fringe necklace, and it turned out so luscious. The contrast of orange and creamy blues came out exactly the way I had hoped, and the gradually changing colors in the rope finish everything off perfectly. I ended up topping the fringe loops with amber colored horn rondelles, and I love the look so much that I’m

It’s hard to believe – even for me – but Inspirational Beading turned 7 this past summer. It’s been an amazing journey of learning and inspiration. I’ve had so much fun sharing ideas and projects with all of my fabulous readers! There have been many changes and revisions over the years, with new segments, awesome guest posts, and fun giveaways to spice things up. Over the past year or so, things

Pearls are one of the world’s first beads, and it’s no wonder that they’re still among our favorite things to include in jewelry. Nothing quite beats the shine and shimmer of pearls, and the gorgeous array of shapes and colors available in the freshwater variety is an instant recipe for inspiration. With all of the fall foliage brightening up my days, I thought it would be fun to explore the

The results of our latest bead giveaway are in! Congratulations to our winner, and thank you so much to everyone who entered! Up for grabs was a gorgeous box of surprise beads from the subscription collections at Blueberry Cove Beads. We had a look at some of the previous boxes that subscribers have received and chose our favorites. The winning comment selected Crystal Cave - a definite favorite

I haven’t quite finished the new fringe rope, as I’ve been busy constructing this year’s Hallowe’en costume and taking a bit of time to just recharge. I’ve got lots of full weekends coming up in November, so I’ll be able to get things back on track and get started on all of the ideas swirling around in my brain. I've got something really spectacular planned. Stay tuned! The all-blue rope for