Blog for Beaders

We always love to hear about our customers who have discovered the joy of jewelry making and turned their passion into success. Kimberly Berg’s story of success may come as a surprise to some—it certainly came as a surprise to her! Here’s what Kimberly had to say:

It was my birthday. I had a jury duty summons. I could not believe I was going to spend my birthday waiting in a room full of people to be called for screening. I had not thought ahead to bring anything to read, but there were newspapers lying around and the clerks had a DVD movie playing. I don’t mind doing my civic duty, but on my birthday!!!

The woman’s name was called and she asked me if I wanted her beading magazine to look at. I gratefully took it and began to leaf through it. I came to the pages with the instructions on how to assemble the cover bracelet. There were a lot of terms I was very unfamiliar with and it looked like a lot of work, but I’m one not to be intimidated by challenges…

Soon after, Kimberly was excused for the rest of the day from jury duty. She’d finally had a chance to celebrate her birthday—and she was headed to her local bead shop. Kimberly quickly realized she would need a lot of tools and supplies to get her started! Luckily she was assisted by a friendly expert who taught her simple techniques like crimping, and also explained some of the beading terms used in the bracelet instructions.

Even though it took her three weeks (and several attempts) to complete her first design, Kimberly was hooked. After that she started making mother’s bracelets and even created wedding jewelry for a co-worker. By this time she had enough designs to display in craft shows and had even grew a few repeat customers. After realizing she couldn’t work full-time and visit every bead show, and learning that it was expensive to keep up an E-bay store, Kimberly created her own Website: Bergie’s Just a Little Something. Here she sells jewelry to customers in both the US and Canada. Here’s what she says about her designs:

I use genuine Swarovski crystals in my pieces and love the timeless elegance of the beads. I like to put colors together that are reminiscent of Victorian times. I’m always thinking of different looks, color combinations, and designs all of the time. I carry a little notebook in my purse for quick sketching.

Browse her jewelry website and shop for lovely bracelets, necklaces and more for any occasion. We’re happy that Kimberly Berg was able to turn a passion into success. If you’re just staring out and looking for a way to sell your designs, check out our Seller’s Secrets page where we share helpful ways to develop your jewelry-making business.

We want to hear your story, too! Send your jewelry design to our blog 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.

-Marissa

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GlitznKitz product review for seed beads

We would like to shine some light on our customers who have shown us what they can make with seed beads they bought from our site. These images come from the customer reviews you find at the bottom of each product page. Seed beading is a learned skill that takes dedication and patience, and we are happy to be able to provide the necessary tools for these talented artists to create lovely designs! Check out what you can do with seed beads below, and be sure to check out our collection of seed beads to get you started.

The customer reviews are our way of knowing what products on our site work best for you. Let your voice be heard! Write a review on your favorite products. Did one of our products come in handy for a last-minute fashion design or school project? Tell us-and show us-what Artbeads products work for you!

Customer review from joylaurel on seed beads

Customer review from Speedie Beadie on seed beads

Customer review from schwartz on seed beads

-Marissa

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We love to hear how our customers have become successful in their jewelry making hobby, and here’s a great story about how Jessica Sebastian got her start in jewelry making, in her own words:

When my daughter Ellie was born, I was so horribly underprepared for the challenges of nursing her that it was truthfully the single worst element of pregnancy, labor, delivery, and early care of her. I cried, I got angry, I complained, I was miserable. I needed something to make me feel normal again. Keeping track of feeding times on top of everything else was almost impossible. I had heard of nursing bracelets but couldn’t find one I really liked and didn’t want to pay a lot of money for something that was only so-so.

A month before Ellie was born I was attending school full time and working. A month after she was born, I had graduated and left my job to stay home with her; life changed. Making nursing bracelets helped me get back to feeling great and enjoying feeding time with Ellie. Since then, it has been my mission to provide stylish, truly affordable jewelry. I sell my feeding bracelets as close to cost as possible because it is something I love to do and I think everyone should be able to afford to have something that makes the hard times slightly easier. Women and their babies around the country have benefited from my creations and knowing that I have helped them even a little is the best feeling of all!

Thanks to Jessica for sharing her story with us! We’re proud to be able to supply beads to her company Jewelry by Sebastian Designs. If you would like to check out her designs, visit her Jewelry by Sebastian Designs website.

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.

If you’re just starting out and looking for a way to sell your designs, check out our Seller’s Secrets page where we share helpful ways to develop your jewelry-making business.

-Marissa

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We always love to hear about our customers who have discovered the joy of jewelry making and turned their passion into success. Cathy Partan sent us a picture of one of her bracelet designs, and we decided to tell her story.

Cathy Partan got into jewelry as a way to support her family. Her husband was working two jobs to bring in enough income, and Cathy looked for work that would allow her to help out financially while being able to stay home and raise their children. She found her niche in a small jewelry shop making piece work that she could create at home. Her favorite things to work with are silver and various stones. She also loves to work with Czech fire-polished beads to bring an extra shine to designs. Once her kids were in school, Cathy started working full time outside the home and relied less on her craft for income. It was not until her sister showed her some of the jewelry she was making for friends that Cathy revived her interest. Cathy learned from her sister particular techniques of jewelry making and her love for the art flourished. She now runs her own business, C. Partan Designs, and plans to start giving lessons to those interested in learning the craft starting in July.

The piece she submitted to us has its own story, too! Her creation, a bracelet she calls “Nola,” was actually created for a special customer. One of Cathy’s customers named Nola loved a triangle bracelet design she had on her online shop. Nola asked Cathy if she could customize the colors and material to create a special gift for her mother’s birthday. Nola had certain colors in mind she wanted to use and asked for a little more “added bling.” This inspired Cathy to incorporate sparkling Swarovski crystals and use gold instead of silver for the findings. This story demonstrates the dedication Cathy has for her love of jewelry making, going out of her way to bring satisfaction to her customers. If you would like to see Cathy Partan’s jewelry, check out her website, cpartandesigns.blogspot.com . Cathy loves displaying her designs to bring inspiration to others who share her passion for this craft.

If you’re just staring out and looking for a way to sell your designs, check out our Seller’s Secrets page where we share helpful ways to develop your jewelry-making business.

We want to hear your story, too! Do you have a secret to success? Have you turned your love for jewelry making into a great business? Share your stories and inspire others to get creative! Mail them to artbeadsblog@gmail.com.

-Marissa

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If you haven’t discovered our Soft Flex® line of jewelry wire, here’s a piece to jolt some inspiration. This incredible necklace was created by Artbeads.com design partner Jamie Hogsett. Hogsett is the education coordinator at Soft Flex® and an ambassador for Create Your Style with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. Although, she has been around beads and jewelry making her entire life! Jamie grew up working at her parents’ fine jewelry store after school and learning about jewelry. It was in high school that she first picked up her mom’s old macramé beads in a closet, and began creating beaded gifts. After graduating with a degree in English Literature and Art History from Colorado State University, she continued to work in the beading industry. Her credentials include being the editor at both Stringing Beadwork Magazine and Stringing Magazine. Check out her lovely necklace that she calls “Cornucopia” made from Soft Flex® material and Swarovski crystals.

Jamie continues to share her passion for jewelry by writing jewelry making instructions for thousands of designs over the past four years. She has also published quite a few books about beading and jewelry making, and her work has been seen in different magazines. This necklace was inspired by the products that we provided Jamie with. She told us that the green and gold coloring gave her the idea to follow a leafy theme, which we think is beautiful for both summer and fall fashion! We’ve linked here to the PDF file containing this design’s detailed instructions so you can make a necklace of your very own.

-Marissa

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Congratulations to Irina W., the winner of our Make it for Mom Challenge! Her lovely Caramel Buttons necklace caught the eye of our voters and melted their hearts! The sweet buttons she used appear to sit in a warm coat of caramel, inspiring the name for her creation that consists of TOHO™ seed beads, red jasper beads and other gold and components. Thank you to all of our entries for sharing your incredible creations with us! We know your mom appreciates all the hard work you went through to make something to show her how much you care, and we appreciate it too! Look for Irina’s design coming soon to the Learning Center, and keep an eye on the blog when we showcase more of our favorite entries!
Here’s our winning jewelry design!

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Design Partner Alma used the 24 Karat Gold-Plated Delicas that we gave her in a unique way – she sewed them onto cloth beads that she made herself! Alma used a full cotton ball for the center of each bead, but you could also use smaller sections of cotton for a smaller bead size. They’d be fun to use as dangles on a book bag or back pack! Check out her blog to see step by step instructions on how to create them.

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In three days spring is officially here, so this is my last opportunity to show you some beautiful winter designs created by our Design Partners! Take some time to see what everyone has been working on these winter months. And who knows? Perhaps one of the designs will inspire you as your thoughts turn to spring. I’ve posted some of my favorites on the blog, but there are many more amazing pieces that you can view in the Artbeads Facebook Galleries!

New designs are up in the Winter Enchantment Gallery II, and you can view the rest in Winter Enchantment Gallery I.

Winter Necklace created by Lisa of AlteRity

Lisa designed this necklace with glistening ice in mind and added touches of pastel color to hint at the beauty that comes with the thaw. I love her color choices and the vintage style of the clasp at the front of the necklace.

Hill Tribe Bracelet created by Genea of Genea Beads

This beautiful design by Genea uses a Hill Tribe silver bead frame and deep blue beads to complement a soldered charm that she made herself. All the elements in this design work well together to create a solid piece.

Fairy Necklace created by Amy of Sprite Creations

Amy tried something unique with this design and painted the clasp and fairy’s wings with colored resin. I love the way this necklace looks as a result. Those elements add just the right touch of color.

Enchantment Wedding Necklace created by Linda of BeadsForever

Linda created this intricate design as a wedding necklace, and the result of her efforts is definitely something a bride would love. The combination of seed beads and pearls is stunning!

Indigo Glacier Bracelet created by Kassie of The Beading Butterfly

This bracelet design is Kassie’s first foray into using Tila beads. The zig-zag pattern she created with them is beautiful and fun. It has good contrast, as the white Tila beads allow the vibrant blue beads to stand out!

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These beautiful designs are created by our talented and inspirational Artbeads Design Partners. Using a winter theme as inspiration, the Design Partners beautifully brought forth the beauty and spirit of the winter season in their designs. I’ve posted a few of my favorites on the blog, but there are many more amazing pieces that I just didn’t have room for. Feel free to visit the Artbeads Facebook Gallery to see many more!

Beadwork by Amanda

This aqua design comes to us from a blogger well used to the cold and snow. She lives in New York! I love her color choice and the graduating look of the glass beads on the earrings.

Empress of Ice by Yuliya of Yuliyart

Yuliya was inspired to create a design that featured the feminine side of winter, and this detailed masterpiece is the result! The Swarovski crystals and dangling drops combined with the intricate design work well to create the impression of an ice queen.

Midnight Winter Moon by Brenda of Brenda’s Jewelry Box

Brenda’s bracelet uses deep blue pearl beads and a Swarovski moon pendant to give the impression of a crisp winter night. She did a great job incorporating many elements, while still keeping the design unified and uncluttered.

Helouise of Farrielle Design and Fashionista

This lovely design captures the sparkle of a snowy day. Helouise used warm-toned pearls that nevertheless provide a winter feel to these earrings, and they look great!

Lisa of Lucid Moon Studio

Lisa lives in Florida, so she doesn’t get the winter snow and ice that many of us see every year. Instead of focusing on ice and snow, her design features what she sees in the winter months: a cheerful bird with bare branches. Having lived in Florida for several years, I think she captured the winter there perfectly.

Snowflowers by Andrew Thornton

Andrew Thornton used filigree flowers, crystals and Keshi pearls to create a design fit for a playful winter nymph. This photograph just shows off the focal points. Go to his blog to see the whole thing and find out more about what inspired him.

Winter Illuminations by Cynthia of Bead Origami

Cynthia got her inspiration for this design from winter in Japan. They light up parks and shrines at night, producing a vibrancy that you wouldn’t normally see in a winter scene. This design shows off that vibrant color!

Valentine on Ice by Kelley of Kell’s Creative Musings

Kelley was inspired by both winter and Valentine’s Day for this design. Resin and clear druk beads add an icy feel to the heart pendant.

The Three Fates by Jennie of The Bead Doodler

This elegantly beaded design nicely emphasizes the blue and white cameo at its center. This design looks like a picture window into a winter story.

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This handwoven necklace was created by Artbeads customer Marci. She spent 32 hours creating this design, using flowers, acrylic, Swarovski crystals, seed beads, a magnetic clasp and other components. Her efforts have resulted in a detailed piece of art that captures the colors of spring. Here’s what she has to say about her design:

The inspiration for this necklace is still a mystery to me! I have had these 3 colors – green, blue and purple – of seed beads that just grew on me. When I started I really wasn’t sure what I was going to finish with. The strap is actually made in a stitch called RAW (Right Angle Weave) and is hollow through the middle.

Because I didn’t want a clasp on the back I made the front able to be opened and adjusted. The flowers have Swarovski Crystals in the center – just to add that ‘little bit extra’ in the design.

To see more of her work, you can visit her shop Krafty Max Originals.

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