Bead and wire chain is a great beginner/advanced beginner (though time consuming) wirework project. Basically, you make a wrapped loop at one end of a piece of wire, slip a bead on, then make a wrapped loop at the other end, so you have a little beaded unit with a loop on each end. To [...]

I have an article published in Artella’s e-zine (the May 2010 issue). So exciting! I received a comp issue, and I’m really enjoying it. It’s all about mixed media art, my current obsession. The article in the zine is a reprint of one I originally wrote for my blog about using resin to make collages [...]

Where did May go? It flew by here! I’ve been working on a bunch of fun projects & have lots to do this summer. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend – we celebrated quietly at home with a little BBQ and discovered our 2 year old loves corn on the cob. “I love corn [...]

I got some great picture frame pendants from artbeads, and I wanted to share how I incorporated images onto two different types of frame pendants. The sterling silver pendant, on the left, has little slots on the back that you can slide an image into. First, I cut an image to size and made sure [...]

My artbeads design stuff came in the mail yesterday! Yay! It’s the best selection yet, at least in terms of what I want to do – all the products were exactly what I was hoping for. Detailed review, tutorials, and more photos to come in the next few weeks, as soon as I get it [...]

I’m excited about this summer – lots of projects in the works! First up, my latest goodies from the artbeads blogging/designer program are on their way to me, so I’ll be showing readers how to make a really cute necklace and earring set with vintage red and blue glass beads and wire, then customize it [...]

A little peek at my current project….and yes, it *is* jewelry related, I swear! Recognize one of the matchboxes from my teaser post last week? I painted it, decoupaged it, and made a drawer pull to open and close it. It’s just an experimental prototype, part of a much bigger project I’m working on. I [...]

Are you a beader in need of inspiration? Check out the winners of the Use the Muse IV contest! Lots of eye candy to ogle, and a 15% off coupon for artbeads if you want to purchase components used to create the designs you see.

I repaired a piece of jewelry, glued some matchboxes together, wrote out a thank you note for a baby gift & made an envelope for it. I also wrote in a notebook about plans I have for a big creative project, and thought about my blog(s) and what I want to accomplish with them. I [...]

My friend Cyndi from Beading Arts has a new e-book out all about bead embroidery – and it’s free! 59 pages of information on various stitches, plus a beginner project. If you’ve been thinking about trying the very versatile medium of bead embroidery, definitely check out this free book. Also – are you a creative [...]