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No matter how elaborate beadwork stitches become, or how many holes are added to seed beads, sometimes only simplicity will do. For this month’s project I wanted to do something that was super easy but with a bold look – a project that would be a fun way to play with color but also provide some meditative beadwork. This square stitch cuff is a great way to practice one of beadweaving’s simplest

Our last Pantone-inspired color trio of the season includes a classic combination of turquoise and coral, plus a little of the blue half of this year’s signature colors. As with the Pantone bead picks, I didn’t find any trios that I liked for Rose Quartz, so the final palette includes Serenity, plus Limpet Shell and Fiesta. Pale blue and intense red are always a great combination for summer, so I

Working multiple projects at once is becoming the norm in my workspace. I seem to be constantly juggling different designs and working on quick projects in between photo days. Right now I’m putting together the project for our next Master Class lesson in circular peyote stitch. From there we’re going to look at a whole bunch of variations on tubular peyote before working our way back to more flat

Staying organized is often a big challenge for any artist, and beaders are no different. Chances are you’ve got at least one – if not twelve – idea notebooks scattered around your home and workspace, perhaps a bulletin board covered with sketches, packets of project materials lined up for future use and collecting dust, or any number of scrambled brainstorming techniques taking up space but not

So far this month we’ve had three sets of Bead Color Trios, which is definitely a record. Over the years, the concept behind these color experiments has evolved and changed, which means there are so many more options for trying on different beads. When the segment began, I always started with a simple inspiration such as Neapolitan ice cream or the variations on primary colors, then created three

Our latest bead giveaway has come to a close. Congratulations to our winner, Dian, and thank you so much to everyone who entered! For this giveaway we had a great prize pack from Panda Hall featuring lovely acrylic cubes, plus crackle glass and cat eye rounds. These lovely round beads were definitely the favorites – not only are they both gorgeous finishes for glass, but the shape is perfect for

My bead tray looks like an absolute disaster this week as I juggle multiple tutorial projects and a few designs on the side. The new medallion took a back seat over the weekend so that I could get started on some new tutorials while I had time for photography. I decided to go ahead and start a bunch of upcoming projects at once, and now they’re taking over my workspace. I’m so close to finishing

For this week’s bead palette ideas, I wanted to try out some seed bead colors to go with accents that have been languishing in my stash. The first thing that came to mind before I even had a good look through my bead trays was about half a strand of blue coconut daggers. I haven’t used these beads since the start of the Egyptian Gods challenge, and I think it’s time to find a new inspiration for

If you use Facebook, Pinterest, or Tumblr, there’s a pretty good chance that at some point you’ve seen some variation on the meme “10 Things Not to Say to an Artist”. I’m sure I’ve even seen one specifically for beaders. Anyone who’s been beading or designing jewelry for a while has probably heard at least a few of the unfavorable comments on these lists, though many of them are the types of

Mixing up the Pantone Spring 2016 picks again, I came across another gorgeous trio using Snorkel Blue, Peach Echo, and Iced Coffee. I love the contrast of the blue and pink, and either color would pair off so well with the earthy neutral. Once I had decided on this trio, I couldn’t wait to start looking for jewelry and garments to work with. The colors are fresh and exciting without looking too

Nothing can get you ready for a new season of beading like a fresh crop of beads! Having a new color, shape, or finish to work with is a great way to find new inspirations. It can even help to revitalize your existing bead stash. To help get you started on some new bead adventures, our friends at Panda Hall have offered up some very exciting accent beads that are sure to inspire some marvelous

The new 15/o seed bead Egyptian medallion is finished! I’m not completely thrilled with how it turned out – the beadwork is fine, but the trim ended up looking a bit uneven. I pulled out some stitches and re-snipped the edges to even things out, but it didn’t quite work. I’m going to blame my scissors and just move on. I don’t yet have a motif ready for another graphic medallion, but I wanted to

We’re now about 10 weeks into 2016 and I’m pleased to report that most of my creative resolutions are still going. I’ve been chipping away at my goals to make more tutorials and frog old designs, though I’m still a bit behind on my commitment to stay organized and put away my beads on a regular basis. I have managed to keep my desk from getting completely out of control, but I haven’t yet done a

Scouring my bead stash last week for spring inspired bead colors gave me a chance to really examine the materials that I have on hand right now. I’ve been floundering for new project inspirations quite a bit lately, so it was nice to really view my options and get reacquainted with some of my go-to beads. I’m looking forward to working with this month’s picks – hopefully in the very near future.

I didn’t expect to have quite so much fun with the Pantone-inspired spring bead picks this week, but once I got going it was hard to stop. By removing the least inspiring color – Rose Quartz – I was left with 9 gorgeous colors to experiment with. Three color trios just weren’t enough! It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a fashion collage, and I always like to play with different jewelry

My current embroidery experiment is just the latest attempt in a long line of destash missions for my large collection of 15/o seed beads. Over the past 7 years, I’ve tried many times to put a dent in the quantities of 15/o’s that are in my stash, but it never seems to get any smaller. They’re just so tiny that no matter how much I use them, their volume never seems to get any lower. I once tried

The new Egyptian motif medallion is coming along very nicely, although I’ve already rediscovered the pitfalls that made me stay away from graphic embroidery for so long. The design is turning out mostly how I wanted, so I’m planning to keep at it and get some more practice in until I’m happier with the fine details. I just need to come up with some more images that I want to bead, and that go

In previous years I’ve always been quick to snatch up new color inspirations via the Pantone Color Institute’s spring and fall picks. This year I’ve sort of dragged my feet, mostly because I find the Colors of the Year totally uninspiring. For the first time ever, there are not one but two annual highlight colors. This should have been pretty exiting except that the colors Pantone chose are Rose

Three years ago this month I was diving head first into the Egyptian Gods Jewelry Challenge, and working feverishly on the entry of Sobek the Crocodile. For that design, I went with a bead embroidered pendant featuring mother of pearl ‘scales’. Although I really liked how the piece turned out, a part of me knew – but didn’t want to admit – that it looked an awful lot like a slice of spinach pizza

The most basic and classic version of peyote stitch is even-count – so named because it begins with an even number of beads. Although the technique is so simple and essential to many other variations, it can be incredibly tricky to learn. The first few rows are difficult to work, sometimes resulting in twisted or uneven beadwork and frustrated beaders. In our first Master Class lesson, we looked

Here on the West Coast, we don’t get a huge kick out of spring. By the time April showers roll around, we’re already so tired of rain that we can’t wait to start baking in the oven of summer. We don’t even get a lot of rainbows, since the rain is usually accompanied by completely overcast skies. The mild temperatures are nice, of course, but sunshine is definitely a welcome treat. In the

Though it’s coming along slowly, the new mini collar is almost finished, and then I’ll be moving on to a few new things. I’ve started on the latest design for our peyote stitch Master Class – no spoilers yet but there will be stripes and some essential peyote techniques involved! I’m just waiting for some time with my photo studio and we’ll be underway. This time the focus will be on even count

With two very kid-friendly holidays to enjoy, this time of year is full of candy and brightly colored treats. There’s a lot of inspiration to be had in spring confections, like the rainbow appeal of a bowl of jelly beans, or the soft pastels of sweet-hearts. I’m really excited about the return of certain chocolate eggs, but the colors are really the best part of spring. With Valentine’s behind us