Wedding Jewelry by Jamie Hogsett

I love making wedding jewelry! It's especially fun when it's for a friend or family member. I just finished this set of bridesmaid jewelry for a friend getting married this weekend. She requested flower earrings and multi-strand illusion necklaces using just a splash of the Capri blue color of the bridesmaid dresses. I used Non-Tarnish Silver Craft Wire in 26-gauge for the earrings and Soft Flex Extreme 925 Silver Flex Wire for the necklaces. I love how they all turned out!
















The bridesmaids all have their own bead color for the jewelry and when I was looking through my paper stash for paper to make gift boxes, I was thrilled to find a paper pack with exactly the right colors - thank you Martha Stewart! The bride said she can't wait to hand out the boxes to her girls on the morning of the big day. I can't wait to see it all. It's going to be a beautiful wedding!

Guest blogger Jamie Hogsett is the Education Coordinator for Soft Flex Company. Contact her at Jamie@SoftFlexCompany.com.

Bead and Button Class: Bezeled Bottle Cap Pendant by Kelly Angeley

Bezeled Bottle Cap Pendant by Kelly Angeley

Level: All Levels
Maximum Class Size: 15
Class Fee: $120.00

Techniques you will learn:
Embroidery
Gluing or Adhesive
Multiple Stitches
Peyote Stitch

Description: Have you ever wondered what to do with your leftover bottle caps because it’s such a shame to just throw them away? Wonder no more! Use those leftover bottle caps to make a stunning pendant. Learn how to peyote bezel-set these caps with seed beads and a basic bead-embroidery technique. Students will finish their pieces using Ultrasuede. Bring your own favorite bottle caps to class or choose from the assortment provided to make your own statement.

Materials in Kit: High-quality seed beads including cylinder and triangular-shaped, special bead backing, Ultrasuede, needles, thread, toothpicks, cups for glue, jump rings.

Spotlight on....Bead Haven

Our featured online bead store for this month is Bead Haven.

When you walk through Bead Haven's doors you know you have found a bead store haven. The bright and colorful walls are filled with everything you need to bead. The table in the front of the store is available for you to bead, design, read magazines or just sit and relax. The friendly staff and the warm inviting atmosphere make for a wonderful bead shop experience.

Bead Haven offers a wide variety of quality inventory, unique jewelry, classes taught by local and national bead artist, bead parties, and experienced, friendly staff members who will help you with your designs, problems and purchases.

Read More!

Article - Hidden Treasures within the 2011 Jewelry Trends by Patsy Evins

Color by Margie Deeb - Color of the Year...Honeysuckle

Designer - Tammy Johnsen

Book - Wire Art Jewelry Workshop by Sharilyn Miller

Local Bead Group - Bead Society of New Mexico

Bead Seller - Bead Haven

Singing the blues

Oh how I love the Soft Flex colors in blue and green. In this design, I was inspired by Fluorite, Grn Turquoise and Blue Topaz. I strung 4mm and 8mm crystals and size 8/0, 11/0 and 14/0 seed beads from Fusion Beads. I matched the color of seed beads and crystals to the color of Soft Flex Beading Wire. The clasp is a 5-strand sterling silver hook and eye. It is a pretty hefty clasp and is listed at a very reasonable price on the Soft Flex website. Finally, I used a Green Girl Studios starfish pendant finished this design off.

Summer Dreams Bracelet by Jamie Hogsett

It's about that time of year when I've had enough of the cold and could really use some warm sun. I find myself day dreaming more and more often about being at the beach. Since that isn't going to happen any time in the near future, here's a bracelet that gives off a beachy vibe. Glass and resin beads from The Bead Goes On are strung onto Red Jasper and Green Turquoise .019 diameter Soft Flex beading wire, and finished with 2mm crimp tubes, 3mm crimp covers, and an underwater adventure clasp from Green Girl Studios. If only getting to the beach was a simple as making this bracelet...

Guest blogger Jamie Hogsett is the Education Coordinator for Soft Flex Company. Contact her at Jamie@SoftFlexCompany.com.

How to make Soft Flex connectors, jump rings and dangles

Did you know that if you want to connect two items, you can use Soft Flex to make a connector? It is really easy and you can add another layer of color to your design.

In this tutorial, I will be using 8mm crystals and size 11/0 seed beads from Fusion Beads, 2 Soft Flex 2x2 mm crimp tubes, 2 inches of .019 Soft Flex in Blue Topaz, cutters and crimping pliers. I think that the pictures will speak for themselves, but if you do find that you have questions please don't hesitate to comment.

Connector

Jump Ring

Dangle

Spotlight on...Bead Society of New Mexico

Our featured local bead group for this month is 

The Bead Society of New Mexico.

The Bead Society of New Mexico is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers. Founded in1984, we have grown to more than 170 members, from beginners to award-winning and nationally-known professional designers.

We are a diverse group of artists who enjoy beadweaving, stringing, metalworking, silver-smithing, lampworking, fused glass making, enameling, chainmaking, kumihimo, fiber, macrame, polymer clay, precious metal clay, resin, mixed media, lapidary and more.

We are dedicated to the study, discussion and exchange of information about beads and beadwork and to share our knowledge through educational programs, free and low-cost classes, a newsletter, website and Facebook page.

Read More!

Article - Hidden Treasures within the 2011 Jewelry Trends by Patsy Evins

Color by Margie Deeb - Color of the Year...Honeysuckle

Designer - Tammy Johnsen

Book - Wire Art Jewelry Workshop by Sharilyn Miller

Local Bead Group - Bead Society of New Mexico

Bead Seller - Bead Haven

Breathe

Do you ever find yourself holding your breath? Or, have you ever noticed that we typically only breathe in shallow breaths? The next time you are sitting at your desk or your beading table and feeling tired, stop and take in a huge, deep breath. Oxygen might just be the boost that you need!

Bead and Button Class: Sunset Glow Bracelet by Maggie Roschyk

Sunset Glow Bracelet by Maggie Roschyk

Level: Intermediate

Maximum Class Size: 12

Class Fee: $110.00

Techniques learned:

New Technique

Right-angle Weave

Description: Learn to build layers and shapes with right-angle weave. Students will take this basic stitch and create a gorgeous bracelet, learning how to plan and build beaded shapes to showcase various pearls and crystals. New techniques for embellishment will be taught along with lots of helpful tips and ideas. A very generous kit will inspire you to "engineer" sparkling shapes while combining technique, creativity, and color. If you can dream it, you can bead it. Additional session offered Friday evening, June 10 (B11405). 

Materials in Kit: Seed beads, crystals, pearls, focal pearl, bar clasp, Power Pro beading thread.

Purple Monthly Specials Please!

Every month we post several monthly specials. This month has some great offers! These items are on sale through the end of the month. Click on the link to see our discounted price.

Purple Colored CZ's

WigJigs and Accessories

Teeny Tiny Beads

Soft Flex Beading Wire

Memory Wire

Amethyst Beads

Sterling Silver Flower Findings

This price rocks - Have you seen the price of sterling silver lately?

Czech Glass Beads

Crystal Charms

Purple Craft Wire

Spotlight on...Wire Art Jewelry Workshop by Sharilyn Miller

Our featured book this month is

Wire Art Jewelry Workshop 

by Sharilyn Miller

Wire Art Jewelry Workshop by Sharilyn Miller contains step-by-step projects. I love that an instructional dvd is included with this book. With our Soft Flex® Craft Wire launching late last year, my mind has definitely been on wire work creations. This book is chalk full of inspiring projects that are perfect for our Craft Wire. The step-by-step photos are amazing. It makes it very clear and easy to recreate each project as if it was your own.

Read More!

Article - Hidden Treasures within the 2011 Jewelry Trends by Patsy Evins

Color by Margie Deeb - Color of the Year...Honeysuckle

Designer - Tammy Johnsen

Book - Wire Art Jewelry Workshop by Sharilyn Miller

Local Bead Group - Bead Society of New Mexico

Bead Seller - Bead Haven

Soft Flexers in Estes Park by Jamie Hogsett

Fellow Soft Flex employees Jenny and Thomas came to Colorado for the RMBS Bead Bazaar last weekend and are staying with me for a couple of days up in Fort Collins. Yesterday we took a drive up to Estes Park. I've been going to Estes since I was a baby and love it. There's something about breathing that fresh mountain air that makes me incredible happy.

On the way up the mountain, we passed a store that's been in the canyon for more than 30 years,
and were treated to a few glimpses of blue sky over the top of the rocks.
We stopped at The Stanley Hotel, built in 1909. It's beautiful and haunted and was the inspiration for Stephen King's novel The Shining.
Our recreation of a scene from the movie. Just imagine snow on the ground and an ax in Thomas' right hand...
It's pretty much always a guarantee that you'll see wildlife in Estes Park and we were treated to lots of deer and elk sightings.


This regal elk was so close, Jenny and I were terrified she might jump onto my car. Thank goodness that didn't happen.
It was a fun and lazy day - the perfect kind for the day after a busy bead show!

Guest blogger Jamie Hogsett is the Education Coordinator for Soft Flex Company. Contact her at Jamie@SoftFlexCompany.com.