Today, September 19, is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so scrub up on your swashbuckling words and see if you can stay in character all day!
John Baur and Mark Summers created the concept of International Talk Like a Pirate Day on June 6, 1995. While playing racquetball, they began to talk to each other in Pirate-speak”. After leaving the court, they decided that there was a need to create this day. After much thought, Mark Summers selected September 19th as the date. This was his wife’s birthday. So, he thought it would be an easy date to remember. And so, International Talk Like a Pirate Day was born.
In honor of this special day, we’re giving away a booty-ful prize pack that includes freshwater pearl strands, pirate-themed charms and resin cabochons. All you have to do is visit our Facebook page and leave a comment using your best pirate talk. We will choose one winner at random and announce it tomorrow. Hurry for your chance to win this awesome prize!
Get your hands on some bountiful booty by heading over to our pirate-themed jewelry supplies and set sail on the high seas of style! Just for fun, here’s a link to a video featuring some Artbeads employees giving their best pirate speech.
You could also celebrate the other national holiday today—National Butterscotch Pudding Day! Maybe you can spruce up your collection of beads with some yummy butterscotch color found in pearls, glass beads and much more.
We love hearing from our customers about the success they have had turning their passion for jewelry making into a successful business. Smadar e-mailed us a photo of a necklace she designed, and was pleased to share her story about getting into beading and how she’s taken it to the next level. It’s a treasured hobby she discovered while on vacation.
On the annual summer vacation she takes with her friends, Smadar joined a stringing and knotting workshop after seeing a group of women smiling as they left, each wearing a beautiful necklace. She thought that there must be some pleasure found in making jewelry—and she was right. During the workshop, Smadar realized how relaxing beading was. It was almost meditative, like her own “peaceful island” where she could escape the daily stresses of the real world.
Jewelry making quickly became Smadar’s favorite hobby. After a few months of stringing new ideas, Smadar decided to expand her hobby. She taught herself beadweaving techniques by browsing the Internet and learned about all sorts of different beads she could work with. In fact, she’s still learning new things and experimenting with new designs. One of her greatest joys is shopping for new beads—this is also when she gets new sparks of inspiration.
Creating her own jewelry designs is what she loves the most, though. She gets to breathe light into something brand new. Smadar said it’s like giving birth—”but without the diapers/feeding part that comes after that.”
It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that she decided to create her own online store to sell her designs. She opened an Etsy shop and an Artfire store just to see if her things would sell. Her jewelry was selling well. Sadly, she was fired from her day job shortly after starting to sell her jewelry. However, this new freedom allowed Smadar to focus more on her jewelry making business and creating new designs. Her hard work and dedication has certainly paid off. She has had several of her designs published in Bead&Button and Beadwork magazine, and has even joined two online beading groups. Smadar now sells patterns and beading tutorials in her shop as well. She feels blessed every day that she gets to do what she loves for a living and would like to thank all of her wonderful customers for making it possible for her to do this.
We want to hear your story, too! Send us your jewelry design to our blog for beaders e-mail to be featured as one of our customer success stories. Share your stories and inspire others to get creative! Mail them to artbeadsblog@gmail.com.
Let your little princess sparkle with this fun makeup brush kit sprinkled with Swarovski crystal rhinestones. Her mornings will be full of fun and glamour every time she reaches for her beauty regimen. Learn how to decorate makeup kits by visiting the Learning Center, and be sure to check out more fun craft projects that take just minutes to make!
If you’re an autumn bride, your date is approaching fast! If you’re still in search of what to incorporate on your big day look no further. We’ll break down the coolest trends this season so your photos will be in style. You can also head over to our Bridal Trends page in the Learning Center to find artbeads.com products that fit with the season.
Vintage grace is the appeal this time around. The chic technique popular for fall is accenting your reception with sheer layers. This can be done with sheer linens in your wedding colors to decorate tables and chairs, or you can just as easily use layers of sheer paper in your invitations. This effect is effortless but makes a strong impact in décor. Even soft crystal accents like clear chandeliers or beaded crystal balls dangling from centerpieces can create a soft, sheer look.
Following along with layers is the effect of texture. Texture brings two-dimensional objects to life and makes everything pop. Fill your dress frills with lovely fabric flowers or add decorative icing in your cake. Better yet, match the texture in your dress onto the cake for a complementing effect! Paper accessories are an easier way to create texture that stands out amongst wall hangings and flower vases.
The idea of vintage appeal, taking inspiration from 1950s styles, is reflected in tea-length skirts and shorter veils. A higher hem is very in, and allows you to play up your choice in shoes. Flush your shoes with jolts of color or floral accents. Another piece of vintage inspiration is blush-hued accessories. If you heighten your hem, better make sure your veil is shortened, too. Birdcage veils are a growing trend, especially for these cocktail-style wedding dresses.
Whatever your style, if you’re an autumn bride you’re sure to be fashionable. Paying homage to the past is appropriate as any part of your big day. Whether your something old is a family heirloom or just “borrows” from the past, everyone will be looking at you for trendy bridal fashion.
That crisp smell of drying leaves and apple pies is drawing nearer, and to celebrate we’re bringing you a new contest. The Artbeads Fall into Autumn giveaway will be full of festive foliage and autumnal awesomeness. This contest is super easy and super fun to enter! Five winners will be selected at random to each receive a fall-themed goody bag full of fun surprises, including a Patricia Healey copper pendant. Just head over to the official contest page to find out more.
This contest begins today, September 13, 2011, and ends Sunday, September 25, 2011 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 $50 each. No purchase necessary. Winners will be announced Monday, September 26th.
Congratulations to our two winners, Kristen H. and Linda M. They have each successfully completed the Quest for Kabela challenge, and will receive $50 worth of Kabela jewelry components. We had a lot of entries, but this challenge proved to be a bit tricky for some. Thanks to everyone who entered the fun contest and played along! We hope you enjoyed it. Head on over to the Facebook page to view the answers to our quest, and stay tuned for tomorrow’s new contest!
Much like the simple style of Audrey Hepburn, actress Grace Kelly thankfully shared with us her brilliant jewelry style. Today we celebrate the enchanting style that she embraced and explore the ways her fashion has inspired younger generations. We witnessed at the Royal Wedding how her fashion still lingers today with Kate Middleton’s iconic wedding dress. Her Kelly handbag, created for the starlet by Hermes and fittingly named after her, still has one of the longest waiting lists for people to purchase. However, a lot of her more sparkly accessories stand the test of time as well.
Like other classic beauties, Grace loved to wear pearls. Pearls continue to be a symbol for ladylike elegance, yet have evolved to become more versatile in other fashion trends. Her multi-stranded pearl and diamond bracelet and necklace attest to the romantic glisten behind each cream drop.
One of the most stunning pieces of her collection was her engagement ring given to her by Prince Rainier of Monaco. The 10.47-carat emerald-cut diamond, set off by two baguette diamonds on either side, was mounted in platinum.
The French jewelry house Cartier called out to Grace Kelly to wear their designs, leading them to become the official supplier for her royal family. As a wedding gift, Cartier presented Grace with a platinum and diamond necklace in 1963.
If you want to look like Grace, remember to stay classy. She never flaunted her wealth, rather she carried herself with poise which allowed the jewelry to stun onlookers with ease. Grace did not lose herself in wanting to drip with diamonds. She did enjoy glamorous fashion, yes, but her ladylike qualities kept her look from going over the top. Listed below are a few jewelry ideas available in our Learning Center that mirror Grace Kelly’s style. Check them out and try to take your own approach to this American princess’ style.
This special blog post is not about beading, but it is about building a community. Today we at artbeads.com would like to pay tribute to Patriot Day. Whether you live in America or not, this is an important and relatively new holiday that should be commemorated. Not many people know that September 11 has become recognized as a national holiday, so I thought I would share some information about how this holiday came into being.
Patriot Day is observed on September 11th, and was signed into law December 18, 2001 as a day to remember those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks that day. To honor those lost, Americans should fly their flags at half-staff and pause for a moment of silence.
On September 11, 2001, two hijacked civilian planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third hijacked aircraft crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. and a forth hijacked aircraft crashed in a field in southwestern Pennsylvania after passengers tried to take control of the aircraft in order to prevent the hijackers from crashing at their intended location in Washington, D.C.
Now, ten years later, a memorial is being put in place of the Twin Towers in New York. This site will feature outdoor memorial pools where the two buildings once stood, each covering an acre of land. It will also feature an underground museum that sits between the two pools which will house memorabilia from that day, including two large pieces of the original towers. This important piece will sit inside the atrium at its front entrance.
The site will officially open to the public tomorrow, but those who lost family members will get a special viewing of the site today. The museum is scheduled to open September 2012, so visitors can explore everything next year. You can read more about the 9/11 Memorial by visiting their website.
Out of the ashes of this tragedy rises a day of celebration, when neighbors and friends rally together as one community to serve their nation. Although the innocent lives lost should never be forgotten, do not mourn on this day. Celebrate your freedom, your honor, your strength and your patriotism.
The leaves are just about to turn, and now is the perfect time to get inspired for the most beautiful season of the year. Here’s a fun bracelet to spark some ideas for you! This Autumn Colors bracelet incorporates the spectrum of fall shades, including red, amber and green. Learn how to create this simple bracelet at the Learning Center where you can find even more seasonal jewelry and craft ideas to keep you busy all year long. You could make this bracelet in minutes so you can walk out the door and show it off in no time!
School’s back in session so it’s time to start thinking about homecoming! We featured some homemade homecoming from the past, but now it’s time to showcase what’s trending this season. Fun and flirty is the theme this season so get ready to decorate with sparkling sequins and tulle for an unforgettable night.
This season we’ll be seeing a lot of short and sassy dress styles like flirty cocktail dresses in bold and bright colors. These include shades like hot pink, coral, soft yellow and royal purple.
Matching your jewelry with your dress needs to be balanced. If your dress is full of glitz and glamour, accessorize with understated pieces like a one-strand necklace or a chunky jewel-toned bracelet. If you opt for a sleek and simple dress style, add touches of sparkle everywhere else. Pin your hair up with rhinestones or colorful clip-in extensions.
Regardless if you want a simple dress or a statement dress, your earrings this season should be big. Almost any style will look great paired with large hoop earrings or dangling chandeliers in sterling silver.
You can read all of the trend techniques by heading over to the Learning Center and reading our Homecoming 2011 trends page and find some cool jewelry inspiration, too!
