A Bead Woven Giveaway from My Shop!

This Giveaway has been closed.

Please check back each week for the new ones!

I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I've been having doing these giveaways! This is only the tenth week and we've already grown so much. My first giveaway had only 30 entries, and some of them had less, but the last one had 57 - that's incredible! So, to celebrate, I decided to giveaway one of my bead woven necklaces this week :)

Sparkly Lace Bead Woven Necklace

If you click on the link above you'll get all the nitty-gritty details, but I'll tell you here that this is one of my favorite patterns to make! In fact, I haven't made one for awhile, so I think I shall have to make another one soon. Anyway, I love this particular piece both because it uses the antique lace stitch that I love, but also because it's so sparkly! I'm a sucker for sparkly. In fact I tend to get distracted easily by sparkly things, which is dangerous as a jewelry artist. :P

So How Can You Win?

1. Leave a comment on this blog = 1 entry

2. Visit my FB page and "like" it. Leave a comment there to let me know your a new or returning fan! = 1 entry

3. Visit my Artfire page or Etsy page, come back and leave a separate comment with your favorite piece = 1 entry

4. Follow this blog or let me know your already following = 1 entry

5. Announce this contest on plurk or twitter, come back and leave a comment with a link = 1entry

6. Blog about it! Since this is means monopolizing your blog space it = 2 entries

7. Make a purchase in either of my stores (Artfire or Etsy) = 5 entries!

That's a total of 12 possible entries! Please remember to leave separate entries for each entry to make my job easier! I'll be keeping track in a spreadsheet and each entry will be given a separate number (based on order received) and I'll pick a winner using the random number generator.

*Winner to be announced Saturday, April 9th, in the Evening*

For an extra incentive - you know how option 7 to enter was to make a purchase?

Well if you send $10 in one of my shops you'll get a pair of earrings valued $5 along with your order!

So you get an extra pair of earrings - and 5 entries towards this giveaway...

Sounds like a good time to shop!


Update 4/5
You can earn extra entries! Go to Artfire to find out how :)


Update 4/6


I'm getting ton of entries this week!
As I write this one I'm at 81 entries - and it's only Wednesday Morning!
If I reach 100 entries I'll add a second winner to the fun!
They will receive these earrings:

Dark Wood and Spiral Earrings

So what are you waiting for?

Update 4/7
We are over 100 entries - the earrings will be going to one lucky winner!

Spiral Rope Stitch Tutorial

The Spiral Rope Stitch or Dutch Stitch is one of the most versatile stitches. It’s looks difficult but actually it’s easy to learn. You can create one into a bracelet, necklace, anklet, earring and a ring with or without embellishment. And because it works up into a strong piece as you weave along, you can even use it as bag strap. (That would require lots of seed beads I guess. Challenging, too!) What’s also great about spiral rope stitch is that it only requires one size of beads, but your choice of color is endless.

To get everyone started, here’s a step-by-step free tutorial for a Spiral Rope Stitch by

Uzume’s Craft blog.

If you want a video tutorial, watch Andrea of Beadaholique at DiyLessons as she quickly and easily demonstrates how to do a Spiral Rope Stitch.

I’ve browsed the net for beautiful spiral rope stitch designs and here are some that caught my eye.

Spiral Rope Bracelet from Beads Amore

Bracelet photo from Rosevibe

Necklace photo from Rosevibe

They all look beautiful! It excites and inspires me to learn more, and create variations of spiral rope stitches. I hope you’re inspired, too and creativity is starting to play in your mind.

Happy reading at Handmade Jewelry Club and happy learn more at DiyLessons.

Elegant Pearl White Bracelet Jewelry Making Tutorial

This is an elegant bracelet using Swaroskvi pearls and Japanese seed beads.

Click here to buy now!

Download lots of free jewelry making tutorials at DiyLessons! Are you a jewelry (jewellery) making teacher/ tutor? You can also list your tutorials here too.Don't miss a post! Subscribe to Handmade Jewelry Club by Email FREE

Bead Soup Surprise

Don't forget to go sign up for my Giveaway!

I'm participating in the latest edition of "Bead Soup" hosted by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things. She does these periodically, and I've had a lot of fun participating! The above picture is the soup that I mailed out today...no you can't see what it is yet :P Not until Shay gets it! Once Shay and I have each received each other's soup I'll show you an un-smudged picture so you can actually see it :) 

This is my current project - and it's been quite a journey! Every month the Etsy Bead Weavers does a challenge, and this month's challenge is to do something for a Queen, any Queen. I picked the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland because, honestly, can really imagine me making something for a real person? If you've ever seen my reading list you know its largely fantasy, so there you go. 

Now your probably looking at that and going, "Journey? Doesn't look like too much work ... " Well, you'd be right. I started this piece earlier today. The problem has been getting to the point of creating this piece. 

I started out with what I'll call pattern 1. I was using red and white because for some reason that's what I thought the Red Queen wore. Well, I had the red right at least. Anyway, the red and white beads I had chosen were "technically" the same size classification, but didn't actually match in size. Which really didn't work for pattern 1. I really wanted to do that pattern, and had no other ideas, so I did an image search for the Red Queen. 

As you can see the Red Queen is actually red, black, some gold, and white trim. Hmm... So I tried pattern 1 again with red and black. Although this is a pattern I've done before, it just didn't want to behave. On to pattern 2! I had an idea that I tried to create (my own pattern) that didn't show up the way I envisioned it. I may still put that together at some point (after reworking it) but I'm starting to get down to the deadline! Plus I was getting tired of things going horribly wrong. That's when I got the idea for making a beadwoven heart.

Of course that's when I lost my black thread and sprained my wrist! Oh dear. Well, I finally have all the pieces together, and I'm working hard to get it done as fast I can. Sprained wrist? What's that? Ace-bandage and some tylenol and I'm still beading! 

Let's Play - Name that Bracelet!

First - I just want to say thank you to everyone who sent prayers and hugs and loves this last weekend as I've been dealing with the loss of my Granny. We knew it was coming, so that helped us prepare for it, but there's only so much you can do ya know? Grieving is still a natural part of the process.

Over this last weekend I've rather hidden away from the world. I spent most of the weekend just reading. I'm still kinda shaky, and I suspect I will be at least until after the funeral, but I'm back to slowly doing some of my normal things. I've been working on a necklace off and on all day long for instance (pictures to come later!). I doubt I'll be back to my "normal" routine of plurkiness and forum chattiness until after funeral (although I may end up chatty at some point). Just bear with me!

Now...I have a bracelet I don't know what to name! I hadn't named it yet and I was getting ready to post it when we got the news about my Granny. I ended up getting it posted anyway because it's for one of those "Artists Exposed" treasuries that Vicki Diane does, but I didn't come up with a very good name. First...here's a picture of me in "my natural environment."

Now here's the bracelet:

It's made from a weave I recently learned called "Chevron weave" and the beads (other than the seed beads) are from Nepal. That's all I know about them, they didn't have any sort of markings to tell me what they are made of. And if the markings had been in Nepali I might have been stuck anyway huh?

So does anyone have any ideas?

Crafty ADD Update #6 And More!

It hasn't been as productive a week for me as it usually is. First I was dealing with the kidney stones (I think thats over), and that slowed me down a lot! Then I got some bad news this weekend, and for once, I didn't feel like crafting! But you know what? That's ok! Sometimes we need to just rest and rejuvinate :) I'm feeling ready to tackle this week now and ready to work on a lot of projects, old and new! So let me tell you about them :D

Crochet

I'm on to the 6th row out of 9 for my first ever baby blanket! I'm too the point where I've already put together all the squares I had premade so now I'm making a square, adding it, making another, and adding it! It's not really as uneven as it looks in the photograph, I just didn't take the time to straighten it properly.

This blanket is being put in the closet for awhile though. I wasn't making it for anyone in specific (I'm going to donate it), and now I have a cousin to make a baby blanket for! Speaking of which...

I thought I'd have at least a few squares to show you by this update, but all I have is my new hook! Mom and I got together to work on the new one, and quickly discovered that the blanket I was planning on creating is too hard at my level of ability with the yarn I had bought. The disadvantage of having someone who's a master at crocheting (at least I consider her so), is that she sometimes forgets how things look or work for a beginner! So it didn't occur to either of us tha the shiney thread running through the yarn would make it harder for me to work with. The end decision was to keep the yarn (it's pretty!) but use the pattern for granny squares that I originally learned so that it will be easier for me. That's when we decided that a different size hok would also be helpful...and between one thing or another it's taken 4 days for me to get one! Just picked it up this afternoon, and believe me, I can't wait to make that first square!

Cross-Stitch

For some reason one of the few projects I was remotely interested in this week was my cross stitch - as a result, it's almost done! I just have to finish the border and then I get to pick a third book mark to make on this canvas :) Don't know what I'm going to do but I'm considering creating a new pattern...I have a few ideas. We'll see if I get to it this week or not!

Jewelry

As you can see, I didn't make it very far on my project with my first cabochon. It's going to be attached to a free form peyote weave bracelet, and I have a hard time doing something that has no planned pattern! As you can see, my brain forces me to make small patterns out of the chaos. Any way, I just wasn't really in the right mood. Besides, since my Mom's birthday is on Friday it's high time I finally started her birthday present!

That's right, the second Cabochon you see, and the work surrounding it, is the start of what's going to be a hair barret for my Mom. It's going quickly so unless I hit a major snag, I should be done in time! Don't worry - I'll take pictures before I give it to her - and hopefully get a shot with it in her hair at some point too!

Treasuries

I also have to show off the treasuries I'm in right now! I was so excited to find them today! Both are done by team mates from different teams, and they rock! Check 'em out while they are still active :)

The Color of Royalty

Feeling Blue?

Crafty ADD Update #5

I'm late getting this post up because yesterday was...well...a bad day. Turns out I have a kidney stone. Those suckers HURT! Anyway - here's what I've been up to!

Crochet

I'm on to the 5th row of the baby blenket! I have the ends tied in on the first three rows, and while there are a few mistakes here and there, it's going pretty good! There will be 9 rows when it's all done. Unfortunately I'm almost out of pre-made squares, so I'll have to start crocheting the squares as well as doing the attaching work soon. Well...sorta soon... you see it's getting put aside for awhile! Why? Well for this:

I'm making the blanket on the right, not that you can really see it, but my cousin is having a baby! Since the other blanket is just something I'm going to donate, it has no time frame on it, so I'm putting it aside to work on the one for my cousins baby! My Mom's over here for the day in case I need any help or get worse because of the kidney stone, so if I'm feeling good enough to think straight, she'll teach me the new stitches I need to work on the new blanket :D

Cross-Stitch

As you can see I started a new bookmark! This one is butterflies :) I got a lot done on it this week, so it should be done in the next day or two! I'm not sure what I'll do for the next one...but there's room for one more before I cut up this canvas. I guess you'll find out next week!

Jewelry

I actually have two projects on the board right now! The piece on the right came out horrid in the picture, but it really is cute! The piece on the left is my first Cabochon! I'll be making a bracelet for it! I'm really excited :)

Look at these Pretties!

Not much to say today. I've been packing and crafting and packing and crafting... My mono-pod has been missing all week so I haven't been able to take new pictures. So I've got a LOT of new things for you guys to see soon! I did have a few things to re-list and a few things I had pictures already of that got listed though! Which is your favorite?

Queen of the Crafty ADD

I've told you before that I'm very Crafty ADD. I jump from project to project to project... Anyway - I thought I'd prove it to you guys :P This is what I've been working on the last two days!

What you see above is a hemp bracelet and a beadwoven St. Petersburg Bracelet. I started the bracelet a couple days ago, but I wove about half of it in the last two days. Not that it's a project that takes me very long, I just picked it up for 15 minutes here, and 15 minutes there!

I've also been working on a lot of hemp lately. I have a bunch in my box to take photos of! Things have just been to busy for me to get the photos taken yet though. That and I haven't been feeling that good today. Ok, really not feeling good today. I've spent most of the day watching Star Gate and crafting :D

Mom started teaching me to crochet yesterday! The picture above is of granny squares. I did the first one and started the second one with Mom yesterday, finished the second one last night, and did the third this morning! I'm going to make a baby blanket :D There are going to be 4 more colors in it. Not sure how I'm going to arrange them, just making a bunch of squares and then I'll play with laying them out and see how the inspiration strikes me.

And for anyone getting excited, no, I'm not pregnant :P I'll donate this when it's done. Probably to the Pregnancy Resource Center. It's a local organization that provides free pregnancy tests and provides counseling on the many options out there other than abortion.

Over the last 6 months or so I've started always having a cross-stitch project going. This is the current one! It's going to be a bookmark of dancing penquins. It'll be awhile before it shows up in the shop though. I tend to work on it like crazy for awhile, and then not pick it up at all for awhile :P Plus I'll probably fit 4 bookmarks on the fabric before I cut it up... Anyway, I sewed half of the penquin outline today!

So what's next? Well...I need to make some more strand bracelets to take into my consignment shop...but since that requires moving the bead boxes and stuff around so I can decide on patterns that will probably wait for tomorrow. My asthma's acting up today and I'm doing fine as long a I sit still, but that would probably be too much movement. So I think I'll crochet another granny square and try to decide what my next beadweaving project should be.....

Just a reminder - it's Christmas in July! Follow the links below to check it the sales :)

Kindred Spirit Treasures

Rose Works on Etsy

Rose Works on Artfire

Looky!

I've been busy listing and relisting over the last few days :D Tell me which is your favorite (and why!) and you'll earn and EXTRA entry into my Top Commentators Contest!