Glowing Jewelry Inspirations

Our latest bead giveaway has come to a close! Thank you so much to everyone who entered, and to Harvey at The Big Purple Barn for sponsoring the giveaway. Our winner was Abigail, who chose Antique Uranium Glass Spacers as her favorite beads from the shop. They are definitely a perfect example of the uniqueness in salvage and recycled glass beads.

Uranium Glass Beads by The Big Purple Barn

Uranium glass – sometimes referred to as Vaseline glass – was very popular in the first half of the 20th century. The uranium additives were used to achieve particular colors, but also gave the pieces the ability to glow under a black light. Production waned with the scarcity of uranium, turning the (minutely) radioactive glass designs into valuable collectables.

Inspired by the vintage appeal of these beads, I went on a hunt for some Jazz Age jewelry tutorials. Some of these could probably be adapted to include lampwork beads – either way, they’re fabulous. I was really hoping to find some projects inspired by Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, but I couldn’t seem to find any. Since I’m halfway through my second viewing of the series, I might have to come up with my own!

Art Deco Jet Necklace by Creativity in Pieces



Roaring 20's Chain Jewelry Tutorials by Rena Klingenberg



Great Gatsby Bracelet Tutorial by M&J Trimming

What’s your favorite art deco jewelry style?

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading and Friends

Inspired Bead Maker: The Big Purple Barn

As one of humanity’s earliest inventions, the bead is one of those essential things that connect us all together. Creating beads is a skill that often flourishes in unexpected places. Some of the most talented lampwork artists got their start suddenly, leaving their day jobs to fire up a torch practically overnight. Other artists find their way to bead making and exploring the many possibilities of color and glass by way of another medium. Today’s guest, Harvey Haines of The Big Purple Barn, is an artist, sculptor, and flameworker with a flair for salvaged materials.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get started with bead making?

Harvey: It was five years ago, I first hit the torch a little while after stumbling on a lampworking demonstration. Steelwork has always been a passion of mine and playing with glass looked like some magic version of welding played back at one-tenth speed. Entrancing, beautiful. Seeing it gave me one of those ‘I should do that’ feelings, the variety that tend to get me into trouble. Two or three months later I had a make-shift glass studio taking over half of my little workshop.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first bead? Where is it today?

Harvey: Normally I am a leap-before-looking kind of guy, but lampworking can be a bit dangerous for the uninitiated. After some searching I found a hippy named Andrew who would let me into his studio and together we took an hour long scratch at the surface of lampworking. Those first few beads are still hanging around, I like to pull them out now and again to see how my work has changed.

Salvage Glass Spacer Beads

Inspirational Beading: Where do you look for inspiration? How does it translate in your designs?

Harvey: Antique tools and hardware; just about any old hunk of metal. Paintings by Dennis Hopper and Chien Fei Chiang, photographs by Stephen Wilkes, sculptures by Rodin. Cars like the 1950 and ’51 Studebakers or the ill-fated Tucker Torpedo. Movies made by Sergio Leone - ‘Duck, You Sucker!” is my current favorite. Rita Hayworth. The material itself is the greatest driving force behind anything that I do, whether I’m using glass or steel. I can take inspiration from any of my favorite places, but that ends up being reimagined through the lens of the medium. Glass is a seductive, sensual thing. It flows and curves in so many wonderfully confusing ways, you just can’t help falling for the stuff once you see the way it plays in the heat. I watch the glass, follow its flow, and make it into whatever it wants to be.

Salvage Glass Lentil Beads

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite bead style or shape to create?

Harvey: Lentil beads may be a bit simple, but I appreciate their powers of display. A lentil lets the glass stretch its legs and show off more than it could in a spacer, without being as weighty as one of my extra-large focal beads. Aside from that, I don’t use molds or presses which means it takes a lot of extra time and love to make a nice lentil. Maybe I ought not to say it, but I’m proud of every good lentil that makes its way out of my kiln.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color or combination to work with?

Harvey: My Verdigris and Antique Arctic glasses are tied for favorite color. Verdigris isn’t showy, but it has a great coppery-green hue and the glass is sourced from broken 1940s telegraph pole insulators. Antique Arctic is a particularly icy oceanic blue, so vibrant and pure. That one is made out of glassware from the 1950s, the color just screams of mid-century Americana.

Antique Arctic Glass and Inclusion Glass Beads

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting design in your repertoire right now? What makes it special?

Harvey: Sticking to beads, I’d say my Inclusion Glass pieces are undoubtedly the most exciting. In addition to experimenting with recycled glass, I enjoy playing around with different additives, such as seashells. Many of the Inclusion bead ingredients are kept as trade secrets and the beads are always done in limited runs. Some of the ingredients are post-consumer recycled material, like the glass, and others are leftover antique odds and ends. You never know what’s coming!

Inspirational Beading: What is the most rewarding moment in your design process?

Harvey: I think this changes from project to project, but right now I’m going to say that the most rewarding aspect of my work is knowing that a person enjoys what I’ve made. One of the best parts of being a ‘maker’ is having the ability to give, or to help others give, unique, personal, and meaningful gifts. You can’t beat it, really.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new bead styles or themes in the works?

Harvey: Mixed-color recycled beads are sort of my white-whale. On account of various scientific mumbo jumbo, mixing different types of glasses will cause the finished piece to crack. Keep in mind that all of my recycled glasses were made by different manufacturers across the past eight or nine decades; they are rarely compatible. Still, I’ve had some promising successes, and I should be offering multi-color pieces quite soon!

Salvage Steel Desk Organizer

Inspirational Beading: What are some of your other creations?

Harvey: My first big commission was from Red Wing Shoes in Minnesota. They hired me to make a shelf of some sort so they could display a few pairs of used workbooks in their headquarters. I ended up building the shelf out of around 100 antique wrenches, it weighed a ton! Another fun project was done as part of an Earth Day celebration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I gathered all sorts of discarded nonsense from across the campus and made a series of sculptures, one of which remains on permanent display at the school. The best piece was a working potter’s wheel made out of computers, some AV equipment, bicycle parts, and an antique mixer. Somehow I managed to make a handful of decent little pots, as well as an incredible mess.

Salvage Steel Valet Dish

In my Etsy shop you’ll find a variety of products aside from beads. Depending on when you look there will be glass items such as marbles, worry stones, and Honey Stones. Right now you’ll see a new addition - Fossilized shark’s teeth encased in glass from Coca-Cola bottles. There are also a few steel products peppered across the shop. I enjoy making nuclear-grade desk organizers and valet dishes. They’re heavy, nearly indestructible, and personalized with Braille lettering that is drilled into the surface of the steel.

Automotive Glass Worry Stones

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Harvey: Maybe it sounds a little corny, but I’ve got to say I’d like to inspire the youngest generation. What I’d like is for kids to have more access and encouragement to find a craft that means something to them. The world would be a better place if more people had a comfortable outlet to share what happens inside their heads. The heart and mind are stimulated by the work, whatever it may be, and it helps people to connect in beautiful ways. As with so many things, this all begins with the kids: that’s why I love doing live demonstrations and teaching young’uns how to make beads. If you’ve got a particular talent, pass it on to as many little humans as you can, that is the most enduring and important artwork that you’ll ever make.

You can see more of Harvey’s designs at The Big Purple Barn on Etsy, and check out The Big Purple Barn website for a gallery of awesome sculptures and designs.

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading and Harvey Haines

August Bead Stash Favorites

I haven’t yet had a chance to really comb through my stash and see what inspirations await, but I do have a few new materials waiting in the wings that I’m looking forward to trying out. Once I find the right combinations for these, there’s a chance I won’t have time for all of the ideas they bring out.

A few weeks ago I snagged this lovely strand of millefiori beads while thrifting for summer clothes, and I couldn’t be more in love. There’s just something gorgeous about the combination of white and yellow with a black backdrop. The translucent core makes these beads different from any of my other druks and rounds. I like these ones almost too much to use!

During a recent thread stock-up, I couldn’t resist trying out some Czech glass triangle beads. These are a single-hole variety, and although the shape is clearly a triangle from the top down, the sides of these beads look very curvy and organic. I’ve already tested them out in yellow, but this red is really calling out. It sounds like “pair me with turquoise”!

It might be a coincidence that all of my current favorites are on strands, just waiting to be cut. Either way, I’m really looking forward to seeing what these freshwater pearls can do. I’ve been a fan of the coppery finish for years, but I haven’t used pearls these small for ages. At about 5mm, they’re certainly small enough to go with just about any stitch, and I love the semi-round shape.

What are your favorite beads of the moment?

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading
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Victorian Filigree Inspirations

Another giveaway draw has come to a close! Congratulations to Greta, who will be able to learn some amazing wirework techniques from the Filigree Jewelry with a Twist series of lessons by Melody MacDuffee. Thank you so much to everyone who entered, and to Melody and everyone at Craftsy for the amazing jewelry class!

For this giveaway, I asked how you would use the floral filigree techniques in your jewelry designs. Greta’s favorite inspiration is Victorian style filigree, which would definitely be fun to recreate with Melody’s fun wirework florals. I can see it embellishing cameos and smooth cabs, or decorating a bracelet in pretty pastels. From cosmetic tools to momento mori, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found in Victorian antiques. Here are just a few examples of the lovely shapes of the era!

What’s your favorite Victorian trend?

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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Inspired Beaders: Ta Meu Bem

Today’s guest beader is Mika of Ta Meu Bem, who creates stunning beadwork jewelry designs - including some very exciting netted broad collars. She has a flair for using bold colors and one of a kind patterns that stand out from the crowd.

Inspirational Beading: When did you first get started with jewelry design?

Mika: I began designing jewelry when I was 8 years old. My mom bought me a bag of seed beads and a loom. I took to it very quickly, and soon the sounds of beads getting sucked up by the vacuum cleaner became commonplace in my home. I couldn't put it down. It would be years before I began doing stringing. I beaded on and off until about 15 years old when I found a Michael’s by my house with an excellent seed beads section. It was like no one else bought beads there except me, so I had a field day.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first piece? Where is it today?

Mika: My first piece was a loom woven bracelet. I remember it had triangles and was in a primary colors scheme. I have no idea what happened to it, seems so long ago now. I do however still have some earrings and bracelets I made about 15 years ago. These earrings are made from tiny matte Czech beads. I made a matching bracelet that’s disappeared, but the earrings remain. Back then my best friend Erin was the only person besides my mother who knew I beaded. She was, and still is a big supporter, and also a robber. “Let me borrow this you can make a new one” are words from her I’ll never forget.

Inspirational Beading: What kinds of beads and materials do you like to use the most?

Mika: I love and use only glass and gemstone beads, and I LOVE seed beads. I've recently become obsessed with vintage seed beads which I use a lot – French, Czech, African. They just don’t make some colors like they used to. If I had to delve into it, I love Czech seed beads the most. They’re the authority and continue to innovate. I actually enjoy using non-uniform seed beads as well. I've had several people chide me about it, but I think the misshapen beads add character to my pieces. I love to use this vintage silk thread that gives my necklaces this amazing lightness and drape. I’ll be sad when my stash runs out because I found it at an unbeatable price. Honorable mention to Toho because they make some of my favorite colors these days.

Inspirational Beading: Where do you look for your favorite inspiration?

Mika: The past! I am a vintage fiend. Traditional stitches - African, European, Colombian have been my biggest inspirations. The colors, the layers, the fact that a lot of them never use printed patterns leaves me in awe. Another inspiration for me is the ancient Egyptians. They loved netting (I do too), and the more pictures I find from museums and books continues to drive my work. Also, everything from the Embera tribe. They’re native Colombians and their use of color and the breadth of their pattern making will blow your mind. I’m also part of a great and supportive community on Instagram where I’m most socially active. The ideas that my clients on Instagram, especially regarding color have been my favorite projects. I can't forget that Inspirational Beading, Poé gyöngyei and NemVal are the first beading blogs I found, and definitely helped me discover what I like to do.

Inspirational Beading: What’s the most interesting or unique thing about your design process?

Mika: Color. Everything starts with color to me. I tried to write/draw patterns but I never follow them. I start with a color and work from there. I enjoy monochromatic color schemes the most, and the pieces always evolve as I go, even when I use a pattern. For the most part, although I invest in patterns and books, I rarely use them. I want to get all of this creativity that’s been laying latent in me out before I begin following more designs.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color to work with?

Mika: Favorite color? GREEN, green and more green. It’s easily accessible in a plethora of hues, both seed beads and gemstones. I really like Purple too, but it’s not easily accessible in regards to seed beads.

Inspirational Beading: What are some of your other favorite materials?

Mika: Vintage stampings, fringe material and Druzy are a big part of my work. I don’t want to spread myself too thin because there’s already too few hours in the day, but I really like chainmaille and I’ll be taking my first wire-wrapping class, and first class ever, at the end of the month.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting design in your shop right now? What makes it special?

Mika: Actually I’m really bad at updating my Storenvy and Etsy websites. Most of my pieces are sold through Instagram or in person at art walks and bazaars. The most exciting thing I have is coming soon! Also a large percentage of my projects are custom work, so they never make it to my websites. What makes my work special is that people always tell me it feels good to wear my jewelry, that they can feel it. You can always find me on Instagram, that’s where the magic is. It's my favorite website, and there are beaders from all walks of life there- Native, Ukrainian, Japanese, and more. We’re all there under one roof supporting each other in a way I never imagined. The community there is a big part of why I bead, they are a reflection of the passion I feel, and I’m so thankful for them.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Mika: Every person who thinks for a moment “I could never do that”. We are a sisterhood and brotherhood of beaders, it’s important never to forget that. I began doing hand woven pieces 9 months ago when I saw a girl wearing a beaded collar for the first time. I saw it and thought “I have to do that, I can’t do that. Of course I can do that!” I was lucky enough (in a way) to be unemployed at the time, so I was able to spend 5 hours or more online researching every day, and another 10-16 hours beading a day. Yes it was that serious, I literally would bead for hours on end. I wasn’t good, and I lacked direction so I worked slowly and made mistakes, many a mistake. This went on for months. I would not be swayed from my journey, and slowly but surely things began to change. I got better with the encouragement of others and my continued dedication to research. Anyone who wants to begin beading, feel free to contact me on any of my social media accounts, I’m here for us.

Inspirational Beading: Tell us a little more about you.

Mika: I’m Jamaican American and live in Southern California. I’ve been beading for 20+ years now. Ta Meu Bem (tah may-O bane) is my company that I began two years ago while living in Brazil. It is a Brazilian expression that people use when they are giving into someone, or when someone is looking particularly fierce fashion wise. My Brazilian friends are the ones who pushed me to begin selling my jewelry after goading me with comments like “did you get that from the fashion district?”, when I angrily would respond “I DID NOT” they would always say “Ta meu bem” as if to soothe me.

You can see more exciting jewelry designs by Mika by following Ta Meu Bem on Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Ta Meu Bem
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Throwback Thursday: Lucy’s Pearls

Last week we took a look at fashionable pearls in the time of Elizabeth I. Fast forward 400 years, and we have another surge of pearls, as seen on stars such as Lucille Ball.

The actress wore her share of costume jewelry, and was a big fan of designs from the Miriam Haskell collection, which helped popularize the faux pearl and crystal rhinestone. Though there is some speculation about the amount of designing done by Haskell herself, it’s certain that she did seek out and promote many skilled artists from the 1920’s to the 1960’s, leaving behind an amazing legacy of jewelry.

When you go for faux pearls, do you prefer glass or shell?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Throwback Thursday: Madonna and Cyndi

Today let’s travel back in time to the 1980’s, when more-is-more was the trend for jewelry. Two ladies who wore it best were Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. As iconic 80’s artists, they owned their bold styles, wrote now-classic feminist anthems, and inspired a generation of jewelry lovers to go wild.

Some of the best 80’s jewelry trends that have returned of late include neons, layered bracelets, chunky chains, and mis-matched pieces. Pairing statement jewelry with casuals and incongruent accessories is also starting to make its way back - good news if you want to wear your biggest beadwork without dressing up!

A few other things we still love are big, bold earrings (although the shapes have changed a lot) and beads, beads, beads!

Who’s your favorite style icon of the past?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Throwback Thursday: Willow’s Love Beads

It’s interesting to look back at how much jewelry trends changed over just two decades - from the big, gaudy, plastic and neon pieces of the 80’s, to the subtle and delicate favorites of the 90’s. Gigantic brooches and hot pink hoop earrings were replaced by the Y necklace and helix piercings (upper ear cartilage).

I don’t recall a huge upswing in beaded jewelry in the late 1990‘s, but if there was, it might have been partly due to the collection of daisy chain and love bead style jewelry of Willow Rosenberg - a character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. During the early seasons, she could often be spotted in import-shop style chokers with a familiar 1970’s combination of simple beadwork and opaque color palettes.

The first necklace looks like 8-bead daisy chain, and the others are most likely Potawatomi chain.

What’s your favorite jewelry trend of the past?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Hexagons, Spirals, and Fringes

It’s been so long since I’ve made a lariat necklace, that I actually had to go looking through my blog archives to remember what the last design was. It’s actually one of my favorites, a violet and daisy piece with beaded beads, and I made it back in November of 2010, during the Necklace a Day challenge. That’s far too long a gap between lariats, and so when I starting planning a design to use up some of my hex cut seed beads, a super long necklace seemed like the perfect choice.

I’ve got lots and lots of hex cut seed beads, but I hardly ever use them. As fun as it would be to weave something flat with them - like a peyote cuff - I’m not all that fond of peyote cuffs to begin with, so I’ve been passing them over for months. I finally decided to use them in a spiral rope, where they would be able to show off their sparkle, while still being protected on either side by seed beads.

I chose a palette of ruby red, sapphire blue, and seafoam, then it was on to seed beads to complement them. At first I wanted to do an Egyptian theme, but something about the colors steered me in a slightly different direction. I paired up jet black and opalescent cream (aka alabaster) for a more art deco kind of palette.

At first I had a little trouble deciding on a pattern. I wanted a striped effect, but the black really overpowered both the alabaster and the hexagons. Luckily, I had just stocked up on opalescent cream, so I decided to dive right in and use it as the main color for the entire rope. The new pattern is much better, and has the art deco look that I wanted. The way that the black peeks through the slightly transparent cream has the same soft and misty quality as a vintage cigarette ad. I finished the ends of the lariat simply with a pair of druks and a bit of hex and seed bead fringe.

Unfortunately, I ran out of seed beads before hexes, so I still have a few grams left of each color. There’s always room for more lariats though!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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Collections: Antique Romance

The results are in, and the winner of our gold and turquoise bead soup giveaway is Kashmira of Sandafulee…always in bloom! Congratulations to Kashmira, and thank you so much to everyone who joined in the giveaway.

This month I asked what your favorite metals or metallic bead colors are. Your answers were varied and unique as always. Some readers like traditional metals such as silver and copper, which are both excellent for all types of jewelry design. Others prefer metallic colors like blue and red, and gunmetal is always a favorite.

Kashmira’s favorite metals are those with an antique finish, especially gold. The addition of a patina to metals adds a little bit of mystery and romance to any design, so I was inspired to collect some pretty metallic jewelry and a few feminine finds.

Do you have a favorite fairy tale romance? What bead colors or materials would you use to capture it in jewelry?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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Bead Giveaway: Rectangles

This week I have a fantastic collection of rectangular acrylic beads to give away - the colors are so bright and juicy, perfect for spring and summer designs. Most of these pieces were saved and collected not only for their fun shapes, but for their gemstone hues as well.

My favorites are the chiclets, which I had always hoped to pair up with teal colored cord and pearl knots for a floating necklace. There are also several rectangular tubes in the colors of coral, jade, turquoise, and transparent gray, with a few metallic gold as well. Just for fun, I’ve added some two-hole rectangular sliders and a beautiful acrylic filigree component in jade green.

How to Enter

For a chance to win all of the beads shown, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and answer the following question:

What is your favorite color for spring inspired designs?

If you do not have a Blogger profile with email contact enabled, please make sure to include a contact link or email address, so I can get in touch with you if you win! One lucky reader will be drawn at random on Tuesday, April 17th. This giveaway is open to readers from Canada and the US.

Good luck, and happy beading!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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Book Spotlight: Button It Up

Isn’t it interesting how our crafting backgrounds can influence the way we view and categorize materials? To a crafter or seamstress, buttons rule, and beads might just be pretty once-in-a-while embellishments. To a beader, buttons might be considered sewing mediums that can masquerade as wonderful components. To some beaders, buttons are just another kind of beautiful and versatile bead.

However you look at buttons, it’s true that they can be great when used for jewelry designs or beaded crafts. After all, they have holes, come in a variety of shapes, colors and materials, and are often inexpensive. Some of the most beautiful buttons fall into the realm of vintage finds, which also makes them incredibly trendy for jewelry projects.

In the pages of Button It Up, button enthusiasts and crafters of all skill levels will find an amazing array of beautiful projects to use for showcasing fabulous buttons. Author Susan Beal is a serious button aficionado, and begins with a detailed history of button making and collecting, including popular styles and materials throughout the past few centuries.

This intriguing read is followed by a wonderful basics chapter, which covers a variety of sewing and jewelry making techniques, as well as tips for making and embellishing buttons. There is even a brief tutorial on making your own resin beads from vintage molds. Each tip includes clear diagrams to help you get started.

Then it’s on to the projects. Susan has just about covered it all in this book. Beginners, and crafters who want some instant gratification projects, will love the easier designs. The projects gradually progress to more complex techniques and design styles.

There are nearly 50 jewelry and accessory projects to try, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and hair pins. Each one explores a different method or approach to showcasing marvelous buttons, so you’ll never run out of ideas or inspiration for putting your own button collection to use.

There are also several sewing and home décor projects, including embellished tops and skirts, pillows, curtains, handbags, magnets and more. Some of my favorites include an adorable and chic collage wall hanging, using fabric scraps and lone buttons.

Although many of the projects use simple, classic techniques like hot gluing, the designs are very classy. Readers will love the full color photographs, and be inspired to create their own variations. There are no step-by-step photographs – each project is very straight forward, and includes detailed instructions for completing the design.

Button It Upalso includes a thorough alphabetical index and reference guide, plus bios of the many guest designers that contributed button projects for the book. Some notable designers include Leah Kramer, Jennifer Perkins, and Christy Petterson.

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
Susan Beal and Taunton Press
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Poster Sketch: African Metal

I have consulted my crystal ball* and we have a winner! Congratulations to Pixiloo of A Work in Progress, who has won a fun selection of tribal beads. Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

This month, I asked what your favorite cultural influences are. With so many beading techniques from all around the world, it's not surprising that your answers were so varied and unique. Pixiloo says that one of her favorite inspirations is African metal beads.

Not only are these beauties the ultimate in upcycling, but they have a gorgeous rustic quality to them, with an underlying nobility. I had a look around for some examples of African metal beads, and found a these delightful designs:

Happy beading!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
* Random.org
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