Sep 18th 2020

Weekly Video Recap: An Eclectic Mix Of Jewelry Designers And An Exciting Beading Party

by Thomas Soles

We have a jam packed recap for you! My goodness, there was a lot going on this week. We learned so many fun techniques and tricks. If you love to make jewelry, you are going to want to check this collection of videos out. Learn how to make a necklace. Learn how to add a lanyard to your face mask. Make a beautiful bracelet. Learn 10 tips for creating better jewelry. Finally, join us for an exciting beading party. Don't miss out! Let's have some fun and make some jewelry!

Kristen showed us how to make a stunning necklace. This double stranded beauty is full of fun beads. Sara showed us how to make a lanyard for a face mask. This fashionable accessory makes mask wearing fun. Nealay showed us how to make jewelry with Soft Flex Craft Wire and SilverSilk Hollow Mesh. We found an instructive YouTube video - Kellie, from Kellie's Bead Boutique, discussed 10 tips for creating better jewelry. Finally, we gathered with some friends for a fun beading party. Learn how to make Jewelry with Sarah James of Jesse James Beads. What a amazing week of jewelry!

Surprise Color Czech Glass Tulip Bead Strands

Surprise me!

Get a strand of these beautiful Czech Glass Tulip Beads in a surprise color. We will select a color you will love! Who doesn't like a wonderful surprise?

Some of the best glass beads come from the Czech Republic. These gorgeous beads are pressed glass from the Czech Republic. An entire strand of our Czech Glass Beads will produce at least a bracelet. Don't be scared to mix and match a few different styles to make a design that is a one-of-a-kind piece.

Please note: limited quantity

Sara's new video premieres on YouTube on Saturday!

Sara's newest jewelry video will be available on YouTube this Saturday. Sara shows us how to make a face mask lanyard for children of all ages. Colorful beads and Disney charms are a great way to get your children invested in masks. The more fun the mask, the more willing they will be to wear them. Learn how Sara makes mask wearing fun! Don't miss this wonderfully instructive jewelry making video. Teach your littles how to make their own lanyards.

Jewelry Making Videos

Antique Brass Beaded Pendant Necklace & Earrings Tutorial

Did you catch the most recent episode of Free Spirit Beading on Monday? Kristen made a deceptively simple necklace and a set of earrings. The jewelry set is gorgeous, as always! But the real fun is how many techniques and beading styles Kristen uses on her necklace. If you are a beginner beader, this video is incredible instructive. Kristen designs a two strand necklace. She uses a pendant that she patina painted. She shows how to use a variety of fun beads on her two strand design. If you want to add character and personal touches to a design but are still learning the basics, this video will show you how to make a next level piece of jewelry.

In this video, Kristen designs what looks like a simple single strand necklace. It is actually a two strand design. The extra wire gives the necklace a real visual kick. It adds texture and allows a variety of beads to be strung that just would not fit on a single strand necklace. She discusses how to patina paint a bead for an amazing focal. Patina dries permanently, but she discusses how to seal it, too. She shows us how to use two hole beads, Czech Glass, Delicas, and more. She encourages out of the box thinking by using a clasp as a focal bead. She discusses how to use beads and crimps as spacers. She suggests painting crimps with patina to give it even more character. You are sure to learn a new trick or two!

Antique Brass Beaded Pendant Necklace & Earrings by Kristen Fagan

From Kristen:

This week on Free Spirit Beading with Kristen Fagan, I share an Antique Brass beaded pendant necklace & earrings tutorial. Learn how to create a vintage style beaded necklace and dangle earrings with Soft Flex beading wire in Antique Brass color.

Antique Brass Beaded Pendant Necklace & Earrings by Kristen Fagan

Jewelry Making Supplies:

Soft Flex .019/Medium Beading Wire - Antique Brass Color
Czech Glass Spice Market Bead Mix
Hammertone Ellipse Toggle Set - Oxidized Brass
Lobster Claw Clasp - Antique Brass
Ear Wires - Antique Brass
Metal Pendants and Jump Ring
Vintaj Patina Paint
Delica Beads
Tassels
2x2mm Crimp Tubes - Gold Filled
Crimping Pliers
Cutters

Antique Brass Beaded Pendant Necklace & Earrings by Kristen Fagan

Kristen is an amazing artist. When she is not beading, she is busy painting. You can see her work behind her in the intro of her show. She loves to patina her beads to give them character. Patina paints are a great way to personalize your jewelry. Every design will be a one of a kind. She makes this piece even more lovely by selecting beads that highlight the patina.

If you have never painted with patinas, make sure you check out the video below for some pointers.

Learn how to patina paint your jewelry

See that lovely connector that is displaying her pendant? That is a part of a toggle clasp. The TierraCast Hammertone Toggles we sell look incredible as a finish for a design. But Kristen thought it also looked like a great connector. How fun is that? If you ever lose part of a toggle set, don't throw the remaining piece away. You just might have a fun new bead on your hands!

Antique Brass Beaded Pendant Necklace & Earrings by Kristen Fagan

Kristen finishes her necklace with size 11 Delica Beads. It looks so lovely. The color of her Delicas match the patina on her focal. It is a great complement to her yellow Czech Glass beads. This design is perfect for the summer or fall. It has a little beach vibe to it. And it has a lot of autumn warmth.

Antique Brass Beaded Pendant Necklace & Earrings by Kristen Fagan

Earrings are an easy way to finish off a jewelry seat. Soft Flex Beading Wire makes it simple to design earrings. Simply cut a small length of color wire, if you plan on exposing the wire, or use a remnant piece of wire that you did not want to throw away. Add some beads, an ear wire, and crimp - instant earrings! If you love to have a new pair of earrings for each outfit, this is a great way to have an earrings set for every occasion.

Antique Brass Beaded Pendant Necklace & Earrings by Kristen Fagan

Learn How To Make A Beaded Face Mask Lanyard

Sara is back from vacation and ready to make something fun! She spent the last week camping in Northern California with her family. We were glad she got some well deserved rest. But we are also really happy to see her in front of the camera again. This week, she showed us how to make a lanyard for a face mask. If you want to personalize your coronavirus gear with a stylish accessory, a lanyard is a fun addition. Some doctors have even suggested a lanyard is a good way to stay hygienic. With a lanyard, you are not setting your mask down on contaminated surfaces. You do not have to put dirty fingers all over your mask to take it on and off. And, using two lobster clasps, you can turn your lanyard into a necklace and back to a lanyard by simply removing it from a mask and adding a focal or strand of beads.

Make sure you check out our Face Mask Lanyard Mini Kit. It comes with a bunch of beautiful black Czech Glass beads. It comes with crimps and two lobster clasps. The two lobster clasps allow for interchangeable lanyards. Check out our lanyard blog for ideas! We love black. The color is so elegant. We choose to go with a black theme for the lanyard kit because it is such a versatile color. Black looks great with pretty much any mask. If you want to add variety, you can add some other colors to the mix, too. This kit is a great value for the beads alone. Make sure you grab one if you want to make yourself a fun lanyard or even if you just want to stock up on beading supplies.

Kid's Beaded Lanyard by Sara Oehler

Jewelry Making Supplies:

Face Mask Lanyard Mini Kit
Surprise Color Czech Glass Tulip Bead Strands
Soft Flex Beading Wire, .019 Diameter in Black Onyx
2x2mm Crimp Tubes
Magical Crimping Pliers
Cutters

Kid's Beaded Lanyard by Sara Oehler

If you do not need a lanyard for your mask, consider gifting your handmade lanyards to the people on the front lines. Medical professionals might not be able to wear them. But essential workers could add a little fashion to their wardrobe. A teacher would probably love a lanyard. Your favorite courtesy clerk at the local grocery store would probably adore a stylish accessory to make their mask wearing more fun. Be a COVID Santa!

Kid's Beaded Lanyard by Sara Oehler

When we return to some sort of normalcy and masks are not part of our daily wear, these lanyards can be repurposed into necklaces if you use both lobster clasps and make an interchangeable design. Use your lanyard for work. Use it for a beautiful necklace. You can even turn this lanyard into an heirloom. Give it to a grandchild or kiddo. It is part of a historic era when we all had to cover up. Some day that child will grow into an adult and think about all of us and how scary it might have been to live through a pandemic.

Kid's Beaded Lanyard by Sara Oehler

If you love the tulip beads Sara has in the background, make sure you check out our newest mystery item. We are carrying Czech Glass Tulip Bead Strands at a low price. You buy a strand and we will send you a color. The color is a mystery until you open it. We love surprises and think it is so fun to get something unexpected. Do you want a little mystery in your life? Order a strand and let us surprise you!

Kid's Beaded Lanyard by Sara Oehler

Have you had a chance to work with Magical Crimping Pliers yet? Sara shows you how to finish a design with Magical Crimpers in this video. They turn a crimp tube into a stunning rounded bead. You do not need crimp covers if you have these wonderful crimpers on hand. Every finished crimp looks amazing. Rounded finished crimps look great next to a clasp or throughout a design if you love illusion jewelry. Sara has a great tip if you are designing an illusion necklace with a single strand and want to use these crimpers. She found that crimps finished with these pliers could slip on a single strand. To remedy that, add a tiny piece of wire to the spot you want to crimp on a single strand. Crimp the bead. Cut the tiny wire at the ends of the crimp. The crimped bead will now stay in place.

Kid's Beaded Lanyard by Sara Oehler

We all have to wear a mask during these historic times. It does not have to be a chore if you personalize your mask. Make every mask a fashion accessory. Add a beautiful beaded lanyard to your PPE. Stay healthy and stay stylish!

Kid's Beaded Lanyard by Sara Oehler

Live Beading Party With Sarah James Of Jesse James Beads

We love beading parties! Since many of us are stuck at home, it has been hard to visit old friends and socialize. Luckily, there are options out there for socializing from home. Beading parties are a great way to reminisce and spread some joy. You can Facetime on your phone with old friends. Or, you can find conferencing software and have some fun. We have been using Zoom to catch up with old beading buddies. This week, we visited Sarah James. Sarah is the Director Of eCommerce at Jesse James Beads. She is also a jewelry designer. You are going to love this fun get together!

Sarah James was excited to let us know about some of the new items at Jesse James Beads. They recently released a new beading collection. The School of Magic collection is a series of items based on Harry Potter. Do you belong to one of the four houses of Harry Potter? If you feel a connection to one, you can purchase a fun mix of beads and Soft Flex wire that has your house colors.

Kristen showed off her School of Magic beads. She is partial to the House Ravenclaw. Sarah James was partial to the Slytherin, but the Sorting Hat told her she was a Ravenclaw. And that she could not retake the test. Kristen decided to design some Slytherin jewelry. Kristen loves green. The Slytherin set is full of greens and teals. Kristen used some SilverSilk Capture Chain to add some character to her jewelry. She made a snaking and looping design around her beads. It was truly a necklace fit for a Slytherin!

Look at these wonderful beads. Regardless of the house you are sorted into or identify with, there is a bead collection available at Jesse James Beads that will speak to you! Pair your beads with Soft Flex Beading Wire and SilverSilk and you have a wonderful piece of themed jewelry.

SilverSilk is so fun! Use it to create a minimal design. Add a bead or two. Add a focal. Or, slink it around your beads playfully, like this necklace Kristen made. She got the idea from watching Nealay work. The way the SilverSilk loops around is serpentine and wonderful. The knitted wire looks so intricate and amazing.

If you enjoyed this video and want to explore Jesse James Beads, make sure you check out the site. There are individual items and bead collections. You can also subscribe to a monthly themed design kit. Magical Mystery Bead Boxes start at $45.95 for one month. If you subscribe for a longer period, you save money. A 12 month subscription is $32.48 per box. Sara opened her mystery box and was excited to see the theme - Roller Skates and Mix Tapes - is a groovy mix of 70s inspired colors and beads. Super fun!

How To Make Easy Stack Bracelets With SilverSilk Hollow Mesh

We had a short work week in the United States, last week. We observed Labor Day, ironically, by staying home and relaxing. Some of us really needed a day off. So it was nice to get refreshed. We did not feature our Weekly Video Recap last week, so we are catching up with Nealay. He filmed this fun video last Tuesday. If you want to learn how to make bracelets with SilverSilk Hollow Mesh, you are going to enjoy this video.