Blog for Beaders

Here at Artbeads.com we understand that keeping in touch with friends and family is an important part of the holiday season. So this year, instead of sending a store-bought holiday card, we suggest creating a handmade treasure using supplies from Artbeads.com. Imagine the smile on your loved ones faces when they open up the mailbox and see the card you created especially for them. Our talented designers created this beautiful card to send to vendors and other special friends of our website. In addition to a fun paper background, the card features beautiful Swarovski flatback rhinestones, Venetian glass beads, cubic zirconia and even a charming bird link. Feel free to use our design for inspiration, or get really creative and come up with a design of your own. No matter the inspiration, Artbeads.com has a wide selection of holiday beads and craft supplies to help you create a card your loved ones are sure to treasure.

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Artbeads.com recently sponsored a treasure hunt from Beader’s Showcase, an online jewelry community. Participants searched both websites to find two hidden images for a chance to win a $100 Artbeads.com gift certificate. The contest has now ended, and the winner has been chosen!
	Janel Dudley is our winner. She won the draw after correctly providing the words ‘Gold’ and ‘Glitz’.
“Yeah! How exciting! Whoo-hoo! I feel very lucky to be the winner! When I was looking for the Treasure Hunt, I thought, aw there’s no way I’ll win, but I thought, well…someones gonna win, why not me?”Thank you so much Ann and Jeff and Artbeads! I really feel super lucky to have won this!!” Janel is planning on stocking up on some sterling silver spacers, a few other essentials and then doing some more Treasure Hunting on Artbeads.com for extra booty.Our congratulations, Janel. We hope you really enjoy yourself. - Beader’s Showcase http://www.beadersshowcase.com/

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We’ve added 11 new inspirational wallpapers and a screensaver! Check out all of our new additions and download your favorites for free!

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Take part in our new treasure hunt to win a $100 Artbeads.com gift card! We are proud to sponsor this treasure hunt for Beader’s Showcase, an online jewelry design community. One special image containing a compass and a secret word is hidden on Artbeads.com and another is placed on the Beader’s Showcase website! For a chance to win, visit Beader’s Showcase!

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On a recent trip to New York City I stopped in at the new Swarovski Concept Store located in the heart of SOHO.  In true Swarovski style everything in this store glittered and sparkled, whether it was the oversized crystal flowers in the showcases to the full wall of Swarovski Crystals that occupied the majority of the ground floor of store.  Of course if you want to sit and relax amid all of the bling, there is a full café and lounge at the back where you can take a look at your purchases while sipping on an espresso and eating a slice of scrumptiously decadent dessert.  If you are more interested in the gallery aspect, walk down a floor where you can see many interesting exhibits from a flatbacked portrait of Daniel Swarovski, the founder of Swarovski, to the crystal embellished gown used in the film version of the Phantom of the Opera.  All in all this new Swarovski concept store, one of a very few world-wide is a worthwhile place to stop in the next time that you are in the Big Apple.

- Michael, Chief Operating Officer

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I was driving in downtown Seattle to do some Christmas shopping. At a stop signal, I saw a woman with her daughter moving toward a homeless woman and giving her a scarf along with a pair of socks. This very simple gesture was so touching! Knitting is a passion, especially scarves because they are easy and fast, so I thought to do the same. Back at home I remember having a box of leftover yarn mixed with some balls of yarn that I purchased a long time ago when my kids were small. So I came up with a summer project: making as many scarves as I can for adults and children. Then in winter I plan to give them away to people in need. I’ve been asking some of my friends if they would like to participate in this project, adding that crochet is also welcome! I was really happy to see that one of my friend’s daughters, who is twelve, wanted to knit some scarves, too. To add a touch of fun on the scarves, I used some of my leftover beads for adornment. It doesn’t matter which ones; beads are always beautiful to look at. I hope that this project will inspire some of you, just as I was inspired in Seattle by a mom and her daughter.

- Cynthia Kimura, Co-owner and President

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Mrs. Kensington is my son’s cat. Her favorite things are watching the sparrows fly back and forth to their new nest on the back porch, eating, hiding under the bed waiting to strike at the unsuspecting dog, eating, nipping at the heals of our other two cats and did I say eating? Her collar was worn out, so I purchased a cute orange cat collar at our local pet store. The collar has a daisy pattern on it so I highlighted the centers of the daisies with CRYSTALLIZED™ hotfix flatbacks in sun and light topaz and covered the clasp for some real sparkle. I added a cute lady bug bell, so now the birds, dog and other cats will have a heads up when she is feeling mischievous.

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We recently had some of our favorite animals come in for a photo shoot to model some new pet-themed designs. We filmed all the exciting action as the dogs Moki and Nina posed in front of the camera showing off their embellished apparel. Check out the video, and watch as we struggle to keep their attention!

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Artbeads.com is proud to sponsor Scarlett Lanson’s Use the Muse II beading design contest.  Please enjoy this letter written by Stacy Lanson.

Greetings Beaders!

Scarlett Lanson, age 19, of www.thebeadersmuse.com would like to invite the members of your beading society to explore and participate in the “Use the Muse II” beading creativity contest, featured on her website.  The first event was met with so much nationwide enthusiasm and amazing artistry that it begged to become a series, and expand Internationally.

Stemming from all the curiosity and feedback in regard to her frequent participation with “The Challenge” in BEADWORK Magazine, Scarlett sought to create a similar opportunity for her fellow beaders.  For those unfamiliar with BEADWORK’s “The Challenge,” it is a section devoted to a handful of beaders giving their design take on an identical components kit.

Having won back-to-back Swarovski Crystal related accolades herself, Scarlett wanted to share that kind of thrill with bead artists.  Working with top notch corporate sponsors, lavish prize packages and thought provoking contest kits are offered.  For the current round, Artbeads.com and Swarovski distributor “Rainbows of Light” have generously provided ample beading booty to supply three treasure chests full, as the Grand Prizes, as well as ten special category awards, blogger reward prizes, and the “Use the Muse II” kits.

Scarlett created this event to grow the skills, creativity, and artistry of all manner of beaders….embroiderers, wire-workers, stringers, and others.  A beauteous simple piece may garner an award, as may a highly labor intensive show-stopper.  This contest is unique, because of the shorter time line, capped quota of entry kits, stunning prize packages accompanied by Artbeads.com Gift Certificates, and the resulting banter on the forums and blogs.  It truly has been rewarding to see the beading community unite, during the process!

All the details of the event are on the website.  Imagine the excitement when your components kit arrives in the mail.  The secret “must use” “Muse” component draws forth your inspiration.  This round, it is a gorgeous, custom design by Lillypilly.  As for the other kit contents, their usage is encouraged, although not mandatory.  Do add your own personality, as you like, with pieces from your personal stash!

Everyone is hush hush about the “Muse.”  Emailed entry photos are compiled, and the gallery and announcements of the winners will be posted on www.thebeadersmuse.com for “The Big Reveal!”  You may view the first contest’s gallery on the site, too.  We’ve been told that as a result of this event, some participants have had added traffic to their websites, received custom commissions, and actually sold their entry designs.  Not bad!

Thank you for your consideration.  We hope you and your bead loving friends will join in the fun!  Deadline for purchasing the reasonably priced contest kits is June 27th, 2009, and emailed entry photos need to be received by July 18th, 2009. 

All the very best,
Stacy Lanson
on behalf of Scarlett Lanson
Scarlett Rocks Designs (Sedona, Arizona)
www.thebeadersmuse.com / “Use the Muse II”
Contributing Editor at BEADWORK Magazine / “Scarlett’s Style”

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With a tricky name for this week’s sale, we thought it would be fun to tape some of our employees trying to say “She Sells Seashells Sale” five times fast. If you could use a good laugh today, take a look!

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