What a whirlwind of a week with our new class schedule debuting!
If you haven't checked out our new classes yet, click on the links below.
JEWELRY MAKING MUST-HAVES:
Christmas season is fast approaching & many of us will find ourselves needing to make some quick & easy jewelry gifts on a moment's notice.
For example: How many of you have been bombed at 9pm the night before with "MOM! I need a gift for my teacher TOMORROW!"
Here is a list of items you should have hand so you can create jewelry in an instant & be a Hero & not a Zero!
-Clasps: snaps, toggles, magnetics & lobsters in an assortment of finishes; gold, silver, gunmetal, etc.
-2x2mm crimp tubes
-Beading wire
-An assortment of earwires: posts, french wires, lever backs & don't forget clip-ons for those relatives that don't have pierced ears.
-Headpins
-An assortment of jump rings in order to attach "this thingy to that thingy". The BEST jump rings in my stash are 18gauge, 3.5mm from Weave Got Maille in a bunch of different finishes.
GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR CLASPS!
Below is a quicky memory wire bracelet using a MINI MAGNETIC CLASP for a closure!
Below is a quicky miscellaneous bead bracelet strung on flexible beading wire with a seed bead loop & the new RIPPLE BEADS used as a button-style closure!
BEADING QUESTION OF THE WEEK
"Why is my needle sometimes easier to thread from one side than the other?"
It's a trade secret that needles have two different sides!
The eye of the needle is created by stamping a hole thru the needle shaft. Even in the best English-made steel needles, this results in a hole that is smoother on one side than the other. So, if you're having trouble threading a needle, FLIP THE NEEDLE OVER AND TRY THE OTHER SIDE! If you've been working with waxed thread, check the eye to see whether it may be clogged with wax. If so, use the point of a second needle to gently clear out the wax before attempting to re-thread.
GIFT IDEA FOR YOUR BEADER:
A NEW SET OF TOOLS!
Any beader, new or old, needs tools.
Tools wear down & break. Cutters get dull & don't cut as well as they used to.
The BeadSmith has an Economy Ergonomic 5-Piece Plier Set.
Includes: 5" Bent Chain Nose, 5" Round Nose, 5" Chain Nose, 5" Flat Nose, and 5" Side Cutter Plus a Black Canvas Carrying Case.
FREE PATTERN THIS WEEK: PINECONE EARRINGS!
Tired of making bracelets?
Try these gorgeous SuperDuo & seed bead pinecones earrings. They can be made as dangly earrings OR as a pendant hung from your favorite chain.
One pattern per customer with any size purchase. Available today thru Sunday 11/22.
RECENTLY RESTOCKED: PIP BEADS!
These small glass beads are shaped like little lemon pips or seeds. The stringing hole runs from side to side on the tapered end of each pip, so they will dangle in designs. They are a great option for incorporating into flower patterns as petals. The bead's dimensions of 5x7mm comply with the current trend for mini beads. Bring new dimension to your designs with these Czech glass pip beads!
Color selection is just as amazing as the bead:
Peacock dots, Vitral Splash, California Blue, California Violet, Gold Rush, Venus Aurora Borealis, Honey Gold, Stone finishes ...and many more!!
A BONUS PATTERN!
If you haven't yet done my Victorian Pip Necklace, receive the pattern FREE this week with any size purchase. You will love how all the new pips look in this beautiful necklace design.
