Are the crashing waves calling your name? Can you smell the sweet, sea salt air while your toes are planted in a grassy field? If you’re ready to be whisked away to the sea, enter the Artbeads Ocean Dreams giveaway. Ten lucky winners will each receive an oceanic goody bag filled with a sparkling Swarovski crystal starfish pendant, cute sea life pewter charms (including a dolphin, sand dollar and turtle!), and a collection of other blue-hued components. All of these pieces are enough to create a darling bracelet and simple necklace perfect for summer. Enter the contest on our Wildfire page and leave your name and e-mail address. We will randomly select 10 winners. Hurry! This contest will be gone faster than an ocean breeze!

One entry per person; must be 18 or older to enter. Open to the US and Canada excluding Quebec. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. This contest runs from tonight, May 16, 2012 until Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be announced Friday, May 25, 2012. Prizes are valued at $20 each.

Don’t forget to “like” Artbeads on Facebook!

-Marissa

Whether you prefer Eggplant, Lavender or Violet, rock your favorite shade of purple in honor of Wear Purple for Peace Day! This soothing shade reminds us of so many peaceful things, like a refreshing grape soda or a romantic winter dinner. This holiday was invented as an open invitation for aliens to visit our planet, since purple is a universal symbol of peace. Be prepared for peace offerings by creating purple-themed jewelry designs with the jewelry supply mothership— Artbeads!

Are you a purple person? Take this fun color personality test to determine what your favorite colors say about you!

-Marissa

Create elegant, chic style when you make this lovely necklace idea. The organic feel of the brass and simple layout, paired with the colorful cabochon in the focal point, reflects an artistic idea of natural beauty. Its touch of steampunk influence allows you to wear this idea with both evening attire and daily outfits. You can learn how to make a simple steampunk necklace by reading the free instructions for this Monde Necklace in our Learning Center! Get a new look just in time for summer.

-Marissa

Love to look at buttons but not sure what you can do with them? There are endless ways to incorporate buttons into any project, whether it’s jewelry or craft related. Of course buttons are great for use in clothing and accessories, but why not branch out with a new approach? Find your favorite button and use it as the focal point for a necklace! You could place it inside a picture frame pendant and fill it with resin, or embellish it with seed beads for a unique display. With so many sizes, shapes, colors and styles, your button adventures are limitless! Shop for buttons and stop by the Learning Center for amazing ideas that are free for you to view, including the Color Spectrum Necklace featured above.

-Marissa

Congratulations to the winner of our Queen for a Day Giveaway, Olga T. from Nevada! Olga’s mom will be treated like the queen she is with a $100 Artbeads gift certificate and Olga will be awarded a $50 gift certificate for herself! You can read why Olga thinks her mom deserves to be a queen below. We hope everyone has a wonderful Mother’s Day, however you choose to celebrate it, and remember that every mother should be treated like a queen. Thanks to everyone who participated. If you’re still looking for easy inspiration for a homemade gift, check out our collection of FREE Mother’s Day ideas in our Learning Center.

My mom is my Queen! I would like the world to know that I’ve the best mommy in the whole world. The first word that I’ve said when I was a baby; it was your name mommy. You were near to me from the beginning of my life, loved me, protected me, cared about me and cherished me. You inspired me with your creativity of beauty and fashion. You’re the best mom that every child can wish for. With you I learned this wonderful world. I [am] proud to have a wonderful, loving, caring, the most generous and understanding mommy. You’re an amazing fashion designer and talented seamstress. My mommy is very beautiful and she’s my best girlfriend. Her advice is always full of wisdom and sincerity. I know that I always can come to my mom for the support that I need in difficult times. My mom gave me the best of everything that I needed to start my life. She wanted me to look back on a happy childhood and grow up to be happy adult. And that is what I am today! I am very grateful to my mommy for everything!

Stay tuned for our next contest coming soon!

-Marissa

Congratulations to Irina Wilson, the first winner of Artbeads’ Jewelry Design Star! You can learn more about Irina on our Jewelry Design Star Spotlight page or view other great designs from our honorable mentions over on the Showcase page. Do you have an eye for amazing designs and want to share them with the world? Enter our next Jewelry Design Star contest for your chance to be the next winner!

-Marissa

Artbeads strives to be the best place to find high-quality products that are chosen by designers, for designers. Some of the products we carry should really be described as works of art because the designers behind the pieces are true artists. JC Herrell is one of those artists. She expresses her freeform talent through lampwork glass beads, creating unique and colorful pieces that make wonderful focal points for jewelry. The space her beads take in the universe make them unique—even unique enough to be blasted into outer space! We’ll get to that later.

To understand the uniqueness of her creations, you have to understand how JC Herrell came to be a bead designer. While working as a corporate trainer, JC began to teach herself lampworking in 2001. Nothing happened the first time she tried to make a bead. She had read about how to create a lampwork piece, but had no hands-on experience on how to physically mold. It didn’t make sense: if she could follow written instructions it should work, she thought. JC had to teach herself how to physically maneuver the glass, which discouraged her from trying again for months. She finally did get the hang of it and the end result was a little round bead. Her favorite lampwork bead artist is Terri Caspary-Schmidt; JC loves the cool, calm and collective nature of Teri when she creates.

It’s hard for her to pick a favorite creation, since JC is always excited for new beginnings. Whatever project she’s working on at the time becomes her favorite. She’s a lucky person to be able to create full-time. JC Herrell enjoys the freedom, the open space of being able to design for herself, but she never forgets that she also has to run a business. Others can now view her talent from high above the sky, where one of her beads orbits in space.

Photo Source: Aardvark Art Glass

JC Herrell was one of eleven artists who were lucky enough to have their beads shot into outer space as part of a program put on by Beads of Courage®, a program designed to support children struggling with a serious illness and strengthen their families. These children are able to tell their story through beads, using them as symbols of courage that mark the passing of milestones accomplished through their journey to treatment. In April 2011, the space shuttle Mission Endeavour shot specially made beads into space to honor the children who are part of the Beads of Courage Program®. These beads were submitted by artists and only a few were selected. JC Herrell admits she almost didn’t submit a bead, but was encouraged by the thought of making her parents proud. She imagined how thrilled her parents would be to know their daughter had her work rocketed into space, and how happy she would feel that she made her parents happy. Her beautiful lampwork bead has a square shape and displays a blue starry night with a telescope in the middle. When the beads come back to Earth, they will go on a tour to 20 Beads of Courage® member hospitals so the kids can view them. The purpose of this program is to remind these children that no matter what is happening in their lives, their imagination can take them anywhere! You can learn more about the Beads in Space Program and even purchase a replica of the beads shot into space.

JC Herrell is truly one amazing artist. From her home studio on Mendocino coast in northern California to the far reaches of space, her raw talent can be appreciated by all. You can view JC Herrell lampwork glass beads on our site to get your own piece of incredible art.

-Marissa

We at Artbeads pride ourselves on being the best place to find high-quality products that are chosen by designers, for designers. Some of the products we carry should really be described as works of art because the designers behind the pieces are true artists. Patricia Healey is one of those artists. Her ability to bring a life, a warm breath, to copper is incredible. To understand the beauty of her work you must understand who she is as a person. Recently I had the chance to ask Patricia a few questions about her journey of designing jewelry.

Patricia Healey used to manufacture clothes before discovering beads. She opened up a store for her sister in Oregon, where she grew up. Every day she would ride her bike to work, through the woods where she could breathe in nature. As she approached the store, she always wanted to just pass by it and keep going. She realized she wanted to go back to a more creative life. She wanted to work for herself and no one else. That’s when she started working with metal. She started by making collapsible displays (in fact she has made 60 different designs!). It was a lot of work, but the work was on her terms. When she went to shows to sell her displays, they were so bulky and took up so much room that she would end up sleeping on them! This was when she made the transition to making beads—a smaller, more convenient outlet for her work.

The first time she attempted to make a copper bead it was a success. Patricia called her first bead “Two Lovers Alone in the Universe.” It’s still one of her most popular designs today! She used to go to the recycling center and buy old washers and scrap metal when copper was still cheap. When her crew of three (who have been with her for the last 10 years) heard the bizarre name they worried that all of her creations were going to have similar fates. Patricia still has the first three beads she ever made, kept in box at her work station so she can admire them whenever she wants. When I asked Patricia if she has a favorite creation, she told me she gets a new favorite piece each time she produces a new line of creations. It makes sense that with each new creation, a new joy, a new focus emerges. This idea of balance is apparent in the way she describes the process for creating, too.

Patricia told me that every step of the process for her beads is important. There needs to be a balance to everything, even in life. When you feel good, you look good, and you do good. She loves the coloration process for her copper because it’s a hard process that’s fun to master, and she gets to experiment with new colors. She also loves the art of forming the metal and working with tools. Her balancing practice is not just limited to beads. She still makes her displays for tools with the same care taken for her jewelry components.

You can experience the beauty of her balance with our collection of Patricia Healey copper jewelry supplies, including beads, charms and findings. We hope you appreciate the value in knowing why we only work with artists who can deliver amazing products for all designers.

-Marissa

Have you seen one of your favorite Artbeads designs grace the pages of a magazine? Do you browse our Learning Center and see a familiar design? Check out all of our designs as seen in magazines, all with FREE instructions and a list of products used so you can re-create your favorites. Make a stylish retro piece like the Metamorphosis Necklace featured in the image above! Be sure to keep an eye on this page as we will continue to add ideas featured in magazines.

-Marissa

-Marissa