Blog for Beaders

Often, the difference between fair looking jewelry and professional looking jewelry is how the piece is finished. The use of clam shell bead tips, also known as calottes, is especially important to the look of hand-knotted jewelry projects. Clam shell bead tips can increase the value of a jewelry piece because they hide the knot at the end of the strand beautifully and reflect the attention to detail that buyers look for. There are several different styles of clam shell bead tips. The style you want to use depends on your application. A single open-loop bead tip is great to use for a necklace design, but may not be strong enough to use in a bracelet design. A double closed-loop bead tip, however, is durable enough for both. Here we will show how to use a double closed-loop bead tip. To see instructions on how to use a single open loop bead tip, click here.

Step One:

To begin your design, you will want to tie a knot in your stringing material. Pull the string through the hole in the bead tip so that the knot rests in the tip. You want to make sure that the loops on the bead tip are pointing towards the ends of your design, where you will be attaching a toggle or clasp. Make sure the knot is big enough to ensure that you cannot pull it through. You may need to tie multiple knots to achieve this.

Step Two:

Trim the excess stringing material and dab the knot with a dot of GS-Hypo Cement to hold it in place.

Step Three:

Using chain nose pliers, gently press both sides of the bead tip together until they close.

Step Four:

Using chain nose pliers, gently pinch the hinge on the back of the bead tip. Do this on both sides to create a tight closure.

Step Five:

Create a knot just behind your bead tip. This will ensure that the metal does not fray your stringing material with repeated wear.

Step Six:

String your beads. We chose to use a strand of pearls separated by knots.

Step Seven:

Finish this end in the same manner as above only this time, create a knot at the end of your bead strand then pull the end of the stringing material up through the bead tip. Make sure the bead tip loops are pointing towards the end of your design.

Step Eight:

Create a big enough knot that it cannot slip through the bead tip hole and trim the excess stringing material. Add a dot of GS-Hypo cement to the knot and close the bead tip around the knot. Be sure to use a pair of chain nose pliers to pinch the back hinge on the bead tip for a tight closure.

Step Nine:

Add jump rings and a toggle or clasp of your choice.

Happy Chocolate Cake Day to every lover of all things cocoa. Today we should all take time out our schedule to sit, relax, and indulge in some instant and yummy gratification. Pure chocolate cake should be on the menu today—no white, yellow or carrot! Pitch in at the office or whip one up at home and share in the joy of chocolate cake with friends and family.

You can even give your looks a tasty treat with our collection of chocolate jewelry supplies, including chocolate glaze Beadelle beads! These dazzling pavé style rounds feature a dark brown surface that’s then drizzled with sparkling crystals across its shape. Happy Chocolate Cake Day to all and happy Friday!

If you’re planning a spring or summer wedding, here’s a fun treat you can bring to many different aspects of your special day. This stunning Cottage Garden Centerpiece with sparkling pink Swarovski accents will add a romantic, delicate feel wherever you choose to put it. It would look gorgeous on tables at the reception or displayed with larger house plants near the altar. Learn how to make wedding centerpieces by reading the free design instructions in the Learning Center, where you can find even more incredible homemade wedding décor to help inspire your personal planning.

Once upon a time lived Princess Beadella, who lived in the Kingdom of Caspia™ with her Father King Steampunk. Princess Beadella was an adventurous maiden, who often ventured out with her pet bead Jasper seeking fun new ways to pass her time. She was always careful to not stray too far from the kingdom for fear of getting lost in the Seed Bead Forest, where brave knights have gone never to return again.

A short time later, the King’s health began to decline. There was only one thing that would cure him for certain but existed outside the kingdom. Queen Metallite told Princess Beadella that she must venture beyond the Seed Bead Forest to retrieve the lost Swarovski crystal of Yesteryear in order to heal the King. Princess Beadella and Jasper headed out into the forest, equipped only with her handy Metal Complex stamping kit to survive…

How would Princess Beadella survive the Seed Bead Forest and return home in time?

Leave a comment below telling us how the Princess would make it through the forest and retrieve the lost Swarovski crystal. Then, click on the official contest link to be entered for a chance to win a Metal Complex prize package. Three winners will be randomly selected to win the full Metal Complex kit which includes Storybook-style metal alphabet stamps, decorative metal stamps, a ball pein hammer and hole punch as well as an assortment of metal stamping blanks.

This contest begins today, January 25, 2012, and ends Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:59PM PT. Only one entry per person; must be 18 or older to enter. This contest is void where prohibited by law and open to US and Canada residents only excluding Quebec. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. Prizes valued at $350 each. No purchase necessary. Winners will be notified by e-mail and announced Wednesday, February 8. REMEMBER: To officially enter this contest you must click the link below and follow the instructions on the site.

Here’s everything you’ll receive if you win!

We will also award a special bonus prize for the best story on the blog! If your happily ever after is our favorite, you will win a $50 Artbeads gift certificate!

Did you miss out on taking a trip to the 2012 Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson this year? Don’t worry! You may still get your hands on some of the coolest beads, findings and other goodies available at one of the world’s biggest shows. Follow the Artbeads crew on our Facebook event page and the blog as they discover fun new items by browsing through thousands of tables, booths, rooms, nooks and crannies, cherry picking a few items to place into a goody jar as they go. Over one crazy, exhausting and exhilarating week, you will see the jar gradually fill with an eclectic mix of beads and other fun stuff. When the trip ends, take a guess at the number of items we’ve stuffed into the jar. If your guess comes closest to the actual number, you win the jar! Guess it exactly and you will also win a $100 Artbeads.com gift certificate! You can see the latest picture of the jar below.

Stay tuned right here on the Blog for Beaders at the end of the trip when we reveal how to enter this fun giveaway. Updates will be arriving soon.

Congratulations to Katie R. and Coventina for winning our Year of the Dragon Giveaway! They have each won a cool dragon-themed prize package to help bring them good luck in the start of a new lunar year. You can read their comments below. Thank you all for participating in our contest, and good luck to you all in your jewelry making journeys! Stay tuned for our next contest that’s sure to bring a smile to your face.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is approaching fast, so we thought we would take a look back at our adventures in Tucson from last year. The Artbeads Blog for Beaders followed the Artbeads team as they gave us a sneak peek at what new treasures were being showcased in Arizona, as well as their run-ins with some top designers. Below are some highlights from the past year as Artbeads traveled to Tucson for cool new products to bring home.

Yesterday was the first day for me to see BEADS! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I had a lot of fun.

I also stopped by Grace Lampwork Beads and chatted with other friends before leaving to the next show.

Here we are hanging out with Kristal Wick and a cactus!

After To Bead True Blue, I made a coffee stop and met up with the rest of the Artbeads team at the Best Bead Show. There were a lot of booths in the building and in tents outside. We stopped by Lillypilly Designs to pick up some Tucson Treasures and more for the website.

It had already been a long day of walking, shopping and talking but it wasn’t over! We went to the exclusive Swarovski Create Your Style party! It was on the outskirts of town with a gorgeous view at a luxurious hotel restaurant.

Stay tuned when we reveal our trip to Tucson for 2012!

Try your hands at mixed media and earthy elements with Tanager’s Song Necklace, one of the many free ideas from the Learning Center! This beautiful, vintage-inspired look combines the softness of silk ribbon with a weighty pendant for a stunningly balanced piece. We chose to accent the charming tanager background with our favorite feathers, but you can choose any nature-inspired element you deem fit. Make this bird pendant necklace by reading the free instructions, along with a list of components and tools to get you started. Click this here to learn how to make it!

Photo Source: Wikimedia.org.

Chinese New Year officially begins January 23, 2012. This year will be the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of power and wealth. Dating back before the Gregorian calendar, which is what most modern cultures follow, the Chinese calendar follows the lunar cycle. This is why the Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year.

To celebrate the New Year, Chinese cultures decorate the streets in red and yellow. Red symbolizes fire, thought to drive away bad luck. This is also why firework displays rule the New Year celebration. Ancient custom depicted people in China lighting bamboo sticks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten the evil spirits.

Following in line with the Chinese New Year is the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the first lunar month. The festivities include a parade and decorative lanterns, but the highlight of the celebration is the dragon dance. The dragon dance features a long, paper and bamboo dragon, sometimes up to 100 feet long, carried by men who dance the piece down the street.

The Chinese zodiac symbol of the dragon means a year of ambition, where we may face challenges but will overcome them to achieve success. You can celebrate with some of our dragon jewelry components to create fun elements in style. Make a Chinese lantern by following the free instructions for our Emperor’s Landing Learning Center idea, too!

We want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year!

Information Source: Infoplease.com.

This contest is now closed. Thank you all for participating and congratulations to our two winners, Katie R. and Coventina! You can read the results of the contest by checking out the latest blog post.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, we’re giving away an awesome prize package. Two lucky winners will each receive a large sterling silver dragon slider on a black rubber necklace, presented in a lovely red organza bag and finished with a bright golden yellow ribbon. This strong piece of jewelry makes a wonderful gift for guys or for any other person in your life that embodies the spirit of the dragon.

Since the Year of the Dragon is all about trying new things and taking new paths, we want to know what your new path will be. To enter this contest, leave a comment below telling us what creative new project you plan to explore. Do you want to finally try your hand at steampunk jewelry? Have you had trouble mastering that wrapped loop and are determined to learn it this year? We want to know!

No purchase necessary, must be 18 or older to enter. Please one comment per person. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. Prizes valued at $60 each, void where prohibited by law. Contest valid in the US and Canada only excluding Quebec. This contest runs from tonight, Wednesday, January 18, 2012 and ends Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:59PM PT. Winner will be announced Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

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