Blog for Beaders

Bead mixes immediately let you see how a variety of colors will look when placed together. They’re also helpful on a day when you’re lacking inspiration and want to start with a ready-made color palette. Try using them to create Christmas gifts for friends. Artbeads.com has just added 24 new fire-polished Czech glass mixes to their website, and I’ve included a few below just to show you some of the variety. Browse through them yourself to find ones that will suite your tastes.

Fire-Polished Bead 6mm Ocean Frost Mix (50pc Pack)

This mix features a lovely combination of white and blue that is perfect for winter designs. At 6mm, these beads will also be easy to incorporate into many jewelry designs, ranging from necklaces and bracelets to earrings. They would look gorgeous accented with sterling silver beads.

Fire-Polished Bead 4mm Peacock Feather Mix (100pc Pack)

Whether you enjoy the vibrant colors of a peacock or want to create something with a floral theme, these 4mm beads will add a fun look to your designs.

Fire-Polished Bead 6mm and 4mm Montana Mix (50pc Pack)

This pack features deep blue beads (they look almost black in soft lighting) mixed with golden and silver tones.

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Normally, the word “smartphone” is not something you’d expect to hear in a conversation about beads, but that’s exactly what Michael Hervieux, chief operating officer of Artbeads.com, was talking about in a recent interview with an editor for Internet Retailer.

Artbeads.com has made it easier to access the website on mobile devices like smartphones, creating new possibilities when shopping. For example, the mobile website allows you to make purchases and compare prices while browsing at a local bead or craft store. If you’d like to hear more, you can read the article or check out the mobile website for yourself. When you’re using the mobile website, if for any reason you would like to see our standard website, just click the “Standard Site” option near the bottom of the front page.

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Save 10%-55% on more than 750 of our most popular Swarovski items during our Cornucopia of Crystal sale. This fantastic sale features products ranging from Hotfix flatbacks and rivoli crystals to sparkling pendants and beads. Choose from the variety available to add sparkle and brilliance to your designs. Hurry! This sale ends on Thursday, November 17, 2010.

Look at the Learning Center ideas below to get fun ideas for using some of the products in this sale.

A Swarovski 5810 12mm Round Pearl in Light Blue acts as one of the focals in this cool-toned bridesmaid’s bracelet.

This sparkling necklace design features a Swarovski 6012 15.5mm Flat Briolette in Aquamarine as the centerpiece that is flanked by two Swarovski 6012 11mm Flat Briolettes in Light Rose.

A sparkling Swarovski 5600 6mm Diagonal Faceted Cube adds a touch of fuchsia to these fun dangling earrings.

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In recent travels I came across a beautiful leaf that really captured my attention, it was from a merlot grapevine. I immediately wanted to make a jewelry design with a flowing grape cluster with a grape leaf or leaves. When I saw the copper maple leaf on the Artbeads.com website, I hoped I could make it look more merlot than maple. When I added copper curls and chain, and round amethyst and jade beads plus hand made lampwork beads from Artbeads.com for grapes. I made some other round beads from polymer clay to bring out the copper along with the greens and hues of purple. It took a while to structure the piece and I worked into the night, but I am very pleased with how it turned out.

- Submitted by Artbeads.com design partner Carmen Rose. Click here to see her blog post about this design.

Carmen has also submitted this design in the What Inspires You? design contest. First place in each category receives a $500 dollar gift certificate to shop at Artbeads.com. Second place gets a $250 gift certificate and third place gets a $100 gift certificate. Be sure to visit the design contest webpage for more detailed information on how you can enter your own work before Monday, November 22, 2010.

Carmen Rose Studio

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For 48 hours only, shop the Clearance Blowout at Artbeads.com to save big on already discounted items! Take an additional 25% off all clearance items when your total order reaches $50 or more, made up of any items from the website. Shop high quality products ranging from gemstones and Swarovski rhinestones to pewter beads and charms. Use coupon code ZZW25P-CLEARANCE at checkout to save before this sale ends on Wednesday, November 10, 2010.

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Autism is a complex problem that many scientists are working to bring to light so that they can better fight its affects. Advocates for autism awareness have adopted the puzzle piece to signify the complexity and mystery surrounding it. The bright colors show hope.

Help raise autism awareness with these stylish bracelet ideas from our Learning Center, or visit our autism awareness section to easily find supplies and create your own design.

A Hope for Autism Bracelet

This playful bracelet design blends colorful seed beads and brilliant sterling silver puzzle piece accents.

Autism Awareness Puzzle Link Bracelet

The simple, yet vibrant design features sterling silver links and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal beads.

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We regret to inform you that the Artbeads.com forum is now shut down. As many of you may have noticed, there hasn’t been much activity in the past few months and we couldn’t justify keeping the forum running. For those of you who are forum members, we appreciate your participation and willingness to be active in a beading community.

You can still get connected to other beaders and jewelry designers through our Facebook page or by posting comments to the blog. You can also continue to access helpful tips and links that members have already posted on the forum. We’ve compiled and categorized that information and added it to a Q & A page located in the top menu bar of the blog.

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Shop the Sterling Silver Bead Sale and save 15% on select beads. Whether you’re looking for glitter or simplicity, you’ll find it in this sale. Items range from rhinestone-studded and fancy-cut beads to staples like matte and seamless sterling silver rounds. Enter ZZSTERLINGNOV at checkout to take advantage of this sale before it ends on Wednesday, November 10, 2010.

The Learning Center ideas below will give you an idea of what you can do with some of the products in this sale. Sterling silver beads are a great resource, and you can use them in countless designs.

Deco Motion Earrings

Sparkling rhinestones on 8mm sterling satin beads sparkle and attract the eye to these silver earrings.

Stardust Memories Necklace

Stardust s-cut beads complement creamy white pearls and add shimmer and shine to this elegant necklace.

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These lampwork beads make great focal pieces because of their hand-crafted appearance, gorgeous coloring, detailing and size. Grace lampwork beads are made with precision in the USA and annealed overnight, making them far more durable than other glass beads. Artbeads.com carries a wide variety of Grace lampwork beads, and these are just a small sampling of what’s available. Grace chooses many different color palettes and styles, which makes it easy to find focal pieces for a variety of jewelry designs.

Free Style Pillow Bead

This bead features a black background accented with beige and green swirls. It’s style and coloring make it an excellent focal point for a sophisticated contemporary necklace. If you’d like to see it in a design, be sure to check out the Winter Dusk Necklace Learning Center idea.

Pink Swirl Floral Heart Bead

The heart shape of this extremely detailed bead matches perfectly with its floral theme and soft pastel colors to convey a feminine look. It can easily be converted into a pendant or used as the focal piece of a necklace.

Deep Ocean Blue Pillow Bead

The rippled patter on this colorful blue lampwork bead does an excellent job of conveying the flow of water. To see what this bead looks like in a vibrant bracelet, check out the Blue Forest Bracelet Learning Center idea.

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Whether you’re planning your own wedding or helping a friend, be sure to explore the resources available to you at Artbeads.com. You’ll find a whole section devoted to bridal jewelry and decorations.

If you already have an idea of what you want to create, browse through jewelry supplies to find the perfect accents for your wedding. You can also check out the related bridal jewelry ideas in the Learning Center for step by step instructions on how to create captivating jewelry designs, centerpieces and more.

For up-to-date information on the latest bridal jewelry, view our wedding trends section. It features popular color palettes and the latest styles that will give your special day the perfect touch.

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